From VBS to "Being Elizabeth"

A year ago this Memorial Day weekend was the start of the next chapter of my life and I remember it as if it was just yesterday (it's already been a year?!-where does time go?!) My parents, brother, in-laws, and cat (who was somewhat sedated) stood in our driveway- holding hands and praying for my new life and the move... then headed to he weigh station, then what seemed like an hour and still in Kalamazoo we were off- heading to Fort Knox- my brother, Keith, and dad were in the truck, pulling the huge car trailer (do we really have ALL that much stuff?!) and my mom, Andie, and I in my car- using the walkie- talkies to share jokes, driving frustrations, and directions we made it to Fort Knox- at some point about a half hour away from post in an almost abandoned town I asked myself,"is this really where I am moving to?! What in the world- this is for sure the south and as I saw someone driving their lawnmower as a car, all of my ideas about KY surfaced...) Caleb called us to tell us what gate we had to go through (and hoping that we had all remembered our ids- Nate brought his lunch account card/id) we arrived at Fort Knox... And later pulled up to our house where Caleb was waiting on the front porch near a sign that read "Welcome home Mrs. Lohman" (oh Andie is staying here? Ok, let's drip her off and head back to MI- I have already seen enough and am already feeling homesick...) Caleb picked me up and we walked across the "threshold" and that's when I realized that I was "Mrs Lohman" and this was "home"... Where is my homesick medicine now?! Our families unpacked, moved everything, met the guy from Craigslist who I bought my ellyptical from, while Caleb stayed back and waited for the cable guy (yes we have our priorities) ;) and then went to dinner... Next morning woke up and went shopping, then our moms planted herbs and flowers while Nate and I hung the flag (where were the over guys?- probably watching tv- jk, but now that I think about it, I really don't know where they were!)- that day came and went and before I knew it we were giving hugs and they were walking to the car- at this point I was bawling and our moms and my dad were shedding tears... I looked exactly like I did 18 years ago when they dropped me off at VBS and I screamed- you see, I have always been one of those kids who ge homesick- go to Meijer to get groceries as a family and my dad/sister sneak away- I was bawling wondering why they left us (my poor mom!), 5th grade trip- my mom was a chaperone- the night ended by me calling her and being rocked to sleep by...my principal...slumber party at our neighbor, grandma Tillers house- better believe I woke my parents up in the middle of the night crying- just like I did at every sleepover, trip... Anything (my poor, poor parents!)- as they drove away from our house I sobbed... Looked at Caleb (who was probably wondering when they were coming back to pick me up- "and they left this girl who is a wreck with ME?!" Caleb had no idea what to do but immediately came up with the idea to go couch shopping and to Walmart for some other stuff (he had gotten a beautiful rug and bookshelf but I was upset that WE didn't pick it out-only later to come home with the same one)- on our way to Walmart we stopped at the library- biiiiiig mistake- I had JUST gotten ahold of myself and saw my dads favorite Christmas movie- I LOST it again... and put my sunglasses on- yes, inside; I didn't want people to see me so upset over a- movie cover! Looking at couches only left me thinking back to the couch at "home"- in Kalamazoo... and Walmart made me miss Meijer from back home... I was beside myself and couldn't stop crying- no matter how many smiling faces/hugs/jokes/kisses Caleb failed... I was majorly homesick... We went to our "new place" (I refused to call it "home" for the longest time)- I called my parents (again to "check in on them" for the 100th time- you think I am joking?- nope). When we got back home we started watching tv- on the floor (we had no couch!) but it was the best thing- I actually loved the "simpler" life of not having a couch- honestly, it's one of my favorite memories... And I was JUST starting to feel better and had stopped crying when Caleb laid it on me..."we should start unpacking-quickly because I have to head out to the field for 2 weeks- tomorrow morning"... I couldn't believe it- what a wake up call- "welcome home Mrs Lohman" should have read: "welcome to the army" as in, "you have no say- stop making plans and forget about your "to do list/summer things to do" (basically how I have lived my entire life) because this is the Army... You never know ANYTHING with this lifestyle- definitely a wake up call that took me forever to learn... I started crying again and headed to bed... I woke up the next morning with dark circles/puffy eyes only to be met by my neighbors ready to go on a walk... One of the women, Elizabeth was the first person my mom and Nate fell in love with- i still remember unpacking and my mom calling for me: "Sarah you MUST meet Elizabeth... She is wonderful (Nate behind her agreeing)- I dragged my feet the entire walk (across the road) not wanting to meet anyone-yet, but "moms know best" and my mom knew exactly what i needed- stepping into Elizabeths kitchen I saw her daughter wearing huge pink bow... Adorable... Elizabeth was from North Carolina (where my sister lives) so we started talking- hands down she was one of the sweetest people I have ever met... she was outgoing and nice and was the first person I talked to outside of my family- that's when I realized that I was an outgoing person and started to "find myself" again- ever since then, whenever someone moves in next door, and as outgoing as I am I still get a little nervous going out of my way to introduce myself...so I call my mom, who then tells me to "be am Elizabeth" and armed with muffins I walk over and meet any newcomer to our neighborhood... I have become that Elizabeth- the person who goes over while the family/couple is still unloading and wondering how they're going to unpack and fit everything into this "post house" I smile, reach out, introduce myself (and Caleb if he's home), and start making friends... hoping they will stay for longer than 8 months... "welcome home/welcome to the Army/welcome to the family"-whatever you want to call it- I welcome them and try to crack a joke and put them at ease as I know how it feels to move and not know what to expect... I am that Elizabeth mom ;)

Moving day

As I write this I hear loud noises outside.... but looking out our front window all I can see is a huge truck with "moving co." on it... and then, looking closer, I see: memories- a grill, kitchen supplies, 3 kids, and other boxes... this actually isn't an unusual sight to see being that we live on a military post... Since the beginning of the year our neighborhood has completely changed- 80% of our neighbors are new- and in fact, once our neighbors officially drive off post heading to their new duty station, Caleb and I will be the second longest living people in our neighborhood, and we've only been here just over a year! Like I said, moving trucks aren't something rare here- just like driving next to a Humvee or hearing cargo planes/guns/canons firing... I can't believe that I am saying this but I am used to it- when I go back home and don't hear or see these things I feel out of place... drive up/down any street and you are bound to see boxes piled high and moving trucks... some of the people that I have seen move I haven't ever met- maybe ran into them while out running or at the commissary, but I don't know them- but, they're another family moving across the country, or, across the world. Over the past year we have made some amazing, lifetime friends, but we have had to say goodbye to- that's one of the hardest parts to our lifestyle- the soldier gets orders and we all pick up our things and leave- starting another life- most people in the military chunk their lives by the places they have lived... "remember that time when we were in Hawaii or Germany..." " no dear, that was when we were in Texas.." the kids that I taught this year averaged 8-10 states that they've lived in (some countries thrown in for a good mix) and they're only 8 years old... while I was talking to my neighbors moving last night I couldn't stop reflecting everything that's happened over the last year, as well as the day I moved down here to start anoher chapter of my life: chapter 5:fort Knox... the neighbors that are leaving have left footprints on my heart- we may not have had the same ideas/at some times, but I will always remember them- the grill I see takes me back to our first night here (after our families headed back home)- we had a neighborhood BBQ where we officially met everyone and tried to remember faces to names and names to houses... and trying to remember what unit they were in, when they moved/how long they were here for, and where they came from- talk about "melting pot!"-our neighbors came from all over and were in all the walks of life... Newlyweds to 3+ kids/"lifers" in the Army... the kitchen supplies remind me of all the (many times) we have called eachother in need of milk, eggs, butter, rosemary, etc. (when you grocery shop you start to take all of this into account and usually buy more of something so that you can in fact help them out)- there's probably a path starting to show between our houses from the trips to and from getting ingredients... the 3 kids remind me of our doorbell ringing only to see their sweet daughter asking to play with Daisy... or watching her guinea pig for a week (that made me call my parents and thank them for being so stern about having a dog and fish that probably lasted a week)... the girl got this guinea pig for her birthday and for weeks tried to come up with the "perfect" name for it (Smore was the final cut)- how do I know that she took so long to come up with a name? Because I heard her talk about it every morning- you see, these same neighbors took me out every morning for a neighbor walk... I can't imagine how sad I wouldve been had they not waited for me each and every morning- there were between 4-10 of us any given morning- I learned so much from these ladies (at times a bit too much) but they got me out of the house and brought back my outgoing attitude that I thought I lost moving down here.... Yes, I will never forget them, as well as the other 20+ families/ friends that we have had to say goodbye to (I stopped counting awhile ago)... we keep in touch with many of them but it's just not the same- again, the military friends we make have become our family... and while we wait a week or so for new neighbors (yes-only a week to completely change who your neighbors are-the start of someone elses chapter in their life) Caleb and I wonder what they're going to be like: kids? No kids? Pets? and that's when I head to the kitchen to start making muffins to bring over to meet them... Yes mom, I have become that "Elizabeth" ;) (I will tell you about Elizabeth in the next blog...just to keep you on your toes and reading).. but back to saying goodbye to friends/neighbors... one of my dearest friends moved a few months ago to Texas- I remember he first time I met her, my friend Mekala, jokingly/yet somewhat seriously "we can't get too close to her though because she's leaving us in 8 months... Easier said than done- Emily became one of my best friends- she was the one with me when we got in the car accident, we ran together, did a devotional together, she got me my first job down here, shopped, got our hair/eyebrows done, called each other all the time-sharing recipes, hopes, dreams, concerns, everything... easier said than done indeed... we never talked about her moving (except for the fact that they were dreading Texas but knew God had a purpose in that post... if it weren't for my brother being here the day she left I don't know how sad I wouldve been... yes, our military friends become our family...

Shopping extravaganza

For those of you who know me well know that I don't like shopping- I used to love it, but now I can't stand it... I will gladly go with someone just to hang out/talk/walk but I can find something else for us to do that sounds fun- I should back up because there are always exceptions to my rule... take me toTarget, Walmart, TJ Maxx (my recent shopping fetish-only bc that's considered our "mall" by us!), Barnes and Nobles, or any consignment store and you can leave me all day there, but give me 20 minutes at a mall and I am dragging my feet begging to leave. I am mildly obsessed with coupons and freak out about getting a great deal- Caleb bless his heart know that so when I come home wanting to play the "guess how much this was/guess how much I saved" game he reacts as by aiming high to make it sound like an even better deal-yes, that's my husband and one more of the many reasons why I love him... While he was camping I went to the PX to pick up a few cards, but as usual, I got distracted by the vendors- I about flipped when I saw my old(er) friend selling Tupperware- she was here in December and I really wanted some... Sippy-cups! Yes, you read that correctly, I am in love with sippy-cups and at 23 years old you are bound to see me drinking from them frequently-however, when I moved down here I didn't take them from my parents (how thougtful huh?)- I did take my (brother's baby spoon-demitasse as I call them!) but whenever I get the slightest bit sick I want to drink out of my sippy-cups and can't because they're back home, so you better believe I was kicking myself back in December when I decided not to get them... when I saw her I IMMEDIATELY called Caleb to see if I could buy them-he of course laughed and said of course, and that once again it is OUR money so I don't have to ask (I always do, but not sure why)... So while a little girl was eyeing MY sippy-cups I snatched them up as quick as I could and bought them... I was estatic... but THEN I went to the PX to get the cards (the reason I actually went!) and saw a great deal-buy 3 cards and get a camera free-what?!?!? Did I read that correctly?! I looked around to see if anyone was as excited about it as I was-no, there was a huge display of cameras! (wasn't I JUST saying something about the disposal cameras a bit ago?!) Again, I was beside myself and absolutely geeked... Snatched my camera and 3 cards... What a wonderf (almost) shopping trip! I told Caleb how excited I was-he humored me by saying that it was cool and glad that I was excited but then asked me if I remembered that I had to drop off the camera to get developed/wait/etc. which almost-ALMOST made me lose some of my pure joy, but I was still pumped and can't wait to take pictures with my (old school) disposable camera! Yes! ;)

My green thumb...

While Caleb went home for a week I stayed home to catch up on things, house-sit, and (finally!) start my own garden... I haven't had time to start it with teaching... And my allergies are so bad down here that 15 minutes outside becomes a nightmare for me... Or at least makes me look like I have had a nightmare/ haven't slept in weeks bc my eyes get so dark/puffy... Friday was our last day to report to school, so Saturday my neighbor, Michaela and I went to Home Depot and got plants and 3 bags of (organic) soil... both of us are from Michigan, and without our moms to ask for help, we found some friendly older couple to help us... 45 minutes later, and about $40 later (Michaela went a bit overboard so her total was closer to $60...) we were heading back home in a car full of peppers, tomatoes, melon, herbs, and other plants... since we were outside (around plants!) at Home Depot my allergies were already kicking my butt so I called it a day and decided to start my garden on Sunday... I went outside and looked at all of my plants, the bags of soil, and the massive amount of weeds that were taking over my soon-to-be garden area... I took a bit breath, pulled my "big girl pants" up, put on my gloves, and armed myself with my shovel and rake and (even said out loud) "just do it- you can do it- it's no or never..." so I started pulling weeds... 2 recycling bins full of weeds later I opened my bags of soil (did I mention that it was organic? Do you know what organic soil smells like?-here, let me explain: when you drive by a farm and smell the cows... yes, that's what it smelled like...) and worked my soil and KY clay/soil together and finally stared to dig holes and plant... I think this is about the time that I was covered in dirt and sweat (oh and seriously I don't sweat...but actually did gardening!) I called my parents and apologized for not giving them the credit they deserved while growing up about their beautiful flowers and garden... about 3 hours later I was done... and after taking pictures (you have no idea how proud I was!) I took a shower only to realize that I was covered in mosquito bites (oh yeah I forgot to mention that Caleb went camping and took our bug spray/repellant with him!)... and that's when I passed out on the couch- Monday morning I woke up and was absolutely beat- I didn't even know I had the muscles that hurt and when I looked in the mirror I didn't even recognize myself bc my allergies had gotten the better of me... later that day I noticed a red bump/bite with 2 vampire-looking holes and a ring around it... Sweeeeeet. Awesome- what did I get bit by?! A KY person saw it later and told me to "keep an eye on it and that if it started peeling or swelling or my skin started falling off then I should go to the hospital ASAP"- are you kidding me?! Obviously this person had no idea who they were talking to (me-a freak about bugs/spiders)- I went home and googled "spider bites" and got even more upset: FYI do NOT google that... the graphic pictures are way too much! So later that day when my neighbor called me to borrow some basil I asked if she wanted to be my "mom" for the day (she is always wanting to take care of me!) she gave me ointment and made me feel so much better by calming me down "it's a spider bite but you would have known by now if it was a black widow or brown recluse" phew... when Caleb got home he had several more herbs/plants from my mom that I replanted... My garden is complete and looks wonderful... So far everything is growing and alive-yes it has only been a few weeks but a few weeks of growing/staying alive with me as the gardener is like a lifetime... I can only hope the plants survive long enough to be able to make homemade salsa and a tomato sandwich (my favorite!) and more importantly, long enough to get "lawn/outside of the month" award on post... Seriously I better win...

Id

You know when you go on a trip or vacation and you're extra careful and double check (sometimes triple-check in my case!) to make sure you have everything? Some of you may have gone somewhere where you have needed to carry your passport... I remember when we went on our cruise I kept my passport on me at all times... I would constantly open my bag to make sure it was still in it (even though I just looked like 5 minutes before)- in this case it probably would have been easier and I may have enjoyed myself a bit more instead of worrying about it the entire time if I duct-taped the passport to me... sometimes I think back to that time and think that I should tape my military id to me... Seriously, your military id is everything- you can't do anything without it... Try to buy groceries and you don't have it? Sorry- no can do- and you may think, well fine, if you don't have your id just go off-post and get your weeks worth of groceries... Well my friends, how do you suppose you get back on post to put your milk/frozen stuff away in time and just go home?! Yeah, you're going to need your id... Saturday night Caleb and I went to Louisville to see a movie (yes- round trip almost an hour and a half to see a movie-did I mention military posts are usually in the middle of no where?!) and on our way back home it hit me... I immediately realized I forgot my id... At home! I have joked so many times before about "forgetting my id" but this time I really did... I knew I did- I left my entire wallet at home! I had NO identification card at all... I looked at Caleb and was like, "seriously, I forgot my id..." and while I said it I was picturing it by the computer in our guest bedroom, but STILL looking for my wallet in my purse thinking... Hoping that it would somehow show up in my purse- how many of you do that?! You KNOW you forgot it but keep looking as if you will it to show up somehow... Nope, sorry, keep looking, but it's not going to magically appear... you can't will it to show up... So, back to my realization that I had indeed forgotten my id at home... I called my friend (basically savior/hero in times like this!) Mekala... I told her what happened and jokingly (yet somewhat serious) asked if I could still get on post without mine if Caleb was driving... She laughed (!) and said, "Sarah you know that you can't- they will arrest you..." and then continued to laugh... before I could even ask her she said "I am already on my way to your house-where is it? Meet me at the gate in 15 minutes..." When we pulled up to the gate I saw my hero, driving a little Saturn,waiting for us... people in the military say that "your family becomes your friends, and your (military) friends become your family"... I think so! Mekala has come to my "rescue" so many times before and I am so grateful for her... especially in times like this- all I wanted to do was go home, have some dinner, and chill out... without my id I wasn't going to be able to even go home, nonetheless chill out/have dinner... I would like to add that I did think about hiding in our trunk to get/"sneak" on post but knowing me and our luck, we would have been the car that the guards "randomly search/check"- haha what a sight that would be- "sir, we need you to open your trunk so we can finish our check"... And out pops me... As funny as that seems and as tempting as that sounds at times to lighten the guards' moods I immediately put my id in my purse... ;)

The difference...

I am currently reading "chicken soup for the military wife's soul and read a short story about the difference between a military wife and other spouses... "I never intended to become a run-of-the-mill person" she wrote... And added that "military wives aren't better or worse than any spouse but that there is definitely a difference"... I can clearly remember a day when I was driving through downtown Kalamazoo with my dad- it is one of those "teachable moments" that has forever changed my view/life... On the steps of the courthouse people were picketting the war... My dad rolled down his window and said how they should be grateful for their rights- they were able to protest bc people have fought in wars for that right... And then added
to get out of our country if they didn't appreciate that right and give respect to those who have fought and continue to fight-for them and their rights... I couldn't have been more proud of my dad! Jane Addams said "America's future will be determined by the home and school. The child becomes largely what he is taught; hence, we must watch what we teach, and how we live." With that said, I have always been extremely patriotic and am forever grateful to those who have served and continue to do so... God bless the special men and women who have taken it upon themselves to defend our freedom and stand up for the freedoms for those who can't stand up for it themselves... so as you can see, I am ever proud of my husband who serves and I am a proud military wife... when we were dating I knew Caleb was going to be in the Army and when I said "I do" I not only said I do to him but "I do" to the military life as well- I admit that it has taken me a while to learn that the Army comes first... No matter what. I could go on and on about how different our lives are being married to the military... and how different my life is than what I imagined it would be like when I signed up "for this" but little did I know that I signed up for: having my best friend away more times than he is home, saying goodbye to many friends who have became my family and forever changed my life... and little did I know back in 9th grade watching the twin towers fall, the true impact that that day has and will have on my life... It forever changed all of our lives... by this time I will be halfway through a deployment as Caleb will be deploying late this year... There are no books/resources/etc that can truly prepare you enough for an entire year being separated from your best friend- an entire year: it is every holiday... It is thousands and thousands of memories that will never be made together, never shared, never reminisced about later... Yes, nothing can prepare you for the responsibilities and characterisitics you must take on being militry wife... yesterday while grocery shopping Caleb wasn't really acting like himself... I knew he had a tough day at work but also knew that something else was bothering him... "what's up Caleb?!" he didn't respond at first and then very solemnly he said that his first friend and guy he had trained with was killed while on mission in Afghanistan. My heart broke... I prayed for this soldier, his friends/family that he left here to soon, for Caleb, and for those serving/their family/friends... And then I went silent... We have been through deaths together-including grandparents and friends but nothing like this... war hit home... as a military wife I need to be strong for my husband but nothing can prepare you for that... God bless our troops... they give everything and expect nothing- not even a thank you- they are fighting for people who can't fight themselves... For rights/freedom, and for us... Everyday... We are all blessed by them... Please pray for our troops and those like Caleb's friend who have given
their own life... For you. Also, pray for those
that stand behind that soldier as those spouses are fighting a war within themselves... I don't care if you are for or against the war, but respect those that have fought and are fighting... Be thankful- you are
free and have rights... If you don't have enough respect for that, I think my dad said
it best... "please, get out of my country..."

Cooking 101

While Caleb went home for "leave" I stayed home and kept myself busy... Not by coloring my hair (for once!)- well, to be honest, I had no choice in coloring it as I did it the week BEFORE he left ;) ... but I kept myself busy with.... cleaning/gardening/organizing/etc... one of my first things "to do" was to clean our kitchen... Not "clean" as in dust/mop but clean out our fridge and cupboards of "bad" food, as in "unhealthy"... my neighbor and I watched "Food Inc" which is a documentary that totally freaked us out for a day... And just finished reading several books by Michael Pollen (read "Food Rules") as well as we both attended a food/cooking class that a friend of ours hosted- I went in with an open mind as Caleb warned me not to "go crazy/all out" (note: this friend makes her own EVERYTHING and goes to an actual FARM for EVERYTHING... Else! So... Going with an open mind/notebook/pen I went... And came home with several ideas- she brought up several valid points and after further research I decided to start small and change some things (but waited until Caleb was gone-poor guy, he didn't even know it was coming)... My first step was to get rid of anything with "MSG" on the label... Then further cleaned keeping in mind one of my friend's points: "if it isn't deemed "safe" for a pregnant woman to eat, then why should we? What makes it "ok" for the people who are nourishing themselves and a baby? (think about it...) I would also like to say that I got rid of everything that has "soybean oil" in it (as I am allergic to it) but that would be almost impossible and leave Caleb with... Nothing... Zilch. So I cleaned out our kitchen and went shopping (which I might add took me almost 2 hours) because I was really thinking about what I was buying for us... and I am proud to say that Caleb handled it very well and was "on board" with it! Yes... That was my biggest obstacle... Phew! So once I had written a week's meal plan we started to cook... And the following is what happened...
1. I made chicken enchilladas for a family in our FRG and gave my sister the recipe as she was cooking for a family in their church (we got our love for cooking for others from my mom, who got it from her mom...) my sister called me back saying that everyone loved it and was making it for the 2nd time in THAT week bc it was such a hit... As I was telling Caleb he looked at me with sad eyes and asked when I was going to make it for us bc it is...his FAVORITE meal... I am making it... Today ;)
2- a bag of shrimp: has been in our freezer for...forever bc after I bought it Caleb was super hesitant about wanting to eat it... Well I was tired of looking at it everytime I opened the freezer and figured that he would eat I if I a.put it with pasta and b.made it spicy so I did just that-as I was cooking he came in and started picking at the shrimp and threw one away... "what ARE you doing?!" "they haven't been "de-pooped""!!!!!!!! He replied... I stopped and grabbed my phone to call my sister as she is a fan of shrimp- a modern day Bubba from Forrest Gump... As Caleb was searching the bag to see if it had in fact been "depooped"... (I have insisted that my family/friends look on tuna cans to insure it's "dolphin safe"-check yours now!!) and this is what my sister said: "they're usually "de-veined" but don't worry, they only eat dust anyways"- this left me being more confused... when I called my mom and asked she didn't know and told me to "google" it.... Which I haven't as I am not really ready to see if Caleb is right... Do shrimp need to be "depooped?!" whatever....he ate it and enjoyed it... All but the WHOLE WHEAT pasta.... Whoops, my bad for trying to be a little more healthy! ;)
3- while driving Caleb said he hadn't had "dirt-n-worms in...forever so I said we would make it (last night) and all we needed was pudding and Oreos... "no that's not it!" "yes it is...my mom made it all the time," I said... "well maybe my mom made it different..." no worries- I was already calling my aunt to figure it out (after the shrimp episode I needed someone to make sure I was right! While on the phone Caleb said "whip cream!" "that's it!!! That's the other ingredient-nice job...10 points for Caleb.. Who then insisted he wanted to make it "healthy" (although I am pretty sure that it's impossible! Lol)- he made sure we got fat free/lowfat/sugar free pudding, Oreos, and don't forget, whipped cream! ;) I am still positive that "dirt-n-worms" is a treat and doesn't have to be healthy, but whatever makes him sleep better at night ;)

Catching up with the Lohmans!

Whoa!!! To all of our faithful family and friends who read our blog... I am terribly sorry that you have been waiting a bit for us to update our blog!!! Yes we are alive and well, however BOTH of our laptops are not doing so well... At all! Didn't I say a little bit ago that I was (knock on wood) waiting for my laptop to bite the dust?! It did... As well as Caleb's... Which I did NOT expect at all! So here is my excuse for the lack of updates- after my last blog something happened (yes, no worries, I will blog about it) and then Caleb left and BOTH laptops died on me... We do have a computer/desktop but I am afraid of it as it is Caleb's precious computer that I may do something to that I am not supposed to (if I need to remind you: I am awful with technology!!) so... I decided to blog (because it was killing me that I hadn't updated/blogged in a bit) and am in fact using... My IPOD!! Yes, I will say again that I have a love/hate relationship with technology stuff... A
as my laptop is at the computer dr. and Cabe's is on it's way...