0220

There is a certain phrase I hear parents say that I will never understand.

"Stop crying or I will beat your ass."

I heard it again at 0220 this morning. It was being yelled at a 4 year old child who lives under me. My temporary apartment isnt really all that great and I can hear everything, especially at 0220 when the rest of the world is silent.

The child woke up crying and yelled for his mom. You could hear the whimper head towards his parents' bedroom. Then the yelling began.

I obviously dont know why the child got up crying, but the next 20 minutes of yelling from the father only made it worse. I've been here 5 weeks and this is the 1st time I've heard the child at night, so it's not like this is a nightly event that the father is tired of. Plus this "father" doesnt work during the day - doesnt do a darn thing - so getting up at night with a kid cant really put him out that much.

I laid in bed with Joe listening to this, with him hugging me, asking me what I would do with a crying child at 0220. Well, I certainly dont sit and yell at it for crying. I hate that phrase, Stop crying or I will beat your ass.

I spent my morning being thankful that I had parents who comforted and didnt yell at us at 0220.

Separated?

I never really considered what this move and separation looked like from the outside. In the last week, after announcing I got a job and a new apartment, I've had SIX people ask me if Joe & I are separated or getting a divorce. Of course we all know the answer is no. But I guess to the outside public, it's not so obvious. I talk about my move more on Twitter and less on Facebook. Maybe that is the confusion. Most of my Twitter friends know that Joe will be joining me in just a few DAYS (like 19ish!) but perhaps that's not so apparent on Facebook. Someone commented that they were noticing that Joe was still posting stuff from Colorado Springs when I had been home for months now. Well, besides being a little stalkerish, LOL, I guess that is a true statement.

But rest assure everyone, Joe & I are fine. We are starting a new chapter of our life and so excited to be moving on from the Army to bigger and better things. Joe got his ETS orders yesterday. And his leave packet has been submitted. Fingers are crossed that he will be home for Christmas. Now we're just worried about household goods and scheduling a time for them to come pick up the stuff in Colorado Springs. I know December is a busy time for them, so we're just hoping they have some time to pack us up.

On the move again!

I moved again today. I seem to be doing this a lot lately. My parents and I packed up my car with the stuff I will need for a week and a new job (yay). Then Rigel and I loaded in and drove to Fayetteville (Arkansas, that is, there IS life outside of Ft. Bragg).

And I start a new job tomorrow! I will be working in the fund development department of the state Girl Scout council. I was a Girl Scout of 11 years (yep, 11 years!) so I am excited to see behind the scenes about how they do all this great work for the girls.

And I get my new apartment on 1 December. Just in time for household goods to arrive and Joe to start terminal leave. We still don't know if he will be home for Christmas or not, but I am trying to stay positive about the whole thing.

I am VERY excited to be living in Fayetteville again though. I spend my college years here and it's always felt like home. I have already reconnected with some friends (people who where more eager to see me again than people in my hometown who I've known for over 2 decades, but I digress). And driving through town brings back to many wonderful memories. I drove by the apartments where Joe proposed to me.

It seems like I've been gone forever, when in reality, it's only been 5 years. But an "Army year" just seems longer, doesnt it? I've moved twice, got my Masters, and sent my husband to a war zone in those 5 years. Yeah, seems longer to me.

My Memories Suite Review & Giveaway

Hi everyone! I am beyond excited to announce this giveaway to you all! I have wanted to get back into scrapbooking for a few months now, but with all the school/thesis work and the tiny apartment I used to live in (and the mess of moving I am in right now), scrapbooking with all the paper, glue, and printed photos isnt really an option. And oh, yeah, I'm between jobs, so no extra money to buy all the fun accessories to make a page so much fun. So can you imagine how THRILLED I was when MyMemories.com contacted me to do a review and giveaway of their digital scrapbooking software??

 

 

From the website: MyMemories Suite will help you create your beautiful pages from scratch or build an entire album using one of the many professionally-designed scrapbook templates provided within the scrapbook software. A large collection of papers and embellishments are also included and available at your fingertips to help you make each page uniquely your own.

 

With over 1,500 papers, over 1,000 page elements, and over 30 album templates (including 10 new for v3), MyMemories Suite lets you hit the ground running with your very own scrapbook or photo album in a matter of minutes. It’s easy-to-use and affordable—and compatible with both Windows and Mac computers. Don’t put off your important memories any longer, add MyMemories Suite to your shopping cart now.

 

The software starts off with options and just keeps them coming! Do you want to use a beautiful designer template? Or create on of your very own??

I did a few of both. Here are some screen shots of my creations!





How cute is this layout for moving?!?!? I started searching through the templates looking for something completely different, but this one just popped out at me! Boxes! All the BOXES!! All milspouses can relate to the house of boxes during a PCS.

Can I confess something? I STILL havent scrapbooked my last Christmas in Kansas... and that was 2009! But here ya go! In just a matter of minutes, I was able to find a layout I loved and make a few pages. And its great that all of the pics are all ready to go. No sizing and printing. You can do all the resizing and cropping when you decide where you want it.

The BEST part of the software in my opinion?? The UNDO button. With all the different options with this software, you will find yourself using it too. You can change background colors until you are happy. You can add text, then revise it, and move it.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b315595/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway

My BIG boy!

 

Rigel turned 6 yesterday! It makes me sad that I was so busy yesterday so I didnt get to spend most of the day with him. But when I was home, we played outside because I know it's his favorite thing to do.

 

I cant believe I've had him for so long. Someone told me just the other day that we were like a packaged deal, if you want Sara you get Rigel too. He is my constant. I didnt know we would have this life when I got him. I was a senior in college. Joe hadnt even proposed yet. But I am so thankfully that he came to live with me. With all the PCSs and the deployments and training, it's nice to have that one thing that is alway there. Rigel is my constant. I still get excited to come home and see him.

Must App Monday - Voxer

 

Strangely enough, I was forced to get on Voxer by my family when I was still out in Colorado. I have to share this very cool app with you all. It's basically like a walkie-talkie on your phone. You can send text messages through it too. But you can send voice messages through it!! I can send a group message to my mom and my little brother then they can listen to the message when they have time, and send me a voice message back. It's very cool for busy people (or people who hate to talk on the phone, like my husband). And is fun when texts become impersonal. Wouldn't it be cool to send a "Happy Birthday" voice message to someone instead of a text? And what about sending a quick message when you don't have your hands free to type a lengthy text? Simply tap a button " I'm headed out the door to meet you now. Can you please order me a hot tea when you get to the restaurant, I'll be right there!" I wish more people had the Voxer app, I would use it ALL the time!!

 

Come find me if you want to try it out! You can search for people with their first and last name.

 

Run like the wind!

I have to tell you about Rigel's great escape yesterday! We were out on my parents' farm to do some work and my mom decided that the sheep needed to be moved to a different pasture. So I put Rigel in the house with the guys working on the house and went to help my mom with the sheep. After about 15 minutes outside, in the middle of the farm animals, I could feel a .... disturbance in the force. The chickens and ducks started going crazy! So I looked around for an animal or a hawk or some other threat to the animals, only to see my 7lb yorkie running along the fence trying to get to me. One of the guard donkeys isn't sure he's a dog, but the chickens and ducks are sure of it! So I yelled his name so he knew exactly where I was. He ran to me as I made my way to the gate. He was panting so hard as the chickens and ducks went nuts around us. He smelled like dog and wind. His heart was pounding as I held him close. He had found his way out of the house.

Rigel is not a farm dog. Not even close. I worry about him so much when we're on the farm. There are so many dangers to a 7lb yorkie even though there isn't another car in sight - hawks, snakes, big (read:HUGE) bugs, bobcats (!!!), animals that would kick at him, other stray dogs NOT on a leash or in a pin (stray dogs are ALL OVER this county). And I doubt he knows about any of the dangers because he is a city dog. He's been raised on a leash, unfortunately. I'm so scared that he will take off after a bird and be lost forever. So even on the farm, all the acres and acres of nothingness, Rigel is on a leash. My father says I should trust my dog more, but I love him more than I trust him. And I know he loves to chase birds. He's off his leash at the farm occasionally, but definitely not around the animals, and we're all outside to yell and chase after him if we need to.

I would be devastated if something happened to Rigel. But I just had to laugh at him, panting like crazy, as I imagined his great escape to find me. He's a brave little man. But I'm afraid that will also be his demise!