Stuffedy Stuff Stuff

It has been FOREVER since I last posted! Man oh man! Don't think I've forgotten about you guys because I've been trying real hard to keep reading and sort of commenting if I can, sort of. Have you forgotten about me?! I'm that chick who complains a lot and doesn't usually make much sense. Remember now? Okay, goody!

I haven't necessarily been super busy, but more like just not inside. The nice summer weather finally hit here and we're trying to soak it up. Doing things like this:
















But honestly, the other reason I haven't been on here much is because: my husband's here. All the time. And its weird.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining he's home, I'm SO HAPPY; its just weird because we don't get a break from each other very often. Think about if your husband was home every day for two weeks straight, you'd be going a little nutso right? Also, he's messy. Just thought I'd throw that in there. So either he's on the computer filling out applications (because the man NEEDS to get a job pronto!), or we're out turning paperwork in or getting stuff done, so I haven't had a lot of chances to blog. It feels very sneaky when I'm on here. Which could be fun maybe, except its not. At all. Don't think it is, because it isn't. I promise.

So anyway, I sit here with a baby about ready to eat, a two year old clinging to my arm and my two oldest fighting upstairs and slamming doors. Because I care about you guys, and blogging. I neglect my children for YOU. I mean really, I do it all the time, so why not now?

Well, time to go before my husband gets home and I have to pick up a little so he doesn't know I've wasted most my time on here. See, theres that sneaky thing again. Ruining everything. By the way, I'm exhausted if you can't tell. Having four kids is no picnic let me tell you. I love them don't get me wrong, but the sleeping arrangements suck. Suck I say! Hoping you guys are having awesome summer fun right now too!

He's Home!

And it was AmAZiNg:

I Can See the Finish Line

For those of you who don't know (I don't know how you couldn't...maybe you're new around here, or maybe you haven't been paying attention cause I'm pretty sure I've whined about this a LOT...) but for the last five months my husband has been in South Carolina (Fort Jackson, to be exact), he joined the Army National Guard here in Washington, and Fort Jackson is where he was sent for his Basic Training and also his Advanced Individual Training. So thats where he's been.

While he's been gone, he's missed:

*our oldest daughter's 7th birthday
*his parents' anniversary
*Valentine's Day
*me dislocating my knee
*my birthday
*St. Patrick's Day
*his brother in laws birthday
*Easter
*the Spring Fair
*the birth of his fourth child
*Mother's Day
*two of his niece's birthdays
*our son's 2nd birthday
*his sister's birthday
*his daughter's four lost teeth
*Memorial Day
*his other sister's birthday
*his sister and niece graduating
*our daughter finishing first grade
*143 dinners together

And of course, countless other things. Family BBQ's and birthday parties and thousands of dirty diapers.

And then he gets in on his dad's birthday, and gets home just in time for Father's Day and his own birthday. Do you think he planned it that way?!

I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am for him to get home! Although I hope I never EVER have to do this again, I really have learned some valuable lessons that I hope I never forget. Here's another list (yippee!) about what I've learned:

*most of the stuff that we nitpick at, really doesn't matter.
*you never know what you have until you don't have it anymore.
*writing letters can be extremely romantic.
*Being a single parent is so incredibly hard.
*I never want to have another baby/newborn by myself again.
*Absence really does make the heart grow fonder.
*You know when you see some couple's that seem really hesitant to show any affection in public? I NEVER want to be that way again. If my husband's sitting next to me, I will hold his hand, I will let him put his arm around me. It is not "weak" or whatever to show people how much I love my husband.

*I never want to fight with my husband again, it just seems silly.
*If someone's snapping a picture of me and my husband, I will grab him and hug him tight!
*I can do hard things. Maybe I didn't accomplish everything I wanted to, maybe I even made a big mess of things, or did the bare minimum; BUT, I didn't let my whole world fall apart, I didn't cause any calamities. I got through this, and now I know that I can do one of the hardest things I could imagine.
*its okay to not be perfect and its okay to accept help.
*sometimes its hard not to roll your eyes when someone's complaining about something you feel is...um, petty. But then you have to realize that everyone's problems are hard and we all complain and its okay.
*I don't care nearly so much about worrying over other people and stupid little things, I'm trying much harder to see the big picture.
*having good friends and family can make a WORLD of difference in your life.

Okay, I'm sure I've learned LOTS more things, but I'm also sure you're sick of reading about it. :)

All I can say is, I love my husband and I'm so glad he'll be home in under 48 hours! Hallelujah, its almost over!!

I Don't Even Make Sense Anymore

Whew. I just wrote a super long post that was extremely...hmmm, disagreeable? I don't know what to call it, just that it was bad. What do you do when somethings bothering you but its not really pertinent to every day life, or really to anyone but probably you? Did that even make sense? I'm thinking no.

Erased another paragraph just now. Trying to figure this out isn't working too well for me. Problem number one is that my brain is so fuzzy. It might be because of the two mountain dews I drank today. It might be because I've only been getting like maybe 6 hours of sleep or less every night. It might be because I stare at the computer for hours on end. Maybe even all three. But I was trying to get a couple ideas out, and each idea just kept getting more and more controversial. Not even intentionally, I just re-read it and was like YOWSERS! Better start over. So I did and here we are.

Anyway, this is the main thing I was trying to talk about before I erased everything. Last Sunday we had a lesson that was, among other things, about women and how we can build each other up, more or less. I think. Maybe it was about something totally different but? So I've been thinking about that a lot this week. That was the main thing I first blogged about, it escalated into Lady Gaga and Hugh Heffner. I'm so not kidding. Anyway, back to what I was talking about. Specifically I was thinking about this situation I've been in, in the past. Here's the scenario: Let's say I told you I had a friend that really had hurt me. Not just once but many, many times. That this friendship had gone on for a long time to where I felt like I was never happy when I was around the person and I felt like they were just taking and taking and rarely giving back. That basically the friendship had turned toxic and it was just making me feel awful. What would you tell me? Most likely you'd say "Dude. She sounds horrible and you've got to get away from her!" Unless you don't say dude, then you would probably say "She sounds like a witch. Drop her." Unless you don't say witch and then...just kidding, you get the point. Anyway, so eventually I might finally be pushed far enough that I do decide to not be friends with her anymore. Good great, right? But then turn it around. Maybe you know this person too and one day she comes to you and says she knows a lady who just all of a sudden doesn't want to be her friend anymore, and she's upset and offended and angry and thinks its horrible that someone wouldn't like her and support her. What do you tell her? Most likely you'd say, "Dude. She sounds like a snot who thinks she's too good for you. How awful for someone to push you away!" Unless you don't say dude, then you would probably say "What a witch. I hate her."

So who's wrong? Who's right? Who's side are you on? Why does there have to be a side? Why does there have to be so much stupid drama and why can't we just worry about our own lives instead of being involved in everyone else's?

I honestly truly think that women who work together and build each other up can do SO MUCH good it can be astonishing. That when we tear one another apart and gossip and hate each other, that Satan is laughing; its just what he wants because we don't understand how much good we can do together. The power of a woman is amazing. So lets just work together and leave all the cattiness out of it. Wouldn't that be awesome?

Dream Package Awesomeness

Okay, the time has come again for me to share with you another Dream Package. This is the last big package since we've sent to everyone now, but we're still planning on doing fun other things every month too, I love these ladies.

This month I sent to Michelle, and Sheryl sent to me. Our theme was to do handmade stuff and I really loved it! I always like to have an excuse to get crafty and make stuff, so it was a lot of fun. Its funny, we were saying how much we love making stuff for each other that we forget we're even getting a package ourself; so its especially fun to realize that you're getting something too! :)

Sheryl sent me this ridiculously huge box. When I got it I was like "holey moley!"

Then when I took off the paper I was like, "look she handmade me a beverage dispenser!! WOW!" haha Just kidding :)

I adore this tote bag Sheryl added the flowers too, is that not so adorable?! I will be using it a TON!

These are like cake plates/cupcake stands, she said she didn't want to glue them together because she wasn't sure how they'd handle shipping, but I like them apart too. We'll see if I end up glueing them or not! But seriously, SO CUTE!

I've already worn this headband to church. I LOVE IT. I'm trying to grow my hair out and its perfect, now I just have to keep it away from my little girls! :)

And she made me these caramels, can I say YUM?!

And a perfectly pretty card, I'm always jealous of people who can make cards. I used to try to homemake cards and I would have the best ideas in my head and when I'd try to make them...BLAH. They'd be so ugly. This card is perfect.

And there it is, awesomeness on my kitchen counter. :)

I just hope everyone can find friends that make them feel this good. I feel so lucky!

Wish Lists

I have such a bad itch right now. No not like a rashy itch. No like, I really super want to decorate! I wish I had my own house. And money. If I did, here's the direction I would go:

Also wishing I had money so I could get a whole new wardrobe and accesories and whatnot. Like this:

If you had money right now, what would you spend it on?

Nothing Against You Mr. Sandman

I am on strike. What could I possibly be striking?

Sleep.

I hate sleep. I mean come on, whats it ever done for me? Nothing. Nothing, I say!

Sleep is just a big time waster. And I don't like time wasters. Except for myself...and anyone else...just not Sleep.

I was noticing something though the other night. Since I started practicing hypnobirthing (where you do breathing techniques and go into a deep relaxed state) now as soon as the room is dark, I am gone. Its like a *click* of the light switch and boom, I'm out. Which would be great I suppose, except I'm scared it will happen at unexpected and unpleasant times. I'll set the scene for you: *Melinda sits in a chair filled doctor's office, reading a magazine. Or playing brickbreaker on her phone. Cut to a naughty child crawling all over the chairs, under and all over the place. Soon the child discovers a light switch just above the chair its terrorizing at that moment. With a mischievous look on its face, the child reaches up toward the switch. Cut back to Melinda as she glances over at the kid, her face contorts into astonished terror as she realizes the lights are about to go out. Cut back to naughty menace flipping the lights off. Darkness. Theres a loud crash as Melinda crumples to the floor. One long moment of silence before snoring ensues. End scene.*

See?! Sleep is a scary, dangerous thing! So I'm boycotting. You can't make me do it!!

Other bodily functions I hate: see this post here.