My Birthday!

It was my birthday last Sunday, February 10th, so like everything this post is a little late. But I had share why Wayne has won husband of the year for the best birthday present ever!

I was sent to my room just before we did presents and returned to my find my presents waiting for me like this.

(those are two stuffed gloves--"hands"--holding a folded peice of paper)

Of course the paper was what I wanted to read first, and this is what it said:

I know your hands are awfully full

With me traveling all the time

So I got you an extra pair of them

I bought them from an old mime.

No seriously now, I wouldn't do that

I never was much for used stuff

You're a smart, pretty lady and I am quite certain

You've already call out my bluff.

So the hands that I speak of, curious are you?

Will be coming up our walk

Tomorrow, yes tomorrow

At precisely ten o'clock.

They belong to a lady named Tiffani Johnson

In her profession she's a queen

Her hands will be here to help you

Yes honey, she'll be here to clean

And if the price is oh so right

For bath-u-rooms and floors

You can keep her but not name her

But she will be all yours.

Once a month or maybe twice

She'll help make your burden light

Since you're left here all too often

As I go to catch a flight.

I hope this unique gift of hands

Will definitely be

Something to help make you smile

Even though they're not attached to me.

Is that not the greatest gift?!? So Monday morning I was able to sit back, relax, play with Aiden and Brenner, and my house was cleaned for me. It was such a great present. It not only made my birthday great, but the week following it as well. I have such a great husband!

Off the Face of the Earth

No we didn't really fall off the face of the earth, but my world is definitely turned upside down. I have started so many posts, but haven't actually posted any for many various reasons. So I will try to briefly catch everyone up on us.

Basically I am now a single parent. Wayne travels all the time. He says it will calm down with time, but I don't count on that (mostly so I don't get my hopes up.) I am in no way complaining. I may not see Wayne during the week at all, but he's home every weekend, for which we are very grateful. We have many families here in the airforce and some of the women have husbands deployed for months at a time. I'll gratefully take what I can get.

Even with the travel Wayne is REALLY enjoying his job. He and his boss have become great friends. He's doing awesome work and is being praised for it. A nice change from his job in California.

Parker loves school and wishes there were no vacation days. He also loves reading and has found a few books here at home that he can now pick his way through. Like "Hop on Pop".

Aiden has discovered a love for bowling. Parker was invited to a bowling party and since we didn't know the people, we went and stayed at the bowling alley. We bowled three games and Aiden loved every minute of it. He now constantly talks about going back to the "bowling ball". We told him maybe for his birthday.

Brenner is as cute as ever, but is headed toward the terrible twos. He's more whiney and fussy than he used to be and he is the first of my children to learn the throw-down fits. He will collapse his body and lay on the floor crying. Still he likes to make us laugh with his expressions and is more willing to try and talk. He is still obsessed with his dad, which I have no complaints about. It means on the weekends I get a break, while he's all over his daddy.

I feel that I am adjusting well. It's been hard some weeks, but I am learning to look at the bigger picture; this is not going to last forever. I am also trying to see the good side of this time with just my boys and me. They aren't little long and it's special to have this time with them.

Our house and ward are great. We miss the beautiful California weather--today was a "warmer" day with a high of 32--but we are adjusting to that as well. I have become quite the proficient on snow shoveling. Wayne travels up to Minnesota a lot and he often comes home grateful for the warmth down here. :-)

We hope you are all happy, healthy, and well.