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The Beach Side of the family (Minus poor Daniel who was on board the USS Ronald Regan at the time)
The Heider side of the family
The Schwalbe/Beach side
The Spencer side
We would be no where without the love of our precious family.
Not thinking that your 20 month old will color himself & try to make handprints like he does at school.....
What?!
Day #58 (Monday)
Goofing around
Day #59 (Tuesday)
Day #60 (Wednesday)
Day #61 (Thursday)
Day #62 (Friday)
Day #63 (Saturday)
$12 for a tv & dvd player.
In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I wanna be
In my daughter's eyes
Matina McBride
My Mother-in-law Chris with her baby boy
My Grammy, Me, and my Grandma before they were Great-grandmas!
Ben's Grandma Schwalbe with some of her great-grandchildren
Last but not least my Great-grammy Leightner. She passed away when I was 25 years old but I think of her every day when I put her class ring on my hand.
Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother.
Inspirational Quotes on Mothers Day by: Lin Yutang, Chinese writer
The grooms cake with chocolate covered strawberries.
For those of you not familiar with Texas A&M, the pretzel sticks are the Aggie Bonfire that they used to have before it collapsed a few years back. We traditionally have the grooms cake at rehearsal dinner but that is not the case in Texas so we had it at the reception!
The cookie tables
A western PA tradition
Bonnie at www.thesometimessinglemom.blogspot.com/ is hosting "Your military love story." today in honor of Military Spouse Day. Hop on over to see what others are saying.
Ben and I met in May 2003. We were in Pensacola, Florida, at the time. A friend of mine convinced me to go with a "group" of people to a free concert in the park. I was at the end of a very bad relationship and was struggling to figure out what I wanted to do. Ben was very friendly, polite, and kind of sickeningly nice. I ran into him quite a few times when I was out with our mutual friend Heather. My previous relationship had ended, life was good. I had a plan! I wanted to be nearer to family & pursue some higher education.
Then one fateful night, I was out & there was young man who would not leave me alone. (Like following me from bar to bar kind of scary.) I saw Ben. I was comfortable enough with what I knew of him to run, jump up in his arms, and plead with him to pretend to be my boyfriend so that guy would leave me alone. Ben (being the very sound and rational person that he is) said just tell him about your real boyfriend. I told him "I don't have a boyfriend!" Ben stayed for awhile until the other guy got the hint and left. We talked for awhile when he said that he needed to get back to his friends. I thanked him & sent him on his way. Later that night, Ben found me again and invited me to go boating with him the next day. Why not?!
When we started hanging out, I was not really looking for anything serious. (To be perfectly honest.) I had several phone interviews for a position at a prestigious hospital in NC. I had pretty much made up my mind that I was going no matter what. BUT, I still couldn't stop hanging out with Ben. He was so mature, romantic, funny, supportive, honest, caring, sensitive, HOT (oh yeah I went there! still think he is!), goal oriented or locked-on I believe is the marine corps term, humble, independent, stable, cuddly, good relationship with his mama, OH OK he was PERFECT.
The position that I was once so excited for started to dim & I began to feel like I was making the biggest mistake of my life. I talked to him & ended up staying with him in Florida.
Ben had begun talking about eloping pretty early in our relationship & I thought that he was just UMMM....running his mouth?! I mean c'mon he hadn't even proposed! I am a traditional kind of girl & these things need to occur! Well he didn't disappoint, Christmas Eve 2003 Ben proposed at my old college campus. (He is kind of big on grand gestures if I haven't mentioned that!?!) We didn't want to live together until we got married so we eloped New Year's Eve 2003. (Maybe the shortest engagement on the books?!)
I can honestly say that I was COMPLETELY unprepared for what I was getting into as far as being a Marine Corps wife. I have learned to embrace the changes even if they drive me crazy sometimes. (Oh ok ALL the time.) Marriage is not PERFECT but I rather prefer the non-perfect because it has given us a chance to grow both individually & together. Do I still think he is all of those things that I mentioned before? ABSOULTELY!
We have been married for over 6 years now & it is not always PERFECT, he does drive me crazy (as I am sure I do the same.), we have our share of fights. But he is the only one that I want to have this experience with. The one that I want to "do life with" to quote our pastor.
I love you Benny! I am proud to be your wife.
This picture is of my mom (far left), me, my maternal grandmother, some of my aunts, and of course my great-grammy in the wheelchair.
Of course a picture of me from 1980 (I was 3 years old) I was the one who made my mommy a mommy to begin with so.......
For more Flashbacks, visit
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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."
For all of the other military wives that have touched my life in one way or another over the years....I salute you!
The kids and I....my own little present to myself for mother's day & military spouse appreciation day!
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Mama M at www.fivecrookedhalos.blogspot.com/ is having Mother's day mania.
Today is Birth stories.
Kendall
Well where to begin.....Daddy was in Iraq. Since I couldn't have the one person that I wanted more than anything, I decided to make it a merry old party. Grammy, Erin R., Jess, Pam, & Lori were there when you made your grand entrance. I went to the "deployed spouses dinner" on base that Thursday, June 29th. I had worked until 3 that day & was enjoying the service at the chapel when I started to feel a little trickle. At first I thought that I was having a leaky bladder, but no my water had broke! I ate dinner (since I knew they wouldn't give me any in the hospital) & then we were off to the races. I will spare the gory details but suffice to say I had a mid-wife who didn't know what she was doing so you had a rather rough entrance into the world complete with forceps, breathing, & heart rate problems. Oh but once you were worked with a little bit...you were a force to be reckoned with! Mommy couldn't stop staring at you & really believe that you were there. Daddy stayed on the phone the entire time so he could hear everything that was going on. You started as a little fighter (Maybe strong-willed is a better word) & have been so since your birth!
Isaac
How much different your birth was than your sissy's. My water broke in pretty much the same way (with a little help from daddy pressing on pressure points.) Daddy, sissy, and I walked the streets of our neighborhood for awhile then headed to the hospital. I had the most beautiful labor with you. A wonderful midwife and a peaceful, easy labor even though you were 2 pounds heavier than your sissy. What a breeze! You were a snuggler from the get-go & have remained that way ever since then!
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Thursday Five
over at www.mannland5.com/
5 things that have made you happy, thrilled,jubilant,elated
1. Mother's day pictures with my children
2. Two mother/daughter dates on Monday and Wednesday & a mother/son date on tap for tomorrow.
3. Giving gifts to my mom & mother-in-law for mother's day.
4. Kendall getting a slot with the teacher that I wanted for next year. (Time, patience, & praying really do pay off!)
5. Feeling slightly better from whatever crud/allergies/etc. that I have had this past week!
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