boxes, bins and little tiny things...

Boxes suck.
I have more bins than anyone in the world. including legoland. this is a problem they probably have meds for. meds that i need.
little tiny things are the story of my life with 4 little tiny people. polly pockets are the spawn of the devil, my little pony are their cousins and barbie is the devil. :-)
SO, there are now many boxes with many tiny things headed for the garage sale. :-)

And someday I will be done unpacking, just in time to move again. Truly, if it weren't for my unexplainable love of the marine corps and most importantly...my Marine, I would SO be done with this moving crap. As a matter of fact, I am actually considering settling here (which is completely bizarre if you have known me a long time,) just so I don't have to do this again...and again...and again. Of course, I do have an intense desire to go back to Okinawa, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see... REALLY, if God and the Commandant could each just send me an email with their plans, it would certainly make life a bit easier for my planning purposes. Ah, but people in hell also want ice water. :-)

Okay, so on to better things. I am really not operating with all my faculties lately, so I won't even try to provide a witty commentary to make you pee your pants with laughter as you peruse all my cute photos of my fireteam. I will simply let my sweet beans beam at you from cyberspace, then I'll send a quiz email to see if you can figure out what the hell we are doing.
JUST KIDDING. (man, i kill myself. I am just so stinking witty...)
SO, here's a quick rundown of the last month...

Big Boy...independently stuffing his face!

Seriously? Max...ready for reading? I think he's studying

up on how to pray for sanity for Mommy. :-)

July 2, 2009
Wilmington Kid's Museum

Future mad scientists?

Making our very own maze...maybe it will lead us to a house?

Daddy Mac and his littlest princess...Crabby Patty :-)

Evie, checking out the cool "campground"

Charley, "kayaking" her way to the camp


Eva, waiting to be served...


or not.
Charley sassy pants requested to be waited on. :-)


Mercy, checking out the cots...
God forbid we smile for the camera...
Little Terd. :-)


Max... grinning because he just totally filled up his diaper for me. Isn't that sweet?


Storytime in the tent...
This book stunk.
Seriously.
Who writes a book for kids about weather that is this boring?
Can we make it at least a little entertaining?


July 4, 2009
Celebrating? How about relaxing!
Freedom from househunting today!


The future first female Commandant trying on her uniform...


July 12, 2009
Rattling around in our new space!

Playtime in our new home!

My sweet, always happy (unless he's hungry...) BIG boy

Miss Mercy Elaine, with her ever present glob of spit...
her babysitter calls her the "lick and wipe" queen.
She LOVES to lick the devil out of her fingers and then
wipe it ALL over you. It's just so pleasant. :-)

Adventures in the rain...
In our new, fenced football field of a yard!

2 sweet sisters snuggling and snickering in the rain.

my sweet mini macs, snuggled up for some playtime fun!


Happy Birthday Taylor!
The bigs...hanging out for some fun party time!

The littles in thier bumbo seats for some fun...

Seriously? Little stinker.

Cookie time with the bigs! SO much more fun (and tasty,) than unpacking boxes!!

Moving sucks and I'll tell you why...

Because you trust that people will take care of your stuff. And, truthfully, they did their best on this end. However, while they were taking such good flipping care of my stuff, one of them managed to steal my wedding rings. I was NICE. I BAKED THEM F**ing COOKIES. I FED THEM LUNCH AND KEPT THEM HYDRATED. Oh, thank you so much ma'am. Let me just steal the one thing that will break your heart. Gee, wasn't that sweet of them.
So, I filed the police report. cried. cried some more. called the insurance company. cried a bit more. checked a few pawn shops and then had to buy myself a wedding band. from a pawn shop. cried more.
It's not the monetary value. It's not the diamond. It's the story behind the rings. They have been with me for 15 years. 15 years of marriage. A hard fought marriage that has seen some serious times and survived them all. A marriage that I knew would happen from the moment I laid eyes on my Charles. A marriage that he never gave up on, even when I did. And the symbol of that love that we had blessed before God has been taken. But you know what that person didn't take from me? Every bit of faith I have that the very best part of my marriage isn't a ring or a thing or a house or anything else. It's the 4 beautiful children that are living proof of our love. The 4 sweet souls the Lord has entrusted us with. So, listen here... You can take the ring, but you can never take away the circle of love and life they represent. So, I hope you get what you need from them. And I hope someday you will understand that what you took was heartbreaking, but this is what you could NEVER take. My faith. My belief that people are inherently good. My trust in people. And my unshakeable, neverending, endless love for my husband and my belief in our marriage.
SO TAKE THAT. Ha. I win. Rings or no rings. I WIN.
I'd still love to have them back...so pray for that. But if I don't see them again, I just pray that the love we had spills over onto the next wearer of that beautiful, shimmering stone.
i'm off to pass out from moving overload.

with a sigh and a bit of a cry...
tiff

"First God, then the Marine Corps...

right mommy?" This wrapped up the discussion I was having with Eva this morning as I explained why we were renting house, how long we might live there and if we were going back to Okinawa. My astute 6 year old has figured out that first, God has a plan... and second, so does the Marine Corps. Jeepers, this life is crazy! Try explaining it to a 6 year old. :-)

Many Thanks....

for the many wonderful and thoughtful gifts we have received these last 6 months from so many. I am horrified that I have yet to write any thank-yous for the gifts received after my shower. Ever since my wedding gift thank you snafu, I have been a thank you note nazi, so suffice it say...I am sadly, a thank you note loser, once again. Here are a few pics of some of our neat gifts...

Thanks, Des! Old friends send great new gifts...


Thanks, Uncle Larry and Aunt Pam!
My babies are ridin' in style!
(And I can actually go places sometimes.)


Thank you Soldier's Angels and Operation TopKnot,
for the many lovely things we received!

Thanks...Debbi, Angi, My Mom's pals (The Prayer Family), Cheryle, Susie, Operation Top Knot, Soldier's Angels, Mom's Day Out families, Aunt Ruthie, Kim, Katy, Aunt Ruth & Uncle Sam, Aunt Gloria & Uncle Bob, Marge & Joe, Danielle, The GFWC Antelope North County Women's Club, Vicki, Kristen, Holly, Jeana, Tommye, Kristina... the list goes on! We are so grateful and so blessed by each of you.

Stay tuned for more updates soon...
love,
tiff