God Bless America

I made 4th of July cards.

It's summer and we are moving so all the parents are letting kids play and play and play. Last night we ordered pizza for everyone.

Tonight it was just Blaine, Bailey and Emily who joined us. It's so fun when the kids can go play from one house to another...I am going to miss this neighborhood!!!

We have been watching lots of soccer. Ben and Madi wore their World Cup shirts today...we went with German ones. Ben has made it very clear that the USA is his 1st favorite team though.

Did anyone watch Wimbledon??? HOLY COW was that fun the last 3 days...and the winner (Isner) of that crazy game was a Georgia Bulldog too.

3+3=6 in 9 years

Those are Madi's stats. Steve and I were talking about them. When Madi is 9 years old she would have already lived at 3 stateside bases and 3 overseas bases....

1. Scott AFB, IL
2. Rhein Main AB, Germany
3. Wiesbaden AAF, Germany
4. Ft. McPherson, Georgia
5. USAG Yongsan, Seoul, Korea
6. Beale AFB, California

Now that is some record...she is going to be like me if she keeps it up. This next move will be my 9th move since marrying Steve 13 years ago but my 23rd in my whole life.

And since we have been in Georgia Madi has traveled to 9 states...Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Ohio and oh yeah DC...District of Columbia and the Bahamas. She is going to add at least 4 or 5 knew states to that list this summer before leaving Georgia...we have a real exciting trip planned for next month!!!

Today I went shopping at my local quilt store and Hobby Lobby to stock up on a few things before my packers come, so I have lots of fun crafty things planned while living in Korea. I am a little freaked over leaving the land of quilt stores, Hobby Lobby, Target, Walmart............

This really cute State fabric was one of the things I picked up today and it only took me 15 minutes to whip up this super sweet skirt for Madi...I just love it!

Swimming

Monday morning at 0751 my phone rang...it was Ms. Jennifer the kids swim coach. She said she had an opening in both level 3 and 4 that were back to back this whole week and she would like for us to come free of charge as a Thank You for Steve's service in the Air Force. The kids were super excited and we took the offer! This is our 3rd summer at Ms. Jennifer's pool and boy are we going to miss it!!! Jennifer and her team have turned Ben and Madi into some really great swimmers.

Madi's best stroke is the elementary backstroke. In this picture she doing the backstroke...crisp arms and pinkie finger in first.

For Ben's level 4, the new strokes learned were the breaststroke which he mastered and the sidestroke which he needs to work at still. Also he started diving standing up rather than on the knee.

Ben always like to wear a swim shirt...everyday.

It's Friday and for our Friday night summer dinner we are having Greek salad with a new yummy looking summer dessert.

crust:

2 1/4 c. flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. butter

mix

press evenly into 9x13 greased dish

bake 350 for 20 minutes

cool

topping:

1 pkg oz cream cheese

2 TBSP brown sugar

1 6oz flavored yogurt

1 tsp grated lemon peel

Spread this over cooled crust

Top with favorite fresh summer fruits

Every Christmas I am given the gift (thanks Liz!) of a subscription to the Pillsbury monthly cookbooks that are always a surprise in the mail...I love that. Anyways I was looking through a large stack of the books and saw this yummy summer dessert and decided to try it.

a fun birthday tradition

Usually you see these chains in red and green construction paper handmade by little kids. I made this chain for some friends of ours out of happy scraps, fusible interfacing and velcro. Now this chain can be a fun family tradition used over and over to countdown those birthdays...my kids are always asking how many more days! Now I want to make a longer chain for a countdown to Christmas to use every year. I got the idea for this out of Sandi Henderson's new book I mentioned the other day...it's only $11 at amazon.com rather than $18 at the bookstore.

This cake takes the cake!

For Madi's birthday cake we made vandco ice cream cake. This thing screamed summer birthday! It was so good we all had two pieces. Madi, thank goodness felt better...no need to go to the hospital. Since her diagnosis we have never had to take her in except for routine apts.

Every year we get Madi a gag gift. Last year it was a huge jar of pickles...this year a dozen cans of her favorite beanee weenees.

Time for a picnic....

...now that I have made us the perfect picnic quilt. I have been wanting to make one of these for a long time and when I was looking at the medowsweet line of fabric it said picnic quilt to me. All but one of the fabrics used were medowsweet or farmers market by sandihenderson. I love all her designs and her new book...I have already started making something out of it...my clock is ticking...our first set of movers come in almost 2 weeks.

The back of the quilt is mostly white with some greens edges and then I used a brown for the binding.



Yesterday my kids had to go to their Pediatrician to get TB tests done in preparation for moving to Korea. Right before the Dr. came in Madi stated saying her belly hurt...I thought it's only because both kids are scared of the shot/TB test...even though Madi has type 1 diabetes and get 4-6 shots daily. Then last night at dinner my 52 inch, 52 lb. Madi couldn't eat and her belly still hurt. At 11 pm she started getting the runs and throwing up. It lasted all night and all day today. She hadn't eaten or had anything to drink since 3:30 yesterday afternoon...Madi has diabetes and that means other things start going the wrong way. Sure enough at 2pm today she finally peed so I was able to check her keytones....dang, large amount...first time ever. So I called Steve and then he called the Pediatric Endocrinologist so I could start packing overnight bags for both Madi and I. But we are still at home, still have large amount of keytones but she is now keeping a few chips and Gatorade down so hopefully we are on the up and up. I LOVE that team down at Emory University/Children's Hospital. They talk to you every hour trying to keep you at home and still confident at what you are doing. I am hoping for a full nights rest tonight. Tomorrow is Madi's birthday so she has to feel better right?!?

Card group cards

Our assignment was a birthday card...with the ultimate challenge being to add an office supply (paperclip, staple...) somewhere on the card. I did the birthday card but flopped on the challenge...I still like my cards though. This was our last month. I have my big move overseas and the other ladies were all for taking a break for a few months. I will be ready to go again in the fall for sure...I am dreading not having all my craft supplies...the Air Force takes 2 LONG MONTHS to ship our household goods to Korea.

more flip flops...

Last weekend Steve's family came with bags and bags of birthday gifts for Ben and Madi. Of all the fun things, these pink flip flops with balloons tied on them my sister-in-law made are my favorite! Madi and I made the red and aqua.









The other day I got on my computer after the kids had been on there and noticed what the last google search was...see it by the Norton on the top left. hmmmm...I wonder who it was?

Memorial Day

Our family spent Memorial Day down at Turner Field....Braves and Phillies with a Beach Boys concert to top it off. There was an abundance of patriotism at every turn. Look at this flag made of baseball hats. The Braves wore white hats...all MLB players did in honor of Memorial Day. Lots of decorated troops were honored on the field before and during the game. I think Ben and Madi felt what Memorial Day is for.

Madi and Daddy.

The kids got their favorite chili cheese fries and Braves helmets full of dippin' dots.

Braves won putting them in 1st place!!!!!!!!

After the game we sure enjoyed the Beach Boys concert right there at Turner Field!!!

UGA vs. Cal

Friday was Ben and Madi's last day of school. Steve was also off on Friday. So, we checked the kids out of school at 1100 and drove over to Athens to watch UGA play California in softball and to hit up Chuck E Cheese...perfect way for starting off our summer.

What a great game. It was the NCAA Super Regionals. When we move to California we won't be far from this school. But we are fascinated with Stanford...we use google earth and have already found the sports complex and are learning the lay of the land. We already have some plans for some fun football games, baseball, basketball....

Georgia did win. It was HOT! It was fun!

My FAVORITE flip flops in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD!

I live only one mile from my local quilt store. But last week I went shopping in north Atlanta at another fun store tinystitches. While in there I found this book. It has the neatest ideas. My eyes were drawn to the red and aqua flip flops and instantly knew I had to make a set for myself!!! I am in love with them and keeping them forever. So, for a summer display on one of my tables, Madi and I thought this little quilt, a pitcher full of homemade pinwheels and a yummy strawberry candle would be so fun. I should be packing, cleaning and getting ready to move to Korea but instead I am quilting and now wanting to make the pinwheels.





Here is Madi with her aqua feet :-) We just made the footprints, stitched around them, knotted some ribbon and stitched it to the fabric, hot glued the flowers, Madi signed it and then I quilted it. Go luck at that book. In the fall I want to make the spider and maple leaf.

military wives

Last summer when my friend amber was moving she made a new crafty decoration to have ready to display in the new home. I followed...see my new Seoul, Korea pillow.

This one I sent to Betty...she is already in Korea. Funny thing...her and her friend Jen read my blog and we all figured out Betty's husband was Air Force but was going to the same Army Post we are suppose to go to AND Jen is moving here to a base in Georgia...it's crazy.

This past weekend we got together with the other Air Force Weather people Steve works with. I think it's important to know each other:

Back in April/May 2003 we were in Germany but Steve was getting ready to deploy to Iraq. They flew to Kuwait and then drove their humvees from Kuwait up to the Baghdad Airport...they were the first people to get to that airport.

2 weeks before all the guys left, the Squadron Commander and his wife came over from Heidelberg. There was a big meeting so they could meet all the guys and their families. At a certain point the Commander had the guys take all the kids and leave the conference room...us wives liked that until we got what was coming next. The Commander and his wife started talking about DEATH and that we were to never use that word around our husbands and that is why they needed to leave the room. We filled out paperwork for the way we wanted things to happen if one of our guys were to die. We had to list which other wife or wives they were to inform and to pick up to bring with them to inform us if something did happen. They never want 2 strangers to inform a spouse all alone. Thank goodness they all came back from that dangerous trip.

That is why I think is so nice to know all the other families...we are all going through the same thing and our husbands sure depend on each other.

To make the world smaller, I have an Aunt who works at the Air and Space museum in Washington DC. One day she was teaching a new lady the ropes. They got to talking and guess who the lady was...Steve's Commanders wife from Germany...the one who was so kind and got us wives ready for the first dreadful deployment.

birthday stuff and the winner of my giveaway

Madi's birthday isn't until June but she wanted to celebrate at school. So we dressed up these yummy suckers to give each to each classmate.















These clown cupcakes made Madi really excited. Once I got the first 2 made they weren't that hard. I found this cute idea over here. I am taking them in today during the kids lunch.


Okay Madi also really wanted to be the one to draw the winner of our giveaway early this morning. She picked Brittney. So Brittney please e-mail us your address...wiesbaden2003@yahoo.com. I bet Rhett will get some good use out of the popsicle covers.

tintinnabulation....

Ben and his 4th grade teacher Mrs. Quillen. Monday was the awards ceremony for 4th grade. I was so proud of Ben. He raked those bad boys in. He is most proud of his Presidential Physical Fitness Award...that is pretty hard to get...only 6 kids in his class earned it.

Poor Ben got called up on stage a few times...you know he does NOT like to be the center of attention at all. But I sure was excited!

These are the three 4th graders who had all A's for the whole year. That little sweetie on the right in the sundress...Hannah, her mom and I agreed that it's too bad we are moving because those two would have been fun to see during the high school years...she is so smart, a level 6 gymnast, plays violin...right up Ben's alley.

Okay so Ben comes home Monday afternoon with his spelling/vocabulary list for the week...first word on there was tintinnabulation. I had to ask Ben how to say it and what it was. I am his mom and I have never seen or heard that word in my life.

He took some standardized tests...had the highest 4th grade score AND outscored all the 5th graders but one. If he didn't look so much like us I would wonder if he was really our child...I am so proud.

popsicle cover giveaway

I found this idea online
for the cutest Popsicle covers. No more cold hands! They used fleece but I had lots of pretty fabric scraps I wanted to use so I lined mine with batting. It's 2 1/2 by 6 or 7 inches of fabric folded and sewn. My kids LOVE them. I love the way they look. So I am giving a 4-pack away...leave a comment and we will pick a winner next Friday, 21 May.

Back when

I have been going through stuff getting ready for our move to Korea. My kids love looking at my stuff from back when... In this picture I am the girl in the flight suit. I was an Aero Medical Evacuation Tech(took care of sick/injured soldiers and family members in flight) while stationed in Japan. It was first the 9th AES then the 374th AES. We covered the east coast of Africa to California and then to the North and South Poles...lots of traveling and flight hours. I earned those set of wings!!!


Some of my Air Force name tags from different jobs.






Back when I turned 1 years old.

NBA Playoffs round 2 game 3

This past Saturday we got the chance to go to a game. What a fun thing to do....going to the NBA Playoffs. It was Atlanta Hawks vs. Orlando Magic. What's funny is this is the same game we went to last year...round 2 game 3.

Here are our handsome boys playing a game in the Kids Zone inside Phillips Arena.

Madi got a Hawk tattooed on her face.

Of course we got there early to watch the Hawks and Magic warm up.

We all wore white. It was a Hawks thing...a white out but it didn't work...they lost BAD!