sigh

Its pretty late while I'm writing this.  I'm pretty tired, and my mouth hurts because I got braces.  Which is something I will talk about later.  Tonight  I was trying to get housework done because the babes don't allow for it during the day when Mikes on shift.  Anyway..
For the most part Mike and I don't talk on the phone for the 24 hours that he is on shift.  Ill admit that some days I barely notice anymore, but some days I miss him very much.  No matter how hard I tried when we were younger the guy would not go away.  So now as his wife I miss his voice sometimes.  Tonight I was in process of getting some things done when my phone rang.  Its 11pm.  Its gotta be Mike.  My heart sank, cause he doesn't call.  So I thought maybe something happened, or he was in need of an ear after seeing something bad.  When I picked up what i got instead was cute Mike from when i was fifteen saying "what are you doing."  There was no crisis, no bad traumatic scene.  He called just to say good night and to tell me he is super tired.  After a minute of trying to keep my voice down I was blasted back to my room on Blockade drive where I spent my high school years.  He would call and we would talk for hours...sometimes about everything sometimes about nothing, but I would have to keep my voice down so Mom wouldn't know I was still up talking on the phone.  Then would come the part that I hated the most.  He would say" Well..."  and that always meant it was time to get off the phone.  We would say goodnight, and I love you and then sometimes if he was in a good mood he would wait...we would both wait...knowing neither of us had hung up we would giggle and say"no you hang up"  Yes we were those people.  and finally he would usually hang up, and my heart would get sad for a minute, because I missed him, and I loved him, and.....sigh.

 He has this voice.  Its playful and cute, and he probably doesn't even know when hes using it but it makes me smile every time...which back to the braces...is not as pretty of a smile as it was before, but Mike thinks its cute. Maybe cause I look 10 years younger.  Tonight it happened.  I was blasted back to Blockade drive, and I was all giggles and excitement, and maybe for the first time I was the one that hung up after the back and forth.  I wounder...was there a moment for him that he felt the way I used to when he would hang up?  whatever the case...it was pretty sweet, and it kinda made my day.  I'm not gonna apologize for how sappy it is either, cause I think I deserve a little young love as much as the next gal.  Its not my fault you read my blog.

Vacation

The plane ride was decent, aside from what we would find out to be RSV attacking Camden.  When we arrived in DC we were greeted by Satoko and Joe wearing ridiculous gold glasses holding a big sign and a basket of avocados.  Sato kept asking if we needed anything before we left and I kept saying avocados for Camden.  Shes a funny lady.  It was wonderful to see our family after 5 years.  I have been friends with Joe as long as I have known Mike, which is almost 15 years now.

The first day we went to DC to see the monuments. However before we did that Mike and I had the opportunity to go to a few other countries.  There is a row of embassys for other countries in DC. Each embasy is on soverign ground so when you step on that ground you are techniqly visiting that country.  We went to 15 that day.  This will forever be one of my favorit parts of the vacation. I cant name all of them, cause I cant remember, but we had fun.  Ironic enough was on this day we went to Mexico for the first time....even though we live in Texas...



Ill be honest when We drove past all of the embassies I found myself tearring up.  Its amazing to think of all the people God watches, and loves.

After we finished up at the embassy for our sister we then went to the monuments.  I was like a kid seeing something really exciting.  I was gonna say Disney World...but Nothing compares to Disney World.  We mostly drove around because a certain brother in law has a bit of road rage and low tolerance for waiting...on anyone...but when we did stop we got some great pics.  First we stopped at the capitol...not to be mistaken for the white house...different things you know...

It took forever to get this pic.

Then we drove over to the Marine monument as my marine brother in law called it.  I'm sure it will be familiar to you, but its so much bigger than I ever imagined.  Then we drove over to the Lincoln Memorial area, that also holds the Karian war monument, and the vietnam memorial.  I was aw struck, and especially at the Linkoln found myself overwhelmed with tears.  To think that without that time I may have never had My Mike, My Kids.  I am so thankful for those that fought, that served, that sacrifised.  This of course includes my husband.

SO it was a bit emotional to say the least, but its something I have always wanted to see.  DC is an amazing place. Agree with the president or not our Country is an amazing place that I am proud to stand for, and even more proud that I get to be married to a man that fought for her as well.  We did see the president by the way. Apparently he was to busy to talk to me, but I am sure we will meet up again soon to discus some things.

The next couple of days we spent skiing and hanging with the fam.  All in all it was a wonderful trip that was much needed.  I almost died from but pain with the falling, and the black Diamond Mike took me down, but I had a blast.  I am so lucky...my family is awesome.

Travel giggles

We recently traveled to Washington DC to see my husbands brother.  The trip was great, and I will get to that at a later date.  Something I cannot stop laughing about in my head has got to get out.  So we are in the airport.  We have just gone through security check number 3 where you actually have to take shoes and stuff off and we are waiting for the train, or shuttle to pick us up and I found myself giggling.  I look around and everyone looks as if they have either just had a "quicky" or just plain forgot to get dressed.  One man, for example had his pants unzipped he was tucking in his shirt, one shoe off and belt on its way through loop number 4.  It was so hard not to stare.  The lady next to him was fixing her hair, and adjusting her shirt.  Do these people not realize I am looking at them?  I kept hoping Tatum would say as loud as possible that those people need to get dressed at home, or some other Tatum thing, but she didnt.  Im telling you...It was like a really really fat guy on a moped.  I couldn't stop looking at them. Then we all boarded the shuttle, and I haven't been able to stop internal giggles since.

yummy yummy

Camden has been eating solid foods since about five months.  His favorites are avocado, banana, and sweet potatoes.  Tonight he had squash and sweet potatoes.  I am doing all of the foods myself with my trusty food processor.  If I may make an observation.  Squash smells an awful like a certain illegal substance that some use for medicinal purposes.  Anyway, so he was sitting at the table in his hippo chair he kept rocking back in forth to show his excitement.  Of course since I had never seen this from him I had to take a picture.  After taking the picture I saw my husband in him.  Since both have footy pjs it wasn't a huge leap.  Anyway he is just not as much of a fan of the squash.  So I switched over to sweet potatoes, which as previously stated he LOVES.  Tatum has not been feeling well today.  Flu to be exact has attacked my sweet girl.  She called out to me, and so I got up to tend to her needs.  She lay there so pitiful, yet peaceful.  She had not touched any of her dinner so I tried to sit and encourage my little damsel in distress.  I stroked her hair and tried to encourage her by telling her that she will be feeling better again soon. 

I paused for a moment to listen to Cam in the other room.  I heard...NOTHING???
That's not necessarily a good thing.  Since Mike is at work, and could not assist me I had to then leave Tatum and go check on my other sweet baby.

HE LOVES SWEET POTATOES.  I knew my daughter was an independent little chick, but come on. Came is 6 months old.  This is not okay.  I just had him....kinda.  I went in to find my sweet baby boy taking care of his nutritional needs on his own.  Of course I then had to let my dogs in to clean up the floor, but I don't think they minded.  I think Cam was just trying to help mommy, cause he knows Tatum doesn't feel well.

This cant be happening

Tonight was life group. We switched to Tuesday night because thoe weds group gots so big. Anyway, the end came and we were asked for prayer requests. I wasn't gonna say anything because I always say something.lately it's been all praise reports. Tonight had decided I wasn't gonna say anything. People are probably tired of hearing my voice anyway, and i don't want to seem like that person that always has a "thing". Then as if i had no control over my arm i saw our Paster looking at me. I then told everyone of the 10 or so people about my dad. This has been something that has been on my mind for a while. I had not said anything because I know my dad, and he would not want to be made a big deal out of when it comes to this. When I was about one my dad was in a really bad car accident. We are talking about may never walk again kind. That's exactly what they told my mom. I have been told my whole life that dad and i learned how to walk together. So tonight as i kinda recapped about this event i started to feel the tears welling up. I hadn't realized how upset i was until now. My dad went to the dr the other day. It's not something he does often, or ever. He knows what happens to him. He's reminded everyday. He is in pain every day. No one knows it because he doesn't tell people. He is strong, and works harder than almost anyone i have ever known. He doesn't ever ask for help. He got bad news. He was told both knees need replacement. His ligaments are shot. He has no insurance, and no way to get his real knee and prosthetic knee replaced. I explained this to the group, and as i heard what was. Coming out of my mouth i then repeated what i have always been told. We learned how to walk together. I began to cry. I try not to let people on the outside see me cry. My family sees it all the time. Matter of fact if you have seen me cry it probably means i trust you. I quickly excused myself after asking for prayer and got composure. So if you are a believer and you are reading this, please pray. He has so much to do still. He needs his legs to do a lot of it. What's hardest is knowing there is nothing i can do. I don't like not being able to fix for my people. I know, i know...He's probably trying to work on that in me.

EWWW

Have you ever heard of skin tags? EWWWW GROSS! How about armpit hair? I mean really?  Why Lord?  Whats the point of it?  Its so icky! Matter of a fact lets discuss that for a moment. Why do I have more hair on my face than my two beautiful brothers have on their entire bodies?  Did the hair get left behind in the birth canal, and since I was a c sec baby it was not forced off??  Its just not right.  I'm just sayin.

This was the last time we were all together at the same time.  Its almost 7 years ago.  I tried to find a picture to demonstrate how handsome they are, and to show the face hair on me, but it was my wedding day so I was freshly shaven...

Back to the matter at hand. SKIN TAGS EWW.

So my handsome husband comes to me and says he has a skin tag. Now before you think I am horrible I got his permission to discuss this.  He comes to me and tells me, and I find out its in his arm pit.  This apparently is a somewhat normal place to get them.  I know someone else that had some and she got rid of them, and told me all about it.  Obviously I wasn't gonna leave my baber hanging, so I told him about it.  Later on I see him trying to one handedly start the removal process.  It goes like this:  tie a piece of thread or floss around the base of the skin tag (puke) one that is accomplished take some manicure scissors and just snip it right off.  Well it sounds easy enough.  This is of course unless your skin tag is in your hairy armpit, and you can only use one hand.  I see him doing this, and I wont lie to you.  I let him try...just a couple of times.  I then offered my assistance.  There we were.  My husband sprawled across the bathroom counter(not in an ooh la la way) arm over head and me leaning over trying to get this thread around the base of this skin tag.  They are creepy people.  They look like balls of skin that could fall off at any second...but they don't. Its a bodies way of giving small and subtle false advertisement.  The thread was goodish brown.  His pit hair is dark brown maybe black.  As I hear birds cooing in the jungle of hair I realize I cant see the base well enough so I am gonna have to trim some of this stuff.  ( I am exaggerating for dramatic effect. Go with it.)  SO I finally get the thread around it but its too high up still.  Mike sits up and says to just leave it there.  Its taken to long and he has freeked himself out.  At this point for me there was no turning back.  So I convinced him I would be able to get it now because of..( lets face it. I made something up, cause it was just oogy enough to make me need to get it done. Whatever it was worked cause I went in for the round up of the century)  SO now I have the thread on around the base, and its starting to turn white.  I get the scissors and I look down and he says"ice, get some ice."  Now hes freaking me out, cause the pure fear of what he was about to let his wife do has just come across his face.  So I go get some ice.  All the way up the stairs my heart was pounding.  I kid you not.  I was going in for the kill, and I was so frightened.  It was my suggestion, my idea, and he is scared now, and I am scared, but the thing is white, and Ive gotten the ice and there is no turning back!!!  I let the ice sit to numb.  I grab the tag between my finger tips, and as if I was outside myself I did it.  SNIP.

Laura: "Oh crap. Are you okay?"

Mike: " yeah I think so"

Laura: I say nothing here because my knees have buckled beneath me, and I am sitting on the floor raising my hand to the sky and I can feel the little ball of skin between my finger and nail.  I am about to pass out.  I have just proven why I could never be in the medical field. However, I will say I did make sure the patient was okay first before I collapsed.  I was light headed, and I couldn't decide if I was going to puke or not.  I just started saying "get it off, get it off".

The good news here is my brave husband who is bleeding from his pit area has now taken it from me and is playing with it, and I am still faint...but at least he is laughing.  Not at me...Id like to think with me.  I will tell you now, I thought I killed him.  In that split second I thought poor Tatum was going to walk in and find her daddy bleeding out through the tiny whole in his armpit, and her mommy bleeding from the head, because if I was going to faint I would have ended up hitting my head on the toilet, and there we would have been.  No one would have known.  They probably would have though murder suicide by way of manicure scissors.  Case closed.  I almost died that day.  I am happy to say that the blood stopped gushing from his pitted area, and I didn't pass out.  I did feel really bad for quite a bit, and very oogy all night long.  I mean come on!  Pit hair and skin tags?  Double whammy!
I will say though his deodorant smelled nice, and he really made me laugh.  See how powerful love is?  Even in the face of death it shines through.

Bizzy bee

Sunday was church. Mike was off so we were able to go as a family. Monday was time to finish school for the week. Tuesday was school for 3 hours with a bunch of bra burners, and our first orientation for the fire department. It went so well. We made them laugh, we made them cry, and for the first time Mike saw me in that setting. Wednesday was life group. Thursday one of my besties started a bible study for our home ladies at church, and Friday it snowed in San Antonio. Some might say the equiv of  h* e* double hockey sticks freezing over. The kids sled up and down the driveway. You can either say because I am that pimp of a mom, or we are that lame. (if its the second of the two: the idea came from my sweet friend Erica.  If its the first...well Erica already was mentioned...sooo...) It's been a crazy week. Successful for sure. What I'm wondering is when will things calm down? If one more person says 18 years...

yes...they closed schools for that...

Wait...slow down...it's already the start of another week, my baby girl starts school in 6 months, my baby boy is a few days away from being 1/2 a year old. Can't we all just slow down? I'm just sayin.

      ** Its been a couple of days since I wrote this and I was lovingly reminded by said bestie that on Wednesday of the week here mentioned we spent at her house due to a power outage at our house that lasted 12 hours.  It was 27 degrees outside. SO COLD. This was what was missing in the crazy week.  Without this the week seemed not so crazy. Thanks to besties that remind you that you are forgetful.