It's My Industrial Strength Hairdryer...

...And I can't live without it!

Ok, what I really can't live without is my laptop. I feel like a lost soul, roaming around my house everyday trying to decide what to do to fill my time without 5 tournaments and constant web surfing and blogging and emailing and... It just doesn't seem as feasible to sit in front of this "real" computer and type type type. Every day I think of a million things that I want to Blog about, but forget blogging. I can barely muster the desire to check and reply to email in front of a desktop!

Besides that, I've been busy. I kid you not, I haven't been home but one full day in the past two weeks. Sometimes I worry that it's bad for James, me "having" to run around so much. I think I got in over my head agreeing to be a part of developing this website with someone I know. I am excited to learn HTML, and using Java and Dreamweaver and all that hoopla but man, I just do not have the energy right now to pick up a book and LEARN. If I took this whole web development thing out of the picture it would make my weeks much less crazy. And I wouldn't feel so bad for James. With this stupid rain all the time, he never gets to go out and play. And man can that kid play outside! He'd probably live in a tent if he could. The kid is a freak about the outdoors. Don't know where he gets THAT from. Certainly not me. My personal limit is an hour tops, unless it's the beach or a park, with food involved. And we all know it didn't come from his father, because he's only outside if that's where the wireless network gets the best signal... (Luv you hon!!!)

A woman in my "condition" should be taking it easy. Especially when you are the mother of a Standring child. That in itself can keep you busy all day. I mean alllllll day. Want a little sneak peak? Today James figured out how to lift our lift-top cocktail table. Then he found my only pair of wooden knitting needles, proceeded to stick one needle inside the leg of the table and slam the table top back down on it. Broke the needle in half. This was after he had reached the wallet daddy left in the MIDDLE of the Dining Room table (no small feat if you've seen the table), pulled out all the Credit and ID cards and scattered them throughout the house in places like his toy mailbox. Which he did only after he asked for a freeze pop, ate a quarter of it, and then dumped the rest out on my rug. The whole RED pop. Which I chose because I thought I was being smart by picking a pop the same color as his shirt. Guess he showed me.

Perhaps this post would have been more aptly titled as "Calgon, take me away..."

Love and Marriage, Love and Marriage

So, here's a new thing I learned about the Navy. Even your husband's final decision isn't final. Today my husband left me a message saying he no longer wants to go to Washington; he wants to go to New York again. Which suits me just fine, it's where I wanted to go in the first place. But I will no longer divulge information about where we are going until we have packed up and found a place to live. At least then it'll be (semi) permanent!! Just keep your fingers crossed and keep repeating "Saratoga, Saratoga, Saratoga".

I've been thinking about what makes a good Navy Wife. It's probably a lot of what makes any wife good, but especially if you are the wife of a man who leaves home for work a lot. I think a wife in that situation has to be of a certain caliber. At least, I see myself being a certain way that has made it easier on our marriage. When your husband spends a lot of time away from home, you need to be a wife who is able to separate herself from that and keep life going. Bring the kids to the zoo, the beach, the museum, go away for the weekend. Whatever you do, you can't stay home and wait for the hubby to come home, yearning for his attention. However, you also have to realize when it IS time to stay home and wait, or rush home when he calls. It's a fine line between being independent and acting like your husband doesn't exist. There's also a fine line between wishing your husband was home more and being too needy.

I know, nobody's perfect, and no marriage is either. What works for us may not work for everyone. I just know I have seen/heard of far too many separations lately and it makes me scared of what lies ahead...these people have been married 5 years, 8 years...and I bet that two years ago, or 5 years ago when they were 3 years along like us, they hardly suspected a thing. Makes you wonder, you know???

Mi...Mi...Miiiiiiiii ( A Post About My Life)

As I sit here playing my first Sit 'n' Go of the Day, I come to realize that it's about darn time I wrote a REAL posting. Not a post where I just slap up a few Florida pics and call it good. (Though you have to admit, they were cute, weren't they?) By the way, here's an interesting fact: my Pictorials received hardly a comment (save the stupid Soliciting Comment- HOW AND WHY DO THEY DO THAT???). Yet my written posts always attract attention. Hmmmm...perhaps I should have been a Journalist, no?? Heehee

There are so many things on my mind right now. I'm sure I won't remember them all. Most of them are probable events of the future. Some are scheduled to happen, and one is not about me, but still gives me the chills. Let's start with that one. My friend's husband just sent out an email letting everyone know he is being shipped to Kuwait for 6 Months. He's been in 24 years, is ready to retire (he has actually submitted the paperwork), and they are sending him now. I fear for him; I can not imagine what my friend must feel like. And then on the selfish side I think to myself "This is why I am glad that my husband sits in a Submarine all day." Art will never be sent to the middle of the desert to fight a battle. His battles are launched from the middle of the water. So, for the months to come, my prayers and thoughts will be with this man, until the day he comes home safely.

Speaking of home, the home improvements are coming along well. We are now kicking it into high gear, preparing for a possible transfer. We are finishing up the bathroom (you'll all have to come see it!!!) and then I have a list of upkeeps/fixings to do in all the rooms. We want to sell the house when we transfer; the neighbor who is helping to do the bathroom is also selling at about the same time. He wants to see if a contractor buddy of his will buy both our lands together, to put in more townhouses like they have going up down the street. Those townhouses are going for 199,999 to 239,999 right now. We're hoping we can get somewhere in the middle of that. But the sad part is if a contractor bought our house, they'd tear it down...and all our work would be for naught!

Well, where will we transfer, you ask??? Right now, Art has orders submitted for Bangor, Washington. Sooooo far away! I'm already sad about missing everyone!!! But it's good because he'll be on a more set schedule, only 3 months out at a time instead of 6. And I've heard that Seattle is fun...We'd be buying a new car when we got out there...a Mini SUV type. I've read that the Toyota Highlander Hybrid is the top SUV Hybrid pick. We also like the Honda Pilot and the Saturn Vue. Any suggestions out there???

So, yes, there's a lot going on around here, all in the works. There's more too but the biggest weight on our minds is selling the house and moving away. Oh boy, you gotta love Navy Life!!!

Florida Pictorial 7/14 - Arrival Day

Florida Pictorial 7/15 - Birthday Time

Florida Pictorial 7/16 - Magic Kingdom

Jessica got excited and we were only on the Tram!!!

"No, Eeyore, I am not going to share my Ice Cream!!!"

This is as good as the picture ever get for Grandma!!

James had the most fun of all in Pooh's Play Yard, with the shooting water...

Auntie Sara scored Brownie Points with the Ice Cream Bar...

Florida Pictorial 7/17 - James at Play

Florida Pictorial 7/17 - Wastin' Away Again In...

Margaritaville Monkey See...

Monkey Do...

The Kids became Cuuull Surfer Duuuudes...

Technology...My Best Friend and Worst Enemy

I've been trying so hard to finish the pics from Florida. And the blog just wouldn't take them at first. Now our network computers are not talking to each other. Of course, my pics are on Art's computer so I can't get them. I know, I could go in the Computer Room and do it, but James can't go in there because it's the Construction Room as well.

So, keep on keepin' on...the pics will come soon!

Florida Pictorial 7/17 - Poker Night

Everybody say "All in!!!"