Things have been very crazy and hectic. We are getting into a schedule, and are doing great! We're so busy, that I don't think I've had a chance to think about the stress of not having a hubby. Of course, it probably helped that he would work all day, come home for an hour (and mostly nap for that time) and then either leave for refereeing basketball, or to baseball until 10:00 p.m. For the most part, it doesn't seem much different, with the exception of weekends. Only 48 more of those to go!
I did fall off the ladder the other day trying to secure the shutters that flew out due to a storm. I was pretty scraped and bruised, but felt very blessed that I didn't break anything. I pushed the ladder out of the house and I was at the very top of the second floor. I saw the railing coming toward me and didn't want to fall on that, so I pushed myself toward the house and slammed into it and slid down the brick. Then I landed on the legs of the ladder on the cement. It took me a few days to recover and then I started my workout routine.
I've been going to the base everyday and working out. It helps relieve the stress, compensates for my stress eating, and gives Elayna an opportunity to play. They have a gym just for parents and there is an enclosure with plexyglass and a lock. She loves playing with the other kids and on the slides. So far, I've been good about going and I can feel the difference ... now if I could only see the difference!
Our life is mainly baseball, baseball, baseball! I have been so blessed to have parents so willing to help out. I usually just take Rylan to practice and his coach brings him home. He gets home around 10:30 p.m., so I'm glad I don't have to leave and get him. I worry about Rylan getting burned out on baseball. He has practice for the Jr. High team everyday afterschool until 5-5:30. He was having batting lessons on Wed from 6-7 and then going straight to Sandlot practice until 10-10:30 and on Fri. lessons from 8-10:00 and then Sat he had pitching lessons. However, any spare minute he has, he is outside with the kids playing ..... you guessed it! Baseball! He is working very hard with Bradly since we just signed him up for a rec league. It's fun to watch Rylan "coach" him. I'm actually quite impressed with his coaching skills!
This last week we got ready for Easter. Mon. we decorated Easter eggs, Tues. Rylan had his first Jr. High game. He pretty much rode the pine, but I attended anyway. Morgan had "Tiger Talents" so I took all the kids. We had to leave due to Addison's behavior, and so I told him he'd have to take the cel-phone from now on and call if they play him. Being a 7th grader, I don't expect much play time. Wed was baseball, and the last day of school for the kids.
Thurs was supposed to be the first day of a tournament they had. It was kind of rainy, but dried out. Salt Lake usually has a bit warmer temp then in Ogden, so we headed out. We got all the way there and found out that the game got canceled. I had to go to Salt Lake anyway, because a friend was fixing my computer and I bought him a cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory as payment (much cheaper than Best Buy!) Thurs. night Richard's parents arrived at our house. It was fun to have them come for the weekend, and Rylan enjoyed having his Grandpa watch his games and I LOVED having Grandma stay home with the kids. I think that'll be my last time to sit and watch an entire game! We stayed up way too late each night playing games and Fri and Sat was filled with games. The kids played awesome on Fri, but very disappointingly on Sat. It was good experience for them.
Sat the Easter Bunny comes to our house and since I had to get up at 5:30 to be ready to go by 7:00 a.m. for Salt Lake, the Easter Bunny left a note saying how busy he was and would come a little late that day. Then when we got home from the tournament, I sent them outside so the Easter Bunny could arrive without being seen. I make clues for them to find their baskets (about 3 each) and they enjoyed finding their baskets and presents. Rylan got a new bat bag, Bradly got a spiderman kite and batting gloves, and the girls all got matching Easter dresses.
Sunday we went to church and headed to Richard's sisters for a huge family dinner. They put together a little egg hunt (with plastic eggs) and we stayed late playing games. Richard and I have been trying to do Live Messenger so we can chat with web cam but I was having some problems. Ben (our nephew) worked on my computer until 10:00 that night and we finally got it to work. ... I've had fun chatting with family online with the web cam, but we have yet to see Richard. He can see and hear me off my web cam, but we can't see him .... just hear him. He may have to buy another web cam. It does eliminate the 2 moral calls a week problem!
This morning has really been the only day that has sucked! I spent too much time this morning talking with Richard and didn't get ready for working out early enough. I decided to still go, but 1/2 way there realized I forgot my Mp3 player and water ... oh well. Decided that even though it's 10 am. and no supplies, I was still going to go. I had a good workout, and stopped to get gas on the way home. I had Richard's truck and Elly's carseat doesn't fit very well in the back and it slid part way off the bucket seat. So as I was filling up the truck I put her in the front and then top off the tank. I go to get in (let's just review a little .... frezzing cold day, rain, look like crap, and tired from working out, as well as it is 11:00 a.m. now ... airman are going to lunch now!) and she locked the door!! I kept saying, "Push the button" as I would mimic pushing the unlock button and she kept copying me by pushing her finger at the window like I was. Ahhhhh! What am I going to do? 15 min later I borrow a cel phone and call my Sister in Law in Kayesville. However, she can't get on base! So I call the shop chief at Richard's shop and ask if we can call him when she gets to the gate and someone get her on base to get me my keys ... however, she lives 20 min from my house and she's watching 4 of her grandchildren and it then takes 15 min to get out to base. I went to tell the person parked behind me that it would be a while before he could get up to the pump, and when I turn around the sweet man who lets me borrow his cel phone has the door open where Elly was. I guess he was able to convince to push the right button and push it the right way. My purse was dumped out and she enjoyed chewing a brand new pack of gum, but I got home by noon! Of course, she fell asleep on the drive home, just to wake up as soon as we got home and so she basically has had no nap today, and I have a ton of housework to do, since it's been neglected with visitors for 5 days!
Where's my calgon? Well, that's about it for now. I'm putting the slideshow at the top of our pictures for the week. Talk to everyone later!
Our lives are filled with baseball, baseball, baseball! You would think Rylan would be burnt out, but he just broke my bedroom window today playing in the backyard. He has it Mon-Sat. He has games with the Jr. High on Tues and Thurs; games with the Sandlot through a city competition Mon and Wed., and games with the Sandlot through state competition on Saturdays. He has been able to start twice as short stop with Sandridge, which is really excited! Morgan has enjoyed doing the Tiger Talents. They do a bit of acting, singing, and dancing. I have been teaching the girls a cheer dance on Wed. They will be having a performance next month. I hope they will be ready for it. It's been a lot of fun but a bit crazy, having to take the kids that I babysit, plus my own kids. Morgan had a Talent Show with the 5th grade classes. They did a bit of line dancing, and then individuals signed up to do their own performances. Morgan and another friend did a song they've been working on with Tiger Talents. We also participated on a "Deployment Day" on base. It was really neat. We showed up and they bussed us to the building that they normally go through for the deployment. They willed their candy to someone, talked to the chaplain, made sure their shots were up to date, had a briefing about the area they were going to and got to see a camel spider and scorpians and snakes. Then we watched a demo on the canine dogs. They got to try on all the chem gear, see the robots that blow up bombs found in Afghanistan and Iraq, and talk on a cb phone. It was really neat and fun. They each got dog tags and have loved wearing them. On the 18th of April, Rylan had two baseball games in Bear River (about 30 miles West of us). It was a bit stressful getting us all out of the house by 7:45, but we made it ... only to be 1/2 hour late from making a wrong turn and going an additional 40 min out of my way. It sucked! Rylan made it just in time for the game and pretty well missed warm-ups. The coach wasn't too thrilled, but he dealt with me very well! I was totally stressed. After the game I took Rylan and Addi home (due to Addi's behavior) and took the rest of the kids to Salt Lake to meet some friends that we had been stationed with in Italy. It was so much fun to see them again. We were laughing that we all got to Italy about the same time with just our first born and now we each have 4 and 5 kids! Here we are at the park after going to the aquarium. Morgan got to go on a field trip to Fort Buenaventura. I wish I could have gone; it looked like so much fun! They got to ride in canoes and throw hackets, make moccasins, and eat mountain man stew. It seemed like a lot of fun! Rylan had a Sandridge game on Wed and then went to his competition team's games. They had him shut out the first game. We were in a tie, so they brought him in to finish it. He was able to shut them down, but his forearm seemed to be bothering him. The next game was with our last team that we were on, the Blackhawks. Rylan really wanted to pitch against them and beat them. The coach sent him out on third and I saw him run back in. He said that he couldn't throw the ball at all. He had injured it pitching on Sat. and then it really bothered him when he pitched the last game. He sat out for the entire Blackhawks game. I took him to the Dr. and he said that he strained the tendon and muscle and he is not allowed to throw AT ALL for 2 weeks and needs to see a Physical Therapist. It's a real bummer, but hopefully he'll be fine by his next tournament in Pocatello in May. It's really up to the Physical Therapist. They call it "Golfer's elbow" and Pitcher's elbow. He was throwing a cutter and just strained it. This last Fri. we had a talen show at our church. The girls and I did the houla. When we lived in Italy I learned a bit from a lady in our branch there that was Hawaiin. It was fun. I wish I knew how to edit the video to be short enough to show, but it's too long. Well, that's about it for now! Richard is doing pretty well and will finally have a chance to adjust now that the exercise and ORI is over. I think his stuff should be there this week. That will be nice for him. He was finally able to go to church and said there was about 18 people there. He knew 2 from previous bases. Someone gave him a laptop so it's been nice to chat everyday. His computer seems to have problems with the web cam so we just talk. Well, that's about it for now! We'll chat with ya'll later!
