moving on up!

we have housing. a house.  a townhouse.  end unit.  fenced in yard… garage… big… hooray! 

on base at quantico.
i’m so thrilled.  this process has been amazing.  we have been saturated in blessings as we move deeper into our humanitarian aid transfer process.  trevor has been traveling to quantico for work for two weeks now and comes home for the weekends.  today we got word that we can move into a house on base january 9th.

there is some sadness though.  i’ve come to enjoy this house.  we’ve made sweet memories here, and i’ve loved the huge, updated kitchen.  the kids have a downstairs playroom and tv room that has been wonderful, and i’ve loved all of the closets. samuel’s teacher is awesome, i adore living so close to my parents and brother, and we have a church full of people who love us….. but i’ve missed living on a military base.  the connection, the understanding, the community that comes with military families is a special one.  i’m excited to have samuel be moments away in school and to have it be easier to go have lunch with him as often as i like.  i’m excited to shop at the commissary again and slash my grocery bill.  i’m excited to be so close to trevor  that he can come home for lunch and i have the pleasure of hanging out with him most days.  i’m thrilled that we’ll have a 4 bedroom and 2 1/2 bath and i’ll get to have a bathroom that i don’t have to share with babies.  i’m excited that i’ll have a 2 car garage, and a fenced in yard.  i feel so spoiled. so excited. so blessed.

i can’t wait to make a home out of another house.  our 7th home in just under 10 years.  good thing i like decorating!

just call me wallflower

i consider myself a bit of a late bloomer.  i have to kind of ride trends out to see if they’re going to last.  i remember back when i was pegging my jeans and the flared and bell bottoms were coming back in i swore that i would never ever wear those.  now i’m in the opposite position and having to readjust back to the skinny jean look. 
trevor and i just recently got into the office, and i spend many evenings in bed, without trevor here, laughing hard and enjoying the humor. 

now, i’m posting to craigslist.  i used to do ebay.  i dabbled in it.  but the whole process of posting, paying for the posts, etc ect and the shipping got so old.
craigslist has its issues, and i’ve had several sales fall through, but i finally did make my first 400 dollar sale.  trevor and i are getting out of debt using dave ramsey’s protocol and we are trying to be “gazelle intense”- meaning, working hard and fast to get out of debt bondage! 
craigs list is easy to post to, costs no money to post my ad, and often i can either meet the person to give them the goods or they pay for shipping.  i love it.

i have a bed and basement full of more stuff to list… i am keeping  a spreadsheet so that i ensure that the money netted will go directly towards debt pay off.  i have to admit… it’s a bit of a high!  here’s a toast to being a late bloomer and using it to my full advantage.. live long and prosper….

my girl…

babies change so quickly.  little things they do, the way they look… it all zips by faster than i like. 
i realize it’s been a long time since i’ve shared pictures of my baby- who is all too quickly leaving baby land.  each day is a tug of war with my heart- as i adore the new things she is learning and how connected we are, but lament the loss of her baby-ness as she walks further and further away from the tiny, fuzzy newborn that i couldn’t get enough of. 

i have a feeling you’ll be surprised at how much she’s changed.  her personality is vibrant, strong and beautiful.  she’s fearless, cuddly, curious and helpful. she’s strong willed, dramatic, fun and charming.  she loves us passionately and openly, and gives hugs and open mouth kisses with abandon.  she loves to sleep and runs eagerly to her crib at the mere mention of going “night-night”.  she likes dresses, any kind of shoe, squeezing the dog too tight and drinking from my glass of sweet tea.  she can melt your heart with her strikingly blue eyes, and defend herself against her brothers with a swift bite of her tiny teeth or a smack of her hand!
she is discovering baby dolls, blocks and pocketbooks, but also enjoys petting the gecko and playing in the mud.  she is the perfect balance of girly-ness tempered with bravery.
i am totally smitten.
how could you not be?

moving at the speed of life….

we finally got it.

our orders. 

trevor reports in to quantico ….on tuesday.  yeah- less than a week away.

we are so thrilled.  we wanted to go to quantico.  we were stationed there 6 years ago in the first four years of our marriage.  i liked the area, the base, and the feel of the area.  there are beautiful new houses now and we have kids in school.  our experience this time will be different, and hopefully wonderful.

but now- more changes.  since we just found out last night and today was veterans day (oo-rah baby!) we couldn’t talk to anyone about moving. 
we have to get on the housing list and i am not sure yet how long it will take to get a house assigned to us.  it will be a balancing act to time getting out of our lease, moving, changing schools with as little disruption as possible and trying to ease into a new life in a new community.

i am saddened too- we’ve had a lovely time with our man home.  we’ve been spoiled to have had him here every single day for the last 7 weeks!  it’s been amazing.
now we fly into warp speed and we will do what we have to do to make sure we’re together.  moving, changing our lives again and leaving the area that has become sweet to us.

please pray for my babies.  while this is a wonderful thing, i am still aware of the big changes in their lives that might cause frustration for them.  i am positive that we will be fine, and i am thrilled that we’ll still be close to our families.  but i want to make things as smooth as i possibly can for my sweet kiddos.

 

sugar and spice and everything nice…..

on saturday, our family was blessed with two perfect, sweet, beautiful baby girls.  this time, i’m not the mama, i’m the proud auntie. 
my brother in law noah, and his beautiful wife erin welcomed twin baby girls on saturday.  they were born at just 31 weeks gestation, but are doing so well.  i have been incredibly blessed and humbled that the two of them have welcomed me so eagerly into the lives of my sweet nieces.  they had asked me to be in the delivery room if possible with my camera in hand.  however due to the speed in which erin was progressing, me being almost 2 hours away, and the need to quickly do a c section, that became a non issue.  however, my MIL and SIL and i drove to richmond on the rainy halloween night to support our family. 

i was blown away when i found out that i was allowed into the NICU with noah to see the babies.  when they were less than 2 hours old we went to their beds and soaked in their beauty. i took hundreds of pictures through happy tears and was honored to be there to capture the first meeting of daddy, mommy and babies.  i also got to watch their grandpa, aunt and grandma see them and touch them for the first time.

hands down it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.  their names are Ever and Grey and they are stunning babies- not just because i love them, but, truly they are beautiful babies!

noah and erin have been amazingly gracious with sharing their baby time. i was able to hold grey!  and have spent more hours with them this week staring in awe at their delicious adorableness. 
what a miracle these babies are. 
i am completely in love and can’t wait until i get to see them again.

(pics below- the wires and tubes might look intense, but truly, they are doing well.  one baby is off of oxygen now, both have feeding tubes for the moment, and they are attached to lots of monitors- but really, they are strong and healthy!  amazing isn’t it? )

hopping back on the wagon.

i’ve purposely avoided blogs recently.  not because there is anything wrong with them but because i have an issue with reading blogs and leaving feeling “less than” as a mother, or wife, or friend.  i’ve been satisfied reading a tiny handful of blogs that are all connected to personal friends or family.

i used to be an avid blog reader.  i had about 20 or so blogs that i would scan through on a daily basis.  reading tidbits of life of other women and looking at their sweet, beautiful pictures depicting wonderful family activities, or powerful drama speckled with photos to pull your heartstrings right through your chest. 
i finally recognized that for me… a blog addict… it wasn’t healthy.  and so, i quit. cold turkey.  i spent my computer time on facebook, and downloading pictures, and recently with the addition of a new job!!!!! (more later, i promise)  with chatting on skype with an old friend.

but the other day?  i went back. i fell off the wagon.  i scrolled through three or four of my old haunts and read up some on what i’ve missed. 
and i walked away with the same yucky feeling. 

i can’t totally explain what it is about “mommy blog land” that knocks my socks off.  i hate that as women our competitive nature bleeds over into our mothering- but, it does.  and i succumb to it.  and i often feel badly about myself. 
but, i am also aware that in just a few short key strokes i can fill you in on all the wonderful parts of today and skip all the bumps. though there are women writing honestly, and sharing their struggles and their victories- i haven’t found many women who can balance the woman side of them with the mother side of them.

wanna know a secret? 
sometimes i get tired of  talking about sleep schedules, naps, diapers and sippy cups.  spankings, play dates, teething and childbirth.  nurseries, and chuck e cheese, preschools and homeschooling.  birthday parties, potty training, sports and bottles. 
sometimes?  i wanna talk about current events, nature, God, and politics. movies i like, things i’ve read, how much i love my husband, and music.  photography, money, college and decorating.   

and i love the balance of all of those things.
all of them are a part of me.
and not a whole lot of women bloggers do a good job of finding the balance.

so for now, while i still sit in the space of motherhood where i sometimes wonder if  i’m doing a good enough job, i will stay away from mommy blog land. 
i will revel in the good parts of my own experience.  knowing that all of us have drama, boredom, failure and disappointment mixed in with the inevitable joy, beauty and fun.
i will stay true to myself without comparing my family to others. without sitting in the negative and life sucking place of questioning our lifestyle… knowing God gave me my four babies to love, raise and protect.  and i will celebrate that.

so… thanks for being here. and listening in to my neuroses. 
i’m growing.  and it’s good stuff.
as long as i can lay off the blogs.

we’re moving!
yep! 
i just don’t know when.  or where.  i just know we will be.

our humanitarian aid transfer package was approved!  basically that means that trevor will not have to return to japan, and we will all move -soon- to a base for him to return to work.

he’s been here with us since sept 17th when he flew in literally a couple of hours before samuel’s surgery.  we’ve been blessed to have all this time with him and we’ve loved having him home.  in fact, i’m so used to him being around now that i’m not sure what i’ll do when he returns to a regular work schedule!  but, he’s bored i’m sure, and ready to move forward.  i’m glad that we know he won’t have to leave us again, and i’m anxious to find out when and where we’ll be headed. 
the hope (and probability) is that we’ll be in quantico.  it’s about 90 miles north of where we are now.  still close enough to my family and only about 30 miles from trevor’s parents!
i’m anxious to get back onto a base, and take advantage of all the amenities i’ve been so used to.  (i’m still in sticker shock at the grocery store!  and can’t wait to start shopping at the huge commissary there! )

i’ll keep you up to date.  please start praying for my kids as they will have to transition, once again, to a new way of life.  new schools, new teachers, new house, new church, new friends.  i am confidant that we will be ok, but i am aware of the possible bumps in the road.

exciting stuff!

stacks of blankets are growing….

you guys are doing great! we are close to 50 blankets so far!
we have several different types and colors and patterns.  my mom and i are so excited to be able to give blankets to these kids.  we’d like to have at least 50 for the first delivery in december.  several of you have mentioned you have a few to send in, and that will certainly bring us to 50.

however, we’ll still be collecting! 
remember we want to get to 600 blankets for the full fiscal year.  we still have time, and the hospital is a 48 bed center- so the first 50 should cover the kids that are there at that moment.
if you have any questions or concerns- please let me know.  we literally cannot do it without your help and are so grateful for all of the work, time, money and energy you are pouring into our endeavor.

2boyzmama@gmail.com

Under Cover

**EDIT** joanns fabric is offering 60%off of their fleece this week!  so, if you were thinking of making one, or two, or ten!! then hop on over to get an amazing deal!

your responses have been amazing!  i’m so excited that so many of you are willing to open up your hearts to bless children in need.  and i’m humbled by how many of you have passed on our humble desire to your friends and family.   in a time where every dollar counts more than ever, and more charities are asking for your help, we are so thrilled that you would be willing to help a cause that is so personal to us.

i wanted to share more information to hopefully help you clear up any questions you may have that might prevent you from helping.
so, as formally as i can be, here are the……

FAQ’s

What size blankets are you looking for? the smallest blankets we would like to give are the “throws” that you can find at most targets and walmart type stores.  they are 50×60 and not much larger than a crib blanket.  while the hospital does serve younger children, every child that stays at CCCA sleeps in a twin size bed.

What kinds of blankets are  you looking for?  we would like many different types. soft fleece ones, handmade knitted ones, quilts, comforters, even specialty weighted blankets. (more on that later!)

Where do i send the blankets?  please email me at 2boyzmama@gmail.com and i will send you the address for my mom’s house.  we are having all donations sent to her and i’m not going to be posting her address on the blog. a quick email asking for the address and i’ll shoot one right back at you!

I don’t really feel like shopping for blankets, or making any, but i still want to help.  Is there anything i can do? YES!  there are several ways you can be involved!  one, you can pray for us as we work to gather all the blankets we can.  two, you can pray for the kids who will be blessed by this very tangible gift of love!  additionally, you can contribute financially.  the materials for the patches sewn on, record keeping supplies, gas for deliveries, and other miscellaneous expenses add up quickly for two women who want to bless a large group of people.   you can also send money or giftcards and specify that you would like us to buy the blankets for you.  a good rule of thumb is that ten dollars is the minimum for a pre-made fleece blanket, so if  you sent $25, we would have a tax credit receipt mailed to you for two blankets.
lastly, you can order weighted blankets from http://www.saltoftheearthweightedgear.com  and have them mailed directly to my mom. 
(samuel is a child who responds well to a weighted blanket. it is soothing, comforting and often helps him to calm down and feel safe. many children with autism issues, or sensory struggle receive great benefit from these blankets.   it can be a rather large investment, and many of the families who would benefit from this type of therapeutic item would never be able to afford them.  they are a huge blessing and would be a rare commodity at the hospital. 

How do i get a tax credit? please include a note with your shipment that you’d like a tax receipt.  be sure to include your mailing address, and the receipt will be mailed to you directly from CCCA.

Is there a deadline?  we would like for this endeavor to be ongoing- however- we also would like our first delivery to be before christmas.  in order to get in on that delivery, and ensure a tax receipt (if that is important to you) please mail your items no later than december 7th 2009. 

what will the sewn-on patch say?  we desire to bless these kids and their family; we believe in the power of prayer and each child who will receive a blanket from under cover will be blanketed also in prayer ; however; we would never want to cause any family discomfort- especially when receiving a comforting item!  so, we will only put a portion of the verse from psalm 4:8 and will not include the reference.  the patches will read “i will lie down in peace and sleep”

i’ll close for now- if you have other questions, please post them here as a comment, or email me directly.  i am so honored to have had even a small chunk of your time, and greatly appreciate you sending this to anyone you think might be interested!

stay tuned for more updates!

happy blanket shopping!

wanna help me?

so is your interested piqued?

i need your help.
i need you to open your hearts and your time and your wallets if possible-

as you may or may not know- when samuel was in the hospital after his foot injury, he was placed in a children’s hospital that is for psychiatric patients.  it is located in the mountains of VA in staunton and is an incredible place for the kids in our area. 
the hospital is called CCCA (Commonwealth Center for Children and Adolescents) and is a state run hospital.  it is one of only 2 in the state that serves children under the age of 13.  children at this hospital are there for issues ranging the gamut of abuse, autism, ADHD, bipolar, etc.  the nurses, doctors, social workers, and care takers there are incredible people who love their work and do their best to care for these children. 
the problem is that because it’s a state run hospital and the budgets are always getting slashed, they are in constant need of items. 
my mom and i both had the desire to give back to this hospital in some way.  i visited samuel the first day and realized that the blanket he was given was horrid.  as a mother, i was upset that he didn’t have even the basic comforts of home.  we are blessed that i was living less than an hour away and as a stay at home mom, i could visit every day and so i could take him a nice blanket and things from home.
however, many of the kids who are cared for there come from very poor backgrounds, or have parents who live too far to visit regularly, or don’t get to come at all.
my mom and i want to fix that problem. 
we can do something about this. 

we want to give the hospital and it’s children some blankets.

our endeavor has fondly been named : Under Cover.
the blanket that samuel had was scratchy, full of holes, and very old.  it was literally the type of blanket i would use for my dog. 
we want to give enough blankets to the hospital so that each child has their own and is able to take it home.

the number of kids they have serviced each year the last 2 years?  605.  we want 605 blankets. 
i think we can do it.
 
i have already bought 3- and they aren’t expensive.  i just picked up the nice fuzzy fleece ones.  you can donate any kinds- with prints or patterns, quilts, or solids.  there are boys and girls there and the ages are from 4yrs old to 17.  any theme would be used and appreciated!

we are able to give you a tax receipt if you need one- and i will be giving more details over the next couple of days.
please think about giving.  this is a need that is very dear to my heart. we are blessed to have a family with the resources to care for samuel – even at the hospital- but many of the kids that stay there don’t have that option. 
we are planning on sewing a patch on each blanket with the verse from psalm 4:8 – i will lie down in peace and sleep. o Lord, you will give me rest.

think about it as a possible project for your family to do together- gathering blankets or making some
think about how these children with emotional, behavioral and mental struggles are often forgotten and stigmatized. 
think about how praying over these covers and the children they will comfort will bring peace that can impact them forever.

i’ll post an address soon and more info if you need it.
feel free to email me with questions too!