Babbling like a Brook

For Sale By Owner.

2010-03-28T19:16:00.000-07:00

We are on the move and looking to sell our home! I had been meaning to get "caught up" in blogs, but what does that even mean?!?! If you know anyone looking for a home who may be PCS'ing or moving to Columbus Air Force Base, please refer them this link:

http://www.infotube.net/search_detail.php?u=ROBJENNY28&photo=1&Adnumber=237220

We love this home and have added so much value to it. Would love to sell it to another family that will get much value out of it as well. Thanks for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Rob and Jenny Brooks

our little Brooklets... (stolen phrase from my MIL) :)

2010-02-09T11:27:00.000-08:00

what a *lucky* brother!

Here are more recent photos of the kids. Yep, they're still here. And alive. And growing.

A few days ago, we all went in as a family so that my Sponsor could get me, his Dependant, a new base ID card. You know, so that everyone knows my husband's a Major now. ;) Ha! While we were waiting our turn there was an 18 month old little girl named, Delilah. (hey, it least it wasn't Jezebel, right?!) And, you know, I really like that name and you don't see it often. I can only imagine it's due to that one case with a certain "Delilah". We're so superstitious, aren't we?? But, I do suppose we have all experienced a certain name that was bad news for us, whether it was a snotty girl in high school or a jock who broke our hearts. Anyway....those names don't usually end up being our children, do they??

Back in the Personnel office, this little girl Delilah was very sweet, and wanted to interact with Lydia if she would have it. She wouldn't. Lydia stubbornly turned her head 90 degrees away from sweet Delilah. Time passes, and we get called back to take care of our business.

Ben is such a wonderKid - I suppose that statement is half-true and half-"he's our kid", though, huh? Ben sits in a chair and quite matter-of-factly states, "I know Delilah, she's in the Bible. And she was a baaaad girl." (with emphasis on "bad" and almost as if he wishes he knew a girl like that!)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2010-02-09T10:52:00.000-08:00

Rob remains the Check Flight commander this year. He became a Major Select this year, and looks forward to pinning on Major the beginning of February. He was recently awarded IP (Instructor Pilot) of the Year for his squadron, and we are all very proud of his hard work and accomplishments.

Jenny continues to take care of the home and Ben and Lydia. She enjoys the bond that is growing between the two of them, but is also learning more about siblinghood through them, as she is an only child. She is also Moppets Coordinator for the Christian nonprofit, MOPS (Mothers Of PreSchoolers). She plans the curriculum and cares for roughly 30 kids alongside paid/nonpaid caregivers. The program seeks to reach out to mothers of preschoolers through fellowship and breakfast with the moms, while their children are taken care of and shown the love of Christ. She is still an avid runner, and now enjoys taking Lydia for runs.

Ben is a 4 1/2 years old now and loves Legos and Star Wars. He enjoys his 4 year old class, and looks forward to Kindergarten. He loves to read and write. This past summer, he learned to how to ride a two-wheeler and swim. The swimming part was the more difficult of the two, as his fear was quite overwhelming! There were many tears, and both Rob and Jenny were fearful of the glances shot our way, as he screamed bloody murder many times! But he made it through, and it will be interesting to see what he retains this summer. :)

Lydia turned 1 this November, and enjoyed a wonderful birthday with both sets of grandparents and Halloween to boot! She was dressed as a bumblebee and it fits her personality perfectly because wherever she goes, she goes at it with such vigor! Much to her parents' dismay, she walked at just under 9 months. She could have "milked" babyhood all she wanted, but not Lydia. It was thought that she might be the laid back child - until we really got to know her!

As a family we enjoyed a few trips this year. In January, we had a winter birthday trip for Jenny to MI and visited her very best friend. In May, we visited Jenny's parents in Phoenix, and met with some old friends. September brought a trip to NH to surprise Jenny's Mom on her 60th birthday at her aunt and uncle's house. Rob and I also completed our first half marathon TOGETHER at St. Jude's in Memphis this year. We were excited to cross the finish line together at 1:49:14! We thank everyone who sponsored us by giving money. We raised a total of $1390, well over our goal of $1200. Rob's Mom and Aunt came to MS and watched the kids for the weekend, so we were also able to spend time together.

We are anticipating moving this summer, and will know where by early spring when Rob gets an assignment. As for 2010, we hope this finds you in a time of joy and peace, as you look forward to another year with newness and blessings.

Much love to you,
Rob, Jenny, Ben and Lydia

Two Halves make a Full, right? ;)

2010-02-08T11:09:00.000-08:00

Pictured here are some other friends that also ran in the half marathon: Heather B and her Dad, and Shannon and Steve. It was such a fun time!

So...........remember back when I told you we were running a half marathon together?? Well, we did, and we raised $1390 for St. Jude's Children's Hospital! We couldn't have done it without so many of you donating to our cause, and we have you to thank! So, thank you for believing in us in that way. We had a great race together, and I can tell you that running a half with your spouse is so much more fun than running alone! Our finish time was 1:49:14. I am so proud of Rob, because this was his first half, and our time was only a minute and a half slower than my PR time a couple years ago (BTW, I learned you can only brag a PR within two years. After that time, it sort of "expires" if you will, and you can no longer brag your best PR. Ha.) However, my point is that Rob did excellent for his first time!

I will tell you along there way there were a few interesting things that took place:
1) a barefoot runner, running faster than us, and running the full marathon! Who knew people *did* that?! They do, believe me.
2) all the supporters along the way, especially the new route that takes you through the St. Jude Campus. It was so neat to see people whose lives have been touched by the many people of St. Jude!
3) Mile 11ish - When were running on a slight downhill, I asked Rob if he could "work the hill a little bit". And his response was, "I *am* working the hill." Tee hee. Did I mention he did outstanding?!?!
4) Rob mentioned after the race, that what was demoralizing for him was when I stopped to a full on walk to wait for him. WHAT REALLY HAPPENED: OK, when you're running with someone for 13.1 miles, it gets really difficult to stay exactly together the whole time. And at about mile 12, I got an excited surge (um, who wouldn't be excited to be almost done?!) and pulled away accidentally. I realized this problem, and just stopped and walked about 10 paces to wait for him. Not that bad, right? Rob's overreacting.... :) Would he rather I run circles around him, or just nonchalantly wait until he's right there? You be the judge.
5) EATING! We all love food, and it's just such a shame that you can't just eat whatever you want all the time, right? Well, when you buy yourself some calories by running so long, you CAN eat all you want! It's especially great, when you're not in Columbus, MS and you're in Memphis, and you have OPTIONS!

my teaser trailer.

2010-02-08T07:53:00.000-08:00

This blog is seriously busting my chops. What's worse than going for extended amounts of time without a blog? Stress, yes, but not it. You stop reading other blogs! And then when you sit down to attempt to get out of the hole, you start reading all the other blogs. And realize your friend's child ate blood pressure medication, or that someone is having another boy! So, I need to be better, but I have to be honest: writing a blog just hasn't been at the top of my list. And it's not because I don't care for my unusually small fan base, it's just that other things like family life take priority first. But I am going to try to be better, and believe me, I know I have said this before about blogging.

So I have a lot to catch up on! And these are the top things that float to the surface: our half marathon (Yes, we DID!), our Christmas letter, my thoughts on a FULL marathon ("Yes, I can"?), Ben and his matter-of-fact thoughts on many matters, Disneyland, and Rob's promotion to Major.

Goal: to get this caught up before Ben turns 5 (tear!), we PCS, I run a full marathon ("Yes, I can"?), we go on a fun anniversary getaway, where I have a 20 miler planned.

Can I?

right after I go and change Lydia's poopy diaper....

2009-09-25T12:10:00.000-07:00

This guy made Rob and I laugh last night on Jay Leno. Enjoy!

Stay Cool,
Jenny :)

Sara Sullivan

2009-09-23T04:27:00.000-07:00

This is a name that has been floating around many of my Facebook and military contacts. Sara was diagnosed with breast cancer in January of this year, and gave birth to baby Chloe the beginning of September. She suffered from postpartum brain swelling that eventually lead to her becoming brain dead. She was able to spend two days at home with her husband, Brady and her premmie, Chloe. It is such a heartbreaking story, yet this is a family in Christ who has continuously shown their strength and faith in their Creator.

Her family is participating in the Race for the Cure in Texas and their are trying to reach their goal of $10,000 in memory of Sara. Click here to support them! While their faith is stronger than it has ever been, it would be greatly encourage them in such a dark time as this is.

You can also visit their blog at: http://bandssullivan.blogspot.com/

Words cannot express the pain right now, but it amazes me the people I have known who have used their heartache and pain to magnify their God and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is just so impressive to see them take a step for God and trust Him with such a heavy burden.

Mostly, please say a prayer for them.

Team Brooks

2009-09-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, Rob took the liberty and signed us BOTH up for the St. Jude Half Marathon. Many of you know that I have run a couple before, but this is Rob's first time, and I am so excited to be able to do this together. While it's a new experience for him, and not as much for me, it is new to the both of us in the respect that we are fundraising for St. Jude Children's Hospital. Of course, it is always hard to ask for money, but the more and more I read about how awe-inspiring St. Jude's mission statement is, I cannot stress the importance of this hospital's success. We ask and encourage each of you to donate even a small amount to such a great cause. With the nation's healthcare being such a hot topic these days, it's quite encouraging to see such a huge impact that this one hospital is making for so many families and children with cancer.

Did you know that St. Jude's spends roughly $1.4 million dollars in operating costs PER DAY?!

On average, 5,400 active patients visit the hospital each year, most of whom are treated on an outpatient basis.

St. Jude maintains 78 inpatient beds and treats upwards of 250 patients EACH day.

St. Jude is the ONLY pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is EVER denied treatment because of a family's inability to pay.

In 1962, the survival rate for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common form of childhood cancer, was 4%. Today, the survival rate for this once deadly disease is 94%, thanks to research and treatment protocols developed at St. Jude.

Where your Dollars Go:
Average cost for treating ALL per patient ............$573,000
Physical therapy per hour...........$344
One day of Oxygen...........$417
Average charge per inpatient per day...........$5,719
ICU daily room rate (room only) ..............$2,836
Platelet count test.........$42
Complete blood count test ........$52

While St. Jude boasts of never turning a child away due to insurance, this organization could NEVER do it without people like you, people like me, people who see the vision of St. Jude and the necessity of St. Jude's research and care.

Please consider donating to this wonderful cause. Our team goal of $1200 is based on the average amount of money a typical team raises. The link to our fundraising page is located here. You may also mail me a check, please just send me an email, and I can include my mailing address.

Thank you so much for taking the time and considering St. Jude's this year!

And wish us luck, as we complete our first half marathon together!
Love,
Rob and Jenny Brooks

BTW - the above picture is of Rob meeting me at the last mile of my first half marathon and running with me until the end. He did duck out before the finish line, so as not to steal my thunder. ;) Little did he know, he was just preparing himself to a half marathon a couple years later!

it's been awhile.

2009-08-22T18:49:00.000-07:00

Doesn't life just seem to be hurry up and wait? Well, blogging has become that way for me, too, "hurry up, get caught up, and then wait to get behind again." I last posted 3 in a week while Ben was at VBS in the beginning of the summer, and here we are at the end of summer, on the heels of school beginning. It was so easy, Ben was gone for a couple hours every night, and Lydia wasn't very much mobile. She was crawling, but having to keep two hands and knees busy, still manages to keep you out of some trouble. "Idle hands are devil's play?" or something like that. Well, now she can walk, and it is just insane. I keep telling her that she's breaking all the baby rules, along with my heart, because she's fast exiting babyhood, and it is making me sad. It just wasn't supposed to happen this fast. Sigh.

So since everything is going too fast. Here's a recap:

Ben learned how to swim! No life vest....although the accomplishment came late this summer, so I expect we will forget all about swimming by next summer! Here a picture of Ben and his clone trooper helmet, it was promised to him. Apparently, even clone troopers have tee times to make. :)
Ben learning to read. Ben learning has always been a theme in his life, and it just continues to amaze me at how quick he is. The first book he learned to read was Green Eggs and Ham. While I know the rhyming and repetition are helpful aids to reading, he has really shown word recognition with many sight words.

Lydia: oh where oh where do I begin? It was very much a blur. And now it is a blur, watching her walk all over the house. She LOVES Ben's room! The other day she was enjoying chewing on Captain Rex's helmet. She also takes to pulling the door stop rubber protectors off and chewing on those as well. (I know, Mom and MamaLiz, it's dangerous....) She also loves Rainey's water bowl...and Rainey too. Here is a progressive set of photos. It's really cute, and reminds me of how Ben used to play with Rainey as a baby.

Ben is determined to make her a Star Wars fan! And it's really bright in our bathroom ;)Here are some photos of Lydia:
First piggie: (can I just please mention how proud I was to be able to manage even a tiny piggy that sticks straight up in the air?) It is weird how changing what little hair she has makes her look so different to me.

She loves food much more than Ben did. But in Ben's defense, I was always too worried about his food/caloric intake, that I manipulated feeding him over self feeding MUCH more than I should have. I guess you live and you learn. And I definitely have learned. Here is Lydia loving grilled cheese. That day she ate a half of one!
Rainey: She is becoming quite the love of two little kids around here. She is so good and loyal to the both of them.
Sleepy times are hard to come by, but summer was busy and those long gone naps returned with a vengeance. That day, I carried two children one by one while on my cell phone.

You know you're too tired, when you can't even finish your lollipop. Ben has never been one of those kids who falls asleep eating. This photo below is for Lydia's Great-Gram. She gave Lydia the sleep lamb that her head is sleeping upon. It makes a few different sounds: whales, ocean, rain, a heart beating.

This picture is for Lydia's Auntie Em. The black bear she is sleeping on top of is made of super soft alpaca! So soft!
Jenny: I have been finishing up projects here and there that got started over the summer and then forgotten about. They eventually got remembered again, when I realized I was leaving project clutter all over the house. So, here are a few things I have started, forgotten about, remembered again, and finished. This baby quilt is for a friend, expecting her third child and third boy. This summer has gone so fast, and now it is time for fall. I am taking on the Moppets Coordinator position. MOPS is Mothers of Preschoolers. It's a Christian nonprofit, that seeks to meet the needs of moms with young kids through twice monthly meetings for a time of breakfast, fellowship, speakers, crafts, you name it. Since I am the Moppets Coordinator, it has been my goal this summer to rally enough workers to work with our kids to make MOPS happen, train/brief them on their importance and role, and plan the kids' curriculum. It has been a learning process, and I presume it will continue that way for the rest of the year. I am also planning on doing the St. Jude Half again this December, and I just might have a partner....TBD. ;) This year I would like to do the race as a "St. Jude's Hero" which is where friends and family donate money to St. Jude's cause. It's a great facility, and it is their aim to never turn away a sick child. I will send out more information once I become registered. Anyway, I am again toying with the idea of accomplishing the full that I have been aspiring to for a couple years now. I want to wait until Lydia's one and she's not nursing anymore. There's always time for running and other things in life, but some time, you just can't get back. She's already changing too fast. Shoot, both of them are for that matter.
Rob: My dear husband. He's the Check Flight Commander still, if I haven't mentioned before. He misses working directly with students and instead is the one that they all fear. We are extended a full year (no more, maybe less) here in Mississippi. Of course there are always mixed emotions, and feel like they all kind of level out in the end. Things could always be worse, things could always be better, but this is where we are. So we are going to enjoy it until the end!

We hope this update finds you well. While I haven't been much of a blogger, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all of your updates! So - don't be like me! ;)

Love,
Jenny

five years of puppy love.

2009-06-24T19:27:00.000-07:00

Just a tribute on our oldest child~ ha!

Rainey celebrated her fifth year of craziness, and she's still as pup as ever!

Some photos of our puppy love...it was quite symbolic of Rob and my relationship. We had just gotten married, and I really wanted a dog. I thought my one good chance of getting a puppy, was if I could find the breed that he grew up with: the boxer. And we found the perfect puppy. She was the runt of the litter, but had the fire inside her, that was for sure. Isn't that how they always come, though? It's the small, wiry type that are the most feisty and energetic! We went back and forth on names, narrowed it down to four names, and chose Rainey (my suggestion) due to the fact that it had rained the evening we took her home, and it just fit. When she's in trouble, she gets the middle name added in: Rainey Day!

If there was ever any indication of what my temperment would be around children, it was then that I caught a glimpse of it when we got Rainey. I was so happy to take her home, and make her part of our family. However, the day Rob had to go to work, I was a basket case! I was such a wreck, because she was quite young, compared to the typical 8 weeks. She was 5 1/2 weeks old, and she had such a hard time eating, that I was on the kitchen floor breaking up her food with the back of a spoon, so she could eat it! When I was a kid, and we got a puppy, none of these things you worry about. But the day, Rainey Day was in my care and I was "in charge", I was a serious freakshow....much like that of a new mother, who has a baby to care for.

Oy vey.

It was only a couple months later that we found out we were pregnant with Ben. It was merely weeks after we got Rainey that we conceived. If I was like that with a dog, what was I going to do with a little baby boy??

Rainey is such a part of our family, but there are days when she's the last one attended to. Many days however. But it's the love of a dog, that is so special, especially where children are concerned. Ben bounces on her back and Lydia tries to entice her to lick her on the face, but Rainey knows better about these things and resists any action on her part. Rainey now sleeps on Ben's bed at night, and checks on him, if he has napped what she considers "too long". It really is sweet. Lydia is now getting very interested in Rainey, and she continues to be the most gentle dog, when I know she just wants to lick every square inch of Lydia.

P.S. Sometimes, I really do love her. It usually occurs after the kids go to bed, and I just want someone to lie still and snuggle - 4 year olds and babies don't do that so well anymore.

quilting.

2009-06-11T11:45:00.000-07:00

While we were in Phoenix, my mom shared and taught me one of her new hobbies. She has been meeting with a quilting group at church and she has been loving it. Here is my first completed project; it was a prepackaged quilt. You still have to do all the cutting and sewing, but it takes the guesswork out of picking and choosing matching fabrics (which I think is a talent in itself).

The below project is one I chose for myself. While I have never really crafted any sort of large project for Ben, I decided that I wanted to make him a bedspread quilt to fit his twin bed. Below is the material cut out. I still need to cut a few more pieces at the bottom and do what is called a lattice. It is another material that sort of borders your quilt - kind of like a frame. After it is sewn I need to find a matching flannel back piece for it.

a good laugh.

2009-06-11T09:36:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd post a little humor about a song I like very much! It's a song from Samson's point of view.

Hope it brings a smile and a laugh to your day! :)

a little bit Easter, a little bit birthday.

2009-06-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

I really said I was going to post multiple times this week?? OK. Well here goes. Back in April was Ben and Rob's birthdays. Ben is respective 4 and Rob his 31st. Whew! I don't know that I have much to say other than posting pictures, but each year you really begin to be better about planning birthdays, I guess it comes with all the practice. Ben had been to a friend's birthday at a place called Bullets. I hate to tell you that it is really a gas station - but a glorified one. Telling you that, just doesn't give it justice, I suppose. Well, Ben also wanted his there. Easy enough, book the room, bring the cake and paper plates, and they provide the rest. Ben's request was Star Wars, and while I wanted to also outsource this task, I ended up doing that. Parenting requires actually doing something sometimes....(totally kidding). Oh you want a Captain Rex cake. Ok. Here is the result after both Rob and I had our hands in the frosting of the cake.

And in case you were wondering how my $3 find turned out from Dirt Cheep (still haven't not revisited this establishment). Here is a picture of Ben finding his scooter. He asked me just the other day where I found it (I guess it is something he never spotted at Wal-mart!). Tee hee.
you cannot escape a hairbow from time to time.Some other April highlights were Rob's Birthday and Easter.
Rob's birthday was on a Friday, hence his Friday shirt.Rob, the fireman. I mean, candle extinguisher.Lydia, nervously gnawing on her thumb, very thankful that there will be no fire today.
Because when a travelling carnival pops up at your local "mall" (in quotes for anyone who has ever "shopped" there), you have to ride the ferris wheel. Shopped is also in quotes too. Sad.

Some Easter shots. The hunting of eggs. The dressing for church.
random happy picture. doesn't need a reason to be included, for no other reason that Lydia's in the picture!Ben talking to Lydia about life.

how does he do it?

2009-06-08T09:02:00.001-07:00

...because I tried it and can't do it.

maybe it's a filipino trait...they are quite agile at climbing coconut trees.

MIA.

2009-06-07T19:15:00.000-07:00

So as I sit here, still sweaty from a 4.5 mile run, I am feeling behind as I log in to my blog account. This is my attempt to add to the blog since it was last updated on March 19th! Oh my. I am surprised it has only been three months, because to be honest it feels longer. We just got home from picking Ben up from VBS, after Rob and I ran with Lydia. Is it possible that Rob is still reading a book to our son at 9:20 at night? Well, that is just the good dad that Rob is. Rob has just come into the room to recount a nighttime conversation he just had with Ben. They were reading A.A. Milne's "When We Were Very Young", a book of poems.

Ben: Dad, what are poems?
Dad: They rhyme and have rhythm and they are short.
Ben: Why are poems short?
Dad: So you don't get tired of them. So if anyone ever asks you why you're short, if they ask you, then just tell them it's so they don't get tired of you.
Ben: (he laughs) Well, I'm tired of you. But I'm not tired of my mom.

I had no intention of adding that story obviously, but I just felt like it was cute. This makes me feel just a little bit more special, because Ben is so very much about being boy and being like Dad. It's nice to know that he has a little sweet spot for his Mom every now and then. And I feel like many moments of our life have been "cute" and "memorable", yet I haven't so much as kept any physical notes detailing them. This has been on my mind, because I know that some day, I am going to be really sad that these moments are gone. I feel like Lydia is already close to 1, when she is only 7 months.

While all this has been nagging me, I received an email from a very good friend and sort of mom to me back in Clovis, asking me how I was and if I was OK, and that I hadn't updated the blog. Thanks, Anna Marie! It was just what I needed. So over the next week (I am hesitant to commit myself to that short time), I am going to update you in a sort of 4-parter. I feel that is the right amount I can bite off each day, and not bore you with one really long update.

But to sort of give you my initial "happies" (as a friend who once lived here in MS coined the phrase, Liz), here is a quickie STS:

1. Lydia's crawling and cutting a tooth. I forgot about all the feist that comes with the crawling strut. I shouldn't be surprised if you I really think about it: a 6 1/2 - 7 month baby learning such amazing feats! To actually coordinate those limbs, oh the joy! Ben is so far quite patient with her, which impresses me. When we were in Phoenix a couple weeks ago, it was a funny sight to see that Ben had relocated himself a couple times each time the sister got closer.

2. Today, Ben weaned himself of his training wheels on his bike! Rob and Ben had been practicing here and there, and yesterday and today were the only days that they practiced two days in a row. Rob began by raising the training wheels off the ground so high that he still fell on the ground, but the training wheels cushioned the fall a bit. Once he got the hang of it, he was riding it without them touching the ground, so Rob took them off. It amazes us that he can even ride on our rocky, dirt road. I figure once we get him on smooth asphalt, he'll be even better!

3. Ben literally crawled our doorframe in the living room all the way to the top of the ceiling, and then let go jumping to the ground. We caught in on video! It makes me laugh to think that he was ever "failure to thrive" just because he's skinny! The funnier thing was that at first he told me he invented it, but then he told me later that he didn't invent it. He said he saw it on TV on the news at Lolo and Lola's house (in AZ). He said they showed a guy climbing a wall outside. So, if any of you have ever been to AZ and know of its illegal immigration problems, the first thought was, "they were probably reporting on Mexicans climbing the wall to get to the US." I know, that's bad. I'm just telling you what I thought. :)

4. We have a Dunkin' Donuts in Columbus now! How exciting is that!? Makes for a great iced coffee on the run.

5. My new jogging stroller that I won! As one friend said, "it's like the Gucci of jogging strollers." This was one of the fundraisers that we had for our MOPS/Stroller Strides walk that we organized in memory of the late Blair Faulkner, one of the two pilots that died in the crash we had here a year ago. We raised just under $15,000 in Blair's name to the Palmer Children's Home, a local home here in Columbus. It far exceeded our $10,000 goal!6. Rob is doing wonderfully at work. While a lot of our friends are AF, and we all think our husbands are the greatest, I am especially proud of Rob for his hard work. It really seems to be reflecting on his OPR/ADP. For all you non-military types: it's translating really well on paper. What counts these days, right?! I don't mean to brag, but I figure if you spend all day at a place that you work, you might want to be told you're doing a good job every now and then! And you might want that one person to be your spouse, who stays at home with the kids and is thankful that she can do so.

This brings me to my closing. I think some of the reasons I have slacked in blogging is because of time. Time flying. Time coming to an end. Time. Time. Time. This is theoretically our last summer here. This might be our last child. I feel like I am losing time. It won't be long before Ben is in school all day. I still have a year, but it still freaks me out. Ben has officially spent his formative years in the south. I can't believe we left NM when he was only 15 months - that seems like an ETERNITY ago. I know that it isn't. I know that I have so many more parenting years to endure. But why does it still feel so fast? So I am relishing every moment with the kids, kind of living in a bubble, trying not to be anxious, trying not think beyond August (when we should hear about an assignment). Summers, let alone time, goes so fast.

If any of this has made you feel a little bit crazy like me, I promise I won't do it anymore. It's out of my system, I have said it out loud, it will not happen again. For this next week, while Ben is at VBS, I will attempt to go back a few months in time.

I hope this summer finds you all the times you need: summer breezes, Kodak moments, and a chance to smile and breathe all God's blessings.
Love,
Jenny

i feel dirty.

2009-03-19T15:07:00.000-07:00

So there's this store in Columbus called Dirt Cheap. No really, it's true. And it is both of those things. I had never been there, but it is frequented by many people...looking for dirt cheap bargains. How aptly titled. ;) It is hard to explain to someone what this store is like, but the closest thing to it is...like a low scale Tuesday Morning, Ross, TJ Maxx, etc. Really low. Low. There really is no merchandising or order or rhyme or reason or anything. It is: "hey you want a bargain, come look for it, but we aren't going to make this pretty."

So I walk in with my friend, Heather, and am immediately shell shocked. Where do you start? There isn't really customer service, this is bare bones, folks. So if you've never been in Dirt Cheap, you just don't really know what to do with yourself or have any idea where to start. This should be a screaming testimony for the need of advertising and marketing.

I begin to make sense of the place by walking around and trying to process where I should start looking for what I want. Except that I don't know what I want! I need advertisers to tell me this! (mostly sarcasm with a touch of seriousness.) I find myself in this aisle that looked like a scene from Chucky where all the toys came to life and jumped off the shelves. This aisle if you can call it that was labeled "90% off". It's toys. And these toys were in boxes that looked severely damaged to the point you wonder if what's inside is even intact. I wonder, "can I bring this back if it doesn't work or is incomplete?" No way. Why? you might wonder... I have an answer for this: because you can't return crap. That was harsh, but in all seriousness, these are desirable goods, just not in a pretty package. Whether or not this 90% off item works is the price you pay. You know, kind of like gambling.

So lo and behold, I am trying to scoot Lydia around in this aisle that has more on the floor than the shelf, and I spy a 3 wheel scooter. Not just any scooter, but a Clone Wars scooter. Ben is so into Star Wars, I am beginning to think it may never end. Hmmm....let's see 90% off of &29.99 makes it $3! So the box is ripped open...but all the pieces are here. But wait a minute, it's missing hardware. I am thinking to myself how proud Rob is going to be, and how excited he'll be to put this thing together. Surely he can find some nuts and bolts to hold all the pieces together, right? So I buy it.

I bring this thing home, and show the husband. He is not looking as excited as I was thinking he would. He loves to fix things, what's going on? He tells me he would just assume buy the thing at regular price, it's not worth it. I begin by telling him how much I was bragging on him to some man in the aisle with me. Yes, I am friendly. Hey, when you're both in the same God-forsaken aisle, stooping to all time lows, you might as well say hi while you're down there. Plus, there is no customer service, I needed a second opinion!

Long story, short. Turned out that Rob had a lot on his mind and adding this wasn't helping. I told him, it wasn't urgent, I was thinking for Ben's birthday maybe. He tells me, "but you know me, I am going to want to fix it now." I couldn't help but laugh a little. So this a.m., he called the manufacturer and they are sending us all the hardware for this $3 scooter! :) Yay!

I managed to find a few things, and the two most blog-worthy items was the scooter and this awesome Nike running shirt retailing at $45...finding it at Dirt Cheap for $3! yay again.

my $3 deals!
BTW - an update on sweet Lydia - her ultrasound came back normal, but they wanted to do a CT scan to be completely sure. She had that done today, so we'll see how that turns out. Thank you for your kind words and thoughts! It means a lot to me. Kids are just so darn special, you know? :) She also ate her cereal for the first time today! It's about the 3rd or 4th time trying it, but she actually ingested it! She wasn't just wearing her food this time around!

(as a side note: I thought I would be immune to these cheesy baby milestones, because I went through them with Ben and because there are so many more exciting milestones in my opinion. But I found myself getting just as giddy with her as I did with Ben. She was really loving the cereal. Ben was never that interested in food like this. It's neat to see how different they are. I am blessed.)

these two picture really remind me of each other. above: Lydia and below: Ben

life.

2009-03-11T13:13:00.000-07:00

So, it's another life lesson from Jenny. You should all be so excited. All kidding aside, consider yourself warned. This is where you can just view pictures or read and view pictures. :)

Please keep our sweet girl in your prayers tomorrow. While I am not riddled with fear, prayers would never be turned away, especially for me in my life! Tomorrow, she is going to have an ultrasound to screen for spina bifida. So, what do you think of when you think of diseases? Only the most horrific picture of the disease. While I learned a little bit more about spina bifida, like any disease, there is a whole spectrum of severity that goes along with it. What we would be screening for would be a mildform, as she doesn't have an physical indications or impairments, except a birth mark on her lower back with a small amount of hair. That is apparently sometimes a symptom of spina bifida occulta (the mild form).

I thank God so much for this little girl, and am confident that God is constantly keeping me on my toes to grow my character - not my comfort (as Rick Warren likes to say). I know that a "perfect bill of health" one day means nothing the next. So what does it mean if she doesn't have a "perfect bill of health"? Nothing. It's the learning to let things go, that is so freeing. And for me, that means enjoying the moment I have right now, because nothing in the future is ever guaranteed. I trust that God cares for Lydia much more than I could ever, and I trust that her best interests are on his heart. This is a milestone for me, because I was not like this at all with Ben. I was always worried about him and his growth, that I didn't fully enjoy the baby he was. And now he is my almost 4 year old.

Please keep us in your prayers tomorrow. And I will keep you posted.

Much love,

Jenny

Ben and his sister.

windy! Ben and his friend, Mirabelle at the McWane Museum in Birmingham.

my lovebug. always. forever.

my husband, whom I love and adore.

no time for words.

2009-03-01T09:52:00.000-08:00

So, the phrase "I just don't have the time" drives me nuts, and here I am using the excuse that I have no time. The reason I hate that phrase, is because it is an incorrect statement. The truth is, we make time for what we want to make time for. So sorry Miss Blog, but the truth is, I haven't wanted to blog...mostly because life has been more fulfilling, as I am sure many of you can vouch for - hence all the updated blogs, phonecalls, emails, etc. While I haven't made the time to blog, I realize that many of you - mainly family and close friends, might want to see pictures lately. Especially where the kids are concerned. I have come to the realization that Rob and I are just old, well, maybe not old, but boring! All kidding aside, we are happy, in love, with children, and just doing doing doing. 'Nuff said. I'll manage a few brief whose-it's and whats-it's below as needed. :)

one of my sweet cravings.

and my cheeze cravings...

This morning the ground was covered in snow. Pretty rare, but it was a lot of fun! And you know if it snows in a place that doesn't really ever get snow, you *have* to go in it. To think that it almost slipped my mind...

there were many snowmen around Columbus today...and then remnants of snowmen, as they started to melt away.

put a jacket on!

i love him.

and him, too. Happy 5th, husband! ;)

sometimes i just look at the two of them, and it blows me away, that we are the reason they are here on earth. if only, more people thought about that reality first before having children...

it's a huge responsiblity for even one child...

for instance....who let this child have messy hair?!?

but they sure are yummy.

why the husband hates ordering my coffee.

2009-02-17T12:28:00.000-08:00

do i need perspective?

2009-01-21T18:34:00.000-08:00

So maybe it's just me, but I went for a run tonight. And it caused some thinking - other than the normal thinking that I might get abducted when I run at night. I was running and a Blink 182 song came on. It reminded me of that story about Travis Barker and his friend that were involved in a private plane crash. You know....right? The one where the pilots died and one of the two guys was injured...but not dead, right? Ok, well, I was reading a brief in People magazine while we were waiting in the Chicago airport that mentioned that a lawsuit was being filed. It has been reported that Travis Barker and his buddy are suing the pilots' and their companies for some sort of negligence on the pilots' behalf and they are suing for their estates.

OK, so maybe I am just too nice of a person (I do sometimes have a bleeding heart), but really? You're going to sue dead people for negligence? Wasn't their death payment enough? You're going to rob the grieving families even more by suing for their possessions?! Really? Really? And hello...? You're alive to be able to sue! Maybe it's me, but I can't help but wonder where the disconnect is. Maybe I am just sensitive, because Rob is a pilot. Or maybe I am sensitive because there were some fatal accidents here at Columbus AFB that cost two pilots their lives, and their families a deep, gaping sadness. And not only was it a problem with the plane that caused their deaths, but you can't sue the Air Force. Furthermore, it's not like they are hurting for the money. They could, you know, afford to fly this private plane.

I guess all that came from a silly Blink 182 song playing on my iPod in the dark on a cold, winter run, but I just had to let off a little steam. Unfortunately, letting off steam doesn't help, because it still leaves me sad that our world has become what it is. All I can really do is focus on the positive people in the world who can put a smile on their face and overlook negativity. Which is what I need to do right now.

it's your turn.

2009-01-09T19:23:00.000-08:00

I have been reading through this quick read by Paul Riser (Mad About You) titled "Babyhood". He also has a read titled "Couplehood" which I have not read yet. Since parenthood is quite relavent to us, I have been finding this book hilarious. I am posting it, because I think some others out there might, too, find it all too true.

Here is the excerpt:

And it is here that you learn the three words that become the chief verbal staple of any household with a baby: It's Your Turn.
This phrase is the theme song of any marriage once it goes from Two to Three.
"I just changed him twenty minutes ago...It's your turn."
"I've been watching him all day. It's your turn!"
"I simply cannot stand up; it's your turn!"

This all-purpose phrase also works as a marital greeting. The "Hi-sweetie-how-was-your-day" of yesteryear is now replaced with the more simple, direct, and mildy irritated "It's your turn."
Before you have a child, you and your spouse are many things to each other: friends, lovers, competitors, partners...Upon producing a child, you relate to eachother primarily as sentries.
The two of you are guards who rotate shifts monitoring and protecting your new charge.
When Baby enters your world, there's no time for intimate conversation between Husband and Wife. In fact, the extentof conversation often consists solely of the reporting of Baby's "eating-sleeping-pooping" status - just before the changing of the guard.
"Hi."
"He ate, he napped, he needs to be changed."
"I just walked in. Can I take a shower?"
"You should've showered before we had a kid. It's your turn."
Then, like buck privates relieving one another at Guantanamo, you're on duty and your wife gets a four-hour pass.

aww....it's Christmas.

2008-12-18T12:52:00.000-08:00

I guess this is the most appropriate picture to begin this post. Last weekend, we made it to a live nativity scene, complete with a marketplace, shekals, and Roman guards. It was cold, but it was a fun way to experience Christmas with Ben. He kept asking if that was really baby Jesus. It was held at the First Baptist Church here in Columbus. Afterwards, we enjoyed hot cocoa and cookies.

Here is Ben and Santa (aka "Smash") at Dad's work. This picture beats any ol' Santa picture at the mall. Ben is all smiles, because he just got done telling Santa that he wants Obi-Wan Kenobi's star ship. (Whatever that means...) Santa's job: just nod and smile. Hmmm...kinda like my job half the time ;)

This was the first year that Ben really enjoyed decorating the Christmas tree. He just loved it, and when there weren't any more ornaments left, he still wanted to put more on.

And dear Lydia...what can we say? You're just beautiful, being you. I took these pictures this morning before we left to take Ben to preschool. This cute little outfit came from a friend from Germany, who we were stationed with in New Mexico. I just think it's the cutest thing. And polkadots are a big deal down in the south.

And if you have made it this far. This by far is my favorite picture: a Strawberry Shortcake complete with her own "Guitar Brush". Gotta love multifunctionality. :) I love this so much, because it is Lydia's first toy - from her big brother Ben. The backstory is that Ben had Awana's last Sunday and it was a special night because it was Awana Store night. This is the one night that they take all their Awana bucks (that they have worked so hard for by memorizing bible verses and other good deeds) and cash them in at the Store. With no prompting whatsoever, Ben was insistent to his teachers that this is what he wanted to spend his hard-earned "money" on - a Christmas present for his sister, Lydia. When we picked Ben up and pulled it from his bag, we were both completely speechless and in awe. Collecting ourselves, we asked the teachers if he was really sure this is what he wanted. They said they asked him the same thing, and he was set on his purchase.
I sure hope Lydia grows up one day to know how much her brother loves her, in spite of all the fights and arguing they will someday have.

And at the end of a day, it's the smiles and laughter that make it all worth it....

and i quote...

2008-11-18T11:44:00.001-08:00

Lately, Ben has been saying a few things that crack me up. And it is the last story that made me decide to publish the first couple along with it.

Before Lydia was born, I gave Ben a briefing on how feeding the baby was going to go. We talked about breastfeeding and how mommies feed their babies this way. When Lydia arrived, he was watching ever so intently, and then rather bluntly said, "Lydia likes boobs." Not a tough concept to wrap your brain around, I guess.

For the last couple of weeks, Ben has been in our family bubble, enjoying Dad being home and having my MIL, Liz over. Rob and his mom did a great job attending to him and his social activities, but I still think he missed his friends. We were leaving base, and Ben started asking if he could have some friends over. So Rob begins the whole explanation of how babies are too young, and that their immune systems aren't fully developed. He explains to Ben how your immune systems fight off germs, and how all people have germs. Rob concludes, "So, Ben, we have to protect your baby sister from germs in the beginning."

Ben: "Well, can I have one germ over?"
Rob: (standard parental response) "Well, we'll just have to wait a little bit and see..."
Ben: (clearly not satisfied, especially considering he thinks he came to a good compromise with "one germ") "Well, Gram is here, and she's a germ..."

What can we say? Is there such a thing as family germs being OK over friend germs???

And last, but not least.

So, many of you know that fighter pilots refuse to use the word H-E-A-D. Yes, it's a little dumb, but they have so craftily thought of other words to use. So around the house, Ben knows his H-E-A-D to be a "nugget". And it just becomes a word so normal around the house, especially when your son has quite a knack for "bumping his nugget." Today we were eating lunch and he was remembering the other night when he bumped his head on the coffee table so hard that he had a bit of a goose egg. And as much as he has made a career out of hitting/bumping/falling on his head, I said, "Should we take him to the doctor?" (Rob ended up icing it and you could hardly see it the next morning.) Ben was asking me today why I suggested going to the doctor, and this is what he said: "Mom, why did you say I should go to the doctor when I bumped my (wait for it) fore-nugget?" A fore-NUGGET?! As if I couldn't believe it, I said, "Ben, what is a fore-nugget?" and he pointed to his forehead. I just had to laugh.

lydia's nursery.

2008-11-18T10:47:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos of Lydia's nursery. She has not yet moved in yet ;). But the room did get completed (sans wall hangings) the day before she was born.

This is a gift from Elizabeth, who had a friend paint this wall hanging.

A dear friend, Wendy, painted these ones for me.

My mom sewed the bumper, and I sewed the rag quilt hanging on the back of the crib.

bakesgiving.

2008-11-15T15:50:00.000-08:00

Tonight at Awana's Ben had to complete a project called "Bakesgiving", in which the dads and kids are supposed to bake a cake at home sans Mom. I really love baking, and the prettier the baked item is, the more curb appeal it has for me. So Ben chose to make a Gingerbread cake with Cranberry filling and Orange cream cheese frosting out of Paula Deen's Holiday Collector's magazine. For Ben it was the gingerbread cookies that circled the outside of the cake that made his decision clear. For me, I wasn't sure about the tastes, but the longer I thought about it, it sounded good. I love the orange-cranberry muffins at Starbucks, so I figured it might be a good one to try. I must also say that the boys did a great job, special kudos to the husband, since a 3 year old's attention span would not have baked the cake alone! Rob did a fantastic job, and Ben was a fantastic helper, who was very proud of the cake. Once Ben and his cake arrive at Awana's, it will be judged by some of the church members, and when we pick up Ben tonight there will be a small social for all the families involved. I can only imagine how much cake will be there tonight. Mmmm.

Here are a few pictures of the afternoon:

The masterminds at work...

Pretty much right out of the magazine, huh?!

Rob has been a super Mr. Mom to Ben, I truly couldn't ask for more. I will miss him when he goes to work for the whole day tomorrow. My parents are arriving on Wednesday, and are very ready to meet their second grandchild, Lydia.

star wars fans unite...because i don't get it.

2008-11-14T09:10:00.001-08:00

Ben's Thanksgiving homework project:

to disguise turkey cutout as anything else to avoid being eaten on Thanksgiving Day.

Dad on baby leave:
to help keep up as Ben's social director while I am getting used to this two child thingie.

What does it all yield?
One happy little boy - who's favorite thing right now is Star Wars.

Apparently every one we have shown this project to understands the caption that reads: "this is not the turkey you are looking for." Something about Episode 4 and some weird Jedi mind trick thingie....?? Something about it being a "classic" scene that *everyone* knows...?

All I know is that Ben is loving dad time with soccer, baseball in the back yard (which he has been able to hit w/o a tee), school projects, and the upcoming event of baking a cake for Awanas this weekend, that apparently Moms are *not* allowed to help out on. Hmmm...maybe I could look up some yummy recipes for them, but somehow I feel that I would get in trouble with the husband.

lydia taylor brooks.

2008-11-07T19:51:00.000-08:00

our little girl...

2008-11-06T16:31:00.000-08:00

Our little girl is....here....beautiful.....brown... (something Jenny thought she would never get ;) )...has a full head of black hair....and so not in my belly anymore! I will be uploading some photos soon. But I wanted to let family and friends know that she decided to come on Monday, 3 Nov at 9:48 a.m. My c-section was actually scheduled for this morning, but Lydia had other plans. It was a quick morning that consisted of Rob leaving for work at 4:50 a.m., and I was somewhat awake when he left. Most mornings in the last week, I had just felt like ick having mild contractions and discomfort, but Monday morning it felt more crampy and there was pain in my lower back. From 5 - 6 a.m. I just lay in bed mentally taking note of number of contractions. Counted 7, decided to just get ready and jump in the shower, finished putting bag together, grabbing a few things for Rob, yarn and book for me, and the rest of Lydia's bag. Put a call in to the husband, because I knew it was unlikely that he would answer the phone the first time, while also doing a SOF upgrade. Decided to call the hospital 40 miles away in Amory to see what they suggest to do. Tylenol and lie down and count for another hour to see if it's just false labor. After about 20 minutes, I realized they weren't going to go away and I wasn't going to sit around here and let things happen alone. Put in another call to Rob, no answer. Call a couple friends to outsource care for Ben and Rainey. Thanks Shannon and Martha! Call Rob again - apparently third time's a charm. I tell him that I think he should come home now. After getting in to the car, dropping off Ben at Shannon's - Rob made it to Amory (a typical 40 minute drive) in 24 minutes. Rob was quoted saying, "This is great! I get to have a baby daughter today AND drive FAST."

Arrive to hospital.

Time hack: 8:24.

8 cm dilated.

C-section prep.

Lydia arrives via cesarean.

Time hack: 9:48.

Having had both a vaginal and c-section experience, I can honestly say there are pros and cons. If you look at both in a textbook scenario, a vaginal is truly the way God made it to be. But - how often is textbook the case? In my situation, a textbook case was not feasible. The c-section was quite surreal. To have so many attendants attending to you and your care and safety is quite humbling. You realize just how big a deal you and your unborn child are at that moment in time. And it is quite odd knowing the way they are getting your baby out and not feeling it - well, other than the "tugging and pulling".

We are so glad to be home, and enjoy Lydia. It is just so amazing and perfect to see how God made us all so different, and loves us the same. We truly feel loved by God knowing that he has blessed us with a second child.

Here are Lydia Taylor Brooks' stats:

7 lbs, 3 oz

20.5 inches

and Perfectly loved by God and her parents and big brother.

Much Love,

Jenny, Rob, Ben, Lydia, and Rainey

not a diva.

2008-10-27T15:34:00.000-07:00

I am not a highly political person. And being that I am not even sure what that means, let me clarify: I have been quite disenchanted with both sides. While I tend to relate more with the conservative/Republican party, I have been quite dissatisfied this year with both sides. That being said, I find it only slightly (insert sarcasm) annoying that Sarah Palin is being referred to as a "diva".

I think I find it slightly annoying today on a day where I feel completely exhausted from being pregnant, and frankly, packing too much in these last two weeks before I show up for my c-section party on 6 Nov. How can a person who has birthed five kids, one with special needs, be even considered a "diva"?!?! While I know Hollywood glamorizes being pregnant, it is hardly glamorous, let alone "divine". Is that the adjective for "diva"? I don't even know.

Ben is only three and I feel like I am 75% of the time catering to his obligations and commitments - on top of feeling big as a barn and feeling like there are arms trying to climb out of me.

Let's just say for argument's sake, that with one child, I *hardly* feel like a "diva".

In fact, let me just mention a few things that don't make me feel like a "diva":

I don't feel like a diva at 37 weeks pregnant. This is only my second time, not 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th time being pregnant. Just imagine the time involved in being pregnant for nine months, getting back to "normal" - whatever that is - postpartum? Now mulitiply that by the number of kids you have. Sorry, but it doesn't quite shout "diva" to me. Does it to you?

I don't feel like a diva when I am making dinner at the same time giving Ben a bath, and applying a little foundation and mascara - only to make it to our Sunday School group and spend some time in the Word with friends. The minimal makeup and brushed ponytail are just so my friends don't have pity on me for my ragged appearance.

I don't feel like a diva when I am constantly having to remind only *one* child to brush his teeth, get dressed, eat his breakfast/lunch/dinner, go to the bathroom, so that he can make it to either Awanas, preschool, soccer, etc. Again, let me mention - this is one child, not more.

I don't feel like a diva when I am trying to prepare goodies for both a playgroup and a home party that I said I wanted host for a friend.

The bottom line here is not that I want any pity on me or the way I feel at almost 38 weeks pregnant. I love my life, and I love doing all these things because I love my family. Really. I wouldn't trade it for anything in this world.

All I'm sayin' is that I feel bad for the chick who gets accused of being a "diva". The chick who juggles a family of 7, a marriage, and manages to take all of America's - at least all the Democrats' - criticism, because she was given/loaned/whatever a few outfits to run for the second most important job in the United States.

I'm just sayin'....

patiently ansy.

2008-10-20T13:48:00.000-07:00

A note to my sweet girl: Today, my dear Lydia, you average the weight of a crenshaw melon - whatever that is - and close to 6 lbs. At least that is what this BabyCenter email tells me. However, we had an ultrasound appointment this past Monday, that my inlaws and Rob and Ben joined me for, and it was estimated that you are 6 lbs, 8 oz (the 63rd percentile), BUT give or take a POUND! How's that for "ballpark"?

Lydia was quite a busy girl the morning of our ultrasound. The tech said that she was the busiest one that morning, and she had already done nine other ultrasounds before us. I, too, could vouch for her activity. She had been quiet all morning, and as soon as I layed down and the tech started looking around, she was rocking her cramped quarters. I guess she knew she had an audience. Uh oh....I was hoping for a more calm child this time around....

While I am 36 weeks pregnant, it has been decided by the us and our doctor's recommendation tht I have a cesarean section. I won't go in to "details", but I have had so many more complications with my ulcerative colitis with this pregnancy.

So with that, my c-section has been scheduled for 6 Nov, provided things don't get going sooner. We are very much excited to see our dear Lydia, but at the same time, I am not as anxious to see her, as I was with Ben, being that he was the first child. I am hanging on to these last days and cherishing them as much as I can. And trying to cherish Ben as much as I can, thinking that he is the only child for a few more weeks. I hope he knows what's coming to him. :)

There is a part of me that is ansy. Ansy to get back to normal. Ansy to get my ulcerative colitis back to being maintained/controlled. Ansy to run again. This cooling off has been such a terrible tease. I have already been toying with the idea of races, what few I can find in the South, since race season obviously doesn't last as long as it does in cooler climates.

I started looking into some of the latest races that would be do-able, both physically and locationally. One of the latest races is Nashville's Country Music Marathon/Half Marathon held at the end of April. Except for the fact that it is so darn expensive, and my frugality is kicking in big time. I honestly have a hard time paying close to a hundred bucks for only a half marathon, especially considering that the full up marathon is only like $10-20 more and also taking in to consideration that both Rob and I would particpate in it. So I looked in to some smaller races and have a found a few. One is late March and the other two fall in mid-April, one being Ben's birthday. I will not commit until I see how things go, but I am have noticed myself thinking about it a lot more lately. I will not expect to PR it, but to just enjoy being back doing something I love. My health has been considerably different this time around, and not for the better. And so I expect there to be some differences in recovery, but from what I learn from many mommies, whether it be about kids or pregnancies, is that they are all different. I just pray that I handle things graciously and fully trusting in the one who created me.

a growing belly.

2008-10-11T18:38:00.001-07:00

I told myself that this time around I would be better about taking belly shots. I even told myself that I would have those fun, artsy belly pictures this time. And that never happened either. I was even looking forward to it, because I thought having the pictures with Ben would be really cute. However, that didn't really end up happening. I guess I just take for granted having a growing belly, and my family and friends don't really get to see. I've been hogging my belly all to myself~ha! (only slight sarcasm.)

I've seen so many friends take pictures so regularly and at even intervals. I have enjoyed seeing them change as they grow a life from a bean to a baby, that I thought I ought to share some photos. Unfortuanately, I don't think I took them too regularly or at even intervals, but here is what I've got.

10 wks.
22 wks.
25 wks.
27.5 wks.
35 wks.

boys versus girls.

2008-10-08T18:53:00.000-07:00

Today I was watching a DVR'd Oprah that had Dr. Oz on it. I don't really watch Oprah much, but I love when Dr. Oz is on there. The topic was men versus women in terms of the way their bodies work and the differences.

I don't know if it's just because I am pregnant, tired of being slow and huge, and indignant - but after watching it today - talk about women getting the SHORT END OF THE STICK! Maybe it's just the hormones talking, but here is what I learned:

Why women are such cheap dates when it comes to alcohol consumption:

Dr. Oz said that it is not primarily a size difference, but a biological one. Would you believe that men have an EXTRA enzyme that digests alcohol? Well, probably not my husband, considering he has a liver issue called "Gilbert's syndrome" (French pronunciation). Really? Is this what men need?! He also went on to mention that Asians lack an enzyme in their liver that most others have. Back in my day of drinking and being young - I used to refer to me getting red in the face when I drank as the "Asian curse". Little did I know that there was some fact behind it!

Mommy Brain.

I really try to refrain from this phrase, because I thought it was some made up issue to make moms feel better about themselves whenever they got forgetful or flakey. For instance, I was supposed to pick up my friend's daughter from preschool today, and I failed to remember to meet her in the morning to get her carseat. Shoot, I apparently didn't even notice the minivan flashing its brights at me. What the heck?! But when my friend, Heather, actually did reach me, I told her I had no good explanation, I jokingly pointed at the pregnant belly, but was not serious. HOWEVER, there, too, is fact about Mommy Brain. Dr. Oz said that when you're pregnant, your brain actually SHRINKS by 8%, but that it is the cells that are shrinking, not that you're losing cells. He also said that because babies need so much Omega-3 Fatty Acids (which is a necessity for memory), the baby just leeches it off of you, leaving you with sparing amounts, and your memory takes one for the team. Fabulous.

Lung Function

This one almost made me downright mad! I always figured that it wasn't right to compare people's different sizes with their performance. I figured....well, we're all proportional, so it's relative. But nooooooooo....Men have larger lungs than women, so they can quickly level off once they start, let's say, running. When men start running, the huffing and puffing of warming up tapers off much quicker apparently than women. Here's where I think Dr. Oz was trying to give a warm fuzzy to women. And after being crabby about all these injustices, it worked with me, especially because it's about running and getting strong. Here is what he said: While men have that advantage, women, once they get in shape, can catch up quickly and are, therefore, capable of more improvement. To me, that is more rewarding, however, I am sure a die-hard pessimist would say, "well, it's just because you can only improve so much and if men are starting out with a more competitive edge, than it just makes sense that they can't improve much more." And you could look at it like that, but I love the joy of improving and getting faster and stronger.

Memory and Worrying.

Finally, it turns out that there is some truth to a woman never forgetting. It was said that a woman's brain has a larger hypothalmus than a man's brain. Because this is part of the brain is central to memory, they said that we, women, have a more complex memory in terms of "emotional event detail." She used the example of how we might remember arguments more specifically than our counterparts. Hmmmmmmmm....

Worrying: It has always seemed like I worry more than the husband does. When there was something serious that I worried about, it always drove me a little crazy that Rob, while concerned, seemed to have better reign over those thoughts than me. Did I say a little crazy?! Well, sometimes more than that. Another distinction between male and female brains is the anterior cingulate cortex. Studies show that this area of the brain deals a lot with worry, and research finds it interesting that this part in the brain is, also, larger in a female's brain than a male's brain. This may give some explanation to women worrying more than men.

And after all is said and done - we get to live longer. Some things just don't make any sense....

banana puddin' pie.

2008-09-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

This one is for Rob's mom, Liz! Here is the pie I practiced making for when you come to visit while Lydia gets born! :) I promise to make it for you!

It was much yummier than I expected it to be. I like bananas, but not to the point of dessert. However, it is pretty darn good! Here is the recipe for anyone who enjoys baking! It's definitely a "keeper". It came from Katie Lee Joel's cookbook "The Comfort Table".

Banana Pudding Pie

Pie:
65 vanilla wafers
2/3 stick unsalted butter melted
2 ripe medium bananas, thinly sliced

Pudding:
½ C sugar
1/3 C flour
¼ tsp salt
2 C milk
4 L egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract

Whipped Cream:
1 C heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Pie: preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 inch pie plate. Pulse 45 vanilla wafers in food processor until finely crushed. Reserve ¼ C to top the pie. Mix the crumbs and melted butter. Press into pie plate for crust and bake for 10-12 minsutes.

Pudding: in medium saucepan over M heat, combine the sugar, flour, salt. Whisk in milk and stir constantly until the mixture comes to a slow boil and thickens – about 7 mins. Reduce heat to very L. Stir a couple Tbsp of the mixture into the egg yolks, and add the egg yolks back into the hot mixture. . Stir constantly until the mixture is thickened to pudding – ¾ mins. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Arrange one banana’s worth of slices over the crust. Spread half the pudding over the bananas, top with the remaining 20 vanilla wafers. Top wafers with remaining bananas and pudding. Let cool completely.

Whipped Cream: Beat the cream, sugar, vanilla until soft peaks form. Spread over pie, and sprinkle with reserved crumbs. Chill pie in refrigerator.

coffee beans and solo flights.

2008-09-26T11:03:00.001-07:00

So, as Rob's job as Flight Commander comes to an end and he begins a new job...he is ending on a good note. Whenever students solo in the T-38, it is usually "customary" to give your instructor a token of appreciation for soloing you out. Usually, this translates into a bottle of alcohol. However, Rob doesn't really drink, and he has usually received coffee in its place. I think it's great, because it is something we shop for on a regular basis. He would come home with 5 or 6 bags of coffee, and one student about a year ago began a coffee bean subscription for an entire year from a local roasting company in Destin, FL. Once a month we would receive a choice coffee, complete with a write up on the particular coffee's location and its distinction. That student he graduated a FULL YEAR ago is already at RTU and only last month the coffee "subscription" finally ended. Not too shabby to say the least!

Well, today, after picking up Ben from school, we headed up to base to visit the husband at work. Rob said he needed me to help him bring something to the car to take home, and low and behold it was 4 plastic bags full of COFFEE! We're talking anywhere from 1/2 lb to 1 lb bags, not to mention two big economy tubs of Folger's. And coffee isn't exactly cheap! I asked if it came from one student and it did. The student said he didn't know what Rob liked, so he just got a bunch of different coffee. OK, now seriously, we are not that picky. I do have some friends who are pretty serious about coffee (Shannon!) :) I thought to myself, "I grocery shop with a 3 year old, how picky could I get when I can't browse the coffee aisle - or any aisle for that matter - for more than a couple minutes before he's off to help me with the next item on our list!" Heck, I haven't even added "coffee" to my list in a year's time, that I don't even know what the local Walmart and/or commissary have to offer anymore!

I told Rob that if he solos anyone else, they might just need to give him something different. Hmmm...I wonder if any of them babysit......... Just kidding!

a few pictures.

2008-09-21T15:48:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share a few pictures of us recently. We attended the Air Force Ball this past Thursday, and had a fun time.

Fellow military and MOPS friends.

Here is Ben on his first day of school - outside his classroom. Here is a picture of Rob and me in San Antonio, and I think that Ben looks like me in the photo. I don't normally see much of me in Ben, so when I do I get a little excited! ;)

Ben and a toad that was in our backyard, until Rainey got a hold of it...

my dear mama.

2008-09-17T13:48:00.001-07:00

So, I received a care package from my mom in the mail today. And here is what was included. See photo. Let's get a closer look. Is that a foot? Did you know she even wrote Ben's name on it?

Seriously, my mom can be such a goof and completely random, and at the same time - always a good sport about things! I just had to find it humorous, and exactly like her to think to herself, "what am I going to do with this hand stress reliever shaped like a foot? .... Oh I know, I'll give it to Ben!" To be fair she also included a couple craft boards shaped like a plane and a stegasaurus that can be colored.

And I think the FUNNIEST thing is that of those few items she included for Ben - he just thought the foot was the most hilarious thing in the world, and began running around with this baby sized foot and laughing and tormenting our poor, sweet Rainey. I should have gotten a photo of that!

Thank you, Mom for all the baby girl bodysuits! And the camisole for me. What is it with clothes that gets a woman so excited! The pinks, purples, and yellows gave me a shot of excitement to be holding a girl in just a mere couple months! I can't even imagine what it must be like to have a girl at this point! While I am not one to always miss my parents, is that bad? I do occasionally get the pangs of missing family close by. For instance, I roasted a chicken last week, and after dinner, I had to sit and pick the remaining chicken pieces before disposing of the bones. I called my mom and told her I missed her because "no one picks a chicken like my mom". I always remember her picking the chicken apart and never complaining...when I was picking at it, I kept thinking, "I wish she was here, cuz she would do it!" It really surprised me that nostalgic thoughts can just hit you at the strangest of times.

Please keep my mom in your prayers, as she is traveling today with a couple of her sisters to the Philippines, because my Lolo died (her dad). Prayer for safety and God's peace.

our 4-D ultrasound.

2008-09-05T15:43:00.000-07:00

It's still a girl, and this makes us so excited to meet her in person!

Enjoy the video. It's mostly for family, because they are the ones most excited to probably see it! But to anyone else, you're welcome to view as well. Thank you to all who were thinking of us, awaiting our next ultrasound!

Aside from seeing her face, the tech listened to the heartbeat and took a moment to check certain anatomy. It really is so neat to see your baby in utero, and because we have Ben in our lives, it has made me - and probably Rob - more excited to meet her in person. And the ultrasound is the next best thing, since we can't see her just yet!

Rob worked on making the file size much much smaller, so that it is easier to upload.

end of summer moments.

2008-09-02T11:14:00.000-07:00

Thought I would highlight a few photos from the end of this summer. It is still hot, Rob is still cutting grass, Ben is still loving being a boy, I am enjoying all the family moments.

But...Rob will be glad when the grass stops growing and Ben will be sad when grass cutting season is over. He will probably cry and fuss a lot about it. But thankfully, our good friend, Alex gave him a bubble lawnmower for his birthday, because he is still loving that thing AS MUCH as the day he got it. (Seriously, Martha, it is the coolest toy your son could have gotton him.) Definitely a mommy favorite for me! Now if it only really cut grass...

Rob has gotten a couple new classes of students, but isn't sure if he'll see them to the end of not. He has been a flight commander for a year or so now, so he may get shuffled around. He is taking another class online for his Masters in Military History, that will be done the end of October. He has been running a bit more than me, and did a 10K this past Sunday. It was the Nike+Ipod race that you could do anywhere and receive credit for it, provided you used your Nike+ chip to record your time.

Preschool starts next week, and we are ALL excited for that! Ben had his sports physical for soccer, preschool, and his slightly late 3 year check all in one visit. How is it exactly that I go from freakout mama to having my FRIEND remind me that I haven't had Ben's three year check?!?! But he actually got to read the eye chart for grownups, and not kids. The kids' test apparently has pictures instead of letters (ie. school bus, heart). He had a hard time with line 6, and would mistake a couple letters such as an O for a C. It was a realization for me that I can't help my son every step of the way....I wanted to say to him, "nooo, guess again" before realizing that, umm, this *is* a test, and I just can't help him on it. Of course, I tell the husband about it that day, and I should have known that he would ask me, "what line was line 6?" I am thinking, um, didn't you just answer your own question - line 6 is line 6!? Then he clarifies, "was line 6 the 20/20 vision line?" Oooh, I know where you're going with this one, Mr. Pilot Husband daddy....you just need to chill out - you wear contacts yourself! :)

As for me, I have been doing all the domestic things around the boys. Reading more lately, crocheting a baby blanket for a friend's friend, "exercising" with Ben around the track (he rides/I walk), making meals for families with new babies or illnesses, working Red Carpets at the husband's job to raise money for our wives' fund. I am participating more actively in MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) this year, and Ben will be in school thrice weekly.

10 weeks to go for this "bump" of mine and we're having our 4-D ultrasound done on Thursday. Will be sure to upload some pictures! Especially of certain anatomy! :)

I hope every one's summer is winding down nicely for a good Fall start.

Hugs,

Jenny and Rob and Ben

PS - if you don't hear from me after the baby comes, you can consider this a Christmas letter! Ha~ who needs a Christmas letter when you can blog now?!

Rob: "Looks like we found Papa Smurf's house!" We used our son to reference the size of this schroom.

Here is Ben with a good scrape on his nose from Awana's. Rob asked Ben's teacher if he was trying to get his "Face Sledding" merit badge. While Ben apparently biffed it and then slid a little upon contact, he has been loving Awana's and has even memorized his first couple Bible verses.

Ben at Mother Goose's library reading. This is the show-n-tell portion. She is a quite the quacky lady you might expect. She has a deep southern drawl, and has the boys and girls line up in different lines upon entering the reading room. She says in the craziest voice I have ever heard, "Nooooooooooooowwwwwww, Gentlemen, what do you say to the ladies?" And the boys repeat, "Laaaadiesss, would you like to go in first?" After this the little ladies are to accept politely and are told to CURTSY to the boys. It is seriously a hoot!

Labor Day we enjoyed the Space Museum in Huntsville, AL.

Rob and Ben in front of the Blackbird.

This demonstrator made homemade rockets using film tubes, water, and alka seltzer tablets. It was pretty neat - a fun thing to do at home.

Ben and Rob before the movie "Fly me to the Moon" in 3-D.

The Space shuttle simulator.

hey fellow "clovite" friends.

2008-08-27T14:31:00.000-07:00

Did y'all hear about the prison break at the Curry County Prison? To most, it would be just another small unknown town, but this town has made it's own history in last few years since we have lived there.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/26/national/main4386459.shtml?source=RSSattr=HOME_4386459

We've had a high profile murder, a tornado, a man who managed to get bitten by a gila monster (please note, these are some of the slowest moving creatures), and ridiculously low gas prices that caused "confusion and delay" at one of the busiest intersections in this town! Is there anything I am missing?!

I will say that I hope the town's people stay safe (not only because I am nice, and do not hate the town) but because there are some very near and dear friends that we have made there that still reside there.

Ben, we don't need to know EVERYthing....

2008-08-19T12:58:00.000-07:00

Today, we were running errands that included signing him up for soccer, visiting his new classroom and new teacher for this year at preschool, getting a new vacuum belt, etc. Ben had decided that after our mandatory errands that we should go to base to ride his bike for a mile - I keep insisting that I need his help in exercising. So while I walk the track, he rides his bike.

Ben is funny, because some days he doesn't really feel like being chatty, but those days usually tend to be few and far between.

Today was one of them, because as were were going through the gate, the female gateguard says hi to him, and he takes this as his moment to inquire ALL the things that go on in a 3 year old's mind. So before I know it, he is asking, "Why do you have yellow teeth?" The shock and horror. The lady with the gold tooth was good natured about it, and said it made her rich, because she has a gold tooth.

Unfortunately, this question did not surprise me, but took me off guard. See, a few weeks back when we were entering base, he had spied this lady's tooth before, and as we had driven through, he was asking me questions about it. I told him that he should not ask certain kinds of questions. And as kids are inquisitive, I decided to answer the question myelf by saying that sometimes people don't take good care of their teeth, and they have to get a false tooth.

Apparently my reply didn't satisfy his needs, because he had to get it straight from the "horse's mouth". No pun intended!

a maternal prenatal sap.

2008-08-04T19:02:00.001-07:00

Is what I am turning in to. I have been going "awwwww" over every animal story. It is in stark contrast to what I was like when I was pregnant with Ben. With Ben, I was watching "Baby Story" like every first time mom-to-be. This time around it has been these animal stories that have been making me tear up! With Ben, it didn't take me long to hate my dog, Rainey. Seriously. I was so tired and focused on doing the right thing with a new baby.....and really, REALLY TIRED. I just didn't have the patience to deal with another "thing" demanding my attention.

This brings me to my current pregnancy. I have loved seeing Ben grow up with Rainey. He is the only person that Rainey will completely submit to and I trust her wholly to keep her safe and be gentle with her. It doesn't matter how much Ben torments her, sits on her, runs his noisy toys in her direction. She would never harm her. I am pretty sure Rainey would never harm anyone. I think, sometimes, that the husband and myself trick ourselves in to thinking that if there were an intruder to threaten our home or us, that she would rise to the occasion, but even I have my doubts about that.

But seriously, Ben can walk right up to her and grab the ball right out of her mouth. But when we want to throw her the ball, she plays keep-away most of the time. I also recount a time over Easter where I stayed longer at the Brooks' home in SC. Liz was going to drive us home a few days later, and as we were trying to get Rainey in the car, she got this look in her eye that said, "A-ha! I'm free. Catch me if you can!" I tried for 20 minutes to apprehend Rainey, only to have the golfers take a break from their game and snicker at the sight. Finally, I thought to myself, and told Ben, "Go get Rainey!" It took him a few minutes (not 20), and sure enough my 3 foot wonder was able to walk right to her, grab her collar, and drag her toward me.

I really hope that when this baby arrives, that I have the patience to love my dog, while loving a new baby in the house. And to be fair to me, Rainey has grown up a lot since then, and Ben and Rainey have clearly grown into their relationship.

Today, I was reading an email from my best friend (who I dedicate this entry to, because she is an animal lover!), and when I got up, I noticed that Rainey had "nosed" the cracked door to Ben's room, and was sleeping on the floor at the foot of his bed. Rainey RARELY opens doors, even if they are cracked just a little (I have always thought it was weird). But here is where I found her, waiting for her best little bud to wake up. It melted my heart.

Here are the other things this week in the news that have melted my heart - Don't laugh, you know you want to say, "awwwww..."

Christian the Lion

Isabella the Golden Retriever

it's really a girl?

2008-08-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

So this is the question that has been on my mind a lot lately. I obviously have nothing to found my fears on - but when do you ever?!

BUT....here are the reasons, for whatever they are worth:
1) we found out early - a day shy of 17 weeks (here in MS they do the gender determination between 18-20 weeks. I even asked if was still alright to find out. I was told yes.

2) Most recently, a flight doc was in the husband's office where this exchange transpired:

Flight doc: (spies a "the shot" of the ultrasound) "So it's a boy, huh?"
The Husband: "No...? It's a girl."
Flight doc: "Oh. I could have sworn it was a 'turtle head'."

The husband proceeds to tell the wife this story, who is already feeling bad for being so paranoid, and she says, "Was he kidding?!?!?!"

Turns out, he wasn't kidding. But, hey, I suppose anyone could be wrong. I am just hoping it isn't the ultrasound tech. And in all actuality, I had said from the beginning that I would be so excited, if not a little bit more, to have another boy. But now that some physical plans have been made to welcome a little girl, it would be slightly disappointing.

I am 25 weeks pregnant today, and in a month or so I can schedule a 4-D ultrasound to be done. It is mostly a frivolous (sp? I don't even feeling like spellchecking be/c someone might think I'm dumb. Frankly, I don't care if you do. I am not dumb, just really tired and lazy right now.) thing to have done anyway. So I think we'll go for that, and have at least a couple months "heads up" for if we need to regroup.

I will certainly keep you posted of the last ultrasound's findings.

**Oh and it turned out that I did spell it right....did you honestly think I could NOT look it up? you silly, silly people, but here you go anyway....

Frivolous: unimportant, small, inconsequential, minor, insignificant, slight, trifling, petty, marginal, negligible.

However, I find none of these terms to describe what may result in this next ultrasound. A surprise 'turtle head' is HARDLY "minor, slight, or insignificant" - not to mention "inconsequential".

HA!

the inlaws weekend.

2008-07-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we were in SC visiting both sets of in-laws! What a fun weekend. My mom and dad flew from AZ to visit them, and then they left halfway through their vacation to go visit my aunt and uncle in NH. This is the second time they have planned a trip like this, where they visit my in-laws. I think it is really neat, because it doesn't happen everyday and it sure makes "killing two birds with one stone" more convenient. And I don't think after the visit anyone wanted to kill each other! So that's always good. Ben really enjoyed both sets of grandparents pretty equally. Since Ben is in prime boyhood now, he loved riding the tractor with Grandpop (Rob's dad) and finding a turtle with Lolo (my dad). In between that he enjoyed swimming in his great Gram's pool, and trying his hand at fishing in her pond. Unfortunately, the fish in this pond are more choosy as to when they feel like biting than in our pond across the gravel road.

enjoying meal time

with his Grandpop

loving the screened in porch

before bedtime with Lola

a turtle!

jumping off the diving board. this smaller diving board has prepared him for the higher springboard at the base pool, because just yesterday he jumped off it!

me and my mom.

peaches.

2008-07-21T10:35:00.001-07:00

Do y'all remember that song titled "Peaches" by the Presidents of the United States?! Here are some of the lyrics:

Moving to the country
I'm gonna eat a lot of peaches

Peaches come from a can
They were put there by a man
In a factory downtown

Millions of peaches, peaches for me
Millions of peaches, peaches for free
Millions of peaches, peaches for me
Millions of peaches, peaches for free... Look out!

My mother-in-law, Liz, is truly a peach! She sent us home with a $20 basket of fresh peaches! While they are yummy, this is a LOT OF PEACHES. So what to do? It is amazing that I only had to throw away 3! As frugal as I am, we had to figure out how to get rid of $20 of peaches before they went bad!

Here is what we did:

A dozen and a half went with Rob to work. - (Liz wanted to Rob to bring some to work.)

Random peaches consumed.

Peach cobbler - also sent to work for a night meal (we military gals know how to get rid of food - send it to the husband's work)

MORE random peaches consumed.

3 peaches had to take one for the team. :(

Peach ice cream - it was very, very yummy!

Another dozen or so peaches cut up and frozen in my freezer.

Another couple random peaches consumed.

3 yummy peaches in the refrigerator still waiting for consumption. - Not today though, I have already reached my 2 peach quota for the day.

And to quote the "Peaches" song: "Millions of peaches, peaches for me, Millions of peaches, peaches for free....LOOK OUT!"

And in the end, I get to keep the cute basket they all came in! Thanks, Liz for the summer yummies. We really appreciated it! For anyone interested in some recipes, here they are:

Peach Cobbler
4 C fresh peaches
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 C flour
1 C sugar
1 egg
4 Tbsp butter

Layer peaches in lightly greased oblong dish. Add the lemon juice to the peaches. Combine flour, sugar, and egg until it is a course meal. Sprinkle on top of peaches. Drizzle melted butter on top of that. Bake for 35 minutes at 365 degrees.

Ben & Jerry's Fresh Georgia Peach Ice Cream Recipe
2 c Ripe peaches - finely chopped
2 lg Eggs
1 1/4 c Sugar
2 c Heavy or whipping cream
1/2 Juice of lemon
1 c Milk

Ben and Jerry prefer small peaches because they have more flavor and less water than the larger ones.

Combine the peaches, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and the lemon juice in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, stirring the mixture every 30 minutes. Remove the peaches from the refrigerator and drain the juice into another bowl. Return the peaches to the refrigerator. Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream and milk and whisk to blend. Add the peach juice and blend. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following manufacturer's instructions. After the ice cream stiffens (about 2 minutes before it is done) add the peaches, then continue freezing until the ice cream is ready.

Makes 1 generous quart.

pictures from England.

2008-07-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

This was taken in Charleston, upon leaving the States. I am including this shot, because I have never seen a full-grown frog so small!

And so our journey begins...

Bury St. Edmunds - visited a historical Abbey that was turned in to a park, while preserving some if its remains.

The town of Bury St. Edmunds

A visit to Cambridge.

Duxford Imperial War Museum - what vacation would ever be complete without seeing airplanes?! :) There were four hangars complete with British aircraft, and one hangar devoted to US airplanes. I won't even begin to include all the photos taken there; I wouldn't know which ones to include!

And of course the a big, long day devoted to London.

On the train for a 60 mile trip to London. For an all day pass you get transportation into London, and use of the underground train and buses throughout the city! This pregnant girl loved it!

Our first sight of London - Big Ben.

Big Ben again, but you can see the London Eye ferris wheel behind it, which has a great view!

Westminster Abbey.

The day was really perfect by accident. We just happened to arrive right at Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guards. It was pretty neat to see a lot of the cliche things you hear about certain places.

At the gate.

"They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace -
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
Alice is marrying one of the guard.
'A soldier's life is terrible hard,'
Says Alice."

From "When We Were Very Young" by A.A. Milne

Tralfager Square - located outside Buckingham Palace.

"Whenever I walk in a London street,
I'm ever so careful to watch my feet;
And I keep in the squares,
And the masses of bears,
Who wait at the corners all ready to eat
The sillies who tread on the lines of the street,
Go back to their lairs,
And I say to them, 'Bears,
Just look how I'm walking in all of the squares!'"

These A.A. Milne (creator of Pooh bear) references were very important to the husband. Rob always grew up having the Classic Pooh books read to him, and he has carried this tradition on with Ben. Ben loves talking about the bears when we walk anywhere, and is ever so careful to not walk on any cracks or lines. I have to admit that it is sweet, and kind of a breath of fresh air from the old "break your mother's back" reference I always remembered hearing.

In the London Eye. The view was beautiful!

A couple views from the London Eye.

Having mentioned the Pooh books, there was no way (as I found out) that Rob was leaving without finding A.A. Milne's home in London. I thought it was quite a good fatherly thing to do. Even though I was not in the least bit thrilled to walk any more. We really did a lot of walking that day!

Don't you have to get one of these shots?

Tower Bridge behind us - taken on the London Bridge. The newer one, that is - seeing as though the London Bridge was purchased and relocated to Lake Havasu, AZ.

A.A. Milne's neighborhood.

If you made it this far, I hope you enjoyed viewing the pictures. We really enjoyed our trip and while we missed Ben, we were so thankful to have this opportunity. We know Ben enjoyed his Gram and Grandpop in SC. We know this, because we could hardly ever get him to stay on the phone for more than 15 seconds. We also know that this trip would have been less enjoyable had he been with us. It was a tiring trip for an adult (I can vouch to this), much less a 3 year old. As you can see, we thought of him all the time!

the sewing machine and me.

2008-07-10T13:52:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine told me about these easy to sew yoga pants using a large t-shirts. With pregnancy, I wanted some comfy pants to wear. I also figured I have so many large t-shirts that never get worn because they are too big. So I converted a 10K shirt into pants. Here is the link for anyone interested. They were super easy, and that is coming from a person with little sewing experience. http://community.livejournal.com/t_shirt_surgery/3597625.html

Here is my first rag quilt. I am fairly pleased with the results, however, I know that it isn't "well done" in the sewing world. I only had a finished product that I saw for a couple minutes at my mom's friend's house, and no really written instructions. So I know I was winging it. My mom sewed the baby bumper for our dear Lydia (I guess we have committed to her name), and the rag quilt is my contribution to her. These are the same colors and fabrics in the baby bumper, since her walls are currently a burnt orange. The back of the rag quilt is quilting flannel and the front are scraps that were left over from the bumper. I was skeptical of the washing machine actually "ragging" the edges, but it worked. And with time, the more and more it's washed, it will "rag" more.

teach a man to fish.

2008-07-08T17:48:00.000-07:00

While I have joined the "uncool" club in my son's eyes this past weekend, I am so pleased and proud to see that Ben and Rob have done a lot of bonding more recently. Everything from riding on the lawn mower (tractor) to working with tools (putting his new big boy bed together), and now to FISHING!

Biding his time, until he can do the "real thing" with Dad. Here he is fixing his bubble lawnmower.

In his new big boy bed (we're still waiting for his headboard to come in).

This weekend (holiday 4 day weekends are great!), we spent a lot of family time together. While the family time was great, Rob also gave me a lot of time on my own in the house, while he and Ben were off doing guy things. See, sometimes we, moms feel like the only way to get away is to get away and leave the house. But what is sometimes needed so much more is that time in the house where you can just have quiet time. Obviously that doesn't happen as much when there are kid(s) around. When I mentioned joining the "uncool" club, I was referencing the fact that Ben had so much fun with his Dad, that any time I tried to do the motherly necessary things (ie. eating, napping, potty time), I got this look that seemed to say, "aww, Mom".

While Monday was the day to practice casting his fishing pole in the backyard, this evening was devoted to taking his newly learned skills to the small little pond across the road from us at our neighbor's house. Mr. Lemmerman (also Ben's preschool teacher's father-in-law) regularly feeds the many fish out there. Sometimes Ben and I bring a slice or two of bread out there.

All day today, I was mostly a drag to my Ben, because I wasn't Dad and Dad was at work. I even invited his friends, Trey and Meghan over to play while Wendy went for groceries. We did many things today that included: friends, his water rocket, coloring, reading and playing with cars. While all of this kept us busy, Ben kept asking when Dad was coming home. And at about 3 o'clock this afternoon he asked me if he can call Dad at work and see when he's coming home. He also had an idea to go up to the squadron to see if he was coming home.

So, alas, Dad comes home! (I'm thinking, "Oh praise God, will someone please take this boy fishing?!").

Here are the fruits of their labor...I think it can hardly be called labor though, considering it was all fun! He caught 3 fish in a half hour's time - all by himself. He had such a look of pride on his face.

Fish #1

Fish #2

Fish #3

And here is my attempt to become part of the "cool" club again. This is my first fish ever caught with my son's $9.96 Lightning McQueen fishing pole. (I honestly think that the fish was probably eyeballing my flabby pregnant arm and not the bread on the hook.)

How to know whether you're ready for children or not.

2008-07-07T10:56:00.000-07:00

I have received this as a forward some time ago, and I love it. So in honor of all those who are parents and/or are going to be parents, I thought this was quite true.

I remember how idealistic I was before I had children, and then I became a parent for real. And from time to time, I hear parenting advice from non-parents, and begin to close my mouth and think, "someday they will understand."

Enjoy!

MESS TEST
Smear peanut butter on the sofa and curtains. Place a fish stick behind the couch and leave it there all summer.

TOY TEST
Obtain a 55-gallon box of LEGOs (or you may substitute roofing tacks). Have a friend spread them all over the house. Put on a blindfold. Try to walk to the bathroom or kitchen. Do not scream because this would wake a child at night.

GROCERY STORE TEST
Borrow one or two small animals (goats are best) and take them with you as you shop. Always keep them in sight and pay for anything they eat or damage.

DRESSING TEST
Obtain one large, unhappy, live octopus. Stuff into a small net bag making sure that all the arms stay inside.

FEEDING TEST
Obtain a large plastic milk jug. Fill halfway with water. Suspend from the ceiling with a cord. Start the jug swinging. Try to insert spoonfuls of soggy cereal into the mouth of the jug, while pretending to be an airplane. Now dump the contents of the jug on the floor.

NIGHT TEST
Prepare by obtaining a small cloth bag and fill it with 8-12pounds of sand. Soak it thoroughly in water. At 3:00 p.m. begin to waltz and hum with the bag until 9:00 p.m. Lay down your bag and set your alarm for 10:00 p.m. Get up, pick up your bag, and sing every song you have ever heard. Make up about a dozen more and sing these too until 4:00 a. m. Set alarm for 5:00 a.m. Getup and make breakfast. Keep this up for 5 years. Look cheerful.

INGENUITY TEST
Take an egg carton. Using a pair of scissors and pot of paint,turn it into an alligator. Now take a toilet paper tube and turn it into an attractive Christmas candle. Use only scotch tape and a piece of foil. Last, take a milk carton, a Ping-Pong ball, and an empty box of Cocoa Puffs. Make an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower.

AUTOMOBILE TEST
Forget the BMW and buy a station wagon. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there. Get a dime. Stick it into the cassette player. Take a family size package of chocolate chip cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car. There, perfect.

PHYSICAL TEST
(Women)Obtain a large bean bag chair and attach it to the front of your clothes. Leave it there for 9 months. Now remove 10 of the beans.

PHYSICAL TEST
(Men)Go to the nearest drug store. Set your wallet on the counter. Ask the clerk to help himself. Now proceed to the nearest food store. Go to the head office and arrange for your paycheck to be directly deposited to the store. Purchase a newspaper. Go home and read it quietly for the last time.

FINAL ASSIGNMENT
Find a couple who already have a small child. Lecture them on how they can improve their discipline, patience, tolerance, toilet-training and child's table manners. Suggest many ways they can improve. Emphasize to them that they should never allow their children to run wild. Enjoy this experience. It will be the last time you will have all the answers. :)

two miles.

2008-07-02T07:18:00.000-07:00

So yesterday, I made it two miles in 19:18. Not too bad considering the circumstances I am in! :) And this morning, I am not even sore. Rob came home from work yesterday, so we headed up to the 2/3 mile track up in Caledonia. Rob was pushing Ben in the stroller, and was very good about not leaving me in the dust, while I kept telling him to just go, and not let me hold him up. He wouldn't leave me, which was quite humbling, because in my faster days, I can't say that I would do the same. Actually, I know that I wouldn't do the same. But, that is what I love about Rob. The last 10K we ran "together", he cut me loose, so I could place 2nd overall among the women. He ended up making great time anyway, he wasn't more than a minute behind me. And he, too, placed receiving 1st for men in his age group!

Recently, Ben has gotten really good at coloring, which is great, except that he gets frustrated now when he colors out of the lines! I guess ignorance really is bliss! So I color out of the lines to show him that it is OK and that "practice makes perfect". Anyway, there was a point in our run yesterday where I fell behind a little bit, and Ben kept asking Rob where I was. When I finally caught up - read Rob slowed down for me - Ben told me that "practice makes perfect". I loved that he sees that concept in other areas. And I definitely need to practice more! :)

airfare. air force style.

2008-06-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

We are back from leave, and slowly getting in to the groove again. After traveling to SC to drop Ben off with his grandparents (Rob's parents), we spent a night in Savannah visiting the Winslows, and then took a Space A (Available) flight out of Charleston AFB on a C-17. Here are some pics. While there were minor setbacks, you can't much complain, since you don't pay a dime for the airfare (except $3.85 for a box lunch).

The C-17 Globemaster. On the way out to Mildenhall AB, England. We are the only two passengers on the plane.

At least we know we won't lose our luggage! :)

This was taken on the way back to the States from Ramstein AB, Germany. How we got to Germany from England is a whole other story. A much busier flight! The whole of it is that when we wanted to leave England, there were no flights leaving, so we flew commercially (also another story) from London Stansted to Frankfurt Hahn, and then shuttled over to Ramstein, where there is so many more flights available. While we were waiting to see if we could get on a flight we happened to meet the nephew and his wife (who had flown from Turkey to "hop" home to MS) of our previous home owners! Very weird to say the least.

Here is your boxed lunch...not bad for $3.85 USD - especially after we spent our USD in British pounds! :)

new carpet

2008-06-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

Here are pictures of our new carpet!

so....

2008-06-11T06:47:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday I was humbled a bit. I know that I'm pregnant and I'm so happy about it. But, yesterday something got me. Seeing thin, unpregnant, attractive women doesn't bother me. After all, I am pregnant and there is a child growing inside of me. Seeing girls that are pregnant with close due dates to me doesn't bother me. I have no qualms about losing the weight, I trust myself in that area and know my body and what works for me.

But yesterday marked the first day in exactly a month that I have taken a run. Ever since I got pregnant this time around, that became my biggest focus, and I wasn't concerned with running as much. I didn't stop all together, but let's just say I took it down a notch. I cut my average running distance in half to about two or three miles and added a good minute to my pace. As if that wasn't bad enough, I was only getting the opportunity a couple times a week. I really wasn't sweating it - literally and figuratively.

So yesterday I ran all of one and third miles....just short of DYING. I'd like to say I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. I have never felt my thighs burning that much until yesterday. I am surprised that my legs don't hurt more than they do this morning. I have seriously never felt my legs burn in pain like that. And I think I added another 30 seconds to my pace. The only thing I can attibute it to is lack of discipline in this area, and the extra 14 lbs I'm carrying around. That is roughly 13% or my body weight. What was weird, though, was that all the perceived problems I thought I would encounter never happened. What I thought was going to hinder me was my belly feeling in the way and my cardiovascular strength. My heart felt great, it was just the pair of legs it was stuck with. I am quite pleased, that my heart strength wasn't the problem, because that is one of the best things about running: cardiovascular strength.

Have I mentioned that my thighs were on FIRE?!

What is most humbling for me or any person is knowing that you were at a certain level of performance and knowing that you aren't anymore or right now. Isn't that the definition of humility?! Being taken down a peg or two or three or... I had thoughts of, "will I ever run like I did again?!" And thinking that there is no way possible, just by the state I was in yesterday.

And to think that Paula Radcliffe took her pace down from a 5:30 to a 6:30 mile when she was pregnant. Incredible. Oh, to be elite.

stimulus check.

2008-06-09T07:27:00.000-07:00

So as was the purpose of this stimulus check, we have decided to get new carpet for the entire house. They are working on it today and tomorrow.

Lowe's has this great deal of $99 to install carpet in the whole house. So we purchased carpet and they are installing it right now! I will upload pictures soon. Unfortunately, they started in the our bedroom where the carpet was its worst, and I didn't take a picture of its hideousness. :)

Today also marks our last week home before we take a trip to Europe. Friday evening we will be driving to Rob's parents' house in SC. Ben is planning on spending the entire time with his Gram and Grandpop, while Rob and I travel Space A (which is like stand-by for the military). So like normal stand-by it requires flexibility and patience. But it is cheap and they will take us to somewhere in Europe (we just don't know WHERE in Europe yet).

I have to say that this is probably one of the most adventurous things I have done. And I know that some friends were surprised when I all of a sudden mentioned we were leaving the country. I honestly didn't think that this trip was going to happen anytime soon, only to find out that the husband had still been planning on it.

We're excited, and I'm a little nervous to leave Ben. We have left him in good hands before, but never to leave the continent. Please keep us in your prayers for health and safety. Never before in my life, have those two specific things meant so much to me - I guess those things become so much more important when you obtain your own family.

We'll let you know how this fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants thing goes!

a defining moment.

2008-06-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

A hamburger bun or a hot dog?

We wanted to announce that we are having a girl!

There isn't much else to say except that we're excited. Rob's a little fearful, but none-the-less, excited! It seems we have already had parenting talks about a teenage girl already in the doctor's office, along with future visits to the shooting range.

The shot we got of her anatomy seemed to be much more obvious than with Ben's. This is not to embarrass our son. But the main difference I can see here, is that Ben's was taken at 25 weeks versus this pregnancy's almost 17 weeks. There is a two month difference in finding out. And while the Ben was bigger when we found out, there was also less room to capture the shot.

This little girl of ours was in what was said to be the perfect position to be able to tell. Sitting, with her legs spread well enough for the world to see. Or at least her excited parents!

stay tuned.

2008-06-04T21:01:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, we are finding out if the baby is going to be a boy or a girl. So stay tuned...

It seems most think it's going to be a girl, with the exception of what Uncle Matthew thinks it's going to be. Unfortunately, we can't mention what he thinks is going to be and look like, for fear it might scare some fellow readers.

But to all that know Uncle Matthew, I am sure you can imagine the possibilities are endless about what's growing inside me.

My best friend, Auntie Em, her mom and dad, my mom, my sister-in-law, Stephanie all think it is going to be a girl. The nurse thinks it's a girl - due to heartrate.

While I don't want to build up too much anticipation, there are few that think it will be a boy. I can assure you that we will be so excited for either! My thoughts come much easier, obviously, when thinking of a boy, but a girl will be all sorts of different and exciting things!

So we shall see.

Very soon.

phoenix trip.

2008-06-04T19:34:00.000-07:00

We have been back from our trip to Phoenix for a little shy of two weeks now. So, I thought I would post some pictures. The trip was pretty laid back - well except for Ben being a bit on the rebellious side. Other than that, it was a pretty casual trip. Took my dad to a lot of his rehab visits from this knee surgery. Managed to catch the great season finale of American Idol. Caught up with some friends made back in Clovis, NM. Got to see my good friend and maid of honor, Kelsey. We were able to meet with my aunt and uncle and their five kids.

And last, but certainly not least....Got retail therapy. Right, Rob? :) Starbucks was on every corner. In-and-Out burger. I made the husband mighty jealous. Toured Jo-Ann fabric, twice. Bought material for baby bedding, but we'll have to see if it can be used. Because while the colors are not girly, the pattern definitely is for a girl.

Which brings me to the next post.

But for now, here are some pictures! Enjoy.

at my aunt and uncle's house. It was nice to get families together!

Lolo reading to Ben.

Lola reading to Ben.Darn! He has to read all by himself. Is he sad?!
The making of Rex. The stuffed dinosaur kind. Not the Rob kind w/ 4 x's on the end of it.
The end product...complete with Ben's underwear on Rex.
Ben and his long time ago friend from Clovis - Riley. They are a half year apart.
Riley's mom, Kelly!

Doesn't it kind of look like they are posing for a homecoming picture or something?!

More friends. Christine and Chey.
Airport shuttle...must get more pictures in....time running out....

a few more....

"here, mom, you carry all my stuff and I'll carry Rex."

baby buns.

2008-05-15T15:42:00.000-07:00

Today, I had my 3rd OB appt, a couple days before my trip to Phoenix to spend time with the parents. I had to bump this appointment up so that I could get this trip in to Phoenix this Saturday.

It was another positive appointment. I thank you all for your kind words, thoughts and prayers. It really means a lot to know that I am cared for, by not only God, but by friends and family here.

Tomorrow marks 14 weeks, and we listened to the baby's heart again - at about 162 bpm....hmmm...could it be a girl, like my Mom predicts every time!? He also checked me out to make sure things were still on track. I made my next appt for 5 Jun, and at that appointment we will find out if the baby's a boy or a girl. Weird.... It seems so early to me for lots of different reasons. Before I know it, the Ben's brother or sister will be here. :)

I get more and more comfortable with the pregnancy the longer time goes on, and the reality is sinking in more and more. I am glad to know that this 10 lbs I have put on is going to good use. I can truthfully proclaim that I don't even care how much I gain - much different from the ideals of being pregnant for the first time around. :)

Attached are a couple pictures of the big differences this time around. I was at first shocked at how I was "growing" but fall in more and more in love with it knowing it's going to good use.
This first picture is me a few weeks ago at 10 weeks. It is strikingly similar to me at 22 weeks with Ben - the second picture.

In my defense: this was taken at night, when you're not supposed to be the "lightest" anyway.

My best friend, Emily thought indeed I must be exaggerating, but once I showed the proof, here is what she said:

Ok, so my "best friend opinion" is...yes, you definitely look preggers! You were not exaggerating. There is no hiding that. I will say that you do look very cute with a little belly and that of course it will show more on someone in your type of physical condition. In your normal state, you don't have much 'extra'. Consequently, you don't have any 'extra' to disguise the growing belly! To me it is very exciting, because the more the belly the shows the more real it is! Just don't worry. I am sure everything is great! I think your belly speaks for itself! Can't wait to hear about your doctors appt tomorrow and see more pictures from the birthday festivities. PS - Your hair is getting very long! Miss & love you,Em

Thank you, Weav, I know I can always count on the truth. Really.

I hope this finds you all well. Ben and I will be adjusting for the next week or so to the 100's that we are going to experience in Sunny AZ. I miss it already! :)

goings-on.

2008-05-15T15:24:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot going on lately. I just haven't taken the time to sit down on the computer. The weather has been great, and parks have been seeming more enticing than a computer screen. Plus, Ben sleep so well when he gets his "play on." :)

Here is what we, Mississippians, have been up to:

Rob: The aftermath of the crashes is taking place. Many memorials have been held, many meals have been made, scrapbooks are being compiled. Lastly, jets are slowly getting back up in the air. While the Air Force tells the instructors not to worry about the timeline, they still want you to be thinking about it. So, they are getting back going, and refiguring timelines and dates and graduations. There are always some mixed feelings, but things are slowly working themselves out.

Jenny and Ben: After watching two dogs for a week, in addition to our own, I have realized that dogs are like kids. You love others' kids, but you're sure glad you have your own. You realize few things about yourself that you're not exactly proud of. You realize how used to routines you are. You realize how anal you can be about those routines. And mostly, you realize that while your kid/dog have bad habits and things you can't stand, it looks quite different when you see the variety of kids/dogs out there.

Ben: Ben's last week of school was this week and this morning ended it his school program/gradaution. It was so sweet to see the teachers saying goodbye to the 4 year olds and handing them a "diploma". While I know it seems so silly, it really is endearing to see how much the teachers really invest in their kids. Ben's teacher "Miss" Willie talked about how she still receives graduation announcements from kids that are now 18, and she had them for the first time when they were 18 MONTHS! :)

Finally, Ben and I are gearing up for a quick/short notice trip to AZ on Saturday. I am so blessed by both of our families, as my in-laws gave me two ticket vouchers that they couldn't use to fly home. The blessing in disguise is that one night my mother-in-law, Liz had called me one night to offer them to me after she had talked to my mom. She had noted that she thought my mom sounded a little down and tired from work and helping my dad out after his knee surgery. As soon as I called my mom, she broke in to tears of happiness! So thank you to both of my families. I am so blessed that we all have such a united family.

So we're leaving the rain and green for the dry and desert that is AZ! My dad told me to gear up for the for the first week of 100 degree weather! Please pray for safety in travels and good health!

another fatal crash.

2008-05-01T18:41:00.000-07:00

Please pray for another T-38 crash that occurred this morning at Shepperd AFB in Texas. This one claimed another two lives, and is impacting so many. It is so amazing and sad how much a single life can affect so many. While there are families grieving, it is causing a major ripple effect to the rest of the Air Force community, proving that uncertainty is always there.

Rob's squadron is pretty much grounded at this point, and no one is quite sure what will change that fact. I can't even begin to think how everything with training and its pipeline will be altered. But most importantly, things are stopping for good reason, regardless of timelines.

I am glad to have the husband home, since he was supposed to be away to do the Missing Man formation for the student who died here at Columbus.

please pray.

2008-04-23T15:17:00.000-07:00

Hi family and friends,

Please be in prayer for two families at Columbus AFB, whose husbands died in a T-38 crash upon take off. It looks as if both the instructor and student tried to eject, but didn't make it. As details unfold I pray that there is resolve and healing.

There isn't much else to say, but please cover them in prayer.

a year's wait.

2008-04-21T15:59:00.000-07:00

Today. 21 Apr 08. It has been *exactly* one year to the date since we found out that we were pregnant last year. Most of you know that it ended in a miscarriage fairly early on.

Today. 21 Apr 08. Rob and I are excited to announce that we are, again, expecting. While it has been a year since last year, we have known for a little while now that we were pregnant. And let me tell you, I feel like I've known for an *eternity*.

We waited a little while to announce the news, for obvious reasons, but there were few that I could hardly wait to tell. You know who you are. And I know it seems silly to keep it under wraps, because it's not like you wouldn't tell anyone if you had gone through another miscarriage, right?

Well, it has been another year. And I can honestly say that God taught me a few lessons, with one major lesson in focus. A lesson of patience. And control. I know I have talked that issue into the ground, if not on paper/blog, then definitely in my head! But learning to let go seems to be a lifelong lesson. A lesson that you never quite "nail on the head", but rather one that continues to hit you on the head - over and over and over, until you get it.

Do you ever have moments where you *know* you learned your lesson? It just feels different, doesn't? It's like one minute you're a headcase, and the next minute you just feel a calm. It was like that for me. And God definitely confirmed some of those things for me. See, I got to a point where if I knew my biology way too well. Seriously. For instance - have you ever heard of Mittelschmerz pains? I hadn't either, until I felt it.......and then "googled" it (because I "google" everything). If you want to know it, you can look it up! :) It really showed me how our bodies are so wired to do what it does, that we can't even fully appreciate it.

So anyway. We are pregnant again!

We're excited. And grounded. How it's possible to be both, I am not sure.

So here is our first ultrasound - at 7.5 weeks. You can see a really defined yolk sac right next to the baby. I love seeing my uterus occupied! ;)

spouse taxi ride.

2008-04-20T18:30:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Rob's squadron did a fun day and gave their respective spouses a taxi ride down the runway. I have never done this before, and it was pretty fun - other than the not taking off part! ;) It was a rainy day and once the jet reached a little over 100 knots, it was over. But mostly, it was a fun family day with kids and friends and pizza.

Flightsuits are kinda different in the sense that I feel like I am going pant-less.

birthdays.

2008-04-20T06:49:00.000-07:00

You know, if you really think about it, birthdays are so much more fun than the original "birth day"! That was definitely the thought I had this year. I much prefer cake and kids and songs to hospital room and contractions and pushing and, yeah.

This past Saturday we had a simple party to honor both Rob and Ben for their birthdays! And now that I think about it - why do they get the birthday party? Shouldn't the moms get the birthday party...they did a majority of the labor on the original "birth day"! :)

All joking aside, it was a great day and the weather was sunny and the kids were happy, and Ben couldn't ask for more. Well, I suppose he could. He demanded we open all the presents out of their packaging *right* when we got home. Oh the sense of urgency kids have. No sense of urgency for other things, however. Like grocery shopping quickly or rushing out the door or putting toys away. Funny how that works.

Anyway...here are some pictures of the special day!

Ben's cake....made by moi.

Rob's cake - made by moi. However, I did find the photo fondant on the internet.

Ben - making sure he is really 3 now!

Sort of blowing candles out - the wind also thought it was its birthday.

opening presents.

playing near puddles.

waiting for cake.

marveling at gifts.

more marveling.

can it please be birthdays already?

2008-04-16T21:18:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't written in a long while. And it really isn't that I don't have much to say, it's more that I have been not been in a "talkative" mood. Maybe that's a good thing, you say....well you can just keep those thoughts to yourselves! :)

In all honesty, I don't know why...except that it may be pure laziness. I haven't wanted to sit down and type. But I assure all of you that I have been thoroughly engrossed in everyone else's blogs! I love hearing all the news people have to share! New babies, new trips, summer plans, friends who take great pictures of their baby, friends who get all digi-savvy with their blogs! I love it all.

So, I titled this blog for the reason that tomorrow is Rob's (30th) birthday and Friday is Ben's (3rd) birthday! I am very excited and can't wait to celebrate with them. I will post some pictures later, when said birthdays take place.

But, mostly, I am ready for birthdays, because Ben can't handle it anymore, and consequently - neither can I! The funny thing is (and I know all you moms out there will think I'm nuts, and I think I am now, too, for thinking such a thought) I actually thought I might get away with not doing Ben a huge birthday party. Ha! Looking back if I was going to have a "free" year, it would have been his second birthday - but NOT HIS THIRD! Not the tit-for-tat, he said/she said, comparative mindset that is unique to the 3's. No way. After he has been to a few birthdays this year, there is no way he wasn't getting one. But really, it's fine. It's going to be birthday cake at the park, and we'll call it good.

Finally, the second reason I am glad for birthdays is that I'll hear from my Mom and Dad, who are on a Mexican Riveria cruise. I really would like to hear from them because I got this strange one-line email that reads:

"We are in Cabo and part of the bldg fell on me, I am ok. Also we will try to call on Ben's and Rob's b-day. Love ya, Mom."

So, this is exactly like my sweet ol' mom. Leave it to her to give me this much of the story and leave me hanging. See, most people would either tell you the whole story, or wait until they can tell you the whole story.

But, not Anita. No, not Anita.

Mom, if you're out there and your Blackberry will allow you to view my blog: We love you and hope you're doing OK. Please call us! :)

best of march, comes the best of april

2008-04-02T11:21:00.000-07:00

The origin of thought as a Woman sees it:

The mustache. The month of March. Why not combine the two in the name of comraderie? We'll have Mustache March and freak our wives for the next 31 days. And we'll make it a competition.

Rob received "Best Mustache" in his squadron, and in turn, receives 2 months of Snack-O bills paid. So I guess we'll save $30 bucks in the next two months.

Best of March:

Best of April:

It's funny, because this is now the third year in our marriage that Rob has participated in the sport. But, it's the first year that I said there was no way he was backing out until the very end. See what tends to happen is this: guys think it is such a great idea (because they don't think about it all the way through) and what happens is people dwindle toward the latter half of the month - and find themselves with a razor in hand. And lo and behold it's 18 Mar and there are a fewer mustaches than before.

Not this year though. The mustache was actually soft this year!

a visit from Lolo and Lola

2008-03-04T11:33:00.000-08:00

Back in mid-February, we enjoyed a visit from my parents. Ben calls them Lolo and Lola, what we call grandparents in the Philippines. While my Dad is our "token", he still inherits "Lolo". :) Anyway, for six days we enjoyed spending time together. Ben is a lucky kid to get to be the only grandchild on both sides of our family, and has such a blast every time.

Here are some photos of our time together. Below, Rob and I attended his class' graduation, which was like a night out for us! It was also really neat to see all the students enjoy the moment with their families.
Below are a couple student spouses (Lillian and Barbara) who will be moving on to bigger and better things. We got to know them through attending the same church.Cheese! Enjoying our last meal out at Little Venice - a cute little restaurant in Starkville.
Eating at the good ol' "food court" at the BX/commissary, before a trip to watch the planes at the end of the runway.

me and my qt. these are the moments that i will miss and miss and miss.
what's better than running with sticks?!
Rob and I running w/o sticks.
ben and dad.

greeting at the airport.

my dad's little birthday party at the Brooks'.
reading (ha! my dad's favorite hobby! :)) This just proves a grandparent will do anything!
getting on his level.

Mom and Dad, we always miss you. And I know that Ben enjoys you both bunches. I was always told being a parent was amazing, but I have heard that being a grandparent is pretty darn fun, too, if not better....

happy 4 years.

2008-02-28T12:02:00.000-08:00

Today is our anniversary! Thought I'd share a few pictures of "then". It has been four years, and every moment has been worth it. Truly. Our good friends, Michelle and Andy, are going to watch Ben (they have two boys that sandwich Ben in age) tonight, while we enjoy a celebratory dinner! Friday night we're going to try and catch a movie.

While most are self-explanatory, the pictures above are of our engagement (Grand Canyon), wedding and honeymoon. In case you're wondering who "captured" the moment on bended knee...it was my parents who had an "hunch" as to what was going to take place. I miss blue AZ skies! That day was so perfect, and I can honestly say, that I wouldn't have changed a thing. As a sidebar: rarely does it rain in Phoenix, but of course the meterologists threatened rain a few days before the wedding. While that would have been good, the problem is that it didn't rain. And when it doesn't rain, the forecast just moves forward in time. So Wednesday and Thursday it did NOT rain. Friday comes, and mid-afternoon all the car washes in Phoenix close. Let me just mention, that no where but Phoenix have I ever experienced the anamoly of car washes ALL closing. But in Phoenix, they do, and for good reason. No one dares wash their car when they KNOW it is going to RAIN. Well, as Saturday morning arrived, and still no rain...I just kept thinking...ok, just stay dry a LITTLE longer. Alas, it didn't rain, but not without giving me a good scare. And to assure you that this isn't just a case of melodrama: we went on our honeymoon to Steamboat Springs, CO only to hear stories about how bad it HAILED while we were gone!

email bankruptcy.

2008-02-05T11:18:00.000-08:00

Did you know that you can do it?! Do what, you might wonder. Did you know that you can just do away with the 500+ emails in your inbox and decide that their huge quantities stress you out, and you can just trash them all?! Just like that?!

DID YOU KNOW?

Well, today after looking at my inbox, I just might do it. What is it with piles? Electronic piles or actual physical ones? You know....You know that spot that immediately lends itselt to ridding your hands of purse, mail (most of it junk), a sippy cup, the handful of garbage you told yourself to grab from your car and discard....you know. Don't act like you don't.

Well, piles drive me absolutely bonkers. And the ridiculous thing about it all is that every time I take the dedicated time and energy required to get rid of these things, I vow that I will *never* let it happen again. And lo and behold, another pile reappears! And when I say "dedicated" I mean seriously getting rid of it, not just hiding it or, Jenny forbid, put it SOMEWHERE ELSE. Sometimes, Rob thinks that's the thing to do. I do not like it. From Dr. Suess himself, I do not like them "here or there, I do now like them anywhere!"

So I saw on the Today show last week, that you can really "declare Email bankruptcy" and empty your entire Inbox, provided you let all contacts know about it. Then kindly ask them, that if they have something important to send you, to please resend.

A few thoughts come to mind:
Isn't that more work to trash my whole inbox, and THEN have to take the time to tell everyone about it? And how on earth is that even polite to ask your friends/acquaintences/contacts, "can you please resend whatever important email you sent me again?" What kind of friend is THAT?!?!

I think I will just keep my piles, thank you.

Note: these pictures of "clutter" are quite mild as to what usually happens. You can be rest assured that if these misdemeanors were truly burdensome, I would not be here writing about it, I would be working hard to make them vanish. I do have a threshold, you know.

US Open Flyover.

2008-02-04T15:22:00.000-08:00

It was brought to my attention that I hadn't ever gotten around to posting the US Open flyover that Rob was in. He is number #4 in the four ship, which is the bottom right as they fly over. We're very proud of his accomplishments and dedication. Hope you all enjoy! I know Rob had a little bit of fun doing it! :)

Enjoy!

not just southern, ya'll.

2008-02-04T11:56:00.000-08:00

So, Rob thinks it's funny that I like pork rinds. When I asked him why, he just said something to the fact that it surprises me that I would like "such" a food. What does that mean? Fried pig skin sounds gross? It's only a Southern thing? Well, in all honesty it is kind of gross sounding, and I am not entirely proud that I do like such a thing, but I really can't help it. It's the same reason I can't help it that I like Funyons. It's not like I eat it all the time, but when I went to gas up at the Ole Country Store across the street on Saturday, they were just staring at me in there.

My only response to Rob was that my mom likes them and she eats them. So I guess that is one thing Filipinos and Southerners have in common! As if this didn't shock Rob enough, I was watching a YouTube video of a Filipina who makes videos making fun of her family and cultural upbringing. I tend to find them funny, because it's all too familiar for me and she does a good job portraying herself and all of her family members at the same time.

After viewing this, imagine Rob's response to finding out that "other" people find pork rinds yummy, and they just so happen to be a bunch of filipinos! :)

if i had a million dollars.

2008-02-01T13:45:00.000-08:00

From the lyrics of the Barenaked Ladies...Isn't that such a great song? I don't know about you, but when I hear/sing/belt out those lyrics, it makes me smile and laugh mostly because it's so goofy and fantastic! I never take the song seriously, because, let's face it, not having a million dollars is quite a common limitation among many of us normal people, right?

Well, today, my mom called me and said, "Hey, I got a question for you. What would you want to do if money were not an object?"

WHAT MOM?! Can the question be any more broad? And why didn't I ask immediately, "why do you ask?" I just said, "Well, I'd have to think about it."

This question just displays how conditional we all are as people. Because the moment she asked me "the question", a million other things came to mind. How much money? Why can't I even answer the question the second it's asked? Is it because I don't aspire to do anything or go anywhere great? Or does it mean that I am a perfectly content creature? Or does it mean I don't entertain such thoughts that don't lend themselves to reality? Or is it a combination of all three? Well?

Did my mom win the lottery and she doesn't want to tell me yet?

Should we all ask ourselves these questions because like the Bible states that where my treasure is, there my heart will be also? Where is my heart?

So there are a few things that come to mind, but it has required a strong adjustment to my normal way of thinking: nursing school, some sort of international vacation (Phils, Europe, typical tropical destination spot), missions, college for kid(s), open a cafe, and if I kept sitting at the computer and thinking, the list would probably bore you to tears.

So here's the thing: what would YOU do in life if money were not an object?

I would love to know. For "interested's" sake, and, heck, it might give some good ideas that I have never thought! (because I know there are definitely a lion's share of ideas I have never thought of).

So drop a comment and share, if you like.

oh happy day, graduation day.

2008-01-30T19:05:00.000-08:00

I am learning from many friends that have husbands going through pilot training the amount of time, energy, stress, among many other things to know that getting the coveted wings is a huge moment in their lives. Rob just had one of the two classes graduate, but since he has been away to SOS in Montgomery, AL, he unfortunately missed it.

To honor their achievements he wanted to do something that showed he cared, while he was absent in attendance.

I thought it was very sweet, course, I'm just a chick. However, I would like to think that from pilot to pilot there is a feeling/emotion/sentiment that can only be truly felt by both giver and receiver.

This was the best shot I could get, and since you can't read the words: "These wings have been brought to you from the same spot where the Wright Brothers opened the first Civilian Flying School on what is now Maxwell AFB. Let them be a reminder to you of both the past and what lies before you. Congratulations!"

I won't even try to expound on the hard work that it takes to get to this point, let alone the hard work that takes place after all the training. Life sure is revelant to each breathing moment.

Many cheers to this single moment.

new memories, old friends.

2008-01-18T14:43:00.001-08:00

My best friend from college came down to 'Sippi for a weeklong visit, and it was so much fun! I know you all have those friends that last a lifetime and there is a bond that will never be broken. Emily and I have one of those friendships. And in all honesty, we have a friendship that didn't come easy. Primarily because we are very different people. I'm loud, she's quiet. I'm outspoken, she's soft spoken. You get the idea! But the one similarity (that has bonded us for almost ten years now) is the choice to go in "blind" to the dorms our freshman year at Michigan State. And that similarity is what brought our friendship to where it is now!

She will probably blush when she finds out I wrote this. But, friends need to know when they make an impact on someone. I know she knows how important she is to me, so in no way, am I trying to make it up to her in a simple blog. Geez, how impersonal, right?! :) What is it with people who put their personal lives on the internet?! (please note heavy sarcasm) While I know many of you think that I might be a very "public" person, there are many things that are private to me. Which ties in with the fact that my best friend is my best friend. She has seen my sad times, probably in many ways that Rob hasn't. Not that he won't ever experience sad times with me - till death do us part, right - but Emily is the friend that stood by me in college through bad decisions and huge amounts of immaturity. It is by the grace of God that I have a friend like her. I know that all who know me post-college, post-marriage, post-kid probably thought I was always this perfect, but believe me, I was/am still quite far from it. (more sarcasm) :)

So, this isn't a sappy blog, but a "hats off" or "cheers" to memories of all types, past, present, future. And cheers to wonderful friends that you know will be there through thick and thin.
greeting Auntie Em at the airport.
boy's eye view...at the airport....this is my new favorite picture!

at the incline railway in Chattanooga, TN

Ben's handy photography
helping dad put his new bike seat on our new bikes.

more chattanooga pictures
Children's Discovery Museum...virtually impossible for a kid to get in trouble here.
reading
Making sushi. Birthday tulips from a friend/bridesmaid in CO. very sweet, tulips were the flowers of choice at our wedding.
the finished product! look out Herb! Em's going to teach you to make sushi next! (wink, wink) :)

i feel bad for God sometimes.

2008-01-18T14:37:00.000-08:00

i feel bad for God sometimes.

The other day I received an email from a friend who has shared the news publicly that she and her husband are expecting. She also asked me if we were going to be "trying" again for another one. She also mentioned to throw any "pointers" her way regarding pregnancy and parenting. After being asked that, it really caused to me to think about this. What kind of information or suggestions would I pass on to a friend who was pregnant? You have to be careful what you say, because the weight of words can be so heavy and can leave a strong impression on people. Because I tend to get long winded, I try to nutshell many things….how do you accurately "portrait" being responsible for a human being other than yourselves? (Yes, there are many actions of others that do not reflect this careful thinking….and it is very unfortunate.)

I think what I would tell this friend to try and not be too Type A. I say this, because this approach can be too strong and it has generally kicked me in the butt many times. This is why I feel bad for God, and it all started with Adam and Eve and wanting "too much" knowledge. Unfortunately, when I get my hands on "too much" knowledge I tend to make a mess for myself. And it takes careful intention to not be like this. Before I begin to not make sense and confuse this entry, let me make myself clear about all the ways I tried to apply "too much" knowledge to my child:

1. It began with feeding. How often? How long? ETC. and that big ET CETERA could really go on forever. I kept a log for 2 months recording how often Ben nursed and for how long. Do you know that I still have the log?! I keep it as a reminder of how far I've come and as motivation to continue striving to not be so Type A.

2. Sleeping. He should be sleeping more and if he isn't, then he isn't growing enough….because early on you're told that when they sleep, they grow.

3. Then was the introduction of solid food. Then began calorie counting. Granted, I had some slightly inexperienced doctors who were also going "by the book" and told me that Ben needed to eat more, and that he should consume 1200 calories a day. (Note sarcasm: Yes, doctor, I can read too, and I have read that.) But that is a huge amount. Nevertheless, I thought that it was attainable. It wasn't, but I never gave up trying and it tore me more to pieces. Don't be like this.

4. Developmental milestones. This is one thing that probably kept me sane. Ben always meets them on time and usually exceeds them. But did I still worry that he was small? Yes. It's quite embarrassing. While I would venture to say that he is average to above in mental development, I know that there are others kids who don't do it on time. I know that if Ben was like that, I would deduce it to the fact that he was small and wasn't nutritionally getting enough.

5. Potty training – don't even ask. It will just happen as evidenced all the time!

And the list goes on....

oh, and the other years/phases/stages, I haven't even yet endured!

DO YOU SEE A TREND HERE? Control, control, control.

It wasn't until we had him screened and tested for possible reasons to why he was/is such a small kid, that I began to have more confidence in who I was as Ben's mom and in Ben's overall health. And I can assure you that if you let Type A and "what should be" take over, you will always lose. And if it isn't size, believe me, you can find any perceived problem to hone in on.

The bottom line of this admission is that when it comes right down to it, there isn't anything in your control that God isn't. Probably a big "duh" to many less stubborn people. But somehow, we get a little smart and think we know better. Which brings me to the other question that was asked of me: are we thinking about another one soon? Of course. We have been thinking about it for a year now, and now that I really understand biology so much more than I ever did, I can get a little, let's just say, fanatical. So, lately, I have been finding that I need to rethink, let's say for the sake of TMI, "cake". So, my doctor says, "I know this sounds so simple, but just 'bake cake' and don't think about it." (This should go without saying, but can you guess if said doctor is a man or a woman?!) Yes, *he* told me to just bake cake and don't think about it. While I know all this, I still somehow think that if it's going to happen, I need to make it happen. So begins charting or, umm, "perfecting cake recipes". And yet, another vicious cycle. And all the while I do this, I don't consider that the One who created me *just* might know much better than me: a) what I need, b) when I need it and c) even when I admit all of this, I will probably go and try to control it all over again.

This is why I feel bad for God sometimes. And why is there only Type A and Type B? Why isn't there a Type AB, a perfect blend of reasoning and approach?

Well, I guess that is where something Greater than myself comes in.

(...geez, God, why didn't you *just* say so?!!?!)

Our Christmas Letter.

2007-12-19T21:13:00.000-08:00

Looking back on 2007

Seasons They come and go, and sometimes it seems like it’s easier to remember things by just that. Ecclesiastes seems so cliché sometimes, but it really does seem fitting. There is a time for everything, and every season is interdependent on the next to form the life as we know it. It seems so perfect to end the year reflecting on the reason behind all seasons. Jesus Christ, Our Savior. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” John 1: 1 – 5 It is a true peace and comfort that behind all circumstances, God is still constant. We hope that His presence is a constant for you and your loved ones as you travel down life’s path.

Winter We had just arrived to Columbus, MS, after living in San Antonio for a quick 4 months. We managed to spend our Thanksgiving with my parents and paternal grandfather in CA and Christmas with the Brooks family in SC. My grandfather has been diagnosed with colon cancer, but remains to be such a strong and healthy man, which we are so very thankful for. I guess winter and spring tend to melt together because it was a time of getting settled and readjusting our bearings.
Spring Ben has changed so incredibly that sometimes it makes us feel more time as passed. We are thankful that it hasn’t, because time already flies! As soon as we moved, he started changing so much on me that I didn’t know what to do. The “turning point” was the climbing out of the crib. So began “nighttime” struggles that were probably the worst issue we had to deal with. He wouldn’t sleep in his bed, he would scream and refuse bedtime at all costs. Every night we had a struggle, and once he fell asleep one of us would have to push the door open (because he was sleeping against it), peel him off the floor and put him in bed. I guess “they” call that stage the terrible two’s?! Yes, that’s it. It was a bit difficult on us, but now that he has adjusted to the age, he’ll be turning three! And so begins a new stage! I have learned that children are God’s little reminder to not get too comfortable and complacent in your life and where you are. Rob joined the 50th Flying Training Squadron, and has adjusted to living in the “backseat”. While it can be a bit stressful at times as the students progress, it gets more comfortable for him. God’s reminder of complacency to Rob is similar to parenting. Once his students get better, learn to fly, and graduate – it’s back to square one with a couple new classes. And so begins a new stage, right?! He has joked that he feels like a “cat being shoved into a bathtub”!

Summer So it’s pretty hot down here. I think that was the one thing that Rob remembered and I learned for the first time. The primary lesson was going to Disney World in July. Rob had asked me, “Are you serious? Disney World in July?!” I said, “Rob, how much more humid can it get?! We already live in Mississippi.” You see, folks, in the last few years….we have steadily moved from West to East. And as we moved it was a somewhat slow and steady change in terms of adding more and more humidity to the southern air. So my comment was based on that thinking, “How much worse can it possibly get?! We can’t go much farther east.” Rob just shakes his head at me. (Note: He also laughed at me when I mentioned that we needed to get sprinklers for our acre property. Apparently I didn’t realize that out here moisture is not a problem!) Well, I did find out that it can get a lot more humid and hot. And it is in Florida that this happens! However hot it was, we had a wonderful trip to Florida meeting up with my college roommate, Emily, and her husband, Herb. Herb was putting on a football camp for middle and high schoolers in Sarasota. After that July trip, the rest of the summer was spent in ‘Sippi. We enjoyed the pool with friends on base, and the pool on base. And the pool on base. See the trend here? Rob was also promoted to Flight Commander of his flight. Now he is somewhat of a “head honcho” which has seemingly translated into a lot of paperwork! We are very proud of him and the hard work he continues to do for the Air Force and our family.
Fall The end of September marked our first trip in two years back to Phoenix to visit Jenny’s parents. Ben was enjoyed very much so by his Lolo and Lola (tagalog for Grandparents in the Philippines). We were able to spend time with some of the friends made in Phoenix – where Rob and I first met! (Aw…) Rob and I also were able take advantage of some time alone and hop a flight up to Las Vegas. It was my first time, and Rob’s nth time. We took in a couple of shows and did the sightseeing thing. We enjoyed Halloween and Thanksgiving here at home. And work for Rob continued to become more and more saturated. They are experiencing a shortage of instructors, which causes many, many work hours. The reasons for this are that the Air Force is planning on decreasing the student load, which requires less instructors. The bad news is that those student numbers haven’t dropped yet, so it’s “deal with it” until the classes begin to decrease, which we expect it to be in another 6 months or so. Thanksgiving was quiet and peaceful. I made a turkey that I would actually claim this year, so that is an improvement for me in terms of domestic welfare! Ben got himself potty trained on Veteran’s day, and he is all sorts of big boy now! Between you and me and all the people I send this to, I thought it would be another merit badge on my “I’m a cool mommy” sleeve, but it seems that kids really do do it all on their own. You just assist and encourage, and let them figure it out. I also ran another half marathon, and my mom was able to fly in for the weekend. A good time was had by all, and I managed to shave a minute/mile off my previous time. I was super happy about it!

We love you all and look forward to hearing from you as your family makes its way into a new year!
Much love and hugs,
Rob, Jenny, Ben, and Rainey.

what's a "bunting"?!

2007-12-10T12:51:00.000-08:00

Here’s a baby boy’s bunting I made this week. I just emailed a friend telling her what I do when I don’t want to finish things (which epitomizes what our house looks like right now with presents that need to be wrapped and shipped or crochet projects that need finishing): I start something new! And what’s worse is that I justify the new project’s need. “Laura and Guns are going to have a baby very *very* soon, so they *need* me to make them a bunting.” And don't get me wrong, I had intentions of "gifting" them, it was just a matter of when.

And there you have it….Laura, if you’re reading this….I will be sending it very soon for your little Levi, as soon as my hands can part with it, because I grow this silly attachment to the projects I finish! Plus, I know it will be so much sweeter with a baby boy in it! As an aside: Laura, I am very very *very* excited to hear news of your upcoming arrival. I never knew you could be so excited for someone to have a baby, and I remember you both constantly as you the days close in to your due date. You have been such an inspiration to me by your faith and strength. Really. I must apologize that I am posting this picture before sending, but I really love it, and hopefully seeing it first will make you look forward to receiving it?!

I must go now and do things that need to be done. I have dawdled long enough. I hope that this time of year finds you all procrastinating, um, I mean reflecting on this past year and enjoying the life you have been given!

St. Jude Half Marathon.

2007-12-10T11:46:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos from our trip to Memphis for the St. Jude Marathon event. A fun time was had by all! My mom flew in for the weekend to spend it with us and to see Ben. Ben had such a fun time with his Lola, and I felt like I had two kids! ;) Joking aside, my mom is very good with Ben, and he loves to have fun with her, and have fun with her, and have fun with her. He has a hard time knowing when to quit. And Lola has a hard time telling him when it is time to quit! My mom is so very helpful with Ben, and she always has. She is the only person that has ever said to me, quite earnestly, "Ben's poopy, can I change his diaper?" Seriously.

We left Friday afternoon for the 2 and half hour drive to Memphis with the first things on our agenda of picking up race packets and picking up my mom at the airport. As Ben slept in the car, Rob and I were able to catch up with each other. I had also noticed that my frame of mind toward this race had changed quickly and drastically for the better. The reasons are twofold. One: racing (and not running for just fun anymore) is a paradox for me. When I first trained for a half marathon last year, I found myself not loving running as much anymore, because it was training and I *had* to do it. (I think it is a challenge to do the thing you love and get paid for at the same time, because it changes your love and your job completely. I have often wondered if Rob gets sick of flying because it is now tainted with paperwork, regs, etc and it isn't just flying anymore.) But once the race was over, I found myself missing the training and it was then hard for me just to go out and "run for the fun of it". I still don't understand why it is like this, but now that I can expect those feelings, I can better manage and control it. Two: this race was always a little bittersweet, because I had made the choice to run this after the miscarriage as a way to not focus on things and for necessary time to pass before getting pregnant again.

But as we drove up, I experienced the exact feelings and adrenaline I needed for this race. I was *solely* excited for it and thought of *nothing* else. Nothing. Now I know and am jealous at the fact that sometimes it seems easier for men to execute this, but for women it doesn't always seem as easy. Needless to say, this boost is exactly what I had been needing. I had higher expectations this time around versus last year's race in Waco. I had sped up a good bit in my running from my PR, and I really wanted my race time this year to reflect that. And the results I was very pleased with. Last year I finished in 2:00:11 and this year I finished in 1:47:42, which breaks down to an 8:14 min/mile.

Running has become such a big part in my life. I hate to sound so mushy, but it is a spiritual thing for me. It makes me push through the hard times and try to believe in the hindsight that I know will follow after. I know that we all have different things that motivate us, and I firmly believe that is the way it is supposed to be. I guess what surprises me most about finding the thing you love, is that a lot of times it finds you in an unlikely way. It makes me wonder what I loved before, and I suppose these are all things you grow in to and it couldn't have happened until your perspective matured more.

ramble ramble ramble....maybe it is running I choose, because I spare my loved ones and friends all of my ramble ramble ramble.....

Start and Finish!

ben always is first.

those emergency blanket things really work!

the one guy that knows me most. he found me at the 3 mile mark, but knew he would miss me at the 4.5 mile mark. at the finish, he said to my mom, "alright she's going to be here in the next five minutes." it makes me smile that he not only knows what I love, but he knows how I perform in the thing I love.

Michelle, Liz, me. This was just part of a much larger group. In our Sunday school, there were 3 girls who participated in the 5K, and 5 girls who participated in the half marathon.

the rest of the gang (L to R): me, Rachel, Heather, Shannon, Liz, Michelle and *kids*!
Shannon, me.

fellow Michiganders....we won't discuss the yellow shirt he's wearing...Michelle and Andy.
Michelle, Rachel.

Lola, Ben.

I hope you enjoy these photos.

giving my thanks.

2007-12-04T16:43:00.000-08:00

Giving my thanks…

I am thankful for so many things. Mostly I am thankful that God enables us.

Enables us, so that
we can be free
we can achieve
we can strive

Strive to
Find contentment
Find gratification
Be all that we can be for the ones we love.

conversations with Ben.

2007-11-16T16:55:00.000-08:00

My Navigator/Co-pilot:

Ben: why are we going this way?
Me: because this is the way to the ice cream store.
Ben: oh. That’s a good idea.
Me: Yes, we don’t want to get lost.
Ben: God keeps me safe.

My Cheerleader:

Ben watching me go to the bathroom, standing in the doorway.

Me: what are you doing just standing there? (he is staring intently at me, and I am thinking that maybe he is going pee in his diaper, while watching me go in the potty.)
Ben: I am just standing here, holding door.
(I do my duty, and start to flush, etc.)
Ben: Yay!!! Good job, Mommy! I’m so proud of you!!!

Note: I know this is a common instance with many parents out there. The idea of praise is obviously lost on Ben at this point….
My Literal Son:

Me: Ben, aren’t you so glad that you’re potty trained?! (Trying to reassure myself and make sure Ben is mindful of this new concept that has finally clicked in him.)
Ben: mmhmm, yes… And I’m poopy trained!
Me: (speechless) Yes, you are. You’re potty trained *and* poopy trained.

it's a good think we don't *really* have to rake the yard. below: Ben in a "huey" helicopter from Ft. Rucker, AL. This picture along with the airplane picture was taken at "career day". We were not looking for careers, but student pilots are (there are a few of those here at Columbus AFB. Ha!)

Ben's class photo.

2007-11-13T17:35:00.000-08:00

Here is Ben's first class photo. I am not sure why he looks so serious and/or borderline angry. And I can only imagine the fun getting them to take the picture. From left to right - Top row: Miss Pat, Austin,Jacob, Charlie, Miss Willie. Bottom row: Sabrina, Ben (with the ladies), Lauren. Another friend not pictured is Mirabelle, who missed that day.

This week they will be having their Thanksgiving feast. And Ben will be joining the potty people in his class! :)

if you don't find this funny....

2007-11-12T13:58:00.000-08:00

A tribute to any mom out there - young or old, seasoned or wetter behind the ears! If you don't love it, I will be very surprised.

All that being said....I think potty training for the big two and a half year old in our house has finally clicked. While I know we're still going to have oopsies here and there, it was noticeably an "aha" moment for Ben.

Why might you ask? Well, for one - I haven't said "Ben, is your underwear dry?" a dozen times in a 5 minute window. Is this an exaggeration? Slightly, but not too far from the truth. I will not go into too much detail about the going-ons (literally and figuratively), as much as I KNOW that I have friends out there who love talking about poop! (Susannah, are you there?) And as much as I, too, enjoy talking about it, as I have had issues myself in the whole GI department. (not with potty training, thank you) Annnnnnnyyyyyyywayyyyyyy.....the fact is, this is the first day where I see a noticeable change in his behaviors.

But this brings me to a different subject: trust and faith.

Why does Jenny still get frustrated and impatient witht he fact that Ben isn't potty-trained in spite of:

A kindergarten teacher friend that assures me that no child has ever come to her class in diapers?

That countless friends say: you'll know when their ready. When they are ready, they WILL do it.

That when I was at a MOPS meeting and there were moms asking different moms parenting questions, there was not a single question about potty training?

Because:

IT'S TRUE! And kids do learn and they will learn. I guess, sometimes, the element missing is the experience that they will learn (pick your obstacle) in their own time. With a first child, you don't get that and sometimes it's harder to trust.

So, hopefully, when round 2 or 3 or....comes around, I will be better those next times around.

And I will keep you posted when that next time is! :)

halloween times.

2007-10-31T11:44:00.000-07:00

Halloween's over...but here is a quick recap.

I was a geisha, and...no....I will not love you long time.

Rob was Indiana Jones. We went to a friend's Halloween party, and for the guys, they were supposed to dress up as their "call sign". Rob's call sign is Rexxxx, and Rex means dog, and Indiana Jones was apparently named after his dog, Indiana. Not sure how many girls can figure this one out, but dudes are so movie-oriented it seems, that no one even questioned his costume.

We three Brooks...
Meg, Wendy, me.

Our Sunday school's Harvest Party. Getting this many kids in one area is somewhat an accomplishment.

on the count of three - everybody say "awwwwwwww...." to my darling little boy in his doctor's costume, and now on to Thanksgiving and Christmas. If his costume isn't that flashy, it's primarily because I made it....the only part of the costume I was super excited about was making his ID badge...so please mention it to me when complimenting me on what a stupendous job I did. (wink, wink.)

Trey, as Tony Stewart, and Ben, as Dr. Ben.

Setting out on Wednesday night.

Trick or treat...

Give me something good to eat...

Meghan, Trey's sister...the cutest cat there is.

Wendy and me.

Looking for Willy Wonka....or just some candy. We don't know these people, I just wanted to photograph them.

Wendy and Rick, aka Cage. (Rob's fellow work cohort....also an Eagle driver)

us.

petting "zoo" 'sippi style.

2007-10-30T12:07:00.000-07:00

Doesn't the name of the zoo just say it all?! Today we went to the "Back 40" petting farm, that just so happens to be on our street, just farther north and closer to Alabama.

Ben after some roosters.

This is a pot-bellied pig.
Some goats.
Ben up close and personal with an American pig (that lives in the mud, unlike the pot-bellied ones). Just so you know: this pig weighs in at over 400 lbs! It could squash a few of us!! But Ben, wasn't afraid. (Mommy was, however.)

Ben's second pony ride. His first one was a couple weekends ago at Caledonia day. An arts/crafts fair in a town north of us that has only has one stoplight...and....it....blinks..... ha. The funny/sad/really pathetic thing is that when we got to the fair, Ben started yelling, "Yay! Disney World!" (Apparently, we need to get him out more). He also has thought that the toll booth to the toll road in Tuscaloosa is Disney World, the part where you first enter the park, and it looks like...well....big...toll...booths. So, I guess in Ben's defense, I can see why he might think that.

Bouncing Ben.
Ben and Teddy, the horse. This is, in my experience, the most affectionate, gentle horse I have ever met. I kinda wanted to take him home. He was so gentle and eager, he kept following us through the petting farm and you could just tell that he wanted people to pet him and be near him. Very sweet.

a couple emus.

The cost of going to a petting farm: $5.
The cost of being away from home with your kid in underwear: an outhouse.
The cost of your kid thinking he's at Disney World: a free Caledonia Day fair.
The cost of your kid nose to nose with a 450 lb American pig: priceless.

nummies in my tummy.

2007-10-26T12:34:00.000-07:00

nummies in my tummy.

So Ben's taking a nap, and I just heard TWO absurd things. You see, when you're around a child all day, sometimes it's very important to break down the logic, so they understand. While Ben is a smarty pants, sometimes the "why" questions never stop, even when I feel like I have *adequately* explained myself. But, these two absurd things I just heard on a Today Show food segment, are so funny and illogical (if you really think about it) that I am almost positive that I wouldn't be able to break it down to Ben. (Note to the Today show producers: I really do understand what chef so-and-so is saying, but really just find it funny to hear out loud.)

Absurd Statement 1: Good fish – SHOULD NEVER – smell like fish. So while I know what he means, if you really think about it….shouldn't we really be afraid if the fish doesn't smell like fish?

Absurd Statement 2: Ann Curry talks about how all these chef concoctions look small on the plate, but she begins to explain/agree with chef so-and-so, that truly good food only requires a small portion, because if it is truly tasty and yummy, then it leaves you feeling like you just had enough. Ha! I don't know about you, but when I like something…I keep eating it.

A few examples:
ice cream
tacos (had 4.5 tacos last night)
chips and salsa (there was a Mexican restaurant I used to go to where I would only eat chips and salsa, and then have dessert (chocolate chimichangas). Those were good too.
two words: pi zza. (going to have that tonight at Wendy's and carve pumpkins.)
Wanted to share some of my food faves and weekly staples.
Note: I had written this food portion earlier, and then added this little witty intro to it. (even though I *am* *so* witty - I can't be witty at all the right times...-very much kidding)

Salsa – given to me by Shannon Dawson.
This is, by far, the best salsa recipe I have received to date.

26 oz can whole tomatoes
1 green peper
1 red pepper
1 jalapeno – she used the canned jalapeno, but a fresh one was easier for me.
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp cumin or chipotle chili powder
Blend in blender and enjoy.

I love this so much that I have made it almost weekly.

Carrot cake.

2 C flour
2 C sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
4 eggs
1 C veg oil
3 C shredded carrots (people will know you made it by your orange fingers from all the carrot shredding...my least fun part)

Combine dry ingredients
Add in wet ingredients
Add in carrots
Bake at 350 degrees
2 round pans 30-35 mins
12x9 rectangle 35-40 mins

Cream cheese frosting
6 oz cream cheese - softened
½ stick butter - softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
Mix well, add powdered sugar until it's frosting consistency – about 1.5 – 2 C

Salad made easy.

Something I usually dread doing weekly is making salad. Mostly, I dread it because I don't really eat it and it is for Rob along with Ben who loves the tomatoes and cucumbers. He seriously is a rabbit. When I was first married, I was good about buying fresh romaine – the unbagged kind – but then out of convenience, I started buying the ready lettuce in a bag. After visiting my aunt and uncle in Phoenix, I have since gone back to fresh romaine, because of a trick my Aunt Amy showed me. I thought this might be useful to others who might also dread preparing fresh lettuce – especially romaine. Or maybe not, and I'm just lazy.

The spin cycle! (and yes, I have a salad spinner.) This is another tip that my aunt told me about that she got off the Food Network. That channel is great. After washing your lettuce, place it in a pillow case and put it in your washing machine and use the spin cycle. It works great, and it's sometimes easier when you have so much lettuce that you can't fit it all in your salad spinner.

Cutting Romaine. The main reason I hated chopping it was that the pieces were so big. The little trick I learned was to fold the leaf in half lengthwise, and cut out the spine. (I keep a few and put it back in the salad, because I like that part.) But with the lettuce leaf you take a bunch of spineless lettuce pieces, roll them all up together, and make one cut vertically and 3 or 4 horizontally, and it makes the perfect bite-sized pieces!

Happy eating and feasting as we swing into the holiday season that is very conducive to doing just that! :)

pumpkin patch.

2007-10-13T15:22:00.000-07:00

This weekend we took Ben to a pumpkin patch and we took a couple home. It was a good time.
"Go Tigers!" And Rainey and her big head. See her ears back? She knows she's in trouble, yet she's still naughty!
Being Ben.

On the tractor ride back to the front of the patch.
Ben wore underwear all day. And the only accident we had was once in the morning - at home. We managed to keep dry to the countless places we went that day: pumpkin patch, Rob's work, the Commissary, Old Navy, Profitt's Porch, and Belk. It is still a slow work in progress, but we're at least a *little* interested. I tell him that when he figures out this whole potty thing, he will be rewarded with the toys he had from Lolo and Lola's house.

It seems we barter a whole lot more these days, and rewards and punishments actually work in terms of Ben obeying. Is that bad? It's bribery. Shouldn't he just want to obey his parents all the time? Shouldn't he just be grateful that he has a nice home, parents, a dog, friends to play with?!?! None the less, it sure helps during those times he wants to act against me or Rob. Eh, what can ya do?

pack it up, val!

2007-10-12T13:12:00.000-07:00

“Pack it up Val.”

That one box. That one box that we never saw again – after it was packed up in Clovis, NM – almost a couple years ago now.

The contents of this box is still indefinitely undetermined. However, when we realize that there is something that we once had, that we no longer have anymore, Rob jokingly tells me “Pack it up Val!” He jokes with me because it pretty much nutshells my personality. And it pretty much contradicts his personality along with his upbringing. The day we had movers in Clovis, I kept jokingly saying to one mover, “Pack it up, Val” when asked what to do with certain things, in an attempt to just get it all out of my hair. Even after we got married, and my dad was helping us move my stuff, he was seizing the moment to get rid of his own ‘crap’. I love the differences of both sides of our family. I truly think they compliment very well, as long as we can find balance.

Rob grew up in a family with a lot of tradition – and with that comes a lot of nostalgia. I grew up in a family where I am the only child and my mom moved away from the Philippines with only her suitcase, leaving many memories behind. My dad is the only child, although he has one adopted brother and on half brother. The main difference between the Taylor family and the Brooks family I think is that we keep the memories in a different way. It seems the Brooks keep them in boxes along with their hearts, but the Taylors keep them in their heart mostly. And the physical memories they just want to get rid of! J And I am almost never surprised when we visit the Brooks’ in SC and Liz is trying to get me to take Rob’s stuffed animals home with us! The funny thing is that no one wants to be the person to throw it away….so the stuffed animals stay, and Liz waits until we visit again. J Because it is Rob and me that have to live with each others’ differences, we come to a meeting point most times. But sometimes they have come at a price of a minor argument here and there.

With all that being said….I love having two families because it reminds me that both, “roots” and “wings” are equally important. And without the nostalgia, you can forget where you came from.

I am including a few pictures from Rob’s files (the kind that doesn’t take up boxes in the attic! J), because they are such neat reminders of roots. It is so neat to be able to see legacies being created, and from that I feel the strong joy of having children.

These are photos of Rob’s maternal grandmother, who was a pilot instructor. She was given a grant from the GI Bill that allowed women to learn to fly! How very memorable and pivotal. We enjoy Rob’s Gram very much when we go to visit my in-laws. And a good number of Rob’s relatives reside on the same golf course, so hitting many birds with one stone is an advantage. Especially for the “No-hassle-keep-it-simple-pack-it-up-Val” kind of person! J wink, wink. One Brooks’ tradition I have grown to love, is to continue waving out the window until the house and its’ occupants are no longer in view. Since I love to tease Rob about this, I will not ever admit that I feel fondness when performing this ritual! (hey, he’s welcome to have a read on “our” blog! J.)

Oh, and in case you’re wondering what was in that “pack it up, Val” box: we are missing grilling utensils, a good number of large cooking utensils, those nifty George Foreman grease trays, a couple etched glass cubes that sit on a lighted pedestal to illuminate the picture in it.

first...

2007-10-10T20:03:00.000-07:00

First….

…day of school

Here is a picture of Ben’s very first day of school. He loves his teachers Miss Willie and Miss Pat. He loves the fact that he is a big boy. It is truly a mom’s joy to be able to share my “pride and joy” with others. While we always receive very good reports, I am sure to ask where he lacks. He tends to climb on tables?! What? He never does that at home. Seriously. It boggles me that he can think to do something completely atypical somewhere else. I love reading his daily reports. And some of it never surprises me. It doesn’t surprise me that both colors purple and pink are purple to him. We’re still working on that one. It doesn’t surprise me that he also thinks that the letter M is also a W.

….loser

I am. While I am somewhat bragging in this here space, (that’s Southern talk for “you guys” – don’t worry, I still feel like y’all is weird. I much prefer to say “you guys” in that nasal Northern tone) I am kind of proud that I came in 2nd place for Women – or as a No Fear slogan might say, “Second place is the first loser”. I, along with some friends, ran a base 10K in honor of the Air Force’s 60th Anniversary, and I finished at 46:20. The few people that I managed to pass along the way were men, and I kept jokingly asking them, “how many girls are up there?” thinking I might have a chance at finishing. Plus, I didn’t want to be so rude to pass them without being friendly. I am very proud of my time, and feel like it is such an improvement for me in the last year of running. My last 10K was 54:55 back in March that Rob and I ran together.

…time in Las Vegas
The three of us just got home from a very much needed trip to my parents’ house in Phoenix and a couple day getaway to Las Vegas, while Ben stayed with his Lolo and Lola. We hadn’t been back to Phoenix since Ben was 7 months old! Long overdue for a visit. While a week goes by so fast, we had such a great time visiting old friends and taking in time with the parents. It seemed we got in a little of everything. My mom couldn’t get enough of Ben, and Ben was so good with the both of them. When Rob and I got home from our mini-trip to Vegas, my mom (who is almost never speechless) said very slowly and thoughtfully, “Umm…yes, Ben was good, but he’s….ummm…he really is a boy. You were never like this, Jenny. He just wants to play all the time. He never quits.” Yes, that sounds like Ben alright. Bellagio

Paris

Before leaving for Tony and Tina's wedding, where we were part of the production, attending as wedding guests, and you witness all the wedding drama and chaos of an Italian American New York wedding.

photo with Steve Wyrick, a magician, that we saw the night before Tony and Tina. His headlining act is making a Lear jet appear magically on stage. It was a really neat show, and we had 3rd row seats!

waiting for a shuttle to get our car on our return trip home - in Memphis

Bellagio's fountain show.

the first day in Vegas after a trip to Nellis AFB and In-n-Out Burger. If you've never been, you must.

Saying goodbye to Lolo and Lola at the Sky Harbor airport in PHX.

dinner with some friends at Red Robin. This is part of the group where Rob and I first met. aww, shucks.

Kels and me. Kels is one of the best friends there is. She was also my Maid of Honor.

Our fabulous King suite at the Signature Hotel at MGM. It's a pretty new hotel, and it sits off the strip a bit and isn't a gaming hotel. So it's kind of nice to get away from the constant "ding, ding, ding, ding".

…baptism baby blanket.
It turned out very pretty…and I didn’t want to part with it just yet. I did manage to get paid for this gig – thanks Felicia! – so maybe my husband won’t get so mad at yarn for a while. Joking aside, there are times where Rob wishes I would just watch TV with him, and not just “listen to TV”.

…flyby.
Here is a shot of a fly by Rob was in for the US Open. I need to brag on him more. Rob is number 4 – which is the bottom left.

whoo hoo.

2007-09-17T13:38:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a friend, Conny I found out some fun results! Conny did this with her 4 girls! Thanks Conny!

I found this to be pretty cool, considering more often than not I receive comments about how Ben looks like his dad. Tee hee. I have gotten used to it, because I know that the reasons for their thinking is that he is so fair compared to me. Not that I am as dark as my mom, but I just have darker features in contrast to Ben, and Rob for that matter. While I am posting these results, the thought just occurred to me that I don't know the basis for their conclusions and findings. Ha! How many times in life do we not consider the source?

We ought to do that more often. It would probably lead to me not being so sensitive about things all the time. As I have been finding myself lately.

I think if I considered the source more and their frame of reference, I wouldn’t be feeling the way I do. An illustration of this is when people look at me and my physical features. When my mom’s side of the family sees me, all they see is the white – oops, I mean “Caucasian” in me. When my Dad’s side of the family sees me, all they see is the ethnic – oops, I mean the Filipino in me.

This is not about race. I am merely using it as an example of how and why people see the things they do.

Really, I try my hardest to see how others might see things, so that little comments directed toward me wouldn’t make me feel hurt. Maybe if I could just consider the source all the time, my feelings would NEVER get hurt, huh?

I know. Ambiguous. Don’t worry about it. I really just wanted to share this look-alike test! Happy Monday!

Do you do that? How?

long and very random. don't feel obliged.

2007-09-04T15:05:00.000-07:00

For some reason, I am having a hard time titling this entry. You see, the reason I am telling you this will disclaim this entire thing from making any sense. I am the kind of person that must be given a conclusion or bite sized statement and then I start to expound. Leave me with no title and I don’t know where to go. (Guess the media might think me an easy target in this day and age of sound bytes and spin tactics!)

This week marks the last week in August and the beginning of fall. And the beginning of my life changing! Not drastically, but more mommy-scaled. So before I tell you why, I wanted to preface it with a long stupid story of this week’s events. The family being sick, like a bunch of falling dominoes. Ashes, ashes, we all fall down.

Sunday: Ben is sick. Vomiting. (and for once, not the disobedient kind.) No appetite, but otherwise pretty normal. Just sick to his stomach.

Monday: The calm before the storm. Got lots of cleaning done. Vacuumed the house and cleaned bathrooms. Nice and sparkly. Another friend’s blog notes that she is a S.H.E. – a Sidetracked Home Executive. She is reading this book that helps her categorize her every cleaning task with an index card. Only Susannah. (Susannah – consider this your “shout out”.) You can read about her…cuz she really is pretty funny – at www.susannah.typepad.com. Susannah, I am not sure I can even begin to read this book, because I will, too, keep shuffling around the index cards because of procrastination and lack of motivation. I just clean what bugs me. Sometimes a good system, other times…not so much. Ha.

Tuesday: Jenny is sick. The opposite end of Ben’s issues. Every hour from 2:30 a.m. – 7 a.m. Out of it. 101.6 degree temp. Ben decided to lash out by stripping down to his birthday suit before taking a nap! omg. I had pretty much plugged my son in to the TV all day and made him lay down with me for an hour. I got sick of the fish out of water routine, and sent him to his bed where he decided to not go to sleep, but rather take of his clothes and remove his diaper! When I went in there I was so mad, and he was completely oblivious to my emotions. Didn’t care whatsoever. He slept for a total of 1 hour.

Tuesday evening: the husband comes home. I complain about him not pampering me. Whine, whine, whine. And apparently I did a bad job of whining, because I got no pampering.

Wednesday: Jenny is better. The husband is sick. He has it the same end that Ben had it. He is apologizing profusely for not pampering me the night before. Is this because he’s feeling so bad?! Hmm. He went to work for a couple meetings and was home by 11 that morning. He got the whole house to himself, because I was out with Ben to Wendy’s house, and didn’t get home until 2pm. And then the little booger went in to hibernation for his nap. Slept from 2:30 to 5 pm, and that’s only because I woke him up. Ohmigosh. How can he take an hour nap for me, and then sleep the whole freakin’ afternoon for his dad! Must have been nice to recuperate in a house all to yourself. What’s that like? I wouldn’t know. And why did I even bother to clean the bathrooms?! That would just be a couple index cards to redo! (am I right, Susannah?!) It pretty much went through Hurricane Katrina between the two of us. My friend, Wendy, laughed while saying, “well at least you got sick first, and Rob was the one sticking his head in the toilet vomiting!” Hee, hee, hee.

Thursday: the start of my life changing. Rob and I are attended a meeting for Ben’s preschool that he starts next week!!!! Ben will be going to preschool on Wednesday and Friday mornings from 8:30 – 11:30 at a church preschool that has had positive notoriety here in town. When I first signed him up, I was excited to have “me” time (what is it with mommies and “me” time….geez we always complain), but after he and I started doing school lessons at home, I was so excited for him to learn more in addition to him already being a sponge. Do you know that my son knows countless different airframes!?!? He knows that his daddy’s favorite airplane is an F-16 Viper (pronounced “ef sisteen viper”) He can identify T-37, T-6, T-38, F-16, Eagle (F-15), Tomcat (F-14), B-2, Stinkbug/Nighthawk (F-117), A-10, Harrier, Blackbird, Concorde, Saber, F-4, Tornado, Hawk (British trainer), and probably a few others I am forgetting. But you get the idea. It really is incredible. It must be such a joy for Rob to know that his interest in airplanes is largely due to his job. Wow. What an honor. He does feel humbled and happy about it, but he says that he tries not to push it too much, for fear of jinxing anything or ruining what Rob sees as a good thing. He doesn’t want Ben to feel pressured about flying. I understand that.

What a lovely transition to talk about my darling husband. Not a really a great transition, but I’ll take it.

Rob: It suddenly occurred to me that maybe other people who read this may not care about my son’s potty training antics or my sudden need for “me” time or my rantings about toy recalls or kid’s projects. Right? Who cares? Well, if anyone does happen to care here is our latest project.

Here is the piggy bank.

Apparently P is for Money. Well, it started out as P is for Pilot, Pajamas, Paper, Paint, and then Pig. And then Piggy Bank. I know I don’t have to tell you that the piggy bank *isn’t* made of: a coffee container, construction paper, a pink piece of pipe cleaner, and egg shell, a couple toilet paper tubes, etc.

And the construction of this piggy bank, led my son to shout, “I want more money, Mommy!” Well, doesn’t that just say it all. Yeah, join the club!

Oh, I was talking about Rob: In fact, it was brought to my attention that one of Rob’s fellow Hounds, Snakeye, has read this blog in recent times (Snakeye, consider this your only shout out.) Truly, I am honored that any guy would read this as it is laced with girly random talk, and in all honesty – if you’re not married, you’re not bound on any terms to listen to a girl’s rantings. And if you are married, like Snakeye, you’re really only bound to listen to your wife’s rantings! So I consider it a flattering comment when a busy AF guy turned Army Jump guy takes the time to have a read. Thanks! Shoot…that was a good shout out. We miss you both, Pam and Snakeye! And Pam, if you’re reading, I’ll have you know I have gone experimental with trying some different wines…You’d be proud of me. But if I order a glass, I just point to the title, as I am still not good at pronouncing the names. Pam, you’re both a wine connoisseur and speech therapist, maybe you could lend a hand sometime….along with teaching me the rest of the preposition song! Random inside joke. You can read more about Snakeye and his wife, Pam, in his blog at www.snakeye.us/ Enough shouting out now.

Oh yes, Rob. He has been quite the VIP traveler lately. A couple weekends he was tagged to do a fly by over Arlington National Cemetery. The flyby was cancelled due to a low cloud deck, but he got a cool weekend in DC out of it! He also brought me a cool pink hat with from the National Air and Space Museum. It’s kind of fun when he brings me home things.

Here is my pretty pink hat that I love to run in….I especially love that it has a velcro-adjustment strap because all girls know what a pain it is to put a hat on with a pony tail and then you have to shove little hairs back up into the hat?! Please tell me I make sense to someone.

This next weekend he was also tagged to do a fly by over the US Tennis Open in NYC on Sunday! What a lucky guy. He figured he wouldn’t go on this one, since he went on a fun cross country a couple weekends ago. The accommodations are pretty posh he said…considering that he is not only getting per diem from Uncle Sam, but also from the US Open! And as if that wasn’t enough – they just added a fly by over the Mets game on Friday!!!!!!!! I told him he better bring me something home from Tiffany! LOL! I told him, “I’d like to say I was kidding about the ‘Tiffany’ statement, but that I kinda wasn’t…” LMAO! He said, Oh I know. What girl wouldn’t want the Tiffany blue box! I’ll keep you posted, and rest assured, Rob, I will still love you even if you don’t. Really. Plus, I have received that little blue box, from my best friend Emily! (guess this is the blog of shout outs!) While New York is one of the places I have always wanted to go, I am very excited that he gets to go. He deserves some fun for all the bread winning he does around here. Wink, wink. I also want to commend Rob because he has recently been made a flight commander, which means he’s kind of like a boss over a smaller group in the squadron.

Congrats to him, as he works very hard to do what he loves and to also take care of Ben and me.

Some pictures to share: (I truly am sorry that this was so much babble. But I also thank all who stick it out for me.)

a wooden train I finally got around to painting.

3 cardigans down, 4 more to go.

sometimes we really do climb the walls around here.

Ben enjoying his Gram's and Grandpop's new screened-in porch - true Southern style. He is also wearing a shirt that Rob wore as a child. Cute.

i do have a life.

2007-08-30T12:49:00.000-07:00

So last time I told you all about my son Ben’s life. I do have a life. I did have a life.

And it happened a few weekends ago. In fact, I flew on an airplane all by myself a couple weeks ago. That’s right, folks. No sippy cups. No fruit snacks. No Matchbox cars. No airplanes. No wipies. No diapers. Nothing remotely resembling the fact that I have a two year old boy. Other than my easy cotton tee, favorite jeans with hole in knee, and very minimal makeup. Which – by the way – is a rarity, but felt it was somewhat necessary given that it was 5 a.m. and I didn’t get any shut eye until 1 a.m. Don’t ask.

Being “Benless”, you might think that I felt naked without my “permanent accessory”. Seriously. I am glad that it was a busy weekend with traveling, driving, rehearsal dinner, wedding day, etc. otherwise I might feel like I was forgetting something ALL DAY LONG. I know you all hate that feeling when you feel like you’re forgetting something and you *JUST – CAN’T – PUT – YOUR – FINGER – ON – IT.*

And I know that if I had to remind myself every five minutes that I was not, in fact, forgetting anything, but it was just that Ben wasn’t with me – I just might feel like:

1. An absolute ditz
2. An even bigger ditz explaining myself to anyone that might think I look confused.
3. An incompetent fool thinking that I could actually imagine forgetting my child. (It still boggles me that when I lived in PHX – the news did report from time to time people actually forgetting to drop their child off at day care and going to work, and leaving their child in the car – under the hot, HOT desert sun. The outcome was not good. I mean, seriously, does your kid talk!? It’s virtually impossible to get Ben to not talk. Or are you just that spaced out?!)
4. An old lady – feeling incomplete without my son! (I mean, come on, I’m a person too!)

Note: why does it seem that lately, I think in bullet points? No single sentence in my mind lately even resembles a paragraph. Sad. Must do something about that.

Back to the point. I had a wonderful weekend…seeing old friends again, and seeing a good friend and Ben’s babysitter get married. It was great, too, upon arriving Clovis, quickly entering/exiting billeting room to change out of travel clothes, and be asked to be the “stand in” bride at rehearsal. It was an honor, as ragged as I looked/felt and quite strange. And it made me think about a lot. Made me think of our wedding day and just how in a short 3 years time, how things change. Good and bad, I guess.

Good:
1. How you learn to love so much more.
2. How irreplaceable that person becomes more and more.
3. How to agree to disagree.
4. How to accept a brutal opinion from the one you love most. (still learning that one)
5. How “iron sharpens iron”
6.How invested you really are.

Bad:
1. How afraid of the night you become again.
2. How you feel out of sorts when that person is away.
3. How worried you become when you’re apart that something tragic should happen.
4. How it’s easy to get complacent in a relationship.
5. How difficult it becomes to remain a whole person when you have each other.

Attending the wedding reminded me how the love you vowed when you got married differ pretty grossly to the love that you had to learn along the way. I see why it is so important to “save the date” in heart and mind, because there will many times where you feel so far from that first day of love.

In such a short time so far, it really amazes me that things change so much. You work your whole first quarter of a life becoming an independent person, and thinking, feeling, trying on your own, and then you gain a partner for life that has been working on doing the same thing.

It was very strange coming and going as I pleased, going to the gym at my leisure, meeting a couple friends for lunch, without having to stop talking/listening every minute to tend to Ben. Or call Rob and let him know where I was. Geez, no wonder mamas look lost all the time. Having a child is almost like having a commercial break every minute. “We interrupt this program, I mean, somewhat intelligible conversation to bring you an important message, I mean, your child needs something…NOW….” Oh where was I?

Overall, it was a nice, short weekend that was a time of joy for close friends, a chance for me to reminisce, and a time of reflection in myself triggered by the momentous occasion in other people’s lives.

Enclosed are a few pictures of the weekend that I had a life:

don't ask. a picture is worth a thousand words. a few bridal shower games.

molly and me. the beautiful bride and the lady who feels like she is forgetting something.

the bride and her 'maids.

molly and jonathan.

our gift to the bride and groom. a very large afghan the size of our living room floor rug.

our old squadron and an airplane Rob loves. our old squadron ceases to exist, because the base is transforming from an F-16 base to a spec ops base from FL.

RE-POing the recalled.

2007-08-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

There are days that I have thought to myself that Ben doesn’t have enough toys. I would feel guilty….at times, because my son would rather go to someone else’s house to play than to play at home.

I would internalize thoughts from only sound and logical reasoning (really) such as:

1. He only wants to play at other people’s houses because of their toys.
2. He doesn’t like his toys.
3. I don’t provide enough entertainment for him.
4. I’m not good enough.
5. I’m not a good mama.

See how I came to this natural conclusion?! (laced with heavy sarcasm)

Then I would swing the pendulum of thought back the other way – defending myself and Ben’s lack of toys:

1. Well, it will just make him appreciate toys more, if he doesn’t have a lot of them.
2. Well, when he goes over to his friend’s house, he plays with the same toy. (ie. Mack the Truck, and all the Disney CARS that go in to them). Marvin: for the record it’s from the Disney movie, Cars. Voices: Owen Wilson, some other people. That’s all I can think of. I hate the movie, by the way.
3. He needs to have an imagination anyway.
4. We make fun crafts that require a LOT (and I mean *a lot*) of imagination…

For instance: This is an astronaut – that we made. Don’t you dare tell him otherwise.

FYI: It’s not these things:
1. a toilet paper roll
2. part of an egg carton
3. aluminum foil
4. a couple Q-tips
5. plastic mouthpiece from a birthday party blower.

Have I mentioned that it is an astronaut? Because we’re learning the letter A.

This is a school bus that we made. It is a school bus.

FYI: It’s not:
1. a wardrobe box
2. yellow spray paint
3. black spray paint

Got it?

This is an insect. Because we’ve also learned the letter I.

FYI: it is not these things:
1. part of an egg carton
2. googly eyes (yes that is what they are called on the packaging). My husband also has these – for lovely ol’ me!
3. pipe cleaners

And as of very lately, and for once in my critical head – can I just remark that I am so glad that Ben doesn’t have a lot of toys?

Q: And why is that?
A: This silly toy recall!

I don’t have to sort out toys.
I don’t have to explain to my kid that he can’t play with a certain toy anymore. (That explanation is still reserved for when he’s been naughty.)
I don’t have to arrange for replacements/reimbursements.

Can I also say that I am glad that I am not:
1. China
2. Mattel
3. Fisher Price
4. And Sarge (yes from the movie CARS). That poor car was the only car recalled out of ALL the Cars characters!

Note to all readers: I hope that my friends who read this know that I am just “funnin’” around, and I am SO glad that I have friends that have fun kids and fun toys, because it makes it so much easier to converse with another adult! (Wendy – you know what I mean!) And Wendy, for the record, because my son loves your house, your son, your daughter, and you so much, I would be willing to use my energies, and help you sort through your toys for our kiddos’ “healthy tomorrows”! And I would even bring you over a Coke and bagel while we do it!

And by the way – It’s all China’s fault! So there.

a day in the life?

2007-08-13T12:46:00.001-07:00

I have found out that when you have a child or more – there is no average "day in the life". But, a while back a few friends posted their own days in the life. And after thinking about these differences in our lives – I have realized that there is no normal "cross section" of a full time parent. While I will not write this down in a time by time format – I admit there aren't many time deadlines to meet with a 2 year old boy. (ie. he starts melting down, it is time to go home for a nap!)Case in point: Last Thursday was the best/worst day of my life.

Morning: It started out great. (this is the last time you will hear me say that.) I went to my friend Wendy's house for a play date. I had a couple errands to run in town, and after chatting with her, she offered to let me run a quick trip to Wal-Mart. You don't turn up those offers! I also planned to pick up McD's on the way back. While I was in Wal-mart, I decided to buy some Lightning McQueen underwear for him. It had been on my mind for a while, and it was then that I grabbed them.

Noon time: The rest of it is all history. Pick up happy meals, feed the kiddos, go home – time for nap. My son has a very sensitive gag reflex – so much so that when he chokes on something – up comes everything! This is what happened that day. He was eating his apples from McD's on the way home, choked, and "un-ate" everything (a new term that Rob and I have coined.)
A major mess. I pull over on the side of the road, strip him down, get rid of everything I can, and press on home. It was such a mess taking apart the car seat and washing it all.

Mid-afternoon: Ben naps. Ahh. Not sure what I did. I probably worked on the one of the seven (yes – SEVEN) little girl cardigans I am making for friends. See picture. They are paying me, and no you can't have one. At least not right now. Not until I catch up. FYI: They can be made for girls sizes 1, 2, 4, 6.

Late/mid afternoon: Still trying to reassemble the darn car seat. Working on this project in our bedroom in front of a book case. Talking to Wendy on phone giving play by play events from when I last saw her – a mere few hours ago. Then saying in to the phone: "oh my gosh……" As I was trying to put together the car seat – I spied a lonely Lightning McQueen car that had been wedged between a couple books on the bookcase. It had been lost for almost 5 months. Now I realize that to all you non-parents out there, this is no big deal. But when your kid loses his favorite toy (and he can't remember where he put it and you *swear* you have looked everywhere) – I assure you: This *is* a big deal! Every time Ben "loses" (or "forgets") a toy, I think of all these parables of the lost coin, the lost sheep (how does someone lose a sheep anyway?!), etc. We are currently looking for a Blue Angels Hornet. An airplane for those of you unfamiliar.

Late Afternoon: Ben wakes. I decided I am going to leave the car there, until Ben's dad gets home, because I know he is going to be pretty amused with this serious "breaking news". Don't laugh – it is serious.

Evening: Ben is playing. Ben gets nosy, sticks his nose in to bag. Finds Lightning McQueen underwear. Wants to put them on. Why today. Do I need anymore nonsense? But if a kid wants to put on underwear, you can't really tell him no. So he puts them on. And the poor kid – they don't even stay up! (I have been recently informed that they do, in fact, shrink a great deal). Let's hope so. Picture this: Ben walking around with underwear around his ankles saying, "Mommy underwears falling down". Poor thing.

I begin making dinner, while Ben is running around in his brand new skivvies. I keep reminding him that it's not like a diaper, yada, yada. At some point he runs to me in the kitchen while I am again talking to Wendy again on the phone telling me he needs to go potty. He takes off shorts/said skivvies, and sits on potty. Nothing happens. He then tells me that he wants his diaper on. (still giving live feedback to Wendy). "Wendy, all of a sudden he wants his diaper on….I don't get it." Wendy asks me if he has gone poop today. I tell her yes, but later realized that he hadn't. We get off the phone. I somehow convince Ben to put undies back on. He does. I go back to stove. He comes back, telling me he needs to go potty.

I check on him and he is straining. "Ben, if you don't have to go now, you can try again later." (this is me thinking that he is trying to pee, because he has been known to try to pee, just so he can get a DumDum.) He refuses, and I'm like, whatever. Back at the stove, he runs to me and says he went poop and low and behold, he did. This is the point that I realized he hadn't pooped that morning. You should have seen us do the Poopie Dance! Ben was so excited that I was so excited, and on the poopie celebration went!

Note: Wendy had asked this, because she said sometimes kids want their diaper, when they know they are going to poop. Aha – it was true.

Dinner and beyond: Ben proceeded to pee his pants five minutes after the poop. We ate dinner, Rob came home, he messed some more with the car seat. (I still hadn't assembled it correctly.) And it had to be fixed, because I had been telling Ben for the last week and a half that if he pooped in the potty – we would go get ice cream. After looking for directions, looking on the internet, and to no avail of finding them, Rob finally figured it out. Ben goes behind window curtain, comes out and tells Rob that he peed on his foot. While he made a mistake, he ran to his potty and finished the rest of it.

Final assessments:

Bad things: Ben threw up in car. Ben peed on himself 1.5 times. After the "half" time he went back to the potty and finished.

Good things: Found Lightning McQueen. Ben pooped in potty. We got to eat ice cream. Mommy got out of running on treadmill.

Conclusion: they all needed to happen together for any of the good things to happen.

Final Question: You may be asking, "This is Ben's life. What do you do during your life?!"

Answer: My life happens when Ben's isn't!

It's OK, though, because I love him very much. And he's all mine.