DISHES ARE DONE MAN

Ok the blogathon is over!!!!! We made it 24 hours and raises over 1800.00 dollars. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and support us and those who sponsored us. We had a great time. As soon as I'm well rested I'll be back to update my blog and most likely change it around a bit. Seeing as my hubby is longer deployed and we are settling in to the new place it's time for a change here also. This blog has served it's purpose and is new for a new one.

APE

STOP BY AND JOIN THE FUN

OK stop by and join the fun. www.stalebetty.com

YOU CAN DO IT

Thanks to my CUZ Renita for the sponsor!!!!!! Love you girl



Ok everyone we are getting down to the wire. We are very close to our $2000.00 mark for the Blogathon. As you all know all the money we earn is going towards a great cause. The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. Quote from the foundation

"Although sufficient funding has been received for the construction
costs, the Fund is accepting donations to provide additional services to
the patients who will be treated in the Center and their families.
These services may include facilities for patients' children, additional
medical equipment and supplies, medical research to improve the care of patients, or other areas relating to the Center's activities including the patients and their families.
One hundred percent of the contributions will continue to go to these services, with nothing taken out for the Fund's administrative costs.
We thank you for continuing to support our efforts."
Not only does this provide for our soldiers in a time of need but also their families. Meaning you! We all pray everyday to keep our loved ones safe however we all are in the same boat. One day you, a friend or family member may have to call upon the services of this wonderful foundation. Please visit www.stalebetty.com to sponsor us. Even if it's only a dollar it will be a dollar well spent. We can make a difference in some soldiers and their families lives. Get out there a make a difference.

Ok I'm stepping down now.

APE

THANK YOU

I would like to thank my mom for sponsor us for this year's blogathon. We still need sponsors so we can hit our goal of $2000.00 for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. Don't forget to visit Stalebetty.com to spend some quality time with us on the 29th. There are going to be 8 of us using all of our brain power to blog every 30 mins for 24 hours straight. So stop by chat with us there are prizes to be won. Even if you don't win anything you will met some very wonderful ladies and what could be a better prize than that. Thank you all for your support.

P.S If you have sponsored by reading my blog don't be shy please let me know so I can give you the thanks you deserve.

APE

TOO MUCH TO SAY NOT ENOUGH BRAIN POWER

BLAH BLAH BLAH,

Well hubby flew to ID on Tues to be with his mom. The kids and I didn't go, plane tickets were insane!!!!!!! Plus we have the dogs and they wouldn't be happy if we left them in some unknown place with unknown people and animals,right after moving them form the home to a new one. HUbby will be back on Mon or Tues I can't remember which @ this stage right now. (good thing he drove himself to the airport) My brother is going to try and come this weekend. We are planning on just hanging out with the kids and do some sight seeing around here. I'm starting to learn my way around this place slowly. Still trying to unpack boxes, each one I open up I don't want to deal with so I put it down in the basement for another day, If I keep that up my whole house will end up in the basement. Mainly just junk or stuff that needs to be tossed or giving away. With the blogathon coming up I really need to make some sense out of the playroom/office. Or I can just plan on laying in bed using the hubbies laptop like I am now. For some reason this is the only room I get good signal strength go figure it's the furthest place in the house from the router. Went and had the kids pic taken today I finally got a picture of all of them together looking at the camera and smiling (this is a big milestone for my kids) Well I better get to bed I beat and Alex decided she wanted to sleep in here tonight (she is such a bed hog so I might have to move her later to her bed once she falls good and asleep. (SHHHHH don't tell her) so tired I'm not even going to do a spell check tonight please excuse the mess.

APE

LOSS IN THE FAMILY

We've had 2 losses in the family today. My hubbies Step father passes today due to cancer. He went pretty fast and unexpected. Please keep his family in your thoughts as they are all trying to cope with the sudden loss.
The 2nd loss was my daughter's Alex's tooth. She finally lost her first tooth today. It's kind of weird that the loss of a tooth makes one realize that life does really go on and that there are beginning and ends to everything in our life. The end of one and the start of a new. That's all for now.

In joy and sadness
APE

LET"S GET THIS PARTY STARTED

HELLO ALL,

It's that time of the year where bloggers unite. The 6th annual blogathon is taking place July 29th. For those of you who don't know what a blogathon is it's like a walkathon. Bloggers from around the world register and blog for 24 hours straight every 30 mins. Stale Betty and some very kickass Military Wives have gotten together and are blogging for Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

"The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund is constructing a world-class state-of-the-art advanced training skills facility at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. The center will serve military personnel who have been catastrophically disabled in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The center will also serve military personnel and veterans severely injured in other operations and in the normal performance of their duties, combat and non-combat related."

I'm here today asking for you to sponsor us in the blogathon this year there are prizes to be won and plenty of entertainment. You can make donations two ways by the hour meaning every hour we blog or lump sum. We are up to over $1000.00 so far. Let's make it $2000.00. All monies we receive will be donated to Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. To sponsor us click here or the button to the right. My shift is the midnight-0230 so come to Stalebetty.com and keep me company. It's time we make a difference in the world. If you don't want to sponsor us check out the other bloggers making a difference by visiting www.blogathon.org.

KEEP ROCKING

APE

AND THE WINNER IS

Ok folks we went to the Carlisle Chrysler nationals today @ the Carlisle Fairgrounds and entered the kids to win this.







And we actually won. We were just getting the kids in the cart to do some much needed food shopping when they called we pulled the kids out of the cart and went right back to pick it up. The kids are so excited, it was Alexandra's name that was drawn. He is one pics from the show, my dream car can you guess what it is?



More pics to come

APE

BOXES BOXES EVERYWHERE

Hello all

I have found my PC and had cable installed in the new place. We left last friday and our household goods arrived monday. So we are sitting in a house full of boxes. I have to say we have unpacked alot in the amount of time we have been here. The kitchen in done my oldest room is done. The living room is just about done now if I can get the playroom done my life would be alot easier. I will have pics once I find the cable to download them with. The kids love the new place they get to see fireflies @ night. We bought them a swing set it said 6 to 8 hours to put up more like 6 to 8 days. It's still not finished. We have had one guy across the street bring us lemonade the first day we got here and a couple nights ago another family brought by brownies. The people are nice around here and pretty much don't get into your business unless you want then to. LOL well more boxes to conquer. I'll write more later.

APE

Catch you on the flip side

OK they are coming to pack our house today well not the house just the stuff in it. So I'll be out of the net for awhile. I'll try and check in on the laptop until we move then I'm stuck with the Blackberry so hopfully I'll be able to get some internet with that. I'll have to steal from my hubby. Well everyone take care and I'll catch you on the flip side!!!!!!!!!!

P.S Went to Dave Matthews concert Sat night we got soaked. To make matters worse my hubby and I had the idea to ride his new bike up there. So the bike got wet and good lord the can't get wet. Anyway we left the concert earlt before the rain picked up again. I'll get pics of the bike up soon.


Later taters

APE

KODAK TIME

Hello all,

I got a new camera!!!! Here are just some pics I've taken. Other than that, my hubby got home just fine Friday afternoon. We spent the weekend as you can see by the pics hanging out with the kids and neighboors. My hubby also got rid of his baby. His 1993 Trans Am. He use to drag race it so it was fancy and everything. So to replace it he got a motorcycle. 2005 Honda 1300. It's a heavy bike. Well we are hopefully closing on the new house this friday and out of here on the 30th. Well there is a lot of work to be done so I better go. We are renting a small uhaul to take some of our stuff up to PA ahead of time. Wish us luck.

APE

Highway Companion

Ok so I did get to go and see Tom Petty and it was great. Stevie nicks was awesome. I fully expected people to be smoking pot at the concert. A little tid bit of info about me I allergic to pot, bon e fide allergic. What I didn't expect was the dude right in front of me to be smoking pot. So I would break out in a rash and get all hot every time he lit one up and for about 15 mins after he was done. Normally I wouldn't say anything if you want to smoke pot cool just not at my house or in my car, or around my kids. My friend Angie went and said something, due to the fact that you can't even smoke in the pavilion area much less I was over there breaking out. She told them I fully expect that people are going to smoke it and I wouldn't say anything but my friend as weird as it sounds is allergic and my 16 year old daughter is with me also. They told her they couldn't do anything unless they saw him smoking it. Anyway we still had a great time. We hit a sobriety check (never been through one) on the way back from the concert no fears however I had one beer it was a forty O Corona when I first got there and we left 5 hours later and Angie had 2 sips of my beer so she was good. I couldn't afford to get drunk there anyway that beer cost me $11.00. Well to wrap it up it was a great concert and now I can cross off Tom Petty and Stevie nicks from the list.

P.S I got Alex my oldest a shirt they had youth sizes and what 6 old doesn't need a Tom Petty concert shirt.

Said I dig yeah baby but I got to keep on moving.
APE

WE'RE MOVING ON UP.......

Well we finally closed on this house and are looking to close on the new one on the 23rd. The mover are coming to pick up our stuff the 26-28th and we are out of here on the 30th new house or no new house. Alex's last day of school was today she is now a 1st grader. I would have pictures of her graduation however I dropped my camera and now it doesn't work. I didn't get a chance to download them. However the are on a SD so once I get a new camera I be set. Speaking of camera's any suggestions I really want one of the new SLR's they can take 3 pictures per second with wait time in between. Plus they have all kinds of different lenses available. Now if I can just convince the hubby to pay the price. I really hoping to get more into photography. I'm really taking a liken to it. However I'm not to into posed pics more of the everyday life, and flowers. I always get the best pics of the kids when they are just playing around doing their thing. My hubby will be back this weekend for good. I hope it's for awhile this time. He is also taking some leave time for the move. It's been a long road to get ready for this move but it will soon come to an end. Also cross fingers I have a chance to go see Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks and Trey Anastasio the front man for Phish tomorrow my friend Angie has an extra ticket I just need to find a babysitter. This just in My brother just informed me he has to work tomorrow so there goes that idea. All the other babysitter I normally use are out of town. Anyway, you guys have a wonderful weekend and hopefully I will also if the money from selling our house hits the bank tomorrow I'll an even better one. YEAH! Paying off account time.

Later Taters
APE

LOOKING BACK

WOW just looking back at my first entry. It's been over a year, and nothing has changed (LOL) I remember looking back wondering how I was going to survive raising 3 kids by myself and look at me now the kids are still alive and kicking. (ha ha).

APE



My first entry
Hello,


This is my first entry. I'm a militray Spouse with three children, 4 years 2 years and 1 year old. My husband left for his first deployment to A-stan around the end of Feb 2005. We've been very lucky the Army waited this long to send him. Right now we are doing well. He traveled a lot as it was for the military, but not for long periods of times. We talk to him once a week if we are lucky. My two oldest are going through the toughest time right now. They miss their daddy alot. This is my daughters first year at playing soccer and my husband will not be here to watch her play which really upsets her. It's amazing at what little things make her miss him. She is so use to being able to call him when she needed to talk with him. I think that is what the hardest part is for her. My son the middle child is the only boy. Which is very hard on him. He wakes up every morning crying for his daddy. This last until I can get his attention on something else. When he does get to talk with him he's very quite and short with him. My youngest is only one so she really doesn't comprehend the whole situation she calls me daddy go figure. I'm doing pretty well right now at first I was mad that he had to go. I understand why and I also know that there are many of others out there who has gone through this more than once, but like one friens told me who is going through this whole ordeal a second time. It's still you who are going through it. I served in the Army for 4 years myself so thank goodness I know the ends and outs. I send my prayers out to wives who are new to the whole military system. It can be tricky. I guess the hardest part for me right now is we chose to live about 70 miles away from base to provide a house for our kids. There is not alot of military here so nobody understands what we go though. I have a few very supportive friends out here however there are those who tell me I don't know how you can do it if my husbands leaves for a week I can't survive. I tell them you learn and drive on you don't think about it you just do it. Well that's all for my first entry. I will try and leave post everyday or so when I have time. My 28th Birthday in April 5th. Happy Birthday to all the April babies out there.

April

SLEEPLESS NIGHTS

Couldn't sleep last night. So as I'm flipping through channels I saw this on HSN.




How cute is he. So I watch for a little bit longer and saw





and these





I want them all however they are not your inexpensive handbag you can find anywhere these babies are $240.00 and above! Ouch! They are made by MY FLAT IN LONDON however I didn't know that HSN was selling them. They also sell clothing and Pearls. They have a line called Brainy is Beautiful.

Now I'm a sucker for handbags. I love handbags more than shoes. They don't have to be expensive ones just cute ones. I do have a few Dooney's that I have been collecting since 1996 when I started making my own money.

Now how do I get my hands on one of these babies?


APE

IS OUR HOUSE REALLY SOLD?????????

Ok well they have pushed back the closing date on the house we sold twice now it was originally suppose to be on 26 May 06 @ 1500. We scheduled my hubby to come home for memorial day weekend so he could sign all the paperwork. My agent called Thursday to confirm the time and they had said it was changed until the 31st Weds. So my agent called and told them he is going to be in town this weekend and that is it. Unless they want to pay for a Special POA they better figure something out. (bty they wanted us $150.00 to have a special POA done by their lawyers, we asked if we could have the base lawyers do one they said no it had to theirs and it would cost $150.00.) Ha Ha what a joke. This was before the understood he would be here to sign the closing paperwork. Anyway, so my agent set it up to where we can sign the paperwork we needed to sign and they could finish it up on Weds. He said he was also going to go to the closing to make sure they didn't try and pull a fast one on us. So he set it up for 1400 on Friday. I got up Friday and picked my hubby from the airport @ 1130 and then we went out and got some lunch and met up with our agent @ 1400 at the office they said to met them at. Well as we are waiting with our 3 kids in a little room my agent gets a call from the title dude, saying no one changed the time on his schedule to 1400 from 1500. Joy!!!! So you have to imagine the aggravation my husband was feeling considering he had been up since 0300. So we were finally done there and get back on the road to the house we sit in what we call the parking that is 66 west, get home around 1800 to turn around @ 2000 to pick my sister up from the airport @ 2100. Get home and crash out. We had a great weekend together, we bought the kids a slip and slide, went to the park and spent most of the weekend outside. I took him and my sister back to the airport Monday morning. So today I get a call from my agent saying that they have pushed it back again until Friday 2 June 06. Do these people realize that I'm on a dead line also. Originally I had the pack up dates for the 5-7th of June, but they got mad because they didn't want to have to pay rent for June @ their current place, so we had to give up an extra $2000.00 plus rent back for the time we are staying here. To find out would they would have had to pay rent for June anyway due to not going as scheduled as far as rent back goes they wanted us to pay their first mortgage payment BLAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! Like that was going to happen. So here I am waiting to find out why all of this going on so I can let the VA and my mortgage company know what's going on because they'll be expecting a payment on the first. The new house is moving right along. Everything checked out with the home inspection just a few minor things and the septic is being certified and anything wrong with the sellers have given the septic guy permission to do what it takes to certify it. So now I would like my money that is owed to us.

BIG P.S
My brother is going to be a father!!!!! I'll have to email all of you the details they are weird and well weird.

Take Care little ones

APE

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

Remembering all those who have served who are serving and those who have given life and limb to make our country a safe place to raise my kids, and to my husband who makes a difference in the world.

IT'S ALIVE

Ok I've posted another creation/slide show. I did this one in between doing the laundry and going through toys. It's time start downloading stuff we don't need or use anymore.

Now back to your regularly scheduled program.


APE

WE ARE WITH HOUSE

Well yesterday for mother's day I got a new house. I drove up to PA with the kids and put a contract in on a house. They acepted it, we had to put up a little fight and still didn't get everything we wanted. They sellers were a littl bitter, they we trying to flip the house. They had first listed it @ 239,900.0 and then they dropped it to 215,000.00 and they dropped it again to 199,900.00 and then dropped it again to 195,000.00 that's the price it was when we found the place. At first we had no idea they had it listed so high, it didn't show up on our search because we were looking for places 200,000.00 or lower so when it dropped it showed up on our radar screen. They only bad thing is they were only paying the buying agent 2.5% and our agent's company rule is the buying agent gets 3% so we asked if they would give us sellers of 975.00 which is the .5% we would have to pay to cover the difference they said no so we asked if they would met us 1/2 way they again said no, we almost walked out, but then they showed us where they had the house appraised @ 229,000.00 so we said ok instant Equ. and we took it. for 195,000.00 out the door. So now the fun begins because I want to settle on the 16th of June so we have some overlap time at this place and the new place. We want to get a fence put up first thing. It's going to be a lot of yard work for us. The inside is all new however the yard is going to take some work. This is the same house that I've put pictures on of early if you scroll down you can see them. Also here are some pics of the kids on the way back from PA. SHHHHHHHHHH don't tell anyone one but i took them while I was driving I just pointed and clicked and this is what I got. Also I made a new slide show of the kids with music this time. It's cool. I found this website called one true media. It's free some advance stuff costs but making the slide shows are free. Well that's all I have today.
P.S my PC is being a Bitch so the pics will not upload. Soon hopefully
Later Taters

APE

A LITTLE DOWN TIME

Here pics of the kids playing outside. Alex wanted dress Curtis and Taylor up. They all dressed up and went outside to play for some much needed outdoor play time.

VH1 ROCKS

Ok all you metal fans it's matal month @ VH1 Go check it out, and tell me some of your fav metal bands. Also VH1 had a count down to the 40 greatest Metal songs.

Can you guess what song it was. If you do you get a sticker.

APE

I HATE THE MEADOWS OF CULPEPER HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hate you you stupid stupid people or who ever you are. I give you my money every month and get nothing in return. All you do is tell what's wrong with my yard. You also give me things that I don't have, like the basketball hoop I got in trouble for having in my drive way, when I don't even own a basketball hoop. I guess I better call the cops and make a claim on my HO insurance because somebody must have stolen my basketball hoop. Now I'm moving but oh no let's make things difficult. First I have to send you 100.00 for what I'm not sure. So you can press the print button on your PC and print out a piece of paper saying that I have met all your standards. So I send you 100.00 and what do you do, you tell me that the solor lights I have in my flower beds which by the way were approved (the flower beds) now to be approved. Listen to me are you blind did you a new improved pair of glasses or maybe you had that surgery where they give you a new pair of eyes to see with. I have these solar lights for 2 years now I've even had to replace some because they have gotten worn out over the years, and now right now when I need to close on my house you just now decided that they need approval, why didn't you see them every other time you gave me a violation for something stupid like put play equ.. away when not in use. I guess you didn't see the kids playing on it when you drove by. I do tend to spray the kids down with invisable spray every now and then that way I can't see them either! Everytime I call the person who types these letters about the violations all I'm told is well I don't inspect the houses I just type what the inspector says he saw. It's not like we live in a Million Dollar Neighborhood with all these amenties actually we have no amenties. I guess we are paying to make sure the model home looks good. That's ok I moving and there will be a new family to deal with. My husband and I take pride in our house and landscaping. I can name a few others that do, but as far as the rest of the people in this neighborhood they don't. So do what you need to do to make my life hard. All I have to say is KARMA is a bitch!!!!!!!!!!


Ok I'm done now

April

EACH TO THEIR OWN

JUST ONE OF THE HOUSES I LOOKED AT

Here are some pics of just one of the houses we looked at. The master is a bit small and it has no garage, and the yard and basement need work. But it has a huge workshop and everything in there is new.

Later
APE

backyard 

kids playing in workshop 

workshop 

Loft in workshop 

stairs to the basement 

other side