Christmas Caroling

Tonight for Young Mens and Young Womens we teamed up with the Relief Society and Missionaries and went to The Heritage House to deliver treats, stockings, and sing Christmas Carols.  We stuffed the stockings first before heading over there.  One of my friends embroiders their names on the stockings so each resident gets a stocking with their name on it. Ty and Ryan did a great job taking stockings to the different individuals and we would all sing whatever song they requested. It was a fun evening.  When we were getting ready to leave Ryan said, "I feel like i just did the most awesome thing in the whole wide world! They were sooo happy to have us there and that makes me feel sooo good inside! Oh, and Mom, you can scratch everything off my Christmas list. We already have so much.  Just that one video game and nothing else." Yep, nothing feels better than showing your love to others. 

Bella The Elf

Bella is getting in the Christmas spirit with her Elf hat!!! She is pretending she doesn't like it!!! She is a good pretender!!!

Soy Sauce, Chocolate Chip Chicken, Leaf Raking

Tonight the kids were just extra funny!!!  I called everyone to dinner. Ty asked what was for dinner and i told him orange chicken and rice. He jumped out of his chair yelling, "Soy Sauce!!!" But in this totally funny Asian accent.  I still can't believe i took a picture that fast of him yelling this over and over again!!!

Somehow the Santa Cookie plate ended up at someones place setting....

Ty couldn't wait to put soy sauce on his rice!!!

Somehow a tin of cookies got passed around the table during dinner....Ty

looked at the tin of cookies and asked, "Is this chicken with chocolate

chips?" We all busted out laughing and said YES!!! It was hilarious!!

After dinner Ryan decided he wanted to dive into a pile of leaves and so he began raking leaves.  I was teasing him about making sure he didn't rake any dog poo into his leaves and he reassured me he was being extra cautious on dog poo!!!

When Ryan wasn't looking Ty his one of his guns in the pile as he was teasing his Dad while Ryan was raking and he wanted to be prepared when his Dad finally chased him down....

Ryan finally got tired of Ty bothering his leaf pile.....Ty might be chased down by everyone tonight!! He might want to break out a bottle of his "Soy Sauce!!!"

December 1st Skip-Bo

A Marine at 7 AM a Civilian at 2:45 PM

Jasper Had To Go Outside!

The Dude (not in) Cammies had to bring all his gear inside so he could do the ‘home from deployment ritual’ of going thru everything that made it home with him and matching those items with the inventory sheet of everything Supply issued out to him to take to the Battlefields.  The best way to do this is to FIRST, spread it all over the living room floor.  Well, Jasper was NOT happy with this at all!  The poor dog began to get VERY agitated and I think might have been on the verge of a Panic Attack! We had to put him outside…..he was just going a little crazy!!! Next, The Dude calls out an item on the list and the boys find it.  This is everything from magazine holders to grenade things to flashlights!  Yes, our kids are quite good at this kind of thing, like all good Military Brats are!  Thank goodness the weapons are turned in prior to us even picking him up! Ed makes sure it matches up and then the kids move the item to a new pile in the hall.  We eventually end up with a giant mountain of gear! Then it is all miraculously stuffed back into a pack and bag! Again, it has been another Deployment Inventory where everything is accounted for! He knew he was missing a shirt when he got home and so he ordered one online as they are not available to purchase around here and that was able to be put in the mountain of gear prior to being stuffed back in a pack! After everything was packed back up and sitting by the kitchen waiting to be loaded in the jeep in the morning Tank came sauntering in and jumped on the pack and bag. Um, yep, Tank was taken off the gear and Ed immediately put everything in the garage! Tank is NOTORIOUS for spraying The dude in Cammies packs. I think it is his way of saying “I don’t want you to go, but if you must, well your gear is safe from anyone coming near it!!!”  

Santa's List

I just couldn’t stop laughing when I came into the living room and saw Mr. Hottie on the couch with his Inventory List.  I asked him if he was going over his Naughty or Nice list.  He didn’t see the humor……but than nothing is humorous when he is going over gear issued over a year ago, especially stuff he never uses because like all good Marines, he has his OWN stuff he prefers but he still has to leave with it, keep track of it in a hostile, crazy, dirty, and dangerous environment and hope to return with it all, because we all know that gear issued costs a million times more than gear you can buy!!!! It is also frustrating because NOTHING is supposed to break during the year on the Battlefield and somehow be in great condition to turn in.  The Government thinks you go to the Battlefields and sit the whole time in a clean perfect weather environment I s’pose…..these people that decide what gear should look like on return need to actually wear the stuff for atleast 6 months out in the elements. Just an idea….but like all good ideas for the military it will never be utilized…..sigh……sooooo, anyways, he was not finding any humor…..but I still laughed……hahahahahahahahahaha!!! And, when all was said and done everything was there, some stuff still in their original packages.

 

Tank & Santa Hats

Tank sends his Christmas Greetings to everyone!!! Although, he is NOT thrilled to send them wearing a Santa hat!!!  But i think he looks great in it!!! 

The Tree Has Shrunk!

Part of tonights conversations....

Vicki: Our tree shrunk...

Ed: No, it's the same size.

Vicki: Nope, it has shrunk! It was taller...

Ty: Yes, it used to be a LOT taller

Me: Nope, same size as the last 11 years, I still need a chair to put lights on it. YOU guys have grown!!!!

Vicki and Ty: Ohhhhh

In the garage Ty picks up a baseball and is going on and on about how small it is.....I tell him it's the same size just his hand has grown. He doesn't believe me and goes in the house to check with his Dad. Ed tells him it's league size, just his hand has gotten bigger! Ty says, "Ohhhh"

I'm like ohhhhh no!!! They are all growing up too fast!!!!

Egg Nog French Toast

One of my favorite breakfasts this morning!!! Egg Nog French Toast!

Plank Faces

I plank.... I don't like to plank....I think my expressions relay that....

 

Groomed & Ready!

Jasper is ready for his Daddy to come home!!!! 

Finally Got a Smile!

It's Cold Again...

Ty is 14

Guess who is 14?!!! Wow!!! Ty is!!! All he wanted was a Chocolate Cream Pie and this gun with an awesome scope.  He was a very happy Birthday Boy!!! He chose IHOP for his Birthday dinner and than we saw his choice of the movie Thor, and than we came home for his Birthday Pie! It has been a fantabulous day!!!

Thor

Waiting to see Thor.....Ty wanted to see this for his birthday today!!! Sounds good to me!!!

Thor did not disappoint!!! It was great! There will be another one!!! Yay!!!

Not Needed Anymore

The Dude in Cammies started unpacking his gear.....he handed me this and said, "I won't be needing to carry this on me at all times anymore." I joked and said, "You might want to hang on to that with the way our country is headed....."

Marine to Lumber Jack

The Dude in Cammies dropped me off at work this morning......7 1/2 hours later a Lumber Jack arrives to pick me up from work!  Love this guy!

Carpooling a year Later

I got to carpool with The Dude in Cammies this morning!!!  Of course i had to leave like 40 minutes earlier than normal as HE like to be at everything an hour early and i slide in with about 8 seconds to spare!!! I didn't talk too much and i bit my tongue even though i wanted to tell him what lane to be in and such.....I do drive this every day and know the best spot to be in......but i let him do his own way and Vicki gave a few backseat tips.  Vicki came with us so she can go with Ed. He likes having someone with him when he first gets back so he doesn't snap and go off on someone that happens to be being stupid!  Since we got on base early enough because we left soooo early The Dude in Cammies stopped at the Shoppette and Vicki and i got Hot Chocolates. YUM! I got one for him too with vanilla caramel. It was actually sad to say goodbye to him when he dropped me off in front of Lejeune High School. I took a picture of him and he only grumbled a little.  Vicki moved up to the front seat and i told her to take good care of him for me. She said no.  Ed and i both laughed. Now i am going to count down the hours until he picks me up.....    

He was really sad to drop me off. You can see it in his face....yep, he's gonna be counting down every moment 

Skip-Bo!

For activity tonight for FHE we decided to play Skip-Bo.  It is a family favorite and of course the dogs think they should play too!  Soo annoying as they think the object of the game is to walk thru the middle and knocking cards everywhere! We finally had to put Jasper and Leah out.  Leah was fine being outside, but Jasper gave us periodic barks to let us know he would like back in and to make sure we didn't forget about him! Bella enjoyed cuddling with Papa and making her rounds to all of us with a chunk of stinky fur to play tug-a-war with.  Ty won a VERY competitive game.  Well, everyone was competitive except Ed and i. Our kids get their competitiveness from their Grandma Mik i think......

Tourniquets and Family Home Evening

Tonight for Family Home Evening Ed thought we should all learn how to apply a tourniquet. He pulled the type of one that he uses when on the battlefields. Vicki cries out, "Is there blood on it?!"  Ed laughs while telling her that it is a brand new one he just took out of the wrapper and i am laughing telling her that those are NOT taken off until the injured person arrives at the medical facility, that Dad would never have a used one on him.  She let out a huge sigh of relief and than laughed at how dumb that would be to take it before they loaded up the wounded on the med evac.  The kids had fun practicing on each other. Ryan was scared Vicki was going to hurt him and was begging to not have Vicki eb the one to practice on him.  These kids are sooo funny.  But, Ed would tell them the injury and than they would apply the tourniquet where it needed to go.  He also showed them how they could use other things for a tourniquet. It was a fun FHE with lots of laughter and some learning involved.....

Silly Waiting Photos

While waiting for The Dude in Cammies the kids were being silly.  Here are just a few of the kids while waiting....

Last Night On The Bed

I told Jasper to enjoy tonight, as it will be his last night on the bed.  He looks to be a little sad....but i told him he will be sleeping with me again in about 9 weeks.....

Boots, Nails, & Dog Tags

Got my boots on, nails done, and The Dude in Cammies original dog tags! I am ready for the Deployed Spouses Ball

363rd Goodnight Picture!

I send The Dude in Cammies a good night picture every night before I go to bed.....this is the 363rd one!