Counting the days...

Finally...only ONE week to go before we begin moving into our new home! I have been so busy lately that I haven't even had time to sit down and give an update. lol. Moving alone is definitely not something I would recommend to anyone. Hehehehe. My mother-in-law, bless her heart, has been helping me this week and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. The entire house is almost completely packed!!!! I think I got rid of about half of what I had in here so the garbage men are going to hate me tomorrow. Hehehehehe. I never realized I had so much junk!!! I am still swamped with things to do so I am sure this week will fly by and I will be in the new house before I know it. :) Well, that is the update for now. I have to go patch the walls. Joy! LOL! ~Daphne~

Tuesday Tidbits

Well, we got home from Alabama on Sunday but we brought my Mom back with us (for a week). :) The drive back was a bit treacherous though. We ran into one of those bad storms that hit this area right before we hit Nashville and I had to pull off the interstate (along with many others). The rest of the way was uneventful though unless you consider having three dogs in the Tahoe with the kids, my mom, and I. Hehehehehehe. I had a wonderful birthday and I am so thankful that I was home to spend it with ALL of my loved ones. Then on Saturday my dad took John to the airport in Atlanta and he started making the long trip back to Iraq. It was not an easy day. I can't believe I got so used to him being home for those two weeks. Normally we don't fall back into a normal routine so "quickly". I feel lost without him but my Mom is here now and I have to start packing for the move, etc...so I am going to be busy for the next few months and that will help, I am sure. My housewarming party was on Saturday and I got some very nice goodies for the new house and I also got some money. Mom and I are making a dent in the money really fast. Hehehehehe. I will have to send some pictures of some of the goodies that I am accumulating. It's funny...I suppose I am destined to have a country themed "rooster" kitchen. Everyone that bought me anything for the kitchen bought me rooster stuff! I had already bought a few things that were rooster themed anyway. The lord works in mysterious ways. Hehehehehe. Have a great one, everyone! ~Daphne~

We are HOMEOWNERS!

John and I were finally able to close on the house yesterday afternoon! We are now "offically" homeowners! WOO HOO! We are so excited. I keep looking at him and saying "OMG...we are homeowners!" Hehehehehehe! Oh my goodness...I don't think it has truly set in yet. I have so much to do around here before I start moving in on May 1st. I don't even know where to start. At least the next month will be busy and, therefore, the time should go by fast. Everything went as smoohtly (with the closing) as it could possibly go. After the closing, John and I, took Kay (our Realtor) out for drinks/food at Ruby Tuesdays. We really wanted to include Kay in our celebration because she has gone way above AND beyond anything she had to do for us. If anyone in this area needs a Realtor...get in touch with me...and I will give you Kay's information. I have nothing but good things to say about her. She's awesome! :) She bought us the nicest housewarming gift too. She got us two $25.00 gift certificates that can be redeemed almost anywhere in the area AND she bought us a homeowners book that has everything in it up to this point. It was truly a thoughtful gift and now we will have everything pertaining to the house in one book...for easy access! Things are really great for John, the kids, and I right now. Even the weather is starting to warm up around here! Did I mention I love Spring? Hehehehehe. Anyway, that's the good news! I just wanted to keep everyone updated on what is happening with us. We are heading down to Alabama tomorrow afternoon. My birthday is Friday and I am so happy to be able to be home with my family to celebrate and then on Saturday my Mom is giving us a housewarming party. John has to leave to head back towards Iraq Saturday though. That's the only downfall but, hey, we are half-way through this deployment!!! ~Daphne~

One week to go

Where oh where did this week go? *sigh* John will have to leave next Saturday (April 1st) to begin the long trip back to Iraq. :( At least we will be closing on the house this coming week...or we should be. There are still a few things that have to be finished up but everyone is pulling strings and trying to arrange the closing for Tuesday or Wedneday (at the latest). :) Neither one of us can wait for the papers to be signed!! (I'm SURE the seller's feel the same way!) I keep sitting here trying to think of how it will feel to be a homeowner. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. Hehehehehe. We sure have a busy week ahead of us...the closing...my birthday...the housewarming party (my mom is giving me) and John leaving again. John's sister and her kids were able to come down here this weekend to see John and he's over at his mom's now spending time with them. Ariel is at the movies and as soon as I go and pick her up we are heading over there to have supper with them. In the meantime...I am cleaning around the house. I had forgotten how messy a man can be! LOL! How easy it is to forget. Hehehehehe. ~Daphne~

The girls...

This is a picture of me (on the left) and my two best friends...Tara (middle) and Cindy (far right). Thanks girls...for all the good times and for being there for me and loving me...always. ~Daphne~

Better Late Than Never...

These are the 20 dozen roses that John sent to me and Ariel for Valentine's Day. I meant to post this back in February...man oh man...am I late. LOL! Of course, the picture doesn't do the roses justice and the smell they put off was heavenly. He can truly be the sweetest man. I wonder what he will do next to top this? LOL. ~Daphne~

He's HOME!

John made it home last week for his mid-tour from Iraq! Yipee! Life is good. :) The kids and I are truly enjoying him being home. Of course...we are dreading the day he has to go back and the time is sneaking up on us already but we are so thankful to have him here for the two weeks. We are half-way through this tour now! Only six more months to go!!! We are on "The Downhill Slide!!!" Other news...we have had to push back the closing on our house AGAIN but that is okay because we have been shopping around with other Mortgage Companies and came up with a much better deal. :) Everyone involved in the situation is pushing to get the closing set for the 28th of March. :) Wish us luck, everyone. LOL. I'm just thankful everything is going smoothly at this point. I know the sellers are ready to get this closing over with and we certainly are as well. I can't wait until we the day when we finally get to say that we are HOMEOWNERS! We have waited for this for so long!!!! Till later...Daphne

Over "there"...

Just thought I would share...pics of John and Jim in Iraq. :) I'm so glad they can see each other here and there while they are so far from home...

Finally...an update! Hehehehehe...

Okay, okay...I'm ashamed that I haven't been keeping up with my blog. I am making a promise right now to write more often. Hehehehe. Gosh, there is so much to say. Where do I start? First of all...John will be home in 12 days (give or take a day or two) for his mid-tour from Iraq! YIPEE! I can't wait to see him and hold him in my arms. These past six months have been so lonely without him! I am counting down the days as patiently as possible. lol. So far...2oo6 has been so good to our family. We are in the process of buying our first house and we are *SO* happy about it! We have waited 14 years to finally buy and I'd say it is about time! lol. The closing has been set for the 20th of March so that John can be home for the closing. :) Today is John's 15 year mark in the Army. In so many ways I cannot believe it has already been this long and in others...it seems like it has been a lifetime. Hahahaha. Let me just say how PROUD I am of him and how PROUD I am to be a military wife. I wouldn't want to live any other life but this one. :) Also, while I am talking about news...John and I will be celebrating our 14 year anniversary on the 14th of March. What a mile mark!!!! And then on the 31st...I will be celebrating my 35th birthday but don't tell anyone. Hehehehe. So yes, 2006 has been a really good year for us. An exciting year...and we have so much more to look forward to. God is good! :)
P.S...the picture is of the front of our new home :)

Happy New Year, everyone!

Well, it has been a while since I have posted. I have no excuse...except that I am lazy. lol. I still can't believe that 2005 is over and 2006 is here and now. On a good note...now I can say with a good bit of certainty that John will be home this year. The kids and I spent New Year's Eve alone. Let's just hope that the old wives tale of doing the same thing the next time around isn't true. lol. Our weather has been CRAZY lately. It's been really cold and then it warmed up to 75 degrees one day last week. Today we are expecting snow flurries. I saw a few teeny tiny flakes on my way home from the store a little while ago. I'm ready for Spring. I want to open all my windows and enjoy the weather again. At least Spring isn't too far away. :) It should be warming up by my birthday this year. :) Well, I need to be cleaning house but I promise...I will blog again soon.

P.S. The picture on this blog is a picture taken on Christmas Day at my parents' house.

Where did this year go?

I cannot believe it is December already! Where did the time go? It seems like only a few months ago we were bringing in 2005!

The past few days have been dreary, rainy, and cold! It would be nice to see some snow. I just hope it doesn't do it on the day the kids and I head down to Alabama (to be with my family) for Christmas. It did last year and the traveling was absolutely horrendous until we got out of Nashville. Yuck. lol.

I got to talk to John today! It was our first conversation in weeks. It was so great to hear from him and it really made my day. I feel so bad for him. The poor thing has to work seven days a week. He sounded so tired and homesick. I've been missing him so much. The kids and I aren't even going to put our tree up this year. We will be out of town anyway, so what's the point? It's just too hard to put the tree up without John and taking it down would be the pits. I'm such a weenie. lol. I did get out my snow house (that lights up) and I need to get a few more things out to at least make it feel like Christmas around here. Maybe I can get to that tomorrow. Tonight, I am waiting on my best friend, Tara, to come over and watch War of the Worlds with us. Keith and I watched it last night and I don't care to see it again but we have nothing else to do and I will get to play with my Godson so that will be nice. :)

Well, my company is here so this is it for tonight. Wishing everyone a good night!
~Daphne~

Always in my heart and on my mind...

Here is a picture of my husband...my hero. GI John, as I affectionately call him. I miss him so much and there is no end in sight in this deployment. *sigh* Thanksgiving was particularly hard without him. The kids and I spent the day with his mom, dad, sister, her husband, and kids. It was nice but I couldn't help but wonder exactly where he was and what he was doing while we were enjoying a wonderful meal with family. I hope he knows that no matter how far apart we are...he is only a thought away from us.

John can be the sweetest man alive. He surprised me Wednesday morning with TEN dozen roses! I took a few pictures of the roses but I have to get the film developed this week (my digital camera is shot). When I get the pics I will scan and send one of them. They are way too beautiful not to share. :)

Daphne 

Baby...it's COLD outside!

Old man winter is most definitely on his way. It's colder than a well-diggers @ss and dreary too. There is even talk of possible snow flurries tonight/early morning (no accumulation). It does seem more like Thanksgiving though than the 80 degree weather we had a week or two ago. I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is this Thursday! The kids and I are going to spend it up here with John's family. It will be a hard day to deal with but I have much to be thankful for. I just hope that John and the other military members over there get a nice, hot meal and some down time. They deserve that and more.

Oh..good news! John made the E-8 list! He doesn't think he will get promoted until this time next year but the fact that he made the list is GREAT news. He made it on his first look and I couldn't be prouder of him. I promised him that he can buy a new boat when he gets home from Iraq. *sigh* I knew I would break down sooner or later. lol. If his boat wasn't at a friends house I would send a picture for y'all to laugh at. It's one of those aluminum John boats (old) and he has painted it and any number of other things to make this thing look presentable. The funniest thing though is that he put our old car stereo and speakers in the thing so he could listen to music on the lake. Hehehehehe. Talk about redneck! :)~

Well, my fried chicken is done and my kids are fighting. More later...

John and I at the last Brigade Ball :) 

Is this REALLY my life?

Well, I finally decided to start my own blog since everyone else is doing it. Today has been rather trying. My kids were out of school and my 12 year old son (who incidentally suffers from ADHD) is driving me insane. Of course, it doesn't help any that his "daddy" is in Iraq and won't be home for at least another year. So...Keith and I went to Walmart today (he had a birthday earlier this week) to spend the rest of his money and he bought a remote control car. This thing is annoying as hell. lol. The dogs are in "hiding" around here and I have threatened to take the car away from him.

At least I was able to do something productive today. I went to our new Walmart and bought John a Play Station II game, Summer Sausages, stuff to make chocolate chip cookies, two huge things of Citrus Listerine, and I am currently making him a batch of homemade cheddar cheese/bacon bread. This is going to be his Christmas Box. I have no idea what else to send to a war zone. Heck...I think someone should send me a box.