Graduation Day!

Memorial Day Baseball Game

Yesterday we went to our local Cub's affiliated baseball team's Memorial Day game. For all you Cub fans, the coach is Ryan Sandburg. The kids each got a job pregame. Keegan got to paint home plate and Brady got to start the game by saying "Let's Play Ball." Here are a few photos.

Summer VaCaTiOn!

Another school year has come and gone. I started summer vacation last Friday. We enjoyed a fun filled Memorial weekend with old friends and family. AJ and I even got a date (thanks to Grandma Jo and Grandma Jean Jean). Yesterday we went to the local Class A baseball team's game. The boys got special jobs. Keegan got to paint home plate and Brady got to say, "Let's Play Ball!" They both did an awesome job. It was bittersweet because it was military appreciation day!

We will spend the rest of the week at home. Brady has school until Thursday and AJ has to work this week. The flu bug finally hit him and he was up all night getting sick. Poor guy. We are heading to MI on Saturday for a week. We are so excited to get to go and spend time with my Mamaw and just relax. We got a couple new Wii games over the weekend and decided to take the Wii with us and maybe get Mamaw hooked.=)

Look for pictures from the baseball game later today.....

Yet ... Another Cross...

Well, my family has yet another cross to carry. My Mamaw found out the other day she now has incureable stomach cancer. You may have remembered her battle with Uteran cancer last year. She was so sick from her hysterectomy and complications with that. My Mamaw means the world to me. She has always been my source of inspiration and hope. She was the one who really guided me and taught me about Faith and my religion. She lived hundreds of miles from us, but always managed to stay connected with us and would do anything for us in heartbeat. She is usually the first person I call if something goes wrong or if I need help figuring something out. She is superwomen and can fix anything. She is an amazing cook and we always enjoy her Mostacolli, Snickerdoodles, and Rum Cake. She has given us so many memories and get-a-ways at her little pieces of paradise in MI and FL. She absolutely adores my boys and is so close to them. They love her more then anything in this world. We know that we now just need to spend the best quality time we can with her. I can't imagine a time when I can't turn to her when I need her. Please pray that she fights this battle quietly and that God gives us all the time we need together. I know he has a plan and that it just isn't clear to us right now.

Mamaw.. if you are reading this...

I love you more then you will ever know you. You have been my greatest inspiration and my Hero. Without your guidance and strength.. I wouldn't have been half the person I am today. I only hope that someday I am half the person you are to all of us. I have never met a person so unselfish, always willing to give to others. I have all the faith that you will get through this peacefully and we will all be by your side. We love you...

Forced to lay low...

As I said in my previous blog post, Keegan and I have been fighting the flu. Keegan had a horrible time with it, then the next day was off playing a soccer game in 75 degree weather. Me.. I started throwing up again last night. I was so sick and tired of not feeling well, that I decided to take it slow this morning, head into work a bit late, and called the doctor. When I was sitting in the waiting room, I tried to convince myself that it was simply the flu and that I didn't need to be there. The doctor examined me and said that I have an ileus. An Ileus, is " is a disruption of the normal propulsive gastrointestinal motor activity". Basically everything I was eating and drinking was sitting in my stomach causing me to throw up. So, I am on a very bland, boring diet and forced to lay low. He said maybe 3-5 days, but I am going to try to go back to work Thursday. This is the last week so I feel I need to be there. I am done with kids, but there is always things to be done. Thankfully, I worked my butt off Monday moving computers from all around the building. I never thought I wouldn't want to lay low. But, it is pretty boring when you don't have anyone to lay low with. I tried to convince AJ to stay home with me tomorrow... don't think it will happen. He keeps making fun of me and telling me I have an Alias or Alien in my stomach. So.. guess I will behave and eat what I am suppose to eat and rest so I can enjoy Memorial Day weekend!

Still Here....

I'm still here! Life has been super crazy and the flu bug hit Keegan and I Friday. We all have been busy getting to know one another again and just enjoying being a family. I can't explain how wonderful it is to have him home. He is so good to me. He took care of everything this weekend when I was sick and told me not to feel guilty, and that I deserved some time off. Summer Vacation starts Friday for Keeg and I. Brady still has another week. Looking forward to some rest time and time at the beach (if the weather ever turns warm). Mexico is just about 30 days away!!! AJ is still at the drill center and still hopes to stay on through August when he will go to his Police Training. Otherwise, he will be done the first week in June and has 45 days off. That will take him to July and he will return to the jail for the month before police training. We have started to clear out things and think about things we have to do to get our house on the market. We have someone wanting to come see our house, but feel like there are things we have to do before we can do that. So, keep your fingers crossed as we start the process. Selling without a relator would be wonderful!

Spending War Dollars.. Stimulating the Economy!

AJ and I have done our civic duty and stimulated the economy this weekend. Over the weekend, he bought me a new grill and today we got him a *New* Nissan Altima.

I had a wonderful Mother's Day. The boys took me to Mexican Saturday night and then we went to Brunch with my Mom and sisters on Sunday. The weather was cold and very very windy. But, it was a nice relaxing day.

I'm back to work tomorrow. AJ is going to run around and do some errands and put my grill together. =) I hope you all are doing your civic duty as well. =)

In case you haven't noticed....

So.. if you haven't noticed. He's home and he 's not leaving us again in a few days. I have found myself with this very awkward feeling that we now have all the time in the world. I am so used to the last few reunions, and knowing it was only for a short time. Now, there is no hurry and this is our life! Yesterday, I decided to go pick him up without the kids. They had done this two times already, and really just wanted a non chaotic day. Plus, as my job as KV Coordinator, I needed to make sure everything was ready and that the families were taken care of. We then, joined some of the Marines for lunch and a few drinks. It was nice to just hang out and have adult conversations. Last night, we were pretty tired. AJ feel asleep soon after we got home. We woke him for pizza and some Wii. Then it was off to bed. We were asleep early. I now find myself awake at 6:15 on a Saturday. We have decided to take it easy this weekend and not run ourselves crazy everywhere. We will have soccer games this afternoon and I'm going to convince AJ and the kids to take me to Mexican for dinner. Then, we have a Mother's Day brunch tomorrow and a project to do with Keegan for school. I am taking Monday off, so we can have a day off together without the kids. He will then get Tuesday all to himself. ( I think I have a list of things for him to do!)

I just can't explain how if feels to have him finally home for good. It feels a little weird, scary, and exciting all in one. For the past year, this has been my house, my routine. It will be interesting to see how he slides right into our routine =). No, I know there will be many changes... including a much happier Mommy and not so grumpy boys. To all my friends that are Mother's.. enjoy your day tomorrow. I know I will. More later...

You Tube Video of Homecoming

Click Here

Pictures from the Paper

Here are a few more pictures. Click here!

He's Home! He's Home! He's Home!

News story from today. Click here!

Story from yesterday. In the full length article, AJ is mentioned for an award he got for his leadership. Click Here!

Video from today!

More Video from today!

More Wedding pics

Click Here for pics!

MIA

Sorry to all of my blog readers who have been wondering where I have been this week. The past three weeks have been such a whirlwind, I have found myself just trying to catch up and trying to get some rest after being on the go for the past 3 weeks. AJ will be back here with his platoon on Friday. He will be home for good! With all the time together, we haven't really had time to be in our house and to be a family. This will be a whole new set of adjustments. I'm going to apologize now for being MIA the next month. There is lots going on and as we adjust, I will not be as open to what is going on in our lives. I will post as I can.

CrAzY WEEK!

We found out the day before I was to leave NC that AJ's Gunny and Captain in Iraq E-mailed him and told him to go home for my sisters wedding, that they would be in late Sunday (Today) from Iraq. We went back and forth about spending the money and bringing him home for such a short time. We came to the agreement that we had saved this money and why not use it for something like this. I have to admit that I was worried about him coming home for such a short time and so fast after we left. But, it did make saying good-bye in NC easier because it was only a few days. He felt very guilty about coming home because his guys were still in Iraq, but all his work was done and he was just waiting. So, I didn't broadcast that he was coming home. He knows that anyone of his Marines would have done the same thing give the chance. We are all glad he did and that we spent some extra money yesterday to have him leave later in the day today after we heard the Marines were delayed a day.

Having him home earlier then expected was wierd. I was worried because I hadn't had the things done to the cars that needed to be done, had his closet done, and just some of the random organzing I wanted and needed to do. He said it was alright, but there were several comments about the cars. I have to admit that I knew I was going to make him mad when he went to turn on my van windshield wipers. One of the blades was literaly hanging off. I knew I could take it to the auto shop, but really didn't want to get to it. I went and did that the first thing after he left today. Check mark number one before next weekend.

This weekend we were constantly running. Spending a lot of time in separate places. As hard as I thought it would be, it all was fine. It was nice to have him take care of the boys yesterday morning so that I could be with my sister. The boys were upset that there was no time to play Wii or wrestle. We literally were busy from sunrise until almost sunrise again. It was wonderful waking up to him every morning and having that warm body at night.

As I said earlier, saying good bye was rough again today. I just held him and cried. My sister noticed him getting teary eyed too. I am just so done with being strong and doing this on my own. When he is around things are so much easier. The boys listen better, everything is less chaotic. As soon as he left, I wasn't really sure what to do with myself again. I just don't feel whole when he isn't around. Even though it is 5 days, it just sucks.

Well, it is time to regroup and get everyone to bed.

Pictures from the Wedding

So tired of good byes...

AJ flew home for the weekend. His guys were to get in today from Iraq, but are now delayed so he pushed is flight back and left later today. It was nice that he got to be in the wedding and it was nice to spend the weekend with him. We were so busy running from thing to thing that we didn't get any downtime. We said good bye for the final time today and I am done with it! I cried and Brady cried. Everyone thought we were crazy, but I am just ready to be together and done with this few days here and few days there. The wedding was beautiful and everyting was perfect. I will post some pictures later. Jamie and Dan are off to Mexico.. can't wait until next month for our trip!!!