Might just miss Minot after all :(

As I sat in my friend Sam's car today I thought to myself that it's very likely that we are leaving Minot in the near future. With that said I am starting to think I am gonna miss living here, not bc I love north Dakota but bc we have finally settled in, know our way around, and I adore my friends here and love the fact that they have known Coleman on a daily basis since he was born! I never thought anywhere but Virginia would ever be home for me but oddly this is our home! That saying home is where the air force sends us is coming true. So I may actually miss my life here in Minot even if we go to a climate and location that I find much more acceptable and I'm sure there will be crocodile tears streaming down my face the day we leave....

A rough night followed by a calm morning!

So hubby worked midnights last night and arrived home at 6am this morning, I had only gone to bed shortly before since something got into Coleman last night and he was a ball of fun :( Before going to bed he was being evil kneivel thinking that he could walk when he is still very wobbly while standing, he finally fell asleep around 1130 after smacking his head on the floor quite a few times and he is so independent he doesn't want you to help him hold on :( so we were up and down 3-4 times last night which this mama is not used to anymore! Now this morning is a different story all together, he is calm cool and collected and right on schedule just like yesterday so I'm hoping we don't have a repeat of last night!! He did wake up 30 minutes later than usual but I guess that's to be expected when he was awake so many times last night! His schedule is quite odd lately though so I guess we are still adjusting from our trip. He wakes up at 9:30, naps from 11:30-1:30 and then again from 4-6, and then bed usually at 9:30 which has not been happening the past two nights....sure hopes he gets straightened out soon bc this mommy can't take much more of this!!

Military members are rich lol

I so often here people comment on how the military is so well off and must have money considering the benefits!! To be honest it annoys the shit out of me!! Yes we get a housing allowance but did I mention that my husband only makes like 25000 dollars a year?? Yes my mortgage payment is only 550 dollars a month but that's not our only bill that we pay! Did I also mention some other things that come along with being a military family....oh yea we don't get to choose where we live and we get to live 1600 miles away from all of our family and we also could potentially move every 2-4 years depending which doesn't allow us to get too settled before we are uprooted again! If you are a military member, spouse, parent of a military family or a child of a military member I'm sure you can completely relate to this but for others I ask you to think before you make this accusation again....it's not the cup of tea you think it is :)

Been away for too long!!

So as excited as we were to go home to VA I think we are just as excited to be back home here in North Dakota, funny how this is our life now! While in Virginia we mended relationships, celebrated an amazing man that went to meet his heavenly father, brought comfort to Mimi and Momma Bean as best we could (mostly having Coleman around kept them distracted), and saw friends and family that we haven't seen in far too long! Coleman was a hit as always, babies really do manage to bring the best out in all of us :) So back to coming back to North Dakota, We arrived home on Thursday night late and there was no snow to be found which was an amazing feat!! Upon arriving to our house we were greeted by our 5 excited four legged children who went on a crash diet before we left and boy oh boy do they look great!! Upon waking up the next morning I felt like I was in someone else's house since we had been gone for so long!! But after a weekend back at home we are settling back in and trying to get Coleman back on his schedule!! Missed blogging as regularly but we were so busy it was just impossible!! See y'all tomorrow :)

I have been slacking!!! SOOOO Busy!!!

So with it being our last week in VA things are super busy and I am sure that I won't be posting much this week at all. SOOOOO I figured I would share some great pictures that I have taken the past couple of days!! Back to my normally scheduled posts soon :)

The thing about advice....

I found a few interesting quotes online today that arI wanted to share that really made me think and maybe some of you will enjoy them :)

I am glad that I paid so little attention to good advice; had I followed it I might have been saved from some of my most valuable mistakes. - Edna St. Vincent Millay

We should be careful and discriminating in all the advice we give. We should be especially careful in  giving advice that we would not think of following ourselves. Most of all, we ought to avoid giving counsel which we don't follow when it damages those who take us at our word. - Adlai Stevenson

In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on. - Robert Frost

He only profits from praise who values criticism. - Heinrich Heine

I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite. - G. K. Chesterton

Advice is one of those things it is far more blessed to give than to receive. - Carolyn Wells

I have truly come to feel that there is often a double standard, even when advise is being given. I recommend always finding a neutral person who has nothing to loose or gain. Should the advice vary from person to person in the same situation?? In my opinion I just don't think it should.

There are a few things that I love about my past.......

So last night hubby went out with his friends and this momma took baby boy and went and spent the night with my BFF!

We have been friends since 4th grade and we both have children now so this was the perfect opportunity to hang out and chat for hours and hours with one of the people in this world that over the years still knows me best.

This morning we had a conversation with her daughter Mackenzie about how we became friends so many years ago and decided that Mackenzie should have been my child since she is so much like me just a little less vocal lol! Mackenzie found it hard to understand how I knew so much about her momma but have been around so little during her life, our explanation sometimes friends just know and it is so true.

We haven't seen each other since April of 2011 and just saw each other for the first time yesterday evening, hard to believe its almost been a year! I am so thankful for a friend who understands that I don't have time to talk on the phone everyday or even weekly for that matter. Some friendships are just meant to be and last night put a smile on my face despite the bad day that I had before arriving because it reminded me just how much I value our friendship and don't know what I would do without my Tammy Irene!!

Posting for Friday, Im just a day late and I needed to rant!!!

So I visited my mother's cemetery today and was very disappointed by its appearance :( I live 1600 miles away and sadly I am unable to maintain it but I doubt the cemetery would allow it anyways. Upon arriving the first thing I noticed was that every tree was completely dead and needs to be replanted. There was a cemetery maintenance truck driving around spinning tires and carrying on while I attempted to visit my mother :( this did not impress me either!

So upon arriving to her plot I noticed that her marble bench at the foot of her grave was sunken into the ground probably 2 inches which should not be the case and the bench was also covered in lime and could use a good cleaning! I remind you that the cemetery is responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of the grave and it apparently has slipped their mind!

So as I sat warily and cautiously on the bench with my son introducing him to his Grandma which seemed a little odd but all I could do is shake my head and ask myself over and over again why in the world we buried her in this terrible place, where it appears nobody really goes to visit her and the staff could care less how it looks :( I am not making excuses for myself but I do live quite a ways away, maybe I'll rethink how I want to be dealt with when I pass away! On a side note I want my mother out of that place, it's terrible!!!!

Yay for my new iPad!

So my hubby got me an iPad for my birthday and gave it to me a week early bc he is just that awesome!! So i am absolutely tickled with him as you can imagine, best birthday gift ever! This thing does everything and I am actually blogging on it right now!!!!

It's seriously like having a laptop without the bulk, I can access all of my social networking sites with ease, and it syncs every picture I upload to my laptop!!! The whole world should have one!!! Anyhow this thing takes some pretty neat pictures with the application so I want to share and then I'm off to bed!

Only 1030pm lol, better late than never!

Thoughts and some pictures over the course of my day today.....Well the highlights I guess!

Yay for laundry baskets!

Jailed :( lol

So here are the thoughts.....

1) Better safe than sorry (When the Dr told me that my son is just fine despite the fact that he sounds terrible!)

2) Life is so busy but there is always tomorrow (Gotta catch up with that bestie of mine before the end of the week!)

3) Its a beautiful day outside! (Headed out the door with camera in hand, no worries I will share a few pictures!)

4) Nothing like a good nap! (Love watching my little man sleep and smile :))

5) Recipe calls for 1-2 tbs of crushed red pepper, wow (Used 1/2 tbs and I should have used much less! Hot hot hot!)

6) I should be more organized too! (After reading my friend Alysa's blog post today!)

7) My blogs appearance bores me now :( (Complete face lift and hours later I am finally happy with it!)

8) My eyes are so tired! - (That means it is time to go to bed!)


Enjoy some more pictures and my ramblings from today.....Gnite followers!

French Rummy!

So today I played french rummy for the first time and I was actually quite good at it, but it has been said by a very wise woman that you are only as good as the hand you are dealt! So who all has played french rummy?? If you haven't you should give it a try and here is a little tutorial for your viewing pleasure!

here is a basic rummy tutorial on YouTube. video

but to play french rummy there are some specific requirements you need to meet during the course of the game and each round, so here is how it goes......

cards dealt/what you need to end the round
7 - two groups of 3
8 - 1 group and 1 straight of 4
9 - 2 straights
10 - 3 groups of 3
11 - 2 groups and 1 straight
12 - 2 straights and 1 group
12 - 3 straights and no discard

Maybe not every one's cup of tea but it tickled my fancy today and I wanted to share!

Gnite!

Feeling crafty!!

Today my sister in law and I crafted to our little hearts content after an inspired trip to walmart yesterday for supplies!!! I have all these creative ideas but no talent to make such ideas, its a complete tragedy! So today she made my son 4 new binky straps, then she made me a shamrock makeup bag and a purse for my birthday (pics to follow), and she patched a pair of pants for me that were getting a little too holy even for church!! lol!!! So tickled!

On a side note we got some snow this morning in Virginia but it is all melted now, funny how every time I come here it snows!!! Unfortunately I was also reminded this morning how nasty and petty some people can get when they don't get their way, but I am just gonna keep looking forward because nobody is going to get me down!

Generations and Depth of Field attempt take 1

There is nothing quite like family.....

Despite our recent loss we were able to take a picture that I will cherish forever. My son also got to meet his Great Grandfather for the first time. Generational pictures always touch my heart. I was able to take a picture of my son, husband, father in law, and grandfather in law, 4 generations of Bean men. Something very unique is that not only are they 4 generations but they each share the same name. Robert Hayes Bean, David Robert Bean, Bryan Robert Bean, and Coleman Joshua Robert Bean, which I feel makes it extra special.

On another note I have been playing around with my camera and working on depth of field. Not that I am a professional photographer but I got a couple of good shots that I wanted to share :)

Skipping Day 15 to speak from the heart.....

Somehow I knew that Pawpaw would somehow bring this family back together......

The past two days have brought alot of emotion to the family I have come to love as my own over the past 3 years since I married their son, grandson, brother, nephew and cousin. As we laid Pawpaw to rest today I felt our family that has distanced over the past 3 years grow back together as we mourned our loss and comforted each other. My only regret is that it didnt happen sooner so that Pawpaw could have a few more memories of his family as a whole. In our moments of sadness and grief we banned together to be the family that we have always been, a family that Herbert Wood taught us all how to be. We may not be back to normal but we have certainly established a new normal that has great posibilities as we move forward to the future and strive to live more like Pawpaw did while he was on this earth. My biggest fear in the past few years was that my child would never know this family for the wonderful people that they can be, my fears are now put to rest. In the coming months we will welcome baby Lucas Michael Bowen to the Wood/Bean/White/Bowen family and that is a sign from God that everything will be ok and that life must go on.