Happy Birthday to my Sweetie!

Happy Birthday to the best husband I could ever have! I love you more than you know & am so proud to be your wife!!!

Can I just add that it's so nice to have my birthday boy home to celebrate instead of in Ramadi dodging IED's?!!

I tucked a card into his uniform jacket last night so he'd find it this morning when he was dressing. Bets & I are going to join him for lunch today & bring him some chocolate chip cookies & tonight we'll have cake. I STILL need to find one more piece to his present. *sigh*

Did I mention that this wonderful man & birthday boy went to JAG for me yesterday so I wouldn't have to deal w/waiting w/ the wee one? Yep. He did that. Got the form so we dont have to pay the Ad Valoreum tax & also updated my POA (which expired last month). I know he doesn't deploy for a year but I still like to have one. I think I'm just so used to him being gone & having POA that I HAVE to have the form all the time.

I made pumpkin bread yesterday----yum! Tonight we're having a chicken dish (almost like enchiladas) that I saw on Paula Deen. Looks yummy & looked insanely easy so we'll give it a shot.

I'm off to take the dog out, get my cookie dough into the oven & get ready to drop Libby off at the groomers & go to the Tag office before lunch w/ my wonderful birthday boy!

Anklets & a good parking space means trouble

Got my anklets done for my Cascade Fixation KAL & have put them away for Christmas for MIL. I also got my Mom's fall bag felted this weekend & now need to go shopping for a strap & hardware for it. I'm going to try the pleather (plastic + leather = pleather) straps I'm seeing advertised. They have them at Hobby Lobby & Hancock Fabrics so I'll have to run out to either store & pick up a purple strap.

Yesterday I mailed out my Dishcloth Exchange partner's "puffy" ---I hope she likes it! I made her a purple spacloth w/ a dragonfly on it & added a brown sugar/vanilla soap (she loves vanilla) & the purple stitchmarkers I made. I can't wait to see what my partner made me!!!

So back to my good parking space. . .yesterday I went to the commissary to do our big monthly shopping. Hunter said he'd watch Bets while I was there if I dropped her off at his office---win win situation right? I get to shop childfree & he gets to spend lunch hour w/ his daughter. Sounded good to me.

So I race off Kelley hill to the commissary & get a space almost in the 1st row! And oddly enough, the parking lot's not that full. You'd think that I'd realize this means trouble but no, not me, not the optimistic side of me anyway. . .

I get into the commissary only to discover that their computers are DOWN & have been down since 730 that morning (it's now 1215pm). Fortunately by the time I was ready to check out (1250 pm) they were back up & running. I raced back up to the Hill, got Bets & was home by 130 to get her down at 2 for her nap. My nap came from 330 until 4 LOL!

Today we hosted playgroup & had a pool party. Bets was wiped out & had a good 2 1/2 hr nap afterwhich we took the ziti I made out to Michelle (my friend from MOMS who was just diagnosed w/ Crohn's) & them home for pizza w/ Hunter. We took a walk after dinner to see the ducks & now the wee one's in the bath & I'm thinking about getting in bed after I do my day 2 of my Monthly Dishcloth KAL assignment & CO my 2nd pr of Cascade Fixation Anklets.

Stitchmarkers for my DIshclothKAL partner

Got my partner for my dishcloth exchange yesterday. She likes purple (girl after my own heart!) so I thought I'd make her some purple stitchmarkers as little "extras" in her "puffy"

I'm disappointed---I started a 9 square dishcloth (from MDK) & my mitred square is Sooooooooooooo loooooooooooooong. Not sure if I need to switch to smaller needles or what but the one that is 3/4 done for my partner is going to be used as a washcloth for the dog! I'm going to make her another dishcloth (probably the dragonfly) & add some vanilla soap (one of her favorite scents) to her puffy & call it good.

Fixated on Fixation

This my first pair of socks using Cascade Fixation (Bulky) & I am kicking myself for not using it before! It's really soft & the socks feel almost like those gel socks you buy in the stores for an outragous sum of money. These are for MIL for Christmas.

I'm doing better & am coughing up less ooky stuff. I wasted 2 hours on Sunday afternoon at the ER on post. They were so understaffed & so overwhelmed with patients that there was a 4 hour waiting period. I put my knitting (Mason-Dixon baby bib) away & took off my bracelet & left. When I was seen initially the nurse told me my lungs were clear & that the congestiong & sputum was probably from an upper respiratory thing. So I'm taking my Robitussin & drinking lots of fluids & it seems to be working.

Took Libby to the vet yesterday to have them check out her tail (which she's been gnawing at for a couple days) only to discover that her tail isn't the issue---she's got a worm! UGH! So 3 tests, 3 shots (she was also due for her yearly shots), 1 hour & 118$ later we leave. She also got microchipped which is something I've been on the fence about doing. She's such a good little dog----didn't cry or anything with her shots or the chipping.

Tonight is MOMS Night out & we're going to the movies. Mmmmmmm popcorn! The vote was to see "You, Me & Dupree" but I really want to see Clerks II. Maybe I can con someone into seeing it with me!

Off to start laundry & see if it's pool weather this morning. The wiggly one hasn't been swimming in over a week (since the Sunday before Hunter's surgery). I know she'll be thrilled to go & if we swim before lunch she'll be good & tired for her nap!!!

What a difference a day makes. . .

The benefits to being sick are amazing! You actually have to sit quietly & rest, which for me, means knitting.

Todd's socks are done. Do I dare spoil him with a 3rd pair? Perhaps I'll pick up a couple more skeins of black sock yarn the next time I go to Darlene's & surprise him. The black yarn I have is already spoken for ---Hunter!

Speaking of the patient---he's sound asleep thanks to percocet & 800 mg motrin. He's going to get up in a little while for lunch & then back down for his afternoon nap.

Betsy has been SUCH a good girl this morning. We've read 8 books & had a tea party & she's been great keeping herself entertained. She's into playing dress up---loves to put on her hat, sunglasses, my shoes & grabs her purse & walks around. Maybe she needs some girly princess dress up stuff too

I have an FRG meeting tonight that I'm going to have to back out of since I'm still coughing a good bit (although less than yesterday). We have a social next week that I'm planning on going to. Should be interesting as we're supposed to get a new CO commander (our old Rear D commander from OIF1 who ROCKS!!!!) so I'm assuming this social is Mrs. W's way of saying good bye & letting us know that Mrs. D (who is a doll & busy as all get out w/ their gazillion kids!) will be taking over. But it's the Army so who knows!!

What a week (and it's not even over yet!)

I will be so glad when this week is over!

We were up early yesterday (Tues) to get ready for Hunter's oral surgery (4 wisdom teeth) . I was watching him like a hawk last night & this morning to make sure he didn't eat anything b/c if he did & this got bumped back another month I was going to send him w/ a friend to the hospital!

So we get up early, shower, get Bets up & fed & dressed & off to Josie's to play w/ Madison while we were at the hospital.

I worked on the 2nd pr of socks for my brother for Christmas (my Memere's pattern) while I was in the waiting room & at the pharmacy. 3 ladies in the pharmacy waitinig area commented on them & told me about the socks they made back in the day. Knitters are a funny bunch!

Got the "patient" & stopped by the unit to drop off his quarters form & then a quick trip to the commissary for some drinkable yogurt. Got to Josie's where we discovered a very tired Josie, Bets & Madison! Apparantly Bets thought she'd impress everyone w/ her climbing skills. Josie was impressed & I'm sure Madison took notes LOL.

Came home & put Hunter to bed w/ a percocet. Bets & I had lunch, read some stories while she was on the potty & then she went down for her nap around 145. I got my knitting assignment done for my dishcloth KAL & then worked on Todd's sock.

Slept okay last night---I have a horrible cough & Hunter's of the opinion that it's either pneumonia or bronchitis. Lovely. So I'm all hepped up on Robitussin in hopes that it's just a cold & that it'll go away. Meanwhile I'm hacking up a lung at regular intervals throughout the night.

Got sock #1 finished this morning & CO it's mate this afternoon while Hunter & Bets were napping. It's being knitted on size 7 Brittany birch DPN's (which tie for my favorites along w/ my Crystal Palace dpn's) & Lion Brand Wool Ease that my Aunt gave me back in Feb when she destashed.



The pattern (as well as yarn) is the same one my Memere used to make socks for all 22 of us grandkids as well as her 6 children & 6 sons & daughter in law. Growing up they were the socks we wore in our winter boots in provide extra warmth in cold Vermont winters. We wore them in our ice & figure skates & we wore them on chilly nights at home. To this day I have several pairs tucked away as momentos of my childhood & my talented Memere. In addition to her perfect socks she also made us mittens---I never had store bought mittens until I was in high school & wanted a leather pair similar to my brother's girlfriend. They were no where near as warm as my "Memere mittens".

Maybe next year I'll start working on mittens

FO's!!

These are the socks for my brother Todd. I found some Wool-Ease on clearance at Hobby Lobby (the charcoal) & used that combined w/ some Wool-Ease that my aunt had given me from her stash (the cream color) . 1 pr done for Todd, 1 to go.

I'll either CO Mom's bag this afternoon or work on my Dublin Bay socks, if I'm not "socked" out.

Hey! I'm not a Brady!

LOL! I have to admit I'm addicted to some of the trash TV on VH-1. Such as, I love the 70's, Volume II. Is it wrong that I still think Christopher Knight (Peter Brady) is cute??!!

Knitting & MOMS have kept me busy this past week. I finished Mom's socks & have finished 1 of Todd's socks (sock #2 has been CO & I'm working on the cuff). I've got 13 dish cloths & scrubbies done (will probably do 3 more) & need to start on Mom's fall bag. She's commented several times that she liked the color of my Booga bag (Noro Kureyon #139) so I'm planning on making her a bag in that colorway but what pattern??? Her first bag is a booga style, her 2nd is a variation of the Booga & *sigh* what to do for the 3rd???

I'm waiting for the signed copy of Mason Dixon Knitting I won on Ebay to get here. I've already made 4 of the ball band "warshrag" & have memorized the pattern LOL.

I found the pattern to the "fake-a-gamo" bag & will make that at some point, possibly in red for me for fall. The story behind it is this: Ferragamo had a bag in their spring line that was supposedly crocheted. Anyone who crochets or knits or both could look at it & see that the stitches were knit, not hooked. Several talented gals on craftster figured how to recreate the bag & let me tell you they did an amazing job! I swear, so many bags, so little time!

The new Executive Board took over on July 1st & this past Monday was our first official meeting. We had a fun general meeting & then followed w/ the Exec. Bd meeting so that we could take advantage of Kristine's expertise before she went on vacation. Our treasurer is in the hospital w/ Crohn's Disease (she thought she was going in for an outpatient procedure & wound up staying for a week!) so dealing with our yearly budget was tricky. We've got 3 parties planned (or $$ alloted for them) for fall, Christmas & Spring. Our old Secretary Kris will be the party planner (big thank you!!!) & I know she'll do a great job.

Betsy continues to be fearless in the pool & is getting better each & every day! She's so much fun & we're really blessed to have such a sweet girl. Last night we were reading Snuggle Puppy before bed & all of a sudden she jumped down from the couch & went down the hall to her room & said "nigh nigh!" Got into bed w/ Jake (her stuffed dog & best bud) & Baby Maggie & conked out until 730 thismorning. Then took a 2 hr nap this afternoon. She is so great.


Tomorrow we're going to run some errands in the morning & then home for lunch & our nap.

Wow, June is almost over!

Where has the time gone???

We had a great last week of leave---lots of time in the pool & just enjoying our time alone as a family!

Last week was spent getting back on our schedule, stuff with MOMS & enjoying the 95+degree weather.

Lazy Sunday mornings are my favorite. We have breakfast as a family, read the paper, get some prime snuggles w/Betsy & get laundry done.

It's raining this morning so our walk & outdoor play time has been postponed. Hopefully we get Bets tired enough for a good nap today! She's back to 2 hr naps in the afternoon (YAY!) & oddly enough our dinnertime meltdowns have disappeared.

I've been busy with MOMS & last week was elected President of the club for the '06-'07 year. I LOVE the girls who will be on the executive board with me & it looks to be a good (busy!) year! I've decided that this will be my last year on the board & will maybe do a committe chair next year as Hunter will be deploying sometime after May & I want to be able to go home for a few weeks w/out worrying about leaving my responsibilities on someone else's shoulders.


Christmas gifts are flying off the needles! I've got 7 out of 12 sets of dish cloths/scrubbies done. Right now I'm working on a pair of socks for my Mom w/ some beautiful Trekking XXL yarn I picked up in VA back in Feb. My Mom is so cute! We're talking the other day & she lets me know she saw these socks in the Knitting pattern a day calendar & didn't they look like the ones I made Todd for Christmas last year. So I look at my calendar & sure enough, they're Todd's socks. She then goes on to say that "you know, Moms like brightly striped socks too!" LOL So I dug out my sock stash & found the Trekking & CO the socks on Friday night. Right now I'm finishing my gusset decreases & am about 60% done sock #1.


I also have a pr of socks on the needles for my brother Todd. I was working on them in the waiting area of the Oral Surgery unit the other day while Hunter was supposed to be having his wisdom teeth out (more to follow). 3 people asked me what I was doing, how did I learn to knit, how hard were socks & that knitting with 5 needles looked incredible! I guess if you've never seen sock knitting on double pointed needles that it looks weird! I still need to pick up my Cat Bordhi book on using circulars to knit socks. Maybe my next pair.



So back to the wisdom teeth ----we arrange for Bets to go to Kelli@ at 8 am on Weds so I can be Hunter's "escort" for his surgery. We get to MACH & my husband who has been in combat twice, has had much worse surgery (testicular cancer scare) & has witnessed my C section is nervous. Trust me when I say this ISN'T a good side of him! Well he goes in to be prepped for surgery & tells them that he ate after midnight---on the way in he grabbed a bite of my hashbrown.


Game over, surgery cancelled & we're on our way home. He goes in next month to have it done. Grant me strength!


Well I'm off to fold some whites, play w/ Bets & enjoy our family day together!

Back from VA. . .

We spent D Day at the National D Day Museum in Bedford, VA. It was BEYOND humbling & I was honored to be in the company of these men, these HEROES. I said "thank you" to the ones we came in contact with & was in awe of them. I was also moved to tears when one of the wives of these men actually thanked Hunter for his service (he was wearing his 3ID 3bde OIF shirt).

We had a nice time in VA---we went to a family reunion for his Dad's side of the family at the country home where his grandfather & siblings grew up. Bets had a blast running thru the fields & on the tractor ride. We saw a huge field of rye which made me want to get a catcher's mitt & take a pic. Hunter got the joke but didn't appreciate the humor. LOL.

Saturday night his Mom had her entire family over (except for one of her sisters & her hubby who were on vacation). It was a madhouse! A good time was had by all & it was nice to spend time w/ his cousins from MA. My brother Michael had helped his cousin Leah get a job as an RA before he left UMASS so it was expecially nice to spend time w/ her.

As always I got a great deal at one of the local yarn stores on some felting yarn (Brown Sheep Nature Spun for 1.40$!).

Monday his Mom & I ran errands & went shopping, Tuesday we spent at the D Day Memorial & driving to Smith Mountain Lake where Hunter used to live (& went to the street where part of What About Bob? was filmed), Weds I went to lunch w/ his Mom, Grandmother & Aunt who is visiting from MA. Hunter got lots of Betsy/Daddy time which is always good for the 3 of us! Yesterday we drove home & today we're doing unpacking, laundry, groceries & hopefully the pool in just a little bit.