USS Bainbridge Care Packages Needed!

If anyone would like to donate a care package to Justin's ship please let me know. If you can't afford to fill one yourself but think your school/church/organization/work place would like to pitch in, the men and women aboard the Bainbridge would be grateful!
Here's the document sent out by the FRG... as of Sunday NONE of these boxes are being made.  I told them I'd try and pass the word!  
You may pick something from the list below, you don't have to stick to the list, it's just some ideas.  (I wasn't there and I think some of the ideas are DUMB! But apparently someone thought they came up with good stuff!)  
When making the box they request that you let them know the approx. value of it's contents.  This way they can let the sailor's know what they are bidding for value wise.
These men and women will not be in many ports so they won't get a chance to buy the everyday needs.  They rely on family and friends to send what they need to them, and some do not have ANY support system in place.   I am 90% sure the FRG has a tax id # and would give a receipt if needed for tax purposes.  I can look into it if you'll need one.  
You may ship the items to me and the FRG will then ship them to the Bainbridge all at once.  Or you may send it directly to the ship.  I'll just have to find out who you should address it to so it gets in the correct hands.  Here's the box you may use to ship to the Bainbridge.  Nothing bigger than that size, please!
If you have questions please ask, I'll do my best to answer!  And as promised, below is the Memo from the FRG:

Halfway care package fundraiser  

One or several people can sign up to contribute to one box or if you just have some items to add to a box, please let a board member know.  If you have another idea that isn’t listed, please sign up for that.  This just a starter list.  Care pkg contents must not exceed large post office shipping box.  Deadline will be approximately end of Feb.  Email Brandi and Tricia atddg96frgVP@yahoo.com if any questions.
Music box- I tunes gift card, nano etc…
Dirty Laundry box- laundry soap(sample size or tide tablets), fabric softner, twin bedding, pillow cases, magazines
Hang in there- Stuffed monkey, banana chips, banana pudding, monkeys in a barrel, card w/ monkey on it
A day at the beach- sunscreen, beach towel, beach snacks, flip flops(shower shoes), aloe vera gel, beach boys CD, blow up beach  ball
Health nut- nutrition/health bars(ie: powerbar, tigers milk, myoplex), multi vitamins, nutra grain bars, Gatorade or other sports drink mixes, work out video
Bathroom in a box- razor & refills, foot powder, soap, washcloths, towel, travel size shampoo & conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrush, lotion, deodorant, shaving cream
Gone fishin’- hooks, lures, line, gold fish crackers, gummy worms, fly fishing magazines, field n’ stream magazines
Happy feet(female)- foot powder, Dr Scholl’s boot inserts, foot lotion, scrub brush, nail file, cozy socks, toe nail clippers, nail polish, toe separaters, polish remover, pumice stone
Chili today, hot tamale- hot tomales(candy), small cans of chili, red pepper flakes, salsa sunflower seeds, Cajun flavor Pringles, spicey chex mix, boston red hots, peppered beef jerky, taco bell hot sauce packets, extreme Doritos, chili powder, nacho cheese sauce in a can, wasabi peas
Soup-er pack- Soups, soup packages, crackers, spoons
Brain busters- crossword puzzles, travel sized chess board, Sudoku puzzles, rubix cube, brain teasers, word searches, pencils
Happy Birthday- banners, hats, noise makers, blank bday cards, silly string, candies, cookies & wrapped gift(ie: cd or gift card to target or itunes)
Four!  Golfers only- travel sized electronic golf game, golf magazines, golf balls, tees
Texas hold ‘em- poker chips, poker rule how to book, roll out felt table cover, cards, silly sunglasses, pretzels, chips, candy, fake money to be silly, candy cigars
It’s good to be a King- Stephen king novels, dvds, blanket to cuddle under, flashlight to read by(with batteries)
Snacker- cracker, cookies, gum, snacks
Book box(female)- Nicholas Sparks, Sue Grafton, Sandra Brown
Book box(male)- Tom Clancy, Neville
John Grisham book box- 
Other great ideas welcome!

Germ Bugs

So we started off the New Year with a fever for Luke (1st & 2nd) and vomiting for Alexyss (2nd & 3rd).  Daddy left on the 4th and I kept Lex home from school to fully recover from the dehydration.  I cleaned the house like CRAZY on the 4th.  I bleached every toy that was downstairs, cloroxed every hard surface, bleached the bathrooms & kitchen, washed all of the linens and lysol sprayed every doorknob, light switch, couch, chair, & bed.
Alexyss headed back to school on the 5th and was 'fine' all week.  Sunday she was fine as we headed to church but after being home for about two hours she suddenly felt awful and crashed on the couch.  She was running a high fever and felt like she was, "about to fall through the earth."

Monday the 10th I made her an afternoon appointment so that she could get a doctor's note for school.  As the day went on Alexyss' fever reached 104.5 and she was having bad pains near her belly button.  A few hours later she was holding the right side of her tummy and could barely move.  I made arrangements for Luke as I figured this was her appendix acting up again and we'd be at the hospital all day.
We head to the hospital for her appointment at 1:45 and the doctor pushes on Lex's belly as she jumps and cries out in pain.  The doctor is a tiny bit stumped as the pain in on the right side & in the middle of her belly.  She orders blood work to check for infection, orders tummy x rays for the appendix, orders chest x rays for pneumonia, and on a whim orders a flu test.
Sure enough, Alexyss had the flu.  Apparently the flu can present as severe tummy pain in children.  Who knew? No cough, no runny nose, no body aches, just a fever and tummy pain.  So we were given tamiflu and sent home with orders to bring Luke back the next day to get tested.  Why?  Because we had a close call with Luke years ago after he was vaccinated for the flu, so if he ever gets it it could be deadly for him.
Luke sounded great to the doctor besides a nagging cough and the doctor thinks he was the first one with the flu as he had the fever and slept for almost 2 days followed by the cough.  He was lucky, he wasn't as affected as poor Alexyss.
If you have the flu, you are to remain at home for 5-7 days so that you do not infect others.  So we had a long week at home, with 2 sick kiddos.  Lots of catching up on school work for Alexyss, Lots of disinfecting for Momma, and lots of following Momma around for Luke.  (So much so, that I actually hit him with the handle of the mop when pulling it back the other night.  He's got a nice bruise on his cheek bone... but he hasn't learned.)

Alexyss is allowed to head back to school tomorrow... hopefully she's not too far behind with her work and she'll settle back in easily.  And Momma will clean a bit more, get out and get some groceries, and have a small amount of FREEDOM for a day.  Until the next germ bug makes it into our home.

In other news, we are working on trapping that pesky squirrel in the attic... so maybe I'll get some sleep sometime soon!

Church

I finally made plans to try a few churches out with a friend who lives close-by.  So it's week #1 and her little one ends up with quite a fever.  I pick another church that was on our list that has a more welcoming feel online and it's less than a mile from the house.  We've never been to this church before, but I've researched it online and we're on our way;  just me and my kiddos.

We arrive and my heels are sinking into the grass the whole walk from the parking lot (we were in overflow parking in the grass) to the church.  We enter and I have butterflies... who knew church could do that to you, it's CHURCH.  I find a 'Welcome Center' and I didn't even need to speak, the two older women starting talking and talked us all of the way to the Children's Check In area.  


Once I filled out the forms I took Lex & Luke to their classes.  Alexyss knew someone in the class from her school so she happily went inside.  Luke, who is NEVER away from me, got to his class and stood still.  He looked around, took it all in, and glued himself to my leg.  The gentleman in charge of this class explained that himself and a woman are usually in here, but today it's just him.  Luke's not so sure.  I take him over to some boys playing with play-doh and that was it... he was not leaving this room, no way, no how.  And I, for once, was free to go.


Off to church I went, butterflies fluttering like crazy.  I find a seat and away we went.   I picked up Luke first, who was happily cleaning up and ready to go.  Then we headed towards the kids' worship room where grades K-6 were all waiting for their parents.  Luke looked at something on the wall and came back over my way... but wrapped his arms around the woman in front of me.  When I called for him he broke down in tears.  


I keep reminding myself, "Baby Steps, Baby Steps."  He will adjust, we'll get through this.  He's excited to go again next week, as is Alexyss who complained that I didn't leave her in class long enough.  LoL.  She asked why church only comes around once a week... so I think it's safe to assume she enjoyed herself.  


We may have found a church on the first try, how awesome would that be?  We'll see how the next few weeks play out and we'll go from there.  :-)


And I leave you with this;  Matthew 6:34
May it have as much meaning for you as it did for me this morning.

Oh, And Go EAGLES! 

December 2010

Well December started off with us finally feeling a bit settled in our new home so we invited some kiddos over to play Just Dance 2, make holiday decorations, and just have fun.  The kids had a blast even if it was a last minute thing and Alexyss and Luke were excited to have them here.

December 20th was Justin's Birthday so we went out to dinner with some friends to celebrate.  Then next morning Justin's grandparents arrived from PA.  One day later I took Justin's gram to the ER because her sugar was way too high.  After many delays in her care she ended up having another stroke, getting intubated, needing a central line, and her sugar was just below 800.  She is still here in VA and has a long road of recovery ahead of her.  She's out of the hospital now, and is in a Rehab facility.  There she'll learn to speak again, and hopefully be able to use her right side after much therapy.  Then, and only then, she can make the trip back to PA.

December 23rd my parents arrived from PA so Justin and I were able to spend more time at the hospital with his gram in the ICU.  It was nice to have help around the house as everything sort of stopped for a few days.  With them, they brought cookies and candies from their neighbors, Holly & Doug.  I'm not sure if they even know how much that meant to me.  We hadn't had a chance to make cookies yet and Luke kept asking, "When will we make Santa's Cookies, Mom?"  I was just too exhausted physically and mentally to make it happen.

December 24th I ended up at the hospital most of the night as that is when I noticed Justin's gram not using her right side.  She was barely speaking at that point so I let the nurses know and they sent her for more testing.  This was yet another stroke.  I came home to Mom's lasagna and my family around the table... there's nothing better.  Then back to the hospital I went.  The kiddos were in bed when I got back but they weren't asleep so they got kisses and then I went to relax with Justin and my parents.  I think it was almost 11pm when we were able to get the gifts under the tree and off to bed we went.

December 25th was amazing as usual.  We are so very blessed each year when it comes to gifts for our children.  Justin and I had 3 boxes full of gifts for the kids and our families, Santa brought another box full, and my parents brought a trunk full from PA.  Thanks to following people for sending gifts:  My parents, Aunt Mary Jane & Uncle Brian, Aunt Lindy & Uncle Donald, Grammy Miller, Grammy Stump, Pappy Fisher, and Grandma Sue & Grandpa Nelson.  We hope that you received your Thank You cards already!
I made dinner as Justin and his friend watched football, my dad played on the computer, the kids played with their gifts, and my mom peeled potatoes.  Next thing I know my garbage disposal is backed up and Justin comes in to fix it while telling us we can't use the water.  We're working around him and rinsing potatoes in bowls... what a mess.  But Christmas couldn't be completely perfect, or it wouldn't be MY life.  lol.  The rest of the night did go off without a hitch though and the snow slowly started to fall.

December 26th we woke up to almost a foot of snow.  Don't worry, it didn't keep us in the house.  We went out to eat for lunch and even stopped by Walmart... while the rest of VA acted like the sky had just fallen.  Wimps!  Then the shoveling of the driveway began so that more company could arrive.

December 27th my parents left and a friend of ours arrived with her 2 children.  They left after the New Year.

December 31st Justin had gotten home from Duty around 4pm and we got ready to head to Busch Gardens with our friends;  The Benson's, The Smith's, and one other family.  We stopped for Mexican Food first which did not even closely resemble the Mexican Food in Cali... then off to the park we went.  The lights were beautiful, the weather was cold, the peppermint hot coco tasted wonderful, the fireworks were amazing, and everyone had a great time.  It was a wonderful way to spend the new year with great friends before Justin left.

And that's December in a nut shell.  :-)  Nothing glamorous, but it's my life.  <3

A Day In The Life...

Well as you may already know, Justin is officially deployed.  This bring tears quite frequently from Alexyss and has glued Luke to me permanently.  If you don't believe me, read on...

I made plans to head to Starbucks with a friend on Wednesday.  Usually I am able to shower, get dressed, apply make up, and blow dry my hair in 30 minutes so that I can be out the door.  Add to that some time to get Luke ready (Lex was at school) pack a bag of tricks, and such and I estimate it'll take 1 hour to get ready.  Normally I'd be right, but remember Daddy is gone.  I tell my friend I'll be ready by 10am and I pride myself at being on time.

8:45 - I head upstairs to shower with Luke glued to me.  I go into the closet, pick my clothes, decide to start a load of laundry, and made Lex's bed.  Luke has not left my side and I've bumped into him a few times and knocked him over once.  Into the bathroom I go where he's in my way until I enter the shower.  I get out and he's still there, playing with soap and water in the sink, waiting for me.  I brush my teeth then tell him to wait here, I just need to run downstairs to get a hair brush because they migrate (with Lex's help) to the downstairs bathroom.  He follows.  I figure while I'm down there I'll feed the cats, he runs right into me.  Upstairs we go and I get dressed, brush my hair, and blow it dry.  All the while he's sitting on the edge of the tub watching me, making sure I'm not leaving him.  I decide the shirt I picked isn't quite right so off to the closet I go.  He squeals an awful squeal and chases after me.  I try on another shirt and then another going from my room to the closet and the bathroom and then back again... and he's glued to my leg.  I tell him I'm going to run downstairs and get my phone because I need to make sure my friend hasn't tried to call.  He looses it.  Full meltdown... and I run down.  I run into him on my way back up.  I sit him on the bed while I text her and explain to him that I am not, under any circumstances, leaving him.  I head into the bathroom to apply make up and he rushes after me...  it's 10am.  Make up is finally on while he watched on and I go to his room to get his clothes... he runs after me.  His jeans are in the dryer, I tell him to wait there while I go right across the hall for them.  He squeals again and grabs my leg.  Clothes for Luke are found and into my room we go to get him dressed and to again explain that I am not going anywhere without him.  We head downstairs and I realize I don't have his DS to keep him entertained while we chat at Starbucks so I run around the house taking a quick look for it.  Guess who's on my heels and who got knocked over again?!  No DS in sight so we're off... 10:35am.  Grrrrrrrr.

Needless to say, we didn't leave the house today.  I just didn't have the energy.  I hope this too shall pass!  Otherwise I'm going to be one of those people who is always late for everything... and I despise those people!