Soldier Pics

Couldn't resist. Love a man in uniform, especially when he looks all bad ass with them guns.

Homecoming Pictures

L is HOME!!! After nearly five months, Fam Och is whole again. It is such a relief to have him home safe and sound. Here are pics of his homecoming. I'm not gonna go into the whole crazy fiasco that became of the landing times...only thing that matters is that we made it in time to see our hero step off that plane. We were accompanied by two of our Utah extended families to welcome him in. It was truly a great and long awaited day.

The Heps just about as excited as we were.

The F's witnessing their first military homecoming.

L was SO touched and honored that these two families who we care deeply about thought enough of him to take a day off from work to welcome him home. Thank you, guys! You definitely made this day more special by being there!!!

If you notice our attire...we chose to go with the Yellow Ribbon theme...one because it seemed befitting the situation, and two our small group of yellow amidst the crowd of over three hundred helped L spot us from the airplane quickly.

The airplane landed and taxied in right in front of the hangar.

Sophie spotted her Daddy right away and shook free of my hold to run and jump into his arms first. This shot was the one captured by several news groups.

Liv didn't hesitate to give her Daddy a hug, either. This is the moment I've been waiting for.

Dylan and his Daddy

More luvin'

....and some more....

Of course, what would a celebration be without the traditional circle bbq??? We pulled the grills together, closed off the road, and munched on some yummy food.

Thank you, everyone, for sharing this day with us!!!

I'll be absent for a bit, collecting on all that luvin' I missed out on while mister was away.

OUR HERO IS HOME!!!!

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

The video above has L and Sophie's reunion at the 1:30 mark and a bit before that, there is a brief glimpse of me and the kids walking down toward the plane (we are the ones in yellow).

Check out this link to the local news website that features a picture of Sophie and her Daddy when he got off the plane.

CLICK HERE

One More Day!

Yipeeee! In 24 hours, the fam along with some friends will be hanging out at a hangar awaiting the arrival of L's plane. Lots and lots of work to do today!

Go Figure

As I have reiterated time and time again about L's propensity for medical catastrophes....here we go again. Even when we were first together and he was stationed in Korea, he would call and tell of his latest air cast or pain medication prescribed for some random injury. On our first anniversary, he stepped on a softball and broke his ankle running in from the field. Last year, it was an emergency battlefield surgery in Iraq for none other than appendicitis. He has been admitted to every single partition in the local emergency room. There is ALWAYS something.

So, of course, no one can blame me for banning the dude from any physical activity other than those absolutely necessary to breathe and accomplish his duties...especially since his homecoming was drawing so close. I've got to give it to the guy, he actually listened to his better half this time and played it extra careful.

Four and a half months have lapsed without incident...thank goodness. BUT, now that he has officially departed Iraq and is awaiting his flight home from Qatar...he apparently thought he was safe? No sirreeee!

Within hours of landing in the much safer country, hubby lets loose and manages to twist his ankle! AAAAAGGGHHHH! Doesn't this guy understand that frivolous injuries in combat zones do not necessarily merit a Purple Heart?

All things considered, it isn't quite so bad. He is walking fine on it, or so he claims, and is not altogether too swollen. Given that man's luck, he'll be on crutches coming off the plane.

And he tells me this at three o'clock in the morning. Geez, thanks, love.

UPDATE: L is now claiming he is fully recovered and will be coming off the plane walking.

Excluded

Me: Are you excited that Daddy is coming home soon?
Sophia: Yeah! I can't wait!
Me: Me, neither! What do you want to do when he gets here?
Sophia: I'm taking him on a date!
Me: Oh, yeah? To where?
Sophia: I'm going to take him to Red Robin because he likes hamburgers.
Me: I'm sure he'd love to go to Red Robin! Do I get to go?
Sophia: Mmmmm. I'll think about it.
Me: What? You have to think about it? I always got to come along before!
Sophia: Mom, I TOLD you, I'm gonna think about it.
Me: How long do you have to think about it?
Sophia: MOM! If you keep asking, you won't go!

Uh-oh. I think the tables just turned on me.

So...

Hmmmmm, that was a real ugly previous post. Eeeew. I apologize. Although....it did prove to be cathartic and I am afraid removing the post would circle me back to feeling yucky about this whole situation.
Anywaaaaay! My hubster is set and bound to fly out of Iraq tomorrow night!!!!!! Yeay! Then it is just a bout of relaxing in a much safer country to await the final flight home in 4 days!!!!

And look at this beauty. I'm missing her tonight (she's spending the night at her cousin's).

Just Don't

I understand the dilemna of struggling with a plate full of plans. It often results in what I like to call "overbooking." Something or another will be left "undone" or "unaccomplished"...and you know, that's perfectly alright. The best thing to do, really, is prioritize. Make definite plans for the top two or three things you want...and play it be ear for the others.

This of course means that if you have a "friend" in the lower half of the friendship totem pole that you are interested in chit chatting with while on a visit to town...but the days seem kinda hectic...you DON'T call her up and set a definite time when you know damn well you'll have to canx. Especially when she is playing single mom to THREE children a week out from her hubby's homecoming. Because guess what? That old girl may just be a stay-at-home mother...but that (awesome) SAHM has plans and routines. Those exact plans and routines were juggled around to fit YOUR schedule because she was flattered enough that you would want to visit.

Really, this old girl has some pretty thick skin. With everything going on, your oversight to see her would be taken with a grain of salt. But don't make her wait for you to come when you say you will, text to say you're going somewhere more important first and you'll see her afterward, then text later to say you're too tired after all and maybe Saturday?, and then not communicate at all on Saturday. Thank goodness, she isn't quite so pathetic to wait around that next day.

It's just not cool. So when you think that maybe you can stop by and say hi...but you have other things going on? Thanks for the thought, really. BUT JUST DON'T. It'll save everybody and my poor little Sophie a whole hell of a lot less grief.

Liv and her Vroom

I've totally put this off. Here is a pic of Liv and her big birthday present. She calls it her Vrooom.

So Close...and Yet...

....so Far.

And so the children's countdown jars have whittled down to this. Less than seven days...at least that is the plan...So Far. It seems there have been a couple hangups about the replacement jets receiving clearance to fly in. That little hurdle could translate into L's homecoming being delayed a couple days. The leadership is going back and forth on the dates. 'Original return date good to go!'...'Prepare for a delay!'...'Original return date good to go again!'...Aggghhh!!!! This teeter-totter is driving me bonkers! Boooo!

I have a fellow blogger and former classmate who is also awaiting her other half (also a former classmate) in about the same time. Difference? Her hubby has a commercial flight...which means it is a DEFINITE! Oh, how I envy you, my dear!

So, although this time without our very own is coming to an end...it still seems SO far away. All of you who know me well know my control issues...I need definite dates for me to be able to sleep soundly. And so, as is the nature of the military and its lack of guarantees, I suppose I should just be thankful at least that L is still ALIVE and WELL and he WILL be coming home.

Trash Can

Sophie: Mom! We have a BIG problem!
Me: What's that?
Sophie: In my room, there are lots of ants!!!

I've been aware of the girls sneaking mini bags of potato chips into their room whenever I'm busy with housework. But, since it kept them out of my hair at the time, I turned a blind eye and just made sure I vacuumed there diligently.

Armed with my trusty Dyson, I observed the trail of ants leading into their floor vent. I lifted the register off and turned the baby on. It turns out, Miss Sophia and Miss Olivia have transformed that little vent into a trash can!

I pulled out the expected potato chips...but also old lollipop wrappers, hardened blue fruit snacks (their least fave flavor), and popsicle sticks! Yikes!

A Good Bra

Tonight, after allowing the children to stay and splash around the kiddie pool for far too long to allow time to assemble a decent dinner, we hopped over to the Cafe Rio to indulge in some Mex grub. I was mildly surprised at how well-behaved my three were considering their hunger and exhaustion level (it was already 8:30 pm). With a smile on my face, I pulled out my wallet to pay for our meals when suddenly...Liv scooched in front of me, reached for the tray on the counter and flipped the whole thing, chicken taco salad and all, on top of her little head. The little container of house tomatillo dressing splattered all over the floor and on top and in between my toes. FUN.I stammered through profuse apologies as the staff graciously cleaned up our mess and began assembling a new plate free of charge. I would have died of embarrassment and frustration had the Heps not charged in and swooped the children away to our tables to allow me to attend to the matters at hand.

This isn't an isolated event, folks. This family has been my stand-in husband with respect to the companionship, support, and assistance while the real hubster is off at war. Everything from meals when we're sick, to babysitting services so I can take a yoga class, to just plain old company that is so blaringly lacking when the mister is away. I credit this past five months to flying by as fast as it did to their help.

So it's such a conflicting time for me to look forward to the next week because 1) our hero is coming home and 2) this beautiful family is moving away. I feel like I have to exchange one for the other. I am fully aware that their new home is only a fifteen minute drive away, but it feels like an ocean away when compared to being able to merely walk on over two houses down on a whim just to hang out. And in my selfishness, all I want to do is throw a temper tantrum, kicking and screaming on the floor and the whole shebang, and insist on them staying for MY sake.

They say a good friend is like a good bra: supportive, close to your heart, and hard to find. Well, Hepworth Fam, YOU ARE ONE HELL OF A GREAT BRA. And as the mere thought of you moving away from me sends the boobage of my morale sagging, I want to take this humble little way to THANK YOU. Thank you for always being there. Thank you for your unflagging friendship and all the selfless big and little things you do everyday to make MY life so much easier. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

LUV Letters

Dear Sophie,

First off, let me set the record straight and remind you (again) that I AM the BABY. That's right, you lost that title once I blessed the world with my presence. As I'm sure you remember, the youngest sibling ALWAYS gets her way. I am reaching out to you in the hopes we can work this amongst ourselves and spare Mom from pulling her hair out in clumps again. (I don't know about you, but it's just downright embarrassing having to be seen out in public with that woman when she's frazzled.) Here is a list of my complaints:

-When I say I want Go, Diego, Go on OUR (not just yours) TV, it simply means that. The only required action is for you to slip that particular disc into the slot and press play. This does NOT mean you can say, "But don't you want to watch Lion King, Liv?" and nod as if I'm agreeing with you. NOT cool.
-Speaking of Lion King, what is this sick obsession you have with this movie? I am SO tired of having you replay that end scene in which Simba roars on Pride Rock after he defeats Scar just so you can perch up on the bed and lip sync the roar. That's just plain old weird. You need to quit it; it freaks me out.
-You also need to stop telling Mom to say, "Look, Liv, Sophie's sleeping. Why aren't you?" or "Look, Liv, Sophie's eating HER food." I am fully aware of your actions. Reminders of the sort do nothing whatsoever to entice me to follow suit. If I am not sleeping, it's because I damn well choose not to. Same goes for the food. Got it?
-This is a BIG issue with us...PINCHING. I am done with all of that, you hear me? Nothing else ruins my day more than when you step into MY bath (remember, you always say 'no, I don't want to take a bath right now,' but end up joining me anyway?) and just pinch the hell out of me when you want the toy that I am playing with! Need I remind you...my current age allows for SO much more leniency in the TIME OUT punishments than your big girl five years does. Next time you pinch me again, I'll go ballistic on you AND get away with it. Take your own bath by YOURSELF and leave me in peace!

Those are just a few gripes I have with you. It's really not that hard to just do what I want. I AM pretty simple with my requests. If you would prefer, we can sit down and have a nice civilized talk about this while Mom is doing the dishes tomorrow.

Love, Olivia

Warm Sunny Day

Living in Utah, we've learned to take advantage of every warm spring day since it has been known to snow a tad as late as June. Today, I ignored my household duties and instead focused on quality kiddie time. We strolled across the street to give Mister D some range time. He had been worried he wouldn't have any practice time before his junior golf league starts this summer. Afterwards, we walked over to the adjacent park and let the girls have their turn at fun.

I didn't realize until I started taking these pics that D makes this cute little funny face when he's in mid-swing. L says I shouldn't point it out to him as it will prove to be a distraction. But isn't it cute?

Little Liv claimed her own mat and quickly learned to set up her tee.

...although she did swing the opposite way...

Her fierce victory look. Grrrrr!

pretty girl

"It's not fair I can't hit it to the sign like Dylan!"

He was getting self-conscious, alright. I guess L was right...I shouldn't have told him about that face! hehehe

This girl somehow doesn't comprehend that the cam has an adequate zoom lens and that she needn't come any closer. Only a quarter of her face, and you can still tell she's gorgeous.

I know, I'm biased!

Liv strolling around like she owned the place.

Goofing off with the ball bag.

Liv chasing Mister D with her iron.

Sand angels, anyone?

Sleepwalking...Again

I guess tonight is quite an eventful night. First off, Sophie had a nightmare. Then, Mr. D takes a turn as well. He walks into my room, bleary eyed and scratching his belly and says this:

"Mom, do you think that the grass is...um...you know...like the grass is changed...so there's more space...like....um...they walk around with the space...and so I can watch it now?"

Uhhhh, yeah, sure, Dylan.

Happy Thoughts

I rushed to Sophie's bedside after hearing her cry.

Me: What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?
Soph: Yeah (still sobbing)
Me: What was it about?
Soph: I don't know.
Me: Were you scared?
Soph: Yeah.
Me: What do we do when nightmares scare us?
Soph: Think happy things.
Me: Yep. That's right. So we'll think of fluffy clouds...and rainbows...and chocolate...
Soph: And Toys r Us.
Me: I guess Toys r Us is a happy thought, isn't it? Okay, Toys R Us with all those toys like Barbies...and puzzles...and baby dolls...
Soph: Don't forget dinosaurs, mom. And lions. Dinosaurs and lions make me happy.
Me: Alright, sweetheart. Think of all your dinosaurs and lions and go back to sleep.

To each their own.

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Ready!

There are many out there who possess that invincibility complex. They scoff at the minute possibility a natural disaster, global pandemic, or random tragedy would affect them in any small way. That's fine and dandy for them, I suppose. To each their own. I am not one of them. Some may view me as the one on the opposite end of the spectrum. I worry. Paranoid, perhaps. I'm the one, upon entering a new building, will scout out all possible dangers and escape routes. Weird? I would think so. Especially now that I have the welfare of my children to worry about, being prepared for any type of event, cataclysmic or otherwise seems, well, smart. Plus, I breathe easier knowing all the bases are covered.

It is with a huge sigh of relief that I can say WE ARE READY. For the first 72 hours that is. After Katrina and the resulting evacuations, the necessity for having 72 hour emergency kits has been foot stomped to no end. Getting those prepared for my fam of five plus dog was a priority and by golly I am finished!

Everyone has a backpack (baby Liv has one also and will be carabiner'd to my sack until she is big enough to carry it herself. Every pack has clothes, food, water, hygiene items, and emergency supplies to last three days. The main rucksack even has a portable toilet that folds flat, a Jetboil stove, a handcrank radio, and an extensive first aid kit. The kids' backpacks have activity books and candy treats.

It feels good knowing that come hell or high water, L and I can provide for our fam.

Anyone interested check out www.thereadystore.com for info or supplies.

Goodbye, Sweet Girl

Our Hershey girl has left us for a new start with a new family. Labs are such energetic and fun-loving animals--we just didn't feel that we were doing her any justice keeping her cooped up in the house. As a family, we decided that we needed to find her new caretakers who can live up to the challenge of properly loving and caring for this precious girl.
They all came today to meet her, a couple with seven children, all excited and hopeful for a positive first encounter. Hershey's first impression didn't fail. She sniffed all of them and managed to smooch the smaller children. I could tell it was love at first sight for both parties.
Hershey's new fam has an acre of land for great games of fetch and romping in the snow during the winter time.
Soph did the interrogating, asking the proper questions like: "Will you walk her everyday?", "You need to give her lots of food, ok?", and "If you don't like her, just give her back to us."
I refused to say goodbye, in fear I would fall apart right then and there...so I handed over her leash and watched as she bounded up into their vehicle. When I stepped in the house, I couldn't help but burst into tears.
Hershey gave us great memories and I'm sure she'll have plenty up her sleeve for this new family.

Almost There!

I have received the official visitor reg list for L's homecoming! I've already spoken to those who have expressed interest in witnessing the homecoming later this month, but if this is something you would also like to join in on, please let me know.

Basically, I'll get some information from you so you will be granted access to the base. We will all leave together from my digs and proceed to the hangar to await the plane. We should be able to witness its landing and the plane will actually taxi in right in front of us. There will be other family and friends, maybe a news crew or two, and the honor guard. It's always been a patriotic moment to witness.

Anyway, if you would like to come along, let me know, and I'll personally get with you to give the details (date, time, etc.) and so I can take your info.

Wooohooo!

It's Worse

It's just one of those days. It hasn't even hit noon yet...and boy, oh, boy. I, in my infinite arrogance, assumed today would turn out on the opposite end of the spectrum. *Sigh* So, I decided to actually get up before Mister D left for school and cook him a decent breakfast (what an upstanding mother) since he has his end-of-year exams this week. Scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, chocolate milk....pretty good so far.


We sit down at the table...Liv, our very own piggy devoured her share before I got a bite in mine. Apparently, her portion did not satisfy the bottomless pit that is her tummy, and she directed her attention to my plate. She ate that all as well. It gets worse...I decided to settle for a slice of banana bread instead since we were out of eggs. I sat down with my slice and a cup of coffee only to realize Liv was eyeing my meal with interest. She immediately helped herself to a mouthful. Oh, and it gets worse...she decided she didn't want it after all and deposited her regurgitated mush on top of the remainder of my intended breakfast.


And THEN...lovely Liv demonstrated her capacity for toilet training...she sat down, did her business and enjoyed the obligatory celebration her mother performs after a successful potty episode. Two minutes later after dressing her in her big girl panties, she insisted she needed to go again! I resisted at first, although the temper tantrum won out and I assisted her onto the seat once more. She danced with her bottom dangling above the bowl, clapped, and pointed at her hooha....but no official potty business. I kicked her off, since (TMI) I felt the urge to do some of my own business on the throne. She pitched a fit while I was in her favorite seat and kept insisting she still needed to go potty. UGH! I hate when I have to excrete with such an obnoxious distraction! Awful, huh? No, no wait! It gets worse. Apparently, her pleading proved true and she simply squatted in front of me (remember she's in her panties) and runs runny stinky poop down her legs and onto the bathroom rug.

And THEN...I managed to clean her and the bathroom up after cutting myself off (don't you hate that?) without upchucking my breakfast and set the tub to fill after she was rinsed off. After a bit, I decided it safe to continue my unfinished business. So there I was again, trying to collect the bits and pieces of my sanity and shove that awful sight I had to clean up previously, when I heard Liv say, "EEEEEW." I look up and there is that loose poop again, only this time it is floating in her bath water. Oh, no, no, WAIT! It gets worse! Sophie was in the bath with her!!! Oh, that's not even the worse part! I promise it is worse!!! SHE HAD CORN last night!

I can't wait to see what the rest of the day will bring! Wooohooo! Bring it on! It can't get worse that this.......right?

THREE MORE

THREE...JUST THREE....ONLY THREE

MORE MONDAYS UNTIL MY LOVEBUG COMES HOME!!!

The exact day is still tentative...but the three Mondays is a definite. I'm SO excited! I've been filling up my calendar until then in the hopes it will make the time pass by faster. Of course, I made the hubster promise that THIS time, he won't be nursing any more wounds like last year.

I can't wait to see my love again...to hold his hand and melt in his embrace...to wake up to in the morning...so he can take over lawn duty...and take over Liv's potty duty...and get up in the middle of the night when the girls wake up....oooops. Hahahaha. It's looking like poor L will be wishing he were back in Iraq once I unload my responsibilities on him!

For real...it's been awful lonely without my best friend around. This time can't go by fast enough!

TULIP TIME