Under the Weather

Well, the bug that has been passed between the boys has finally caught up with me. I am feeling like crap. All I want to do is take a bath, read a book and go to bed. (This is the boys' good night routine to Brian and I. Unfortunately, I am not in my own house, so I can't take a bath in my own tub and nor can I sleep in my own bed. Besides I am not sure I should really be going to bed at 6:00. I am guessing that I would be up at the crack of dawn and then feel even worse by the end of tomorrow. So I am going to sit here on the couch and watch football and hope that the boys won't notice I am barely moving.

Hope everyone else remains healthy the rest of the holiday season.

Weather

Seriously, where did this weather come from? It is late December in the state of Ohio and I went running outside wearing a short sleeve shirt. While Washington State (not known for it's snowy winters) is still getting bombarded with snow. How is this possible? Normally I would be complaining because the weather here is cold with no snow, but how could I complain when it felt like Spring.

After I returned from my run, I found the boys just getting home from their adventure in the Metroparks, getting ready to make a fire in the fire pit. They loved it. We cooked hot dogs in the fire and of course, had to top the afternoon off with s'mores. (I know it probably defeated the whole point of running, guess I will just have to run further tomorrow.

Today was probably the first time in a very long time that I was not jealous of my friend Amy, who lives in South Carolina. Don't think I won't be jealous of Amy again tomorrow since it will most definitely be cold again (causing tons of people to get sick because they think it is still warm.)

So here is to the messed up weather!!!

Close to My Heart Website

Hello, Scrabooking and Card Making Friends.

As the new year is about to begin, I decided it was time to give everyone the opportunity to see exactly what Close To My Heart is all about.

I have started a website: http://www.karenguise.myctmh.com/. Be sure to check it out.

I will add future workshop dates and some artwork created by me and your fellow crafters. Please share your feedback, so I know what changes need to be made. If there is a demand for it, I will be adding an option for ordering online.

Two in a Row

Wow, here I sit at my computer for the second night in a row. If I am not careful, this may be a habit. Although I guess this is what is supposed to be happening with blogs, right?

I am surrounded by my husband and my in-laws, as we are watching a movie together. Something that is not usually done back at our home in Washington. I do so enjoy these moments, only made possible by the fact that there are 7 adults in this house that are able to help entertain the boys during the daytime hours. Since they are moving nonstop from the time they wake up until bedtime, they sleep quite well throughout the night. Which is a great plus for me.

On a final note, enjoy this holiday season with your loved ones, I know I will be...

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to everyone! I am sitting on the couch with my feet up, my tummy full and my boys still trying to calm down after all the excitement of the day.

We are currently in Ohio visiting both mine and my husband's family. Since we are so far away from 'home', the boys were a little nervous about Santa finding them. Fortunately, Santa knows exactly where they were going to be, but since there were some things that they asked for that may not fit in suitcases, they are hoping that Santa also stopped by Washington. Shhh... don't tell them, but I am pretty sure Santa made it there.

At least we are hoping that Santa made it safely to all the Washington Families, since they are getting hit with snowstorm after snowstorm. And wouldn't you know it? We are in lovely Ohio WITHOUT any snow!!! I am so disppointed. So those of you enjoying the snow, please take lots of pictures for me.

Merry Christmas everyone and have a good night!

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Happy Thanksgiving to all our Family and Friends.

Hope everyone is able to fit into their jeans again after stuffing themselves with turkey. We had our Turkey Dinner on Friday instead of the traditional Thursday, since Auntie Cari was on call for work (we didn't want her to leave in the middle of dinner). Actually it meant that we got to have two full meals two days in a row. Not to mention all the desserts, Logan has found a new love in cheesecake, apple pie and pumpkin pie. I have to thank Homemade Gourmet for the cheesecake and applie pie. They were absolutely delicious and were quick to disappear.

This holiday weekend, we find ourselves in Idaho visiting Cari Silvey and her two children, Hayden and Mara. Hayden is just two days older than Logan and Mara is a month older than Brandon. It is amazing to see the difference in each of the children, as they have grown so much over the last few years.


At dinner, as Cari and I looked at the children sitting at the counter, we were both completely Thankful for the greatest gifts that we have both received. It is remarkable, as we remembered how far our two oldest have come, years away from being in the ICU together at birth.

I am very thankful for all of our family that is spread out far and wide; and all of our friends both past, present and those to come. Without all of you, our lives would not be nearly as complete.

Thank you each and every one of you!

And how could I not be THANKFUL for these smiling faces?

Thankful for Tae Kwon Do

I am very sad that the economy is affecting so many things in our lives. The boys had their last class of Tae Kwon Do, hopefully it will be just for the rest of the year. Our Master Instructor is having to close his doors as of the First of December because his landlord is increasing their rent.

I usually understand that sometimes things happen, but for some reason this time it is really affecting me. The boys enjoyed Tae Kwon Do very much and I am so pleased with the confidence they have developed since starting a few months ago.

I know there are other places I can take the boys, but I am not sure they will enjoy it with a different class or instructor. Master Lugo has created such a great rapor with the boys, they actually looked forward to learning and practicing. His dojang will be in our thoughts this holiday season and we hope he will have something to be Thankful for this Thanksgiving.

We look forward to hearing good news from Master Lugo in the upcoming weeks.

New Jeep

Well, who says I am not the best wife in the world? Probably my husband, but that is besides the point. I may earn enough brownie points when it is completed.

When Brian and I first met he had a black Jeep Renegade. The Jeep was great, I think he drove most of the time, so it became so much of a fun part of our beginning relationship. After he went to the Academy, the Jeep was passed down to his brother Andy for a few years (Brian couldn't have a car until he was a First Classmen). Brian was reunited with the Jeep as his last year at the Academy arrived. It was very nice to have transportation for that final year when I visited.

After Brian's graduation and our Wedding, we both drove from Annapolis to Cleveland in the JEEP! Note to fast drivers: Jeep not great on trying to accelerate fast on the highway trying to pass trucks. Not to mention no Cruise Control! (Don't tell Brian, but it was not a fun trip, if he even remembers it).

Why am I telling you all this from 15 years ago?

Well, because after months of searching ebay and craig's list and any other form of buying used items; Brian found one that brought the memories pouring in. He spent a few weeks bartering with the kid that was selling the 1994 Jeep Wrangler Renegade. After still not feeling comfortable with the decision, Brian had to board a plane (I won't say where, because he doesn't need any more people jealous of him). Having the money in hand and the kid's number on my phone, I called him and made another offer. This time it was working out. Nana, the boys and I crossed on the ferry to pick up Daddy's new jeep:

So here it is. It is in great shape for being almost 15 years old, but it reminds me everyday of those fun filled adolescent years. The boys absolutely love it and want to drive it all the time (well, they are not driving yet, they love riding around in it).

After Brian spending all day working on it yesterday, it now has four working lights, so we can at least drive it in the evenings. Speaking of...we are off to go for a ride now.

Pumpkin Patch

Every Fall there are patches of pumpkins available for people to walk through and choose that perfect pumpkin for their family. We had that opportunity to join Logan's Boy Scout troop on their visit this year. So last Sunday, the five of us (Nana Kitty included), toured the Pheasant Farm Fields. The boys were able to feed the Llamas and goats. We watched the ducks flock to their feeding bowls and then we smelled the lovely scent of the chicken coop. After walking through the farm itself, we all entered the corn maze that ended into the pumpkin patch.

Once we entered the pumpkin patch, all the boy scouts did their 'service' by placing the pumkins throughout the patch. While they were sorting out the pumpkins, they were all able to choose the best one they could find.

Buddy Scout

Since Logan is a Cub Scout, there was no way that Brandon could not be part of this exciting adventure that we just began. Hence, we have found a perfect way for Brandon to be included:

A Buddy Scout.

When we first brought home Brandon's hat and shirt, he wore his hat everywhere. He loved it, he was so proud to be able to wear a uniform like his big brother.

We are so proud of our Cub and Buddy Scout.

Been a while

Well, it seems like I take a month off from writing and then I have lots of things to post. I will probably do them separately, but be sure to stop by again soon.

We have been busy the last week or so: Pumpkin Patch, Carving Pumpkins, and Tae kwon do.

Can't wait to share with you all.

Sock Monkeys

I was never really sure whether these things were cute or strange. The verdict is still out on that one, but the boys have decided they were finally interested in sock monkeys. This past Christmas they each received a sock monkey (sorry, can't remember if it was from Nana, Katy 89 or Aunt Nancy). There were so many other things flying around the house during Christmas Morning, that the boys did not really concern themselves with these creatures. So we decided to let them live at Nana's house until the boys would like them.

The time has come for their arrival to our home. After shopping for a friend's birthday present, I picked up a sock monkey from the shelf. Brandon took it from me and refused to let it go. After walking around the store for another 10 minutes, I finally convinced him we could call Nana and ask her to send their own sock monkeys. Once out of the store, without a purchased sock monkey, both boys began reminding me to call Nana about their monkeys. Luckily, they were distracted by the party at Chuck E Cheese, but that only lasted for a few hours. As soon as we were on our way, they continued asking for me to make the phone call. We were unable to get ahold of Nana, so the pestering continued on until the following morning at the bus stop. Since we always need a good distraction for Logan before getting on the bus, we decided to call Nana and tell her how excited they were to remember she had the Christmas Sock Monkeys.

With the efficiency of Nana and the Post Office, the boys received their sock monkeys within 2 days. Wow, that was FAST. They could barely get the paper tissue off of the monkeys, they were so excited.

Sassy New Hair

Any one who knows me, knows I can decide on the drop of a hat to do something drastic to my hair. True, this does not happen often, but when it does, it is drastic. To tell you the truth, this is the third time in my life I have cut off more than 12 inches of my hair at one time. I am happy to be able to donate something to such a worthy cause, but wow, imagine how much shampoo I am going to waste when I try to wash my hair in the morning. Once again, I woke up this morning with no thought about what I was going to do, only to be typing this moments before going to bed, with a totally new look.

I am still going to need sometime to get used to it, but since I am officially done with my triathlons for this season, I don't have to worry about the short hair getting in my way. I have a few months to let it grow back to a manageable length for training. Well, I hope you all like my new style, would love to hear your thoughts, unless they are bad and then don't share because I will probably still be crying after my shower when the reality sets in about my hair.

Excited about Laundry

Really? Who gets excited about doing laundry? ME. I know, I never thought I would be saying that. But when you have such a pretty new washer and dryer, you would be thrilled about it. I might wash all the clothes in the house, because I am not sure how long the excitement will last. But they are absolutely fantastic. If Brian only knew I would be excited about housework with new machines, he would have done this a long time ago. I wonder how I can get him to buy me a new dyson vacuum cleaner. Hmmm...that will be another one. Here are my brand new appliances:

Our very own Cub Scout

It is official, Logan is a Tiger Scout. We had a first Den meeting this afternoon. At this time he learned to salut the flag during the pledge of allegiance. He learned the boy scout sign when they are saying the boy scout promise. He also learned the Boy Scout handshake. I am so excited for him.

At the very end of the meeting, they did a little ceremony where they actually received their hankerchief and slide. He looks so cute in his uniform. He only likes the hat because he can wear one like Daddy when he wears his uniform. Do you think we have a lifetime of uniforms ahead of us with Logan too? We will see, no matter what he is always going to make us proud.

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

Yes, Today is my birthday, I don't really care about the age itself, but since so many other people are usually so protective of their age, I won't make anyone feel too old or too young around me, so let's just say I am 30-something. Yes I am in my 30s, that is all you need to know.

So if you have been around me the last few weeks, I was very excited since school would be beginning on my birthday. Yes I am very glad that the boys are returning to school, but so you don't think I am the meanest mom in the world, it was a little sad to come home to a quiet house without Logan. I still have Brandon next me to, but he has barely left my side, I think he misses having Logan around, even if they just fight over everything.

Seeing as how it is the first day of school, I was hoping to jump right into all my projects with both feet. However my birthday takes precedence over any projects. Sorry Brian, NOTHING will be done around the house. I may have to share Mother's Day with you on your birthday, but today is MY day. I don't really have anything special planned except I will not be making dinner tonight, we will be dining at Red Robin, since it is one location that everyone will be able to find something to eat and there will be no fighting to get food into their stomachs.

So after swim lessons, which also start today, we will be having a nice evening out to celebrate my birthday. Can you tell I like birthdays? I love them. I enjoy making them special for the birthday girl/boy. After having two children, and knowing how difficult it is to sometimes enter this world, there is plenty of reasons to celebrate.

So When it is your birthday, Celebrate any way you WANT to.

Happy Birthday, Me!

Our First Grader

Can you believe it is the First Day of School? Last night we attended the Back to School night for Logan. We were given the opportunity to meet his teacher and find where he would sit in the classroom. We got to walk down to the cafeteria where Logan would eat lunch, since he would be at school all day long. I thought we were both excited, well ok, I know I was more excited about it than he was, but I was hoping he would be excited to see his friends.

Well, this morning, he woke up worried about the day, we tried to walk him through the routine, but since I am not sure about the everything I kind of had to make it up, hopefully I will be close. Since I wanted to make it a nice morning, I made cinnamon rolls for the boys, Logan helped make his own lunch. We packed his backpack together, so he knew where everything was when he needed it. After quite a few cinnamon rolls, (at least I know he won't be starving at school) we took some first day pictures.

Then we drove over to the bus stop, I know that probably does not make sense, to actually drive to the bus stop, when I can just drive him straight to school. But trust me this is the best thing we could do for him. This way he is able to get himself calm before getting to school and entering the classroom. Once he is done thinking about missing us at home he will be ready to have fun at school.

This was Brandon's excellant photography skills as Logan was getting on the bus. We look forward to hearing all about Logan's first day when he gets home from school.

School NEEDS to start

I am sitting here, listening to the boys chase each other up and down the stairs and around the house. Why are they doing this? My thoughts are that summer break is too long. Yes that is right, I never thought I would ever say that, but I am now one of those mothers who wishes the kids went to school all year long. Ok, maybe if it was warmer outside I would be happy to have the sprinkler running and let the boys run around outside of the house, but seeing as it is still August and the temperature remains in the SIXTIES, it is TOO COLD.

I know I have complained more than my friends want to hear about the weather here in Seattle, but this is horrible. I can remember only one time this summer letting the boys run around with water guns. That is not SUMMER in my mind. It is so pathetic, that we actually spend more time in our hot tub, temperature 101. Now that is nice, not exactly what I had in mind, but I will take it.

So back to school starting, yes I will be sad watching Logan get on the school bus and I will be a little lonely as I walk back to the car after dropping Brandon off. However, I am sure I will pull myself together to enjoy the few hours I have to myself. I am not sure how I am going to fit everything in my schedule, but I am certainly going to watch what I want on TV, (NO spongebob), do the workout I want to, (NO family fitness room), and get my hours in sewing and stamping (NO mommy I want this...). I will have just enough time alone to happily race to the school (obeying school speed limits) to pick up Brandon. Then I am sure Brandon will miss having Logan around to annoy, so we will excitedly run up the street to wait for Logan to get off the school bus.

So please Labor Day arrive very soon, I don't want to lock my boys in the closet for another week.

Close to My Heart

Have you ever heard of the stamping company: Close to My Heart? If not, you are about to hear it a lot from me. Two friends and I have decided to start selling Close To My Heart (CTMH) products. If you like scraping or stamping be sure to ask me about all the latest and greatest products from CTMH. Talk about homemade items, you all will probably be getting many of them from me, especially as I try out new techniques.

This will be in addition to my sewing business, so hopefully as they both continue to take off, I will be able to add to my 'hobby' spending (as Brian puts it).

As I get a website up and running, I will put the link here. Be sure to check back as I will be sure to put my latest ideas and creations on my blog.

Iron man Challenge

For any and all those out there that have completed an Iron man in the 17 hour allotted time limit. YOU ARE AWESOME!!!

I was given 31 days to complete an Iron man: 2.5 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run. Even with the full month to complete it: it was exhausting!

Like the feeling I receive when I cross the finish line of a triathlon, I felt the excitement of the accomplishment that I just completed. When asked by my loving husband what I receive upon completion, I responded a t-shirt besides just the feeling of completing it. So be sure to look for me sporting my newest accomplishment.

Thank you to everyone that ran, biked, or swam with me during the month of July.

Now I just have to work on getting my time down: maybe three weeks instead of a full month?

Our First Camping Adventure

It was quite a night. The boys were so excited to go on their first camping trip, I was just happy knowing it was just in the backyard. I don't mind sleeping in the outdoors, but please just let me have normal bathroom plumbing. During the day they set the tent up in the perfect stop of dry grass, actually the entire yard is dry so it didn't really matter where it was placed. As dinner time was approaching we headed to Walmart to get the last minute items we needed for our camping night, oh the modern day camper...

We cooked hot dogs on our little grill and then enjoyed the mess that goes with making our own s'mores. Besides the marshmallows sticking to the grill and all the rest of it sticking to Logan's face it was a very enjoyable meal. Again taking advantage of being in the backyard, we carfully marched into the house to clean ourselves up before storytime and bed.

The boys were all snuggled in their sleeping bags and ready for a peaceful night in the outdoors.

After the excitement finally wore off the boys were sound asleep for the remainder of the night. Brian and Logan woke up and made potatoes and bacon on the little grill. We topped the morning off with a soak in the hot tub and we will probably follow it this afternoon with nap.

All in all, I think the boys will be looking forward to another adventure next weekend.

An Accompished Weekend

Happy 4th of July to all our friends and family members. OK, don't really pay attention to the date that I am typing this, it has been a bit crazy here and this is the first time I am able to get to the computer to wish everyone a Happy 4th. So I guess the better thing to say is: I hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th of July.

After spending a week in Annapolis, Brian, the boys and I loaded up our stuff and headed back to Ohio to spend the afternoon with my family. My mother planned a BBQ for the entire family since both my brother's family and ours were in town at the same time. This was a first in probably 6 or 7 years. I guess that is what happens when two members are part of the military and have lived on opposite sides of the country most their careers (even they were even in the country). This was gave all of us an opportunity to wish my brother well as he prepares to head to Afghanistan for a year. We send him with our love and wish him a safe and speedy return.

During the BBQ are family did what it does best: Drink and Compete. Brian and I were able to wipe the ground with all competitors as we dominated the corn hole board the entire afternoon. After not losing the entire day, we stepped away only to rush the boys off to see fireworks. It was a great boost to our egos. It only continued the next day when Brian and my sister, Ang, took down my brother, Roy, and family friend, Cindy, on the golf course. Way to keep the winning streak alive.

Back to the fireworks, they were great. It was probably the closest Brian and I have ever been to the fireworks, they were practically right above our heads. Never would have thought the boys would miss them, but after such a LONG day both of them had fallen asleep before the finale even began. Bless their tired souls. They were adorable, until we had to carry them the half mile walk back to the car. Boy, did my back get a workout.

After I took it easy on Saturday, while Brian was out golfing, I prepared myself mentally for my triathlon race. On Sunday morning, as I left Brian and the boys still sleeping, I wondered to myself why I was going to create such agony on my muscles. The chills kept running through my back and the butterflies kept twittering in my stomach, but I was able to set up my bike and gear and walk along the beach thinking about the coldness I was about to swim through. As the time counted down to the beginning of the race, my family members began to arrive. Brian brought the boys and my sister and her friend, Renee, came to cheer me on or make fun of me, depending on how you look at it. (all in good spirit). Always behind schedule, my brother and his family finally did arrive in time to watch most of the race. After swimming a 1/4 mile, biking 14.3 miles, and running 3.2 miles, I am happy to say that I completed the race in 1:44.11. Coming in under the 2 hour goal that I set for myself. To my surprise, I manage to come in 3rd in my division. Not too bad, I have to admit. Once the butterflies left my stomach I was able to remember why I subject myself to this feat: Because it is such an accomplishment when you cross that finish line, and there is no way to describe how it feels when your entire family is there cheering you on and supporting YOU.

Not to leave you thinking I was a wonder woman or anything: I basically sat on the couch and took a nap all afternoon to recuperate.

Annapolis

OK, I am not always able to get on the computer so those of you reading my blog, surprise you get two today. We have been in Annapolis since Monday. For those of you who do not know why I am in Annapolis, here is a quick update. My husband attended the Naval Academy (in Annapolis). My younger brother-in-law teaches at the Naval Academy and my youngest brother-in-law is currently a midshipman at the Naval Academy. Wow, that is a lot of one school. By all means I am extremely proud of my husband and his brothers. After being with my husband for over 15 years and watching his brothers and sister grow up, I do not think of them as in-laws. They are truly my family also. But back to the Academy, this is the week that new Midshipmen, known as Plebes, enter the Academy for their summer training, known as Plebe Summer.

As we walked around the Yard, we were able to see the tops of the new plebes as they took their Oath, entering the Navy. We were graced with the beautiful sight of the Blue Angels doing their fly-by. The boys were thrilled, even though it was quite loud. I wish I had pictures to share, but as it is very difficult to catch them in photos, I decided to enjoy the sight without a camera. Sorry.

There is a tradition at the Academy that all Mids yell their graduation year. Since we were walking around with two Academy Grads and one upcoming Grad, the boys have been taught to yell their graduation year at any one wearing white. Now it is very cute to watch a six and four year old yell out the years 2024 and 2026, however as their mother, I do not want to think of my little boys walking around in Whites becoming well groomed men , before they enter the US Navy. It is quite a sight, but very frightening for a young mother. But I know my boys will make me proud, as they will probably be highly encouraged to follow their father's and uncle's footsteps. GO NAVY! BEAT ARMY!

Friends Part 2

Well, after sharing the definition of a what a friend means on paper. Here is what a friend means to me: someone I can vent to at all hours of the night. Someone who gives advice, whether I want it or not, when it is needed. Someone that does not judge me for the mistakes I make, but usually stands by my side so that I do not make them alone. There are million other things I can list here that I could describe a friend.

Many of you know that my husband is in the Navy, (if you don't go back to read the O-4 blog). Assuming you are update to date with the status of my husband, most of you know this personally because I would not have met you if it was not for this fantastic job that takes my husband out to sea six months out of the year. But this blog is not about the Navy, it is about the friendships that the Navy has helped me create. I have a lot to thankful for as my life has been surrounded by Navy friends and families.

There are many people that become your friends based on convenience: husbands are gone at the same time, husbands went to school together, or they are your neighbors. These are good friends, but are they true friends? I guess that is determined by how much you stay in touch with them after these convenient times do not exist. For example, having moved 10 times in 10 years, I have managed to have lots of friends, but only a few True Friends. To those of you who I am still in touch with over all these years, Thank you for being a True Friend. Without all of you, my life as a Navy Wife would be lonesome outside the company of my children.

What is a Friend?

This blog may either run on forever or have several sections throughout the next few days. But first the beginning. What exactly is a friend? The most basic, to the point definition I could find is:

A Friend is a person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.

a person whom one knows; an acquaintance.

This is very broad, but it is a good place to start. I consider myself lucky because I think I have many friends. It is true that quite a few of them have entered my life and then exited just as quickly. However, there has always been a part of them that has touched my heart. For this I am so THANKFUL.

Now, let's see how we can define a True Friend.

A True Friend is someone who sees you through the good times and bad.
someone who makes you happy and is there for you when you are sad.

A True Friend is someone that will laugh and cry with you.

A True Friend will HOLD a piece of you in their Heart.

As I look through my life, I find that my list of friends is much longer than my True Friends list. This is completely ok with me. It would be a wonderful life just knowing I had ONE True Friend. Since I can count more than one True Friend, I find myself TRULY BLESSED. Without placing my list publicly on this blog, I believe those True Friends know who they are without seeing their name on a list.

First Graders

Oh my goodness, I don't know what to think...My one and only Logan has graduated Kindergarten and is now officially a First Grader. I can't believe it. It seems like it was just a few short years ago that Brian and I were holding onto his little hands as he was just a mere 4 pounds at birth. Now he is a 6 year old, getting ready to go to first grade all day long. I am not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, I am a little nervous that he will be in school all day, but on the other hand, I am a little excited to have a few hours with the boys at school again. Ask me again in a few months and we will see which feeling is stronger. These thoughts are coming only a few hours of my little boy leaving his class only to be named a First Grader. We have the whole summer to get through and I am sure by the time September comes around, I will be thrilled at the fact they will both be in school. At least I still have one more year before Brandon enters Kindergarten, we still have another year of preschool with him. But he will have an extra day added to his schedule. Yeah for me. There is another day free, at least for a few hours.

As for now, we have the entire summer to look forward to, the boys are at least happy about the summer, I am just wondering how long my sanity will last before I am ready to ship the boys back to Nana and Papa. So those reading this, please help me and be sure to call me for a break or a play date if you are in this area.

Father's Day

Well, Happy Father's Day to all those fathers that we missed talking to on the actual day. Our day was a very enjoyable day for all. The boys were very excited about making breakfast for daddy in bed. I, however, am not the one who does breakfast foods, so Brian had to settle for coffee in bed. Oops, unfortunate for him, I am also not very good at making coffee either. At least we tried. After Brian was greeted with his cards and presents, he came into the kitchen, to actually make breakfast for the boys. This is not something that I try to get him to do, but according to the boys, I just don't make pancakes like Daddy. I have to agree, they are either way Undercooked (Still batter running out of the center) or they are burnt (can't blame the boys for not wanting to eat those). Although it has been decided that neither of us can make pancakes as good as Nana Kitty. Guess we know what the boys will be having for breakfast when we are visiting. The remainder of the day was doing family things, while we enjoyed the rare nice weather here in Poulsbo.

Lake Water IS Very, Very Cold Water

There is something that is said for those who train for a triathlon when the water temperture is 60 degrees and the air temperature is only 53 degress. I am not sure which is worse, getting in the ice cold water or getting out of it? I think it was all a blur, so I will not make the judgement of which was worse. All I know is that it was absolutely COLD. So why am I in 60 degree water when it is only 53 degrees outside? Well it is back to my triathlon training. Every Tuesday the Tri Team will venture to WildCat Lake and practice getting used to the cold water and also swimming in Lake water. There is definitely a big difference between swimming in a pool vs a lake. A Lake is much COLDER, harder to see, and doesn't taste very good when you actually swallow the water. What I am learning: the faster you move in the water, the faster you are finished with the swim. Although that is probably the whole point of exercising. So just make sure you are wearing a very thick wet suit.

What to do when they turn 6?

It has taken me a day or so to recuperate from all the energy that my 4 and 6 year old have inside of them. Where does it all come from? Really, how can such little people have more energy than their grown mother. I realize I am not that tall, but I am still taller than my little rugrats. But their energy is never ending. For example, this evening it was almost 9:00, yes most children are starting to wind down, but not my two. One is running and jumping off the couches and the other is rolling around on the floor, trying to prove to me that he is wide awake. I realize that it would only take a few minutes for them to actually lay down and fall asleep but they had more energy to fight off sleep than I did to actually put them to bed. I am writing this at 9:30 and there is finally peacefulness coming from their room. I love them to death, but someone needs to figure out how to store their energy in a bottle, because it is not fair for single parents to not be able to keep up with their children all day long. I just thank God that I will only be single for a few more days. At that point, I will be giving my loving husband a big kiss and airdudes on my way out the door, because I need so ME time. Is that so bad to want? Ok, maybe I will wait until the next morning and then run out the door.

What is a BRICK?

You may answer this question as 'a rectangular mass of clay used in building'. Yes that may be true in the literal since, however, in the words of my Tri Team Leader a Brick is "B" for "bike," "R" for "run," and "ick" for how your legs feel when you get off the bike and start running. This is exactly what I did this morning. Mind you it was torture just being up and out of the house before 8:00am, let alone preparing to ride and run in 40 degree temperature. After hitting the snooze on the alarm to snuggle with Brandon just a few more minutes, I crawled out of bed and beginning gathering clothes that would allow me the ease of pedaling and running, but yet keep me warm. After two years, I can't thank Andy enough for purchasing the under armor clothes before our ski trip, they have come in handy so many times. Hence the first layer of my attire this morning. I was pretty warm at the beginning of the ride, but I forgot one important item to keep me warm: gloves for my hands. Cold temperatures + riding fast (not really that fast but it was down a hill) = very cold hands. So what did I learn today, find some gloves. I could ride slower, but that might defeat the purpose of the training.

Shore Duty?

Ok, this is a completely false sense of reality when it comes to our life in the Navy. Brian has recently transferred to shore duty; only to be sent back out to sea. Yes that is right, so much for the longer lunch hours, shortened office hours and actually being home for dinner. These were the things we were looking forward to when Brian left his last submarine duty. These images were being packed away as I watched Brian pack his suitcase for his upcoming trip. So much the being home for dinner, not that the boys are complaining because they have luckily eaten out the last two nights. I, however, am left wondering how I am going to explain to them that daddy is on a submarine even though we didn't watch it go out to sea. So far we are doing very well with the concept, but it has only been the second night. We will see what happens in a few days when the boys start realizing daddy is not home tomorrow.

Welcome to O-4

It is official, Brian is now LCDR Guise. Yeah, for us. Him? He earned it. Me? I get more money to spend. The boys? They get more toys. Brian has transferred to shore duty within the past month and so we are all adjusting to a new routine. Although as we were speaking with the Commodore yesterday, he pointed out that Brian arrived to shore duty and then we shuttle him out to sea. So much for shore duty... It just means there are more welcome home days. More honeymoon nights...Who's complaining about this? Plus the boys and I get to eat McDonalds without getting the nutritional facts thrown at us. But if Brian asks any of you, we ate healthy foods at home the entire time. Ok, he knows me better than that, so we ate home more than we ate out, can we all handle this one?

Running for my Health?

As I prepare for my first official race of the season tomorrow, I am resting after a three mile run. I often wonder why I am asking causing my legs to burn, my body to sweat and oh yeah my feet to hurt. I am not sure I have a very good reason for this torture, but when I think about the extra cookie I get to have after dinner, it seems to make it a little more worth it. Not much, but it at least has gotten me through the current workout. I have talked a few of my friends into a sort of support group, by getting them to workout with me and hold me accountable for getting to the gym. Since Kristin is the friend of choice for this upcoming 5K, I would like to say thank you to her for helping me cross the finish line. This is all in preparation for the Tri Turtle Triathlon that I will compete in this September. No I am not in it for a medal, only to finish in less time that I did last year (without any major training) So be sure to check back on the status of my torture, ummm... I mean my training schedule.

Travel Plans

Ok, so I am trying to book tickets for our family to travel back to Ohio and let me tell you this is extremely expensive. I am not sure how they can really charge us this much money to travel, but I guess the crazy thing is that people like us actually pay THIS MUCH money for our tickets. Having said this, yes we are heading home for a week or two in the summer. The boys are thrilled to see Nana(s) and Papa, along with everyone else. Brian is indifferent, as the usual. I, on the otherhand, am just looking at the amount of work that goes into the packing, arranging and actual stress of traveling with two, correction three boys (regardless of the age, it is never easy.) So please any one out there wish me some luck to hold on to my sanity. I am barely able to keep sane as it is, so why do I add more stress to my life? Well, this far in advance, it is exciting to visit families, but as it gets closer the excitement wears off very quickly. Before I think about the amount of work that is ahead of me and the amount of money I actually just spent, I will leave you with this question: Is it all worth it?

In The Beginning...

Well, here I am trying to find a way to update our lives so our friends and families can keep up with us. Although, there may be a slight problem with that idea. I have to be able to keep up with us so that I can post it here for everyone else to read. This sounds very easy to do, but that is in theory. When you actually think about the amount of time in one day that I have to sit at the computer, it does not compute to very much time at all. That is probably not the same thinking my husband has about my computer time, but it is the truth.

This blog finds me sitting on the floor with my boys running wildly around me, ages 4 and almost 6. Wow! Where did all that time go, certainly not sitting in front of the computer. I also have been married to my loving husband for 10 years. Again...where did all the time disappear to? Throughout these 10 years of marriage, I have supported my husband has he continues his career in the US Navy. This is the reason, my family and I find ourselves in Washington State. How do we like it? We will discuss that another time. Me? I am just looking forward to some warmer weather, how about anything over 70 degrees?

Our evening is coming to close as bedtime approaches, yes it is actually one of my favorite times of the day. I enjoy the peacefulness of no children's tv shows. My other favorite time is the morning before we start running around trying not to miss the bus for school. The boys are the most cuddliest at that time. So since I am just beginning to start this blog, I will end for now and try to recap the past 10 years of our lives over the next few weeks as we head into the days of summer.