I am now a Marine Mom!!

I am terrified and proud at the same time. I got "the call" at 2am this morning and it went like this:

"this is corporal Josh Polek, I have arrived at Parris Island safely, please do not try to contact me or send me any packages, you will receive a letter in 7-9 days with my new address, good bye"

That was it! I wont see or hear my babies voice for another 12 weeks until his graduation.

On a good note, I can now buy Marine scrapbooking supplies to scrapbook his graduation!

I am going to try and do a layout a day to catch up. My babies are going to be here for the summer and I still have not caught up with Novembers visits pictures!! Yeah, I know the layout below doesn't really help me catch up becuase I just took that picture last week while the ones I took 5 months ago are still sitting in a pile! But I figure I had to start somewhere!

Evan and Brenden will be here for the summer!!! Sounds like fun :)

Did you ever while looking for a home find one that just called your name? One that you could see a million possibilities in and you were already placing our furniture in your mind? Well, I found that house. I have prayed until I am sure God is sick of hearing about it. I know all things come in time, and I must wait until God is ready but I feel he is ready ya know :) I am saving my money like never before!! I have Kevin geeked up too. He is very supportive of my wishes :) He is probably the best husband on earth.

Now Holly has found a townhouse of her own and she gets the keys this Saturday. She probably wont move. But she will have a house LOL

Josh has been in a state of discontent. He has tried a hundred jobs since college and he decided to go take the pre - test for the Marines. I was hoping he would not pass...... He passed. He is taking his long test this weekend and taking his physical next week. He may still change his mind. I am not freaking out because my nephew joined the Marines after graduation this past year and he is loving it. He is in Japan right now and his next step is Austrailia. I cant imagine being able to go to those places. I am not going to be selfish and cry and insist he drop out and not join like I did to all of them when they were in HS and talking about it. I am going to support him and be proud of him. But I am very sad. I dont like war. I crave Peace. I dont support anything going on with this war in Iraq right now but I am want Josh to be happy but right now my heart is very heavy. I am not much fun to be around. I just want to stay at home with my family. I dont even like to leave to scrapbook any more. I just want to stay home where I am safe. Or I think I am. I think if I stay in the house, no badness can reach me easily and no badness can get in because I am there to protect it. It doesnt make sense right now but that is how I feel. Sometimes I think I will have time for that nervous breakdown soon......

This is my sister Shelly and her husband Ali and little Abbas

Some pictures of my neices and nephews. Aren't they just adorable!! My sister took these pictures, I am so proud of her! She did a great job!!!

This is Abas, the newest addition

This is Maya my neice

This is Jamie my neice

This is my handsome nephew Hussein. He is gorgsous!!

Tell me how this big moose slipped on the ice and hurt his paw. He is an Alaskan Malmute. I thought they did good in the snow and ice. When Kevin lets him out in the morning he runs around in circles like a nut and somehow he slipped on the ice. He immediately laid on the ground and started howling like he was hit by a car. He laid there until Kevin walked over to him and rubbed his leg. Then he started limping. We took him to the vet and it is not broken. Well that was a week ago. You can look out the window and see him walk just fine but when Kevin goes outside he lifts his leg and gives him this sad look and walks on his other three legs pretending to still be hurt!

Another Tammy quote for ya!

Tammy: I bought a new car! It's a Kia and it's $488 a month.

Rhonda: Tammy, isn't that a lot of money? You had a hard time paying your last car note that was $100 less....

Tammy: Well if they're gonna reposses a car, it may as well be a good one!


Some times I just don't know what to think about her :)

Brenden is 2 on MOnday!!!!!! It seems like he was just born :) I wish I could be with him but you can bet we have a million presents on the way. There is a little UPS store by our house and they know us by name now :)

We are planning a summer weekend at Cedar Point. We are renting 2 cabins and cooking out! the kids can go to cedar point and I will lay by the beach :)

Also we are plannng a big Disney adventure in October. Not sure if we are going with Monican and the boys to FL or if Kevin , Ariel and I will go to okc and pick up the boys and go to California!!!

So these are the reasons no one hears from me and I dont have time to visit any one. I am working 60 hours a week....

My new favorite thing! Kevin bought me a portable satellite radio yesterday! He is the best hubby I gotta tell ya! I love it. I was so suprised and excited when I got to work to see that it picks up the live signal from work :) This is such an exciting little piece of technology. One of my favorite channels is the Starbucks music channel :)

More cool stuff :)

Can you say cool!! New Danelle Johnson Stamps that have some of my very favorite themes......BEACH!!!!! I am in Love with them!!!

I have this bright idea to make a Valentine book of my family this year. To do that I need to do a valentine photo shoot. I have a couple of Ariel already now to get the rest of the kids and Kevin in on it. I told Kevin I got him a pink shirt and he needs to hold up the L and he just gives me this look like he's gonna die and he isnt.... The sometimes seem to give me trouble about things like this but when they see the actual product made from all the pictures they always love them. There is nothing my kids love more than to see pictures of themselves. They are the vainest bunch I have ever seen!!

Here are a couple of Ariel I started.....

I love this little board I made with Basic Grey Blush. It should hold about 8-10 photos. I am going to keep it at my desk at work :)

Enough bling for you? Gotta love it! Kevin went out on his own and picked this ring out for me. Now those of you who know me well know I just love a big pile of diamonds on my fingers right NOT LOL I lost my wedding rings 2 summers ago and have procrastinated buying new ones becuase that would mean actually giving up that I would ever find my other sets and I couldn't face that. Well I waited too long and Kevin went out and found me a set on his own. You know what that means, any wife will tell you, if your husband goes out and buys you a $7000 ring .... I had better get used to them!!! :)

Ariel helped me make christmas cookies today. She is the only one not sick so she is awake and chipper and wanting to do the various christmas things we always do. She was trying to wake me up since about 7am. I finally drug my sick butt out of bed and we cheated a little bit and used a box mix for our peanut butter kiss cookies but they are sooooo good.

Ariel had her first school musical. She was so cute dressed in her red satin shirt and red bows. Her kindergarten sang Rudolph the red nosed reindeer. Very cute program.

My Christmas Angels

"It's Been a Whole Year",
by Norma Fonseca

It's been a whole year, Since you went away,
to Heaven above on a cold November day.
It's been a whole year, Since I heard you say,
"I love you Gramma", in your special way.
It's been a whole year, Since I felt your touch,
with a great big hug, Oh, I miss you so much.
It's been a whole year, and still I cry,
for the love we shared, and wonder why.
It's been a whole year, with many a tear,
how lonely it is without you here.
It's been a whole year, and to God I pray,
please help me make it through another day.
It's been a whole year, and I sit and wait,
to see you again at Heaven's gate.

Please remember to keep my Aunt Norma and Ginny in your prayers. It's been a whole year but they still need prayers just to make it through the day.

Have you seen this kid? The one with the soft blond curls, cute little smile that loved to wrestle with his big cousins??


I know this can't be him with the uniform. Tattoos and the tanks!





What a handsome, courageous young man he has become. We are all very proud of him. We are lucky we have him and those like him who care to fight for the freedom of our country and our way of life.

Way to go Christopher!!!

I came across this picture while looking for some for my "Book of me" that I am doing. It's so hard to believe this was only 3 years ago. I was in California starting a new job, a new life, a new home, a new car. Did I mention with all new people??? Did I make the right decision to come back? Is anyone better off that I am here? I was going to come back for all my girls as soon as I got settled. My boys don't seem any better. Kevin and I are a million times better. It's a toss up. I could have had so much better quality of life. But no Kevin. I am glad I came back but hey, I'm glad when I eat 16 brownies. Just becuase I am glad doesnt make it better for all.

A Different Christmas Poem


The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."

"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."

"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."