Crazy world

I live in a society more concerned about lost animals (pets) than those lost from Jesus.

Time to face the reality

We're finishing up our third year homeschooling. The first year we used a set curriculum through My Father's World and added in English and math. After that I went with a more laid back curriculum because I felt MFW had too much fluff. With 6 kids, 4 school age we struggle to get through basic necessities (math, reading, english, science, and history) let alone anything fun I want to do with them.

I have been working on getting them on computer based programs to ease some of the workload for me, but it just has not worked out. I have looked into many programs and even tried a few. So this is my acceptance of the reality that I am not going to be able to get out of going through each subject with each child every day.

We will probably school through the end of May and possibly in to June. I have a five week course that I need to take some time in the next year in addition to my regular course I will be taking to finish my Sociology degree so if we take some of summer off I can probably get that class taken care of. This class also requires some volunteer work so if they are out of school maybe I can get more opportunities.

I have just under 12 months of school before finishing my degree. I am getting a little burnt out on writing papers since it is 1-2 papers a week for most classes. I will get my associate of arts degree in May as I transferred a class back from Grand Canyon to the community college I attended in the past. Associate degree this year and Bachelors next year. As much as I don't like writing papers I do enjoy being in school. Gives me a drive to learn something specific.

Much of the reason I do not blog often is my school and school for 4 kids and entertainment for 2 kids takes up all my time. So until I find another moment.

RV living is our new life

Someone said I should blog about our large family living in an RV, which I had considered, but was not sure when I would find time to do so. Well here we are. We moved in to our 32ft travel trailer on Monday.
We spent Monday loading it at the house, but while we were there we left some lights on and ended up killing the battery and blowing the fuses on the inverter. What is the inverter, well to me cause I'm not even sure that is what it is called it is the part that holds your whole ability to have functioning electricity without an alarm (that sounds like a smoke alarm) going off every time you use electricity. Well at first we just thought we had over used the electricity but it was dark and there wasn't much we could decide could fix it so the first night in the RV starting at about 5 AM every time the heat came on the alarm would sound. Well the kids slept through it until the 6:50 alarm when we were now all awake.
The other issue the first night was that Mason was very fussy and didn't sleep well. He slept with Tony and I the first night after trying to put him to bed with Zachary didn't work out. He was up every 30-60 minutes just fussing. Felt more like he was fighting for space. When Tony got up to go to work at 5 that morning I said he's sleeping somewhere alone tonight. Not sure how we'll work that out, but this doesn't work.
We are all woken by our electric alarm at 6:50 so I give in and decide we'll start our day, but remember I don't have full electricity. The water pump, the hot water heater, the heat all require it to function without the awful alarm. I give in to the alarm a bit because I need to have water to wash my hands so I can prepare breakfast AND COFFEE. Things that we plug in seem to work fine without setting off the alarm.
I make it through breakfast and Tony has to go to work as it is Day 1 of clearing days, but he's fighting the holidays during clearing as well. So I am going to be here at the RV with the kids and no working electricity. I do have a TV that works so we throw in a DVD. I decide it's a great time to test out the family shower rooms just one space over so I take Mason and Zander to shower with me.

Other than it being a cold room the shower is fine and Mason only touches the toilet a time or two.
Tony comes home and I make lunch and get Mason down for a nap while Tony works on repairing the electricity issue. I take Zander and Abbie for a walk around the RV park. Much to my displeasure when I return Mason is awake already. He slept maybe a whole 30 minutes, which he normally naps for 2-3 hours on a good night's sleep.
We pack up the stuff that needs to go back to the house and go back. We still have the house until the packers come on the 28th, but wanted to get all the kinks worked out in the RV before we moved in with no home option.
We do some laundry, grab things we've forgotten and then grab a snack and Tony takes the big boys to Karate. I come back to the RV and the water pump is on, but pumping nothing. I finally turn it off because it shouldn't run like that. I give it a bit and decide to wash dishes that didn't get washed at lunch because we had to turn off all electricity so Tony could work on the stuff. Well I get them all soaped up and then there is no more water. Nothing comes out of the sink with the pump off or on.
Now we have no water. I'm like what the heck?  Tony comes back trying to figure out the issue with the pump, but can't so he just hooks up the hose to the port that bypasses the pump and deliver water to the sink. Fine I can cook like this but we can't leave it because it leaks off the connection.

We make it through dinner like that and then just turn it off. The RV park has nice shower facilities so Tony takes the bigger 3 boys up for a shower while I get the little kids to bed.
Other than limited water for teeth brushing and taking out my contacts tonight with alarm free electricity is better than the last. We also decided to change sleeping arrangements.
In the back of the RV is a twin over full bunk, then a almost full size pull out couch and the table bed. In the front of the RV is a bedroom with a queen size bed maybe feels small compared to my now king bed we bought when we moved to El Paso.
Night 1 sleeping was Zavier in the top bunk, Zander and Abbie on the bottom full, Zayden on the table bed, and Zachary on the couch bed.
Night 2 sleeping was Zavier on the top bunk, Zander and Zachary on the bottom full, Zayden on the couch bed and Mason and Abbie on the couch bed sleeping the other way so that I could divide it with a bed railing so that Mase has his confined personal space.

Sleeping was much better. Mase got up once, nursed and went back to his personal space. And this  morning the water pump is working fine. We'll see what new adventures we can encounter today.

I joked with Tony yesterday that he was becoming quite the handy man as if he was preparing for us to buy a house one day.

Not just another field exercise...

After the accident that happened in the field in March 2015 to Capt. Jon Wynkoop no field exercise is the same for me, and I imagine many others who are in the field and spouses left behind. The Army Times released 2 articles about the incident. They took the time to get the reports and release them. These type of training exercises are becoming all to common. They are either short supplies or training for the mission to be completed safely or they are straight up doing something they have been advised against. 

Article 1 and Article 2

I pray for this family and the others who have faced similar experiences for our country. 

This is another family that grew up not far from where I grew up and again an accident took his life, left his wife a widow, and children fatherless. 

Navy accident

I pray that the next leadership we get to lead our country will take a moment and do what s/he can to make sure that money is not an issue for military training. They want military to be ready at a moment's notice to defend our country, which is their job, but let's equip them with the proper tools and training to stay safe during the training and then be ready to defend our country when needed. 

I know these two families are not the only two, but they are two who shouldn't have been in the dangerous situations they were in. 

Back to School...

Today was our first day back to school at Hannasch Homeschool Academy. ;)
Zander had his first official day of Kindergarten. He listened to devotion with everyone else, practiced reading some BOB books, and then played math bingo with the other boys. He also practiced writing a few words from the boys vocab work. He decided quickly he was done, but he did great for day 1. I think he prefers workbook pages so we'll have to aim for that a bit more.

Zavier had his first day of 3rd grade. He listened to our devotion, did his 5 vocab words, 2 daily skills worksheets, and then he and I took turns reading the first and second chapter of Pilgrim's Progress. He had a few moments of distraction, but quickly adjusted so that he could do what he wanted after school.

Zayden had his first day of 5th grade. He did his math, listened to devotion, did his 5 vocab words, and read 2 chapters from a book for school. He worked quickly so that he could go out and ride his bike.

Zachary had his first day of 7th grade. He did his math, listened to devotion, did his 5 vocab words, and read 4 chapters from Pilgrim's Progress. He says he wants to be in 8th grade, but we'll see how the 7th grade work goes.

Mason went above and beyond to get in to things while I was trying to teach and work with the big boys. I tried giving him things to play with that were fun, but after 30 seconds he was finished. However he's going to have to adapt to playing nicely and not being constantly destructive as this is the life he's going to grow up in.

Abbie wants to do preschool, which is great she's ready. I however am only one person and I want to make sure I'm working more one on one with the boys that in the past so that they stay focused and learn the materials they need to know.

We will receive the majority of our school books tomorrow and next week we will start full time school. The older boys made their own lunch and then played some games, before doing the activities they earned by listening and working quickly.

I am starting my 3rd class in college today. Feeling a bit burnt out going from one to the next with no break or down time. Beginning each class stresses me out a bit more because you have to learn the class requirements and get in a habit quickly to finish the 7 week course on time. However I got an extra grant for my schooling for $500 so this semester (3 classes/12 hours) will only cost $311 out of pocket which is a great blessing since we're living on one income.

Stitches for the baby.

My precious little baby had to get stitches today. He was playing in the bedroom so I could get some school work done and fell and hit his face on Abbie's bed. He bleed like crazy, so I quickly whisked him off to the ER where he got 3 inner and 5 out stitches. It was pure torture to hold him down while they stitched him up and it's going to leave a pretty bad scar. He however forgot about it right away and went back to being a rough and tumble toddler climbing and balancing atop things. This kid is going to be the worst one.

 He played climb the couch as a game,while he giggled and looked back at me. I have no idea how to prevent this short of removing the furniture from the house.

Memorial Day

This isn't a day that affects me too much. It is usually just another day I get to spend with my own soldier. However this year after a tragedy that struck close to home has changed it for me. I cannot stop thinking about a young mom here that lost her husband in March in a training exercise. She has been so strong on the outside through it all, I can't imagine her pain that she is going through daily. May God be with her today and everyday as she lives on with his memories. He was a good man, who loved his family, and was a very dedicated soldier. So today I'm spending it remembering him and his family after their storm.

Honestly though there are not many days that go by and she doesn't cross my mind in some way. Her husband was just "in the field" with in miles from his home. Due to carelessness he was killed just shortly before he was to return home.

As a field artillery wife when I send my husband to the field, I'm never prepared for the goodbye. Sometimes he leaves so early in the morning I don't know he's gone and I certainly don't say goodbye or kiss him goodbye. He's so close that I assume he's safe and will be home shortly. He's not in a war, he's not taking opposition fire. He's out training and using new equipment.

After this tragedy, his leaving is just not the same. I make sure to say bye and to kiss him. The loss for this spouse and her kids has affected me and I didn't even know him more than being at the same party once or twice. Field exercises are not the same for me and I don't think they are for Tony either. I'm not sure how much he knows I think about accidents happening in the field, but all the time.

This is her announcement that she posted on Facebook. I had already heard that soldier was killed, but I had no idea who it was.
"Ok. It is time I make the worst announcement of my life. My husband, U.S. Army Captain Jonathan Frederick Wynkoop was killed yesterday morning during an field training accident. I see all of your messages, I hear all of your love, but honestly. Honestly I can't process these messages. My head is fogged. I am weary. I am not alone, I have help as I am still in Texas, and I know that I can contact anyone for help as need be. I will be. I love you all, but really I loved Jon the most. He was my everything. He was such a great example as a husband, father, son, friend, and colleague. His legacy will live on."

I'm not really sure how to finish this, but today is a day for remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country. 

Took the plunge into a home bases business and I'm so excited

I really never thought I would be so excited and love a product so much that I would consider selling it. But I found it. I am so excited for these products. I just want to share them everywhere. I am hoping this will be a successful business for me.

So what do I sell now? Norwex. While I'm not big on doing presentations, I really really like the norwex line and the fact that all of it is safe for kids (and pets if I had them).

My products will start arriving this week and I can't wait to use the mop the most. It is so simple and doesn't have to be washed after every use. It also can be rinsed and reused over and over so that I know the floor will be so much cleaner.

It will also be easy to hand the kids a cloth have them go clean their chore room and then rinse and hang when done. It won't add extra laundry or trash for me to have to deal with later.

Here is my website and I would love to have you host a party for me, www.katiehannasch.norwex.biz

Zander's in Kindergarten

I am just so excited about this little guy and his learning. He is so bright and so driven to keep going and to learn new things. He's 4. He won't be 5 until August and he's doing so well. He's doing great in math and reading. He's doing regular math up to about 10 or 12.

I was so worried about teaching him because he's very particular about what he's doing and I was afraid it would be hard to get him to focus. It has been super easy. He sits down does a few pages and then goes on. Yesterday he was doing beginning sounds. Now we haven't really worked on that, but he is whizzing through it and getting the answers right. It is just amazing to me.

I am worried about keeping up with his drive and pushing him to excel without overworking his little 4 year old ability.

The thrill of being a military family

There is so much thrill for me being a military wife. I love moving. I love being in new homes, new places, seeing the country (world). We are hoping to come down on orders to our next location very soon and I'm so excited. We will for one be closer to family, but far enough that we aren't local. 

I am having a really hard time as my local BFF is preparing to leave El Paso. We hang out several times a week. Her child and one of my child are smitten with each other. They can spend hours together and never get bored of one another. They truly enjoy each other and I enjoy hanging out with my friend. Her leaving is one of the reasons I've been pressing to get out of here, despite how much I love El Paso. 

We had such a blast PCSing last time that I'm ready to spend that time with my husband and kids again. However we are taking a vacation this year and will spend about 10 days together traveling to and from vacation location. 

I'm trying to enjoy the life I've been given. Make my kids and my husband happy, while still doing things for myself. 

My time is over and a little one is screaming for his bed and milk. Off to tend to a blessing. 

Cuddles

Today little Mase climbed up on my lap. And just cuddled me. It's amazing how special your babies are when they do that. He finally fell asleep because that's how he used to go to sleep is cuddling. He's not quite 14 months, but he's a crazy busy little boy. He really is a blessing to our family. I'm so glad God gave him to us.

However during my cuddles today I realized that you never know when the last cuddle like that will be (and I don't mean due to death), but when your babies just out grow it and it will never happen again.

I think it hit me because a few months ago Tony was in the field for an exercise and I asked Zach to sleep with me. He said he would lay there until I fell asleep, but he was too big to sleep with me. Where the heck did time go? He's 12 and won't sleep with him mom (and Mase).

Parenting really is one of the most special and amazing times in your life. If nothing else I have been so blessed to get to parent all 6 of these kiddos. They really are my favorite kids.

Hug and cuddle your babies because they are only little for a little while.

Back to school I go again.

So for about 3 years I have been 1 (3 credit) class away from my Associate's degree. The class is College Algebra. I'm not good at math like I was as a child, and I have this view of "I've gone 10 years without needing this info and I'm doing what I love so what on earth do I need this for?". I finally gave up on just completing it through the community college I was enrolled in because I could never make it through the course because, while it is an online course, there were 3 test that I had to go into a testing center for. My life is unpredictable as a military spouse and a homeschooling mom with 6 kids. I can hardly plan anything that I need childcare for and almost never commit to anything that is kid free. Then finding a place that is flexible to get the testing done or nearby or with in the tiny time frame I am ever without children.

I finally switched and will be attending Grand Canyon University starting the end of this month. All classes are 7-8 weeks and I have 14 classes to finish a bachelors. It seems to be all online and should take 2 years to finish the degree. This college is a bit over my pell so hoping to either use part of Tony's or we'll just pay out of pocket the $1135 a year that isn't covered.

Tony is also going to be attending GCU starting the end of June. He will have to go longer as he doesn't have as many credits transferring over as I did. However it should help when it comes to promotions for him.

Learning new things

We're learning new things in this house.
     Last fall I bought Zander the book "Learn to read in 100 easy lessons". I have been very nervous all along when it comes to teaching my children to read. My sister and I read at 4, but all my older 3 have learned to read in public school kindergarten between 5 and 6.
      Zander is his own being. He is totally different from his big brothers and has been a new adventure all around. I know I have a few more months to a year and a half before he has to start kinder, but he's so smart and so ready. A few months ago he looked at the clock in the kitchen and read me the time. No one had taught him to do it, he just did.
     Yesterday I found the Learn to Read book on the table. I didn't put it there, but there it laid. So after doing lessons at the table with the big kids, I called Zander over and opened the book. We went through Lesson 1. He loved it. We moved very quickly through it and then practiced writing the letter/letter sounds we had learned. We made the letters out of cheerios and he got to eat those.
     Later in the day yesterday I again asked him about his lesson and he remembered what he had learned. So today we sat down to do it again. He again whizzed through the lesson. I am loving seeing him learn and do these Lessons.
     I don't know where we will end up with this, but for now he's loving and it and I'm loving it. We'll do it until it's not working and then see where we are.

     Then there is Mason. Our little free range baby. We pretty much let him do anything he wants. He had his first birthday last month and is just a learning/developing little thing. He has mastered walking and is almost running. He can stoop and stand back up. He can stand from holding on to the floor. He loves to be outdoors with his brothers.
     But Mason's biggest accomplishment is learning to fall asleep on his own. We do not want him to cry himself to sleep or feel alone or abandoned in bed, so until the last week or so he was put to sleep and then transferred to bed. Tony decided one night after me trying to lay him down, when I thought he was asleep, to comfort him and rub his back until he settled (Little secret, he's much better for his dad than me.) I said as long as Mason didn't cry he could do that.
     Well it has been such a blessing because I was sometimes fighting Mason for 30-45 minutes to fall asleep. We now nurse and snuggle and then Tony or I, go in with him until he's asleep. He's a good sleeper and needs his naps, but sometimes with the commotion of 5 older siblings and anything else we have going on his naps get messed up. He has also been sleeping better at night.

Mandating Vaccines

Talk about a slippery slope. Many of the states in our "free" Country are heading down a path to make them mandatory NO MATTER WHAT, as an over reaction to this measles "outbreak". What the heck? I don't even care where you stand on vaccines, step back and see the bigger picture. We are losing another choice that we are allowed to make for ourselves and our children.

Where will it stop once it starts? Will they just continue to manufacture more and more vaccines and add them to the already long list of vaccines? Will there be any supervision to protect us? They don't care if the vaccines we already have are safe, so what's to say they will start now.

Once I became an adult and a mother, it became clear to me that I was pro-choice. I want to be able to choose what I think is best for my body. It is no one but my choice, and my husbands depending on the circumstances.

I am not pro-abortion, in fact that makes me sad knowing how much love and joy my kids bring to me. HOWEVER not my body, not my choice for others. I have 6 healthy, happy children because that is what God gave me.

All I ask is that you don't take away my rights to choose for myself and my children (until they are adults). Make your choice and I'll make mine. My choice does not affect your choice and your choice won't affect mine. Unvaccinated children are not out carrying around vaccine preventable diseases. They really, really aren't. When an "outbreak" occurs do they trace back to where it started, or to the first unvaccinated person they find?

I'm going to skip all the politics and fear-mongering news info about what side is "right". Point is this is a choice for everyone to make. This is a right a freedom to be protected.

Too much baby stuff

As a first time mom I had it all. We had a crib, a bassinet, a swing, a bouncer, a walker, an exersaucer, a pack-n-play, a carseat, a stroller, johnny jumper, and a baby bjorn. I had this tiny precious human and I just moved him from device to device because that seemed like that was the purpose. You have all these items, that were suggested from any baby registry. I would still hold him, but I also played pass the baby when others were around. That was just what was expected of me. Zayden and Zavier also were cared for basically the same way. Mainstream and sheepish.

When we moved to Germany in 2008, I eliminated all the baby gear to make less to move. When we had Zander in 2010 we had 2 bouncers, a boppy, a jumperoo, a playmat, and a crib. I also started practicing baby wearing to be close to him. I wasn't as dedicated to it as I am now, but it was a beginning. With Abbie, we got rid of the jumperoo and added a swing. Tony deployed when she was less than 4 weeks old and I knew that I would need to put her down to care for the others sometimes.

This time with Mason we have 1 bouncer, a boppy, a playmat, a walker, and a bed. But he spends so much time just being held by me. I'm amazed he's so mobile and pulls up so much already as he wasn't put down any more than he had to be. I still hold him just to go to sleep. He sleeps with me (which many of the kids have). He loves being next to me. I know so much more now as a mom that I wish I would have been encouraged from the beginning to just enjoy them as babies. Hold them, carry them, rock them to sleep. You can't get these first few months back.

Do what comes naturally to you and just comfort and sooth your little baby. Love them as much as you can as they really do grow so fast and that chapter of your life is over. I would sleep with all my kids now if they didn't wake each other up off and on all night long, and the bigger 2 maybe 3 are too cool for that.

One more thing, just talk to your baby like it's a real person. It is a real person. Right after Mason was born and as traumatic as it was for me (actual delivery), some of the first things I said to him were that I loved him and was so glad he was here, but I also recognized to him the pain he was likely in. Birth has got to be painful to be squished out. I told him I knew and I felt the pain too and just cuddled him.

Now when they become toddlers and up, that's a different sort of problems. But while they are little just hold them, show them the world while safely snuggled up against you.

First ER visit in over 16 months

Finally had our first required ER visit since we moved to El Paso. It has been our first visit of any sort actually. I must say it went well and the fear I had of a quick and easily handling of the situation was not necessary. Zavier has been having trouble with his breathing after long outdoor exposures. He has a tree and grass allergy, and who knows what else wasn't tested for. He had 2 breathing treatments and an x-ray too make sure it was just allergy related. He was given a few more treatments for the next few days hopefully to strengthen his body enough to not be on med permanently.

Now to decide if I eventually want to follow up with an on post appointment. Which right now would mean dragging all 6 kids into the dr. so that's still up in the air.

When you know better you do better

I always feel like I'm judged on the choices I make as a parent. I feel like I've come so far since I became a mom almost 12 years ago. I had no idea what to expect going into parenthood. I had no idea what the future would look like and how my family would end up. I went along with the main stream and just did what everyone else did. I circumcised, vaccinated, supplemented with formula and just went along with what others did. I never understood why someone wouldn't do those things. Certainly if they didn't do those they were just being difficult.

It wasn't until Zander came along that things really started to change for me. With each of my previous hospital births I felt forced while vulnerable to get some IV drugs, even when I said I didn't want them or to be offered them. When a woman is down there isn't much she won't do to get through the trek of child birth. Even now as an advocate for natural/unmedicated/homebirth deliveries if someone said this will take all your pain away with no side effects I'd likely be all over that. But back to Zander I finally made it through with nothing but forced IV fluids, and then after delivery I was forced a bag of pit (likely with something else mixed in because of the effects it had on me). That was it I knew then that I wanted something better. Then on my birth plan I had asked that they wait an hour to vaccinate him (for that really really necessary Hep B). We switched rooms before he was given it and the mother/baby unit didn't know anything about it. I didn't force it and went on. After we left and we went in for his appointments I knew I just couldn't watch him suffer from the pain. And that is where my research began.

What was the purpose of this vaccine? Was my newborn running the risk of catching this disease? What side effects were there to this vaccine? Something about vaccinating didn't feel right and I was going to figure out what that was and why. The information out there is amazing. I'm far from alone in my journey to keep my kids safe and healthy without a vaccine. There are others out there like me and most have spent tons of time researching and weighing their choices just like I have.

I wanted to add in here because I can't finish this today because Mason is asking for me is this.
The overall health of my children and my family is amazing since we stopped vaccinating and therefore stopped monthly treks to the doctors's office. For as many children as I have we have maybe 3-4 illnesses a year (colds, 24 hour bugs, 5ths disease). My younger 2 have had no ear infections or symptoms requiring a check up.

I will be back to finish eventually.

10 days

Until we sign for the new house. I'm excited because once I knew we were moving I started packing. So we've been living with a mound of boxes for a month now and I'm ready for it to be over. I can't feel settled when I know change is coming so I've been packing.

The kids finished up 1st, 3rd and 5th grade last week and are ready to move up. They all seem to have mastered what I wanted to see from them. They are enjoying a little break since we're moving. Otherwise we would have jumped right back in to the next school year so we could take a break when Tony goes to school in the fall.

Mason turned 3 months old last week and weighs in at whopping 16lbs. He did amazing fighting off a sickness the rest of us had with just a tiny cough. He's ready to take on the world and have a lot more stimulation. I feel bad but I only know so much to say to a 3 month old. He will smile at his siblings. He jabbers up a storm (when in a good mood). He's trying very hard to roll over and for a little boy who doesn't spend much time laying on the floor he's almost there. We have only tile downstairs so even with his playmat it's not soft enough for long play. Yesterday he scooted completely off the mat and was just laying on the tile floor. I was sitting with him but he was so quick.

This upcoming weekend we will be celebrating Zayden's 9th birthday. His birthday isn't until the 12th, but that is the day before we sign for the house and we want to finish getting everything packed that day so that we can start taking loads over at signing. His presents are all here and most of them are wrapped. Poor kid always gets a move around his birthday. In 2008, 2010, 2013, and now 2014. Hoping this will be the last move for at least 2 years, but I had so much fun moving last summer from WA to TX, I'm ready when the orders say so.

On the move again.

After living in this house for not quite a year we will be moving to a different house in El Paso. We weren't sure what we were going to do at lease renewal, but with a $10 rent increase it was answered for us. We only have 3 bedrooms and a loft here and we really need the 4th bedroom to be enclosed. When we selected this house last year it was our second choice as well as $75 above the budgeted amount we wanted to spend and we didn't know Mason was coming. We got on the housing list before we arrived at Bliss last year, but didn't like the options given to us when we got here then. When I got the lease renewal I went in to just see what we could be offered if we choose to take an offer and we were offered a nice single family home in one of the nicer neighborhoods. We took it and will be moving in the middle of June.

While we could have stayed and paid more rent this house exceeds our housing money in the summers and we break even during the winter. But we just decided having a 4th complete bedroom was what we needed. We have yet to decide what the exact split will be of the kids and if Mason's bed will still fit in our room. However Tony and I are both just excited that we're still moving together and will be together.

Tony is out in the "field" during training exercises and has been for the last few weeks. He was able to come home last weekend which happened to be his birthday. Having decided that we were moving before he came home changed our plans of do nothing (relaxing and celebrate his birthday) to get some stuff to paint and buy boxes so I can pack. But we had the most amazing weekend. We just spent the whole thing together and it was so nice. It really was a renewing weekend for us that usually doesn't happen on the weekends.

His big birthday gift was a grill/smoker/roaster and he very much enjoyed getting it set up and grilling on it. We actually just sat outside Sunday evening being together him, the kids, and me. We ate some food and goofed around. It was down time we don't usually get to take with all the crazy stuff in life.

Now I'll be packing until he gets back, we'll fix some painting issues in the house, clean it and move to our new house together. 5 weeks until we move.

10 years and life

On Wednesday Tony and I celebrated 10 years of marriage. It seems like so much longer than that, but only 10 (plus the 2 1/2 before were married). It is also 10 years of military service for Tony this month. He'll be celebrating that in the field next week. It has been a wild and crazy ride and sometimes I forget to slow down and enjoy the moments. We have 6 amazing, happy and healthy children. We have a wonderful commitment to each other. We have stable lives with an income we can live on. I love the place we are in life and I need to slow down and just live in the moments instead of waiting for the next big thing. However I am excited to spend the rest of my life with my husband raising our family the best that we can.

This week we have been working on potty training Abbie. Whoever said girls were easier was full of it. It took us longer to get her to even pee on the toilet than any of the 4 previously potty trained boys. However we are now on day 4 and things are getting better. She is in underwear at the house and will go willingly on the toilet. She is still catching on to her body cues, but so am I and then I can help her avoid an accident. We still haven't gotten her to poop on the potty, but hopefully that will be coming soon. The biggest challenge will be finding her pants to wear since she is so skinny. And for dresses underwear are too revealing for Tony or I to feel comfortable out in just a dress.