Another trip approaches....

The last minute details are being handled for the next trip to Oregon. We will leave tomorrow morning and spend two or three weeks down in Cave Junction. Meanwhile, I have begun searching for property up in the Rainier and Yelm area of Washington as well. While I love Cave Junction, I am fast coming to realize that there is not much there for children and this causes me concern.

They have just announced due to county budgets, all the libraries (21 of them) are to be permanently closed down effective Jan 2007. In three months law enforcement in Cave Junction will no longer be open or funded. These things concern me in having a young daughter and having no library for her as I view reading to be a valuable and important part of her education. If the county cannot afford to have libraries open then why would I want to invest 300k or more into buying property there? I have also come to learn that schools are rated poorly also and it is my intention to put Cheyenne back in public school in the middle school grade levels.

Meanwhile, the fight with retirement pay continues. Eventually, and hopefully before I must get too nasty with them, they will get their act together and get hubby's retirement pay correct. VA on the other hand is totally ticking me off. They were to make their decision within 90 days of his last retirement date and I am told when I called that they are running behind because of the holidays and it will be another 40 days...and yes they understand it is a law that they have it done within 90 days but it is what it is. Grrrrrrrr Incompetency and Laziness are my trigger buttons for sure. If you cannot do your job then get the HE** out and let someone else who can do it, do so. Sheesh.

So, I will post when I can during the next two - three weeks. Hopefully when we return, we will have located property either here or there...at a minimum, located a rental for awhile.

Meanwhile, I am about to begin my new 12 week workout cycle. This is going to be 12 weeks targeting major mass gain, lifting heavy and super setting. I cannot wait to get started and see how it goes. I am also increasing my calories to a range of 2000 - 2300 per day. So onward and upward!

Stay safe and happy everyone until next post.

Honoring Everyday Life

Cause for Celebration ~ Honoring Everyday Life

We all know someone who keeps plastic covers on his or her couch in order to protect it. The irony is that many of these people may live their lives without ever having actually made contact with their own furniture! This is a poignant and somewhat humorous example of the human tendency to try to save things for special occasions, as if everyday life weren’t special enough to warrant the use of nice things. Many of us have had the experience of never wearing a particular piece of clothing in order to keep it nice, only to have it go out of style in the meanwhile.

It’s interesting to think of what it would mean to us if we let ourselves wear our nicest clothes and eat off the good china on a daily basis. We might be sending ourselves the message that every day we are alive is a special day and a cause for celebration, and that we are worth it. There is something uplifting about treating ourselves to the finest of what we have. It is as if we rise to the occasion when we wear our best clothes and set the table beautifully, as if for a very special guest. We are more mindful of where we place things, what we are eating, and who is with us. Using the good china, eating in the dining room, and taking the plastic off the sofa might be an invitation to be more conscious of the beauty and grace inherent in our everyday lives.

If there are things you’ve stashed away for a special occasion—a bottle of special wine, a gorgeous pair of shoes, an antique lace tablecloth—consider taking them out of their hiding places and putting them to use tonight, just because you are alive now to enjoy them, and that’s a great cause for a celebration.

A Tit-n-Tat of happenings...

Christmas has come and gone and it was a very nice weekend. There was plenty of munchies and homemade honey mead, red spumante and peach sparkly stuff. We celebrated the day with Cheyenne having her gift opening on Christmas morning and then it was an open-house sorta day. Other couples and kids spent the day playing games, munching and enjoying the time together. The adults participated in a white elephant gift exchange which was totally fun. I ended up 'stealing' the gift I wanted from another couple. It was this adorable basket with candles, milk bath, a whip, a soft silky nylon rope, liqueur chocolates and a board game. I was tickled and husband was cringing. *smirk*

Later that evening my best friend's husband got to play with his newest toy...a brand new camera. We turned her livingroom into a photo studio. He loves erotic photography and has been interested in doing the muscle shots so I volunteered my muscles for the shoot. I need to get over my camera shyness and what better way to do it than with a photographer you like and trust, your hubby right there and your best friend with her wonderful girlfriend? We spent several hours taking pics, changing props, changing clothing and just having a great time. At the end of the shoot, we were all anxious to see the photos. I was very happy with the majority of mine which ranged from wearing antlers and a red evening gown with a red whip all the way to black leather with a sword to nothing but a g-string. It was empowering, confidence building and liberating to be able to have fun and get wonderful shots taken. The bonus was that I now have my before pics for my upcoming 12 week workout cycle...so Aaron will get to take more pics in a few months and capture what I hope to be a lot of progress and change.

There is still a heavy feeling of being unsettled and along with that the accompanying worries. I had a rough week leading to up to Christmas with the death of my new horse on the 14th and then the day before Christmas, the death of the elder who gave me away at my wedding. My best friend is going to do a cleansing ceremony for me this evening to try to rid some of the ick and negative which surrounds me like a cloud lately. I am hoping that the cleansing ceremony goes well and that I find a new, stronger attitude underneath the ick.

Well more later.....

Heading to Oregon!

We will be heading to Oregon in a few hours and then the fun begins. We have a small place off the grid to spend the next couple of weeks while we look at property, spend time with my new horse 'Doc' and check out the area. Hubby think that this is the area he wants us to settle in so we want to check out the area as a family for more than a couple of days.

We will be out of touch for a couple of days while we are there and every few days I will hit the wi-fi cafe and check in on email, damily and friends. Not to mention the numerous forums.

I think overall the Clan here will be happy to have some time without the little one underfoot. It is hard on them having an adult household and suddenly having a 10 year old living underfoot. LOL. It has been interesting for them to say the least. But the freedom of their normal household routine will be a welcome return I am sure. And we, as a family, will enjoy having our family time alone again. It has been fine being here and I am always happy being here but I think everyone needs a small break. LOL. The boys will enjoy having 12 acres to play on also.

So, more in a few days after we get down there and get situated. It is going to be interesting dealing without internet handy. It is amazing how reliant upon some things we become. :)

A new week begins....

Monday is here and we are readying our stuff and selves to head to Oregon until just before Christmas. Cheyenne and I are looking forward to being able to be with hubby as well as check out the property he has located and would like to purchase. So our schedule will be filled wiht looking at property, meeting realtors, talking to VA and mortgage brokers, meeting my new horse and getting to knonw him and spending time together as a family.

I am going to scout the area for local gyms or a place to get equipment. We decided that if we purchase this place we would like to turn the garage into a gym area for ourselves so we can workout whenever we want and not have to hassle with the drive, weather, and time of day.

It has been great seeing hubby so excited about something, so I cannot wait to see this property and walk it myself. He does not normally get excited about stuff like that but he has been exclaiming how perfect it is and how it is just what he wants. Plenty of room for my horse and others he would like to purchase (8 fenced acres), a koi pond for me to which he is cure I would turn into a small japanese garden area, a pond for the horses, a small guest cottage that I can spend my free time renovating, plenty of room for the hot tub, a garage to turn into a gym and a cozy 2 bdr 1.5 bath house. So, I shall spill the beans once I have seen it and I shall take pictures as well. :)

So off until later in the week. We are leaving Washington on Tuesday and will be in Cave Junction Oregon by sunset. YAY!

December 7th...a day to remember!

It is officially my best friend's birthday. Happy Birthday Phoenix! I am so blessed to have her in my life, for so many reasons but most of all because she is intelligent, beautiful, caring and has the heart and soul of an angel and yet, she can be as tough as nails when it is needed. Most certainly a strong woman. She is enjoying her retirement from the military immensely but I catch her worry about 'her soldiers' every now and again as well. As a 1st Sgt and Sgt Major, her career existed in daily dealing with and working with the soldiers in her command. She was superior, mother, nursemaid, counselor, confidant, friend and foe to each and every one of them. She felt their loss in the deepest part of her heart and very being. There are not any like her within in the military, there might be a few that come close to stacking up, but none like her for sure.

December 7th is also the 65th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. To think back on where this world has come and gone since that day in 1941, is astounding to say the least. It is on days like this that I think about our men and women in the armed services that are so far from home and constantly in harm's way. The holidays are approaching for us and we will spend them with family and friends, safe and warm...they however will be far from home with only their fellow soldiers, they will be cold and in harm's way...in a place where they are anything but safe. Hopefully everyone will stop and take a few moments and remember that fact and say a little prayer for them.

Hubby is nearly home, he should be arriving in the next half hour from Oregon and we have much to discuss to prepare for us all going back down to Oregon on Monday. But I am so looking forward to the next couple of weeks with him and having him with us in the evenings.

I am looking forward to hubby returning next weekend but even more so looking forward to going with him to Oregon for the following two weeks. It will be a nice change. I miss him when he is not home. I am also looking forward to finally getting a chance to meet "Doc", my new horse and to be able to ride some.

Workouts have been so-so, I did get out and do lunges and squats outside but I have really not been able to workout the way I have wanted to. Everyone's schedules around here makes transportation a nightmare somedays and I miss my workout partner. But, all will be fine. Besides, this is the holiday season and I refuse to get worried about my workouts right now, I do not plan to compete until 2008 so I have all year. YAY!

I am looking forward to the secret Santa project with the BuffMothers and have almost finished my Christmas Cards for the ladies as well. This year is going to be so fun. The Secret Santa will be as much fun as getting BuffMother's birthday surprise together for her earlier this year. That was indeed a secret Santa of another sort. hehehehehe

Got a little crazy today!

I decided to get outside in the nice 38 degree weather and do lunges and no weight squats. So I did lunges all over the property, and stopped counting at 100 of them. Then I did squats and plie squats with no weight, merely flexion. My legs are screaming too so I did good! I think I will soak in the hot tub for a bit and then decide on what to cook for dinner. I am thinking a movie sounds in order too. Hmmmm what to watch?

A wonderful Saturday morning!

It is a brisk 34 degrees, ice everywhere and looks like the beginning of a beautiful day. Hubby is still sleeping as is the princess, so I am enjoying my morning coffee in peaceful silence.

Agenda for the day, locate my heavy sweaters as it is supposed to snow tomorrow, find several things in the boxes in the garage, get our insurance application completed and signed by hubby and just chill out with hubby as much as possible.

YAY! For relaxing wonderful day like this!

Thanksgiving ... what a day!

Thanksgiving day was filled with friends, family and FOOD! We had so much food it was impossible to make a dent in it with one meal. We baked a turkey, a pot roast, green bean casserole, Broccoli cheese casserole, a pecan pumpkin dish, a squash dish, a cold pasta salad, mashed potatoes, vegetarian gravy, turkey gravy, herb stuffing, cornbread stuffing and the desserts were countless. We had 12 people here and it was a great day.

Steven came up from Portland, Oregon and spent the night and day with us. His wufe, Summer, was back home in Missouri so we invited him to join us. Jaime, Jim and DJ came over and spent the day as well. The normal clan was there, our family of three, Sherry, Lecion, Aaron and Chris and a couple of folks stopping by just to say hello and grab some munchies too. We all watched a movie, the kids played on the PlayStation and everyone ate and ate. There were naps in the afternoon between courses and tons of laughter.

Hubby and I have not really had a chance to sit and talk but we have plans to do just that this evening once everything quiets down again. Cheyenne and I may go to Oregon with him for a couple of weeks rather than be up here without him. Meanwhile, hubby has found a beatiful piece of property in Oregon that he wants to look closer at and possible make an offer on. So, we could be moving down to Oregon. Another good reason for Chy and I to go down, to check out the area and make sure it where we would like to be.

So onward and upward, plans to make and trips to take. :)