He's gone!

I dropped him off at the airport this morning. I have a TON of pictures from the last two weeks that I want to sort through before I post too much, though. I'm tired -- he wore me out -- so I'll have to write more tomorrow.

He's here!

He got here Tuesday. I've just been too busy visiting to update. It is soooo nice to have him home!!!

I'd love to write more, but can't tear myself away from him long enough to do so.

Waiting...

So, Jeremy started on his long trip home yesterday. And I am impatient -- really really impatient -- and grumpy and impatient and stressed and impatient and restless and impatient. Did I mention that I'm impatient? I just cannot wait for him to get home! Of course, I should add that the last communication I had from him was earlier today and he was stuck not far from his origination due to a sand storm. I haven't heard from him since, so I'm hoping that means he is on a plane (as I expect he would have emailed me before heading to bed, which is where he should be at this time of day).

I've been cleaning like a mad woman for the last few days. My living room carpets have been shampooed. The inside of the windows have been cleaned (I'd do the outside, too, but know I just can't get it done before he gets home). I've washed just about every piece of bedding in the house (because he'll care if the boys comforters have a smudge of dirt on them -- which they usually do, even if they have been recently washed). I've swept and washed the entrance to the house and the screen porch. And Hannah and I both spent a good deal of time cleaning the pool yesterday (which is a chore I don't mind, since I then floated around in the pool in honor of the fact that it was sparkling clean).

Hopefully he'll get here soon, or I might run out of things to clean.

Woohoo!

As of today I have completed my 50 miles for the month of June! It really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Actually, it wasn't bad at all. Though the first two weeks when I ran 6 days a week were a bit rough -- by the end of six days in a row my legs were like jelly and ready for a break. I'm going to continue tracking, though, just to see where I can get by the end of the month. I think I might do this again in August or September, to help time pass until Jeremy gets home for good. I'm still trying to decide how many miles to then -- I might try 75.

A Bad Mommy Moment

Last night as I walked through the living room, I noticed a pair of running shoes on the floor in front of the couch. Hannah is HORRIBLE about leaving stuff lie around the house. At the time, she was in my room running no the elliptical. So, I went in and asked her why there was a pair of running shoes on the floor in front of the couch (and, yes, I was pretty snippy about it). She quickly got off the machine and went in to retrieve them. And in a flash she was back with them in her hand, eyebrows raised and a smug smile on her face. "Um, mom, I don't own any New Balance shoes.".

Yep, you got that right folks, those were my shoes...

Our week.

So, with Hannah here for the summer, things are certainly busier. She has swimming 5 days a week for two hours on the other side of town. This makes for early mornings and long days. I'm glad she enjoys the swimming, though, and don't mind the extra carting around. I've been using the time at the pool to get my running in. Anyone watching my tally? I'm 81% of the way to my June goal of 50 miles. I guess I could have made a more difficult goal...



The boys are having a blast with Hannah. I'm having a hard time keeping them downstairs, as they like to sneak up with Hannah whenever she goes up to her room. Earlier this week I went looking for the three of them and found them all sitting on Hannah's bed. Hannah was playing songs for the boys on her guitar. Isn't that sweet? I tried to get a picture of them without them noticing, but I was not successful. However, I did get a semi-decent one of them posing:




I've been craving fruit pies lately -- specifically, peach and blueberry. Blueberries aren't in season here just yet (though, I have plans to pick oodles this summer), so I settled for a peach pie yesterday. It was soooooo good. Pie crusts aren't something that has come to me naturally and I've struggled with them since I got married. However, I think I FINALLY have it figured out:

The crust was both delish and beautiful. For the last two years or so I was able to do delish but not pretty. Now I need to make some kind of a pie with a pre-baked shell and see if I can get that to work, too (my sides tends to slump into the pan during baking). Hannah's been asking for strawberry pie...maybe that will have to be on the menu for this weekend. Oh, and the best part of the pie? I made another batch of homemade ice cream (plain vanilla this time) to accompany it. Mmmmmm....

I have a slew of outdoor projects to do this weekend, namely moving some of my perennials in my back beds. I know a 100 degree isn't the best day to do it, but they are entirely too close to my sidewalk (which leads to the pool) and are blocking the path. The guara I planted are much larger than the tag at the nursery said they would be (must be my fabulous gardening abilities). And we seem to have a japanese beetle infestation that I need to take care of. Normally I try to avoid insecticides, but this time I'm going to have to use them. When you walk down the sidewalk you are just SWARMED with them. At least the kids theoretically shouldn't be in the flower beds so they shouldn't come in contact with any of the chemicals.

Seven down!

Today marks seven months of deployment for us. Only five to go!

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...