I feel the need to update this blog as our move unfolds. It seems our predictament had some friends near tears and so I'm happy to update that after yesterday we were able to work things out that will make this week go much MUCH better!
Yesterday we had our walk-through with the builder. We found out we can start moving in on Friday! Which means that Jeremy will be able to help with the inital move in and even get to spend one night in his new house before he leaves! The movers will bring the rest of the things sometime between Friday and the middle of next week. Jeremy will still be leaving us for a couple months. It is always more work when the hubby leaves, but I can't help but always feel like I get the good end of the stick. I mean, gosh, my husband is a solider! I would not count myself as one who would go do what he does! But I fully support and love him- and all the soldiers and their families out there! He will need your prayers, if you have any extra ;) as Ranger school will be a huge challenge. This has come at him hard and fast, what a great thing it will be when he graduates.
We were also able to contact our bishop from the church where we will be moving to, and so they are aware of this prego lady by herself and are happy to be there for me if I need help.
That's the update. Now, I need to go take a deep breath...
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
AG Graduation! Hooray!
I think I've caught us up on the latest news...all except one detail, which happens to be the reason why we're here in Columbia in the first place!
Our time here at Ft Jackson is coming to a close, having had Jeremy's graduation from his AG class on January 12th.
We were supposed to leave that next day for our new (and first) duty station, Ft. Bragg, but because of a few snow days the beginning of the week, packers weren't able to get scheduled. Here's the boxes piling up as we prepared for a DoIt Yourself move just in case.
Fortuneately, our report date was extended a couple weeks so we could schedule movers. And it may be for the better because the closing on our house might be finished and we'll be able to almost move right in, only a few days in a hotel. (Oh yeah, another piece of news I haven't posted yet, we bought a house!) Then as if all of this going on isn't enough...Jeremy found out he got into Ranger school and will be leaving for a couple months. (That's news item #3 yet to report!) Do you see the trend here? How in the world am I going to keep up on all this life stuff! ;)
Jeremy is basically recieving two orders, one to Bragg (located in Fayetteville, NC) and the other is a temporary order to Benning (in Georgia). This is going to be a VERY tricky week! He has to move his family to NC and get himself to GA all in a matter of 4 days. He'll say goodbye to us from a hotel and hope that we move into our house with help of, umm....someone. (We're going to have to make friends fast! ;) I'm sure it will all work out. Poor guy though, he's had a majorly busy 10 days and not only is he headed for 2 months of basically torture, but on top of that, he won't even get to sleep one night in his new house before he leaves! lol! Something to look forward to when he gets back I guess! He's been feeling the pressure of this new challenge, but is excited for it too. There are many friends that have been tutoring him and offering him help to prepare for Ranger school. I know he'll do well, but it will be very tough, no doubt! For those who have no idea what a Ranger is...Ranger is to the army kind of like the navy Seals are to the Navy. It's pretty intense, heavy duty army stuff. I'll give you a few videos to watch to give you an idea what are some of the obstacles he'll have to do in Ranger school. I'm not sure how to post the video, so you'll have to follow the link here: http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/ranger-school/
We've been running around pretty crazy this last week. Then, I was in for my OB this month and mentioned a discomfort I've been having, she checked me and asked me to go in for another ultrasound to check out the cervix, across town, later that day. Aah! Last minute demands on a family is tricky, thank heavens Jeremy was able to help me out. An even bigger thank heavens that it was nothing really. They were checking to make sure my cervix was not abnormally shortening (which is kind of = pre-term labor), but I'm fine. I do still have this discomfort to deal with when I stand up though, which will be a pain during all this moving, but good also, as mentioned by the ultrasonographer nurse lady, it'll make me take it easy and not do anything over my limit! But stressful nonetheless, trying to get a new house set up by myself. Basically, we will just be living in our house like we would our hotel (except food wise) for two months until Dad gets back to help us settle in. :)
Speaking of the house...so, we bought a house. It's been an interesting journey but a good one. We've been happy with our agent, and the house, and the process for the most part. We got word yesterday that all the additions the builder was doing for us (gutters, fence) were finished! So exciting! The last thing in question is the applicances need to get in! We're kind of unhappy with the sales rep from Sears because we feel like she sat on it and now the estimated delivery is too late! They were working with us though, so we can close on time. The kids are so excited for the house "with the purple door." It will be good to get some more room- but I'll admit I'm a bit intimidated by having to have so much house to clean! I'll have to update more on the house later...but word to the wise...might not be until Jeremy gets back from Ranger school. :) In fact, we'll see just how much gets done before he gets back! lol!
Our time here at Ft Jackson is coming to a close, having had Jeremy's graduation from his AG class on January 12th.
We were supposed to leave that next day for our new (and first) duty station, Ft. Bragg, but because of a few snow days the beginning of the week, packers weren't able to get scheduled. Here's the boxes piling up as we prepared for a DoIt Yourself move just in case.
Fortuneately, our report date was extended a couple weeks so we could schedule movers. And it may be for the better because the closing on our house might be finished and we'll be able to almost move right in, only a few days in a hotel. (Oh yeah, another piece of news I haven't posted yet, we bought a house!) Then as if all of this going on isn't enough...Jeremy found out he got into Ranger school and will be leaving for a couple months. (That's news item #3 yet to report!) Do you see the trend here? How in the world am I going to keep up on all this life stuff! ;)
Jeremy is basically recieving two orders, one to Bragg (located in Fayetteville, NC) and the other is a temporary order to Benning (in Georgia). This is going to be a VERY tricky week! He has to move his family to NC and get himself to GA all in a matter of 4 days. He'll say goodbye to us from a hotel and hope that we move into our house with help of, umm....someone. (We're going to have to make friends fast! ;) I'm sure it will all work out. Poor guy though, he's had a majorly busy 10 days and not only is he headed for 2 months of basically torture, but on top of that, he won't even get to sleep one night in his new house before he leaves! lol! Something to look forward to when he gets back I guess! He's been feeling the pressure of this new challenge, but is excited for it too. There are many friends that have been tutoring him and offering him help to prepare for Ranger school. I know he'll do well, but it will be very tough, no doubt! For those who have no idea what a Ranger is...Ranger is to the army kind of like the navy Seals are to the Navy. It's pretty intense, heavy duty army stuff. I'll give you a few videos to watch to give you an idea what are some of the obstacles he'll have to do in Ranger school. I'm not sure how to post the video, so you'll have to follow the link here: http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/ranger-school/
We've been running around pretty crazy this last week. Then, I was in for my OB this month and mentioned a discomfort I've been having, she checked me and asked me to go in for another ultrasound to check out the cervix, across town, later that day. Aah! Last minute demands on a family is tricky, thank heavens Jeremy was able to help me out. An even bigger thank heavens that it was nothing really. They were checking to make sure my cervix was not abnormally shortening (which is kind of = pre-term labor), but I'm fine. I do still have this discomfort to deal with when I stand up though, which will be a pain during all this moving, but good also, as mentioned by the ultrasonographer nurse lady, it'll make me take it easy and not do anything over my limit! But stressful nonetheless, trying to get a new house set up by myself. Basically, we will just be living in our house like we would our hotel (except food wise) for two months until Dad gets back to help us settle in. :)
Speaking of the house...so, we bought a house. It's been an interesting journey but a good one. We've been happy with our agent, and the house, and the process for the most part. We got word yesterday that all the additions the builder was doing for us (gutters, fence) were finished! So exciting! The last thing in question is the applicances need to get in! We're kind of unhappy with the sales rep from Sears because we feel like she sat on it and now the estimated delivery is too late! They were working with us though, so we can close on time. The kids are so excited for the house "with the purple door." It will be good to get some more room- but I'll admit I'm a bit intimidated by having to have so much house to clean! I'll have to update more on the house later...but word to the wise...might not be until Jeremy gets back from Ranger school. :) In fact, we'll see just how much gets done before he gets back! lol!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Yes, here come's #4
The news has been circulating via Christmas letter and facebook, but this is the first time in blog world I'll make the annoucement- we're expecting #4 on the way. Yes, it is pretty quick. We get pregnant pretty easily in general ;), but we were 'trying' or should I say planning to get pregnant. In summer, we were weighing out what Jeremy's army career would bring and felt like we had to decide if we wanted to try to have a baby now, or it might have to wait until his first deployment was over, probably about a year and a half later. We decided we wanted Hallee and the new baby closer in age rather than further, so felt like it was a good time to start trying. And now, we're due on June 9th; right on schedule for more birthday buddies! I'm now around 20 weeks. We had our ultrasound this past week and found out we're having a GIRL! I am completely not surprised, I knew it was a girl. The kids have been asking for a boy and actually very convinced it was a boy, so we were a little worried about telling them it was a girl. We decided to make a big deal of it with a "Cut the Cake" party (I saw this idea from the Sybrowskys). I can't get the video uploaded, but I think the idea worked. They show no excitement in the video, but ever since the party, they've been excited to tell people that we're having a baby girl, so that's good. No tears about not having a boy.
We're having a baby, shout hooray!
Let's have our Cut the Cake Par-tay!
Pink or Blue, what will it be?
Cut the cake and, Let's see!
We're having a baby, shout hooray!
Let's have our Cut the Cake Par-tay!
Pink or Blue, what will it be?
Cut the cake and, Let's see!
New Year's Campfire Dinner
Our preschool unit right now is Order and Goal Striving, going right in line with New Years. I decided since we were already teaching the kids about goals, I would have a resolution writing dinner night. We made a fire and cooked hot dogs and made s'mores. We each wrote down goals for 2011 and put them in our stocking. The kids got into it and loved the fire! They made their New Year's toast with soda they made at the children's museum the day before. The last pic here is from the New Years party at the Children's museum where they had a little Dj dance party and a ball that dropped at noon. They didn't really countdown, they just dropped the ball at noon, so that was a little anticlimatic, but it was fun to see the big crowd and everyone screaming! ;)
Just for fun
Willie asked Santa for a rocket and rocket launcher this year. He got a stomp rocket. These things are pretty fun. We did get a rocket stuck on the roof of the apartment buildling and one up in the tree. Fortuneately we were able to get them both down. Then the kids tore off all the fins- for some purpose I didn't understand- so we've only done it once, lol. 
It snowed here the evening of Christmas day. It was fun to wake up to a winter wonderland!
It snowed here the evening of Christmas day. It was fun to wake up to a winter wonderland!
Christmas Tea Party
Hallee was born three days after Christmas, so technically this was her first Christmas, followed by her first birthday! Hooray for Hallee! I love parties! We had a Christmas themed tea party, it was just so easy to do a Christmas theme and I thought it was way fun. We had about nine little kids here for a tea party Christmas style. It was very fancy which was right up my girls' ally! :) We had top hats for the boys and boas for the little girls. Lucy helped serve tea sandwiches and juice, while the Moms enjoyed the "hot drink bar." I had so much fun I decided I want to do a "tea party" every year. The year 2010 has really been the year of the tea parties because we've had 4 tea parties- Valentines Day, Mommy group playdate, Hallee's birthday, and another mini-playdate tea party. The pictures here are from our video camera (xmas gift) and we didn't take any with the regular camera, but I had a friend who offered to take some so follow this link to her picasa albumn for better pictures!
I loved being able to pull out all my tea stuff. I had a reflective moment and realized I've been drinking tea for almost a decade! I first started driking tea on my mission in Japan. I loved it, we drank wheat tea, hot in the winter and cold in the summer. I realized that turned me into a tea sipper. I wouldn't say I drink it regularly now as it seems like we've always been on a tight budget and I don't count buying tea as necessity. But I really do like having a cup of something good to drink. I have a lot of special tea set dishware I haven't ever used so I would really like to try it out!
Lucy, our server
The kid's table
The birthday girl on her throne. She devoured two red velvet cupcakes. This girl loves her food!
Moms chatting by the drink bar.
Special visit from Uncle Travis and Amber! I think the kids counted down the minutes! It was fun to spend the day together! Thanks for being here for the party and driving all the way! Love you guys!
I loved being able to pull out all my tea stuff. I had a reflective moment and realized I've been drinking tea for almost a decade! I first started driking tea on my mission in Japan. I loved it, we drank wheat tea, hot in the winter and cold in the summer. I realized that turned me into a tea sipper. I wouldn't say I drink it regularly now as it seems like we've always been on a tight budget and I don't count buying tea as necessity. But I really do like having a cup of something good to drink. I have a lot of special tea set dishware I haven't ever used so I would really like to try it out!
Lucy, our server
The kid's table
The birthday girl on her throne. She devoured two red velvet cupcakes. This girl loves her food!
Moms chatting by the drink bar.
Special visit from Uncle Travis and Amber! I think the kids counted down the minutes! It was fun to spend the day together! Thanks for being here for the party and driving all the way! Love you guys!
Christmas Revisited
Christmas was very fun, but I'll just revisit it very quickly because there has been so much going on lately...I'm way behind.
I loved having Christmas on our own (though that doesn't mean I wouldn't love to do it with family again sometime in the future!) and I also loved having a fireplace! It reminded me of growing up and the magic of it all- you just have to have one. I realized I have a ton of traditions this time of year. Let's see how many of them I can recall...
1) Visiting a care center and giving Christmas cards to the residents.
2) Playing music for the care center.
3) Making cookie plates for friends and delivering them.
4) Big Christmas eve dinner and Nativity play
5) Drinking hot drinks :)
6) Writing a family Christmas letter
7) Santa's secret wrapping paper
8*) Slept under the christmas tree the night we decorated it.
9*) Giving each child a new ornament.
10) Sitting on Santa's lap
11*) Service goals during from Thanksgiving to Christmas
12) Stockings- what's in the stockings is so traditional: orange, nuts, chocolate anda candy cane. We always had these things in our stocking growing up along with maybe a toy or two or stuffed animal.
13*) Baking a "speical" cookie for Santa. This year we decided to make the tradition of doing a giant gingerbread cookie (thanks to Grandma who bought me a special pan) and write everyone's name, including Santa, on the cookie. Then Christmas day everyone got to eat the piece with their name on it, Santa having been the first to dig in. :)
14*) New pajamas for Christmas eve night. I'm not sure we'll make it a tradition every year, but the kids definetly LOVED it this year, so maybe we will.
15) Writing new year's resolutions and putting it in the bottom of our stocking. We always did this growing up.
16*) Having a New Year's Goal Fireside Picnic! Maybe I'll do a separate post about this one. :)
17) Taking a picture of each child with all their gifts (like below). We also always unwrap gifts one at a time from youngest to oldest. We did this growing up.
The traditions with the (*) mean that this was the first year we did it, but hope to make it a tradition.
I loved having Christmas on our own (though that doesn't mean I wouldn't love to do it with family again sometime in the future!) and I also loved having a fireplace! It reminded me of growing up and the magic of it all- you just have to have one. I realized I have a ton of traditions this time of year. Let's see how many of them I can recall...
1) Visiting a care center and giving Christmas cards to the residents.
2) Playing music for the care center.
3) Making cookie plates for friends and delivering them.
4) Big Christmas eve dinner and Nativity play
5) Drinking hot drinks :)
6) Writing a family Christmas letter
7) Santa's secret wrapping paper
8*) Slept under the christmas tree the night we decorated it.
9*) Giving each child a new ornament.
10) Sitting on Santa's lap
11*) Service goals during from Thanksgiving to Christmas
12) Stockings- what's in the stockings is so traditional: orange, nuts, chocolate anda candy cane. We always had these things in our stocking growing up along with maybe a toy or two or stuffed animal.
13*) Baking a "speical" cookie for Santa. This year we decided to make the tradition of doing a giant gingerbread cookie (thanks to Grandma who bought me a special pan) and write everyone's name, including Santa, on the cookie. Then Christmas day everyone got to eat the piece with their name on it, Santa having been the first to dig in. :)
14*) New pajamas for Christmas eve night. I'm not sure we'll make it a tradition every year, but the kids definetly LOVED it this year, so maybe we will.
15) Writing new year's resolutions and putting it in the bottom of our stocking. We always did this growing up.
16*) Having a New Year's Goal Fireside Picnic! Maybe I'll do a separate post about this one. :)
17) Taking a picture of each child with all their gifts (like below). We also always unwrap gifts one at a time from youngest to oldest. We did this growing up.
The traditions with the (*) mean that this was the first year we did it, but hope to make it a tradition.
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