Summer Vacation!

The tile of this post has very little to do with the post. It's just there for the obvious, that yes it is summer vacation time. This post is mostly just an update and some interesting put together information, although it may not be that interesting to some people. I don't really know. I feel like I haven't posted a real post in some time, and now it is time to post something (I guess).


Potty Training success!

Okay I know, it took me long enough, but I have finally potty trained Olivia. This happen about two weeks ago (I think...). I just finally got rid of all of the diapers, and only dressed her in big girl underwear, and if I was going to have to change her 14 times a day and do her laundry twice a day, than that was how it was going to be. The first two days it did go like that and it was very discouraging, but on the third day, she got the hang of it. It really came out of nowhere and she knew just what to do. The days following that, I just had to remind her every hour to go, because she wouldn't go all on her own. Now she does, she knows when to go, and I can take a sigh of relief.

I kept wishing that during the whole process I had kept a journal from how I taught the boys, because I just couldn't remember. I remember the boys not being easy to teach, but I don't remember what finally did it in the end. Nathaniel is four years older than Olivia so I guess that's why I don't remember (I also think it maybe due to the fact that I was pregnant with Olivia when I potty trained Nathaniel, and it's hard to remember things when you are pregnant).

Yay! it is over! No more diapers for us. I am so happy!


Sippy Cups are history

Along with the potty training I was able to get her to give up sippy cups as well. I know it's been a big week (or two weeks). She has been using a regular cup here and there for about a year (really only at dinner time), but for breakfast, lunch, and bed time she had to have the sippy cup (especially at bed time). I finally got tired of having to wash and track down these things, because she left them everywhere. Now we have fully switched and throwing those sippy cups away was awesome (FINALLY!). I'm sure a lot of you moms can relate.

Yay! I'm also glad this is over.


Pirates have our remote

This interesting story dates back to about two months ago, when our remote went missing. We bought a new tv in the fall, and it's a 3D, smart tv with aps, so a regular universal remote wasn't going to fix the missing remote problem. Our main suspect for the missing remote was Olivia (yeah of course), so we kept asking her "Do you know where the tv remote is?" and she would tell us "The pirates took it. They have a boat and monsters, and they also took the princess." I'm not kidding, she said that. She kept pointing to our fire place and saying that the pirates live in there. Now of course this made us think that maybe she put the remote in the fire place. The good new was we hadn't lit a fire in months, but the bad news was after looking all over and around the fire place, we still couldn't find it. We ended up turning the house upside down, and found nothing. We finally had to order another remote from the manufacture. Yup all of this just because some pirates took our remote. :)


Garden Success!

Remember this photo...

Well it's more like this now...

They have grown so much! I planted Sweet peas, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Bell peppers, and Broccoli. So far I have picked about 6 strawberries. I'm just so happy that everything is growing, and that it all looks so healthy. I'm sure I'll have more good news about this later. :)

School year is OVER!

Yeah I had to write about this one. We finished the work about a month ago, but since last week was the last day of co-op, I guess we can now call the school year officially over. Their poor lunch boxes were so dirty on the outside, last time I packed them. My thoughts were, thank goodness this is the last time. Their drink containers bit the dust a few weeks ago, so I had to save some old Gatorade bottles just to get us through the last few weeks. Yes next year I am starting over with new drinking bottles. Do you ever feel like that? Like "Thank goodness this is over, because I didn't think this curtain item would last much longer." It's like that curtain item was about to die, and you just needed it to last for one last week, or one last event, then it could fall part, and it wouldn't matter.

So I guess the big question is "Are we doing any school work over the summer?" Well... only a little. I know... Is that wrong of me? It's only about an hour a day of work on Monday - Thursday. I have some math for them to practise, and some small writing projects. The last thing I want is for us to start the next school year unprepared. 

I get to go to a curriculum sale tomorrow, and I am super excited. I love used books sales, and that could be any kind of used books. Jeremy has duty tomorrow, and so I have to take the kids :P... I guess I could put them to work to help me out, so it doesn't get too crazy. I'll let you know how it goes.

Okay well that is all I have to update on. Thank you for reading :)

One year in Washington

So you know by the tile what this post is going to be about. I for one still can't believe it. Has it really been a year already? I must say that this place has really tested me. I really feel like it was a harder year than it should have been. It was not as hard as my first year in Charleston, SC but it is next to it (as far as first year in a new place).  Charleston was my first time away from my family, and it was a hard first year because I missed them very much, Jeremy was working all of the time (this is when I thought that was all of the time) (that was nothing compared to a deployment or any sea duty, which is actually working all of the time), I had a baby to take care of, and I didn't really know anyone there. It was a bad first year.

Here I just think that the stress of buying a new house right after moving across country, the weather, and also the fact that I have met very few people here, are the reasons why this as been a tough year. I guess it could always be worse. Other than all of that I think I'm adapting fine. A few weeks ago I deemed myself a true Washingtonian because when I started the car I switched on the windshield wipers out of habit, and it was sunny out. I guess I'm just use to it raining all of the time. I'm still not sure I like it here to much. I feel as if I am really trying though. It is beautiful here with the mountains and all, but you don't get to see them on most days, and I feel like the area is very run down. There isn't much here in the first place, and the whole area could use some TLC. I guess after living in nicer cities you get standards.

I've had a lot of late night talks with God since moving here. Most of it has been WHY, why here? I still believe he has his reasons, and I know I need to respect that, and I am. So because of that I'm just trying my hardest to find a way to like this place, to find a way to keep every other place I love more than here (lets face it, at is point it's almost everywhere) out of my mind. I'm trying to just love this place for what it is, and be happy that I'm here. Oh if only Jessica and Jessica lived here, I'm sure they would keep my spirits up. Hear that you two? You guys willing to move out here? Yup after I just talked so highly about this place... please ;)

Okay switching subjects now. So guess who is joining the Military wife lifestyle? My little sister Shelby. She got engaged to a Marine a few weeks ago (Also named Randy, so now family reunions will be very confusing with him, my dad, and me all named Randy/Randi). I just got the news Wednesday that she will be moving to Hawaii in the fall (yeah WOW). He's in "A" school right now, and should be moving in October. There is so much for her to do, and learn but I know she will be fine. How exciting this that though, that your first duty station is in Hawaii? Needless to say I very excited for her. I know she will love it there, and do just fine. I am also slightly jealous Hawaii sounds like an awesome place to live.





Oh and also I started a garden (I know this post is all over the place).

It was not easy. Our house was a remodel, that someone bought just to make a profit. So after they remodeled they covered the backyard with sod, which is great until you decide to dig it up. Yeah that took a while. After all of that I began to till the ground. That was not easy either because we have a lot of rocks apparently. So I finally finish that, then I poured potting soil on top and then planted. I got all of the plants at Lowes. I've always wanted a vegetable garden, but I have never really been successful at it. I would always plant one, then our dog would always destroy it. This is one of the many reasons why I'm not much of a dog person (Jeremy however is). I'll have to let you guys know if it works out this time.