I have landed

A very dear friend of mine once told me that I always land on my feet.

I was laying in bed last thinking about that. I have landed once again.

After all I have been through this year, I am still here.

The other night I was sitting outside and Rusty came out and sat with me.

I said "Well, we have helped both of the girls dreams come true this year. Amber got to go to Europe, and Nikki got to go back east and go to Nicaragua. We have made it through another summer."

It was with that statement that I opened a sore spot for Rusty.

Rusty said " I am sick of just making it. I am sick of our dreams be put on hold. I am sick of settling for third best. I am sick of having to have to juggle money and wonder if you are going to get sick."

I said " I am sorry that I got sick"

Rusty: " It's not that you got sick. It's that we had to take money that we were going to pay our bills with, so that you could get medicine. I am sick of you not having insurance. I am sick of just making it"

I guess I can see where Rusty is coming from. I know that we are "poor", but I do not consider us poor. I have been without health insurance for a while. I am use to going to the free clinic.

I am use to getting stuff second hand. I am use to juggling bills and money. I am use to waiting for stuff that we need. I am so use to it that I think it is normal.

I do not think we are poor.

I do however think we are rich. We have a place to live, we have food, we have three cars that run, we are able to help our children reach their dreams.

We are rich because we have friend that love us and friends that will do anything for us.

I guess it is all perspective.

 Last week I spoke to my mom about the Egypt trip.....again.

My mom Rusty and I  all agreed that no one is going to Egypt. It is not a good time for anyone.

Maybe this is what Rusty is talking about? Not being able to afford what we want?

Anyway, I am going to go get Ryan and I a passport and we are going to go visit my mom in Mexico. Every year my mom rents a condo in Mexico for a month, so I am going to take Ryan and go to Mexico for a week.

I am not sure what I am going to do about Ryan not being able to write his name. I am going to ask if a "X" can still be used as a signature. I would think that they would have something in place for people that can't write.

Today I am going to just do some stuff around here. I have to help Nikki unpack. There is a lot of stuff that we need to up for next year, so I will need to get that crated up.

Amber has to go up to the college and finish turning in all of her paper work. I am just waiting for the sticker shock on the price of her books.

Life and time march on. Right now I have to work on saving the money for air fare to Mexico. That will only be about $600.00.  I am going to do some yard sale's and once school starts I will look for some odd jobs.

Then I will help the girls raise the money they need for there next big adventures.

Yes, I have been tossed around a lot this year, and yes my Egypt dream is put on hold, but I am still here and I am moving forward with whatever life hands me.

Life is good.

 

aoljurlAdd, aoljurlAdd_3

Nikki is home

Nikki got home last night about 8 p.m. I was never so happy to hug my child.

Nikki and I have been chatting about her trip and the trip she wants to take next year. Next year Nikki wants to go on a five week, five country missions trip!

I was going to spend my day doing all of Nikkis laundry, and then packing up her missions stuff, but Nikki's luggage is lost.

So once it gets her I am sure that it will just smell so good.

Nikki has not been in this country for the Fourth of July in three years. However Nikki did say that she got to see fireworks on the 14th. It seems that the town they were in is also where the communist party has there headquarters. So they were celebrating something on the 14th.

A few days before Nikki left, Nikki's other mom asked me to make a quilt for the missionaries in Nicaragua. So I dug out the material and made a simple quilt for them. Nikki said that the lady just cried, because someone made her something and this person did not even know her.

I was in shock. It was a simple quilt. I make so many quilts every year. I am glad that the quilt I made for them brought them so much joy.

Today I am going to do some stuff around here, and wait on Nikki's luggage to arrive. Rusty is going to take Amber to register for college.

Did I just say that? Our oldest is registering for college. Wow, I did not think she would make it this far. I swear there were time when I was going to strangle her out!

I am going to go spend time with our daughter.

aoljembedAdd, aoljembedAdd_1

For my dear friend

Lyn these pictures are for you. I do hope that these pictures bring back good memories for you! Please do not get homesick, but instead think about this young lady who got to see your home country.

I do have one question for you. What in the heck do you put in that little car? I think my 100 pounds of dog food weight more then the car does! LOL Amber wants a little car like that.

Yesterday I just hung out around here. I did run to wal mart to get a few things, but other then that I did nothing yesterday. It was so nice to just sit and chill with Rusty.

Amber got my gastro bug. So she is notfeeling all that great. I just love sharing with my children.

Today I am going to get some sewing done. I have 2 quilts and some pet quilts that need get done.

I have been chatting with another j lander (Betty) and we are going to meet for lunch once Nikki gets back and get's settled in.

So Betty asked me if I really owned a Burka. I told her yes, and I said that I would wear it to lunch so that way she would be able to know it is me! Betty said that she will have her camera ready for me.

Now you be wondering why I even have a Burka. Well it belonged to my late mother in law. I have been wanting to wear it for a while, but I have just never had a reason to wear it. I have put the Burka on several times and I must say that the women who have to wear it must be smoldering under it!

Nikki should be packing up to start her trip home.  Nikki should be back at the church around 10 p.m.. I can't wait to see her and to give her a hug.

As much as my children drive me nuts I am so proud of all of them.

One of the marines should be coming home this week. I need to go get a big box and make a welcome home banner. I will be standing there up at March waving our banner and our flags. I know that it is not much, but I don't know how else to say thank you for a job well done.

While one Marine is coming home another one just left yesterday.

I know that life comes in cycles, but I am really sick of seeing my Marines leave. I am sick of this war. I am sick of saying goodbye. But until they all come home I will keep the candle burning for them.

I better go get my day started.

 

aoljembedAdd, aoljembedAdd_1

welcome to America

\

Yesterday I looked at Ambers passport. I wanted to see the stamps from all the different countries that she visited. Amber had ONE stamp and that was from Italy!

I guess you don't get stamps when you travel through Europe? However I did expect to see a stamp from the good old USA. Nope. No stamp. Amber said that they did not even look at her passport in New York.

Welcome to America. We do not have enough bad people here. So please come make yourself at home and bomb the crap out of us!

I felt so good yesterday that I did not take a nap all day. I actually got a lot of house work done and even made dinner for Rusty. It was so nice to have the energy to not only cook dinner but to serve it to him as he watched his favorite t.v. show. Yes I spoil that man.

Yesterday afternoon I noticed that I smelled. I mean really smelled. I had been in the same cloths for 4 days! How did Rusty stand to sleep next to me? It was nice to shower and make myself smell good. I even washed my hair and got it all done.

So now I am feeling good. I smell good and I have energy left to burn. So I said had Rusty lets go have sex. I checked to make sure all of the equipment was still there. Yep it was. Cool. I am thinking I can have some wild crazy sex. Oh no Rusty said that I still need to rest and that sex would have to wait until I feel even better. GRRRR

I found out yesterday that Amber is a slut. Yep. Amber finally met this kid Cody's mom. Cody's mom told Cody that she did not want him having sex before marriage. So you think my daughter is slut? I had to laugh. Last night Amber was getting ready to go over to Cody's house. I said "Hey Amber my burka is in the garage if you want to wear it!"

 

Last night Rusty and I started talking about the Marine Corps ball. Oh I so hate ball time. Thisyear I have decided that I might actually get involved and help get this ball off the ground. I know that I will be bitching about this until the ball is over with, but I know that it would mean a lot to Rusty.

I do not have a lot that I have to get done today, so I think I am going to get some sewing done and chill for most of the day. I do need to go find the weed eater and shave my legs.

 

 

aoljurlAdd, aoljurlAdd_2

I am up right

   I am feeling much better right now. After I am done with this entry I am going to get busy trying to get this house cleaned up. Then I will burn up whatever energy I do have and be back in bed by this afternoon. I am so bad.

Now that I am feeling better I am going to sit down and look at all of Ambers pictures from Europe. I am so glad that she took this trip and had this experience.

While on this trip Amber met a boy named Cody. The first time I met Cody I about fell over. He looks just like Rusty did! i told Amber that she is dating her dad. I told Rusty that this Cody kid looked just like him, and then when Rusty met him Rusty said " My ears were never that big"

My mom adopted one of the kittens. So one of the marines offered to drive the kitten back to Chicago for me.... since he was going that way anyway.

So the kitten arrived in Chicago yesterday. My mom was at work so I told the marine to go in the back door and I told him where everything was. Then I said " Just think you are standing in my childhood home". That grossed the marine out. I guess it is a good thing I did not tell which room my dad died in. I am just so happy that they kitten made it there.

Nikki comes home in three days! I am so happy. I can't wait to hear all of her stories. Once she has been back in the states for a few days I want to take both of the girls out and just hang out with my girls.

School should be starting soon and this summer has just flown by. I have no idea where it went. I have not gotten in enough beach days, I have not spent enough time working in the yard, I have not spent enough time just hanging out with Rusty. Does time go by faster as you get older?

I need to go take some meds and get some cleaning done before I start feeling like crap again.

Oh, I am cheating on my brat diet this morning. I am having a cup of coffee! LOL

aoljurlAdd, aoljurlAdd_2

brat diet

This is how I feel!

Nikki and her gang got off o.k. and I have not heard from them so that must be good.

The day after Nikki left I started feeling like crap.

Yesterday I hit rock bottom when I started vomiting. So I had Amber take me to the hospital.

I have a sinus infection, a gastro infection, and the flu. Well when I get sick I do it right!

The doctor just loved me because I am allergic to penicillin.

So I am on so med, some anti vomit medicine that makes me sleep. I still feel like crap! I know it has only been 24 hours since I started my med's but man I am sick of being sick.

The doctor put me on the brat diet. Do you know what that is? It basically means that I starve! I can't live on banana, rice,apple sauce and toast. I so want a slice of pizza.

Amber and Rusty have turned into Nazi's. Rusty went and bought all the food on my list, and Amber is making sure that I only eat those foods. They have set up a bed side table for me and the table is loaded with everything I need. No what I need is a nice big slice of pizza and some sun screen so I can go to the lake.

I called Rusty yesterday and told him that I was going to have Amber take me to the hospital. So Rusty hurried up and finished up at work and came right home. He even called Amber to find out what the doctor said because he knew I would tell him that I was fine.

Bless Ambers heart she was listening to the all of the doctors orders and then she said "Is then anything all natural that we should be doing" That's my girl right there.

My head is going to throb right off my shoulders so it is time to go back to bed before the Nazi's come and get me.

aoljurlAdd, aoljurlAdd_1

tonight

Tonight Amber will be come home.

Tonight Nikki will finish getting ready to leave.

Tonight 4 other children who are going with Nikki will be spending the night.

Tonight the house will be filled with laughter.

Tonight the house will be filled with stories.

Tonight I will have 7 children try to eat me out of house and home.

Tonight I will tell all of the children to go to bed, but they won't.

Tonight I am going to rejoice because my home will be filled with the laughter of children.

Tonight I will not sleep because Nikki and all of her friends are leaving at 2 a.m.

Tomorrow I will put the house back together.

Tomorrow Amber will dump all of her laundry on the floor.

Tomorrow I will want a nap.

Tomorrow I not want to cook.

However tonight I am going to enjoy the fact that I raised 2 very good children.

As I sit right now I am wondering how they grew up so fast. I am glad that they are growing up. I am just glad that I am here to watch them turn into beautiful young women who have minds of their own.

 

 

aoljurlAdd, aoljurlAdd_1