Updates...

Good Morning from the beautiful island of Sicily.  I sent invites last night to everybody, however, Kevin forgot to update his contacts on Google before we left the states, so our address book is in a box either crossing the US by truck or on a pier or ship about now.  So if you didn't get an invite yet, please let me know and don't be offended, it's not personal.  I'm working off of a very old address book. 

Thus far, we've been living in Temporary Lodging at Sigonella since the 21st.  We have no internet or phone.  Kevin received a cell phone immediately from the command which he can use as needed.  We were also lended a car, so we can get around, but having just received our international drivers license yesterday, we haven't ventured too far from the bases yet.  We got my cell phone a couple of days later, so now we can get a hold of each other while he is at work.  We cracked into my old cell phone so Kyle will be up and running today.  We are very fortunate and were #1 on the housing list, so we move in tomorrow and then get our internet, cable and home phone on Thursday.  Unfortunately, we don't get our houshold goods until middle of September which stinks, but at least we'll be home.  Once the internet is running, I will copy and paste my journal entries from our arrival in here.  Until then, hold tight.  We've taken some pictures.  Kyle and I are taking a bunch today so we can share. 

Take care all and we miss you all.

Lisa

Craziness...

So, obviously it's been awhile. But for the first time since Kevin left on deployment, I am in bed at 9 pm with my lap top, showered and ready for the week. The kids are showered and settled into bed too. Well, nevermind...Kyle is in bed playing his PSP and didn't shower after a soccer game yesterday and playing all day today! You know on one hand you want them to discover girls so they will clean themselves up and yet on the other hang you pray that they are late boomers. So he's showering now. I'm 1 for 2! Haha...

So what's happened the last few weeks? Should I start with good news or bad? I think I will start with the bad and get it over with. The Nimitz deployment is officially extended to 8 months...that was a bad day. This deployment has been an ongoing struggle for me. Our 6th deployment is 7 years is wearing on me. I know I sound like a broken record, in some ways I'm disappointed in myself because I've always been strong and handled deployment very well. I'd have a few occasional down days, but I kept myself busy and they usually passed by pretty quickly. This one, I think is the straw that broke the camels back. It's long and it's very frustrating. I'm more lonely than I have ever been and the kids are probably at some of their most challenging ages yet. I love them dearly and frequently feel bad for being so hard on them, but it's very difficult not to get frustrated with anything that goes wrong.

Okay, before I ramble through a book, the other bit of bad news is that Kevin and I decided that a port visit for me is out of the question. Too expensive unfortunately. Who knew it would cost that much to fly to Singapore or elsewhere on the other side of the world. I had built up grand illusions of what it would be like to fly across an ocean, land in a foreign land, get myself to a hotel, pick Kevin up when the ship pulled in and spend 3 days just the two of us in some foreign land. Very hot and sexy and I can't do it this time! That was crushing.

So the good news is that since the ship is extended, it looks like a 4-5 month surge is off next summer...thank goodness! The other good news is that while I don't get to fly to a foreign port, Kevin and I are escaping to Reno for 4 days right after he gets home, we'll also save thousands during deployment and are picking Kevin up in San Diego and going to Disneyland which we haven't done since Brooke was a year old. She'll be 6 when we go. Our little getaway includes a suite with a Jacuzzi tub in the room, a mini kitchen/bar, living room and big king size bed in the bedroom. It over looks the city from the 15th floor. I can't wait and if I have my way, will never leave the bedroom! Sleep in, stay up late doing whatever and so on. I desperately need some private time with my honey. We are both very tired of the separation. You can hear it in him in his e-mails too. He's been working so hard and I'm so proud of what he's accomplished. We are so going to be ready for shore duty. That leads to another little tidbit, we're still going to try and get orders overseas...so here's to hoping.

So what else happened...oh Kyle turned 11 a couple of weeks ago. He's growing up so fast. We have good moments and bad, but he's such a good kid and I'm so proud of him. He's just started 5th grade and loving it. He's done very well this year. He's usually the child who gets in trouble for goofing off and distracting other students. Well, Mrs. Huffman is keeping him challenged and school has been very good. Kyle also won his soccer game yesterday against a select team in Everett. We were thrilled, unfortunately it wasn't my day to drive so I missed the game, but I heard it was thrilling. His team is playing against select teams now, so we're really having to step up from what we've played in previous seasons. This is their first win of the season so it was very exciting. He got a new PSP for his birthday so I can hardly draw him away from his room. Fun, fun, fun...am I picking my battles very well? He also bridged over from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts the day before his birthday. So he's officially a boyscout and has already finished his first level. Last but not least, he's decided to go with the piano for an instrument so he's excited to start lessons next week!

Brookes new saying is "no...seriously". She says it to everything and it's quit funny. She told me the week before Kyle's birthday that she knew exactly what to get Kyle for his birthday and she wanted to buy it for him. I asked her what it was. She said "a PSP". I asked her "how are you going to afford that". She looked right at me and said, "no, mommy, you are going to pay for it and I am going to give it to Kyle" and then she laughed! Gotta love it. She says all kinds of cute things and I've forgotten a few since I've been away. I will have to be more on top of these things.

Last bit of good news...yes I just did my tax refund for last year...they owe me a lot of money! Yay...

Anywho, I'm going to call it a night. I really want to write a letter to my hubby for our anniversary. We celebrate our 18th in two weeks! Wow how time has flown by. It doesn't feel that long and I wouldn't trade a moment of it for anything in the world. I love you honey!

The Holiday Weekend...

Well, we survived the weekend. Sunday was a long day after a long week, I hit the sack at 6:30 and never got up! Yes, I slept 13 hours and boy did it feel good. I must have needed it although I missed my hubby on Facebook. Kyle's game didn't go so well. We should have beat this team, they couldn't beat another team that we did beat, so it doesn't really make a whole lot of sense why we lost 0-2. We played one of Skagit's select teams, silver division but select all the same. The weather was crappy, it was probalby in the 50's perhaps high 40's, although I think it was the wind that made it feel that way. We had high gusts and wind throughout the game and it rained for most of it and not sprinkling, it rained! No score at half time, but then they slipped one in and then sadly we ended up with a PK against us and they scored that one. I think by that point we were falling apart. Kyle played a great game, he played with no breaks, but played as defender and most of the game was actually played on their side if the field suprisingly enough. I only got a few shots since it started pouring, I posted the best one I got. Anywho, on the up side to all of this, we had Labor day off! Yeeeeha!

So, got up about 7 this morning and got going on the house. We made eggs for breakfast, watched a movie and then I came downstairs for the afternoon to clean our room...whew, what a mess. Got all the laundry done and put away and the kids in bed by 8:30...we're on our way to a school schedule! They've been staying up way too late and so with school starting on Thursday it's time to crack down to a schedule.
Sadly today was a little rough, Kyle was great, cleaned his room, very well, I might add. I gave him a few hours on War Hammer, but as usual that bit me in the butt! He was fine getting off but everytime I asked him to do something, it was half ass. Man, I get sick of that crap. I hate that I can't give him computer time, I hate that he continues to turn on his TV and do what he wants when I'm not looking which is a blatent disregard for my authority. So he's going to Stacie's this week. He's grounded from the computer, Wii and TV. Every single thing I asked for this afternoon wasn't done to completion even after I specifically asked him to do that, he argued with Brooke repeatedly and Brooke got in trouble too and he didn't do the dishes after I've asked him all weekend. I even did what dishes I dirtied and left only the nasty crap he left in the sink and he still kept putting it off. I hate being the bad and guy and I know because he has his moments, that life can go smoothly and we're all happy, but he always screws it away! Why? Why do kids do that, was I that bad growing up? How did my parents survive if so? All these questions and no answers.

So on the lighter side, Kyle's room looks great, all his stuff is ready to go for school. We have open house tomorrow night and because they changed the teachers around, he will remain in ACE and get the teacher I wanted for him. On the darker side, I didn't get to Brooke's room and I can't even see the floor....ugh! I wonder if Kyle will ever figure out that he can't compar himself to Brooke either! That would another argument precented tonight! On the lighter side again, while everybody was getting along, Brooke was playing in the backyard and I couldn't resist getting the camera out and taking some shots. She asked me earlier what do birds eat that we have the in the kitchen. I told her probably only bread. She asked for a piece and I told her she could have one. So she carefully planted small pieces of bread in one of her small toy bins strategically in the back yard. Then she wandered the back yard trying to catch either a small bird or a butterfly. She was puzzled when i told her that bread won't attract a butterfly. She asked what do they eat...I had to tell her I hadn't a clue. So she continued in her search with her little pink babie case. Then I had to get some candids of her and actually got a few good shots.

Now that I've written a book...I sit her thinking it's late and I was really hoping to hear from my hubby. He's probably tourning Singapore, so I think I'm out of luck tonight. I would have liked to hear his voice although because of e-mail we run out of things to say. Sometimes I miss the good old days when we had plenty to say because we hadn't spoken in so long. But I don't miss the phone bills! Anywho, if you read this honey, sorry I missed you but I have to start getting to bed on time or else the children may not survive deployment! Hope you have a great day and I love you!

Day 1 Skagit Labor Day Kicks Tournament

Well, day 1 came to end...I was way too tired to write last night. It was a long day on top of staying for a 3rd game for Chelsea, Shauna and Paul's daughter. I'm pleased to say that I think for only the second time in the last 4 years of playing academy that we actually won a game in these types of tournaments. We're an academy team, not quite select but not recreation and this tournament is select. We played against a Whatcom developmental/select team and won 3-2, they were more along the lines of our level of playing which was nice. We probably could have scored more, but it was an exciting game. They played very well. Kyle's skills are improving dramatically. Shauna watched part of the game and she even said from last season, they looked really good and Kyle did an awesome job. He played defender and is telling me that's the position he really likes. I would have loved to see him in forward and he is alternating between the two, but how can any kid have a chance when you have the same little super star who dominates the position, although he is fast? Defender seems to suite Kyle and he is getting better. Kyle is doing a great job of trapping the ball now and he seems to be making ever kick count. He was very consistent and and effective in his playing yesterday.

His second game was a little different, it was a Whatcom Select team, they were little and fast as hell! Every time we would get the ball, they were all over it! You couldn't turn around without having them all over you. They played dirty and even though we had terrible calls, really bad calls, they had off sides called on them all the time. It was a tough game, not as good as the first, but we took a few of them out and made them work hard even though the score was 1-5. The most important goal for our team about half way through the game was just score one point for us so they didn't get 10 points for the game because of a shut out! They did that to the last team which put them way in front as the lead. I suspect this team should have been playing Gold division not Silver, but wahtever, some will that to boost their ego's. The team that Whatcom Select shut out yesterday is our game today so it will be interesting to see if we can keep ourselves in second place, we don't really know what to expect. Kyle had some good plays, but he was on the opposite side of the field from where the playing was happening for this game. Our keeper notoriously kicks to the right and that's where the ball always was. Kyle was on the left. Sadly he was way too predictable for this team. They figured out right away how to play off our keepers kicks and since most of the game was on our side, the keeper was staying busy. Hopefully our coach noticed that. I think we need to work on that. thankfully, the keeper blocked a huge amount of shots even after that battled with the defenders, so it could have been so much worse than it was. Our keeper kept going even after being deliberatly kicked in the chest by the other team...first yellow I've seen in all our years of play. Shouldn't have been, but at least this ref knew what he was doing - at least at that point he did! Can I just say Skagit refs are terrible - there I've said my peace.

Well, I guess we need to get going...wish us luck today! More notes and pictures to follow. I kind of hope we can go to the playoffs, that would be a first for this team and this is a Select tournament. Although, I wouldn't mind having the day off either! LOL

Soccer Weekend

We're off to the Burlington Labor Day Soccer tournament....fun, fun, fun. Just what I love to do spend the holiday weekend at the fields. Don't get me wrong, I love the action, I love watching Kyle play and there are great people to hang out with, but it's a long weekend. Don't tell Kyle but if they do lose, it's okay we get a couple days off as a family, but I would love to see them win! Skagit doesn't like us so if we win...in your face Skagit! haha

Couple of action shots from Kyle's last tournament, I missed most of it because I was TAD, but I thought these were pretty good. Wish us luck....GO GALAXY!!!

My baby boy...maybe not a baby so much any more, he was so adorable up to about 6 and then ummmm, not so cute, but he seems to be growing back into it. I can't believe he's going to be 11 in a few weeks! This was taken a couple of weeks ago at Deceptions Pass, just like Brooke, getting a good smile is tough anymore, so I love this picture. I took him clothes shopping the other day and I think we're getting closer and closer to me not being able to shop without him. It's all about striped shirts, plaid shorts, converse, Quicksilver to name a few and even lighter colors like turquoise! Fashion has suddenly become very important and in fact just a couple of weeks ago he started doing his hair and is brushing his teeth everyday...without me asking. Uh...oh.... The girl down the street I think has a crush on him too! Grandpa was giving him grief for weeks over Ria coming over to ask Kyle to play everyday and when he went to soccer camp...older girls coaching, the boy cleaned right up! I noticed the other night that he wanted to stay outside after dark and was just hanging out in the front yard talking to Ria...much to his mother's surprise. Ahhh, I see years of anxiety coming my way. I don't have any gray hairs yet...but I imagine I'm well on my way. At least we still have one more year before Junior High. By the way, I measured him tonight just for kicks. I have the measurements of both kids from two years ago at this time and Kevin was gone. Kyle is measuring at ummm, can't find the measuring tape, but it's about 3 inches taller than last year and he stands up to my bottom lip! He's gonna be tall I think.

Summer Time

My baby girl, hanging out in the dash of Dad's motor home. I love the great candids, it's hard to get these smiles anymore because she's trying so hard. She had a very fun summer with Aunt Suzy, the kids, Grandpa and Grammy visiting. She cried real tears the night she had to say goodbye to the grandfolks. It was precious and I think she had the whole room in tears including Grandpa. She spent two weeks just hanging out with Grandpa and Grammy and four weeks before that playing hard with the cousins all day. Whewww...what a summer! I think it's probably been the shortest summer I've ever had. Seems like it was just yesterday that school was letting out and it starts next week.