Happy Halloween!!

We were supposed to go to a Halloween party but couldn't find the community center, lol. So instead we went to Burger King were they were doing a little Halloween party. We ate dinner there and then headed back to the house. We walked the neighborhood and went trick-or-treating. The kids got lots and lots of candy. Afterwards we sat and chatted with the neighbors. I asked my friend to keep an eye out on the kids while I went to the shoppette, and he was like "yeah, that's fine. They can stay here." Well as I was pulling out Alex jumped in the truck with me and I thought they saw him so I left. Well, I'm coming back into the neighborhood and one of my neighbors yells at me that they lost one of my kids. When she got closer to the truck she saw that Alex was with me and was like "Where was he?" Ummm....... He was with me the entire time. So all the neighbors thought he had ran off but he was with me. He had the entire neighborhood looking for him and one guy was about to call the MP's til I pulled up. So, everyone is safe and home in bed now. Hope everyone had a safe Halloween.

Steph

Happy Birthday, Daddy!!

Today was so much fun! We woke up and ate breakfast. Then we went to Waikiki to the Hale Koa and met up with Jared, Lauren, and baby Aiden. After lathering all the kids with sunscreen, we all jumped in the pool. We played there for a while and then went down to the beach. It is so pretty out there. Although next time I know to take water shoes for everyone cause there is coral in the ocean and it hurt our feet. The kids and I can't wait to go back. After saying our good byes the kids and I headed back home. When we got home the kids played in the sprinkler with the neighbors til dinner. After dinner, baths, and laying Sydnee down we are all pretty much pooped, lol. I have made a huge pallet on the living room floor for me, Alex, and Hailee. I have some popcorn popping and some water boiling for hot chocolate. We are going to all cuddle up and watch Nanny McPhee. Well I better go cause the kids are yelling for me to hurry.....
Steph

I Miss You, Baby!!

Today was nice. The kids went off to school and Sydnee and I had some quiet time. When I picked the kids up from school I also got thier school pictures. Rob I'll send yours out on the 1st, I promise. They are so good. Hailee's teacher said that Hailee's picture was her favorite out of the entire class. Said she looked like an angel. Alex looks so grown up in his. I had some friends come over and visit for a while. We all knew Jared and Lauren from Korea and they are here in Hawaii visiting for a few days. They came over for dinner tonight and brought thier baby, Aiden. He is soooo adorable. It was nice having them over. I think we are going to the Hale Koa tomorrow down at Waikiki to go swimming with them and maybe do lunch or something. So much fun!
Steph

What NOT to say to an Army Wife....

There have been many times that I have been asked questions like these and there have been many times that I wanted to strangle that person, lol.

~I don't know how you do it.
Well, guess what? In all honesty, I don't know how I do it either. I just do. Because really, what other choice do I have?
~I could never deal with it if my husband was gone for that long.
Hmmm...how does hearing how someone else can't deal with it help me to deal with it?
~Are you scared that something may happen to him while he's there?
This one has always really perplexed me. Of course, I'm scared. I wouldn't be human if I wasn't. But being reminded of the fact that something may happen to him doesn't help me out.
~Do you miss him?
Every time I was asked this, I just wanted to respond "Oh, no, definitely not. I like it when he's gone. It gives me the chance to be all by myself 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Who wouldn't want that?" Of course, I miss him. Wouldn't you miss your husband?
~I know just how you feel. My husband was on a business trip last month for three days and I just thought I would die.
Are you kidding me?!? First, I barely notice now if my husband is only gone for three days. Second, unless his business trip was to a place where everyone is openly carrying a gun in the street trying to kill him and suicide bombers and roadside bombs are prevalent, its not remotely close to being the same. The only thing I may give you on this one is that you know what it's like to sleep in an empty bed.
~Do you worry about him cheating on you? Or along the same lines...How can you go without sex for so long?
Well, people, it is a little thing called self control. That and a love for my husband and respect for my marriage. Do some people cheat? Sure they do - both here in the states and overseas. But people cheat in civilian marriages too. Being in the military has no bearing on that.
~He's been gone a year already? It seems like he just left.
Whatever! It seems like an eternity to me.
~Oh my God, I would not let him go.
Let him go?? Let him go. Like the army said, "Hey Steph, would it be OK if we deployed your DH?? No?? Ok then." OR like I was going to chain myself to his leg or something....that would be cute
~I can't believe your husband did this to you. Aren't you mad at him?Um, what?! My husband didn't do anything to me. He honors his agreements and he follows the orders of his superiors. There's certainly nothing sad or maddening about having a husband who fulfills his commitments. Don't feel sorry for me. I'm proud of my husband and I completely support him.

Need a good laugh? Try this.....

http://www.thesurrealist.co.uk/slogan.cgi

Click on the link. Type in your name in the "word" box and then click on "sloganize". It will give you a slogan with your name. Here's what I got for us. Too funny!

Robbie~ I Wish I Were a Robbie Weiner.

Stephanie~ Stephanie Really Satisfies.

Alex~ Got Alex? You're In Luck.

Hailee~ It's the Bright One, It's the Right One, That's Hailee.

Sydnee~ Choosy Mothers Choose Sydnee.

Why is the house shaking?!?

So as most of you know by now, we had an earthquake here in Hawaii yesterday. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15286294/ This was my 3rd that I have ever been in, but it was the biggest. Back in 1997 (I think that's the right year) there was a small quake in SC, about 6 weeks ago we had one in HI that was about a 3.2, and of course the 6.6 yesterday. Alex and Hailee each had a friend stay over on Saturday night. At 7:07 AM Sunday morning I was laying on the couch, sound asleep, when I started shaking. I thought the kids were trying to shake me awake. Well, I open my eyes and see no kids. Just my wall unit around my TV swaying and my blinds moving back and forth. Since I'm just waking up and I couldn't really comprehend what was going on, I thought the kids were going crazy up stairs, lol. Then when I realized there was no possible way they could be shaking the whole house I realized it was an earthquake and freaked out. Once things quit shaking, I ran upstairs to check on the kids. They were quietly coloring and Sydnee was still sound asleep (sleeps like her Daddy, lol). Then the electricity went out at around 7:15 AM. I took the kids downstairs, made them some cereal and stepped outside to talk with the neighbors. It was pouring down rain which really didn't make it any easier with the electricity being out. I straightened up the garage so the kids could play in there and we lit the grills so we could cook for lunch and dinner. All in all it wasn't too bad. The kids played so hard that when it came time for bed they were out quick. We finally got electricity back a little before 6 PM. So we were out for a little over 10 hours. Everyone fell back into routine today with school and work. As for Friday, me and Alex had so much fun on his field trip. I took my friends camera so I could get pics for her. Once she gets them developed she is going to give me copies so I will post them asap. Rob is doing good. He gave me his address last night so I can write and send care packages. Hope everyone is well. I will post again later this week.
Steph

Rain, Rain, and More Rain

We spent the whole day inside cause of the rain. Of course the kids still had a blast. We went to our neighbor's house. We spent the day chatting and playing with the kids. All together we had 9 kids at her house today. They had fun playing with all the toys, playing dress up, and playing video games. We stayed over and ate spaghetti. Then it was back home for baths and bedtime. The kids start back to school this week (last week was Fall break). Now that the kids are down I have been trying to straighten up the house. It's full of boxes now cause I still haven't opened up my shipment of household goods from SC. I figure if I bring the boxes in the house I have to go through them. If they stay in the garage, I'll never do it. Out of sight, out of mind. Trying to get all that organized for YardSaleAmania this weekend. Also, trying to find all my pictures so I can get them up on these bare walls. Plan on doing that tomorrow. Off to more unpacking!
Steph

Busy Week

We are all starting to get into a nice little routine. I've been trying to get the house straight and cleaning out the garage for the upcoming YardSaleAmania. Lots of junk to get rid of. The kids start back to school tomorrow. I plan on going sometime this week and starting on Christmas shopping while the kids are in school. Alex has a field trip to Sea Life Park http://www.sealifeparkhawaii.com/ on Friday. The kids have a birthday party to go to this weekend and at some point I want to take them to the zoo. Rob is in Kuwait and will be there for a few more days. He's not sure yet where he will be going after that but I will keep everyone update. Check back early next week and I will hopefully have lots of pics posted.
Steph

Army Wife's Prayer

Dear Lord,

Give me the greatness of heart
to see the difference between duty
and his love for me.

Give me the understanding to know,
that when duty calls
he must go.

Give me a task to do each day
to fill the time when he is away.

When he is in a foreign land
keep him safe in your loving hand.

And Lord when deployment is so long
please stay with me
and keep me strong.

And when duty is in the field
please protect him
and be his shield.

-author unknown

The 7 Emotional Cycles of Deployment

By Jennifer L. Hochlan

Despite the many who claim otherwise, the military spouse leads a different life from most. This harsh truth becomes most evident when your family prepares for a deployment. A deployment is a scary, emotional, yet liberating journey for the spouse left behind to take care of a home, finances, and a family. There are 7 identifiable stages that the majority of military spouses go through.

Pre-Deployment: Anticipation of Loss
Your spouse is working late to ready the unit and you are left at home knowing he or she will be leaving. You are moody and depressed, and this causes friction between you and your spouse. You are a tight little ball of stress and anxiety, and hate yourself for feeling this way. You and your spouse are at each other's throats even when you know in your heart you should be cherishing each day left together. Whether you're a man or a woman, it is PMS multiplied by a factor of deployment.

Pre-Deployment: Detachment and Withdrawal
As the final week before deployment approaches, all those feelings you have had for weeks rise to a peak. You can think of a million and one final things to do before the deployment, but can find neither time nor energy to complete even the smallest tasks.All the arguing has taken its toll on your level of intimacy. You appear to have lost all interest in physical contact with your spouse and have more interest in actually sleeping between the sheets than anything else. You distance yourself from your spouse without consciously knowing it.These emotional times happen. The important thing to remember is that you are human. We all want the final weeks before a deployment to be perfect, but life seems to throw us a different fate. But the closer you come to understanding each cycle and its inevitable side effects, the closer you come to changing certain aspects of your life. If there is time, take part in some of the services offered to you on base. There are always people on base who can assist you. Reach out to your unit chaplain for guidance and support.

During Deployment: Emotional Disorganization
After your spouse leaves and all the initial tears have been shed, you wake up. The house is all yours. Even if you have children, it is yours. You can stay up late, eat cookies in bed, and watch your favorite TV channels all day without a single complaint from anyone. It's almost like a vacation.This is a fun time, a chance to do all those things you didn't have time to do before. There are no uniforms to wash, no entertaining, and no work-related phone calls in the middle of the night. Relief!The first few weeks have flown by. All that time you thought you would be crying, you were enjoying yourself. Then you look at the unmowed lawn, the pile of clothes in the hamper, the refrigerator with only ice cream and diet cola inside, the stack of bills on the desk, the car that needs an oil change, tune-up, and car wash, etc. Then guilt sets in. Here you are having a grand time while your spouse is possibly in harm's way and you seem to have lost sight of your household responsibilities. You sit in a heap on the floor in the kitchen and sob. You suddenly feel alone.

During Deployment: Recovery and Stabilization
Your two favorite words! By this time, you have probably heard from your spouse via e-mail or telephone. The phone calls and e-mail inspire you to find strength you never knew you had. You take on all your newfound responsibilities with passion. You are now able to fix that broken dryer, you bake cookies and write letters. You make Martha Stewart look like she hasn't a clue. This time is an opportunity that is truly a gift of the military lifestyle. During this time, you will discover your independence, your abilities, and your enduring strength.

During Deployment: Anticipation of Homecoming
The few weeks before the deployment comes to an end, there is excitement, along with questions. You fear your newfound independence will vanish once your spouse steps through the front door. You wonder what changes will happen and where your marriage will fit into the equation.You are happy your spouse will be home soon, but there is much concern about the homecoming. There may be only sporadic phone calls or e-mail, leaving you too much time to worry about the future. You begin to do things just to keep your mind occupied. You clean like mad. You organize financial papers, get the budget back into shape, get the kids ready for school, juggle doctor appointments and soccer practice.The final days before homecoming are full of phone calls to other spouses, to the Key Volunteer, and to the party stores. Decorations and signs are made and you are giddy with excitement and anticipation.

After Deployment: Renegotiation of the Marriage Contract
After the initial joy of having your spouse home, reality sets in. Changes need to be made to the lifestyle you had just become used to, and they are not easy. You feel stifled, at first, over the loss of your independence, but the feeling will pass in time, with some adjustments. Communicate openly with your spouse about your needs and wants, and use any marital services available on base that can help you both reconnect after your time apart. In time, loving intimacy returns and you find a way to work together again as a team.

After Deployment: Reintegration and Stabilization
Breathe a sigh of relief -- stability has returned. By the time the first couple of months post-deployment have passed, you and your spouse have hammered out the details of your marriage. You are used to having him or her home and actually enjoy the fact that they still hog all the blankets in bed.You feel relief knowing you are not solely responsible for the household chores anymore. Knowing you can fix the dryer by yourself is liberating, but not having to fix it is another story. It is on one of those days that you glance at your spouse sitting beside you on the sofa, reading the paper, and suddenly all you can remember about the deployment was being in his or her arms the day they left. It feels like it was yesterday.

Day One

I just talked to Rob. He was in New York. We didn't get to talk very long but he's doing fine. Our first day wasn't too bad. We went to the store and then the kids played outside all day with thier friends. Alex and Hailee are sleeping at thier friend's house tonight so it's just me and Sydnee. Of course after her bath and dinner she fell asleep on me, lol. I was going to use that time to scrub the house but I think I'm going to sit back and relax for now. I'll keep everyone updated.
Steph

The Military Wife

The good Lord was creating a model for military wives and was into his sixth day of overtime when an angel appeared. She said, "Lord, you seem to be having a lot of trouble with this one. What's the matter with the standard model?" The Lord replied, "Have you seen the specs on this order? She has to be completely independent, posses the qualities of both father and mother, be a perfect hostess to four or forty with an hour's notice, run on black coffee, handle every emergency imaginable without a manual, be able to carry on cheerfully, ever if she's pregnant and has the flu, and she must be willing to move 10 times in 17 years. And oh, yes, she must have six pairs of hands."
The angel shook her head. "Six pairs of hands? No way!" The Lord continued, "Don't worry, we shall make other military wives to help her. And we will give her an unusually strong heart so it can swell with pride in her husband's achievements, sustain the pain of separations, beat soundly when it's over-worked and tired, and be large enough to say 'I understand,' when she does not, and say 'I love you,' regardless."
The angel circled the model of the military wife, looked at it closely and sighed, "It looks fine, but it's too soft." "She might look soft," replied the Lord, "but she has the strength of a lion. You would not believe what she can endure."
Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the Lord's creation. "There's a leak," she announced. "Something is wrong with the construction. I am not surprised that it has cracked. You are trying to put too much into this model."
The Lord appeared offended at the angel's lack of confidence. What you see is not a leak," he said. "It's a tear." "A tear? What is it there for?" asked the angel. The Lord replied, "It's for joy, sadness, pain, disappointment, loneliness, pride and a dedication to all the values that she and her husband hold dear."
"You are a genius!" exclaimed the angel. The Lord looked puzzled and replied, "I didn't put it there."

Dear Lord,

Give me the greatness of heart to see the difference between duty and his love for me.

Give me the understanding to know, that when duty calls he must go.

Give me a task to do each day to fill the time when he is away.

When he is in a foreign land keep him safe in your loving hand.

And Lord when deployment is so long please stay with me and keep me strong.

And when duty is in the field please protect him and be his shield.

-author unknown

He's Gone :(

Rob left about an hour and a half ago for Iraq. He will be gone for 10 months (praying that his tour doesn't get extended). It was a very emotional night for all of us. We had all our friends over and we grilled out. Rob took all the kids upstairs one by one and put them to bed. I let them have that moment to themselves. Sydnee even let him rock her to sleep (which is out of the norm for her since she doesn't like to be cuddled much). Rob gave Alex the "big boy" talk and let him know that he was to be the man of the house while Daddy was gone. When it came time for him to leave it took all I had to let him walk out the front door. I decided it would be best for me not to take him and drop him off so our nieghbor did it instead. His flight is 30 hours so I'm not exactly sure when I will be able to talk to him but I will keep everyone updated. Keep us in your prayers.
Love,
Steph