Missing Germany...

Today I was just missing Germany.  There were some loud bangs outside kind of like what I'd hear constantly from the canons that would go off in Germany.  And it made me wish i was back there...

I miss the people....my neighbors especially.
I miss the library and storytime and the best librarians that ever lived...
I miss the green trees and grass and countryside I drove through.
I miss the red roofs.
I miss the pretzels
I miss the speed limit on the autobahn...
I miss going to a small town and walking the pedestrian zones.
I miss the church bells
I miss castles
I miss alot about that place.  I'm so lucky to have lived there for 3  years.

We've been told that once you've been its unlikely you'll be sent back.  Boo.  I guess I'll just have to push for Korea.  :)

So close to the end...

Deployment ends next month.  Just over 30 more days.

I feel like I'm in the move The Jerk...the first day felt like 3 days.  The second day felt like 2 weeks and four days.  The third day just felt like just a day...

Mr chucklehead said the same thing.  He fees like he's got 10 months left...short timers disease.

My neighbor who left after John comes home next week.  I'm jealous....but at least I have 30 more days to clean out the house and get rid of anything I want since John won't remember if we had it or not.  Haha....

We have almost made it to the end.  That's something to celebrate!

The mess...

Its amazing to me how long it takes to finally get everything put away correctly after the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays.  I took my tree down on the 27th thinking if I could just get the tree down the rest would be easy.

I live in a disaster zone! 

Just saying....and complaining is over...

New Year's Resolutions...

Its January 1st and I'm am SO. READY. FOR. A. CLEAN. SLATE. called 2014.  I saw a great quote on Facebook that said, "Today is the first day of a 365 page book with empty pages.  Write a good one."

I'm on it.

We'll start with today....the laziest of New Years Days...spent loving on my kids, playing games, watching movies and eating cheese dip.

My kind of day.

I do have to backtrack to that cheese dip, though.  Its actually kind of amusing how that all came about....for New Year's Eve we went to a party at a friend's house.  She is Columbian...her other friends that came are Puerto Rican and I was the lone "American."  We were all supposed to bring something to share.  Columbian chicken with ham and pineapple and a delicious gravy from Columbia...rice and beans and and flan from Puerto Rico and Velveeta Ro'tel Cheese dip from the good old U.S. of A. 

ha ha ha...when she told me to bring something from my country I had to laugh...I threw out a bunch of options including tater tots, hamburgers, ribs, etc...and she jumped at the Velveeta cheese dip.

So...the American contribution to the New Year's celebration was cheese dip. 

Makes me laugh.

Ok...resolutions...I've got a few.

I lost 60 pounds in 2013.  I love that.  I have 60 more to loose to be at my BMI recognized goal weight.  So....Resolution 1 is the reach my goal weight.

I've already got my zumba classes lined up and I'm starting crossfit this month too.  yikes!

Resolution 2....sprint triathlon.  I do not like to run...but I love to bike and swim...so if I can enjoy two out of three I'm thinking a sprint triathlon is a good goal for me.

Resolution 3.  Cook with less processed foods.  I want my kids to love veggies and real cheese and not macaroni from Kraft.  Please disregard all previous comments about velveeta cheese dip.

Resolution 4.   Draw.  I bought a sketchbook and my goal is to draw more...with Bella in particular.  I want her to love art...she's a good good artist.  So we will be following this woman's lead....I've already done our first picture and am working on the second.  I'll be posting more about them.

Resolution 5.  Blog at least 3X week and get my website up and running.  That means you'll be hearing a lot more from me.  I'm hoping that's good new.

Cheers to a New Year...and much happiness in 2014...

Zombie Zumba

I've gotten into Zumba. 

Ok...I've REALLY gotten into zumba...in fact one might call me a zumba addict these days.

But its helped me lose 50 pounds so I'm saying thats a really good thing.  Yesterday was Zombie Zumba. 

Oh yeah....

A room full of women dressed up like zombies (and two men)

This is me and my zumba friend and cul-de-saq neighbor...we decorated our shirts and blackened our eyes and frzzed out our hair and then zumba'ed for TWO HOURS.  Burned me 1500 calories!

So listen...if a zombie can zumba...

I highly suggest if you've got a shimmy in your body that you try out zumba. 



Don't Feed the Bears!

There I am...Ranger Anna all ready for the HHB Trunk or Treat.  And why go as a park ranger, you ask?

Because I had the cutest little Owl...

Who insisted on calling HOO HOO and flapping her wings everywhere we went...

AND the cutest little grumpy bear...

Who finally popped his grumpy bear hat over his face so the park ranger would leave him alone...

The kids raked in so much candy...I've got to remember not to buy halloween candy until after we attend these events.  It's likely I wouldn't have to buy any...ever...again....

We officially have...

Oh, I'm such a bad blogger these days.  I've been focusing on so much other stuff that I've let Chuckleheads fall by the wayside.

But there are major milestones that just simply have to be recorded!

1.  We have a walker!  Jaxxy boy is not officially walking more than he is crawling.  It happened just the past two days.  He's been occassionally toddling along but preferring the faster crawling method...then yesterday he started walking on his own...catching his balance and getting up when he'd fall to try walking again...

And today I can't stop him.  He's a walker!

2.  We have passed the 6 month mark for deployement!  As of about July 24th we are on our way back DOWN the hill.  Woohoo!  Three more months before leave and then three months before he's home for good.  Hallelujah!

3.I have lost 36 pounds!  Woot!  Pretty proud of myself.  I restarted (again) the C25K and instead of doing the program as is...decided to do each week twice in an attempt to really be able to keep up with it and the run times it eventually gets to.

Well, can I just pat myself on the back and say...Last Saturday I ran TWO miles without stopping.  Thats right...me...running...two...miles.  I couldn't even run 30 seconds without heaving for breath 8 weeks ago when I started this. 

I also am taking a zumba class 2X a week.  I. Love. It.  And my teacher...holy booty shake queen!  This girl can move like nobody I've ever seen.  Except for maybe my mom on her new jiggle jiggle machine.  ha ha ha.

So thats where we are unless you want to hear more about my house that needs a good clean.  (next on my priority list if you can't tell.)

What the Bojiggly jiggly?

My mom called me the other day to tell me about a "NEW WEIGHTLOSS MACHINE THAT IS SIMPLY AMAZING!"

Adore my mom...and yes the all caps is necessary because she is a woman that gets quite excited about very funny things like this amazing weight loss machine. One might call her an "alarmist", but I don't. Nope...not me.

Like Y2K. Remember that? Yes, she was terrified that wild dogs would be running through the streets because of the end of the world. And it took her forever to get a Facebook page because the internet will STEAL YOUR IDENTITY!

So...she tells me about this new machine her chiropractor has in his office...and she called it the jiggle jiggle machine. I promise you this is a G rated post except I may have to move that to PG simply because she called it the jiggle jiggle machine and that just sounds wrong.

So the jiggle jiggle machine is something you stand on and then you just turn up the jiggling vibration to as high as you want it to go...its supposed to tone and firm muscle and help you burn calories. Only 10-15 minutes per day is the claim and unbelievable health benefits...

But anywho...she tells me to find it (she always calls me to search the internet for her because I'm really good at that google thing.) because she wants to know how much it costs...

I found a few way out of any kind of intelligent human price range...and then...SHAZAM. $250 bucks on Amazon.com...the Crazy Fit Massager Full Body Vibration Machine! And its on sale and you know you want to find out more about the jiggle jiggle machine. Plus its 87% off right now and you save $1,743.51. Seriously.

It makes you want one...doesn't it?

And I couldn't help myself...I sent her the link and let her know now is her CHANCE to own her very own jiggle jiggle machine.

I'm guessing my stepdad won't mind watching her exercise on that thing.

UPDATE!

I received an email today...

She.  bought.  it.

ha ha ha ha!  She is now a proud owner of a jiggly jiggly machine.

I cannot stop laughing...

(and I can't wait to try it!)

Running (wo)man

Anybody remember the 90's?  Actually, clarification - early 90's?  Those were the days when I wore Cross Color clothing to look rasta hip hop cool?

C'mon...Cross Colours?

No way you don't remember me running around in those bright red pants...or yellow.  Good lord...I really did dress like that...but even more than the clothes was the DANCE MOVES.

Little known fact:  I was voted "most likely to dance at random times" at our last family reunion and I blame thank my 90's dance crew for making that a reality in my life.

Like the Running Man...

Photo added to remind you exactly how cool one looks when performing the running man correctly.  I used to rock the HOUSE with my dance moves.

And then I lost the fire...the color...the moves...and got really fat.  Ugh.

So...this morning I got up at o'dark hundred and got ready to run on my treadmill as my first official day of my C25K program.  And just as I was heading downstairs both kidlets woke themselves up.  Now I know myself well enough to know that if I don't bust out the exercise in the morning...I can procrastinate and excuse away every other chance to do it...so I got those kids up and cooked them breakfast then stuck baby boy outside in the garage in his highchair and baby girl in a camp chair and they had their breakfast while I did my morning run.

And really this has nothing to do with the running man dance move except that when I am in good enough shape to not slip and fall or jiggle the bod all over the place I will once again be rockin' the house with my own running (wo)man dance moves...

3 months

We just passed the 3 month mark for deployment.  Only 9 months to go.  If you haven't read my letter to deployment...let me give you the cliff notes version...

Dear deployment:

You suck.

Sincerely,

Me.

Baby Birdies!

These pretty little baby mourning doves are probably about 3-5 days old here.  Actually, they really aren't all that pretty, but its been fun to watch them!  Mama is very protective right now.  We leave them alone unless she is gone from the nest...then we can't help but take a peak!



....and $1000 later...

I didn't go to the dentist even one time while living in Germany...I am an avid brusher and flosser...i thought to myself that would be enough for the 3.5 years that we were there...right?

Wrong.

A temporary crown, a permanent crown and a root canal done yesterday.  But I am glad to report that there is no more decay in my mouth.

I guess I shouldn't feel too grumpy about it, the dentist said this was not just because I didn't see the dentist for about 4-5  years and a standard cleaning wouldn't have fixed it...it was all decay BENEATH my fillings. 

Here is the good news... (after I get the temporary crown replaced with a porcelain crown...)

No more dentist for a full year!  Wahoo!

Lovey Dovey

A couple of weeks ago I bought a hanging plant for my back patio.  A few days later I noticed a lovey dovey sitting in the middle of it.  When I got close she flew away, but check out what she left behind!

Here is the mama bird that sits on the nest...

She used to get very upset and fly away every time we went out on the back porch, but now we are "cohabitating."  She sits quietly even if the kids play right under the flower plant and she even stays in her nest when I water the flowers.  She keeps her eyes on me, but I get as close at 10-12 inches from her and the nest without her flying away now. 

I'm super excited to see baby birdies hatching soon.

A trip to the zoo...

We went to the Nashville Zoo!  Bobbi and Bop came visiting...they drove their motorhome from Oregon all the way to Fort Campbell and stayed for 10 day total.  We had a great time just being around them.  Its been a long time since we've lived near family.  I'm so grateful for inlaws that think its important to visit, know their grandchildren and develop good relationships with them!

The zoo was small, but beautiful.  Very lush and green.  They had these crazy monkeys at the very beginning that were SO loud.  You really felt like you were in the jungle!



Just a few photos from our day at the zoo...

On the carousel.  Bella had to be on the cheetah and so I put Jax on the ixtapa.  he liked it for about one full carousel circle...actually "liked" might be too strong a word.  He tolerated it....then he was ready to be D.O.N.E.

Grassmere Estates...the estate that donated the land to the zoo and so its named after it.  Bop and Bella sitting on the porch rocking...all they need is a little glass of lemonade!

Bobbi holding Jax in the playzone area for kids.  He puts everything in his mouth...and loved her hat strings.  He sucked them to soaked!

I just laugh every time I see this photo of Bop and Bella at the meerkat exhibit.  Their faces are priceless!

 

 

And the highlight of Bella's day...the flamingos.  She talked about them all day long and they were one of the last things we saw.  Just beautiful bright colored birds.  I never realized how bright their coloring actually was until this trip...

 



Pretty Roses...

John sent me roses for Mother's Day.  Between my mothers bracelet and the flowers I'm feeling spoiled.  That's a nice feeling.

The roses were a beautiful peach color.  I looked up the meaning.  (although I have no idea if John meant anything by picking the color he picked...)

Anywho...the peach rose means appreciation, closing the deal, let's get together, sincerity and gratitude.  Those are all very nice sentiments for a mother's day flower arrangement.  I just love them!

Queens wear crowns...

I told Bella that I was getting a crown today. 

She immediately responded that it was because I was the queen (and she was the princess and Jax was the prince, of course).

Love this kid.

But, the crown I meant is strictly limited to my teeth.  As in dental crown.  My first...but not last. 

I just have one thing to say about today's dental visit...

14 shots kept my mouth numb for 9 hours.

Yes, 14 shots.

It wouldn't numb...I had three rounds of anaesthesia shot into my mouth.  The last round worked overtime.  9 hours later I could actually feel my mouth working again.  I am not looking forward to the second one...

What a long two weeks...

If there were two weeks we could just wipe out...I choose the last two.  I have been up to my elbows in snot, vomit and tears for two weeks.  Ugh.  Its kept me from doing almost anything productive and exhausted me in the process so now I'm struggling with a cold of similar proportions.

We can't seem to get rid of the cough...Bella seems to have inherited my chronic cough after a cold.  Poor kid.  I'm actually trying some allergy medicine.  Its only been 2 days, but I do sense a difference in her.  Hmmm...allergies...something you don't think about unless you have them.  (it was a suggestion from my allergy ridden neighbor.)

And so there is the end of the last two weeks...may they never be repeated again.

I'm a Liebster STAR!

I won an award.

Yup.

The Liebster Award...

Never heard of it?  Well, despite being awarded this prestigious award by Carrie "CJ' Jean over at Military Wife Life I also had to google it. 

But...this may be my one and only chance to do Academy Award style thank you's so you'll just have to wait on what I found out...in the meantime...

I'd like to thank my elementary school teacher, Mrs. Matthews.  This is what I remember most about her...she collected pigs and she would let me hide up in the reading loft when I was supposed to be doing something else.  Thanks for encouraging me to read and being the best librarian ever and instilling a love of words into a 5th grader.

Thank you to my teenage angst years, my adoration of New Kids on the Block and my complete nerdiness in high school that provided mountains of journal writing experiences of which I still have and cherish and laugh hysterically when reading.

And last, but not least...thank you to my parents who made me write essays as punishment.  It was those hours of writing no less than 500 words on "Why I should not lie" that has made me the blogger that I am today.

If i forgot anyone I'm terribly sorry...receiving the award has just gotten me all flustered!...

Ok...so in my google search...What I discovered is that the Liebster award has its roots way back in 2010 in a German blogger who decided to start an award for bloggers who have less than a certain number of followers.  I've seen numbers from 3000 to 200...it doesn't really matter in my case.  I fit both criteria.  Its kind of like a blogging chain letter...only MUCH cooler and you can't get arrested for it if you ask for money.  Which I may add to the Liebster award rules...nominate bloggers and then they have to pay you for accepting.  I may be onto something here.

Soo....I get the award...answer a list of questions asked by the one who nominated me and then pass the award along asking my own list of questions...

On to my award!  I get a badge and everything!

1.  What is your favorite quote?

I adore CS Lewis.  I find him absolutely brilliant.  This favorite of mine brought me much peace in the years I struggled with faith...

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."

And then of course there is my second favorite which is much less serious, but still has a religious underton... 

"The 11th commandment:  Thou shalt not weigh more than thy refrigerator."

2.  What was the last song you listened to?

Ha!  Katy Perry - Firework.  LOVE her.  LOVE this song.  I just find it inspiring...and I LOVE the music video.  Bella and I danced while Jaxxy jumped in his exersaucer.  It was DANCE PARTY!

3.  What was your first blog post about:

I had to go back and look!  It was about starting a blog and writing like Dave Barry (who I find very humorous).  I'm not sure if my humorousness has reached his level....

4.  What is your favorite blog post on your site?

Oh, unfair!  I have no favorite.  (Booooo! Hisssss! say the crowd)   So if I absolutely HAVE to choose a favorite..I would say the one where I got this awesome award called the Liebster award....

5.  How did you come up with your blog name?

Ever seen Magnificent Seven?  There is a quote in there...

[as they ride to the village, Chico is following them]
Vin: Riding out there in all that dust and heat... what a chucklehead.
Chris: Yep. Not smart like us.
Vin: Yep.

And it was a good line.  And a good movie.  So when we started geocaching we needed a family name and became the chuckleheads. 

Also an interesting note...chuckleheads is synonymous with the word blockhead.  Guess what they call New Kid on the Block fans?  BLOCKHEADS!  I do believe everything in my life eventually ties back to New Kids on the Block.

6.  What inspires you?

Easy...my kids.  They are my light..my laugh...my love...  They make me want to be happy, healthy, kind, loving, exciting, energetic, active, spiritual, sweet, fun....

7.  Where so you see yourself in 5 years?

In 5 years....I shall be an old woman and I shall wear purple...

No seriously?  We'll still be in the Army...maybe living in Korea?  I'll have a 9 year old and a 5.5 year old.  I'll be on the PTA and have my own motorcycle to ride around on.  Oh, and I'll have actually crafted everything I have pinned on Pinterest.  Yeah Right.

8.  Describe yourself in 3 words.

Kind
Funny
Intelligent

Awesome, gracious, loving, sweet,  generous...and of course humble...

9.  What is your hometown and what is it like?

I always choose my birthplace as opposed to my hometown for questions like this.  I think deep down inside I liked being a country girl.  So, Vale, Oregon.  Little town of about 4,000 people.  One flashing stoplight.  It is as country as you can get...dusty, farms, migrant workers, trucks, one schoolbus to take all the kids to elementary, middle and highschool...

I loved living there.  I ran wild in the fields, swam in leech infested ditches, had my first boyfriend (Zach VanMeter - be still my beating 8 year old heart!)   Swam in a pool that had paint chipped in the deep end that I thought was in the shape of a shark....boy did I swim FAST in the deep end...I picked up potatos an beets from the side of the road as they dropped off trucks loaded high with produce.  I picked asparagus in the ditch banks and we drove an old Scout that could take a bump at 60 like no other car.

It was a glorious place to live.

10.  What is your dream job?

Dare I say writer?  My dream is to publish a book someday....

11.  How long have you been blogging?

Since 2004.  Thats 9 years...on this same blog.  And I love it.  Cheers to another 9...

And now for the moment you've all been waiting for...my Liebster nominations...

1.  Southern Stepmom
2.  A Handful of Hannants
3.  A Daily Dose of Del Signore
4.  Mrs. Lawler's Lovelies
5.  My Life in Custody
6.  The Amburgular
7.  Lipstick Uniforms and Bare Feet
8.  The Pert Skirt
9.  These are the Days of Your Lives

(its not a real liebster rule that I HAVE to have 10...I always had a hard time following directions anyway.)

And your 10 questions...

1.  What was your weirdest hairstyle ever?
2.  Do you believe in love at first site?
3.  What is the last thing you put in your mouth?
4.  Why did you start blogging?
5.  If you could be famous for one thing...what would it be?
6.  If your mom was describing you what would she say?
7.  you could go back to highschool what would you change about that experience?
8.  Who do you admire most?
9.  First kiss tell all...what when where who how...
10.  Are you thrilled to receive the liebster award?

Ready...Set...Blog!

Another one bites the dust...

Its just too funny NOT to share...

The cutest little crawler...

Two days ago...March 19, 2013 we hit the crawling milestone!  We never hit it with Bella because she refused to crawl.  She only ever did the dead man's crawl...reaching out and grabbing the carpet and pulling herself forward.  It was like she was dying every time she did it.

But, Jaxxy is now a bonafide crawler!  I walked downstairs during the kids lunch and he was up on all fours rocking back and forth and then just started kicking his legs and moving his arms and tadum!

I was super lucky to see it...I just came down for a water refill...otherwise it would have been his nanny that would have had to glorious milestone first.  I love working from home!