Unfolding

Hey all, in support of MckMama and Stellan and all the other people who have been in a situation where they are displaced from their families while tending to a sick child in another location.... Share with us your UNFOLDING shirt.... portions of the sales of this shirt went to Until Journey's End

SHARE YOUR PHOTO with the world of you sporting your AWESOME UNFOLDING SHIRT!

What More...

I dont know what else my husband could have done outside of stomping through the desert.....

He didnt make Chief this year..... Guess we wait and see what happens next year.

The stress of it all...

is eating me away... one little anxious chunk at a time.
We are waiting for the results of who will be the lucky Chief Selects (E-7) in the Navy. The people who make board (pass the test) in January then have their records sent to a group of big whigs who convene in Millington, TN. Those big whigs then go through the records and determine who will become a Chief Select and later be pinned as a Chief in the Navy.
This is Chris' 4th time making board (he has taken the exam 6 times, 2 times not making board)
This could mean a variety of things.... if he makes it or not.....
We could stay in CT... we might end up moving to Virginia. Next July that is...
It is all up in the air. and it is KILLING me waiting. There are so many rumors as to when these results will be out. Most people are guessing they will come out today because of scheduling events that take place in the next 6 weeks. Some people say next friday (I DONT THINK MY MIND can last that long).... some people say Tuesday.
Why do I think he WONT make Chief?
*he has not been deployed in a long long time. And being in the Corpsman rating now, that is a huge thing. On the flip side of that, last year he was not considered deployable because of medical issues (which come to find out never existed).... which have since been cleared up and he IS deployable. ANY time something does come up for a deployment to the sand box areas of the world, they deny the men/women the orders because of manning issues. So, here we sit with no deployment on the records.
* his test score was not spectacular although it was passing and that makes you eligible to make Board. .... the test.... yeah... see.... Chris is a corpsman. technically speaking. BUT... he does not have the same duties as a corpsman we would all think of.... he does not have any involvement with patient Care. Chris is a BioMedical Technician... He REPAIRS hospital machinery, equiptment etc. He has a GREAT job... but... he does not do typical corpsman duties. I think there needs to be a seperate rating for him. The exam... DOES NOT have ANY questions on it regarding Biomedtech duties. BUT.. it does have Pharmacy, Radiology, Dental etc. Umm... I see a problem... Chris doesnt have ANYTHING to do with that stuff. Although, he did AWESOME on the exam on the portions dealing with Patient Care and First aid and what not.

Those are both 2 huge yucks for him.

NOW... the things that my husband is AWESOME for...
*out of 48 1st class persons in Naval Health Care New England... my husband is ranked #4... under 3 Career Counselors (Dont even get me started on that)...... So, outside of people who are the Master Chief's Right hand man.... he is #1.... for "Normal" First Class'
*He makes Sailor of the Quarter for the NACC (Where he works) at least one time per year
*He made Sailor of the quarter for NHCNE (Naval Health Care New England)
*He was up for Bio Med Tech of the year for the Navy (I THINK he came in 2nd, I cant be 100% on that one though)
*He is working towards his associates degree in his "free" time
*He completed his apprenticeship program
*He received an award (ribbon) for Volunteer Time
*He has improved on his PRT (Physical Test)
*His Evaluations have been phenomenal

I could go on and on... as to why my hubby is the awesomest.... and deserving...
and we cant forget that next year he will be going back to sea duty or possibly being deployed once his time here in Groton is up.....

If he MAKES Chief, they might not have to worry about getting a NEW Chief for his job.. because we could just stay put....

I already popped 2 motrin for the headache... and pushing the numbers and ideas around in my head still isnt helping. COME ON NAVY... LET US KNOW... this is a slow and torturous DEATH they are giving me. UGH....

Please, if you can... cross your fingers for My husband and our family..... (AND TAMMI's TOO!)
this is a big deal...
w

Show us your STELLAN!

While browsing around the MckForum, another woman posted that she wanted to try out the Mcklinky and have everyone show the world THEIR STELLAN! I figured I could include Ali in my Stellan pic because I know we have both been following the McKFamily for quite some time. It isnt the same as some of the other photos in the Stellan photo Gallery but I dont live in Merrimack, NH so it is like sharing my adventures with the world, and of course I am also wearing my Unfolding shirt!

Now, how did I get to know Ali??? THE INTERNET! Crazy isnt it? We were on an old AOL bulletin board for moms who were expecting babies in January 2005. She had Kendyl in January 2005 but I had to have my January baby in December. But, we became fast friends and I was actually able to meet Ali in December 2005 at a mall in Massachusetts! I have met many women from that bulletin board. I feel extremely blessed to have stumbled upon that bulletin board. One of my other wonderful friends from that board is Julie... aka Ju. She also had a daughter 10 days before I had CJ. And of course her little guy was born in January 2005. I am blessed. Ju and her husband William are also CJ's Godparents.

Go check out all the other Stellan photo's!

so, enjoy my "Stellan" photo!

Wordless Wednesday.. Sprinkler Fun

Do I know these people?

Kiley July 2007

If you are the praying type....

I just want to put out my own list of people who are in need of some prayers....

Some people host their own prayer lists where you can put in some requests, but, I figure I will make a list of some special people to me... I think I have too many to list on someone else's blog so I will make one here ....

My mom, Lois. She has had issues with her heart since she was 39 years old and I worry about her alot and her well being. She has been struggling recently with an infection in her eyes which has left her with severe blurred vision and lots of discomfort. The house she grew up in is being sold and I know it has been heavy on her heart with all the things she has dealt with with my grandmother her whole life and even still after my grandmother passed.

My dad, Don. Because he is my dad and has his medical issues and I worry about him.

My brother, Brad. That he is able to push forward in life and be successful in his path and that his medical stuff is able to be relieved and problems are overcome. That he has the strength to push forward and make sure all his needs are met.

My sister, Alison. That she has strength to deal with the issues that have been on the forefront in her life and that she has success with her career.

My brother in law, Ray. That his medical issues are benign and that he has the strength to get through wherever his path leads him.

************************************************************************************

My friend Julie who had 3 embryos transferred in to her body today for a family who desires to have a family. That at least one baby takes and is carried to full term so that a family can be blessed with a child. This will be her third surrogacy and her last one was born exactly one week before my CJ. We were preggo buddies.

My friend Donna who's son Joe is in the military. Her mother is also battling cancer. I am praying for strength for Donna and her family and healing for her mother.

My friend Rhonda and her son Ryan. Ryan has been having a lot of medical testing done for almost his whole life to find out "what is wrong". He will be 2 in Sept and has been labeled as failure to thrive recently. The current study is to find out if he has a protein deficiency of some sorts or if it is all Dairy issues. This poor little boy is constantly being poked and prodded and is making many trips to Yale for medical testing. I think tomorrow he is having an Endoscopy. (or is it next friday?)

My friend Ali who has a son with RAD (attachment disorder) and is HIV positive... she adopted her son from Haiti. He is about 13ish years old. I am praying that Ali and her family continues to have the strength and patience to deal with all the little things life throws at them. And that her son's levels start to become stable again.

My friend Ju who lost her daughter Sydnie Claire in a drowning accident in 1997. She currently has her 2 babies in ISR classes. I am praying for Ju to continue to have strength to push forward. I know watching her babies in this class has been trying even knowing it is for the better.

My mother in law in Georgia for her mental health wellness.

My mother in law in California, Betty, who recently had the one year anniversary of being in a propane explosion and near death for many many months. She was released from rehab several months ago and is still struggling with many issues related to the major burns she received and infections and everything else.


that is it for tonite... If I somehow come up with some more, I will add them..

Thank you all!

Baby Beach Bum

Wordless Wednesday.. errr... Thursday

My incredible baby boy

I can not believe that this was my baby boy back in December 2007. What a beautiful face... look at the chubby eyelids... and the perfect round head. He was SO yellow with jaundice... I am loving picasa!

playing with picasa

Aloha Friday!

I have not participated in quite a while.. been super duper busy and time has gotten away from me! I have been trying to faithfully read everyones blogs but have not been very good at it... oh, and of course Farm Town (pathetic) on Facebook has kept me pretty busy. lame. I know.

So, here it goes.... Welcome to Aloha Friday!

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.
If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link here.

Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!
My question is:

Have you started your back to school shopping yet?

My answer...

sadly, Yes I have. I found some good deals at Sears a couple of weeks ago and was able to get 6 shirts for Ashley and Sydney (3 each) for about 35.00. Not too bad! Some even have long sleeves! And Sydney got another shirt at Walmart the other night. We dont have to buy supplies for school (pens, pencils, crayons) and we are all done backpack shopping for all 3 girls.

And here is a little photo for the answer to my favorite superhero at The Mighty M Family and her question about who is your favorite superhero? Hop on over and join in ALL the fun and simple answer questions this Aloha Friday!

You can see the Superman Symbol on my Uncle Peter's gravestone. Rest in Peace Uncle Pete.

AIRBORNE!!!!!

This was at our team softball barbeque. The man tossing Kiley is the grandfather of one of the girls on our team. They also hosted a BBQ last year for the team as well. We all had an awesome time and look forward to possibly having the girls on the same team again next year!

The grandpa was able to rent a bounce house and a real popcorn machine from his job free of charge!

Long lost blogger

I am still around. Super busy and in need of a super long update on everyone!

Went and visited with Ali in New Hampshire! Had an awesome visit and won't let it get to nearly 2 years before we go and see her again! the kids all had an awesome time and I had an awesome time chit chatting away with Ali....

Here is a pic of Sydney with her son Jackson from Haiti...

when you see the picture on Sydney's blog... act surprised! LOL! She wants to post this picture on her blog when she takes the time to sit down and type.

What a day!

Well, it started out with me finding out my cell phone had something wrong with it. I opened the cell phone and couldnt see anything on the screen. I pressed the numbers and those were still working so I dialed my house and it rang... so, I thought everything was all good.

I brought Chris to his surgery for his hand and dropped him off and told him to give them the number to my cell phone because I had some errands to run for tomorrow (today! ACK!) ... so, I called my mom to let her know I had dropped Chris off for his appointment and well... she couldn't hear me!!!! ACK!!!! Guess I wasnt going to do my errands and had to go get a new phone! Well.. since I had bought the cell phone not long ago when I had lost my old one (and have since found it) I was not due to get an upgrade and would have to pay the retail price for a phone. I have the old phone but I needed a phone that worked in case the hospital called me to pick Chris up. The old phone was dead as a doornail! Ugh. So, I had them assign a new number to my old phone and I will use it for emergency situations for the girls if I end up having to leave them somewhere like girl scouts or something. Soccer? Who knows. They are getting older and schedules are becoming more ridiculous with the extracurricular activities and what not. So. I got another phone. It actually has one of those text keyboard thingies. I dont know what kind of keyboard it has but. Whatever. My sister stopped by and I was at the bookstore with the kiddies. I told her to stay put and I would be home in 10 minutes to visit with her. I got to my house and no sooner was I here and they called (on the NEW cell phone) for me to pick up Chris! It was wonderful that she was able to stay with the kiddies while I went and got Chris. Thank you Alison!

So... anyways. I come home and next thing I know, I thought Hudson let out a green cloud... then we saw the poop tracks all over the house. Because Kiley has been guilty of it before, I thought she was trying to hide the fact she had tracked the poo because she suddenly was in her socked feet! Nope. No poop. OK... looks like the pup dropped a turd at the end of the hall and it got tracked around. Oh my god. I had been down the hallway. I assumed I couldnt have tracked poo because I had not been in the backyard to gain the prize of poo shoes. OMG. IT WAS ME. I had managed to step in the lost turd at the end of the hallway in the darkness. YUCK! So, my poor hubby and his broken hand sat in the girls room and watched animal planet while I steam cleaned my living room and hallway! YUCKO! Ah well...

Then... I go shopping with the 3 girls while the baby sleeps and that is just not even cool when it is the day before the 4th and I have just had too much caffeine. I felt so anxious. Guess I shouldnt have so much!

I come home and we carry on the rest of the evening. The kids painted pet rocks with the neighbors and then we go out for an awesome dinner at applebees. Our new Taco Bell opened and the line has just been INCREDIBLE all night. How have they NOT run out of food yet??? I am sure they done have any nachos left. There is no way!

I come home and the girls decide to watch Michael Jackson's Dangerous (at the 2:11 mark on that video)while I am giving the baby a bath. He was covered in dinner and bubbles. Kiley gave him bubbles in the car. Yeah. That is all I have to say. Chris freaked out as we were going over the Bridge from New London because he saw something and it shocked him! I was laughing SO hard because I knew at that point the baby had gotten the bubbles... one floated up in front of his face. LOL LOL .. . you had to be there.. I told him it was the dope from his surgery.

So, as I am sitting in the bathroom with the baby in the tub.. Kiley comes in and is re-enacting the Dangerous video and I am ROLLING... I get the old digital camera of mine which has been sitting on the table for a good number of days and THE SCREEN DOESNT WORK! WHAT THE HECK? Did we have some kind of surge run through the house and TOAST my Camera AND my cell phone? Oh, and the cell phone.. the BATTERY Was wet!?!??! THE BRAND NEW ONE that JUST came in the mail, I had opened the phone and it had made this white streakish stuff on the screen. Thought the new battery just went kaput.... so, I plugged it in... how did it get wet between the new battery going in and me charging it?!?!?!? GEESH!

back to the camera... I made a little film of Kiley... I dont know if it worked. I could still hear the camera making the noises it should make but I dont know yet if it recorded her impersonation of MJ. What I do know is it is risque... omg. HILARIOUS.... she even talked like him...

I would share it if CPS wouldn't come get me! LOL!

Now I need to go to bed. I am almost done with Breaking Dawn.

Regarding our Cape Cod Vacation

We are not going. Well.. not that we arent going but we are not going the week we expected to be going. Chris is having surgery on his hand on friday for a cyst (ganglion?) in the palm of his hand. He was supposed to have the surgery on June 19th which would have given him plenty of time for post op stuff but since there was an emergency situation with someone else who goes to the practice my husband does, he had to be pushed back until July 3rd. So. The week we would have been in Cape Cod was the main week for all his post op. appointments. He will be out of work for at least 2 weeks so we will maybe do some day excursions but since he cant get in the ocean and/or sand... we may be limited but I am sure we will think of some things to do!
We cant put any plans in stone because the Chief results come out late July/early August and we cant be away if he does make it. I dont know if I feel he will make it... or he wont make it... I dont know. I dont want to get my hopes up to be let down... so, I will be pleasantly surprised if he does make it. He has his ducks in a row to make it but the test score is most likely the only thing that would make it so that he isnt the one chosen. Ah well... no vaca to Cape Cod.. maybe a day trip later in the summer or early spring!
Night All!

Wordless Wednesday Doggies Playing

just checking... ignore

see if this will post.

Me and my hubby

We will be celebrating 10 years of marriage on July 18, 2009

I can not believe how fast time flies... We have come a long way in 10 years. We have had our ups and our downs but I certainly wouldnt change any of it.

I look forward to another 10 + years with this man!

Welcome to my blog....

I am hoping this one works. The other one was not posting things to be viewed and I dont know if I had clicked on something to make it not work.
So... here we go! WELCOME!