I finally made it!

Hello everyone!

After many conversations with friends (yes, you Kim) and viewing family pages as well, I am convinced that a blog may be a positive thing for me (and probably addictive too)! Especially when I found out I could print it into a book and use it as a journal. I am excited to figure out how everything works, because so far I've gotten ten errors just trying to change colors and fonts around. Hopefully you old timers can give me some tips and websites to add a little more personality to my page, but for now this will do... (Here's a few random pics from the past few months).

So, let me fill you in on my past few days without a hubby. Backing up first--for those of you who don't know, Dave started a new job last month for Rotorcraft Leasing. They contract with several different oil companies to have their execs and employees transfered by helicopter back and forth from land to oil rig along the Gulf of Mexico. He works somewhere different almost everytime for two weeks at a time. Then he's home for two weeks. We're hoping he only has to do it for a year, until he gets 500 hours on a bigger chopper. There's no point in moving, since he can be at a different location every time, and we love it here in Idaho Falls!

It's a stark contrast between his two weeks that he's gone and mine. So far, I think he's got maybe 30 minutes of flight time in the past week. The rest of his 12 hour shifts are filled with sitting at the hanger, talking to some old pilots, eating, reading, or searching the web. Because he's a spare pilot right now he doesn't get to fly unless the main pilots aren't there or can't do it. I think the hardest thing for Dave is that he does have to sit there, because he's so used to being busy and productive that it's a big change for him. Hopefully he will be getting lots more hours on his next assignment.

Back to my two weeks. He left Wednesday, December 31, yes New Year's Eve, our first time apart for 7 years. Sammi (age 5), Sadie (age 3), Sophie (7 weeks old), and myself (age 28) decided to kick it with my Mom (age 45), sister Lizzy (age 15 but looks 18), brother Ben (age 18) and his girlfriend Kappy (age 18). Just in case you didn't know how old we are : ). We made lots of yummy food like cowboy caviar, crab dip, and the best chocolate chip cheesecake in the world! Liz and I went to the store to get a few things and acted like teenagers (well, Lizzy is one, but I just pretended) dancing wildly in the car trying to get reactions, although most people tried to avoid making eye contact with us. Bummer, we really were trying to get some laughs!

We bought some hats, confetti, masks, and noise makers, which really looked hilarious. I think Sammi looked the cutest. Liz and I kissed Sadie (who was sleeping) when the ball dropped while Ben and Kappy rang the new year in with a kiss as well, how cute. And yes, Sammi fell asleep on the bathroom floor after a bath that night, she coudn't quite make it to midnight. And we sure missed being with the Alexanders and Robbins, which we've done the past 7 years that we've been together. We all had a great time at my Mom's house, although I think they were ready for all of our craziness to leave so they could get something done.

Being alone with my girls all the time is most of the time, fun. But there are times when it's not so much the prior description. Yesterday Sophie had more gas than normal, and had to be held constantly to contain the extreme crying. Sammi and Sadie didn't want to eat their dinner, so they went to bed hungry (so I thought); then I find them on the kitchen counters sneaking candy and out of bed 2 hours past their bed time. After non-stop kids, poop, crying and counseling for so long, it's time for a break! That's what bed time is, a break. So last night I had to force myself to get mad, sometimes it really is hard because they have the cutest puppy dog faces. But I took most of their stuffed animals, blankies and toys out of their room and told them they had to stay in their room all day today, except for meals and potty breaks. They went to sleep crying. But what do I do when no other warnings work? Any suggestions? We'll see how today goes. So far, so good.

So, now is my quiet time, with them in their room and actually staying there, finally... Sammi told me she was going to call Daddy to tell him I was being mean, and I told her I did talk to him about their punishment and he agreed with me. She thought about it, then said, 'Yeah you need to call Daddy cause he usually knows good punishments, huh!' I thought that was pretty funny. One other Sammi comment that made me laugh was: 'Mom, next time we move, I want to move to New York, okay?' Me: "If we move to New York we'll have to live in a very small apartment."

Sammi: "That's okay, I can live with that!" Hilarious, I don't know where she learned that phrase from, but it goes to show they listen to everything. And the size of the house really doesn't matter, it's the point of being together with lots of love that counts.

Just a tidbit about Sadie who is the sweetest and smartest little 3 year old who is writing words,trying to read and can count to 30 easily. Sadie said to my Mom, "When I grow up, I want to be a Mom, just like my Mom." Nana says: "How many kids do you want?" Sadie: "Probably 100 or something." Gotta love kids. Who knows, she does love babies!

Sophie is starting to smile and coo, and it is the best thing ever. She brings back so much peace and Spirit in our home. Having her reminded me what life's about--the simplicity and joy of just being. Just sitting in silence. Or finding laughter in baby poop all over your pants. It really is such a pleasure to sit and hold her. There's so much love in that little ball of chub.

As for myself, I'd love to keep going to school like I have the past couple years, but I think I've got a more important school happening at home right now, especially with my little baby, and they do grow so much each day. I do love a good party, whether at my home or somewhere else, so I will continue to find time to have a party every now and again. My passion remains in my home, writing, decorating, playing make-believe with my girls and being a Mom!

P.S. I probably could have split this into at least 3 different posts, but I'm a newbie, what can I say!

P.S.S. Thanks to all of you for your wit, love, and creativity I've seen in your own blogs and lives!