The Forsgren Family's English Adventure

Gratitude Weekly Week 5 - Shore tours

2012-02-02T13:04:00.001Z

England is a shore tour for Jay, which means not attached to a ship. Not attached to a ship means, not going in and out and in and out and in and out. It means not being away from home port 50-60% of the time. It means not working 85-120 hours a week. It means family dinner more often than not. It means time to get in PT. It means being a part of school activities, church activities and family activities. It means coming home when the children are awake and having time to interact with them for extended periods of time before bedtime.

We have managed pretty darn well during the last 5 years of deployment, and sea tour time. I thought we had a decent system worked out. Since being in England however I have come to see just what a half life we have been having. We do the best with what we have, but having Jay home is so much better.

Jay being bonged off the USS WASP barely 24 hours before boarding flight to England.

Gratitude Weekly Week 4 - The Homeschool Opportunity

2012-01-23T11:49:00.000Z

Today Nathan and Sarah start at a new school. We have been doing the homeschool thing this year, but just before Christmas we decided that Nathan needed to go back to traditional school. He was doing great academically, but really needed to improve socially. I just couldn't give him them opportunities to be part of a group here. He is very resistant to going to school, but we believe it to be in his best interest. While checking out the school that Nathan was placed in, Sarah decided that she really wanted to go to school as well. After much deliberation both of the young ones will be going to school.

I am trying to be upbeat about it, but I think I am failing miserably. It has been so enjoyable teaching them at home. Sarah's schooling was very difficult, but I felt that we grew closer as we struggled through it. Nathan's schooling was delightful. There is nothing like learning something and getting a hug and a kiss from mom for doing well. Both of us were so happy every time he learned something new.

I am so very thankful that we did the homeschool thing, even if only for a little while. I love the resources we now have in our home as well. Just because they go off to the big school tomorrow doesn't mean we stop learning at home. This opportunity, just taught us that we can learn at home and have the tools to do so.

PS Now I may be able to do a little shopping, don't tell Jay. :)

Gratitude Weekly - Week 3 - Warmth

2012-01-15T23:01:00.000Z

This week we had a little warm spell. I got a little bit excited because I thought our heat was working, but really the temperature just went up 10-15 degrees here (50-54*F). We had several days of sunshine and mild temperatures. My feet were toasty and a few times our house got a so warm I thought we needed to crack a window. We were able to go to the playground and play until Nathan was tired instead of playing until appendages go numb. Now however the temperature is back down to about 40*F during the day and 34*F at night. My feet are cold again too. But I have cute new slippers so that helps some.

Sarah's First Horse Ride

2012-01-15T22:37:00.001Z

Sarah began riding lessons this week. Riding lessons were one of Sarah's Christmas presents. Two years ago Sarah tried riding on a trail ride and was too nervous, but she does love horses so much she really wanted to learn to ride. Over here in England there really seem to be many opportunities for riding so it seemed like a good time to start.

Sarah's lessons are on a New Forest Pony named Tia. She is 9 years old and the softest horse I have ever laid a hand on. Her teacher is a friend of a friend named Kate.

Sarah was still a little nervous, but Tia made her more relaxed.

Beautiful ladies all three.

Gratitude Weekly - Week 2 Birthday Celebration

2012-01-15T22:16:00.000Z

I am very blessed to have a wonderful generous husband who spoils me delightfully. Friday a week ago was my birthday and as usual, my darling didn't disappoint. This year to make sure that my day was special, Jay took off work and we made a family trip to Stonehenge and Bath.

I am sorry to admit that Stonehenge wasn't quite as impressive in person as I had imagined in my head. The children however were completely impressed. So much so that they listened intently to the recording and wouldn't stop listening for pictures. Nathan's comment was those look like the rocks on the computer. We had Stonehenge as our backdrop on the computer for months, he was so excited to find out they were the same rocks.

Bath was a delightful discovery. We didn't know what to expect, but Bath was beautiful and charming. There were many cute shops and more shopping opportunities than anyone needs. We really look forward to more trips to Bath.

Bath Abbey

Very cute area of town

Roman Bath in the center of town

Gratitude Weekly - Week 1

2012-01-10T13:23:00.000Z

Better late than never. I am going to begin again with my gratitude postings. In the month on November on Facebook I listed something I was thankful for every day in November. I found that I was much happier and looked for things to be happy about. Also when something bothered me I was more likely to gloss over my upset or disappointment. I want to feel that in my life more, that is why I will be going back to my Gratitude Weekly posting.

Week 1 - I am thankful for my family, my cute little family at home.

My parents and my siblings.

Those crazy people I married into.

Each and everyone of those people helped to make me who I am. They helped me grow and learn and helped me to see what I could become. I am extremely blessed to be a part of all these people.

London Trip 3 - Fall Break

2011-12-11T21:48:00.001Z

During the boys' fall break we also took a trip to London. I know the title of the post says London Trip 3 and there isn't a trip 2, but that is because the pictures aren't on this computer and I need to find them. Anyway, on our 3rd trip we again took the train and this time spent the night so that we could have more time to see London. At the end of the trip we realized that you can never have enough time in London. Our lists of things we want to see and do in London grows and grows and grows. Here are a few of the MANY pictures we took while on our trip.

Day 1 - Bus Tour

Best Seats on the Bus

Big Ben

Palace Guards

Harrods Department Store

Tower Bridge

Tower of London

London Eye

Trafalgar Square

Southsea Castle (and Lighthouse)

2011-12-11T21:01:00.001Z

fromwww.southseacastle.co.uk

One day, about 2 months into our time here in England, while sitting at the playground watching Nathan and Sarah play, I looked up and saw a lighthouse. I was stunned because Nathan has an uncanny ability to see lighthouses everywhere and we had never seen this lighthouse before. I called him over to me and just before I could point it out to him, Nathan yells LIGHTHOUSE! Needless to say we planned a trip to visit the lighthouse as soon as possible.

England has a wonderful thing called fall break that gives the children 10 days out of school in the fall, so while the boys were out on fall break we visited the lighthouse which is part of the Southsea Castle.

Sarah & Nathan's 1st Day

2011-10-09T16:41:00.003+01:00

Sarah and Nathan have school too, it is just getting off the ground a little bit more slowly. They are being home-schooled this year and before we could start school we had to have a home. We have begun on a modified schedule now, we are still waiting on some materials to be sent. This is a good thing because one of us really needs to be eased into this whole school thing.

As is only right and fitting I wanted to share pictures from their first day of school too. Nathan decided that he didn't want to go to school even if it was at home with Mommy, but Sarah makes things more fun.

First Day of School 2011

2011-09-12T11:58:00.009+01:00

Better Late Than Never

This year school is a little different. Alex and Spencer are going to school at Ryde School with Upper Chine. It is on the Isle of Wight just off the coast of Portsmouth. They wear uniforms and ride a hovercraft and walk almost two miles literally up a hill. After school it is down hill. Sarah and Nathan don't have a school. They will be being home schooled once we get a home. The day before school started we had welcome and meet and greet type activity. The weather was a little harsh with high winds and drizzle. The hovercraft was closed and we had to take a foot ferry over to the school. Now we know the procedure for bad weather.

Luckily the first day of school weather was much more delightful. We left the hotel, took a taxi to the hovercraft terminal and as a family took the boys to school. The hovercraft had about 10 students going Ryde. From a not so discreet distance we followed Alex and Spencer up the hill till they arrived at the back gate of the school. They were lucky enough to be friended by another boy Spencer's age who showed them the way.

While the boys were at school Sarah, Nathan, Jay and I toured a part of the Isle of Wight by history telling double decker bus. We also did some shopping and had hot chocolate at the Chocolate Apothecary. After school the boys came down the hill and met us for ice cream. Not your typical 1st day of school, but highly memorable.

Southsea Kite Festival

2011-09-06T20:51:00.003+01:00

One more quick fun blog before school begins. The first weekend we were in England, and more specifically in Portsmouth, Southsea, which is the part of Portsmouth we will be living in, had a Kite Festival. We had nothing else to do so we went to the Kite Festival. There were expensive food stands with food that isn't good for you. There were great jewelry, clothing and knickknack stands with things that we can't really afford to spend money on. There was also the carnival section with rides to make children very excited. Unlike Busch Gardens the rides cost money every time you ride one and so we had to limit the children to one ride each.

The Kite Festival was our first real experience with the weather here. It was beautiful, but very windy with occasional showers. When we arrived we were taking our coats off, but about 30 minutes into it the clouds blew in and it rained on us. Then it stayed cloudy and windy for about 30 minutes. Finally the sun came back out. I spent almost as much time looking at the kites as I did studying what people wear. From shoes to coats it is almost an obsession with me to figure out what we are going to buy for this ever changing, yet fairly moderate climate.

The last part of our day, and I really wish I had a picture of this, we had lunch at a deli. Lunch was good, but the Lemon donut pastry was the best, it ruined me for all other pastries. It was AMAZING.

Striping Up on the HMS Victory

2011-09-02T22:25:00.004+01:00

Today Jay and I were happy to be invited to attend the Striping Up Ceremony for Jay's sponsor, Joe Bainer. Joe has been a terrific sponsor before we arrived in the UK and since we've been here. The favorite saying our first week here was "Joe Says". The kids even talked about playing Simon Says and changing it to Joe Says.

Joe was promoted from Lieutenant to Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy and chose the HMS (Her Majesty's Ship) Victory as the location for the event. (HMS Victory is perhaps the greatest successful war vessel of all times. It was Admiral Nelson's flag ship for two very decisive Naval battles.) There were officers from the US Navy, Her Majesty's Royal Navy and other NATO militaries all joined together on a beautiful old wooden hull war ship.

During the ceremony they read the Warrant (US Government's official statement of promotion), recited the Oath of Office and then the newly promoted officer changed into his new uniform with the assistance of the Admiral.

We loved being a part of it. Congratulations Joe and thank you for including us.

London Baby

2011-08-31T22:03:00.009+01:00

Let me just start this by saying that Jay and I enjoy the TV show Friends. We have watched it before bed for years just so we could have a good laugh before bed. We have been referencing the Friend's trip to London ever since we arrived here and our trip to London was no different. We really wanted to find a pop up map like Joey had so Jay could step inside the map to find his way around, but the one we bought was more useful.

We took the train from Portsmouth to London and I'll tell you I love the train. It is so much fun to travel with the family and no one need to navigate or drive and we can all just hang out together. There was the time that not all of us got thru the doors of the train fast enough, but luckily we were able to get the door back open and everyone in before the train took off. Our hearts got a little workout, but no harm done.

When we arrived in London we thought that we were headed to one of the Navy's offices, but we were off by about 10 miles and 4 underground zones for the metro. No biggie, we just took another trip on the train/metro and found where we needed to be. After all the work was done we got to do our sightseeing.

Right off the metro we saw Big Ben and Parliament, The River Thames and the Farris Wheel.

Westminster Abbey was also on our list.

Not exactly sure what this was, but it was a beautiful view through St. James Park.

Sarah and I were excited to Buckingham Palace and Sarah was sure if she zoomed in far enough she might see something more exciting than just a big palace.

Nathan loved the ducks and wanted more picture of ducks than some big building.

We saw a lot of the highlights of London, but barely brushed the surface of things we want to see. We look forward to returning and digging deeper into all there is to see and do.

Trip to Ryde

2011-08-29T16:30:00.004+01:00

On our third full day in the UK we took a little trip from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight. Yes, I know, we really didn't need to come all the way to England for a Portsmouth and an Isle of Wight we had those in Virginia. Alexander and Spencer will be going to Ryde School on the Isle of Wight. We traveled over on hovercraft to meet the headmaster and visit the campus.

We had a wonderful meeting with the headmaster and the hover craft was an easy and fun 10 minute ride. The boys are looking forward to a great year and Sarah hopes to join them next year.

England Baby

2011-08-28T21:57:00.011+01:00

So I can't quite figure out where to start. I have tried to start writing everyday since we arrived. By the way, we arrived Saturday, August 20, 2011. Mother and Anna helped Jay and I pack the night before we left and believe me it was a big job.

Nathan, who woke up crying because he didn't want to fly in the big airplane, had a wonderful time on the big airplane. He also slept well and wanted to go again. Spencer had a little bit of motion sickness and then slept all the way from DC to London. Everyone else did great. Alex even got to sit by himself.

Once we arrived in London we took the bus from London to Portsmouth. It took a little bit of time to get to Portsmouth, but it was a really nice trip. Jay, Alex, Spencer, Nathan and Sarah all slept on the way to our new home.

Once we arrived in Portsmouth we checked into the Marriott hotel where we are having a lovely stay. The hotel has been really nice. We have adjoining rooms and there is a pool. We are enjoying a hot English breakfast in the mornings. For breakfast we have a choice of eggs, tomatoes and mushrooms, ham, large sausages, bacon, tatter tots and baked beans. There are also choices of fruit and yogurt, pastries, toast and cereal. There is more to report, but I'm trying to keep your attention so I don't want to give you too much at once. Cheers.

I Guess It's Really Going To Happen

2011-07-21T04:07:00.005+01:00

I guess the Navy really is going to send us to England. It appears all the Ts are crossed and all the Is are dotted. I have been working my tail off trying to get ready for the packers that come in 5 days, but tonight I am calling it quits for trying to make progress and I am going to work toward updating the blog.

Originally I had thought how wonderful it would be to document each step it takes to prepare for an overseas move with the military. I very quickly realized that at the end of the day there was NO WAY I wanted to relive it. There have been many, many mountains to climb with very few downhills. It feels like the actual moving of our things is the easy part when you look at that next to all the paperwork. We are talking four months of intense paperwork and emailings.

Next week our furniture leaves and we will move in with my parents for the last few weeks we are in Virginia. Our adventure begins and I look forward to sharing it on my blog. That's the update for now.

Hop On the Roller Coaster - We Are Going For a Ride

2011-03-06T01:00:00.005Z

Hop on, sit down, hold on tight we are starting the ride again. It's a roller coaster ride being a military family. For the last 4 summers we have wondered whether or not to get a pool membership at the neighborhood pool because there is a large stock buy in and we didn't know if we would be here the next year or not. We have been living in Virginia since summer of 2006 and every year there has been a possibility of a move. In 2008 we were headed to Japan to the point of selling a bunch of furniture and giving our dog to another family, just to have the move cancelled less than 48 hours before the movers arrived. This year I told a friend that I was pretty certain that for the first time I could guarantee that we would be staying in Virginia for a few years. Jay will be leaving his ship for in August and returning to a job not based on a ship. We were expecting a job in this general area. He chose several jobs here in Hampton Roads, but kind of as a joke he threw in England because it was more like a dream than anything.

Well England it is. The Navy has told us to prepare to move to Portsmouth, UK in September. The Navy has told us what we need to do, but to be prepared that we still might not move to England because we don't have official orders and we can't expect them until June or July.

Mixed emotions flow in the household. Jay, Spencer and I are excited. Alex is looking on the bright side. Sarah is nervous and not sure if she can be happy about it yet. Nathan wants to ride a train, a double decker bus and see Thomas the Tank Engine, but has no clue, what's happening.

It could all change in an instant, but for now we are preparing to move to England. More to come. . .

Time To Start Anew

2010-12-22T02:51:00.003Z

Here it goes. . .

It's not New Years, I haven't done any Christmas Cards, I haven't even finished Christmas shopping, but I am going to write a new post for my blog. Clearly there are many other things that need my attentions so I am focusing on something not nearly as urgent. As I write the laundry is screaming at me.

I am hoping to better use my blog in the coming year and thought I should start right now with giving it a cleaned up look. To have a cleaned up look you also have to at least have one new post right?

All I have to say with 3 days left until Christmas is that I HAVE to do better next year. Every year I say I am going to shop early and wrap early and do cards early so that I can enjoy the season. NEVER HAPPENS. My favorite part of our season this year was when we had 2 snow days and just hung out and did nothing. The entire rest of the season we have been rushing around. School gets out tomorrow, we will rush around for 2 more days and then settle down as a family spend time together and do nothing some more.

So here's to Christmas Day when everything is closed and all the days that follow until January 2nd when we will hit it again.

I hope that all of you enjoy your holidays and have time to do nothing with those you love to do nothing with the most.

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie

2010-07-11T04:10:00.002+01:00

As I was reading this book to Nathan one night at bedtime I realized this is my life. It's no wonder Nathan loves the If You Give... books, they are his life as well.

If you give Nathan a bowl of popcorn he is going to want a drink coke to go with it. If you give Nathan a drink coke he is going to want a napkin to go with it and if you give Nathan a napkin then at some point he is going to wander off and leave both the napkin and the popcorn on the floor and you are going to need to vacuum before the morning is over. While you are vacuuming Nathan is going to come up to you and tell you he needs to go potty and while he is going potty he is going to remember that he meant to have you change the TV channel. Once you change the TV channel you will realize that he dumped all the laundry all over the floor and ran his cars through it. You will start to clean up the cars and laundry when he informs you that he was playing with that and you are ruining his life if you pick it up. So you decide to leave the room to put the dishes away and while you are putting the dishes in the dishwasher Nathan remembers he is thirsty and wants drink coke and if he wants drink coke he is going to want some popcorn to go with it.

Gratitude Weekly 5,6,7,8

2010-02-22T13:24:00.008Z

Okay, so I am not doing well with keeping up with what I am grateful for right now. I will have to do better. I am repenting and moving forward.

Week 5 - Snow -I would have to say I am grateful for snow. Snow dumped down on us here in Virginia for Friday and Saturday. We missed a trip to Raleigh and were snowed in for a couple of days. Jay took the children sledding and they had lots of fun. Although Nathan ran into some bushes and got himself a really manly scrap on his face. School was closed for Tuesday and Wednesday. They already had school closed on Monday for an end of the semester teacher day.

Week 6 - My Mother - I am grateful for my Mother this week. My mother turned 75 on Feb. 11. We celebrated with lots of cake, balloons and dinner at the Olive Garden. In the mother department I am very, very blessed.

Week 7 - Valentines Day - My sweetheart. I am always grateful for him, but it never hurts to say it again. We were actually together for Valentines Day which makes it even better. The Navy doesn't believe in Valentines Day and tries to ruin it as many years as possible.

Week 8 - Youth Temple Trips - Can I be thankful for updating my blog? Just kidding. We went up to Washington DC with the youth from church this past Saturday. I love that almost 20 12-18 year olds will get up on a Saturday morning at 0400, get dressed in Sunday clothes and spend all of their day going to the temple. Alex has been looking forward to going for some time and everyone had a great day. We got home about 5:00pm. It was a long day, but totally worth it for the kids.

On a side note, the three younger ones and I were able to visit Jay's parents who will leave in two weeks to go back to Utah after serving 18 months at the DC Temple. We will miss them. In Nathan's mind he has only known them living in DC and it will be hard for him to adjust.

Gratitude Weekly 4 - Jay's Time Home

2010-01-25T01:43:00.002Z

With Jay not going to Japan we have been on hold for a while waiting for him to join a ship. He had a few weeks off while they sorted out where to send him. Then they sent him to a shore command for a couple of months. A shore command that consisted of no 24 hour duty and weekends off. This week Jay will report to the USS WASP as the Training Officer. During the past two and a half months we have been totally spoiled having Jay home every night and weekends. I love him so much and he is the greatest father ever. Every day with him is such a gift and I am so thankful for the extra time we have had over the last few months.

Gratitude Weekly 3 - Date Night

2010-01-18T01:20:00.003Z

When Jay is home we try desperately to go on a date every Friday night. Alex usually babysits, it used to be my parents, but now it is usually Alex. Jay and I have found that if we don't go out together on Friday then on Wednesday we snap at or yell at each other. We are trying to find things to do that don't involve eating, but we are hard pressed to do that since we really love to eat out. Some nights we are so tired that all we want to do it go home, but we don't want to go until the children are in bed so we go to Barnes and Noble and sit in a comfy chair and read books that we don't want to spend money on buying. It doesn't matter what we do, we just need that time as a couple. Last year there were actually many dates where he was stuck working at the ship and I took a book and just went and sat with him in his office and read while he worked, but we were together.

As we are becoming an older married couple (15 years) we find that the number one thing we both want is more time together and that is why every week I look forward to date night so very much.

Gratitude Weekly 2 - My Birthday

2010-01-11T02:33:00.002Z

My birthday was this past week and I am thankful for it. If I say that enough will you believe me. I am thankful to be alive and healthy, but sometimes it is just so hard to think I am growing older and with that should come some wisdom and maturity. I informed Jay that I was going to be 35 and that was a rough age for me to deal with so I needed lots of presents and to be Queen for the day or possibly week. He didn't go for the lots of presents thing, but he dubbed me Empress for the day because he thought I would enjoy ruling over multiple kingdoms. I did find that I didn't need the presents, spending the whole day with my husband was good enough for me. In 11 years in the Navy Jay has never missed my birthday. There is not another birthday or holiday he can say that about.

Also this week we ran away from home. My parents kept the children and Jay and I ran down to Raleigh for a friend's wedding. We had a wonderful time and are so grateful for our time together.

Gratitude Weekly 1 - New Church Times

2010-01-04T01:59:00.009Z

Church time changed at the beginning of the year. We used to go from 11-2 which was meant late breakfast or early lunch to make it through followed by large snack or early dinner. Now we are going to church from 1-4. I will admit that it isn't my favorite time to go, but I don't hate it. At least we get lunch (when it is not fast Sunday).

What I am so grateful for is that I don't have a napping child. For years, 13 and 1/2 to be exact, it didn't matter what time church was someone needed to be fed or take a nap. Last time we were at 1-4 church Nathan was a year old and Sooo cranky when he missed nap time. Jay doesn't get it that I am just happy that 1-4 church won't be so hard this time.

He was in Iraq last time and missed the fun.

So while everyone is complaining I am just quietly smiling and remembering that it could be worse. I will keep my eyes out for those moms suffering with the little ones and try to help them out, while being thankful for my bigger ones.

2010 - The Year of the Blog

2009-12-28T16:22:00.009Z

I am resolved to make 2010 the year I return to blogging. Facebook sucked me in with it's instant gratification and I forgot the importance of writing beyond a status report. It may take some time to remember how to write in complete sentences and dare I say paragraphs, but I am going to make an effort to do that very thing.

2009 Year in Review Highlights

We had lots of Jay's family visit this year thanks to his parents serving a mission at the Washington DC temple and lots of the siblings coming to visit them. Jay did a brief 3 month deployment to South America over the summer. We had Megan (Jay's nephew, James's fiance) come to live with us for the summer. The children, Megan and I went to Nebraska for the Forsgren Family Reunion and lived to tell about it. We found out that we were going to Japan for Jay's next tour of duty. Jay came home from deployment. Sarah was baptized. Jay pinned on Lieutenant Commander. The fall was spent watching high school football games and watching my niece as the drum major for the marching band. Alex won 2nd place in both a writing competition and an poster contest. We prepared with all we were worth to go to Japan and then 36 hours before the movers were to come we found out that we would not be going to Japan. Too many children. The rest of the year was spent putting things back together.

Now we know that Jay will stay in Virginia until at least August of 2011. Jay is temporarily working for SURFLANT (Surface Forces Atlantic). In February he will report to the USS WASP (LHD 1) as the Training Officer. We are very pleased with how everything has worked out.

Our cat died this summer from cancer and our dog went to live with another family because of the Japan move so we got kittens for Christmas and named them Holly and Ivy.

Now we look forward to life being more settled and more time with Jay this coming year. It will be a year with much to be thankful for.

First Day of School 2009

2009-09-15T16:15:00.004+01:00

One didn't want to go.

One was nervous.

One was excited.

One didn't have time for pictures until after school.

Lieutenant Commander Forsgren

2009-09-15T15:58:00.005+01:00

September 1, 2009 Jay became a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy. He was sworn into the Navy on January 22, 1999 and Commissioned an Officer on April 21, 2000.
Taking the oath

Pinning it on

A Family Affair

Sarah's Baptism

2009-09-15T15:51:00.004+01:00

August 21, 2009 Sarah was baptised. Jay baptised and confirmed her a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Many people came to share in her wonderful experience. Alex gave a talk on Baptism and Uncle Pete gave a talk on the gift of the Holy Ghost.
At home before the baptism

Jay and Sarah

As a family

Homecoming August 2009

2009-09-15T15:29:00.007+01:00

Jay came home August 21, 2009 from his deployment to South America. It was a short deployment (less than 3 months) but sometimes they all feel long.
Sarah before the ship came in.

Here it comes.

Waiting

Going to board the ship.

Together again.

Going to Japan

2009-07-26T04:44:00.002+01:00

Sometimes it takes something big to get a person back to writing. This is big enough for me. Jay is getting orders to Sasebo, Japan. We don't know when he will go or when we will go, but ultimately sometime around November or December it looks like we will be headed to Japan for 18 month.
I am shocked and excited. I am glad that excitement is the main emotion because I would hate to be sad with the same intensity as I am excited. Spencer and Sarah are both thrilled. They knew that Japan was a possibility and were very happy. Alex didn't want to move and was disappointed. He has put on his game face though and is trying very hard to get into the spirit of it all. He is checking out kid websites about Japan to help him get excited about it. Nathan of course has no clue. My mother says that when he realizes what is happening he is going to say he is staying with Grandmama. That's what he does whenever I want him to do something he doesn't like.
My favorite part of all the excitement surrounding the announcement was Spencer's response to why he wants to go. I asked him what made him so happy about going to Japan, "Is it that Pokemon is from Japan?" He didn't even know that and his eyes got huge. Then he said, "No, I didn't know that, I just wanted to see what is on the other side of the world." What a great thing to remember, we are lucky to have this opportunity.

Yummy Trees

2009-03-30T01:49:00.004+01:00

The Bradford Pear trees are in bloom here. Actually they are almost finished blooming. On Friday we were driving down the road giving the Sister Missionaries a ride when Nathan points out the beautiful trees and tells one of the sisters, "See, Yummy Trees!" At first we were all confused but after a couple of seconds we figured out he was talking about popcorn trees. One of the sisters said that she had never realized what that song really meant until she came here on her mission and saw the "popcorn trees" in bloom. Nathan has regularly called them popcorn trees, but yummy trees was something new. We love yummy trees.

I looked out the window and what did I see?
Popcorn popping on the apricot tree.
Spring has brought me such a nice surprise!
Popcorn popping right before my eyes.
I can take a handful and make a treat.
A popcorn ball that smells so sweet.
It wasn't really so, but it seemed to be
Popcorn popping on the apricot tree.

Spencer turns 10

2009-03-30T01:36:00.003+01:00

This past week Spencer turned 10. Ten years ago he was born in the middle of the night by emergency c-section. I never saw him because I was unconscious when they rushed him of to the NICU. The next day they brought me a Polaroid and I asked Jay why my baby looked like a three month old. He was a big baby and it was really a surprise to me to see how big he looked. The nurses would come into my room and comment on the fact that I was the mother of the BIG baby in the NICU. Finally that night they let me go down to see him and he really was a big baby. They had his 9 and a half pound body next to a baby who weighed about 4 pounds. But he was beyond BEAUTIFUL.

When he was little we used to call Spencer Happy because he was just a happy go lucky baby and little boy. He is still my best snuggler and cuddler. He knows that he is his Mother's precious.

He had a great birthday week that we drug out over several days. We celebrated with Grandma and Grandpa on Sunday, Grandmama and Granddaddy on Monday, our friend Carol and her children joined us for dinner out on Spencer's actual birthday and then he had a Laser Tag birthday party with his friends on Friday. I think that is enough celebrating to declare him officially 10.

Blog depression

2009-03-16T01:33:00.002Z

I have been feeling a little bit blog of depression lately. I don't have any pictures of anything we are doing and I certainly don't feel witty. I'm not depressed and I am very thankful, but I am just not feeling creative and I hate to write a boring blog knowingly.
Under things that I am thankful for, my trip to SC two weeks ago would be a big one. I really needed that vacation. Sadly after the week I just had I really need another one. My big thankful for the week is a little bit wrong. I am so very thankful that Jay has 14 days off. The problem is that he has 14 days off because he had his appendix removed. I would love to take a picture of him all laid out sleeping, but it seems unkind.
Jay started not feeling good on Monday after lunch, but just kept pushing on. Monday night I suggested that he go to the ER and get checked out because I was suspecting appendix. He couldn't do that because he said that after spending hours in the ER he wouldn't be fit for duty the next day so he did nothing. Tuesday morning he had a slight fever and went into work, but was sent on to the Portsmouth Naval Hospital by mid morning. It was his appendix and Tuesday night they operated. He came home Wednesday afternoon.
Wednesday night Nathan got an ear infection and had massive throwing up followed by Friday in the wee hours of the morning Sarah starting the throwing up and she is still not quite right.
I am so very glad that Jay's surgery went well and in spite of all he had to go through I am deliriously happy that he will be home with us for another 8 days.

2009 Girlfriend Survey

2009-03-13T23:19:00.002Z

2009 Girl Friend Survey
Welcome to the 2009 edition of getting to know your Friends. ' press FORWARD ' then change all the answers so they apply to you, and then send this to your friends including the person who sent it to you. The theory is that you will learn a lot of little things about your friends that you might not have known!

1. What time did you get up this morning? 5:15 with throwing up child. Again at 7:25 with child saying, Mom you were supposed to get up at 7:00 when I woke you, we need to leave in 5 mins.

2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Bolt

4. What is your favorite TV show? CMT music, Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance

5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Fruity Dino Bites

6. What is your middle name? McMillan

7. What food do you dislike? Liver

8. What is your favorite CD at moment? Jason Alden

9. What kind of car do you drive? Hyundai Entourage

10. Favorite sandwich? Turkey & Cheese

11. What characteristic do you despise? Self importance

12. Favorite item of clothing? Levi's

13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Italy

14. Favorite brand of clothing? Coldwater Creek

15. Where would you retire to? Yorktown, VA, Raleigh, NC or the Blue Ridge Mountains

16. What was your most memorable birthday? 7th, my parents took me to the Ice Capades

17. Favorite sport to watch? March Madness Basketball

18. Furthest place you are sending this? don't know yet

19. Person you expect to send it back first? don't know yet

20. When is your birthday? January 6, 1975

21. Are you a morning person or a night person? Night

22. What is your shoe size? 6 1/2 - 7

23. Pets? Family Dog - Dutchess the cat, Cheyanne the dog

24. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? We have company coming

25. What did you want to be when you were little? A teacher, then a nurse

26. How are you today? Tired

27. What is your favorite candy? Whatchamacallit

28. What is your favorite flower? Hyacinth

29. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? March 24th, our next family birthday

30. What's your full name? Susan McMillan Stubbs Forsgren

31. What are you listening to right now? Lord of the Rings, not by choice

32. What was the last thing you ate? Scallops, my mom made me dinner

33. Do you wish on stars? Sometimes, when I am feeling whimsical

34. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Gold

35. How is the weather right now? Rainy and cold

36. The first person you spoke to on the phone today? My Mom

37. Favorite soft drink? Wild Cherry Pepsi

38. Favorite restaurant? Olive Garden

39. Real hair color? Can't remember

40. What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbie

41. Summer or winter? Summer

42. Hugs or kisses? Kisses

43. Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate

44. Coffee or tea? Sleepytime Herbal Tea

45. Do you want your friends to email you back? Of course

46. When was the last time you cried? This morning reading my SIL's blog

47. What is under your bed? Books

48. What did you do last night? Worked until I fell asleep

49. What are you afraid of? Ticks

50. Salty or sweet? Sweet

51. How many keys on your key ring? 3

52. How many years at your current job? 12.5

53. Favorite day of the week? Friday, date night

54. How many towns have you lived in? Yorktown, VA; Raleigh, NC; Provo, UT; Raleigh, NC; Yorktown, VA; Goose Creek, SC; Portsmouth, RI; Yorktown, VA; Portsmouth, RI; Yorktown, VA

55. Do you make friends easily? I try

Please feel free to copy and answer on your own blogs, I would love to know your answers.

Doing the Charleston

2009-03-02T04:15:00.005Z

Jay had a port visit this weekend in Charleston, SC and my parents wonderfully agreed to take care of the children for me to come down to Charleston for a little vacation. Jay and I had a great time driving all over town reminiscing. We went to the Naval Weapon's Station and visited Charlie who is big as ever. Also there were two smaller alligators in the water inside his fence. We drove down Hickory Hall Lane and over to Keklico remembering all of our friends from our year in Charleston. We had lunch at Hyman's seafood and dinner at T-Bonz and Kaminsky's. One of the things that we reminisced about was when we passed the Outback Steakhouse and Jay reminded me of our going to dinner with two other couples and how everyone changed their drink orders after I ordered Dr. Pepper. You know who you are.

Charleston was a fabulous year and we are still friends with so many people from that year. I swore I wouldn't have any friends in Charleston, but I don't think I have ever had so many friends in one place. We had a great time this weekend. I am so grateful for a great vacation.

Update

2009-03-02T03:55:00.002Z

I haven't been blogging lately. Jay has been very disappointed in me for not keeping up with the blog, but life has been crazy. Spencer spent the month of January suffering severely with migraine headaches. He only made it through 5 full days of school in the month of January. We fell way behind trying to help Spencer through that time. He started an antidepressant medicine four weeks ago and has not had a single headache since. We are so very thankful that he is doing better. Not to mention the medicine has also brought back the Spencer that we haven't seen in a very long time. The difference is amazing and wonderful. He is so happy and talkative and fun. Big thankful on that front.

Jay began sea work at the end of January. February he was in and out every other week. The ship came out of the shipyard and is now based in Little Creek. The best part of this is that the children and I can go and see Jay on the ship sometimes. Nathan really loves to go to the ship. In March Jay will be out three weeks, in one.

Our favorite thing this past month was the few really warm days that we had. We were able to get several great playground days in during February. Now we are all waiting for spring. Bring it on.

Gratitude Weekly - Week 4

2009-01-26T00:47:00.002Z

I have a new favorite thing. My baby has become a bed snuggler. We have had children who slept with us because of nightmares, fear, no bed of their own (only while Jay was gone) and various other things. I never minded so much if they need us for a while, but it wasn't my favorite thing because I prefer to be the only bed hog in the bed. This is different. My baby has been coming in the morning at just about the time I have to get up anyway and just snuggling with me. He is such a busy baby that he hardly ever stops moving so this is such a treat and I am very grateful for every minute of it.

Gratitude Weekly - Week 3

2009-01-20T23:56:00.001Z

Missions. Our nephew James enters the MTC tomorrow. Our good friend Gregory also enters the MTC tomorrow. I am grateful that they have both chosen to perform this great service and make this sacrifice. Their work in preparing for their missions and the experiences that they will have over the next two years will bless their lives forever and also bless their families and their friends and like a ripple everyone they come in contact with. May God bless them and their families and their loved ones throughout this time.

What service is

2009-01-13T23:21:00.002Z

A good friend brought us some treats tonight with a Get Well note since we have three men down tonight. I read her note to Sarah and asked her if it made her feel better. Sarah said, "It doesn't make my ear feel better, but it make my heart feel better." There is in a child's words the meaning of serving others.

A Boy and His Dog

2009-01-13T15:04:00.003Z

Our dog Cheyanne has a life of hardship and blessing these days. She has a little boy who will not let her sleep or rest. She is constantly followed from room to room and sometimes has her tail pulled or a toy thrown at her. Sometimes she is body slammed or pulled around as she will allow. On the flip side of that Cheyanne has a little boy who comes to see her first thing in the morning. Lets her in and out as much as she wants all day. Plays with her, pets her, snuggles her and ususally has some kind of snack in his hand that he will share with her. No one has ever loved her more in her whole life and because of that she bears with the tail pulling and lack of sleep. Sometimes though I swear she is rolling her eyes at me.

Gratitude Weekly - Week 2

2009-01-13T14:54:00.002Z

This past week we spent dealing with illness. Spencer has been having chronic migraines. When I say chronic I mean he had one everyday except one for 10 days. Then he spiked a high fever for three days and the headaches stopped. Sarah has also had an ear infection for over a week and now Nathan has a fever. Those are not the things that I am thankful. What I am thankful for are for doctors and nurses who study and train and research and learn to help us all be healthier. I would say that I am very unsatisfied with how hard it is for us to obtain care for our family due to the way our medical care is set up, but I am thankful to those who provide us care when we finally get seen. There is nothing like a smiling caring face who wants to help when you feel awful.

Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam

2009-01-06T00:53:00.002Z

Nathan started Sunbeams class at Church this week. Our family has been debating for the last month whether Jesus really wants Nathan to be a Sunbeam or not. When discussing Sunbeams Nathan was adament about "No Sunbeam". Nathan was Nursery challenged and didn't make it to Nursery for the first year he was able to go. He only just turned 3 three weeks ago and in general Nathan hates to sit or be quiet. He survived the first week and so did his teachers. He managed Sharing Time with the help of his daddy and went to class on his own, but didn't really paticipate. He didn't cry much so we count it as a victory. We hope things will continue to improve each week. We are still going to pray for Nathan and his teachers everyday and hopefully some day soon he and Jesus will want him to be a Sunbeam.

Gratitude Weekly - Week 1

2009-01-06T00:43:00.004Z

Last year I began my weekly gratitude listing on my blog. This first week of January 2009 I would have to say that I am glad I did that. I enjoyed having my blog to look back over and let me know what happened in our family this year, but more than that I am grateful for having an optimistic attitude throughout the year and finding that there really is something to be thankful for every day. I had some weeks where there were too many things to list and some where it felt like all there was was gratitude that the week was over. So here we go again. This week I am grateful for my gratitude weeklies from last year and I am grateful to my dear, sweet, beautiful, stylish friend Emily who taught me to blog.

Movies at Little Creek

2009-01-04T02:58:00.003Z

Last night Jay and I went on a great date. We went to The Cheesecake Factory and then went to Little Creek Amphibious Base to see Twilight. First, dinner was great, I had Chicken Piccata and Vanilla Bean Cheesecake, both were delicious. Now let me tell you about the movie experience. I had never been to a movie on base before. My first impressions was "Cool, it is a theater with a stage." Next thought was, "Wow, I haven't been in a bathroom like that since High School." If I was a sailor I would wait a date or two before taking a girl there. It was only $4 for both of us so that was great. The refreshments were at least half the price and before the movie started they played the National Anthem. We had a great time and it was a fabulous experience. Very enjoyable movie too.
It was so great that we went back today and took the children to see Bolt. We paid $12 to get in and $11.75 for snacks for everyone. The children loved the experience as much as the movie. I would recommend Little Creek to anyone, just avoid the bathroom.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

2009-01-02T02:39:00.003Z

Time for a new start. After looking back on the past year I am a little disappointed in my progress. I am not discouraged however; I am excited because I feel like there are so many little things that I can do that will make huge improvements in the coming year. I hope to at this time next year be able to say, I still have a long way to go, but I am making steps in the right direction.
I am grateful for a chance to look back at the past year and assess where I was a year ago and where I am now. I am able to make some directional changes that will help to straighten out my path and get me back on target. I love new beginnings and hope everyone takes the time to reevaluate and looks forward to their own changes.

Gratitude Weekly - A Beautiful Day

2008-12-29T01:04:00.000Z

Today was a BEAUTIFUL day. It was beautiful in more than one way. The obvious beauty of the day was that the weather was 75 degrees and mostly sunny. It was also beautiful because we were all together as a family and not too tired to enjoy such a day. Today we had a great day at church followed by a family lunch in which even the baby ate what was put in front of him. Then after lunch we took the dog, who was freshly bathed two days ago and went for a drive up the Colonial Parkway to Williamsburg and walked around Williamsburg.
We had a great walk up there. It was really crowded with all the other families out making the most of the mild temperatures also. Jay and Nathan received a new wagon for Christmas from my parents and we put that to use and were able to walk and walk. I love living in a place with all four seasons, but it is really fun to have a day that doesn't fit with the season every once in a while.
After we came home we had dinner and again everyone ate what was put in front of them, you just don't know how rare that is. Then we spent the evening hanging out together as a family. It doesn't get much better than that.

Thankful - Sailing Home For Christmas

2008-12-17T03:59:00.000Z

I find that I am not being properly appreciative this holiday season and I want to rectify that. At this time of year many times I am without a husband. He has only missed one actual Christmas, but he is usually out to sea during December. I spend this time listening to songs that remind me that he is coming home soon and one song in particular that reminds me how there are those who are missing their Christmas with family. I am so very, very grateful for the people serving our country day in and day out. I am grateful to those who are deployed right now so that my husband is able to be home. I am proud to be numbered with people who chose this lifestyle even though just thinking about those families makes me teary eyed. I hope that our military feel our prayers and thankfulness and that they and their families are blessed this holiday season.

Here is my favorite non-traditional Christmas song. http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/DougStone/Sailing-Home-For-Christmas--25697200

All in day's work

2008-12-13T02:04:00.001Z

Today 12 loads of laundry were washed and put away. After showers tonight I asked Spencer if he had put his clothes in the laundry basket. Spencer said, "I don't have a basket." I walked back to his room to make sure that I wasn't crazy and this is what I saw.

Gratitude Weekly - Trials

2008-12-01T03:43:00.000Z

Right now I have no trials that I can think of. Can you imagine, even as I write that I am thinking that I must be missing something, but I hope that I can't think of anything. What I was thinking about today was how much the hard times in my life have helped me become who I am today. The hard times help me to know what the most important things in my life are. I am so very grateful for having the knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. At the time that I first found out about our church's beliefs I had to struggle to become a part of the church, but through those struggles I am stronger in my beliefs.
I am also grateful for the knowledge that comes from the separations that Jay and I go through. The first time that Jay had to leave us I was very excited for the chance to prove to myself that I could do it. Everyone always said that I was the sort of person who was "needy". I would have to say after 4 deployments, plus training totaling 2 years 8 months not including ins and outs over 3 years, and living apart for 8 months during the whole Rhode Island thing, I am not needy. I want to be with my husband because I love him and enjoy his company more than any other person I know, but I can live without him if I have to. I am also able to say that after the first deployment my understanding and love of our Eternal marriage was made much more clear to me. Though we may not always be able to be together on Earth, we have Eternity to enjoy each other.
There are many other trials that we have throughout our lives, but those come to mind more than the others and I am grateful for the lessons learned. I am also very grateful for the peace of no trials right now.

Army of Women

2008-11-26T13:23:00.000Z

http://www.armyofwomen.org/

This is a program that all woman can sign up to help with Breast Cancer research. They are trying to reach 1 million women so that they have a better base for their research. Periodically questionares are sent for you to fill out and they use the information to help with research. I have received two questionares since joining that took about a minute to fill out. This is a great way to help with Breast Cancer research without much effort. I hope you will join also.

Gratitude Weekly - Thanksgiving

2008-11-24T03:03:00.001Z

I am grateful for Thanksgiving coming up and the idea that people all over take the time to sit back and remember all their blessings. I am grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and for his sacrifice on our behalf. I am grateful for a Prophet leading and guiding us today. I am grateful for the greatest husband any woman could ever want to have. I am grateful for four beautiful, smart, happy children. I am grateful for a family that loves me and taught me well. I am grateful for the most wonderful friends and family all over the world. I am grateful for a home that I love in a neighborhood that I love where my children go to school in a safe place. I am grateful for a country in which we have freedom and prosperity. There are many more things that I am thankful for, but that is the top of the list. Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.

Christmas Spirit

2008-11-22T20:15:00.000Z

I received this as an email and filled it out for my blog because I just enjoy these so much.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? A pleasant mixture of both.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial, but I have a candle from Yankee Candle to make it smell real.

3. When do you put up the tree? Thanksgiving weekend

4. When do you take the tree down? New Year's Day

5. Do you like eggnog? Only homemade eggnog that turns out more like boiled custard.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? My cat, I had wanted a horse, but my parents talked me down to a dog and then to a cat because they were willing to have a cat.

7. Hardest person to buy for? My Dad

8. Easiest person to buy for? My children

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail

11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Can't think of one, I must have put a mental block on it.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Miracle on 34th Street, the remake or Rodolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Metally right after Christmas, in reality November

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Eggnog

16. Lights on the tree? I prefer white lights, but I have been overruled by the husband and all the children.

17. Favorite Christmas song? The Holy and The Ivy

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yes, but only because of the song.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? I would do one on Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas morning, but again I have been overruled.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Having too many places to go and things to do and not enough time to spend as a family. Also, the way the Navy likes to send ships out for the month of Dec. and bring them home just a couple of days before Christmas after all the work has been finished.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? White lights and red bows with gold ornaments.I

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Chicken with dried beef and bacon, green bean casserole and really great rolls followed by Better than Sex cake.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Brain Age, IPOD, 2nd TV

Hope some of you will fill it out too, I would love to see your answers.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Still Alive

2008-11-21T03:14:00.000Z

It has been a long time since I last posted. You would think I have something to say, but I really don't. Jay's being home has been wonderful and that is the main reason that I have not been blogging. I have someone to talk to in the evenings again and so I am spending less time on the computer. As a result I am also not keeping up with the blogs I read as well. Since I don't have anything to say I will just add a picture. Nathan is ready for a big boy bed, until he gets one he will just use any bed he can find.

Halloween Pics

2008-11-03T02:28:00.000Z

We belive in recycling costumes.Nathan as Eyore. Eyore had his 10th Halloween this year.
Sarah spent her third year as an NC State cheerleader.
Spencer who receives the bulk of the hand-me-down clothes was able to chose a new costume and was Anakin Skywalker.
Alex was an NC State Football player for his second or third year.

Gratitude Weekly - Jay is really home

2008-11-03T01:57:00.000Z

How many weeks am I allowed to be grateful that Jay is home? This weekend he is really home. His ship has been in port for 15 days, but his leave didn't start until after work on Halloween night. During those days he was only off the ship for a full 24 hours 1 time and he had five 24 hour duty days. Now he is all ours for 12 days. We are so excited to have him home all day and all night. I have a long list of things that I had hoped to accomplish, but Jay has other plans.
Friday night after trick or treating I took Jay to the urgent care center to get an xray of his foot and he has a broken foot. We don't really know how badly it is broken, but their are bone chips floating around and he has to stay off of it in a temporary cast until Wednesday when he will go see an orthopedic person. See how resourceful my husband is.
You might ask what in the world he did, well, ultimately he broke it spending quality time with his son. Alex asked Jay to play football with him and some boys from church and first play of the game Jay got hurt. He continued to play for the next hour and then worked on it injured for three full days before getting a doctor to look at the foot. He tried to get the ship doctor to x-ray it, but was denied (that is a whole other story, not so pretty. Just trust us when we say we don't want the government in charge of our health care.) Now we get to spend quiet time that involves Jay sitting for the next few days of his leave. Luckily all I really need right now to make me happy is to be in the same room with my love. I am so so so grateful for every minute we get to spend together.

Gratitude Weekly

2008-10-29T01:32:00.000Z

I haven't posted my weekly gratitude entry the past two weeks because it has been so obvious what I am grateful for. Jay came home safe and mostly sound. It is amazing the difference having him home makes. It is so dramatically better. We love him so much.
When Jay came home he was also able to confer the Aaronic Priesthood on Alex and ordained him to the office of a Deacon in our church. I am so very grateful that Alex has chosen to live his life in a way that will allow him to enjoy working on Earth on behalf of our Heavenly Father. He is such a great child and we are so blessed to be given him to raise.

Homecoming Pictures

2008-10-29T01:26:00.000Z

Homecoming Day

2008-10-19T02:49:00.000+01:00

No pictures. No one is more sorry about that than I am. It was a great day. First off it didn't pour down rain. It misted off and on, but we weren't wet. It has rained at all three of Jay's ship homecomings, but this was the lightest rain we have had. Jay had duty today so we weren't able to bring him home with us, but we did get to spend 5 hours on board with him.
We arrived at 9:15 and the ship was coming into the dock. It took until about 10:45 for the sailors to begin coming off the ship. We got a quick look at Jay waving to us before he had to get back to work. At about 12:00 someone came down to the pier where we were and escorted Alex, Spencer, Sarah, Nathan, my nephew Sam and I onto the ship where Jay was waiting at the top of the stairs for us. My parents, who had joined us at the Pier and were a HUGE help with Nathan opted to skip the ship tour.
Nathan was confused by everything. He wasn't sure about his Dad until he saw the other children hug Jay. Then Nathan really got into the spirit of the day. Jay would have to run off to do something and every time he came back in a room Nathan would yell, "Daddy's Back!" It never got old. Jay showed us all over the ship and we had a great time.
Can't wait till tomorrow when we get to bring him home.

Gratitude Weekly - Less than a week

2008-10-13T04:07:00.000+01:00

Jay will be home in less than a week. Right now he is playing around in the middle of the Atlantic headed our way. Less than a week.

Gratitude Weekly - In-Laws

2008-10-13T03:48:00.000+01:00

I truly have the best in-laws ever. They are really a second set of parents. I know they love me like their own child and I love them too. Now my in-laws are closer. They are serving a mission at the Washington DC Temple and we hope to be able to see them monthly.
I will also add that I feel like I hit the jackpot when it come to in-laws. They aren't perfect, but it isn't from lack of trying on their part.

Nothing but a giant playpen

2008-10-10T02:33:00.000+01:00

My father has begun work on our attached garage. The goal is to turn it into another bedroom. Nathan is loving Granddaddy working around the house. He wants to be right in the middle of the action. Daddy has found a safe way to make that happen. The trailer appears to be nothing but a giant playpen.

Hold to the Rod

2008-10-03T01:47:00.000+01:00

I am laughing outloud with no one to share it with so I am putting it on my blog. Alex is in the shower singing at the top of his lungs, Hold to the Rod. I don't think he realizes that everyone in the house can hear him or the people walking by outside if their were any. Lucky for all of us he is a really great singer. Oh, now he has switched to I Lived in Heaven.

Gratitude Weekly - This week and last

2008-09-29T02:56:00.000+01:00

Last weekend we had our friends the Francesconis come to visit us and we went to the airshow at Naval Station Oceana. An airshow is always a great way to spend a day. We got to meet their new baby boy and had a wonderful time hanging out and having fun.
This weekend in a continuation of our great weekend last week Gregory Scadden, Lauren's little brother, included us in the reading of his mission call. We listened in on speaker phone while he opened it and read it word for word. He is going to the Albania Triana Mission. (I think that is right.) We could feel the Holy Ghost so strongly while he read. Jay was also on another phone to hear it too. We are so grateful to have been included. There is nothing like hearing a mission call read for the first time.

Shoes everywhere

2008-09-29T02:48:00.000+01:00

I look around my house and I wonder, why are there shoes everywhere? Then I look a little closer and realize that more than half of them are mine. I think I have figured out where the problem lies. In my defense, some of those were played in by little girls, but I still need to learn to pick up after myself better.

Update + Gratitude

2008-09-14T18:45:00.000+01:00

It has been so long since I have blogged so I am going to just recap some of our past few weeks. I know this much, each week that has passed I have thought about what I was grateful for even if I didn't blog about it. Two weeks ago I was thankful for the wonderful summer that we have had. It was great to have the summer to ourselves. We started out with Scout camp and Dance camps and Golf camp, but then we settled into life with just family life the rest of the summer. I love being able to decide what we do and when and not having to run our lives on other people's schedules. We spent most of our summer at Busch Gardens for our fun times. What a way to spend the summer.
Last week I was so very thankful for a good first week of school. We are very happy with our new teachers and classes and friends. I think that it is going to be a great year. Sarah has the teacher we had hoped for and a couple of good friends in her class. Spencer has his best friend from 2 grade and his different best friend from 3 grade in his class this year. It feels like he has won the lottery. Alex has a couple of great male teachers in middle school and that makes him very happy. He relates to male teachers better and enjoys their classes more. He also has a couple of classes with good friends. Nathan started preschool. Day 1 was awful, but it was the day the parents stay. Day 2 was really good. Day 3 was perfect and Day 4 was above average. He is a totally different child since starting school and it is in a good way that he is different. He really needed to have someone not treat him like a baby. I apparently can't give him that because he is my baby and I keep failing to let him grow up.
This week I will say that I am thankful for prayer. I know that Nathan's success in going to school comes from the number of prayers on his behalf we have made. I know that the big children have been blessed in their classes and with their friends thanks to prayer. I believe that Jay is coping much better in his very difficult trials while on the ship thanks to the abundant prayers on his behalf. And I can really tell of so many instances of personal revelation for my family that I have had thanks to my prayers.
There is so very much to be thankful for and I am. One of Jay's friends wrote to him, "Things may get worse, but they just might get better." I hope to continue to find things of optimism and hope every day and I hope to share those things with others to help brighten their worlds as well.

Tagged

2008-08-25T03:16:00.000+01:00

I have been tagged by two of my dear friends. These are easy fun ways to add a post so for any of you that read my blog and are looking for a free and easy post to update your own blogs, consider yourselves tagged.

20 years ago!
1988
1. I was 13 years old and starting 8th grade.
2. I had a very regretful mullet haircut.
3. I was in girls chorus in middle school and loved it very much.

10 years ago!
1998
1. Alex was two and Jay was in school at NC State.
2. Spencer was on the way and my resting heartrate was 100 all the time. I also had trouble walking. Overall I was one sick pregnant woman.
3. We lived next door to Ken and Lauren and played card games all the time. Life was very fun.

5 years ago!
2003
1. Living in Virginia now.
2. Alex was 7, Spencer was 4, Sarah was 2.
3. Jay's ship was in the ship yard and I was working hard as the Spouse's Club Pres.

3 years ago!
2005
1. Living in Rhode Island
2. Nathan was born in December and so I spent most of that year in bed.
3. Jay was home all year long.

1 year ago!
2007
1. Living in Virginia again
2. Jay returned from a year in Iraq in the summer and Spencer was baptized.
3. Cross country family road trip and summer in Rhode Island.

This year so far!
2008
1. Jay commuted the first half of the year from Rhode Island and then deployed.
2. Children finished 1st, 3rd and 6th grades
3. Taking a dance class for the first time in 15 years.

Yesterday!
Saturday
1. Went to the airport
2. Went to the beach
3. Went to the pool

Today!
Sunday
1. Went to church
2. Went to the playground
3. Talked to Jay

Tomorrow!
Monday
1. Going to dance class
2. Going to the grocery store
3. Organizing for back to school

Next Year!
2009
1. Another cross country car trip for the family, minus Jay.
2. Another deployment for Jay.
3. 15 Year Wedding Anniversary. Still very happily married.

Tag You're It

2008-08-25T03:14:00.000+01:00

Memory Game

1. As a comment on this post, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

And if you're just a "lurker" that I don't know very well, please use this as an excuse to comment and say hello!

Gratitude Weekly - Good Food

2008-08-25T02:42:00.000+01:00

I love good food. If I am not careful I will become obsessed and gain weight and spend all my money on good food. To prove my point, one summer in high school I spent half my earnings on eating out that summer and gained 20 lbs.
This week I had a great week of food. My dear sister-in-law came to visit and I used the excuse to enjoy many of my very favorite restaurants and it was awesome. First night that she was here we went to The Cheesecake Factory; I had Chicken Piccata and Chocolate Moose Cheesecake. It was fabulous. Thursday night we went out for seafood. I had shrimp, scallops and clams. Friday lunch we went to Paul's Deli. That is my favorite place for lunch and I always get the same thing there; a Club Special. It never fails to totally satisfy me. Dinner Friday night we went to a Japanese Steakhouse where I had shrimp and scallops again. Then later to Coldstone Creamery. It may have been totally glutenous, but I loved every minute of it.
So what am I thankful for? I am thankful for great food put together in great combinations and cooked by people who have practiced their craft and perfected it. Yum! I am also grateful for the opportunity that I had this week to take a break and eat.

Jonas Brothers

2008-08-21T04:56:00.000+01:00

Last night we had a great night back in the back in the cheap seats at the Jonas Brother's concert. We got lawn tickets and really sat in the very back. The good news was that we didn't have to worry about being in front of anyone. The Jonas Brothers really put on a great show. We had a wonderful time and I am very glad that we went.
It didn't start off great however. The opening act was Demi Lovato. Because it was still light out we couldn't see the big screen TVs, and were too far away to see the stage well. The children were very discouraged and thought the night would be a bust. After Demi Lovato there was an hour long intermission while we waited for the sun to set before the Jonas Brothers came on. When their show started we could see the TV screens really well and we could see the stage. The energy was amazing. If we could bottle the energy at that concert all our energy problems would be solved. I would just like a little bit of the energy to save for a bad day.
One of the greatest things about the concert was the way the Jonas Brothers talked to the audience about working hard at your goals and anything being possible if you work hard and try hard. Also, they have a wonderful section talking about diabetes and they are really doing a great job of teaching and bring attention to not just childhood diabetes, but ways to stay healthy to prevent adult diabetes.
At the end of the concert here are the children's thoughts.
Alex - "That was really good."
Spencer - "This was the best night of my life. I want to get really good at the piano"
Sarah - "I have never had a better day than this one, can we do it again?"
My thoughts were also along the lines of "That was definitely worth it."

Gratitude Weekly - 15 years

2008-08-18T03:25:00.001+01:00

Last night was my 15 year class reunion. My friend Carol and I have been preparing mentally and physically for the past month for this reunion. It was a casual affair and only a handful of people showed up, but I am very glad we took the time to go and see some old friends. I am very grateful to the girl who organized everything. Someone has to do it.
What I am most grateful for in regards to our 15 year class reunion is the mental preparation. I have been through the yearbooks and mental rewind of my high school years. Not all the things that happened back then were happy memories, but there were a lot of good times too. I am grateful to look back and learn from things that happened 15 years ago. In two years I will have a high schooler myself and the memories of what it felt like to be a teenager will be helpful in helping my own children to get through those years.
High school is probably the most dramatic time of life, but as Brad Paisley says about high school in his song Letter to Me, "These are no where near the best years of our life."

Happy Anniversary

2008-08-14T02:04:00.000+01:00

Today is our 14th anniversary. Or as Jay would say, Susan's Anniversary. The first time Jay and I met I thought he was old. I was 18 and didn't see guys in college wearing suits often. The second time we met he was on a date to the school dance with my roommate and I was wearing a very revealing dress and trying to date two guys at the same time. He thought I was a floozy, but a cute one. The third time we met was by phone and really the first time we had talked to each other. We talked for two hours and when we got off the phone I thought I want to marry a guy just like him, not him, but someone like him. I had great instincts. He is the best husband and father any woman could hope for. I'm not just saying that because he has been gone more than home for the last 2+ years. The thing that I remember most about our wedding day is that I was smiling so hard it hurt as we got married and it is one of the few weddings that I haven't cried at. I was way to happy for even happy tears and I still am.

Gratitude Weekly - The Cabin

2008-08-11T03:03:00.000+01:00

My first trip to the cabin July 1975.
This weekend the children, my parents and I went to the Blue Ridge Mountains for a family reunion and 100th anniversary celebration. My father's maternal ancestors bought a large area of land in the mountains and built an orchard. This was the anniversary of that orchard's start. They had a wonderful day of sharing memories. Most of these relations are Quakers and in true Quaker form they had a scheduled program of speakers sharing their memories and history, but allowed for anyone with questions, comments or additional stories to stand and share also. I didn't get to enjoy much of the program because I spent the day climbing up and down the mountain with a 2 year old, but what I did hear I enjoyed so much.
What I really appreciated about our trip to the mountains was visiting The Cabin. The Cabin was built for my paternal grandmother's mother. My great grandmother had 4 daughters and their husbands worked together to build her a cabin on the orchard. The cabin is basically three rooms downstairs and a bathroom, with one room upstairs. On the back side of The Cabin is a large screened in porch with a newer bathroom that has been added on. It isn't huge, but it feels roomy enough and the view is spectacular. View back in 1975, has only improved through the years.
Growing up I didn't really like to go to The Cabin. I prefer my nature climatized and bug free. Stories of snakes and bears kept me close to home, but truly The Cabin is one of the great places where children can go out and play and just go back in time to safer time and place where all you really hear around you is nature. We spent one summer at The Cabin painting and cleaning the inside up really nice and ever since it has been a much better place to visit. I have only visited The Cabin once since getting married 14 years ago. When we visited this time I was greatly impressed by how well kept up everything is and how much I would like to return with my family again soon. I do believe that to fully appreciate the beauty and peace and mostly the special quality of the the area growing up is required. We had a wonderful trip and I was really impressed by all that we saw and were a part of this weekend.

Baseball the way it should be

2008-08-04T04:42:00.000+01:00

Spencer and I went to baseball game last night with the cub scouts. The leader was able to get us a sky box for the game. I was totally meant to watch all sporting events from a sky box. There was food and leather couches and chairs plus a TV that showed us instant replays. I have always thought instant replay was what was missing from live games. But the very best part of the sky box experience was the air conditioning. The team lost 7-0, but the fireworks afterward were terrific.

Gratitude Weekly - Sunday Classes without Children

2008-08-04T04:31:00.000+01:00

I was released from teaching Primary and called to teach once a month in Relief Society. This was my first week to attend Sunday School and Relief Society in so very long. The last time I was able to attend, Nathan was still running around the hallway and I missed so much. Then I taught Spencer's class for about a year and now I am back to attending my classes. It was so wonderful to sit and have the opportunity to be taught. Our teachers were wonderful and I learned so much and really felt so recharged at the end of church. I will miss my class, but I am so very thankful for a Bishop who knew what my needs were even if I didn't.

Gratitude Weekly - Vacation

2008-08-04T03:06:00.000+01:00

Last weekend when I would have been updating my blog about what I am grateful for I was out of town. The children and I went to Raleigh for a few days with friends. It was so great. We rested and relaxed and got away from the phone and computer which for me is as good as it gets to getting away. On top of all that I won best 3 out of 4 games of Phase 10. I love to win. Our friends made our stay great and we had so much fun. Thanks.

Gratitude Weekly - Family Home Evening

2008-07-21T00:56:00.000+01:00

I am grateful for the blessings that come from having Family Home Evening. Most of the time when Jay is gone it seems to be too overwhelming to me to try to have FHE. Evenings with my children is not my strong time. With children I am better with mornings than evenings. I have a tendency to have a short temper in the evenings and it seems wrong to snap and fuss and sometimes even yell during FHE. Lately we have been making more of an effort to hold our FHEs every week. The children are older now able to help more and appreciate the attention of family time more. I love the way the family feels the Spirit when we sit down together and sing songs and have a lesson that relates to our daily needs. Every week I think how much easier it would be to just watch a movie as a family and call it good, but when we go to the extra effort of having a lesson the feeling of happiness that we have as a family is increase by so much that I am beginning to realize that we just can't afford to not have FHE. We are blessed as a family for having FHE and even more we are blessed to have church leaders who know our needs and can council us with what will help our family grow strong.

Lieutenant Commander Select Forsgren

2008-07-16T23:14:00.000+01:00

Congratulations to Jay for being selected for Lieutenant Commander. We are very, very happy with this news.

Gratitude Weekly - Jill

2008-07-14T06:13:00.000+01:00

This past week we returned my niece Jill to her family. Sarah cried most of the way home from Kentucky. Jill was with us for two weeks and we loved having her here. She took so much stress off of my shoulders. Just having another person in the house was great. We stayed up late girl talking and played all day. She cleaned my kitchen every evening without being asked or complaining. In fact I don't think she whined or complained once the whole time she was here. It was so much fun having her here and so much of a relief for me. I wish we could keep her, but it is back to the real world now. I am so very thankful for the time we had with Jill and I hope she can come back again soon.

Gratitude Weekly - One week late

2008-07-14T05:52:00.000+01:00

Last week I missed writing, but I am no less grateful for our country's birthday this week than I was last week. Here is a quick quote from my husband about the 4th of July. He wrote this on July 3rd, "Tomorrow I have duty. It isn’t the best way to celebrate Independence Day, but it is quite appropriate. The Declaration of Independence was an act of war. I stand now to defend all that that document and the Constitution stand for. I don’t mind; I love my country and my job. I love my family! They are all worth fighting for." In speaking of his shipmates Jay said, "I realized that these people have sacrificed so much for people who have never met them. What a good group of people. I am proud to serve with them."
I am very proud to be his wife and I am grateful to live in this country and support those who protect us and keep us safe daily.

WARNING - Overly proud Mom alert

2008-06-30T05:02:00.000+01:00

Alex is home from his first week of Scout Camp. I survived and he thrived. He had a great week and is feeling really great about himself thanks to himself and the wonderful boys and leaders that he spent the week with. We went up on Tuesday night to celebrate Alex's 12th birthday with him. It was a surprise visit that the Bishop planned and didn't tell Alex about. Alex said he was having a good time, but he still looked scared and shy to me. The boys in his troop were really making efforts to make him feel a part of the group. They are good boys and have big hearts. Unlike school they don't seem to care about anything except that you are part of the troop and so you are accepted.
It was good to see Alex and it made him feel good too. Our Bishop had given him an Indiana Jones hat for his birthday and they nicknamed him Indi. After that we just sat back and waited for the week to be over. When we went up to camp on Friday he was definitely acting more comfortable and no longer scared at all. In fact on Wednesday night he completed the Wilderness survival overnight camp out. He built his own shelter and slept in it without a sleeping bag or anything. Considering he has only been camping about 6 times and only once without a parent it is terrific that he did this and did it on his first try.
He is very proud of what he accomplished. At the end of the week on Friday a storm blew through the camp and got everything wet. The troop decided to come home a night early and Alex was the only one who wanted to stay. I told the leaders that obviously Alex has the worst home life.
A note about tooth brushing. When we got there I asked Alex if he had brushed his teeth or changed his underwear and socks. He had changed underwear and socks, but claimed he couldn't find his tooth brush. He hadn't opened his very neatly packed toiletry kit all week. At least he changed his underwear right?

Gratitude Weekly - Jill

2008-06-30T04:56:00.000+01:00

My niece Jill is here for two weeks. I am so happy to have her here. You can't imagine how much my stress level is down. She is cute and fun and helpful and just a pleasure to be around. I wish we could keep her. It is great to have another girl to talk with and all the children love her. Sarah thinks that Jill is here just for her and has made her a sister. You can't believe how great Jill is with all the children. She is kind and patient and gentle. I am totally spoiled for two weeks and loving it. Thank you Jill for coming and Jennie and James for letting her.

Gratitude Weekly - Growing up

2008-06-23T02:32:00.000+01:00

It keeps happening. My children keep growing up.
Alex is leaving tomorrow morning for scout camp. He will be gone for 6 days. Okay that is an exaggeration, he will be gone five days and a few hours. There is a chance of rain 3 days he will be gone. It is going to be hot there. He will be in charge of remembering to brush his teeth without me to double check on it. There is a chance that he won't brush his teeth all week. I know I sound a little crazy here but there is a reason people call me bossy and controlling, it is because I have trouble letting go of the little details. Camp will be a great thing for him and hopefully I will grow up a little bit too.
As if Alex growing up isn't enough the baby has the nerve to grow and change every day too. This child would cry every time we drove into the parking lot at church for a year. He thought we were out of our minds if we thought he was going to go nursery. We didn't even come close to getting him to let us leave him anywhere, he had the worse attachment difficulties I have ever seen. Then it all changed. Today he ran to nursery and waited at the door until I got there to let him in, then he waved goodbye to me. What happened to my clingy baby? I love that we don't have tears, but does everyone have to grow up at once.
I am so proud of those two boy and of the other boy and his sister. I love every stage and I miss them when they pass. The only solution I can see is that I am going to have to grow up too. Wish me luck.

Gratitude Weekly - Too many for one week

2008-06-18T05:26:00.000+01:00

First off I am so grateful that school is out. I am so glad to have my children home and for it to be time for just us.
Second, I am grateful for the teachers who taught my children all year long. They spent so much time with my children and helped them grow all year long. They gave so much and I could never do what they do.
Third, this weekend was my parent's 50th wedding aniversary. I am grateful to them for all they have given me over the years and I'm especially for their example of how to love another.
Finally, with Sunday being Father's Day, I am reminded of how lucky I am to have the best Father a girl could ever have. He is so wise and someone I can always be proud of. I am also so lucky to have married someone so much like him. I have the best husband who is the greatest dad. Our children miss him so much while he is gone because when he is here he makes our world so great.

Gratitude Weekly - Dance

2008-06-09T02:18:00.000+01:00

Sarah completed her third year of dance this weekend. It is her second year at her present dance studio and it was a terrific year. She took ballet, tap and jazz and performed a ballet routine and a jazz routine in her dance recital. As a very proud mother I must say with as little bias as possible, she was fabulous. She knew her dances very well and had no stage fright this year. Last year she was a little nervous. She has developed a great deal of grace over the last year and I am very thankful that she not only takes dance, but that she really loves it.
I love to dance. After the children go to bed at night I frequently dance around the kitchen while cleaning up and dance up and down the hallway. I always dreamed of a daughter that would enjoy dancing, but I didn't count on it. I am beyond trilled that Sarah is enjoying dance. She had a great time and wonderful teachers. To top it all off Sarah showed great gratitude herself this weekend in telling me frequently how much she appreciated my help with taking her to dance and preparing her for the recital.

Photos by http://www.carolehayes.com/

Bone Marrow Update

2008-06-06T03:30:00.000+01:00

As I posted earlier, I was the best possible match to donate bone marrow for a lady with leukemia. I went to Georgetown University had a physical, interviews and other things and everything came back good. Unfortunately, I have a questionable history that looks a great deal like autoimmune disease. Because of the previous problems that I have had with my legs they believe the surgery would be to much of a risk to my permanent health. If they can find another suitable match then I will not give. If they can't they may call me and discuss the risks again and give me another chance.
I was very disappointed to be deferred, but everything happens for a reason. My best wishes and prayers go out to the lady in need of a transplant.
I would encourage anyone who has considered getting on the bone marrow donor list to check it out. Here is there website.
http://www.marrow.org/

Gratitude Weekly - Memorial Day

2008-06-03T03:18:00.000+01:00

I am so thankful for those who serve our country and have served our country in the past. Serving is what it really is. The hours are horribly long and the dediction required is incredibly high. I know personally by what I see Jay give of himself and know that there are those who regularly give more and still those who have died who have given all to serve and protect our country and us as indiviuals. They leave their homes and go to fight in other countries so that the fighting doesn't happen on American soil.
On Memorial Day Toby Keith's song American Soilder was on the radio and Jay said, "He really gets it right in this song. That is exactly how I feel."

And I will always do my duty no matter what the price
I’ve counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice
Oh and I don’t want to die for you, but if dyin’s asked of me
I’ll bear that cross with honor, cause freedom don’t come free.

Jay's peers were asked to complete a survey on the factors that made them stay in the Navy and what makes them want to get out. The number one reason for staying in was Loyalty to Nation/Sevice, number three was Patriotism. Those were ranked well above pay. I am proud of my husband and so very thankful to all those who have come before us and paved the way and those who stand beside him and continue to work to keep us safe and free.

Spencer's Says

2008-06-03T02:56:00.000+01:00

Spencer has been taking his yearly state assessment tests for the last 4 days. He has his last one tomorrow. Everyday when he comes home from school and I ask him how his tests went he says, "It was easy." So today I said something to him about being smart and that must be why the tests seem easy.
He replied, "I just can't help it that I am so smart, my Dad taught me so much."
We sure do love Dad.

Exercise is bad for you

2008-05-30T17:10:00.000+01:00

First thing on the agenda when Jay leaves is to lose weight and get in shape so that I will look good when he comes home. He does the same thing with usually awesome results. I do this every time with pretty good success and then he comes home and we eat out a bunch to celebrate and it all goes down hill again. So I am taking the moderation idea this time. I am cutting back on fast food BIG TIME. And I am going to start walking. Yesterday with all good intentions I put the baby down for a nap and began a leisurely stroll on the treadmill for 30 minutes. Nothing to hard right. Remember that I was out of commission for three months with leg problems. Only problem with this is that I didn't really have any good walking shoes so I used an old pair that should have been retired long ago. Last night my knee blew up like a balloon. Don't worry I am doing some better today and in a few days I hope to be ready to try again.
I bought new shoes today, but I do think exercise is just bad for you.

Bye, Bye Daddy

2008-05-28T03:26:00.000+01:00

Jay is gone now. We had to take him to the airport and ship him off to his ship. Already you might say, that is what we said too. We thought that we were going to have 6 weeks with him, but it ran down to 3 1/2. Don't worry, we are going to be okay. Nathan was fine when I showed him that I had Doritos. They are like a drug to him. The boys were like me resolute. We have done this so much that it isn't easy, but we know it must be done. Sarah was a basket case. She is finally asleep, but it was rough getting there.
Jay will be gone until mid fall. I would love to say where he is and what he is doing but that wouldn't be safe. I can say that his ship is the USS Oak Hill (LSD 51). He will be the Officer in charge of Operations.
We had the BEST time while he was home. There is nothing like having the family all together.

Gratitude Weekly - Music

2008-05-26T01:45:00.001+01:00

Music is on my mind this week. Today was the last day for our Primary Chorister who will be moving soon. She has really made the effort and succeeded in teaching the Primary children at church. She has worked on helping them sing better, to hear the notes better, to follow and lead music, to know the behavior that goes along with singing, she taught them to sing in other languages, and many more things that I am sure that I am forgetting. I have never experienced such a music leader for children this age. She only sees them for 20 minutes a week basically and yet has taught them so very much in this time. Her work with them will last them a lifetime. One big example to me of her influence is that Sarah used to not be willing to sing at church and now she sings at church and she sings her primary songs that Sister Johnson taught her all the time. On a side note this wonderful sister taught both Alex and Spencer piano this year and for that I will always be in her debt.
Alex was called up in Primary today as the spotlight child and one of his questions was what makes you unique. He said that he loves music. If the same question had been asked of me I would have replied with the same answer. He had his end of the year band concert this week. He plays the clarinet and he plays it very well. He hopes to add the French Horn to his list of musical interests this summer.
I personally love music and I love to sing. I love hearing my children sing and play, especially the piano. They wouldn't know how much I love hearing them play with the number of times that I make them use headphones, but I love hearing them play. I love that they sit down at the piano so much during the day just for a few minutes of playing time if that is all they have. Undoubtedly I am thankful for music in my life.

Gratitude Weekly - Local Church Leaders

2008-05-19T02:01:00.000+01:00

Today at church the wards were rearranged. Ours was only affected minimally and our bishopric stayed the same. While we were sitting there in the gym in uncomfortable chairs and chaos all around I noticed that I had an unobstructed view of the Stake President. The stake president is someone we know well seeing that he used to be our bishop when we lived here before and his son Nathan used to babysit for us too. When he was called a few years ago to be Stake President I was very disappointed that we were moving and wouldn't be able to watch the stake grow under his leadership. As I watched him today I was overwhelmed with how glad I am that he is our local leader. He is a truly good man, he really tells it like it is and expects us listen and then go forth and make our lives better and work harder for the Lord.
The bishops from all the wards and branches spoke and bore their testimonies of the truthfulness of the gospel. As they spoke I was thrilled to realize that all of their messages were unique and that I would be glad to have ANY of them as my bishop. They all said things that needed to be said. Things that were thought provoking and inspirational. I believe that anyone listening in our meeting today couldn't leave there without feeling like improving themselves and sharing that improvement with those that surround them.
Here in Virginia we are certainly being lead by some great men and I am grateful to all of them for their service on our behalf and for the Lord.

Best Possible Match

2008-05-16T02:27:00.000+01:00

Last Thursday I found out that I am "the best possible match for a recipient in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant".
I joined the Dept. of Defense Marrow Donor Program back in August of 2006. An author that I really enjoy was having a book signing on a book about Navy SEALs. She had joined with the DOD to add people to their bone marrow registry at each of her signings. At the time one of the active duty Navy SEALs from Virginia Beach was looking for a match. I had always wanted to be on the national list for Bone Marrow Donors so I managed to register at her book signing.
Back in March I was contacted that I was a possible match for someone. The next step in the process was that I went to a lab and gave them some more blood. I was contacted on Thursday May 8th and told that I am now the best possible match and would I proceed. YES. They sent me a DVD and book to read followed by a phone interview in which the details for donation were discussed. I was asked if I would proceed. YES. Next week I head up to Georgetown University for a Physical with the doctors who will be performing the surgery. Then we wait for about a week for two doctors and the DOD coordinator to sign off saying that I am okay for donation. At current time I am scheduled to donate on June 19th.
All I know about the person that I am donating for is that she is a 41 year old female with prolymphocytic leukemia.
When I signed up for the Donor program it was an abstract thought that I might be able to help save a life. I feel kind of like I have won the lottery.
There are still some hurdles to cross, but we are on our way.

Gratitude Weekly - It's Crazy, but it is true

2008-05-12T02:06:00.000+01:00

I hate to say what I am truly thankful for this week. It sounds crazy. I am going to have to say that I am thankful for what I gained from the separation from Jay. Everyday that he is here I am so grateful for him. I appreciate him so much more for having been apart. I can't bring myself to say that I am glad that we were apart, but I am going to say that I have learned from our trials. He walks in the door and I can't believe how happy I am to see him. The level of stress that I feel on my shoulders feels like it has been lifted with helium and is almost lifting me off my feet. Life feels easy. WOW!!

JAY'S HOME! JAY'S HOME! JAY'S HOME!

2008-05-03T13:45:00.000+01:00

Jay dropped us off and left us(Spencer's words to his teacher) in Virgina on June 2, 2006 to head for training in South Carolina before heading to Iraq. He returned from Iraq on June 20, 2007. During our summer we traveled and summered with him in Rhode Island. Starting Labor Day we began the pattern of weekends with Dad. He worked all week in Rhode Island and flew home on weekends. It wasn't ideal, but it was a wonderful blessing every week and for the most part no one complained, we were just glad to see him.
Last night, May 2, 2008 Jay finally moved home. I flew up to Rhode Island and helped him pack up his life there and move home to live with us in our little green house. Now he gets to spend all of his at home nights in his own bed with his own family. We are so glad to have him back.

Weekly Gratitude - Good Friends

2008-05-01T14:41:00.001+01:00

I am so thankful for my good friends. I am up in Rhode Island today and the reason I am here is because I have a wonderful friend who came up from North Carolina to take care of the children for me to come up here. She was really brave to take this on considering we had no idea if Nathan would let someone else take care of him.

Tomorrow we will say good-bye to Rhode Island and Jay and I will drive home together. But I will be grateful for that next week.

Gratitude Weekly - Our Wonderful Vacation

2008-04-23T03:19:00.000+01:00

A few years ago my wise sister-in-law explained the difference between a Vacation and a Trip. A trip includes children, a vacation is time alone for yourself or yourself and your husband. Jay and I just took a wonderful vacation to Houston, Texas this weekend. I don't think we could have changed one minute of our trip to make it any better. Everything was so terrific.

Our dear friend Brad got married this weekend to a wonderful lady who truly complements him. We are so happy for them. Brad and Heather know how to have a party. Every detail was outstanding and they planned the perfect weekend. As far as we are concerned they could do the same thing every year and we would gladly come.

I also had the great privilege of visiting with a friend that I hadn't seen in years. We had dinner Friday night and I got to meet his love, then they came down and had lunch with Jay and I on Saturday. It was so great to finally see Marv again.

We have 10 days left until Jay moves home from Rhode Island.

Gratitude Weekly - Priceless

2008-04-15T03:06:00.000+01:00

Spring Break
1136 total miles
Fast food
Cold
Wind
Less than pleasant apartment
Week with Jay - Priceless, and worth every minute.

Gratitude Weekly - Many, Many Things

2008-04-07T19:11:00.000+01:00

There were too many things to be thankful for this week. I couldn't pick just one. Sadly though I can't remember the beginning of the week so I may be missing something. Over the weekend we went to Western New York to visit Jay's brother Pete and his family. We had a great time with them. If we hadn't had so much fun I would have taken some pictures. While we were there I saw Spencer's smile continuously. It was amazing. Spencer has a beautiful smile, but it has been absent a lot over the last year and while we were at Pete's I noticed that he was smiling so much you would think his face would break.
I am also very thankful that we made the trip safely. The children and I are becoming experts at traveling without Jay, but we don't like to do it. It was a long stressful drive with a lot of non interstate driving. We made it with no troubles at all and much success. Jay also traveled safely to New York to meet us there for which I am thankful.
Last week began our rehiring of a very nice lady to help with the household cleaning. I had been planning to wait to have her come help us until we unpacked, but reality set in and I found that sometimes you just have go ahead and do somethings. The amount of relief I feel in having her assistance is way out of proportion with the work she does, but just knowing that I have some adult help makes all the difference.
Finally, last week I meet a lady in need and stopped to help. It was something that needed to be done and I am very glad that I didn't just keep walking past her. I would want someone to help me if the situation was reversed. I am thankful that I was in a position to offer her my help.
It was a good week and now we are in Rhode Island for the week. It is cold and dark and dreary, but Jay is here and so life is great.

March Recap

2008-03-31T04:10:00.000+01:00

Easter Egg Hunts, Spencer's 9th Birthday, Bullriding and the Pinewood Derby were the highlights of our month.

Gratitude Weekly - Relief

2008-03-31T02:43:00.000+01:00

It is so easy to say what I am grateful for this week. After 14 weeks of pain and swelling in my legs from something called Erythema Nodosum I am almost pain free. I have suffered horribly during this time and the relief and gratitude is overwhelming. I had two doctor appointments this week and they gave me a couple of medicines to see if they would work and they sure haven't hurt. I don't know if I truly give the meds credit for my recovery though. I would say that prayer is probably more the cure, but I will take the relief in any form and be thankful for it.