love notes...#2

To my wonderful husband...I love you and I miss you tons.  I am so glad you have internet now so we can actually talk again on Skype.  I wish I had the word miss so I could say that I missed your kisses, but I am sure you know that. 

 

Last night Becky and my mom came over and we had a girls night.  It was a lot of fun and we stayed up too late playing Phase 10 and Mexican train.  We had fajitas for dinner and then angel food cake and fruit for dessert...it was all delicious.  Or it would have been anyway if I could taste it...darn cold!  After dinner we did some Zumba and then started playing the games and I tell you...the later it gets, the funnier everything is.  At one point I was almost crying from laughing so hard over something my mom said about an M&M she was eating.  If I told you what it was you would think we were incredibly foolish...but it was funny! 
It's too bad Laura and Beth were not able to make it, but we decided that we are going to try to do this at least every other month for awhile so hopefully they will be able to make it to the next one.  Next time maybe involve some crafting too!

Last night turned out to be the second night in a row that I got nowhere near enough sleep.  I finally caved to the Twilight obsession and Friday night I bought the second book (New Moon)...and then proceeded to stay up until 5am reading the darn thing!!  It was very good though...so much better than the book I was trying to read before that.  I had been working on Sense and Sensibility for about a week and I just could not get into it.  I had such a hard time following the language and phrases that they use.  I just don't think I could ever be a Jane Austen fan.  

Last week I bought a coffee table, a sofa table, 3 lamps, and some candelholders from one of Theresa's neighbors and I love the way it all looks.  My living room is starting to look complete...well, aside from window coverings and stuf on the walls :)  These are just some pics that I took this morning of my living room. 

I love the tables and before I bought them I thought they would go okay with the colors in my living room.  I got them home and the tile colors in the table go *great* with my rug so I was (and still am) quite happy!  The best part is I got the tables, the lamps, the candle holders, a desk chair,and a couple other small things fo only about $105!  Sure as hell can't beat that price!!

I still need to cover my pink chairs with something else so it looks like they actually belong in that room, but that's a project for another day. 

My project for today is to organize one of our unused bedroom because it is full of Michael's army totes and the mess he left while packing for Kuwait.  After I straighten up in there I am going to make it a mess again because I am going to start going through my boxes for a garage sale and organize it in there for now.  I have been putting stuff in boxes for a garage sale for abt 5 years and I have absolutely no idea what is in most of the boxes anymore! 

I should get off of here now, grab some lunch, and start working so that's all for now.

Lis

What's Valentine's Day without a song...

Yesterday was the first Valentine's Day in a while that I haven't gotten a Singing Valentine, usually with Michael in the quartet.  This year would have been the fifth year in a row...kind of sad.  I know Michael is kind of sad also that it didn't happen but I understand that he was right in the middle of transitioning overseas.

I think I actually wrote a bit about this last Valentine's Day also but oh well.  Our very first Valentine's Day together he did not sing for me (prob because I wasn't working at the time so he could not have it sent to my work).  Every year since though I have received a singing valentine and in 2008 when he was in Iraq he still had one sent...he just didn't get to be in it. 

That's really all I have to say right now...not feeling too chatty...

Lis

A week apart...

During my first week of no Michael I...

1.  didn't wash a single dish

2.  stayed up too late every night watching movies or playing Wii

3.  audited lots of files at work

4.  bought a workout dvd that I think will actually be fun

5.  ate entirely too much ice cream

6.  watched the opening ceremony of the Olympics and realized a need a current geography lesson

7.  tried to buy Carrie Underwood tickets but was unable too because they sold out too fast

8.  have spent over $100 at the thrift store...I bought a bench last saturday and a desk this saturday

So those are the highlights of my week...

I got home about an hour ago after meeting Laura in town.  We went to Vendormart where I purchased the desk I mentioned above.  It actually would not fit in the car I had today so I am going back to get it tomorrow or Monday in Michael's truck. 

Laura and I as we were leaving the thrift store













In addition to Vendormart, we had lunch at Olive Garden (only because I had a gift certificate to use...I am not a huge fan of the place) and we went and got groceries.  I am actually quite tired now and don't feel like doing anything else...so I don't think I will.  I think I might watch a movie and call it an early night, then tomorrow get up and be productive.  I have lots of dishes to wash and laundry to do, among the other things I actually want to do like work on my scrapbook, straighten up the office, and go pick up my desk.  :)

Lis

love notes...

Just dropping a little love note to my dear husband overseas...

I love you tons and I look foward to the day you can hold me in your arms once more. <3<3<3

To the rest of my viewers ;)

During my 4 month hiatus from blogging Michael did something very sweet.  He left the beginning of December for about 3 weeks of pre-deployment training and surprisingly had an opportunity to come home for half a day about one week in.  I was actually out of town that weekend (my mom, Laura, Becky, and I went to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra in St. Louis) so I didn't get to see him.  I arrived home on Sunday to an empty house, but I saw that he had left me a note on the table.  When I looked at the note all it said was that he loved me and missed me...sweet right?  Well, I went into the bedroom and found another one on the bed...shorter note...just said I Love You! real big on a full size sheet of notebook paper.  That made me curious so I went on a hunt and found a different note (each written really big on a full size sheet of paper) in every room of the house.  None of them said much...Love You!, Mwwhhhaa!, I will miss you!,and one said nothing it just had a big heart drawn on the page. It was very sweet and it made me laugh at a time that I originally wanted to cry.  I don't remember how many notes there were total, but I found one a couple days later laying on the dryer and another one a while later stuffed in one of my drawers in the closet. 

Whenever Michael comes into my work, the receptionist always, always makes a comment about what a nice and sweet young man I have.  Usually, I just agree with her and make a joke about how he has his moments but honestly, I agree with her 100%!

Michael sent me an email this moring telling me he has now arrived in Kuwait.  Not sure why but it brought tears to my ears, which is irritaing at work.  I should be happy that he arrived safe so I don't know what that was all about.  I feel like I am on the verge or crying alot lately.  I guess it will just take some more time to adjust. 

I am sitting here right now with my computer on and signed into Skype...not really sure why.  I guess just in case, but it is almost 5am there and I am pretty sure he is still sleeping...at least I hope so. 

I guess that's about all for now.  It is about 8pm and I need to get some things done around the house (key phrase there being need to...not want to).

Lis

Goals for deployment...

Hello all...
I mentioned the other day that I was going to set some goals for myself while Michael is over playing in the sandbox.  No specifics...just ten general ideas to think about and follow while he is gone.


1.  Get organized/Eliminate clutter
2.  Keep my blog updated
3.  Achieve a healthier weight
4.  Go to church regularly
5.  Do more thrift shopping
6.  Save money
7.  Work on scrapbook and other crafts
8.  Help my mom with the garden and food storage
9.  Read more
10.  Take advantage of opportunities to spend time with family and friends


Hopefully these things will help the time pass more quickly and improve our life when he does return!


Thats all for now...think I am going to go play some Wii...


Lis

shhh....

ok, so I am sitting at work right now but I have done so much auditing that I am taking a little break. . . I am trusting you not to tell anyone. . .so shhh!

Michael called me on my way to work this morning to tell me I wouldn't be hearing from him for about a week or so...which I expected but still not what I wanted to hear this morning. 

On a more positive note, I finally beat a level in Super Mario Brothers.Wii that I have been working on for a while.  Some of you may think no big deal, but I am not much of a video game person and I never really played Mario Brothers when I was younger so it was quite an accomplishment for me.  I am actually quite bad at the game but slowly getting better. 

Also, I do miss Michael but having the bed all to myself is oh so nice! *smile*

I guess that's all the random info I have for now and I should get back to work. 

Lis

Pictures as promised..

Well lets start with my new computer that I got about a week ago.  I am so excited to have a new computer because my laptop was just starting to have way too many problems!  It is an all-in-one so there is no separate cpu which is actually really nice.  Everything is in the monitor and then it has a wireless keyboard and a wireless mouse.  I still don't have it moved upstairs but I did get a lot of my stuff transferred over to it today! 

Next we have pictures from Michael's Departure Ceremony.  There were tons of peope there and I tried not to cry at all, but it just didn't work.  I held it together fairly well until they let everyone go have 5 minutes with family before loading up on the bus.  While hugging Michael right then is when it hit me the most that day.  I think the hardest part is seeing other people's family members crying, especially the kids.  It's heartbreaking.

I love this boy!!

Michael and his mom saying goodbye

Loading up the bus and waving goodbye.

In some ways I am looking forward to the next year and in other ways I am not at all. I am hoping to get a lot done around the house and lots of scrapbooking done while he is gone, but it will be lonely without him here.  I am actually working on some goals for stuff I want to get done while he is gone.  None of them are very specific, just generalized ideas about stuff I want to do or work on...so I will post them once I have them figured out.  Hopefully staying busy will help the time go by more quickly! 

Onto the next picture topic. . .as I mentioned in the last post I went for a little retail therapy after he left. I didn't really spend a ton, but it did make me feel better :)

Before shopping, Michael's mom and I actually went and had a delicious lunch at Panera...potato soup and asiago roast beef sandwhich...Yummy!!  These are my purchases from the thrift store....crystal fruit bowl, green tupperware bowl, valentines magnets, and a wooden storage bench. 

 

I am actually the most excited about the wooden storage bench because I have been thinking about one of these since we moved in to put in the living room to contain all the Wii stuff.  I am going to finish it differently and then put a cushion on it with some cute fabric that matches my living room rugs.  The next picture is the storage bench already getting put to use...yay!!

After the thrift store Theresa headed home and I went to Target to buy my nephew a birthday present and maybe buy myself something.  I did buy him a cute little bathtub toy shaving kit. . . and I bought myself a couple somethings.  I am not one of those people that can spend $100 on a purse. . . I don't think I have ever spent over $50 on one, but a new purse always makes the day a little brighter...especially if its shiny!!

In addition to the purse I bough myself a cookbook rack.  I have cooked for a long time and never really wanted one of these until about a month ago...but since then I have seriously desired one!  Today was apparently the day to give in to that desire...at least it was only $15 because I have a lot of other desires that are going to cost more than that!!  Isn't it cute though...and it looks so good with a cookbook on.  ;)

While leaving Target I remembered that I had a Starbucks gift card in my wallet...so yay for a Mocha Frappachino!

Lets see...what else do we have...oh yeah, the birthday party that I had to buy the gift for.  After I left Target I headed out to Laura's house where I helped her do a little prep for the party...after I switched everything over to my new purse of course! 

Slowly everyone arrived and then the chaos that is our family began!  This is just some pictures that I took throughout the evening...mostly focusing on the kiddos!  I can tell you one thing, I forgot how much kids love balloons but last night was definitely a reminder.  I got all the kids into a picture except Trey...he wasn't interested but when I saw how he was wearing his safety goggles I had to take a pic and he was all smiles!

The birthday boy with the gift I got him.  Laura has no idea where this cheesy smile that almost looks like a snarl comes from.  He will smile normally unposed but if you tell him to smile this is what you get!

Then this last picture of Shane I think he is trying to do as he is told and let Cole open his own presents but I think it is getting to the point that he can't just stand back and watch any longer...the excitement is just too great!  All of these kids are so amusing!!

Well. . .I think that's all for now.  While typing this post I have discovered that my new wireless keyboard is not as fantastic as I had hoped...it keeps skipping letters because I type too fast for it.  With that being said, I think I have caught all the missed letters but if there is a typo somewhere...deal with it!  This next sentence I am just going to type normal and see how much my keyboard misses. 

I think I am going to go watch a movie now since I don't have a care in the world about the Superbowl, ad all of the commecials tha I might wat to see will probabl be available onlne tomorrow!

Yeah, so I think I am going to have to get a different keyboard because six errors in one sentence is pretty bad....

That's all for now.  Michael if you are reading this I love you and I miss you tons!

Lis

Long Day. . .

I just got home from Becky's house after a long Saturday away from home. The day started with Michael's deployment ceremony and saying goodbye (there were tons of people there!) followed by lunch at Panera with him mom and some retail therapy! We actually went thrifting and then I went to Target so I didn't spend anywhere near as much as I easily could have! I got a few things at the thrift store and a new purse at Target. . .yay for new purses!! The south side of town was absolutely packed so I was glad to head to Laura's for Coles's 3rd birthday party. We had little mini pizzas and some delicious buffalo chicken dip, among other things. I had a lot of fun playing with the kids and the balloons Laura and Shawn had in the house. After several hours there I headed over the Becky's where I copied some pictures from her and helped her with her math homework. Holy crap I don't miss algebra, especially not word problems! That's really all I have to say for now. I will probably be back tomorrow (actually later today since it is already Sunday) with pictures from everything that happened today.

Michael if you are reading this, I love you and I am going to miss you lots!!

Lis

I am not ready to say goodbye...

Tonight is the last evening that Michael and I have to spend together. His deployment ceremony is tomorrow at 10 am and then its goodbye for now.

I got up this morning to help him get most of his stuff loaded up in the truck and now I want to go back to sleep. Unfortunately, I do have to work 1 to 5 today and my house is a mess so I should get some straightening up done.

Lis