Just a quickie.  Got Cheer banquet tonight, making decorations for Santa and Pizza tomorrow as well as hosting our cooking and book club holiday party at the house.  Then decorating the gym for Santa and pizza and then attending on Wed.  Thurs Adam's holiday party.  Fri is Madie's holiday party and finally Saturday I have yet another cookie exchange.  Whew.  After that, I will finally be done with these weeks of activity...So, until Saturday I am out my friends, but after that I promise to post the pics I promised last week.  Much love to you all

parades and things

Okay so this weekend and week have been quiet the Christmas Extravaganza....First we had our first Gtmo Parade...It was so much like Pioneer Reunion in the fact that everyone can be in the parade.  So there was a great veriety of people.  However, here in Gtmo we have the Electric Light Parade...Yes my friends, Pioneer Reunion at night with lights...Imagine.  There were golf carts and mules all decked out with tinsel and lights, trucks and even boats.  Yep BOATS.  We had all our fire trucks out as well.  And the best part, all the "floats" came complete with music and people chunking candy at us.  I got pletted in the head at least twice.  We even had a gaggle of nutty ladies, ours were the Latinio Club, dancing and singing.  Made me miss Mrs.Graves.

Madie did get to walk and cheer in the parade.  Mind you the route was a good two miles.  She was so flippin' cute, but a real crank after it was done.  Her feet hurt, her throat hurt and she was all sweaty hot.  I tell you she was a mess.  But after she cooled off and got a drink she was better.  I have pictures but as I am writing to you all on my hubby's laptop, I have yet to download the pics....So again you must wait.

This week has been Winter Wonderland week up at the school.  Winter Wonderland is a kids shopping area that was set up and stocked with stuff for the kids to buy their families.  I know we did it in FtWorth when I was a kid and I think I even got a few things from Llaurel and Jesse from their shopping at the school.  At any rate I volunteered to help on Tuesday.  Lots of fun. Nothing like helping kindergardners to shop.  Lots of interesting things were bought.  My favorite is that some of the kids bought their moms tools.  Reminds me of mom....

Tonight we have the school concert.  The kids are going to sing some more and there is an art show before the concert.  Can I just say, whew.  I am so tired, I have been making sure to take the B12 for energy.  My little ones don't seem very excited about the concert, so I am hoping it goes well. 

Then tomorrow, REST DAY.  Maegan and I actually will be home ALL day.  Nothing is planned for tomorrow.  I do have to make a gift for a party Alan and I are going to on Friday, but that is it.  YIPPEE.  Of course that means I will be doing laundry all day, but shoot I am all for vegging in front of the tv and doing laundry. 

Friday is date night.  At 4 Alan and I will be heading to a hospital party then we will be off to Rick's Lounge to drink and celebrate the holidays with the spouses club.  Lots to do, but we are having fun...At least I think we are

So there is the update. I hope to get the pictures from the parade and the concert tonight loaded tomorrow.  Know that I miss you all and I send you my love

Bummed

I'm so BLUE!!  This Christmas season has made me a real scrooge.  I am missing our families back in the states so much right now.  Apparently I am not the only one.  A lot of people have told me that Christmas is done up so much here to help counter act the sorrow we all suffer at being away from family and friends.

And I am telling you I am BLUE!

At any rate I am trying to suck it up, and get over it in my mom's famous words, but today I got a big old blow.

Madie got her package from her Nana and Papa for her birthday.  In it was this...

Just look at how beautiful and happy they all look.  Chy and her smile, Llaurel and her grin, my handsome little brother and that hair.  Not to mention my absolutely gorgeous parents.

Only thing missing is me.  I miss them so freakin' much.  And I know, Alan and I are the ones that

left, none of them said join the Navy you freaks, move thousands of miles away, lose all your money and never be able to visit us....Well POOP...

I opened the envelope and just started crying.  Then I started thinking about all my family, my mother and father-in-law, GG, Dad and Steph, Peyton and Chris, Tammie, George and Dan, Papa Jim and Grandma Carla, Patty and Dave.  The list is endless.  So just as a shout out to all of you that are reading, and well only my family and friends read this, so just know that I miss you all.  I send you my love

And now for the much awaited, long promised

PICTURES 

We begin with Madie's birthday Luau.  Like I told you all before, it was a huge success for Moo, a learning curve for us.  But even with the learning curve, we had a great time getting it ready and coming up with games for the party and the cake.  Alan is in charge of the cakes, everyone should know that right from the start.  I always try to manipulate my way into the cake design, Alan and I always get bent out of shape because he won't listen to me and I end up having to give up the control of ONE thing.  I don't take it well.  You would think eight years into this we would, okay I would get the picture and let the poor man have this one itty bitty thing.  NOPE.  This year same thing.  I just can't get over how much more I know than Alan....It is a shame I mean if he would just give me total control OVER ALL...I had to stop myself there, I felt an evil cackle coming on.

Now, this year was a huge turning point for us.  I really did just let Alan go with the cake.  He and Madie talked about the cake for a good two weeks and I left my opinion out of it.  They asked questions, I told them what I would do, and they ignored me only to ask the same blessed questions again.

So the week of Moo's party came and Alan still had no idea what to make.  He ended up making the famous strawberry cake he is famous for and he tried to make a coconut cake, but it never came cleanly out of the pan.  So he switched to a pineapple cake for the second tier.  Both were delicioso...He began the decorating process, covering teh bottom cake with blue to look like the ocean and the round coconut cake he iced and then covered with a brown sugar/graham cracker mixture that looked a lot like sand.  That was as far as he could go.  He was stumped this year.  Of course throw in there the fact that he has been swamped at work and getting time to plan decorating the cake was impossible.  Now I step in.  Here is where we both learned the terrific life of being perfectly suited.  He handed the cake over to me after we talked about what we could do.  He really was at a loss and I had some vague idea of some sort.  So he stepped back and started to clean the house while I was given free reign.  Did I mention that I love this man of mine. 

As you can see we already had the island in the water theme, but I went from there.  The rocks around the cake are fondant and that little purple thing in front is an octopus.  The bushes by the volcano are leaves from a pineapple and the leaves on the table, Banana leaves from the front yard.  The "waves," the white around the rocks really did look like crashing waves up close.  The best part?  Not that Alan and I finally got our act together and worked as a team.  No, the best part for me was seeing Madie's face.  She loved this cake.  She helped Alan bake it, helped me decorate it and she says it was exactly what she wanted...A success...

When each guest came into the house we greeted them with a lei.  The girls got grass skirts and a flowered braclet, the boys got a grass bracelet.  This is a picture of our friend Katie.  She went home and told her mom and dad that it was the best party she had ever been to.  GO TEAM C

This is a picture of our friends Gail and Lori.  Gail's daughter Rachel is Madie's closest friend, sort of her Alana here in Cuba, and Lori's girls love Maegan and Me.  Lori is our local photographer and you will be seeing her talent here soon.  She took our family portaits, both wonderful women.  Oh and the other part of this picture, the fruit.  We had the guests make fruit kabobs.  I saw some very interesting creations.  One little girl came walking in with a kabob that had pineapple, star fruit, chesse, and pepperoni.  Um Yumm I guess.

Maegers looking adorable.  See that shirt in the back ground.  Not Alan but close to what I made him wear.  We all had Hawaiian shirts on.  Alan shed his as soon as he could.  Weeny..

Moo getting ready to open gifts.  She had such a good time.  We truly are blessed here, well we have been blessed everywhere we have lived.  Thank you God for providing us with love...

Brownie Patch

I know I mentioned Madie getting an Emergancy Preparedness Patch, well now here are the pictures.  The entire troop, from Daisy's on up participated in an emergancy preparedness patch.  Apparently President Obama on Sept. 11 challenged all Girl/Boy Scouts to get involved in their communtiy by learning about being prepared for emergancies in memorium of our fallen.  So, our Girl Scout troop got on the ball and had our ducks in a row by the end of that week.  We are one of the first troops to get their patches, go Gtmo...

Each girl had to demonstrate her ability to be prepared.  Whether that meant having a disaster kit, an escape plan or what have you.  Then the girls presented their projects to the emergancy corrdinator here on base.  He, along with our Command Master Cheif then held this special ceremony for the girls.  Of course this is not a picture of Madie getting her patch, nope this is a picture of two proud parents loving their exceptional girl, she is just dealing with us...

Awww isn't she cute?  She is the only Brownie that has her full uniform and knows how to wear it.  Thank you Daisy's...

Madie shaking hands with Jan Chilson, the emergancy corrdinator on base.  GO MADIE,

Oh what's that, you want to know what her project was?  She made five contact cards- cards that we each have to carry in our backpacks or purses that tell us who to call in case of an emergancy and where to meet each other in case we get seperated during an emergancy.  She helped us come up with good meeting places, and even an evacuation plan for how to leave the house in an emergancy...

Tree Lighting and All That

The following pictures are the best I could do.  I told you I have a horrible camera, and well I am not that talented when it comes to picture taking.  So please bear with me.  I am still working on getting the Flip videos up loaded to the computer.  We have given up on my computer and are about to try Alan's laptop.  I am keeping my fingers crossed.  At any rate...

This is the sign welcoming visitors to Holiday Hill.  I know you can't see it well, but under Seasons Greetings is the island of Cuba complete with saying Guantanamo Bay. And in the back ground is our brand new lighted tree.  It is huge and you can see it just about anywhere on base.  We love it...

No spirit fingers but she is still so tickled about being a cheerleader.

Madie's squad.  They are the GOLDEN SPIRITS....Whoo Hooo

Maegan lookin cute as a button

I swear this is the best picture I got of our boy singing.  He was too too cute, but I mean we all think he is adorable, my little bowling ball head..In case you have forgotten what the little man looks like he is third from the right

And you thought that picture of the lights was bad.  Madie is the tall one in back.  Yep, that is the only picture of her. 

I gave up trying to get pictures of him singing, but here is a great one of him up close, maybe too close

Birthday Gifts

And last but not least, a quick look at the kids enjoying the gifts.  We haven't baked yet, so none of those with Moo, only this one in an outfit Gamma got her along with a pompom pen.

And this is a picture of all three kids playing the Vtech games Dad has bought Maegan.  He bought her this Vtech last year I think.  She played it twice.  He got her another game for her birthday, the kids play it all the time. Go figure

And that my friends are the pictures for now.  As soon as Mom's box gets here we will pull out the camera and get pics of that.  Did we remember to take pics of her opening our gifts?  Nope....did we take pics of our Thanksgiving? Nope.  Ah well there is always next year.  I send you all my love

Thanksgiving, Tree Lighting and Advent

Alas the pictures.  When in the world am I going to post pictures???  Tuesday at the latest.  I just downloaded them from the camera and will get them organized and downloaded by Tuesday I promise....

On to the real topic tonight...

THANKSGIVING

So it is Thanksgiving day.  It also happens to be our oldest daughter's birthday.  Who could imagine that our little wall flower Madie would turn into the confident out going girl she has become. 

And can she only be 8?  And at the same time, 8 all ready??

How in the world does this happen?  How can you struggle day to day with just life in general and miss that your kids are growing at alarming rates?  Mystifing...

So we had Madie's birthday breakfast first and foremost when we awakened on Thursday.  She got to open all her gifts, minus Nana's which hasn't made it as of yet.  But seriously she had a ton of gifts to open.

She got a great haul.  Alan and I went with the Baker theme..A Girl Gourmet cake decorating kit, cook books and a mom and me matching apron set that I whipped together Wed night.

We ate German Pancakes and sausage and had a good old time talking about the day Moo was born.  We do this every year for each child.  Tell them all about their birth and how we were beside our selves with joy at their coming.

Then it was clean up time. 

The kids ran and cleaned their rooms and mom cooked.  However, I was still reeling from my disasterous fall on Wed night.  So my right knee had to take breaks every now and then for some ice and elevation.  But in between the whinning about my knee I managed to cook a huge feast.

We had a 25lbs turkey, homemade stuffing ( complete with spinach mom), green bean casserole, broccoli rice caserole, yeast rolls, cranberry salad, mashed potatoes and roasted sweet taters.  Oh and for Adam chicken nuggets and french fries.  I was a cooking all day long, but I did get a nap in of course, and it was so much fun cooking for people I had no clue what they would like.  Our guests arrived promptly at 6pm bearing gifts.  One of Alan's collegues hunts for bottles.  Apparently there are a ton on old glass bottles here on base and they are all Cuban made, a huge market is out there for Cuban collectibles.  Not something I knew about.  I have just wanted a bottle that has Cuba stamped on the bottom just because we live here.  Not for any other reason.  Anyway, Alan's collegue, Tony, collects them.  He is the preemmenitt bottle collector here and he brought me a beautiful Cuban Coke bottle.  He also came bearing a gift from another of our friends who was suffering pregnancy sickness.  She painted her bottle with a cute scene of a Cuban couple dancing.  Just wonderful gifts.  But I digress..

So our guests came, we talked, we learned tons about each other and we celebrated Thanksgiving the best we could without our families.  Four of our guests have spouses living back in the states so having a family even for one night was great.  Then we played Apples to Apples and I discovered a handfull of people who are closet game lovers.  So come the new year we will be having game night once a month at our house, as we are the only ones with a house.  That and the kids can sleep while we play it up.

YIPPEE.

That was Thanksgiving..

FRIDAY, SATURDAY &

THE TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY

So Firday comes bright and early and we have decided to decorate for Christmas.  Side story here, when we asked our sponsors about the holidays here they down played it saying that it isn't done very big here.  So Alan and I decided with the kids to leave our ornaments in storage to bring just a few things.  Yea..we screwed up.  We brought almost nothing.  We sent almost all of our Christmas decorations on to storage.  What were we thinking?  I have not a clue.  All I can say is that we did manage to bring both our trees, the large family one and the small one the kids decorate and the lights for the large family tree.  We also managed to bring one tote full of decorations.  Esentially a Christmas bowl and an angel.  That is it.  So...come Friday all ready seeing that we didn't bring much we started to decorate.  Madie and I made a run to the NEX for some lights for the kids tree and some stockings.  Yep we left those too. 

Can I just say, I was a Scrooge.  I was cranky that we had nothing to decorate with, I was cranky because my knee hurt and dang it all I was missing my family.  Can I just say, I am tired of having the holidays thousands of miles away from my family.

Anyway, that was Friday.  Madie had a long cheer practice again Friday night and the rest of us just chilled.  Then came Saturday.  Madie had practice once again at in the afternoon for the tree lighting ceremony.  And I did the grocery shopping.  Then back home to shove some food in her face and get her all dressed up in her cheer uniform complete with a high pony tail.  Had to get Adam to change his clothes three times because he really didn't want to have to wear his dark pants to the ceremony, and off we went.

The Tree Lighting Ceremony was slated to begin at 6pm, but we had to be there at 5pm for cheer pictures.  What time did the coaches show to take said pictures, 5:30.  In the mean time I am getting Madie and Maegan food from Subway and telling Adam he can eat at McDonald's once everything was over.  Little did I know that it wouldn't be over until 7:30pm and by then he would be ready to eat me. .

So we are sitting in the NEX parking lot in front of the stage that both our children will be preforming on, did I mention the elementary school had a concert to give as well? And what should happen?  It begins to sprinkle.  Then it begins to rain a bit and before we know it, it is pouring.  So...we moved the whole ceremony into the atrium.  Not a huge space and we had to leave enough room for people to come in and out of the store.  Imagine if you will, sitting in front of a grocery store in the parking lot, the "stage" on one side of the doors, and your seating area across the lot on the other side of the doors.  And to top it off, people coming in and out with their groceries.  Comical to say the least.

It could have been worse, we could have been some of the poor smucks who had to stand in the back.  Us, well of course I have learned from the greatest seat saver in the world.  I got us front and center.  Adam, Maegan and I grabbed four folding chairs from out in the rain and brought them into the atrium.  We listened to what the dude said about where to sit and plopped our butts down.  People tried sitting in front of us, they got moved.  It was terrific.  I tell you.  It felt like I was at Pioneer Runion....Thanks mom!!

So the kids started.  Adam's class was third in line and unfortuntely I missed the whole darn thing trying to get a good picture to post.  So, needless to say when Madie came on with her class next to sing, I put down our pathetic camera and listened.  It was horrible.  We couldn't hear the kids at all.  All we heard was the music.  And all we saw was the music teacher's derrier.  He stood in front of the kids almost the entire time.  It was so silly.  But we clapped through all the preformances and I am sure he will hear all about his nether region being in front of all of it, and how not a single parent could hear their kids because the music was so loud.  Me, I'll just wait for next year and hope for the best.

Then came Madie's cheer squad.  Can I just say...

I may be at the end of my rope with all the practices and all the cheering going on in my house, but these girls were rocking.  They were the best part of the evening.  Everyone yelled and cheered and it was absolutely wonderful.  The highlight.  Then came a mom and her six year old daughter.  They did a baton rutine.  It was so freakin' sweet.  She had a flaming baton that just wouldn't light and her daughter tried so hard.  They wore matching outfits and everything.  It was so heart warming. 

The night helped thaw my heart a bit.

The big tree lighting itself was cancelled due to the amount of rain.  We have the trees in the atrium of the NEX, there is one large on and about a dozen smaller ones that different groups decorated.  So we lit those and then the big BIG tree up on Holiday Hill was lit but not in a huge ceremony.  Just a flip the switch kinda thing.  But it was still a success. 

After all that fun, we headed to McDonald's got the boy and dad some dinner and went to the theater.  They showed "Planet 51" last night.  The kids loved it and I, well by that time my knee was throbbing so bad, and it had sprinkled thoughout the entire movie and I was cold and basically  I was just ready to get home. 

So today, Sunday, the first day of Advent, I have spent the day with my leg propped up and taking the ever lacking in strength Tylenol.  I can't take Ibprofen ever again since the surgery so my hardest hitting pain killer is Tylenol.  It usually works but we are talking serious amounts of pain.  My knee is hurting now when even touched slightly.  I know, I know..time to see a doctor, which is on the list for tomorrow.

But for tonight I have printed off some Advent prayers and off to say them before the kids fall asleep.  I wish you all good sleep and I promise pictures by Tuesday.  I send you all my love

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

Just a quick note to tell wish you all a

Happy Thanksgiving

May your turkey be plump and juicy,

May your stuffing be moist,

May your Green Bean Casserole have yummy onion crunchies

And may your Pumpkin Pie be pumpkiny perfection.

We love you all and you will be in our thoughts and prayers today...

I send you all my love

No pictures yet

Well I was all set to download pics and send them out into the world-

alas, Alan has the camera.

Today Adam had a skit to do at school and we took pictures of him.  So, the camera is with the man.

Oh well, tomorrow.  See it just makes sure you keep coming back...

Okay so I told you all we are busier than a bee colony right now.  Well yesterday I was a afflicted with a killer headache, I have been getting them quite a lot lately, and was kinda out of it.  So I stayed home from work and slept and tried to make the pounding stop.  Of course by about four it was gone and I was doing fine.  So I made dinner, played with kids, helped them do their homework.  Good times I must say.  Then it happened...

My friends I am telling you, I have been a klutz lately.  Dropping things, tripping, falling down. I really think it is the dizziness brought on by the sinuses, brought on by the flora and fauna here.  So last night I am walking out the door with Madie on our way to cheer practice and the NEX, when I fell.  Somehow I tripped or missed the teeny tiny step we have on our walkway.  However it happened.  I landed hard on my knees.  Almost identical to the time I tripped when I was pregnant with Maegan and I was talking to Chy on the cell phone.  Not as embarassing as it was dark out and only Madie was there.  But the same position and everything.  Whack, down on both knees like God wanted me to kneel and pray right then.  I rolled onto my butt and wailed.  It hurt so flippin' bad.  Took my breath away and made me send for Alan.  But I got up and headed onto cheer practice and the NEX.  Mind you I haven't looked at the knees, I am afraid to see them actually.

So I go about my business, do my last minute shopping and then head home.  By this point I am starting to stiffen up and I know it is bad as I am starting to shake a bit.  So we get home and Madie asks to see my knees.  I am not ready to.  Alan gets the kids in bed and I get two ice packs for the knees and settle onto the couch for Dancing with the Stars, Donnie Osmond should win by the way.  And then I finally pulled up the pant legs and looked.  HOLY COW!!!!  There is a goose egg on my right knee so big I am a bit worried, and the purple bruising is all over.  The left knee has a nice set of scratches to go over the newly healed scratches from my last fall.  But no bruising and not a lot of swelling.  But my right knee, scared me a bit.  So I applied the ice and laid still for the two hour long show.  By the time I was ready to get up and head up the stairs I was limping.  It hurt to bend, it hurt to straighten.  It just hurt.  The worst part.  No Mortin.  Nope I can only take Tylenol. 

I made it through a ruff night of tossing and turning gently, and today I talked to my girlfriend who is a physical therapist.  She suggested I ice it some more and elevate it.  Other than that...not much I can do.  If it still is killing me tomorrow I will head into the doctors .  In the mean time I plan on icing and resting it. 

The thing that amazes me is this.  Before, when I was good and fat, this kind of fall would have hurt, but not to the point it is now.  Believe me I know.  I have had my falls.  This time, I swear it is worse because my knees aren't padded by the fat.  I have these knobby knees now and the fall smacked the poop out of them.  So this my friends has been the only disadvantage to the weight loss, knobby knees that get hurt when I fall...

I did want to update you all on my weight loss status since I mentioned it.  I am now weighing in at 220 lbs.  That is right my friends I have lost a whopping 124lbs in seven months.  I have lost a total of 16 lbs since my last docotors visit and he said he would be amazed if I lost 20lbs by my next visit.  That isn't until the end of Jan.  So I figure I am still headed in the right direction.  I still have 80 lbs to go to get to MY goal weight of 140lbs.  The doctor did say that by the time I hit the 18 month mark I would be struggling to lose.  My stomach will have streched enough by that time to accomodate bad habits again.  And I must say I can see it coming.  I have started measuring my servings just to be on the safe side.  I went through the pain and torture of the surgery, I will not let serving sizes stretch out this new stomach of mine...So I am hoping that by May and Jesse's graduation I will be down to 160 lbs.  That is my goal for right now...We shall see...

Okay now I am off, I have my super catholic girls club meeting tonight.  This time Madie and I are the hostesses, as the saint for this month is St.Monica.  She is the partoness of mothers, wives and abused women.  Her virtue is hope.  So we are making hand made beads to make into necklaces.  We are going to hope all our hard work pays off and none of the beads break...Anyway, off to make the clay.  I send you all my love...