An Award...And a walk back memory lane

I just am in a bloggy fog this week. Between the rainy weather, a headache yesterday, hormones and, well, Election Day...I've been in... hey, I've just made us up a new phrase: Blog Fog. So, when I saw that I was given this award from e-mom over at Chrysalis, I felt so blessed.

If you haven't stopped by there yet, you're in for a treat. She always brings up such fascinating topics and has such words of wisdom from the Word. She is also our "home base" host for the monthly "Marriage Monday"! Thank you so much, e-mom!

Here are the rules:


1. Only five people are allowed.
2. Four have to be dedicated followers of your blog.
3. One has to be a new follower of your blog, or live in another part of the world.

So, though it's hard to narrow this down to five, but this time, I'm choosing:

1. Mamaology
2. Susie's Space
3. Country Girl at Home
4. Dawn Writes
and a new friend,
5. Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

And here's a meme while I'm at it...

I'm not exactly sure if I did this one already a long time ago...but then, I'm in a Blog Fog and all... so I'll go ahead anyway:

Where Were You?

20 Years ago:



I was working as a preschool\ day care teacher and absolutely loving it, while living with my mom.
Dating now and then, but not a lot.
I had just lost my father in June of that year, so still grieving and helping my mom through her grief.

15 Years ago:

Just met the man I would marry and we were in the process of falling in love!
Yep, things were pretty exciting for me 15 years ago this fall...

10 Years ago:



It was in in this month of November- ten years ago- that my husband and I found out we were expecting our first child!
I remember though we had prayed and planned exactly for this, some nervousness was mingled with our excitement. My husband had just left the Navy and was still seeking employment. Not to mention, first time parent jitters!
But we were praying and trusting God, and very thrilled over it all.
Although my mom already knew, we announced the news at our big Thanksgiving gathering.

5 years ago:

Well, this gives my age away, but I was 40! Knowing I've always loved nostalgia and the 1940's era, my husband gave me a 1940's birthday bash and it was truly one of the best birthdays I've ever had!
(He even wore his sailor uniform!)


And hitting this milestone was also made easier because I was still nursing my second baby, who was nine months old. You just can't feel over the hill when you're nursing a baby, somehow!

One Year ago:

Well, pretty much exactly what I'm doing right now. Homeschooling my girls, attending the same church, and trying to keep the socks in the laundry from multiplying faster than bunnies.

And like last year, I'm trying to be the woman God wants me to be, sometimes falling short but glad He still loves me...and working on relaxing and appreciating all those "little moments" in life.


If you would like to do this meme, especially if you find yourself in a BLOG FOG...please do...I tag YOU!
And feel free to take my new, hip phrase I've invented because I know it will be sweeping blogland in no time!

Blessings!

Half a Meme!

It's already Monday afternoon, and the girls and I have been having a lazy day. I guess because last Friday was our last day of home school for awhile...we're taking all of the rest of June off! And because we had a full weekend, my head is a bit foggy today... So I thought what better time than to borrow this meme that has been floating around lately! Only...since this is a long one, I'll only start with HALF of it... I did this once before. Because after all, Half a meme is better than none! ;)

The No-Name Meme (Actually, it should be called "Have you Ever"!)

In your entire life, have you ever...

Gone on a blind date? Well, since I met my husband on a blind date, then I guess I'm going to have to answer a resounding YES!

(Hubby and I during our engagement period...)

Skipped school? Well, not actually went and then skipped off somewhere else...but I talked myself into being sick more times than I can count, during a particularly hard year.

Watched someone die? Sadly, I was at home when my dad passed away and was I the one to call 911...he had complications due to kidney disease and following surgery. I was 25 and living back at home....a very, very traumatic time.

Been to Canada? Yes, one time at age 16 with my youth group. Had a crush on one of the boys but, alas, he ignored me on this trip...

(Yep, that was him on the end, right side. He did like me sometimes, just not in Canada...)

Been to Mexico? Yes, one time again!
With my family when I was 22, on our second California trip, we crossed over with my parents' friends to Tijuana...
Now, most people can't stand this city, but I thought it was it was magical being there in the evening and hearing the melodies of Spanish singers with their guitars drift through the night air and watching my mom try her hand at haggling a price for a leather purse...OK, I had led a sheltered life, but it was all very exciting!

Been to Florida? Never...but it's on my list of places I hope to visit!

Been on a plane? Yep...but I only fly when I have to. Not my favorite thing!

Been lost? I've been lost several times just driving in the city...and it's not very fun! But this year we now have one of those magical GPA's ...ours has a British accent. Sometimes her voice seems a bit testy if we don't follow her exact directions to a tee.

Been on the opposite side of the country? I was for the very first time, when ten days after my wedding, I was on a long plane trip from the west coast to the east...all by myself!
You see, my very new hubby had to fly back after we had only spent one night together in order to check in (he was in the Navy) and to find us an apartment in Virginia where we'd now be living. I had never, ever been out of the west so it was very much a new adventure in more ways than one!

Gone to Washington? As in D.C.? Yes, during our three years living in Virginia, we visited a lot of places on the east, and were in D.C. I think three times. But at each time, however, were we able to tour the White House, something I really had hoped to do!
But the highlight was spending the a 4th of July there, and sitting on a blanket on a hill, watching the fireworks show over the nation's capital!

Swam in the ocean? The first time I actually ever "swam" rather than just "waded" in the ocean was on our 10th anniversary trip to Hawaii. It was our first time there, and being use to the chilly waters of the Northwest, I just relished the feel of the warm, tropical ocean!



Had your booze taken away by the cops? Um, no!

Lettered in a high school sport? I went to a small private school...no lettering there even for the jocks (which I was not one of!)

Cried yourself to sleep? Many times...

Played cops and robbers? Possibly...but not usually!

I did, however, end up playing "Army" with my nephew, R. who was three years younger than me. (He and his family are the ones I posted about visited in San Diego this year.) I remember being talked into hiding in a grassy field by our house while he tried to ambush me and my invisible troops. Sigh...what indignities for a 13 yr old girl to endure...

Played dolls? Always!
I had so many dolls, but here is a picture of my very favorite, Puddin', a life size Madame Alexander baby doll which I featured one time on Show and Tell...


So, I'll think I'll stop right there for now! Whew!

Blessings!

Half a Meme is better than none

I saw this meme visiting a couple friends' blogs recently, and thought it looked fun. But I only have time to do the first half...I'll try to get to the second half next week!

What I was doing ten years ago...

Let's see...I think I was enjoying Fleet Week with my sailor husband in the Big Apple!
We had been married two years, and were stationed in Virginia for the duration of his Navy days. He was constantly going what are called "work ups"...short little times at sea, in between the long, agonizing deployments (which lasted five or six months).

This time it was only about a week, though...and some of the wives were getting together and flying up to meet with the ship after it docked in the N.Y. harbor for the 1997 Fleet Week. And needless to say, we were excited!

More of the story, if you haven't read it already, can be found here....complete with "celebrity sighting"!

Ten years ago seems like a different life...living in a new part of the country was a big adventure for me.
So was being married after being single throughout all my twenties. But it was hard to have my new husband away so much.

However, the biggest change from then to now was that we weren't yet parents.
It's hard now for me to fathom not knowing and loving my two girls...but then, I think I already did love them back then... a tiny part of my pre-motherly heart must have known them already.

One year ago....

That's easy. I was pretty much doing what I am doing now!
Getting ready for my oldest's daughter's birthday...
enjoying a loosening in the home school schedule for the summer...
and I had just started to discover the wonderful world of blogging.

Only difference was that we didn't have our pup, Mandy yet...she wasn't even born! (Nor did we have our many holes in the backyard and chewed up belongings...)
And we were going to a different church back then...
Oh, I hadn't learned yet that Maui was not the dream destination that our family must move to...

Other than that, I feel as though the last year went by at lightening speed...but I'm thankful for God being with us, protecting us, and guiding us throughout all this time...both our year- and the decade.

If anyone hasn't done this one, feel free and let me know so I can come read!

~~~~~~~~

Tomorrow we're heading to see my mom for the day. We haven't actually seen her since my sister in law's wedding in May, and we plan on picking cherries off her trees and riding a nearby carousel. (And I think that my 80 year old mom will be riding it, too!)

Blessings!