Almost 2010

There hasn't been much going on lately. We did the Christmas thing for the kids, hubby is taking some leave from work to spend some time home, and I'm still working on school stuff. I'm really trying to finish hubby's blanket, but it's just so time consuming and tedious. I know he'll be excited to see it finished though!

We've been thinking about buying a house here in Colorado. We really do love it here, and we're ready to finally buy a house instead of rent. We're hoping to pay off some bills with our tax return, then buy. I guess we'll see how that goes. We've been looking at new furniture and trying to get ideas for remodeling. I can't wait to finally buy a house and get to doing some projects!

Well, that's really all I have for now. There's so much that is about to happen, it's really exciting. I just wish it would hurry! Don't forget to thank a vet!

Realm of Empires

My husband has been playing a game he recently discovered on Facebook called Realm of Empires. He is a fan of RPGs, but usually doesn't go for MMORPGs, like World of Warcraft and the like. He really likes the Elder Scrolls series and games like that. However, RoE seems to be different. In RoE, you create your own village, recruit a military, and build up your buildings and defenses. There are different realms (he is currently playing on Realm 4), and each village is run by another person. The game is played in real time, so your silver mine is always producing, and you are always vulnerable to attack. There are also rebel villages that can be attacked and plundered of their silver. If a player remains inactive for 14 days, their village is considered abandoned, and it is easily looted.

Realm of Empires promotes a social approach to gaming. In one of the beginner's quests, it is encouraged that you join a clan. Joining a clan is an advantage, as they can provide support, both in money and troops. Most of the larger clans require that you remain active in their forums, and each has their own set of rules of conduct. The clans have alliances and non-aggression pacts (NAPs), so it is important to read the overview of each clan before deciding who to join.

Another unique part of RoE is that it allows you to decide how much (or how little, for those who work a lot or have other obligations) you want to play. A person can play on a single realm and only check their village once or twice a day to build their empire. A person who wants to play more can have a village on multiple realms and join an active clan, allowing them to play to their heart's content.

I know that hubby enjoys the graphics, but I have to show how nice they are. Instead of being campy little flash cartoons (think Farmville), the graphics in Realm of Empires are more refined. For example, here is an example of a village that has been built up quite a bit.:



In the above photo, you can see that each building has a number attached to it. This allows you to easily see what level each item is, so you can recognize at a glance which need to be worked on. It's quite different from a starter village, isn't it?



Another thing that I love is the fact that it is real time, so the village changes with the time of day. Remember the first village I showed you? Well, here it is at night:



My hubby really enjoys playing this game, and whatever makes him happy makes me happy. Don't forget to thank a vet!

Veteran's Day

Today is Veteran's Day, so I want to take the time to thank each and every person who is or has ever fought for our country. This holiday has special meaning for me, as I am a military spouse, and as such am constantly surrounded by the most amazing people doing the most amazing things. Especially my wonderful husband, who has given up so much to join the Army and fight. He's been deployed multiple times and is gearing up for yet another deployment, this time to territory that is unknown for us. Every time he leaves it is hard on him, hard on me, and very hard on our 3 little girls. But they know their Daddy is a soldier and has an important job to do.

Many people don't know why we celebrate Veteran's Day on 11 November, so I'd like to share with you this article I found that explains it:

Back in 1918, in the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, a stop to hostilities was declared, ending World War I. An armistice to cease the fighting on the Western Front was signed by the Allied powers and Germany.

President Woodrow Wilson immediately proclaimed the day "Armistice Day," kicking off the annual commemoration on November 11. But over the years, with veterans returning from World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day — a day reserved to honor veterans returning from all wars. But 11/11 still represented the end of the Great War in the public's mind, and the date stuck.

In 1921, unidentified dead from the war were buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., Westminster Abbey in London, and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The tradition to honor those killed in the war but never identified continues every year in the U.S. The ceremony is held at 11 a.m. at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.

Congress designated Veterans Day as a legal holiday in 1938.

For those of you who don't know, the picture at the beginning of my post is of the 4th Infantry Memorial at Fort Hood, TX. We were stationed there for 4 years and left in June. Keep those injured and killed in the recent tragedy there in your thoughts. It's hard enough sending your loved one off to war...we don't need to worry about their safety at home too.

Don't forget to thank a vet, today and every day.

Eeeeeek!

Okay, this is going to be short and sweet. I am freaking out! My mom will be here in just over 12 hours for her visit, and I need to CLEAN! There's laundry to be done, bathrooms to clean, and I still need to vacuum all the dog hair out of the cracks in the couch so she doesn't smother while sleeping in the sofa bed. Gaaaahhhhhhh! Time to crank up the iPod and tackle one room at a time, I suppose.

Oh, and I seem to have lost one of my freaking awesome Pasha stitchmarkers. Wahhhh!! I don't know where it could be! I'm hoping to find it while I'm cleaning the living room today. It was on my needles, but it must have slipped off when the girls were moving it around. *sigh* Oh well, time to clean! Don't forget to thank a vet!

Excited!

October is over, and now November is here. This year is just flying by. Some exciting things have happened lately, or are about to happen. First off, Munchkins 1 & 2 started Learn to Skate on Saturday! It's so funny watching them learn to ice skate. Bella did really well, and was even standing up on her own after falling down by the end of the lesson. Brooke...well...she really liked being on all fours and acting like a puppy. :) At least they had a good time. I just hope that Bella gives more of an effort next time. She tends to just give up when she can't do something the first time, and it's rather frustrating.

Another super exciting thing that's happening is Mom's visit! It'll be her first time to Colorado. I can't wait to have her out to visit. This will be the first time she's been to visit us since Kaelyn was born. We've been out there, but it's so much fun when she comes to us. She'll get here on Thursday, and I CAN'T WAIT! Well, I think that's about all for now. Lots of cleaning and laundry to do before Mom arrives! Don't forget to thank a vet!

Buyer beware, but I don't care!

Today I received my very awesome Reebok Authentic on field jersey in the mail. I got it off eBay for $50 (including free shipping), even though they retail for $300 everywhere else. Well, now I know why. Can you spot it?


If you are a true Steelers fan, you will realize that Polamalu's name is the wrong color. Rather than being bright Steelers gold, it's a more light brownish/dark gold. I can't really complain, because I got it for 1/5 of the retail price. At least it's not #43 with Ward's name above it or something! LOL At first I was pretty disappointed, but now I'm okay with it. I mean, I have an authentic jersey that I would have never been able to afford...even if it is a bit off. That just makes it unique, right? At least I can show my Steeler pride! :) Don't forget to thank a vet!

Look what I got!

I got the most amazing stitchmarkers from Weeones in the mail today!  She made them based off pictures of our Anatolian Shepherd, Pasha.  I think they look amazing, and I am sooo thrilled to death to have them!  Eventually I would love to have her make some more for me in other poses, and I would also love these pink woolly ones.  What better way to have my own flock of sheep than to have pink, fuzzy ones!  So, are you ready to see what I got in the mail?  First, a picture of Pasha:

Now onto the stitchmarkers!

Here's one on the Unicorn socks I'm working on, for size comparison.  Those are US 2 (2.75mm needles).

Don't forget to thank a vet!!

Birthdays, football, and more!

First of all: Happy Birthday Joey & Kaelyn! I'm a day late, but we were celebrating and just having a relaxing day at home yesterday! Yup, the hubby and our youngest daughter share a birthday. I woke him up at about 2:30 in the morning 2 years ago to wish him Happy Birthday, then told him it was time to go have a baby. After a lot of moaning and groaning, he finally got out of the bed, and I got to the hospital at about 8cm dilated. :) Nah, we weren't pushing it. Our youngest (and last) daughter was born about 30 minutes after we got to the hospital, and things have been all peachy since. Well...as peachy as life gets. LOL

On to football. The Steelers won again today, which makes me SUPER HAPPY! Something else that makes me super happy is my wonderful husband. His unit is having a day at the end of the month where the soldiers can pay a few dollars in exchange for being able to wear a jersey to work. If they don't participate, they have to wear their dress uniforms. We are avid football fans, but we've never actually bought any jerseys. So, being the wonderful wife that I am, I hopped on eBay to find a Dolphins jersey for the hubby. I found an orange Jason Taylor jersey for him, but we lost it at the last minute. I felt really bad and started looking for another one. Then, hubby utters the magic words “Why don’t you buy a Steelers jersey. I’ll sport that and then you can have it after.” :) Cue ray of sunshine as the heavens open up and hubby just one-ups my awesomeness. LOL I am now the proud owner of a Troy Polamalu home jersey that should be here in a week or so. Eeeeeek! I’m so excited! I was looking for any player’s home jersey, as I didn’t care which one I got. Getting one of my top 4 choices is just icing on the cake! My first choice would have been a Heath Miller jersey, as Heath just doesn't get enough love for his total badassness. There weren't any Heath jerseys within our price range, so we had to go to the number 2 spot - which just so happens to be a Roethlisberger/Polamalu/Ward tie. Whose jersey is the lucky jersey that gets to come live with me? Drum roll please...Troy Polamalu! Woohoo! I'm so excited! He is such an integral part of the Steelers' defense and team in general. Hopefully it will be here in a week or so.

I finally took some pictures of my recently finished knitting projects. I also started my first pair of 2-at-a-time toe-up magic loop socks. Whew, that's a mouthful, huh? LOL I'm making them for Isabella's Crazy Socks Day at school. So far 2AAT is pretty awesome. I'm excited that I'll be done with a whole pair when I finish, not just 1 sock. Ready for some pictures? Of course you are! First is my finished Column of Leaves hat:


Yes, I know, it's awesome. :) Next is Isabella's hat:


I know it looks like she's in trouble with her nose in the corner, but she's really not! Speaking of Isabella, here's the beginning of her Unicorn socks (Unicorn because I'm using Imagination sock yarn from KnitPicks in the Unicorn colorway, not because of the pattern name.):


Well, I think that's about all I have for right now. it's time to go pack lunches for tomorrow, then hit the showers with the hubby! Woohoo! Don't forget to thank a vet!

October!

I love October so very much! It is my favorite month of the entire year. October is like the kick-off of our celebration season. The hubby and our youngest daughter both have birthdays in October. On the same day! Then shortly after that is Halloween, which is always a fun time. November brings a visit from my mom this year, which we are looking forward to so much! This will be her first time to Colorado. She's going to have a blast out here. After that comes Thanksgiving and all the yummy treats and food I'll be making. Then...Christmas!! This family celebrates the Santa-Christmas, not the Jesus-Christmas. So we will be decorating the house and tree, making presents for each other, and just spending time together as a family.

Colorado is just beautiful this time of year. The leaves are turning marvelous shades of gold, red, and orange. Our oldest is taking a trip to a nearby pumpkin patch with school next week. She is really looking forward to that!

On the knitting front, I recently finished my Column of Leaves hat, along with the Trio of Hats I was making for the girls. It turns out the oldest doesn't want her pink hat anymore, which is fine because I made the youngest's hat a bit too small to cover her ears. So she will get the pink hat that the oldest wanted me to make, and oldest will get another one. The hat she asked for sounds like it will be a bit hideous, but if she wants it, I will make it. LOL I'll get some pictures of my Column of Leaves hat taken tonight when the hubby gets home so I can update Ravelry and post them here, along with a link to the pattern.

Well, I guess that's about it for now. My fingers are a bit too cold to type right now. I think I need to go cast on for the convertible mittens I want to make!! :) Don't forget to thank a vet!

An AMAZING Opportunity!

Wow - this just blows my mind! It is the chance of a lifetime for a fiber lover, animal lover...anyone who would love to have their own herd of Angora goats. Susie from Martha's Vineyard/Hudson Valley Fiber Farm is hosting the most incredible giveaway I have ever heard of. You have to write an essay detailing why you would love to have your very own small herd of Angora goats. Make sure to include why you think you deserve them and what facilities you have to help care for them (how many acres of land you have, etc.). Did I mention that she's also throwing in a custom-made run-in, courtesy of Sand Creek Post and Beam?! To get all the information, check out Susie's blog post HERE. Just in case something happens to that link, it's http://www.fiberfarm.com/2009/09/a-mighty-big-giveaway. Hurry!! You only have until September 16th to submit your essay!

If you win, make sure to send me lots of pics of your new furbabies! Don't forget to thank a vet!

September already?!

Holy crap! I can't believe it is September already! Labor Day is on Monday, and that practically marks the end of summer. Quite a bit has happened since my last post. The hubby had his ACL surgery on August 27th. All went well with that, but he was in a LOT of pain. Luckily, it is starting to feel better. His physical therapist says that his knee is healing very well.

We also got word that one of the pictures we submitted to the Anatolian Shepherd calendar of Pasha is actually going to be used! How freaking cool is that?! If you want to get your own copy, go HERE. They are only $20, and the proceeds go to a great cause.

Lets see, what else? Oh, I finally finished that second mitten for K. I just have to take pictures of them. I finally started B's hat. Instead of going to mittens after her hat, I think I'm going to do Iz's hat first. I also might look for a pattern for a scarf that has a place for hands, rather than making mittens for the girls. I'm not sure yet...guess we'll just have to see what kind of magic Ravelry holds.

I'm also looking for a job. I applied for one that I really want, but I don't know if I'll get it or not. Hopefully I'll finish my coursework with M-Tec by the end of next month and can start doing transcription. At this point I'm just ready to be making some money!

I think that's everything for now. Don't forget to thank a vet!

Second mitten syndrome

Most knitters have heard of second sock syndrome...the dreaded curse of not wanting to finish the mate to that wonderful sock you just knit. Well, I am having second mitten syndrome, and it's horrible! I've been working on winter gear for the munchkins. So far I have finished K's hat (that's a Ravelry link) and a mitten. I still have to finish the other mitten and start her scarf. Then I have to do everything all over again for B and Iz! Not to mention that I want to start the hat and scarf for myself soon! Hubby has also decided that he wants a new hat. I think we're going to make a trip to the LYS so he can feel some yarns and decide what he wants and in what colors. I also really want to make a Steelers scarf for game days, but that's kinda on the back burner for now.

In other news, Iz started Kindergarten last Tuesday! She had a rough first morning. I thought that she'd be fine since she had been in Pre-K for 2 years in TX. It's totally understandable though. New state, new school, new teacher. She's been doing really well. She seems to be a bit ahead of the curve since she has had 2 years of Pre-K. They are going to be doing testing soon, so we'll see how that goes.

The hubby has surgery on Thursday. He has a torn meniscus and torn ACL. We've been waiting for this to be taken care of for a long time now. I'm glad it's finally being done. In 6-12 months, his knee should be almost back to normal. It will never be 100%, according to the orthopedic surgeon, but that's okay. Anything will be an improvement over now.

Well, that's enough rambling for now. I'm going to go back to drooling over MacBook Pros. I'm thinking of making the switch to Mac. Now to save up the money to buy a new laptop! Don't forget to thank a vet!

Dog park fun!

We've been going to the Bear Creek Dog Park on Thursdays and Sundays to let Pasha have some off-leash time. It is SUCH a great park! She really likes it, and the girls have a great time too. It's a good way to get some exercise too. Here is a pic from our latest trip:


She was nervous about the water at first, but now she's a regular water puppy! We actually submitted this photo (and a few others) to an Anatolian Shepherd calendar. We're hoping that she will be included for next year. How cool would that be?! Don't forget to thank a vet!

Completion!

Yaaaay! I can't believe my socks are actually finished! There are quite a few things that are far from perfect, but I like them. I tried something different on each sock to get an idea of what works best for me. I think I like a sewn bind off better than binding off the way I normally do. However, I think I did the sewn bind off a little too loose. I had to redo the bind off on the first sock, and it still turned out almost too tight. I was worried that the second would be too tight, so I went really loose. Also, I almost ran out of yarn on sock number 2! So I didn't get to do as much ribbing on the cuff as the first sock. That makes it not stay on as well. I also need to do the ribbing with a smaller needle, which I don't have. Luckily I ordered a smaller needle from KnitPicks yesterday, along with some more yarn, so my next socks should tun out a bit better. Ready for some pictures? Here we go!




I'm really excited about my socks! I think next will be some socks for the girls out of KnitPicks' Unicorn. I'm also going to be making them all hats, scarves, and mittens, along with a set for myself. The yarn is on its way, so hopefully I can start soon! Don't forget to thank a vet!

Birthday goodness

Happy 3rd birthday to my adorable little Munchkin 2! She requested a green cake with pink flowers, so this is what I made her:


It's not worthy of Food Network Challenge or anything, but it's made totally from scratch and I'm pretty proud of it. It's been quite a while since I decorated a cake, so my skills are definitely rusty. I'd kinda forgotten how much I enjoy baking and decorating cakes. Might have to remedy that! Don't forget to thank a vet!

Hiking and a finished sock

We've been doing some hiking lately. On Saturday we went to Silver Cascade Falls with the munchkins and hiked the trail. The girls did a good job with the hike, considering it was about 0.7 miles round trip and a 198 foot climb. Pasha did a great job on the trail also. We were expecting her to be a bit more rambunctious than she was. Wanna see some pics? Of course you do!



On the knitting front, I FINISHED MY FIRST SOCK! Woohoo! I can't believe I actually finished a sock! There are some changes that I want to make to the other socks I make, but at least I have the basics of sock construction down. Well, kinda. LOL Here's what it looks like:



Well, off to go cast on for the mate to my first sock! Don't forget to thank a vet!

Making changes

I've been playing around with the colors of my blog. I'm not sure I like it yet, but it's getting there. Also, check out the new gallery for finished objects on the lower right. Believe me, I can't take credit for it. I got the code for it from a link on Ravelry to AliceInDilbrtlnd's blog. She's the genius behind it, and I hope she doesn't mind me stealing the code and tweaking it a bit to fit my page. That's all for now. :) Don't forget to thank a vet!

Whew!

We are finally moved and and somewhat settled in our new place. It is smaller than we were hoping for, but it will work for our first year here. We got Munchkin1 all signed up for kindergarten. Luckily the school right across the street is a great school with full-day kinder! Apparently that's hard to come by around here? I just have to get her in to the doctor for a shot, and she's all set! We have pretty much unpacked everything, although we are still trying to find places for a lot of stuff. This place is about 200 sqft smaller than our house in TX, so it's a squeeze.

I haven't had time to knit AT ALL since we moved in. Between the unpacking, cleaning, kid wrangling, and trying to get schoolwork caught up and finished, I've had NO time to myself. The hubby went back to work yesterday. Sometimes I take for granted what an amazing help he is to have around the house. I was able to get sooo much done while he was home and watching the girls.

Speaking of school, I am trying to do the rest of my program in the next month and a half! I have to work on it from dawn 'til dusk if I want to get it done. I'll probably have to get an extension though. :( It's my own fault for not pacing myself. I am a total procrastinator, so this really shouldn't surprise me.

It's time to get back to work, I suppose. Don't forget to thank a vet!

Sock update!

I have officially overcome sock crisis #1! I went to use the restroom, and when I came back, Munchkin 3 had my sock in her grasp. I'm using the Magic Loop method to make my sock. She had ripped all the stitches off the one needle and had frogged about half the row. Now, this might not seem horrible to a more seasoned knitter...but to me? AAAAAARGH!!! I think I got it fixed with minimal sock damage. Here's a progress update:


It's coming along, slowly but surely. I haven't had as much time to work on it as I would have liked, but that's okay. Once we get moved in and settled, things should go faster. Don't forget to thank a vet!

We're in Colorado!

Wow, is it beautiful here! I haven't been able to concentrate on how pretty it is, because I had a helluva time trying to find us a place to live. That's all over now though. I found us an apartment. It's smaller than what we wanted and is an apartment, not a house...but it's a place to live! It's also in a great spot for us, which is good. This is what I have to live with for the next few years:


Horrible, huh? LOL The snowy one is Pike's Peak. It's not a great picture, but you get the idea. Well, off to put the kids down for a nap. Don't forget to thank a vet!

Sad days and a sock

We are leaving for Colorado in less than a week, and now it is time to start saying adios to the great friends I have made here in Texas. It seems that all of the original "Hoodies" are going there own way. One went to San Antonio, another went to Fort Bragg, we're going to Colorado, and another is staying here for a bit, then headed off to bigger and better things also. Then there's my best friend, Angel. Last night we had dinner together for the last time. She gave me the most beautiful necklace and wallet (which I will take pictures of and post later). We laughed, we cried...and we cried some more. They are headed to Georgia and off to much better things. Her hubby will be stable for 3 years, so no deploying. They really need the break from the deployments. Last night is when I realized why people remain friends, even after moving away. I've never really had a close friend that I stayed in contact with after moving. The only person that I would have kept in contact with is the hubby, and he comes with! Angel, on the other hand, is a different breed of friend. She's there when you need her, and not when you want to be alone. We've been through a lot over the past 3 years. She was there when I had Brooke, and through my pregnancy and the birth of Kaelyn. She helped me through my first deployment and kept my mind of the second. She is someone who will always be important to me, and I can only hope we are stationed together again soon.

Now, before I start crying again...LOOK AT MY SOCK!

I know, it looks familiar, doesn't it? Well, I frogged the first one that I had attempted and went with a different pattern. This time I'm doing The Humble Sock Goes Toe Up by Nikki Burns. I'm having a much easier time with it than the last pattern. I did yarn overs for the toe increases because I just wanted to learn the "how-tos" of sock making. For the next sock, I will definitely do another increase. I knew it wouldn't look great going into it, so I'm not that upset.

Well, off to have lunch with another great friend to say another farewell. Don't forget to thank a vet!

Complete insanity!

OMG! We move to Colorado in just over a week and haven't started packing or even found a place to live yet. It seems that every place we call about that we like has just been rented out. At this point I just want ANY house! We were pushed down the housing list for on post housing, which is dumb as hell.

On a bright note, I got the baby hat done for Munchkin 1's teacher! She loved it. The blanket turned into a burp cloth, since I ran out of time. I don't think she minded.

Well, time to go pack up the kitchen. Hopefully this means no cooking until we get to CO! LOL Yeah right. Don't forget to thank a vet!

Things to be grateful for

Life has been absolutely wonderful! The hubby has taken on a new role at work, and he is succeeding at it. I feel better about myself and have been working on taking better care of my body and mind. We have a few fun things coming up, like Field Day at munchkin 1's school, then her birthday this weekend. They're all getting sooo big! I decided to cut the baby blanket I was making for munchkin 1's teacher short and turn it in to a burp cloth to go along with the hat and socks. Time just got the best of me! Story of my life. LOL Anyway, I'm working on the border right now, so when it's finished I'll post pics here and on Ravelry. It's going to be so cute! This is my first time picking up stitches, so I hope it turns out okay.

Oh! We'll be moving to Colorado at the end of June. We decided to wait a couple weeks longer before making the move to cut down on the time that we'll be without a house up there. We're waiting for post housing to open up, so we'll see what happens! Hopefully we aren't living out of a hotel for months. That would be an adventure. Well, time to finish the blanket/burp cloth. Don't forget to thank a vet!

Blah

Today is just one of those pissy days. I had plans to do some shopping after the hubby got home from work, but that might not happen now because he had a craptastic day at work. It's not his fault, but I was kinda bitchy about it which makes me feel bad. The kids have been fighting with and fussing at each other all day. The stress of the upcoming move to Colorado is starting to weigh on me. I got a call today that said we might not get a house as soon as we had expected. Now it's back to looking for a house we can afford and hoping we find something very soon. There's still an entire house to pack, load, move, and unpack. I'm so looking forward to Colorado, but at this point I'm just over it. *sigh* Hopefully things will work out soon so I can stop stressing and focus on more important things. Blah. Don't forget to thank a vet!

Best Mother's Day EVER!

Yesterday was just a fantastic day. My hubby wished me a Happy Mother's Day first thing in the morning, then watched the girls so I could go out to dinner with friends last night. He took care of dinner for them on his own and made sure they were bathed and ready for bed before I got home. Then as we were lounging on the couch and talking, the doorbell rang. Standing at the door was a man holding these:


Aren't they gorgeous?! It was the perfect ending to a perfect day. Don't forget to thank a vet!

Wow, a month?!

Holy crap. I was doing so well updating this blog for a while. Then the hubby came home and that all went downhill! :) He's been home for about 5 weeks now and life has been just glorious! We went to NC for a week which was fantastic. We hadn't been home to NC in about 2.5 years. It was so great to see everyone and just have fun with friends. There was also some great news from friends and family up there. The hubby's mom is getting remarried, and she seems to be really happy. One of our best friends is FINALLY having a baby, after trying for a really long time. I need to get on the ball with knitting up some presents! I've done almost NO knitting in the past month. There's only about 6 weeks left before the munchkin gets out of school, and I still need to finish her teacher's baby blanket, hat and socks. Eeeek! There's just been a lot of distractions lately...and there are more on the way! Like this:


That is my new lathe and super pen making starter kit from Penn State Industries. It has everything you need to get started making pens, including the lathe, accessories, and enough blanks and parts to make 40 pens & pencils! Woohoo!! We just ordered it last night, so it will be a few days before it gets here. The hubby has a woodworking workshop out in the garage, so this will let me spend time with him without being in his way. I'm going to con him into making me a lathe table. :)

Well, I think that's about all that's new right now. I'm going to try to keep updating, but no promises as to how often. Don't forget to thank a vet!

So many updates!

Sorry I've been away for so long, but it's been for good reason! My husband is HOME! Yes, home. As in here, in my arms. Okay, not at the moment, but you get what I'm saying. :) It is so awesome having him home. He finally made it home on March 16th after being in transit for over a week. The wait was horrible but sooo worth it! Here's a quick shot of the sign I made for him:


Nice, huh? That's over 70 feet of homecoming goodness. On a sad note, the wind ripped it down before he got to see the whole thing, but he got to see pictures. We had also made a couple other signs that he got to see.

Since my husband has come home, we've started doing a lot of reorganizing of the house and cleaning. We're moving to Colorado in a few months and trying to condense our stuff to as little as possible! I took it upon myself to reorganize my knitting needles. I have the KnitPicks Options interchangeable knitting needles. They used to come in a book that looked like a planner, but then they went to a plastic storage case. I like the book idea, so I bought one. Unfortunately it wasn't as great as I thought. The book was a bit too small for what I wanted and had some zipper problems. So what did I do? I went to Walmart and bought THIS:


Here's an inside shot. Each set of tips has its own spot, plus a place for cables. I even have my sock circulars for Magic Loop in there! Check it out:


I am so in love with all the pockets and places to put things. I have the pattern for the socks I'm working on in the front pocket on the outside of the case. It even has some paper for jotting down notes and a pen holder, since it was originally a planner. The handles retract so I can stick it in my purse and have ALL my needles at my fingertips! Except for those that are tangled up in other projects, of course. LOL

Speaking of other projects, check out my first pair of socks! The pattern was written for toe-up, two-at-a-time Magic Loop, but I am only doing one at a time to learn. Here they are in Mermaid Lagoon:


Well, that's about everything for now. Soon my hubby will be getting his workshop together. I'll be sure to give you the tour and show off the fabulous things he makes me. Don't forget to thank a vet!

Waiting

My husband should be home in a few days. Yes, I said DAYS! We were hoping for a certain date, but I was told today that there was a sandstorm. They may not have been able to fly out, which means that they'll be here later. I still haven't heard from my husband, so I guess I'll just have to keep waiting. I'm really hoping to hear from him sometime tonight and for him to tell me he was able to get out of the country.

There's so much stuff left to do. I still need to clean the house and finish signs. However, I'm having a hard time getting motivated. I'm afraid that if I get everything done, his homecoming will get pushed back. Plus, I work better under pressure anyway! :) Back to work. Don't forget to thank a vet!

Busy, busy, busy!

Eeeek! We're getting so close to Homecoming! The husband should be home in less days than I have fingers. Woohoo! I still have a house to scrub, laundry to do, food to buy...all kinds of stuff. I received my order today, and the Imagination sock yarn I got from KnitPicks is even softer and more yummy than I had hoped! I just placed another order for some odds and ends and some more yarn, this time in Unicorn. Wanna see? Here it is:


Isn't it so girly and awesome?! I might make the girls some socks, but it'll probably end up as another pair for me. :) Well, back to work. Don't forget to thank a vet!

Excited, yet terrified

For the past day or two, my husband and I have been discussing an idea I approached him with. I guess I should start at the beginning. Recently, I ordered some beautiful new sock yarn from KnitPicks. I am waiting on my Imagination sock yarn in Mermaid Lagoon. Isn't it beautiful?



I can't wait to get my hands on it! This will be my first attempt at socks, and I am really, really excited! You must be asking, what does this have to do with being terrified? LOL Aside from worrying about frogging the heck out of my first socks, nothing. I'm getting to my point. Anyway, I started looking online for a swift and a ball winder. It's amazing how expensive some yarn swifts are! Then I started thinking...my husband has wanted to get some woodworking tools and set up a workshop for a long time now. We are going to have some extra money soon, so why not suggest he buy them? He works so hard for our family, it's about time he has something for himself. So, I mentioned that I had been looking online and suggested that he could have a little side business making some different items that we could sell online. He loved the idea! So now we are getting things together to start our own business! It's really exciting, but also pretty scary. I mean, luckily there is little risk involved for us. He enjoys woodworking, so he'll use any tools or wood that we buy. Eventually I'd like to learn to spin and expand our business to spindles and possibly even handspun and hand-dyed yarns! However, if it didn't sell, I could just knit with it myself. Oh no! LOL I think it will be okay...but it's still a bit terrifying. Only time will tell! Don't forget to thank a vet!

He's coming home!!

Wow, it just hit me today how soon my hubby is coming home! It still feels like forever, but in reality, it's not that far away! I still have so many things that need to be done around here. Lots of cleaning to do, signs to paint, laundry, shopping...you get the idea. He should hopefully be home by St Patrick's Day!! Lucky me!! I still have lots of schoolwork to do on top of everything else. We're also planning a trip to NC for April. I'm just so ready to have him home!

Oh, on another note - my birthday is tomorrow! Happy Birthday to me! Even though I'm going to be 24, I still love my birthday and love making a big deal about it. I'll probably bake myself a cake tomorrow. :) It would be fantastic if Joe was going to be home, but since he's coming home 3 months earlier than planned, I'm NOT complaining!

By the way, has anyone seen the movie Spectacular on Nickelodeon? I am so in love with this movie for some reason! Maybe it's because I love musicals, I dunno. I just downloaded the soundtrack from iTunes and was rocking out to it while I cleaned the living room. Speaking of which, I need to make my shopping list so I can get back to cleaning. Don't forget to thank a vet!

The flu and a clean house!

The past week has been pretty rough. First the kids got sick, one by one. Then when they started feeling better, I got sick. It was the worst I've felt in a very long time. My head throbbed, my body ached, and my neck hurt so bad. My throat was incredibly swollen (it still is a little) and sore. Ugh. Then top that off with 3 days of a fever, and you had me over the weekend. The only highlights were getting to talk to Joe quite a bit. And of course, getting my new phone, which I am sooo in love with.

On a more positive note, I finally got my living room cleaned today. It looked like a disaster area from when I was sick and didn't feel like cleaning. It's amazing how quickly one room can go to hell when you are sick and the kids are running around like crazies. Today I finally got around to cleaning it and now it looks great. I've never been a person who enjoys cleaning. I don't live in filth, but my house usually has a decent level of clutter at all times. Over the past year or so, I've noticed that I start to get antsy when the house is a mess. Like the walls are closing in on me or something. It's really weird, but good! Now my house stays fairly clean. The husband will like it when he comes home. He used to get a bit frustrated with my cleaning habits. :) Don't forget to thank a vet!

It's coming!

My husband surprised me this morning with my Valentine's Day present a little early. He had to tell me sooner than he wanted because it's supposed to be delivered tomorrow. Are you dying to know what it is?! Well I'm dying to tell you! It's a Blackberry Storm!! He got one too. In case you don't know, here's what it looks like:

I'm so excited to get it!! Hopefully it will show up early tomorrow. I have the best husband ever! He's so amazingly awesome! Well, it's about time to dress the kids and go to the store. Don't forget to thank a vet!

So busy!

I've been meaning to post for a few days, but things have been really busy around here. I'm still working on schoolwork, which takes a lot of my time. Factor in the kids and Joe's upcoming homecoming (yaaaaay!), and it equals insanity! I did find out that I have about 2 weeks longer to finish this course than I initially thought. That makes things somewhat easier, but not much. I did get a chance to start on the blanket I'm making for Bella's teacher. I've only got about 2 inches done, since I don't have much time to work on it. Oh well, there's still plenty of time to finish it. Oh! I got new glasses! They are really helping with the headaches. I find myself wearing them more and more, so I'm glad I went with the ones I liked. Maybe sometime soon I'll get around to posting a picture of them and my blanket progress. That's about all for now. Don't forget to thank a vet!

A bunch of random stuff!

All I can say about that game is WOW! It was heart-pounding hard hitting action. I was standing up and yelling at my TV the whole 4th quarter. I found the great picture above on Photobucket and just had to share it. Click here for the original. It's days like these that make me miss living in Pittsburgh so very much. The schools even had a 2 hour delay this morning because of the game last night! How awesome is that?! We take Steelers pride very seriously in Pittsburgh!

What other good news do I have to share? Just the most important thing ever! My wonderful husband called this morning and told me when his flight leaves to come home. I am sooo excited that he'll be home soon. He's been gone way too long. Of course, things will change a little bit between now and then, but it should be pretty close to what he told me today. Yaaaaaay!

I also got a LOT of our bills paid off, so we should be in a better place financially when the hubby comes home. Exciting! I guess that's what happens when you have 3 kids. It makes a tax return kick ass! :) I got to tell the hubby about it today on the phone, and he was so excited! I love making him proud.

Well, I think that's all the good news for today. I've been on Cloud 9 all day. Don't forget to thank a vet!

Next month!

HOLY CRAP! It's February. Not only do I turn 24 this month, but my husband comes home NEXT MONTH! I have sooo much to get done. This is going to be a real time crunch. How I am looking forward to having that man home! I have lots to do, so I can't write a lot now. I'll make a longer post later. One last thing before I go...how about them STEELERS?!?! First to 6, baby! Don't forget to thank a vet!

A good day!

Today was so nice. I went to Walmart this morning to do some shopping, and Brooke didn't throw a fit. This is a minor miracle. After I came home, I put away the groceries and worked on some more schoolwork. I got my Medical Language reading out of the way before leaving to get Bella from school. Pasha got into the van with only a little prodding for our trip to Petsmart. She behaved so well inside Petsmart, walking right beside me as I pushed the girls in the cart. Then when we loaded back into the van, she hopped right in! Yaaaay! It's been about 6 weeks since we adopted her, and this was the first time she's hopped right in. Success!! After we dropped her off at home, the girls and I went to Burger King to eat and play. The girls ate well, played well, and didn't put up a fuss when it was time to go. Then when we got home, I checked my email and my assignment was waiting for me. I did sooo much better this time! The mistakes I made were minor and my instructor complimented me. :) Oh! We also got our tax refund today, so I got to pay off some debt. That will make Joe very happy! Days like today are what make the rest bearable. Don't forget to thank a vet!

It's here!

My Lion Brand Cotton-Ease showed up today, 2 days earlier than Joann.com said it would. Oh how I love it when stuff comes early! I'm a bit surprised at how small the skeins seem. According to the pattern, it will be enough. We'll see how it goes! :) Here's a picture of my new yarn:



Sorry about the crappy picture. By the time I finished my schoolwork for tonight, it was already after dark. Not like we had much sunlight today. Anyway, don't you think this is going to make the cutest baby blanket for a baby girl?! I like the taupe trim on the berry blanket. Add the little hat and socks and it'll be way too precious. I just hope that between school, the kids, Joe coming home, and block leave, I can get it done before we either PCS or the school year is over. Craziness! Don't forget to thank a vet!

Man, oh man.

What a busy few days! I have had NO time to knit, which means my stress levels are through the ROOF! My dog has a tick, and I can't hold her down and get it off her at the same time. (She's a 100lb Anatolian Shepherd, in case you are wondering.) I'm worried about her getting Lyme disease, which adds to the stress. Plus, what if the tick, like, comes off and attaches to one of the kids?! I'd be sooo pissed.

On another note, I am a total procrastinator. It's finally catching up with me. I enrolled in M-Tec, a fantastic school that teaches medical transcription. The program costs over $3000, which I didn't have at the time of enrollment. Another terrific organization, Operation Life Transformed, arranged for someone to pay for my schooling. Well, that was almost a year ago...and I have yet to really start. So here I am, wasting some very generous man's money. That's not going to happen. He trusted me to give this program everything, and that's what I plan on doing. So now I have about 6 months to complete a very difficult course that some people don't even finish in 18 months. Wish me luck - I'll need it!

Cookie Factory

OMG, how many cookies am I going to make today? Lets back up. A week or so ago, I pledged to make about 10 dozen cookies for our brigade cookie drive. Last night I found out that numbers were low and some battalions weren't participating. Only the battalions who gave cookies would have cookies sent to their soldiers. Totally fair! After asking how our battalion was doing (not so great), I decided it was time for cookie overload. Today has been nothing but cookies, except for a fantastic conversation with the hubby. So far I've baked 26 dozen cookies. There are some waiting to be bagged up, and two batches left to mix up and bake. *whew* Who knew this would be so crazy?! LOL I'm happy to be helping though. Our soldiers deserve every little bit of home we can send. Don't forget to thank a vet! :)

An ugh kind of day.

Today is one of 'those' days. Everything started out great. Joe and I got to talk for a few minutes online, which is huge these days. Bella got to school on time, even with a last minute stop at Walmart to buy snack for her class. That's when it all went downhill somehow. When we got home, Brooke just went nuts. She's throwing tantrums, screaming, trying to stop me from doing things I need to do...just driving me insane. I put Kaelyn down for her nap early so that I could focus on Brooke. Thankfully she's somewhat calmed down now, but I'm still all pissed off. To top it off, my external hard drive is still being freaking stupid. I also want to make an appointment to talk to my doctor about some stuff, but I know they won't take me seriously. I already know what they will say and it just pisses me off even more. So...that's my day so far. Blah.

Super Bowl XLIII, here we come!

Great game, Steelers! You had me on the edge of my seat for some of the game, but you pulled through. Good luck in Tampa! WOOHOO!!!

Hats galore!

Well, I finally learned Magic Loop! It was really easy and certainly a handy technique to know. My first attempt resulted in a hat that was too small for any of the kids. I guess that's what I get for not checking my gauge! It did give me some experience though, so it wasn't all that bad. Plus, I have a hat already made for a baby present! :) Here's the hat:



Yes, that is the same yarn I'm using for Joe's Lover's Knot Afghan. (You'll need to be registered with Lion Brand's website to see their free patterns.) The Cascade Eco Wool is just fabulous. The pattern was really easy, and a super quick knit. You can find it here: Simplest Cap of All. After the tiny one, I made another for Joe out of Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky. He loved it and even took it back with him after R&R! My mom has requested a hat also, so I'm going to use the same Wool-Ease Chunky. It's warm, but also machine washable. She requested a cream color, so I'm going to use wheat:



Not everything I knit is in muted colors, I promise! It just seems that everyone is requesting creams and tans right now. Joe's hat was green, but I forgot to snap a picture before he took it back with him. KnitPicks recently came out with their new Felici colors, and I'm hoping to get some to tackle my first pair of socks. I'm looking forward to the challenge!

Yay for babies!

I love knitting for kids! There's just something about making something in a miniature size that is just so - I dunno - cute! Plus, they make for quick and satisfying projects. Since my girls are out of the baby stage and into the toddler and up stage, I have to wait for others to have babies so I can make itty bitty baby stuff. Now I have someone to knit for! Woohoo! Bella's teacher is pregnant and just found out she's having a little girl. :) Having 3 girls myself, I LOVE pink. So here's what I have in mind for her baby present:



Isn't it just too freaking adorable?! The above photo was taken from share32006's Flickr photostream. I found this photo on Ravelry and just had to do the same project. I love how she made a matching hat and teensie little socks. After sending her a quick message, she was fantastic enough to point me in the direction of the hat & sock patterns she used. Since I'm going to be knitting for a baby girl, I think I'm going to do mine in Berry (a dark pink color) and Taupe (the brownish color above). I really like the pink and brown combo, and I'm sure Bella's teacher will be getting plenty of light pink and white presents! In case you are wanting the patterns, here you are! All are available for free on Ravelry. If you aren't a member of Ravelry, I don't think you'll be able to see the patterns. You just need to join Ravelry anyway! It's awesome!! Here are the links: Hoodie Baby Blanket, TLL Basic Knit Hat Pattern, and North Country Cotton Baby Socks.

If you don't have a baby to knit for, consider making some of the above items for local hospitals. If you do, please remember to use a soft, 100% acrylic yarn, such as Caron Simply Soft. Acrylic is hypoallergenic and able to be used in NICUs. Check your local hospital to see if they accept donations. If they don't, there are plenty of websites collecting hats for various charities. Peace!

Facebook

I'm finally getting around to updating my Facebook with pictures and actually adding people as friends. I'm starting to like it more than Myspace, and will probably be making the transition towards using just Facebook soon. As I'm going through and adding people, it occurs to me that these people probably have no freaking clue who I am. LOL There's no trace of my maiden name anywhere on my profile, since I dropped that as soon as I could once Joe and I got married. My profile picture is actually a professional one where I'm wearing makeup...something that is not an every day occurrence, by any stretch of the imagination. It's just weird. Then going through and seeing what others are up to is just crazy. One of my friends from high school is in South Korea now...and isn't even affiliated with the military (that I know of). Not many of them seem to have kids yet, which makes me feel old. *sigh* My life is so different. We had our kids early. I have to wait until they are older before I can really start my professional life. Do I even want a professional life anymore? Hell, I'd be perfectly happy just being able to get a job right now. Damn you, daycare and your high prices! LOL On the other hand, Kaelyn should be out of the house by the time I'm 40. Woohoo! That's when we'll start living. Joe should be retiring around that time, so we can go travel and do everything we want to do then. I just hate waiting. :( It'll be worth it in the long run!

Hi! Hey! How are you?

So, you've found my little slice of the web! Hopefully you'll find something that catches your interest. It's hard to tell what you might find, actually. This is a place for me to collect my thoughts, vent, and just share what I enjoy. Mostly, you'll hear me ramble on about my wonderful husband, how my kids are driving me crazy, what projects I'm knitting on or want to start, and just life in general. Laugh with me, laugh at me, whatever. Enjoy!