Sign on the Dotted Line..This might take a while...

Yesterday we closed on our house! It only took two hours! After 4 months of looking, 2 months of stress with USAA (by the way I'll be doing a post on that soon enough. I have to collect my thoughts, but here's a tip. If you need a mortgage, choose another bank) and 2 hours to sort through the paperwork. Done! We own our own house. Can I get a "Oh Yeah"! Can I get a "Whoo Whoo"!

We are so excited to move in! Of course we pick the hottest days of the year to move in. Today it will be 100 degrees (hotter on the heat index) and tomorrow is calling for 102! Scorchers.

We have some friends helping us move and I am so grateful to them! I will have plenty of powerade and water ready for them! I am getting to the commissary today to stock up and fill our fridge in the new house!

Oh my gosh! I am so excited! There is one couple that we have met, they will be about 4 houses down. They are so nice and I am really looking forward to getting to know them better.

We are in the midst of packing so I have no pictures to post(in my frenzy, I packed the camera :) I got a scowl from hubby for that one :0! Sorry? It was on the counter and the counter was going!

The move starts today and then cleaning and then a yard sale next weekend. My middle son made me some signs "Everything Must Go!" Right on little man, Right on!
Everything must go!!

The House is Almost Done!

We've had a bit of a fiasco here. My home in military housing flooded yesterday. Busted pipe in the ceiling. Well, it wasn't so bad until they came to fix it. Then the "fix" broke and it was monsoon season in the kitchen.

So, now more than ever I am looking forward to moving into our new home. Sometime this week. These pictures are a couple of days old. Taken mid week, last week. The house has been cleaned but we didn't have the camera when we went back. My hubby is the camera man and I know he'll take more today.

The foyer/entry way from the great room.

The eat-in kitchen and breakfast bar from the family room.

The kitchen from the breakfast area. Counters with the "wrong" granite.

Kitchen from the dining room. No counters/appliances in yet.

A real wood burning fire place! The marble around is very shiny now that's it's clean :)

The view from the street. Still needs some brick repair on the upper windows. They had to move those windows down as they were originally placed to high into the soffit. I love my porch!!

So That's Why He's Like That!!!

The Chosen One says to me:

"Mozart makes babies smart. I wish you guys would've played that for me, 'cause half the time I don't even know what anyone's talkin' about."

I laughed so loud that people stared at me.

Daily Prayer: The Magnificat

Would you like to know the Mass readings for the day? Have the Daily Gospel at your fingertips? Daily reflections on Saints and inspirational art tucked neatly in your purse, ready at a moment's notice? The Magnificat is for you!

Pray along with the Church in Morning and Evening Prayer. The Liturgy of the Hours is no small book. It fills volumes! The Magnificat is a compact version that fits nicely in your purse or your back pocket! The Magnificat makes a lovely gift for friend or family member.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Magnificat.

Just a tiny little thing...

Today was my 2nd OB appt. I am only 12 weeks and 2 days. I brought the kids because they wanted to hear the heartbeat. Well, they got more than they bargained for. Doc couldn't find the heartbeat so he pulled out the Ultrasound!!! Yippeee!! They got to see their little strange looking brother or sister! Dad was ever so jealous!

We did not get any pics though. Doc didn't know how to work that part of the machine, go figure. He kept apologizing saying he was not a professional sonogramist..if that is even a word. :) Sweet of him, he did a great job explaining the view to the kids.

God is good.

Fast, Easy & Delicious

Got home late. Kids hungry. Husband hungrier. Scouts in 1.5 hours. No meat defrosted! Ach!

Freezer:

1.5 lb thin cut sirloin
Frozen yellow sweet corn

Fridge:

Green Pepper
Red Pepper
Orange Pepper
Green Onion
(rinse and slice all veggies)

Pantry:

CalRose White Rice
2 pkgs beef & herb gravy
Janes Mixed Up Salt

Put sirloin in microwave for about 3 minutes to defrost

Make the Rice:
Pour 3.5 cups water, a pinch of salt and 1 tbsp vegetable oil in pot. Bring to a rolling boil. Add 2 cups rice. Stir twice. Bring to a boil. Turn heat to "low" cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Stirring once when almost all of the water is dissolved.

Heat a skillet on high.
Remove meat from microwave and slice into .5 inch strips. Sprinkle well with Mixed up salt.
When skillet is hot, add 2 tbsp (or so) vegetable oil.
Add meat and sear all over. Remove to a side plate.

In the same skillet, add peppers and sear. Lower heat to medium, add 2 cups of water and 2 pkgs of gravy mix. De-glaze pan. Taste sauce. Add salt, pepper and whatever spices you like at this time.

Add meat to pan and 1/2 cup water, lower heat to just between low and medium. Cover and simmer until meat is tender, about 30 minutes. Keep checking for flavor and doctor it as you see fit. If the sauce get's too thick just add a bit of water. The sauce should "cling" to the spoon when you stir it.

Yum Yum Yummy my friends. And so so so easy.

Oh yeah, throw the frozen corn in a microwave safe dish, Cover in plastic wrap and nuke for 5 minutes with a pat of butter and some mixed up salt.

Kids ate it all!

Just a tip: Use more red and orange pepper. They are sweeter than the green pepper.

No Words Necessary

Source

We're Off To See The Wizard!

The Chosen One (his moniker of choice) just participated in The Wizard of Oz as the Tin Man.

After a year of memorizing lines, learning dance moves and singing "If I Only Had a Heart" about a million times, the big night arrived!

The entire cast did a great job. Major props go out to one of our Homeschool mom's who made his costume at the last minute. She did a great job and he only lost about 5lbs (water weight) during the show! Much less than we thought <:)!

Here are some pics for ya!

Dorothy, The Cowardly Lion, Tin Man, Professor Marvel & Oz


The Tin Man gladly takes the arm of Glinda!


The cast at the after party!

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood!

A wonderful day for a neighbor, would you be mine? Could you be mine? I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you!

We have been blessed with some awesome neighbors throughout our military career. Our latest neighbor is moving today. They were a young family, one son under 2. Husband in Iraq and mom active duty. She loved the kids and was always baking some sweet treat for them. Her family owned an Italian restaurant in NYC and for Christmas we received a yummy bottle of their signature wine. I wish her well as she travels across the country to get to her new destination and meet up with her hubby. They were here for only a year but we became fast friends in that time and she was truly a blessing to know.

It looks as if our new neighborhood will also be full of good neighbors. We have met some already and we are all anxious to build this new community. May God bless our neighborhood and keep us safe and always in His light.

Got a good neighbor story? Share it on your blog and leave a link in the combox.

The House is Almost Ready!!

Putting on the brick. Mosstown Queen.
The siding goes up, windows are in.

The back porch is nearly complete. This was yesterday.

Today the drywall is complete within the house. It actually has rooms with walls!!!
The brick is almost complete in the front. It's hard to believe that in two weeks it will be ready to move in.
We started our packing up today. Got the living room knick knacks and cds/movies packed up. The bookshelves are bare. All the pictures came down off the living room walls.
Tomorrow I will work on the foyer and the pictures and bookshelf there. Then I will go upstairs. I am leaving the dining room and kitchen for last. The dining room is also our school room plus there's the china cabinet and all the fragile stuff. I want that packed separately from everything else.
The good thing is that we have plenty of time and can clean as we go. Housing encouraged us to use the maid service, however I can't see paying $380 for work I can do myself. Even if I do choose the maids I still have to do the surface cleaning anyway. So..that's why we call ourselves a family. With 12 hands wiping, sweeping and vacuuming we'll get 'er done in no time.
At least that's the plan :)

On a lighter note, I saw a picture on Saturday of a 4d ultrasound. One of the mom's at Young Marines just had one done. Absolutely amazing! Her newest little one looks just like her younger son. I can't wait to do this! You have to be between 28 and 38 weeks, I believe. It truly takes your breath away. God is soooooooooo Awesome!

Makin' The Cut

My brother just received his promotion to Sergeant First Class (E7 for those civilians out there)! Hooah! Long time coming and we are so very proud of him!
The LTC (bro's boss) saying some nice stuff about my brother! :)
Just so he knows who's really in charge, my SIL got promoted to 1SG ;0
Just makin' sure it sticks!

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

President Obama took his wife to NYC for dinner and a play. Although he paid for his food and his show we paid for the transportation there and back. If you know anything about how the President travels than you know this was no cheap cab fare.

Why is it okay for this man to stand on the podium on national t.v and tell us, the "people" that we have to sacrifice and struggle for our children's future if we want the economy to get better, yet he takes this trip on our dime without batting an eye because he promised his wife?!?!?!

Last time I checked there were restaurants and plays in D.C.!!! The double standard and hypocrisy of this President in these times is shameful. I wonder if this is the change so many were looking for.

My Daughter Wears Combat Boots

0800 On the line. Aten' Hut!

Parade...Rest!
Gettin' the lowdown on the graduation ceremony. .50 cals' (that's Pannini in the back row, the boys missed this one. They were out on a 15 mile bike trip/camp out with the scouts)
Mr. Pinch and the recruits in combat boots and canteens.
Finally in a YM uniform. She was so excited! Can't you tell? She received the Physical Fitness award.
The Blousing Ceremony. The older YM's will blouse the pants of the new .50 cal as a rite of passage from bootcamp into the active unit.

Congratulations 2009 Young Marine Bootcamp Graduates! Hoorah!