Day 17

Dear Steve,


The highlight of our day was Luca's first game of the season.  6 of the 8 players showed up so they all got a little extra playing time.  I have a couple funny videos of their warm up that I'll share as soon as I figure out how to get them on here.  


It was very cold and windy but we were bundled up pretty good.  Stella sat in the pink chair the whole time eating cheese crackers lol.  


Luca made me so proud.  He was running at the front most of the time, kicking well, dribbling and handling the ball very very well.  He followed directions and payed attention and just had an all around great game.  I think he's really starting to blossom.  Here are a few pictures from the game....not too shabby from my phone!

After the game we all went to Dave and Buster's for lunch.  We didn't play the games this time but they were happy enough just to pretend to do the race cars lol.  

I got Stella's Tinkerbell dress and wings off ebay last night.  They are SO CUTE and ended up being cheaper than what it would have cost for me to buy the material to make her one.  I'll make it up to her and make her a different dress up outfit though.  I only have a few more details (like mailing the invites!!!) to take care of and we'll be ready for a rip roaring Tinkerbell birthday party!

Easter is only a week away, thank goodness we got the kids basket stuff before you left.  My brain is letting me down right now and I would probably have forgotten.  I think we'll go to mom and dads at some point this week to do our eggs.

I do miss you tonight dear husband.  I miss your face, and your hugs and your snoring...yes I do, I miss your snoring.

Goodnight love,

Cortney

Days 15 and 16

Dear Steve,

Let me just say this....I am exhausted.  I honestly can't even remember much from yesterday, I think it was a pretty average day followed by a horrible headache that sent me to bed right after talking to you.

Today, mom came over around 10am and we dove right into the kitchen/dining room area.  All the boxes on top of the hope chest?  Gone!  The pile of miscellaneous crap behind the love seat?  GONE!  Don't worry, I've saved the important stuff but we probably filled half a dumpster just with empty boxes and boxes of trash and junky crap we really didn't need.  We condensed all the arts and crafts type stuff and this evening I went and bought a second one of those cube organizers.  My thinking is that when the time comes these can go into each kids room if we want.  We moved into the living room and attacked it full on.  The love seat is now in front of the window and we can see the full length of our house now.....its a great view for sure.

I know I freaked you out :)  Don't worry, I swear it will all be ok.  I've making sure the save anything that might be important and I SWEAR I'm not blowing through your paycheck on home improvements.  I promised you a photo but I left my phone upstairs soooooooo I'll try to get it up tomorrow.

The kids are being....a challenge, what's new?  :)

                                                                                       Cleaning away and missing you THIS BIG!

Days 13 and 14

Dear Steve,

Yesterday was a long day and I forgot to post before heading to bed.

Luca had a big day in school, they got to pet worms...ick.  He said it was cool but kinda slimy.  They made little worms out of beads and pipe cleaners, his is named Wormie, and he's green and blue.  Luca was so proud to show it to me and pointed out very matter of factly that he used a repeating pattern for his worm!

We went to mom and dads for dinner, I made my parmesan chicken tenders, and then dad and I put the new cube organizer together.  After that they brought it over and got it inside for us.  This thing is awesome, it holds soooooo much stuff!!!!!

So here it is, all lovely and put together and filled with cubes filled with toys!  I still have to actually sort the toys in the cubes but its definitely a start.

Tonight mom and dad brought that other white cabinet over and put it in place of the toy box.  That and all the baby toys in it are going to their storage unit for now.  They went ahead and took the pack n play and the old umbrella stroller and baby swing too.  I'm not totally loving the cabinet in its place now but we'll see how it goes.  I have a plan but who knows if it will work or not in the long run.

So...what do you think?  Look at all the clean floor, just like when Luca was a baby!!  I'm trying hard, to get the house presentable.  I wanna knock your socks off when you come home :)

This is a short one, especially for 2 days worth but I'm pooped and I've talked to you twice the last 2 days so you already heard it all anyway.  Oh and I'm so glad your box came today, yay for care packages!

                                                                                               Hugs and kisses,

Day 12

Dear Steve,


It was good to see your face today.  I can tell the beard trimmer is coming right on time lol.  I hope you like the box we sent you today and I can't wait to hear that the first box arrives soon.


The kids went back to school this morning and it was SO NICE being able to run to Target and the post office all alone.  I woke up with an urge to whip this place into shape.  It's going to take a little moolah to make that happen...don't freak out I am not going hog wild...but I think the time has come that I cannot wait any longer to buy those cube organizers I've talked about for years.  I know they are a little pricy but in the long run I really think they will make a huge difference in here and the best part is when the kids get their own rooms the organizers can go into their rooms!  I am going with a bigger one than I'd planned on because the price is better for the size and it will hold sooooooooooooo much of their crap!!!

I am SO FLIPPIN EXCITED to get this thing in here and all put together!!  I got 3 of the cubes this morning, I found them on clearance actually, and in 15 minutes the kids had almost every single little teeny weeny toy picked up and tossed into those 3 bins.....just 3 and we can already want through and there is enough room for all 3 of us to lay on the floor if we want!!!  GASP!  I think you are going to be so proud of me when its all finished.  Between organizing the first floor and painting the bathroom, you are going to come home to a much better home than you left.

Now to change directions....I'm totally grossed out by Luca's class agenda tomorrow, its worms.  Icky, slimy, inchy worms.  So.Gross.  He's excited to see them but doesn't want to touch them; good boy.

I'm also going to have to start pulling the kids in a little cart behind me on a bike soon because gas it almost over $4 a gallon now.  So much for trips to WV and Springfield this summer to keep busy.  Maybe a horse would be cheaper, even with boarding and food costs.  Just saying, don't be surprised if we are paying rent to a barn when you get home!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo,       

Day 11

Dear Steve,


Last day of Spring Break.  I'm not sure if I'm happier or the kids are!  Don't get me wrong, we had fun this week, nothing super exciting but it was REALLY nice sleeping until about 8:30 every day.  I quickly realized just how much I actually get done on the days both kids are in school, or even the mornings when its just Stella with me...its impossible to calmly and happily run errands with them both.  Stella refusing to ride in a cart because she's not a baby, Luca zooming around non stop like a cork thats just been shot out of a wine bottle.  It's exhausting.


I'm going to have to adjust my schedule too, now that school is back.  I've been going to bed after midnight every night, totally exhausted.  I feel like I'm turning a corner a bit though today.  The past 2 weeks I've done the minimal amount needed to keep the house running.  Paid bills, did some dishes, the kids and the fur baby all got fed and I even cleaned the litter box which was gross but not as bad as I was anticipating it to be.  Today I did 2 loads of laundry and folded 2 more.  I took out all the trash.  I made sure Reese had food and water before going to bed and before he came hollering after me to remind me!  I de-cluttered the little table by the sink and I've started making plans in my head on what to do to the living room to control the kids massive stockpile of toys.  With Stella's birthday only a month away I have got to weed out some of the stuff they don't play with.  


We went to church this morning.  I was worried that it would be really lonely sitting in the pew all by myself, going up for communion all by myself, not getting my kiss from you during the offering of peace.  Lucky for me (or not?) the nursery was closed today so little miss accompanied me to service while Luca went to sunday school.  She was actually pretty good, aside from loudly asking during the quietest moments if it was all done yet lol.


Pastor John asked about you, as did a few ladies from my women's group.  Michelle sat near us and got to talking to Stella during peace and was asking if she was excited to be in her class next year.  Stella of course said 'yes, me big girl now!'  


I don't have any pictures for you today.  I'm trying to make an effort to take some every couple days so you can see for yourself what we're up to.  I don't even know if you're reading these yet, darm spotty desert/mountain internet.  I want to tell you all the stupid and silly little things that happen during our day, the million unimportant things that would normally come up in our evenings, all the things I can never seem to think to say when we have that rare moment to see each other 'face to face' through the computer.  15 minutes just isn't enough time to tell you how much I love you and how much I totally and completely miss your face.


                                                                                                   I love you baby,





P.S. - don't spend thousands of dollars on an authentic Afghanistan rub....the kids or the cat will just puke on it and ruin it ;-)

Day 10

Dear Steve,


Boy what a busy day we had...can you tell I'm trying to keep us busy busy busy?  We started our day with Weight Watchers.  I'm not even going to tell you how that went, I will just say it wasn't my best week but not my worst.


Remember the dress I told you I made for Stella?  Well here it is :)

This was at the end of the day so its a little wonky on the straps

Today was the Easter open house at Anthony Thomas, the kids had a blast.  You should have heard the excitement from the back seat when we pulled into the parking lot and your daughter caught sight of that gigantic blow up hot pink bunny on top of the store!  Now prepare for a photo explosion, I got a lot of really good shots (from my phone no less) of the kids enjoying the tour.  Luca made sure I got pictures of the buckeyes being made, he remembered how much you always like that part :)

Chocolate bunnies going in the molds

mmmmmmmmmm chocolate!

He was really into the big vat of chocolate

Buckeyes!

That is one bad ass bunny

Stella was waving at all the ladies working down below

Our beautiful kids

Can you believe how big they are now?

We spent the rest of the afternoon playing at mom and dads house.  After much chocolate and some outside play time before the rain hit, the kids were asleep before their heads hit their pillows.

I miss you today.  I love our little family traditions and it was fun going today and continuing on with them, but I missed you today.  2 weeks down, 23 to go.  I'm counting ;)

                                                                                                        Loving you always,
                                                                                                              

Day 9

Dear Steve,

We had a pretty busy day today.  We met mom and Britney at Kohls in the morning, the kids really needed pajamas that fit.  I was able to find a pair for both of them that didn't cost a fortune, phew! 

After that we went to Applebees for lunch....we almost had a meltdown.  I did that is..almost.  They took my Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad off the menu!!!  What the hell?!?!?  Lucky for everyone involved the management thought that was a stupid decision and refused to stop carrying it lol.  I was able to eat my yummy all you can eat soup and salad until I about burst...yummmmmm I do love that salad.

We went home to check the mail afterwards and my necklace had arrived!  Some might think its silly but I ordered it as a way of keeping you close to my heart while you are gone.  It is certainly no replacement for you but its something I can hold, touch, feel that makes me think of you and not feel so very far away. 

I LOVE YOU HONEY!

                                                                                                        Hugs and kisses,

Day 8

Dear Steve,


I miss you today.  More than the other days up to know.  I'm sick, enough said.  It seems in the rush and the stress of getting you packed and off and then the week of holding my breath and patiently waiting for you to safely set foot inside the walls of your base, I ate poorly and didn't get enough sleep and now this nasty funk has hit.  I had a terrible night of coughing and just feel like poo.  I plan on snuggling up to your pillow tonight and pretending its you I'm hugging, because snuggling you is the best medicine around.


The kids and I had a laid back day...see first paragraph.  We did brave Walmart earlier, its pretty mild mid-day.  We needed medicine for me and food..did you know the kids and the cat both get grumpy when you forget to feed them?  Just kidding, I haven't forgotten either yet.  We are planning another care package now that I know how long they take to get to you.  I don't want you to have to wait weeks and weeks and weeks in between.


I made a new dress for Stella today!  It's a pillowcase dress (no I didn't use a pillowcase) and its pretty cute.  I'll be sure to post a picture for you tomorrow.


That's about it I guess, really nothing fancy happening over here.  Reese has been sleeping directly on top of my stomach since you left, I guess he misses snuggling you to.

Loving you from far away,                             

Day 7

Dear Steve,


People keep asking how you're doing, and the next question is always how am I doing?  Right now?  I'm doing okay.  You've only been gone a week so really, on our end, it doesn't feel much different than an average business trip.  I don't think it is really going to sink in for a few more weeks.


I've been keeping us all busy, all go go go, so we don't think too much about how much we miss you.  We sent you a care package today.  If it wasn't that grumpy lady at the mail counter I would have taken a picture, but she was annoyed that I didn't seem to know how to send a package to someone at a military base on the other side of the world.....silly me.


I've been trying to come up with fun things to do with the kids and today  I made colored rice for them to play with in tubs inside...think sandbox with less, well, sand.

Rice drying in the sun

I used the neon food colorings....so vibrant!

They couldn't wait to get started

She had more on the sheet than in the tub at the end but they had a blast!!

So anyway, this is how we spend our afternoon. A little rice, some rubbing alcohol and a bit of food coloring and your kids had a cheap indoor sandbox lol.

With love from across the globe,