Wordless Wednesday

Strawberry Season

Yummy, Right!!!! We also picked strawberries while Chad was home and made jam! When I have all my canning stuff out, I always try and do as much with it as I can. That way I don't have to keep getting it out over and over again. So, here's a list of all the jams we (I) made:

10 - pints strawberry jam
5 - pints strawberry syrup
4 - pints and 8 - 1/2 pints strawberry/lemon marmalade
8 - pints strawberry/kiwi jam
8 - 1/2 pints cherry/almond jam
7 - 1/2 pints jalapeno jelly

Makes me tired just thinking about it!

Because I Don't Do It Enough...............

We're moving.......about 2 blocks from where we are now! Is it worth it? Yea, I think so. We'll gain over 400 sq. feet, it will be a house, not a quadraplex, and it has a garage. It's also a ranch style, so it will be much (I assume) easier to maintain the heat inside. We're considering ourselves lucky that housing is allowing us to switch to the ranch house. It could just have come at a slightly more convenient time, though. We'll get the keys December 10th, 3 weeks from now. We'll also be moving ourselves, too..........."Hello Elder's Quorum President?".........

We're excited about getting a bigger HOUSE, just a little overwhelmed at how soon it happened. (We asked housing about it less than a week ago) So, I guess I have a whole new list of "to do" things now.

How Could I Forget................

I was reminded that I haven't blog about the gecko-lizard that has joined our household. So, here is Jorge (pronounced, hor-hey). Vance saved up all his money and decided to buy a lizard-gecko and all it's "stuff". He managed to talk us into it to. Jorge is a baby. He's about 4 inches long from nose to tail, eats live crickets and sleeps all day. Jorge lived at our house for about a week. Jorge is now dead. But, it's not our fault! Jorge had a guarantee for 15 days, so when we took his little body back to the pet shop, they didn't act surprised at all. In fact, they told us that they weren't surprised, because that batch of geckos was just too young. WHAT???? Why were they selling them then?? Vance spent a week worrying about Jorge only to find out that Jorge really didn't even have a chance at life. They told Vance that they'd give him his money back or he could get another gecko. Vance opted for another gecko (of course)........... This is Gobi (like the desert) Gobi is also about 4 inches long, eats live crickets and sleeps all day. Gobi is also fatter and more lively than Jorge was. He's also been alive longer. We've had Gobi for about 3 weeks, I think. Vance is much happier now, too. I can't say that having a lizard in my house is exactly what I would have chosen, but Vance is just so interested in snakes and lizards that I just couldn't say no. Besides, I'd take a lizard over a snake any day!

When They're Gone, It's Sad!

Last week Chad was gone. He was at a conference in Massachusetts that the navy sent him to. We all hate having him gone and we miss him a lot, but we're also used to that, unfortunately. He came home last Friday. Vance is gone this week. He left yesterday morning at 5:45AM for scout camp. We're missing him a lot, too and we're definitely not used to Vance being gone. Our house just isn't the same without him. Chad will be going up to join him Thursday night. They'll both be home sometime Friday.

Next week everyone will be home and then the week after that, Myshel and Chad will be gone. Myshel will be going to girl's camp (hopefully) and Chad will be at another conference/school in Florida. That week will seem extra quiet with the both of them gone. There are days around here when it's so crazy that you wish you could send the kids to camp, but when they're gone, even just one of them, there's kind of a sad feeling hanging over the house! I'm glad I have a few more years to prepare myself for Myshel leaving for college!

A Great Surprise!

I came home one day after taking Noah to speech and was so amazingly surprised to find this at my house! Chad snuck them in while I was gone and didn't tell me anything about them! He was very sneaky, but I'm not complaining. It was such a great surprise. I was so happy. I mentioned a while ago that my clothes dryer died and it took us awhile to replace it. My wonderful husband not only found me a dryer, but a matching washer as well. There was someone he works with that was getting rid of them because they were moving and so he snatched them up. They're a few years old, but I don't care! They work! and that's all that matters to me. They're actually very nice and much fancier than I would have paid for myself. Thank you, Chad! I knew I loved you!


(I won't mention that when Chad plugged the dryer in, it blew the main fuse to our house and our neighbor's house and we had to call housing at 7PM to come and fix it.----they keep the door to that maintenance room locked--stupid, I know--- I also won't mention that it messed up our internet connection, which took us a long time to get back. I won't mention any of that, because I'm sooooo happy that he surprised me and brought me a washer and dryer and I love him so much for it!)

A Whole Lotta Complainin' Going On......

That's right and I'm the one complaining! I'm sorry, but I just have to get it out!
---
Complaint #1:
Chad's chief told him last week that he was going to a school in Norfolk for a week! Now I could complain about this for a list of reasons, but I'll choose just a few......
-
First, I think it's ridiculous that they didn't tell him sooner and they didn't ask him. The chief has known for weeks about this, but waited until 10 days before to tell Chad that he had to go! It's not a school that has a lot to do with Chad's responsibilites here, either, so why does he have to go?
-
Second, We are on shore duty. I know that means nothing to most people, but I just spend the last 4 years doing sea duty, which means that Chad was around maybe 1/3 of the time. We chose to come to shore duty, basically took a pay cut to do it, so that we wouldn't have to be apart for the next 3 short years! I know he's only going to be gone for a week, but I don't care. It's still time apart. I earned shore duty! I should be able to get what I earned! Plus this is only the first of 3 schools they are sending him to. The next 2 will be in Jacksonville, FL for a week, each. Those are the ones we know about.
-
Third, He's going to Norfolk and he's going to see MY friends while he's there! MY FRIENDS! The ones that I would just kill to go and see, but no, I'm going to stay at home, take care of his 4 children, his house, his 2 cars, his chores, etc, etc, etc. Can you tell I'm irritated about this trip, well, I am!
-
Fourth, the chiefs gave Chad the attitude that if the advance expenses didn't come in time, that he should be more than willing to pay out of his pocket and then get reimbursed for it. I DON' T THINK SO! Unfortunately, I don't have $1400 to pay for a stupid trip, that I don't think Chad should have to take, that I don't want him to take and then wait for the navy to reimburse us!!!!! This trip is for the navy, he didn't choose to go, they're making him go. He should never be expected to pay a dime of it, wheather the advance money comes in time or not! Stupid people!
---
Complaint #2
The radio/CD player died in my van! There's some factory amp or something that no one can seem to find, so putting in a new stereo just isn't working. I don't know all the details about why, but what I do know is that, I have no radio! I have to drive Noah to speech, in Portland, 45 minutes over, 45 minutes back, 3 times a week and I have nothing to listen to, except Noah, rambling on about EVERYTHING. It's driving me crazy. Does Chad go without a radio in his blazer, no he does not! (It bugs me a lot that there isn't a clock now, either)
---
Complaint #3
Am I the only one, serisously, out of six people who cares what our house looks like and is willing to do anything about it! (That's always a complaint, but I was on a roll, so I thought I'd throw that one in)
---
Complaint #4
Maine drivers stink! Really, they do. (Remember, I'm on the interstate at least 6 hours a week!) There might be those few exceptions out there, but for the most part, they are lousy! They cut you off, they can't merge worth anything, they never let you in to traffic and I swear some of them don't know what the signs mean, or maybe they just don't care! It's as if they might die if some one gets in front of them. AND they speed worse than anywhere I've seen. I'm usually going 70 on the interstate (5 miles over the limit) and people blow past me like I'm standing still. Not just one or two people, but 20+. Seriously, they're in Maine where do they really need to get to in such a hurry. I have kids in the car, you know!
---
Complaint #5
This may be the one that "broke the camel's back". My clothes dryer died! It just died, no warning, nothing. It just stopped working. We had housing check the outlet, just to make sure that wasn't the problem. It wasn't, of course! Chad said he'd check the switch and see if that's what's wrong, but realistically, he's not going to get to it before he leaves. I know Chad, he won't. Which means I'll have to take my clothes to the laundry mat to dry them (like I didn't have enough to manage for the week that he's gone!). And, if it's not the switch or something simple, then we'll have to buy a new dryer, along with the new radio for the van, with money, we don't have.
-
I have more complaints, but I'll stop there before I end up in a pit of misery I can't get out of!

It's just hangin' around....................

My friend sent me this cute email and I thought I'd answer it on my blog. It was fun, so whoever wants to try it is more than welcome. It'd love to see your answers. You're suppose to answer the questions with pictures...............

1)What is hanging in your living room that you love to look at?

Idaho Falls Temple

2)What's your favorite thing hanging in your bedroom? I made this cross stitch when Chad was gone on his very first deployment, about 12 years ago. It's hung in my bedroom every since. It's just sweet and innocent and Chad used to play baseball, so I like that connection, too.

3)What is hanging in your house that reminds you of a special time?Boy, do we look young!!!

4)What is your favorite picture of your family that hangs in your house?These are pictures of my kids when they were each around a year old. I just love it!

5)What's your favorite thing hanging in your hall?

This actually hangs on the wall up the stairs, but close enough. It's one of my favorite pictures in my house. It's of the Sacred Grove. We've actually been there and it's amazing! The spirit that is there is overwhelming. Truly, sacred ground! (The bottom says, "What happened here changed the world. Let it change your life.)

6)What's your favorite thing hanging in your kitchen?It's almost the only thing hangning in my kitchen.............

7)What's hanging in your house that doesn't really match the decor?This little sailor has been hanging in our house for years now. He doesn't really match anything, but I like him anyway. It came with a little poem:

Navy sailors dressed in blue

Serve and protect, always true.

Brave and fearless they must be

When in the air and on the sea.

8)What's hanging in your house that was a precious gift?This isn't hanging, but was definitely a precious gift.

9)What's hanging in your house that you made?

My sister actually made the house part for me a long time ago and then I repainted it and added the hanging word part. So, except for cutting out the wood, I made it.

10)What's the goofiest thing hanging in your house?

Well, they hang around my house.............

Home is where the "Heart" is..............

My sister posted this picture on her blog. She took it when she went home to Wyoming this summer. It's a picture of Heart Mountain, just north of Cody, Wyoming.

I'm sure to most people this mountain doesn't seem all that pretty. It's not very green, there aren't a lot of trees, but to me it's beautiful. It's home.

When I was growing up, I probably saw this mountain everyday, whether I took the time to notice it or not. Chad grew up at the base of this mountain. He's climbed/biked to it's summit. This picture made me cry. It made me miss home so bad. It's been over two years since we've been home. That's been hard for us. It's hard to be so far away from the people and the things that we love. Will we ever live in Cody again???? Probably not, but it will always be so close to our hearts. It's where our roots are and it will always be home!

Just a little FYI..........Did you know that it is 8,123 ft. high? Did you know that scientists say that the top of the mountain is 350 million years old, but that the base is only 55 million years old? (that would make the top 300 million years older than it's base!) Did you know that Cody's sits 5,016 feet above sea level? And did you know that when you drive I80 through Wyoming that you are somewhere between 6,700-7,100 feet about sea level? Did you know that I knew that???This is a picture of the mountains west of Cody, Cedar and Rattlesnake Mountains. If you follow this highway it will take you through the canyon between these two moutains, past the resevoir behind them, and through the valley to Yellowstone Park. It's beautiful! There is also another mountain south of Cody, Carter Mountain.

So, to all those people out there that say "I've been through Wyoming............boring!" I say, "if all you've done is drive across Interstate 80, then you haven't seen Wyoming!