A Catch Up (from the last 5 months...)

Ugh, so much has happened in our lives the last five months that not only did I neglect this poorly neglected blog but I also failed at taking pictures because WE WERE SO BUSY.

So, I'm just going to highlight via bulletpoints the big things that have happened to our little family since I last posted.

-WE'RE HAVING ANOTHER BABY!!! 

Yep! Baby #4 is due to enter the world at the end of June and it's a BOY! Very excited to add him to the crew. Julia is desperately hoping that Baby #4 will not be born on her birthday (June 23) because she does not want to share a birthday and she *will* cry if that happens.

Erm...I'll do my best stereotypical middle child...

-WE MOVED!!

In December we packed up our stuff and said good bye to Texas. Evan got a job offer in Illinois and we headed back up a few days before Christmas. We stayed with Evan's parents for about 10 days while we waited for our household goods to show up at the house we're renting.

The girls were so excited to spend the holidays with our families. 

A rare moment when they are all playing something together without bickering. 

 And our nephews are on cloud nine that we are back and can see them all the time now.

Of course, we moved into our new house the first weekend in January and one week later it snowed 13 inches. Welcome back to Illinois, y'all.

But, the girls really were so jazzed to see snow. For Vivian, it was her first real winter. Texas kind of spoiled us when it came to the winter months, so there was some adjustments to how we do things (like having to wear socks *every* day).

We've settled into a routine pretty well. Now that the winter that never ended seems to be settling into spring, we'll start the process of looking for a house (scary! intimidating! eek!). Until then, we do really like the house we're renting, especially the kitchen!!!

(More snow pictures because that is what our life has been the last few months.)

-VIVIAN TURNED 3!!!
This little tornado turned three in February. She had a Trains, Planes and Automobiles themed party. My mom sent her this shirt and it was absolutely perfect for her party attire!

She really wanted a police car cake. Thankfully I had a car cake pan already and experimented with making and using marshmallow fondant. She was so stinking thrilled with her police car cake.

The next day was her actual birthday and she got to open presents with us and her Nina & Papa. She got a lot of Toy Story toys (Rex, Buzz and Woody!) because, as were her sisters before her at the exact same age, she is obsessed with the Toy Story movies.

She also got a tea set from her Nina & Papa that she plays with almost every morning when we wake up. She makes tea and I drink my coffee.Yes, it is as ridiculously cute as it sounds.

-ELISABETH!!
True to her personality, Elisabeth has adjusted to her new school very well. She's joined the volleyball team and likes her classes. She has to wear a uniform (duh, Catholic school), which she has always wanted to do, but has now realized that she kind of missing wearing everyday clothes. Her school is minutes from our home, so Evan takes her every morning and the girls and I pick her up in the afternoon.

One of the nice things about being closer to family (only 2.5 hours away!) is that the grandparents can come to things like games and whatnot. In fact, we've probably seen family every 3-4 weeks since we've moved here! It's really helped Vivian develop closer relationships with everyone (because she's kind of a jerk when she doesn't see you often and takes forever to warm up).



-JULIA!!!
Julia decided to finish first grade by being homeschooled. Moving and starting school in the middle of the year was daunting to her and I don't blame her. But, next year she'll be joining Elisabeth at school for 2nd grade and she's pretty excited.

Also, she has really blossomed as a reader! Her nose is in a book more often than not nowadays and I can not even begin to tell you how unbelievably happy this makes me!!

-FIGARO!!! (cause I know you're dying to hear how the cat has adjusted)
Well, he's still sweet but dumb as you can see pictured below.

He is stuck in the screen. He stayed like this until I got his claw unstuck. He purred the whole time.

So, that's us in a nutshell right now. Still keeping our level of normal.


One thing that I have learned throughout all of the big changes we have gone through--separating from the Air Force, having a short time to find a job and move, moving while pregnant (again), doing our best to adjust to Evan having a civilian job, is that it is really, really important that we keep our routines and a connection as a family. We have moved a lot less than other military families, but moving is always hard no matter how often you have to do it. Trying to keep our life and habits the same in each house and in each state has made a huge difference, especially for the girls. They know that we eat dinner every night as a family. Bedtime is the same time with the same routine--bath, brush teeth, stories, snuggles. We organize the kitchen, the closets, etc as much the same in each house as we can. But, most importantly, we truly try to make sure they know that our nuclear family is the most important, no matter where we move, no matter where life takes us. Our expectations are always the same.

So, we are enjoying this temporary house while we live in it and making a home here while we are here.

Fort Sam Fire Station Open House Fun!!

Last weekend we waited out a thunderstorm so we could go visit the Fire Station's Open House! (It has been on the calendar for a few weeks and the younger two were SO EXCITED about it all.)

Each girl brought her firetruck (cause, you know, we have our own toy fire fighter crew) and marched to the fire house.

There were a lot of activities inside--a cartoon about practicing fire safety at home, donuts to eat, and this super cool fire extinguisher simulator.

Julia is the queen of shyness. She's really excited but you'd never know looking at these pictures.

But, of course, the highlight of the day was getting to climb in and out of the firetrucks. Vivian, who can sometimes be super rudely shy to strangers didn't even flinch when the fireman asked her if she wanted to climb in; she just marched right up and started scrambling in. She even let the fireman pick her up! She must have really wanted inside that truck.

Elisabeth is almost tall enough to legitimately drive the truck. Sob.

My instructions: I'm going to take pictures, you make sure she doesn't break the truck.

Not, make sure she doesn't fall, but make sure she doesn't break the truck because seriously.

A genuine smile!!!

"Juju, you a firefighter now?"

The beloved ladder truck.

She just wanted to sit behind the wheel for hours. And push all the buttons and turn all the knobs and flip all the switches. She found the ignition button to this one and was determined to push it, so Evan declared her done. Yes, the trucks were off, but it's better to be safe than sorry with this kid.

I love this picture:

The ladder truck has a bell. They let the children ring it. It was loud.

Me: Everyone sit on the truck so I can get a picture.

Ebeth: (in an embarrassed exasperated tone) Whyyy???

Me: Because I birthed you all and want to photograph you so I can look at these pictures when I am old and you've moved out and I'm lonely and miss you.

Ebeth: Ok, Mom. Also, that was kind of dramatic. 

This is Hydrant the Robot. Julia loooooved him. She wanted to bring him and the firefighter that was controlling and talking for the robot home with us. Awkward.

Vivian was at first frightened of him and screamed when he tried talking to her. Then she found him amusing. Then she started hitting him with her hat.

Her face when he said, "Ouch! You hit me!":

It was a good day! The storm made it much cooler than when we'd attended the Open House in 2011. Cool days in Texas are a gift, people. A gift.

September Reading Log

Can I please tell you how much I love sharing what I'm reading with you all? Cause I do.

After tallying up the books I've read through September, I am a mere 5 books away from reaching my goal of 60 books for this year!!!! How about that?! I'm kind of excited to see what number I actually do reach! I haven't reached a yearly reading goal in a few years and, because I am nothing but a big ol' dork, I am thrilled to actually meet this year's goal. 

Here's what I read this month:

1. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Elisabeth and Evan encouraged me to read this book. I had never heard of it before until Elisabeth took an interest in it. A sci-fi dystopia about Earth having been invaded by an alien race they called Buggers, Ender Wiggin is asked to join the Battle School at age 6 due to his genius. Manipulated throughout his entire training, the story revolves around Ender striving for and constantly having taken from him love, friendship, and affection. A great book! I look forward to the rest of the series.

2. Hail, Holy Queen by Scott Hahn

I really enjoy Hahn's books. They are in depth, full of references and resources to prove his points and encourage you to read more on your own, and are well written. Obviously a book to be cataloged in the Catholic book category, I enjoyed this book because there were so many things about Mary I hadn't even know or read before. A great source for lots of Mother Mary questions.

3. The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant

Yet another book I've had for ages and hadn't read yet. Thank goodness for my current goal to read through my bookshelves alphabetically. This book was beautiful. Historic, full of art, love, and seeking the meaning of life in a chaotic world, I could not put this book down. I loved Alessandra. She was the perfect voice to narrate this book. Dunant's words are palpable. If you love books by Tracy Chevair, you'll love love love this book. Please, someone read this book so I can talk about it with you!!! 

4. On Being Human by Fulton Sheen

Fulton Sheen was a priest from the Peoria, IL area (woot!) who went on to become the Archbishop of New York. I guess he was/is a pretty big deal, but I've only recently heard about him. This book is a collection of his newspaper articles that spanned from the 1940s to the 1970s. It was a pretty big book and took me most of the month to get through because it wasn't one you could really fly through. Lots of big ideas to think on. Lots of important views to take your time soaking in. But, I definitely would recommend this one because it'd be super easy to read a smidge at a time the way it's broken up. You could easily read certain parts in between other books.

5. The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff

I only got less than 100 pages into this book, but I wanted to put it here to warn you all about its terribleness. Dude, seriously. The writing was just too terrible to ignore. You know how sometimes an author's writing isn't flawless, but their story telling is so you forgive them the writing aspect because you were so lost in the story and characters? Yeah, that did not happen AT ALL. There were supposed to be a back and forth between two characters in two different times, but their stories would eventually overlap. You should really have your writing polished before you attempt this idea and should probably also not throw in a third random time/character/setting without any forewarning. I haven't had a book I've discarded and disliked so much in a long time. Bleh.

6. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

You guys! You guys!!! Tell me one of you has read this book! I picked up this book after Anne Bogel over at Modern Mrs Darcy said she couldn't put it down (I heart Anne. She's yet to steer me wrong in her reading recommendations). Dude, you guys, I read this 850 page book in less than 3 days. I can't stop thinking about it and will probably *have* to get the next book in the series. So, it's about Claire, a nurse and wife to Frank in 1945. They're in Scotland on a second honeymoon waiting for Oxford to start the school year because Frank will be a history professor there. As she's wondering around Scotland she ends up somehow transported to the exact same spot in Scotland in 1743. It's just so great. There were times where I felt the book was a bit campy, times I was like--Wait, what?! Seriously, did they just say that?!--but overall, I just couldn't put it down. I must warn you, the love scenes are quite steamy (!!!) and there is a lot of 1700 types of violence. If you have read this, please, message me so I can go all fangirl over this book for a smidge.

{Fair warning, I will be basically reposting this over at Mea Cuppa on the 15th when I link up with Anne at Modern Mrs Darcy for her monthly Twitterature link up. If you've not read her blog yet, do it!!!}

Seven Quick Takes on The Girls, The Cats, and The Doctor

You guys, I have severely neglected my actual camera lately. 

I blame the heat.

When it is too hot outside, the last thing I want hanging around my neck and adding to "Things That Will Cause Me to Sweat More than My Scottish Heritage Naturally Bestowed Upon Me" is a heavy camera. So, I just forget to bring it places and rely on my cell phone. My cell phone is basically my quick pic camera. 

Anyway, these pictures are from August. I know. I suck. I promise to start carrying around my real camera more.

Back to the original post! It's Friday! 7 Quick Takes link up day with Jennifer Fulwiler over at Conversion Diary! Time for me to share seven random thoughts with you lovely people. Ready?

One.

Thanks for all the love and support from my post about Evan's job situation. He's diligently applying and we're hoping for some concrete things in the near future. But, while we patiently (well...maybe not as patiently as we'd like) wait for the job situation to pan out, I have been going through our house room by room and deciding what isn't going to make it for another move. 

Five people can quickly accumulate a lot of things in 3.5 years. But, it has been a great stress reliever to go through a room, sift through what needs to be kept, and declare it ready to be packed up and moved. It's kind of a shame we're not staying in the military because I feel like I've found my groove for getting a house Moving Ready.

Two.
I've been throwing around the idea of not getting a smart phone the next time it's time to upgrade my phone. Which? probably means I could totally just go in and switch my phone now since non-smart phones (dumb phones?) are basically given away at Verizon. I need to actually sit down and make a pro/con list as to why a smart phone should or should not be purchased. Any thoughts? Any of you gone back to a non-smart phone after having a smart phone?

I just don't need endless access to the internet. I am not strong enough to avoid the siren call of a smart phone. And the thing is, right now I have a Windows phone which has about 1/8 the app choices of androids or Apple phones and I still am a freakin phone addict.

Three.
Speaking of phone addictions, I can not even begin to thank everyone for the kind words about the post I put up yesterday on Mea Cuppa. The facebook comments, emails and texts were so kind. I do so love being able to share my thoughts with everyone and for those of you who read my posts here and then support Kara and I over at Mea Cuppa too, well, I just big puffy heart you all.

Some day I'm going to write a post all about why I feel like blogging is just the bees knees, because I really do think it's been such a positive thing for me and so many others. Betcha can't wait to hear me ramble about that, huh?

Four.
We have a San Antonio To Do list going in our house. We aren't for sure when we'll be moving from here, but the chances are very great we won't be living here anymore. So, we've been trying to think of some things that we either want to make sure we go see or do one more time or go and see some things we haven't gotten around to yet.

Julia has quite a few restaurants she wants to make sure we eat at "for the last time ever!". On her list--McDonald's, Chick-Fil-A and Starbucks. Erm...


Five.
I've told you all this fourteen million times, but for those of you who maybe have some how missed me cry and complain, I would ask you to please read this post and this post and this post so that you truly understand that I am not heartless...but oh my goodness, when these cats die I am DONE DONE DONE having pets that are supposed to poop in my house. Done. All done. I may or may not think upon having a dog, goat, pig, horse, chicken(s), or other such animal merely because said other animals POOP OUTSIDE.

You guys, I have two large male cats. They share one very large litter box because this house is not capable of having more than one litter box unless we decide to put the litter box in one of our bedrooms and NO FREAKING WAY. They're just so stinky. And changing the litter box is lower on my "Chores I Don't Mind Doing" list than vacuuming (and you all know I ding dong hate to vacuum).

The other day I was cleaning out the cat litter and was probably cursing under my breath (not probably, I was) when Julia came in to watch me. "Mom, when these cats die, this is going to be a pet free home, right?". Umm...guess I've voiced my opinions about that enough for it to become second hand knowledge to the six year old.

Six.
Can I take a minute here and just tell you how much I love Dr. Who? We're on season 5 right now, the first season as Matt Smith as The Doctor. I have to tell you, I am a die hard David Tennant fan. I was so unsure about this Matt Smith guy taking over that I posted on facebook for fellow Whovians to hold my hand as we started the new season. Now, I am here to tell you that I still big puffy heart David Tennant's Doctor, but Matt Smith has been delightful. And I super love Amy Pond (which, I know, many of you told me I would!). Elisabeth is such a true Whovian that she has talked us into starting the old series from the very first Doctor after we get caught up with the current reboot series. No need to twist our arms, Evan and I both agreed.

Anyway, we've got some plans for the three of us dressing as Doctor Who things (not Julia and Vivian, they are solid on being Elsa and Anna). I am soooooooo excited about Halloween this year!!!

Seven.
Everyone keeps asking how it's going with just Vivian at home and I have to say that it's going really well. We're all up in the morning well before 7 getting ready for school. Julia is so independent in the mornings. She has her own alarm clock (a Hello Kitty one I found on amazon that plays Christmas music as the alarm...I know, super weird), lays her clothes out the night before, has her lunch ready in the refrigerator so she can seamlessly throw it in her backpack. Her alarm goes off at 6:40am and she is always ready to walk to the bus stop by 7:10. And, the icing on the cake--Julia loves school. Loves it.

Elisabeth has really benefited from having a later bus pick up time and has not had to rush to get out the door on time like she did all through her elementary school years here. She's up at 6:45 and out the door by 7:45 to catch her 7:50 bus. I was like that growing up too. I just needed enough time to wake up and slothily get done what needed to get done. I hated (and still hate) being rushed to wake up.

But, Vivian is doing great. We hang out and either watch Max & Ruby (V) or read blogs while drinking coffee (me) after we've walked Julia to the bus. We go to the Y, the library, run errands. She likes to help me do laundry, dishes, and clean. She's perfectly happy playing by herself with her toys and seems to just be waiting until her Juju comes home. I think she likes getting some solo time where it's quiet and she has me to herself. She's much less aggressive when the two people she loves to antagonize the most aren't home.



Well, thanks for checking in here! I love 7 Quick Takes because it's kind of like an organized catch up time.

Come What May

We found out last Wednesday that Evan is being laid off by the Air Force. We had known for months that there was a big possibility that it could happen. There was a Force Shaping Board that met in July (on Evan's actual birthday to add an extra jab to the kidneys) to decide who would get to stay in and who would be asked to leave from Evan's 2009 graduating class. They were looking at getting rid of 40+ people out of 75.

I could go on and on about how ridiculous this cut is and how much it sucks for us, but honestly, there's only so many times you can bitch and moan about something like this before it turns into useless whining. Do I wish we hadn't been cut? Of course I do. Evan's an exceptional employee and I'm not just saying that because I'm his wife and think he's dreamy (which I do). He's hard working, smart, and loyal. He's well liked by his co-workers and a go-to guy from his higher ups. He has so many great attributes that I could continue telling you about, but I know full well that Evan will get grumpy and tell me I'm exaggerating (I'm not) and that even if those things were all true, it doesn't have seemed to have mattered. He was cut.

So, now we job hunt. Because they didn't tell us the results of that board until last week and Evan's last technical day is December 31, they did not give us very long to find a job, find a new home, move and get settled before they pull the rug out from under us.

Evan's been working like crazy on his resume and looking for job leads. I won't lie, it's panic inducing if we think about it all too much. We've been praying, taking it one day at a time, prioritizing what needs to be done to get his resume out there.

On my end, I have to start preparing for a move to who-knows-where at who-knows-when. It's such a different beast to pack for a move that the military gives you when you know where you're going, what his job will be, and over 6 months to plan and pack. We have none of those factors this time. The military isn't telling us where to go, just that we have to leave. We have no idea where we're moving because we have no idea what Evan's job will be. It's...overwhelming.

This weekend I started going through things in the basement and I sat there for a few minutes and let myself have a pity party. (I figure I'm entitled to a few of those before this is all said and done)

I don't want to move.

I know that sounds so ridiculous after all the moaning and groaning I did the first year or so of having moved here, but so much has happened. We have a home here, a routine. We figured we'd be here until at least 2015 or 2016. I like our parish, the girls' schools, the neighborhood. Yes, I have always known we'd never be here forever, but the way this has all played out has been like a big punch in the stomach--I didn't' see it coming and it hurts like hell. We joined the Air Force because we felt it was the most secure job choice. Irony at it's finest.

What's weird to me in all of this is that the routine continues. No matter how worked up I get about thinking about the unknown, I still have to help the girls pack lunches for school, still have to change diapers, still have to grocery shop, cook dinner, menu plan, do laundry, listen to grievances about what one sister has unjustly done to another sister. Life still goes on. And maybe that's the blessing in all of this--a good dose of reality to the surreal knowledge that our whole lives will be very different very soon.

The girls know as much as we feel they are old enough to handle. So, Vivian knows nothing. Julia knows that we're going to be moving soon. She knows that Evan isn't going to be working for the Air Force anymore and that he's looking for a new job. I think she is used to us talking about moving because we are in the military and that this is just another type of move with them. She was surprised that we didn't know what state we were going to next. Elisabeth knows almost everything. She's aware that Evan was laid off because of budget cuts and that now we're looking for a new job. She knows we could be moving anytime between October and December. However, she is fully confident in Evan finding a job and her complete trust in us is amazing (albeit a heavy cross to bear).

This week, I'm just focusing on going through things. We're do for a purge of stuff, so that's what I'm doing. I'm making piles of Keep, Donate, Trash and I'm slowly going through the things we own. I know it will take much longer than a week, especially since I'm only going through things when there are snippets of free time, but it's something tangible that I can do right now that isn't fretting.

So, please, keep us in your prayers and thoughts. We'll be keeping everyone as updated as we can.

August Reading Log

I read so many good books in August!! I can't wait to share them with you all!

1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I had read this book before a few years ago, but decided to reread it after Elisabeth and Evan had read it and wanted to watch the movie. To be honest, it was even more powerful the second time around. I just love Zusak's writing style. He writes in a manner that really compliments my imagination. And, I still cried and cried at the end. I knew it was coming, had seen the movie with Evan and Elisabeth a couple days before I actually completed the book, totally remembered the ending, but still cried. It's just one of my favoritest books ever.

2. Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple

I bought this book because I had heard nothing but good things about it. I expected it to be leg-slapping funny, but it wasn't. Instead it was a charming, humorous book that I just couldn't put down. I LOVED Bernadette. I found Audrey to be annoying but hilarious! A great, fun read!

3. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

My dear friend Tawny was reading this book right before she moved and she had her nose in it so often those last few days I knew I'd need to read it. It was soooooo great!!! I love books that inspire you to go do new and great things. Bryson tells his story of deciding to hike the over 2000+ mile Appalachian Train in an informative but conversational tone. In fact, I was laughing out loud at his stories throughout the entire book. This is one I will be pushing on others and an author I will be seeking out more.

4. Dying of the Light by George R. R. Martin

I checked this out from the library because I wanted to read some of Martin's other works. I'm so enraptured with A Song of Ice and Fire series that I wanted to see if I'd enjoy his other work as much. I do! Just like with A Song of Ice and Fire, Martin created another world with just so much depth and detail that you truly have to wonder how many worlds are in that man's head. This book was all outer space and sci-fi, with a lot of suspense and questioning of humanity's nature. It was a really good book.

5. Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan

This book was recommended by a bookie blogger I follow--Anne Bogel from Modern Mrs. Darcy (don't follow her? YOU SHOULD!). Oh my goodness, you guys, this book was fascinating!!! A memoir about Cahalan's terrifying spiral into madness, Cahalan talks the reader through everything that happened in an honest, intelligent way. At times mind boggling-ly frightening, her story is so moving that it must be shared. My favorite book of the month by far!!

6. House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III

Wow. This book was so intense. A very dramatic story about one house being fought over by people drowning in their own dark life situations. I did not like Kathy. At all. (Anyone out there read it and want to talk to me about it, cause seriously, I hated Kathy but could see where others might love her.) There were times I sympathized with her, but at the end (part II) I was done with her.Overall, it was just a heavy, heavy book. One I'm glad I read, but won't pick up again (and won't be seeing the movie).

7. Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism by Scott & Kimberly Hahn

The Hahns are strong leaders of the Catholic Church, but being new to Catholicism, I'd heard of them but had never read any of his work. A friend recommended that I start with his and his wife's conversion story. This book was wonderful. Obviously a religious book (obvs), I loved how they took turns telling their view points of important parts of their lives together. Turns out, Scott Hahn has written like a bajillion non-fiction books and let me tell you, I plan on reading them all!

8. Midwives by Chris Bohjalian

This book has been on my shelves for YEARS and I am so grumpy that I have neglected to read it before now. It was a beautiful read. Bohjalian quietly and poetically unfolds this terrible tragedy using the voice of the daughter Connie, who tells us about her mother Sybil--a midwife who may or may not have accidentally killed the mother of a baby she was delivering. It was just so well written. I loved all the characters, the story, the subtle suspense. 

Ok. That's it for August. Please let me know what you've been reading, if you've read any of these (cause you all know I L-O-V-E to talk about what I've read), and what I need to add to my ever growing list!!