Bedroom progress

Yesterday we went to IKEA and picked out bed covers, then we went to the fabric store to pick out a material for pillows and curtains to go with them, then we went to Home Depot to get paint to match.

So yesterday the girls painted the two main colors on their wall. This morning they painted the second coat of brown and I made the curtain to go over their closet and got it hung up.



So this is where we are at right now. I wasn't to sure about the paint colors that I chose to go with the fabric but I think it will look really nice. I have two pillows sewn also but don't have them stuffed yet.



We are going to put a black stripe where the two colors meet, around the the door and window trim

Easter

Baskets all in a row



Tradition is to read the story "Easter Bunny are you for real?". We read the book after we have gone to church, after everyone has eaten lunch and before anyone touches their basket. I want my kids to know the REAL reason for Easter.

This is what happens when you buy the 17 year old candy but no basket. He finds his own!



They eat the candy



And this is the effect it has on them



And he wanted a hat like his big brother

Replacing the door

With Rod off on deployment my projects have started. It keeps me busy and helps to keep my mind off the fact that he's not here. It's also a form of stress relief for me I guess.

So my projects have started.

My first project this deployment has been replacing the door in to LD and RQ's room. They had huge wooden double doors that went into their room. I'm not sure what the intention of the doors was when they were installed since they did not have any way of latching or closing the doors.

This has been a project that we've been wanting to do for quite some time. It kept getting put on the backburner as I thought it was going to be a hige undertaking and would leave the girls with a large hole for several days.

I was so far from wrong. It's turned into one of the easiest projects we've done in this house so far!

The first day we took the molding off and the old doors out. The old doors were picked up by someone whose going to use them for a haunted house.

We hung a sheet up over the hole as their "door" for bedtime.

Then the second day I got the door framed in, installed the door, and got the drywall up. It went really quickly. After I had the drywall up I taught the girls how to tape and mud. Since the drywall was up and mudded the door was functional and there was no hole in the wall. One say is all it took.

The third day I taught them how to texture the wall to match the surrounding wall. They learned quick and did a great job.

The fourth day the newly textured wall got a coat of primer and the hallway side got a coat of yellow paint to match the rest of the hallway.

The only thing I have left to do on the hallway side is to install the molding back. While the girls were doing the texturing I went around and did touch up patching on the cracks and screw holes that had appeared. I also did touch up painting and installed new hardware on the living room gate!

Not only is he upright

Not only has he learned how to stand up

He has also....................







learned how to do it AND get toys out of the basket!

My Daddy is a Sailor

This is a photo that I took of the ship as it was leaving on deployment. I found the poem online and added it to the picture. A lot of times the kids who are left behind during a deployment get overlooked. I try not to let that happen to my kids.

A piece of my heart is gone

And I just thought I would make a signature tag to let everyone know. Please keep our family in prayer as we go through this extended deployment. Aside from the deployment we have a lot of stuff that our family is going through in the next couple of months. Pray that the Lord carries us safely and swiftly through it all.

Saying goodbye

Photos from the ship leaving. We took him lunch and watched the ship leave





Doesn't happen very often but a picture of me



Hanging out in the XO's chair





Not impressed that Dad is leaving



Working

Dancing with the kids - Rod on the ship and the kids on the pier

Fun with Dad

Today is our last real day with Rod before he leaves on deployment.

We took the kids to the theater and watched the VeggieTale movie "Pirates who don't do anything".

The kids really enjoyed it.

We then walked over to the bowling alley and played two games.

Then we took all the kids out to dinner.

All in all it was a good day and I think the kids had lots of fun.

Friendship Festival

Tonight Makkiah's class had a Friendship Festival.

Each of the kids drew "pictures" of themselves with the color of the shirt that they were wearing.

They sang songs - both as a complete group and as seperate classes.

As I sat watching them I couldn't help but think back when I was in first grade doing my own school program.

I actually remember two of them - one had a summer theme with pools or something, the other was a Christmas program.

It's hard to believe that my own children are now repeating the same process.

Road trip back to Florida

Since we got home so late last night we didn't pack.

I crashed before I even ate dinner and slept hard.

So this morning I got up and started packing.

We cleaned out the van, got the luggage packed for the plane trip and headed back to Florida.

The plan was to go back to Ahma and Poppa's house for the night.

About three hours from there the plan changed and we decided (well Rod and someone else decided) that we should just stop for the night in Orlando.

We had gotten a late start, it was later than we had planned on being on the road and we had to be at the airport early for our flight.

So we found a hotel and stayed for the night.

All the girls in one room and all the boys in another room.

Church and visiting family

Today we ventured off to church.

We spent a lot of time at church.

It was hot in there.

We left at 1:30 or something like that and they were just getting ready to do communion.

It was hot in there.

We had to leave to feed our hungry kids.

Rod and Gregory went to visit someone in the hospital and I headed back to his parent's house.

I made it there before anyone else so we had to wait for his Mom to get home and let us in.

Fed the kids and waited for Rod and Gregory.

Headed off to his Aunt Jan's house to visit with her since she wasn't able to come the day before.

I fell asleep on the couch while they visited.

We then headed home again as it was late and we were all tired.

Combined Family Dinner

Today we had a family dinner. Rod's parents each have lots of siblings. I know that if I try to put the numbers down I will probably get them wrong. I think his Mom is one of 8 and his Dad is one of 7.

Since we were only going to be there for a few days we had a large combined dinner with aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, etc from both sides of the family who came to fellowship with us. It was a great time to catch up and of course to listen to stories about "Spike".

Since we had all the family gathered I decided to do pictures. Mind you this was not an easy task. The living room was not large enough for everyone to gather for a photo so we decided to do two groups outside. The next problem being that it was dak outside so we got the floodlight out. Some people managed to sneak out before the pictures were taken.

Rod's Mom's side of the family

Rod's Dad's side of the family

Since Rod's Grandmother is frail we chose to take seperate photos inside with her.

Rod with his Mom and Dad and his Mom's Mom

Grandma "Boil"