Quick Update!

Hello all!

Wow September has turned out to be a lot busier than I was prepared for.

We started school, two of the kids started soccer, Girl Scouts began again, 

I took in a daycare child 5 days a week, and I've had 3 parties to plan!

On top of that, my husband has been in the field the majority of the month!

So, its no surprise I haven't had much time to blog.

I think we're starting to get into a routine though. I might find a

couple minutes here and there to start posting again. I kind of miss you.

Our first year of "official" homeschooling has started off great.

I am so super pleased with the curriculum I picked out for my daughter.

All of the time and research really paid off. She and I are both enjoying it.

We do school work for a max of 2 hrs a day and its perfect.

She is such a smart little cookie and I love being her teacher and watching her learn.

We are staying on track and having fun along the way, which is all I can ask for!

The three parties I've been planning include my son's 4th birthday party, a dear

friend's baby shower, and my sister's baby shower which is this weekend.

I will post about those parties this week with some of the ideas I put into them :)

 I better go make dinner before it gets too late!
I'll see you tomorrow!

Never Forget

I was just beginning 8th grade when 9/11 occured.

I walked into my 1st period Algebra class and saw my teacher, Mrs. Stone,

sitting quietly on her stool watching us come in, with the news on the TV behind her.

We immediately knew something wasn't right.

Mrs. Stone was always bright, cheerful and energetic in the mornings.

Once we were all seated, she slowly started to explain to us what happened to our

country that morning. I didn't understand. I don't think a lot of us did.

We spent the entire class time asking questions, trying to comprehend it.

I remember coming home from school that day, hopping onto my computer and

playing music. I started to read articles online and people's comments and that's

when I started realizing that this was serious.

To this day, the songs "I'm Like a Bird" by Nelly Furtado and "How You Remind Me"

by Nickelback bring me back to that moment.

It took me a few days, and lots of questions, to actually understand what a

"terrorist attack" was and that our country will be forever different.

Even though I didn't get it at first, I will never forget that moment walking

into 1st period and the look on my teacher's face.

Twelve years later, and a world of new friends, I'm interested...where were you?

Please take a moment to watch the following 9/11 tribute video by Gus & Knots.

The drummer in this video is my amazingly talented close friend, Laura.

You can check out her professional drum page here. Enjoy and Never Forget!

My Strange Sleeping Habit

The other day, the hubby and I were having a conversation about

sleeping. He had said something about me snoring really loud the night

before. I got all freaked out because I had no idea that I was a snorer!

I proceeded to ask him a million detalified questions about my snoring.

Do I always snore?

Is it only when I'm really tired or sick?

Do I snore when I lay on my back?

My side?

What exact tone is my snore?

I didn't get much out of him but apparently the "loud snoring" is an

occasional thing for me. Still though, I don't want to be a snorer!

Then he said "You always do this weird clicking noise though."

Um...what?!

I demanded further explanation!

"It almost sounds like you're hitting your teeth but I've listened closer

and you make this sound using your tongue."

I got so scared and immediately came to the conclusion that I'm conversating

with life on another planet during my slumbers.

What the heck?! Who clicks in their sleep??

Has anyone ever heard of this?!?!

Google is our friend, so we looked it up and apparently I'm not the only one.

*phew* That makes me feel less of a freak, but I still couldn't find much information about it!

Something about the suction in the back of your throat and your tongue...

There was a YouTube video titled "Sleep Clicking - Deadlier Than Snoring!"

Wonderful!

I didn't watch it.

Ok so I guess I will ask my doctor or dentist about this at my next appointment

but it is so weird to me that I've had this habit and didn't even know about it.

 I always thought my husbands twitching was funny, my parent's snoring annoying,

my sister's sleep-talking entertaining, but I always pictured myself like this...

Apparently not!!

Does anyone else have any weird sleep habits (that they know of?)

or am I the only one? :(

Spartan Race Gives Back

Huge announcement from the Reebok Spartan Race team!
They have partnered up with GovX to form one of the largest race discount

programs for US Military members and government first responders.

To show their support, they are offering a $30 discount on race registration
for our heroes! To read more about this special offer, click HERE.

Not familiar with the Spartan Race? Take a look at this...


Sooo awesome!

Anyone can sign up for these races!
Register individually, or create a team!


Have you seen these pictures of USMC Cpl Todd Love?

He lost both of his legs and his left arm after stepping on an IED in Afghanistan. He raced a special Spartan Heroes Heat, along with his Team X-T.R.E.M.E, in August 2012.  

  So what do you think? Do you want to get in on this action? Can you push yourself to the limits and conquer things you never thought you could?   The people at Reebok Spartan Race are offering one of my readers a code for free race registration good for any 2013-2014 US Spartan Race!!!   This is your chance! Follow the instructions below to enter. And be sure to spread the word about this heroes discount!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What Grieving Has Taught Me

Well, I've made it almost 5 months without my Sam Bam.

Its been far from an easy ride but I'm happy to say that I'm starting to feel better.

 Not 100%, but better.

I've learned a lot of about life and death, and life after death, in these past

few months. I thought I would share the 5 most important things that grieving

has taught me. This is a situation we are all bound to come across at some point.

Maybe this will help somebody.

1. Things will never be the same.

It sounds obvious, but life really does turn upside down when you lose somebody

close to you. I spent most of the last few months mourning the fact that I will never

see her again and that no matter what I do, my life will never go back to the way it 

was when she was here. Not only that, but my connection with her kids has changed

a lot. I don't see them as often and that has been tough to accept but the fact is, its just

not going to be the same. I still love her family greatly and we do see each other when

we can. But without Sam, its different. I'm learning to be ok with this and not think of

it as such a bad thing. Its just the way it is.

2. People grieve differently.

I've heard this my entire life but never truly understood it until now. To see the way

Sam's friends and family have reacted to this tragedy has taught me a lot about the

grieving process. Some "recovered" sooner than others. Some acted out in anger.

Some (me) closed themselves off to the world in confusion and hopelessness. We are

all dealing with the same death, but processing it in different ways. This is important to know
so you don't confuse people's grief with carelessness or exaggeration. 

3. Ups and Downs are part of the process.

Just when I start feeling like I'm going to be ok, my mood takes a nosedive and I'm
crying/depressed/hopeless all over again. Then a few days later I'm feeling better.
I was getting so exhausted going through this cycle of emotions but my therapist continued
to assure me that it's normal. You have your good days, and your not so good days. Just hang
on and go with the flow. Its your body's way of adjusting to the changes and handling the
emotional stress of what you've just experienced. And it also gives you a slight glimmer
of hope that one day your good days will outweigh the bad ones and that things will get easier.

4. Have patience for the grieving.

I owe so much to my friends for helping me get through the toughest time in my life. There are
a few people who stayed by my side through my bad days, when I felt like no one cared about me.
Some of them invited themselves over and literally had to drag me out of the house to pull me out
of my negative mood. They didn't give me any other option and I'm so glad they did because it really
helped. When I was feeling down and sorry for myself, they didn't get annoyed, they understood.
They were here for me to talk to. They were genuinely concerned when I was upset. It was exactly
what I needed and I am so glad I had them here for me. The emotional rollercoaster has slowed
down now and I know its easier to be my friend when I'm not crazy moody, crying and sleeping
all the time. But the fact that they were my friend regardless means so much to me! If someone
you know is grieving and going through the ups and downs, just be there for them. Even if they act
like they don't need or want you there, they do and they will appreciate it later.

5. That "new normal" is a real thing.
For a while I was really feeling guilty about moving out of the shocked/depressed phase. I didn't
want to ever be "ok" with the fact that my best friend died. That her kids have to grow up without
her. That she got robbed of life. People kept saying "You'll find a new normal" and all I could think
was "Ok but I dont want a new normal. I want my normal normal. I want her back." Its only been
in the past week or so that I've realized I now have a "new normal". I don't wake up in the morning
expecting to hear from her. I don't feel out of place when she's not showing up at my house at 9:30am
with the kids ready to hang out. I have a new routine. I've come to accept that it will never go back
to being that way and I've gotten used to life the way it is now. I think the most important part is that
I don't feel guilty about it. I did my fair share of mourning. She knew I loved her and I know I
always will. All she wanted for me was to be happy and she would hate knowing that she was
the cause of so much pain. Just because it is getting easier doesn't mean I don't miss her or think
about her all the freaking time. I would give anything to have her back. But remembering her
is a lot less heart-wrenching and I know now that I am going to be ok.

In spirit of my beautiful Sam and our Cali lovin' thug life together...

HUGE Military Family Giveaway & Getaway!!

Let me start off by saying that, as a Marine Wife, it touches

my heart whenever offers like this present themselves to our community.

It takes a very special person to hack a life in the military and its even more

honorable when there are children involved. You can't truly understand unless
you've been there.

My husband was deployed to Iraq while I was pregnant with our first baby. He
missed the entire pregnancy but luckily got home just a few short weeks before
she was born. He was in a nondeployable position when I had our second baby but
was training when I went into labor and I couldn't get a hold of him! He made
it to the hospital just in time. In 2011 I gave birth to our third baby while he was half
a world away. He met her when she was 6 weeks old. This past May we concluded
yet another deployment where my three babies were without their dad for 6 months.

Our story is so "normal" in this lifestyle. There are many other families facing

even greater hardships and trying to survive deployments while raising kids.

If you know a military mom or dad whose spouse is overseas, and you feel that

they are deserving of this amazing opporunity, please follow the directions below

to nominate them!

Thank you, Plush Little Baby, for showing your support to us military families!

http://www.plushlittlebaby.com/plbs-ultimate-military-family-giveaway-getaway/

The Television Post

I've noticed lots of bloggers posting about their favorite shows.

I figured I'd throw mine into the mix because I know you care!

I'm a TV Junkie and I fully admit that!

The only problem I have is keeping up with the current episodes.

I don't have a lot of time and can only watch one or two shows after

the kids go to bed. I also start some shows really late,

after I hear everyone else's reviews.

My poor DVR can hardly keep up with my habits.

So here a few shows in my current rotation...

First and foremost is Big Brother Season 15! My favorite show ever.

I've been a BB fan since the beginning and I never miss an episode.

This is probably the only show that I stay current with and actually watch

when its on. If you've never seen it, I recommend it! Some people think its

trashy, there are some cat fights along the way, but what do you expect with

that many people living a secluded life in the same house. It is a game though

and there is strategy involved. This season is coming to an end but be sure to

catch it next summer!

My favorites have switched throughout this season. At first I was a big fan of

McCrae but I despise Amanda. She is a control freak and just intimidates people

into doing what she wants. She can't win a competition to save her life. She is

still getting far in this game, which I give her kudos for, but I don't like her. So

since McCrae has fallen in love with Amanda, I can't root for him anymore. Last

night's episode has got me on Team Elissa and Judd. I was so annoyed that Elissa

was Rachel's sister, and I couldn't stand her for the longest time, but I've slowly

learned that she is way cooler than her sister and although I don't want her to win,

I'm hoping she can create a nice little alliance and take some other people to the end.

I was a big fan of Helen and I was sad to see her go. I felt like she really knew how

to play the game and did it with class. She was so smart! I was rooting for her to

be the retuning juror but I was glad to see Judd come back too. I hope he makes

some big moves this time and doesn't just sit idle the way he was before!

I hope Amanda gets backdoored this week.

That sounds dirty, you have to be a fan of BB to know what that really means.

 Oh I am a hugggge RHOC fan!!!! Its the only housewives show that I follow with a

passion but I LOVE them! I missed the first couple of seasons but I think I started

regularly following it in 2009. It was around the time Gretchen's fiance Jeff passed away.

I'm not totally caught up on this season yet though, I'm a few episodes behind.

My favorite housewife is Heather. I feel like she is everything I want to be! Rich,

successful, down to earth, a good mom, and the peacekeeper in the group. She doesn't

like drama but is very straightforward when somebody else is causing problems. She's

modest and professional and so very classy. Her husband is a plastic surgeon with a great

sense of humor and she's got 4 little kids running around her insanely gorgeous mansion.

Tamra and Gretchen have been long time favorites of mine too. I think they are so funny

but their personalities are completely opposite of mine, which is probably why I like them.

They seem like they would be really fun to hang out with and laugh at as I sit back and

watch. Vicki isn't my favorite housewife, but she is entertaining! And I feel a connection

with her story because of her daughter. I love her daughter, Briana, who recently married

a Marine and had a baby boy. I obviously feel like I can relate to her. In the episode I'm

currently watching, her husband is training here at 29 Palms and she visits him 3-4 times

a week. Yes, I am secretly hoping I will run into her some day. I will keep my eyes peeled!

I really like the new housewife, Lydia. She's so sweet and cute and kind of hippie-ish. She's

all about peace and love and also stays out of the drama of the group. She just wants everyone

to be friends and have fun! The only housewife I don't care for is Alexis. I hope its just the way

the show portrays her, but I can't stand her!

Hubby and I have jumped on The Walking Dead bandwagon! Better late than never!

We are almost done with season 2 on Netflix. I had ALL of season 3 recorded on my DVR

but it apparently got deleted because of 16 hours of X-Games that decided to take control.

We are big fans of this show and if you haven't seen it, you need to! There was tons of talk about

it so we decided to give it a try. The first episode didn't have me totally convinced. But 3 to 4

episodes in and we were hooked. It just keeps getting better and better.

The episode we are on, the group is still living on Hershel's ranch. Shane is still around

(I heard he dies??? Don't tell me!!) and he drives me crazy. That guy is a loose canon, it wouldn't

surprise me if they throw him to the Walkers for bait. The little boy, Carl, is starting to get a little

too confident with his little boy self and he's starting to make me nervous. We have one episode left

of this season and I'm sure its gonna be a good one.

Premiering tonight is Teen Mom 3! This is another show I have followed since the very

beginning. I've watched all of the 16 and Pregnant seasons and have followed Teen Mom

religiously. I'm super excited about this new group of girls.

Speaking of Teen Mom, wtf has happened to Farrah. Does anyone keep up with her? She is

losing her marbles. I'm totally not a fan. I'm also not a fan of Jenelle, she needs to figure

herself out. I do, however, want to be Macy's best friend. I love her and I think she's doing

things right. Catelynn and Tyler also have a special place in my heart. I wish them nothing

but the best! I'm excited to get to know this new group of girls and stalk their lives :)