Mississippi Cat Takes the Stage

(Warning: contains video content only a mother, or close blood relative, can enjoy)

The moment I've been waiting for since the day she was born (or at least since she was 3 and I could put her in a class that I didn't have to participate in. I refuse to pay for mommy and me anything)- Avery's first dance recital. So, without further ado...

For only $160 you too can learn how to skip!! Actually, that achievement was completely worth it, she is so proud of it.


Some slightly blurry still shots:

This young man wins the prize for best hair and best Singing in the Rain:

At the end there was a Mambo exhibition (to Japanese pop/techno of course) and Abes was selected to be the first in this "progressive" dance:

Revised Christmas List

Dear Santa -


swimsuit raincoat

flip flops galoshes

jack johnson cd pearl jam cd

sunscreen light box

jamba juice giftcard starbucks g.c.


p.s. next year we will be living in the pacific northwest. we will make sure we have a chimney for you to come down. this year you can just slide out our jalousies and come right in.

Ants among us

Living in Hawaii, it is understood that we must cohabit with four, six and one-hundred-legged creatures. And generally I don't mind the reptiles, arachnids or insects (except for mosquitoes) but today we got quite the surprise. When I went to make a copy I found this:

Our very own ant farm.

With Miles' fascination with the creatures, I had actually considered getting him an ant farm for Christmas but I think he would have a hard time not being able to touch and/or crush them so I decided against it. But this is an interesting alternative. It is disgusting and shocking but at the same time very cool to be able to watch the army of ants and their larvae.

A few hours after I took this picture I came back to check and they had cleared out, only to reappear later that evening. The printer function still works but if you try to scan or copy, it is a jumbled mess because of the ants. They weren't there two days ago. I can't get to them to exterminate them because they are under the glass. And, although I'm not the biggest animal lover, I feel bad disrupting their kingdom. What do I do?

I looked it up and I found someone else who had the same problem in Hawaii in 2002 and posted a picture here.

3 YR OLDS - Word of the Day

UP·SET · ER· ATE /v., n., adj. ʌpˈsɛtŏp'ə-rāt'/ Pronunciation Key [uhp-set-uh-reyt]

1. The act of upsetting or the condition of being upset.
2. A disturbance, disorder, or state of agitation.
3. Angrified

Use in sentence: "Mom, you're not upseterated with me anymore are you?"

M.P.D.

Avery continues her reign as the Modesty Police. Today she told her grandmother, "I'm glad I'm small so that my clothes fit me".


Grandma was wearing this:



Later I caught the sheriff wearing this number:

I'm not sure that wearing a skirt as a shirt counts as modest. But at least her skirt is below her knees! With justifications like that we could have some challenging teenage years ahead.

And still later, I saw her wearing only an apron.

A week of adventure...including the $700 mistake

Where to begin... It's late for me and I know everyone is too busy to be reading long blog posts this time of year so I'll try to make it brief (there are pictures in the slide show and most can speak for themselves) but for record keeping and as a safety precaution for anyone planning on visiting us and trusting us to take you on any adventures I have to jot down a few words. My parents were our second group of visitors here and due to Theresa's "delicate condition" (if there was a keyboard function to indicate sarcasm, I would use it here because I've never seen a 7 months pregnant woman body board quite like she did, and she and I went on a shark hunting snorkel trip after Ben and Brady reported seeing one) we kept the high adventure to a minimum medium when they were here.

So on day one of adventures with parents, Ben had the day off so we decided to rent kayaks and head for the Mokulua's, a pair of islands about a mile and a half from Kailua Beach where we took off from. I had gone in a few days prior and asked them about going out there and they had said, yeah, it was a great thing to do and that they had a suggested path to take out there so we were all set. Unfortunately, no one told us about "the board" that changed daily based on the weather conditions and listed the boundaries for the novice kayakers like ourselves. I declined the safety instruction video, because, well, we have a kayak and we had left Miles with a friend and had limited time to paddle. I also thought for sure that when Ben and my dad got the kayaks that they would give them any instruction they needed. The waves around the island were approaching 10 feet and as we got nearer, it was fun but not unmanageable so we were charging along. An expert kayaker saw Avery in our kayak and told us that it was very difficult to land on the island with the current conditions so we stayed back, but my parents were already too far ahead to call to...or even see except between swells. They looked like they were going to make it just fine and I really wanted to go too but Ben was smarter (that day) and insisted we hang back and wait. And wait, and wait. By this time we have rung row row row your boat for about 30 minutes and we could see my parents (or at least my dad's bright yellow shirt) on the island. But then we realize that their boat is being tossed with every wave. Later we found out that they got caught in a nasty cross current and capsized, losing everything and nearly drowning them. A combination of shallow reef, quicksand and a strong undertow made it impossible to get back to the boat. There wasn't anything we could do having Avery with us but a surfer went out and towed their boat to them and collected all of the lost items...flip flops, paddles, life vests (oops), dry bag w/ the camera and my parents and ultimately got them out of danger. They looked like professional kayakers to me as they rode the waves out. Avery, who caught on to our distress and heard us talking about the many options of what might have happened, said "I wish they didn't have to drown, but they did. I want to go home" so she was most excited when we realized that they were headed back toward us. The only thing the kind surfer couldn't locate for them...their prescription (over $700 between the two) sunglasses. They found my mom's later when they turned the kayak in. A little beat up, but we say that Avery prayed them back, and I'm going to make sure and bear my testimony about that next month (it'll go nicely among the stories of how Heavenly father loves Hawaii the most because they won their last football game).

So that was the long story. We also went on some fun hikes. The Lanikai bunkers which has an incredible view (of the Mokulua's no less) and Manoa Falls, which is a pretty easy hike to a stunning waterfall (easy, but humid. in the pictures my shirt is soaked from sweat, not the falls). We ate good food and Miles got his first bike...with dimples like those you don't have to wait for Christmas for gifts. We only had one other near disaster during their trip and that was when we went to the Leeward side in the midst of an island-wide blackout (didn't you notice that I ceased to blog for a few days?) and got stuck in traffic with no gas and no functioning gas stations for miles (yet another little prayer saved the day). Really, we're all just lucky to be alive.

Our first tree.

It's our seventh married (and merried :)) Christmas and this is the first year we have put up a tree and I love it! When I walk in the door the smell reminds me of my Aunt Robin's. It must be the combination of pine and fresh sea air that produces an especially sweet fragrance but I'm going to have a hard time taking it down. It also reinforces that we made the right choice by springing for the live tree. Although the artificial can be stunning and afford perfection, I like our short fat tree that is slightly lopsided. Picking it out was a family affair, with my parents, the kids and Ben making the trek to the Marine base to choose our prize. We went down every aisle with Ben spotting "the one".

I'm not the best decorator, for holidays or in general, so it's good that our tree had some character of it's own. Although we have never had a tree I have collected some ornaments that I really treasure over the years including a spider made by Amy T., a sassy and sparkly fish from Gma Maggie and gold-plated Aspen leaves from Ben's mom to name a few. My mom also brought a cool red star that I am excited to add to the collection.

So how to you marry the hope of a constant color-theme with the desire to keep it familiar and meaningful? I'm not sure but that's what I was going for. After driving myself nuts longing for this and that department store tree - from cool blues to purple and gold to "under-the-sea" or nautical motifs, I found these sparkly "things" and went from there. And although we need a few more ornaments and apparently "a lot" more lights (Ben's input - even though I got the BIG box, I didn't know I needed more than one, like I said, our first tree. I just hope they can be added without so much as moving an ornament because I spent minutes trying to get the light to shine through the Aspen leaf just so), I really like the way it turned out.

Sweater Weather

I couldn’t understand why a month ago the stores here started carrying actual fall clothing. I thought for sure that summer styles, colors and patterns would be “in” year round here. I went to Pac Sun a few weeks ago to say hi to our neighbor that works there and they were actually selling thermals and fur-lined quilted jackets! Had I known I would have stocked up on some items, especially for the kids, because I doubt they want to be wearing fleece when it’s 82 F with 70% humidity. We don’t have central A/C so we can’t even simulate frigid conditions indoors if we wanted to. Well, imagine my surprise when I woke up last night FREEZING. I had to get up to turn off the ceiling fan and find our down-filled duvet that has been relegated to floor-duty since we moved here. Even closely flanked by two little warm bodies I was cold. I squinted (even though I was only 6 inches away) from the thermostat to see what the actual temp was. 76. The coldest 76 degrees I’ve ever felt. And it still felt cold when we got up to go to church the next morning. I had to search the closets for something with long-sleeves/pants for Miles and I almost let Avery wear her fur cape (but her cow was wearing it)! I, for the first time since we’ve been here thought I could get away with wearing black. So what has caused this tremendous drop in temperature? Rain. Hard, steady, torrential rain-storms*. Rain like this for 30 minutes causes San Antonio to have 4 foot flooding and knocks down shallow-rooted trees in Maryland. Here, we get waterfalls. It gets soaked up by the ground, makes everything green and feeds the hundreds of waterfalls.

*At church people pray for the rain to stop (I guess that’s okay, and probably better than publicly praying for UH to win it’s football games). Maybe so they can get back to the beach and so their pools don’t overflow, but I bet some other parts of the country would love some of our moisture. 15 inches in one night.

November Recap

Ben - Working in the E.R., and although not as glamorous as the TV show, he has seen a few surfing injuries and a shark bite amid the persistent first-time parent "my baby has a fever" visits (hey, we've all been there. i'm not judging, just reporting.) Even though they are regular, predictable 12-hour shifts, this has been the most painful of rotations yet. What's not to love about having a spouse work all night, sleep all day and then do the same again and again and then once their internal clock gets used to that, we'll make them do the complete opposite schedule just for fun. They must be doing a study on fatigue in the workplace.

Miles - When he's not busy tracking and killing large ants (with his patented pinch and release method) and then bringing his prize to mom, he spends his time eating clementines (up to 5 a day. we're going to have to send him over to orangebooth soon), pressing buttons on the remote, speed dialing old friends and, of course, dancing. When we are out and about and he sees a fellow two-footer of the opposite-sex he has been putting the moves on them, hugging, patting on the back and if they don't resist he'll go in for the smooch. In sad news- he got 15 mosquito bites, primarily on the right side of the face and as many on his right leg and foot. It looked like the chicken pox and put a crimp in his game with the ladies for a few days since he looked rather contagious.

Avery - Participated in her first primary program at church and said her three lines loud and clear. Luckily I had heard Dr. Phil say a few days beforehand that "every child has a price, and you just need to find out what it is" and so I threatened bribed her by telling her I would erase Dora Saves the Mermaids off the DVR if she didn't say her part clearly.

Avery also told Ben she wants him to grow his hair long "like Dog the Bounty Hunter".
I'll get the crimping iron ready.

Me- Another month has snuck up on me. Christmas shopping, holiday functions and preparing for vistors (which we are excited to have most all of next month) and watching Iron Chef America: Battle Sugar, has kept me on the move and away from the computer, then when I get on I would rather check out what everyone else has been up to than write myself, luckily (for who, I'm not sure) I write down a few snippets here and there which I can turn into a real post when I get in the mood.

Christmas cards won't be happening again this year, because chances of us getting a cute family picture in the next two weeks are slim (it's hard to get four people looking good all at once y'all (in my head that sounded like a Britney Spears impression)) because last year we even had a good picture (thank you Terese) and I still didn't send any out. By the way, what do I do with 50 copies of last years picture?












David Hockney would do something like this...













Anyhow, I can't believe my next monthly recap will be in 2008.

Novemeber Poll Results:

(Instead of deleting them into oblivion, I decided that I better start recording the poll results somewhere in a post because otherwise how can I look back and know, that carmel apples was the favorite halloween treat and that 6 out of 10 people would exercise if they had an extra hour in theday and that most voters would choose the energy boost for their jamba juice? Your vote does count)

This months poll was a test of sorts (Joke - If a quizzical is a small quiz then what do you call a small test? haha, that's one for all of you who had Mr. Barnes' logic classes...at least that's where I heard it :)) but everyone who voted failed. I know that because there were two votes for the right answer and I voted twice - correctly.

The question was What Scripture is NOT printed on an IN-N-OUT cup or wrapper?

Choices: John 3:16, Hebrews 5:7, Proverbs 3:5, Revelation 3:20 or Nahum 1:7

The answer is Hebrews 5:7. See here for verification. Those who got it wrong, your punishment is to immediately go to In-N-Out and order everything with a wrapper (or maybe just order this). And then go home and read your Bible. And yes, Nahum is an actual book in there.

In other news:
Congrats to the Honeycutts on their handsome new baby boy, James David Honeycutt III. He looks very excited (or tired from his journey) to be joining us here on earth. Don't worry buddy, you have extremely fun parents!

Just for fun: Some of us Westbrook gals launched a blog to share and exchange recipes and food info. We don't have a whole lot posted yet but we're having a good time testing recipes for it.

http://www.westbrookgirlsdinein.blogspot.com/

My semi-annual trip to the salon.

I actually promised myself that I would start having standing appointments at the salon, instead of getting to the point where I am so frustrated with my hair that I want to cut it myself. After 4 years of not highlighting my hair (I just couldn't bear to let anyone but Heidi bring foil anywhere near my head, even if I had to fold them myself :)), and after realizing that I would not be in the vicinity of the Stuart Fraser salon for a long time, I had Chelsey go ahead and bring the sunlight back into my 'do this summer during our long layover in California.

Well, someone forgot to tell me that summer was over and that it might be a good time to freshen up the three inch visible roots. I think part of me was hoping that Heid or Chels would come visit us and want to work while on vacation. So I had to find someone and after reading good reviews online I found Danne who is supposed to be great at giving you hair that is appropriate for the Hawaii climate (HUMID!!!) and your lifestyle (I don't have one). He is Bumble trained so I felt like the girls would approve. Also, (besides the H. & C.) I prefer to go to men. My last three, now four, have been men, and although I'm not screening, straight men who like long hair which makes Ben happy (that they will keep my hair long, not that they are straight). Anyhow, Danne was no exception to this, even though I wanted to go a lot shorter (it's just too hot) and lighter, he ended up keeping it longish and taking it darker, via lowlights (even though he did compliment Chels' color choice and work). I think he knew what would suit me best even though next time I think I will still try to talk him into shorter and lighter :) One thing that was crazy was that he never used scissors once, just a razor as far as I could tell. He really seemed to understand my super-fine, curly underneath, straight on top hair and he identified the cowlick in my bangs immediately. Now if only I could learn how to use product...
Here are some before and after pics:


How I end up wearing my hair everyday, no matter how ambitious I started out:

The reason why I wear it in a bun everyday...
( i asked avery to take a pic of my hair and I think she was intent on getting the pony)

A few days after the cut/highlights:

(It looks lighter in these pics than it does in person...probably from the light through the window)

Bonus Footage:

Because I know Sara loves it when I add stuff to a post days later...I was using the laptop and found some pictures of my hair after a couple (semi-annual, also) trips in Maryland. I don't think of myself as one who changes styles often, but maybe I have enjoyed a little more variety than I thought. I'd say these were late summer (bottom) and winter (top) 2005.

back


front






before (yikes)

after (no cut, only semi-permanent color)

How do I look?

That's what she said as we were leaving the house to go to Thanksgiving dinner.

To be fair, she did ask me if she could put on some of my makeup, I just didn't know that she took after her great-great gma Fern who invented this look in her later years, only she prefered red.

Someone has a future at the MAC counter I'd say.

Modest is Hottest

First of all, the church must be true because the three Mormons are still "safe" on Dancing with the Stars.

Also, Avery has cast her vote for every girl, except for Julianne (Mormon), because she was wearing "too less clothes". Hmmmm, that would be the only one that her dad wants to watch...

Good job Avery, for knowing when a girl needs to cover up.

Most Dramatic Rose Ceremony Ever

I first started watching The Bachelor in it's first season...hard to believe that it must have been around six years ago, because Ben and I were living in Texas. Americans must have really needed something inane or ridiculous to get our mind off of 9-11, plus reality TV was just starting to take off. I watched the first few seasons, then my better judgment kicked in and it seemed to get more salacious so I stopped (watching faithfully that is, I must have caught a few episodes here and there, now as I look at the list of Bachelors and realize I am familiar with most if not all*). I hardly expected that two kids and four states later it would still be on, or that I would be watching it. But about 3 seasons ago I did resume the habit (either it got less bawdy, or I became more base). First there was Dr. Stork and we (a group of med. school wives) had to watch it and then Prince Lorenzo and then Lt. Andy Baldwin (an officer and a gentleman, which we also had to watch because he was a doctor in the military. the husbands even joined us for that one. it's way more fun to watch it in a group, especially with guys and girls) and now there is Brad Womack, he's my favorite so far, because he's actually manly, and after last night. I like him that much more.

Because I'm pressed for time (due to watching too much worthless television) here is an excerpt by Mary Beth Ellis for MSNBC on how it all went down:

In a show that has been rarely been little more than an opportunity to knock back the womens’ movement a good 40 years one rose at a time, this season’s edition of polygamy on parade promised an “unprecedented” ending. Rumors swirled over a request to date both, an instant Vegas wedding, an “actually, I’m gay” — not many expected that Brad would stone-cold drop the final two. Bachelors have upended the “I’d like to see where this amazing incredible journey takes us” wheelbarrow before, but to stand before each with “I have to say goodbye”? Ouch.

For once, a bachelor gave “The Bachelor” a great big one-finger salute — and it wasn’t by slipping a big old diamond on the left hand of a tooth-whitened real estate agent from Tampa. Brad didn’t issue a proposal, or a promise ring, or even an “I love you — I’m just not in love with you.” He rejected both finalists.

Read her full article here. She wrote exactly what I would have written had I the time and eloquency.

Although Tuesday, is a no TV day for me, I feel I must make an exception and watch The Bachelor: After The Rose special tonight.

.

*Britt is even more familiar with Bachelor related "stars" as she met Mark Burnett (producer) and Chris Harrison (host) in the elevator once in NY (she thought Chris was a creep - must have been a long elevator ride to determine that) and has hung out a handful of times w/ Estella, "winner" of season 4. I can't resist the opportunity to name drop!

We are AWANA Cubbies.

20+ years ago, my sisters and I started going to AWANA, a weekly program that has activities, games and scripture mastery for which you can earn badges, pins, the chance to go to camp, Awana Olympics and more! I think it was an important factor in shaping who I am today and we really looked forward to Wednesday nights at grandma and grandpa’s, who faithfully listened to our memorized verses, sewed on patches and shuttled us to and from church. So needless to say I was excited when I saw a local churches banner outside advertising the start of a new Awana year. And Avery is old enough to join! She is currently a Cubbie, and although I never was one since I started out in the next age-group up, I still remember the Cubbies song. It's weird how things come back to you years later. I peeked into the gym while the older kids were playing and was amazed that they are still playing the same games there as well, bean-bag toss, 4-way tug, 3 legged race and the balloon relay. I remember it like yesterday.

*The acronym Awana comes from the first letters of Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed from 2 Timothy 2:15.

Advice to be taken with a grain of sugar

Due to Miles' smallish stature, I was recently referred to nutrition counseling at the hospital. First of all, there is no cause for alarm because he is trucking steadily along the 5th percentile curve. Furthermore, if plotted on a growth chart for any third world another country, like say China, he is well above the 50th percentile, so he's not destined for horse jockeydom just yet.

So I admit that at first I was a bit peeved that I, with my dedication to all things nutritious, would be sent to counseling, especially by a doctor who had just graduated with Ben and is going into radiology, not pediatrics or family medicine. Which also means that he should know that Miles' dad might be capable to recognize any nutritional shortcomings in the home. Anyhow, I considered the fact that I just might learn something, so I swallowed my pride made the trip.

Let me preface the experience by saying, that I really liked the Registered Dietician that I met with. She was very pleasant and had a great collection of stickers for the kids. Her advice... well, not only was it not extremely informative, it was downright appalling. So the purpose was to disuss ways to increase his caloric intake. So she gave me a handout entitled SUPERCHARGE RECIPES FOR WEIGHT GAIN with some of the following advice:

Special Tips For The Little Ones -

- Use ketchup, mustard, ranch dressing and BBQ sauce on everything.
- Sprinkle Carnation Instant Breakfast powder on ice cream, cereal, cake and muffins and tell him it is special sugar.
- Ice Cream and a story before bedtime
- A pint of Ben & Jerry's or Hagen Daaz ice cream 1,300-1,500 calories per container.
- Put peanut butter on everything. (wait, I thought we were supposed to put ketchup on everything!)

High Calorie PB&J Sandwich -

-Take two slices of bread of your choice and toast them
-Spread margarine (gag) on one slice and spread a generous amount of PB on top of that
-Slice half a banana and place slices on top of PB
-On the other slice, spread MARSHMALLOW CREME and top with jam or jelly of your choice!
-Put the two slices together and there you have your sandwich.

7-Layer Bars -

-1 c. butter (2 sticks)
-11 oz. bag of mini-m&m's (1 bag)
-16 oz. butterscotch chips (1 1/2 bags)
-7 oz. coconut
- 4 c. graham crackers
- 6 oz. pecans
- 2 14 oz. cans sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven yada yada...

Oreo Milkshake -

-8 oz. whole milk
-One packet of vanilla Instant Breakfast
- 1/2 c. high fat cookies & cream ice cream
- 5 Double Stuf Oreos
-Mix in Blender. Serve in frozen beer mug w/straw. Cookies are a nice addition.

Okay, so once my child wakes up from his sugar-coma... Hey but at least he'll gain 20 lbs in a week! Is this a conspiracy from the makers of the lap-band, Avandia or insulin? Am I being punked?!!

She did admit that these recipes were more on the desserty side, and suggested for regular meals that I add additional oils to his foods. When I mentioned that I occasionally add flax-seed oil to dishes I make for the kids she thought for a minute and then said, "well, i guess that that is just as good as any other kind of oil" Just as good?! Whatever. She didn't even look at the 3-day food journal they insisted I bring with me to the appt.

So, the above is just a sampling of the five pages she gave me (I have three more milkshake recipes if anyone is interested). It is scary to me that they hand this out to parents. Does this scare anyone else, or are you just thinking, that sounds delicious...

Misadventures in Nursing

Things are getting desperate around here. I am wearing cabbage leaves to dry up my supply and Miles is “drinking” from spray bottles he found under the sink*. I found him with one bottle slightly to his right and one slightly to his left and he was alternating sucking each one.

*One was club soda for cleaning mirrors and the other was something bitter (yes, I tasted it) but non-toxic. I do keep chemicals up high or locked up.

Happy (Observed) Veterans Day!

A thank you to all who have served from Miles:

Heroes Welcome

Welcome home to Ariel's (Bailey, now Lively) husband Jim and ALL of the Marines he was deployed with on this year -long stint (his second that I know of)!

Major Lively led a 16 Marine MIT Team (Military Instructional Transition Team). In layman's terms, he and 16 other Marines were embedded with an Iraqi Battalion to advise them about their operations etc... and help them become autonomous. It was NOT a very safe place when they arrived but below is a description in his words of the improvements they saw in his year there.

To summarize the year in Ramadi would be difficult and I know that most of you have been stayed informed via the IDL. I recently told a senior Marine officer that my year as a combat advisor was by far the most rewarding and challenging year of my 10 year Marine Corps career. In a word – phenomenal. As I left Iraq, the city of Ramadi was continuing to move towards greater stability and increased security. Schools that were rubbled in October 06 were open and full of children in September of 07. Our neighborhoods that had no civic leadership because of the fear of murder and intimidation at the hands of Al Queda when we arrived last year now have a thriving neighborhood council that cooperates with the city government and the Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police. The police themselves are probably the biggest accomplishment in Ramadi. There was not a single, blue-shirted police officer in our area of operations when we arrived. When we departed there were over 1500, and many more waiting for training and equipping. Are they perfect? No, but they’re effective and they’re fighting with us and not against us. Thousands of men in their 20s and 30s are uniformed and working hard to prevent an Al Queda resurgence….and they’re accomplishing that. When we arrived last year the city was literally a giant trash dump and portions of the city were completely ravaged by fierce fighting. When we left, the enormous piles of trash – in one case in our neighborhood a trash pile was actually surrounding and partially covering one of the schools – were cleaned away and the city’s trash services were beginning to operate effectively resulting in hundreds of jobs for men who previously could turn only to the insurgency for a paycheck. Millions of dollars in reconstruction funds were committed to rebuilding streets, walls, water plants, irrigation systems and other key infrastructure. Probably the greatest sign to me of change was a simple 5K race, not unlike you’d see around White Rock Lake in Dallas. Prior to the war, the men of Ramadi ran a 5K road race each year as part of pre-Ramadan (an Islamic holiday) celebrations. Well, for the first time in at least 5 years they were able to run that race again. I saw with my own eyes hundreds of men in their running suits streaming down the main street in Ramadi – ecstatic at the safety and security that allowed them to enjoy this simple pleasure. That same stretch of street in central Ramadi was one of the top three most frequently IEDd spots in all of Iraq when we arrived!!! Now Iraqi men were safely running a road race.

As an advisor to the Iraqi Army I’m proud to report that the Iraqi Army played a huge role in all of these things. Our forces provide guidance and some resources, but the Iraqi Army in Ramadi is a viable and competent security force. These men are fearless soldiers and are proud to serve their great nation. It was a great pleasure and honor to serve along side them. It was also a great privilege to serve along side the Marines, Sailors and soldiers on my team. They are the true heroes of this deployment. By God’s grace, they all returned home and only one was slightly wounded in action. They performed with honor and distinction and eight of them received awards for valorous action in the face of the enemy. I’ve never served with a finer group of men. You’ll never imagine my thankfulness that they all returned home.

All of these things were a bi-product of your fervent, disciplined and faithful prayers. Please know that I’m eternally grateful for your vigilance here at home to cover me and my men while deployed. Thank you and praise our Father for His provision, protection and faithfulness.

Will Hike for Pancakes (or Pork).

Since Ben was home (and awake) we decided to go on a family outing. Well, he had a few errands to run and I decided we would be tagging along and that we would start the day off at Boots and Kimo's, a local breakfast place that is supposed to have great pancakes with Macadamia Nut Sauce. Ben's not a huge breakfast person but it was nearly 11am by the time we got out the door so it counted as lunch for him. I knew he would love it when I ran inside to put our name on the list and noticed all of the Denver Bronco's paraphernalia. Also, because it is popular and doesn't have a ton of seating they take your name and when a table is close to coming up they come out and take your order, then when you are seated your food comes pronto...a feature which I knew would suit Ben's principles just fine (we have a slight patience problem).

We ordered an omelet and a stack of their famous pancakes and all was great (service was lacking). Then we completed our errands and were driving around when we came across a trail head that we decided to check out. A mile and a half, four stream crossings and a 400 foot elevation change later we were at Maunawili Falls. Since we were just going to check out the trail and not complete it, we were all wearing flip flops and Avery's had about a two-inch wedge on them. But she hiked all the way up by herself despite the mud and a trail thick with roots (on the way down she fell asleep on dads shoulders, using his head as a head rest). Miles got packed in by mom, which he loved of course. And I was the only one who got to swim beneath the falls (despite the warnings of leptospirosis, which I had thought was a type of leprosy but it's actually just a bacteria common in fresh water sources that wild animals might use a urinal) because I had thought we were going to the beach at some point and was wearing a suit. Had I known we were going to be going deep into the wilderness I would have brought a roll of duct tape and a knife. Ben doesn't like to hike just to so that was a small victory in itself (he only wants to hike if there is a purpose, like say, fishing, or a merit badge associated with it) because I do like to and it's challenging with two kids and only one back (although I have packed Avery on the back and Miles on the front before - just ONCE, like I said, I only have one back, I'd better preserve it).

To replenish the expended calories we hit up Keneke's for a couple Kalua Pig Sandwiches on the way home and called the day a success.

Pictures by someone else.

VOTE for Sara!

Do not pass GO, do not collect $100, do not read my other posts that I added below, go directly to this website: http://www.milliehollomanblog.com/ and vote for this picture -

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It is Election Day after all. What else do you have to vote for today, besides propositions to save our children and our environment?! Now when someone asks if you voted today you can say yes! (It's also okay to vote tomorrow, when it's likely that you actually read this). She made the various iPods out of foam core that she put in the machine, not to mention eveything else that went into the shoot. Just because she won another contest recently (that was way back in October) doesn't mean she doesn't deserve another victory. Let's make her famous so we can all say we know her. And be grateful that I'm not asking you to submit an online vote for one of my kids in a lineup of a thousand others. This is real talent we're talking about here! (And if you have multiple computers, vote twice)

Quilters Beware

I joined the ward quilting group. Add that to the book club, choir and nutrition class and you can see that I am either a) desperate for socialization b) uncomfortable with being under-scheduled or c) eager to learn something new. The answer is, of course, d) all of the above, but why quilting!? I saw one of their projects and it was actually pretty neat. It all comes down to fabric choice and Chelsey has introduced me to some designers like Amy Butler among others through her hip projects so I might actually make something I like. Anyhow, I need to learn how to make something besides pajama pants with the sewing machine anyway.

So tonight I went to the crafting store to browse their poor selection of fabric for my first project with the group - a friendship quilt - where each person does 9 copies of their square and then we trade. I'm not in love with this project but you have to start somewhere and if they are willing to let me learn then so be it.

While painstakingly trying to find THE fabric to go with the fall-theme, I saw this sign advertising a particular group of fabrics. I so wish I had my camera (I would have sent it to Jay Leno), but I wrote it down word for word:

Festive Knit - 60" Great for Hoochie Mamma Dress $3.99/YD

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You know I got me some of that! But, at an arts and crafts store. Really?

Also while at the store, I couldn't help but skim a few quilting books so I could drop some cool quilters terminology on them tomorrow. I'm a bit like Peanut that way. Example - I was checking out the fat quarters at the store and I thought that maybe some of the fabrics in your jelly roll would make awesome prairie points. And by the way, does your machine do trapunto?

I feel closer already.

We don't fall back, spring forward or any of that nonsense out here in the middle of the ocean, but communication with the mainlanders should be a tad bit easier now that we are an hour less behind.

October Recap

Ben - Doing the ICU thing this month, a joyful joyful place to be I'm sure. Most of the time we see him lately he is asleep, or trying to sleep...certainly not his kindest state of being. Yesterday I was trying to nuzzle him to wake him up at 4 in the afternoon and he says grouchily, Get off my Methicillin-resistant Staph aureus neck! The problem is that, that could very probably be a true statement. Who knows what else has hitched a ride home with him from the ICU? I promptly washed my face with a combination of boiling water and bleach and did the same on the sheets and pillowcases.

Miles- 4 new top teeth. Actually 2 and almost two more. But they are coming. Loves to help me cook. He should be darn good too since he is ALWAYS right on my hip when I'm in the kitchen. If he isn't the youngest person ever to win Top Chef I will be sorely disappointed.

Avery- Oh where do I begin, as always. Avery doesn't particularly like to help me in the kitchen, like I had always hoped she would but she does make a great sous-chef as she enjoys peeling garlic and pulling the leaves off various herbs. A few weeks ago I was telling her that we eat cilantro with beans because it cuts down on the toots. She thought about it for a second and said "well ,then Uncle Brady needs some ceeelantro"

A. also spent October spreading joy to others. I witnessed her tell, and almost floor, two women on separate occasions, that they looked beautiful. It was almost as if they both really needed to hear that that day, because I swear I saw tears as they thanked her. She does it all the time. If you are wearing a dress, flashy jewelry or a patterned scarf like a turban, you can almost be certain that she will compliment you.

Me- My month could be entitled "Adventures in Nursing...and Weaning...And Nursing". Even though Ben told me that it was the worst birthday gift ever, M. got weaned completely just before he got a taste of his first cupcake. It wasn't too bad because I've been phasing it out for the last 5 months. Then he got a fever, whether it was the 4 teeth or a virus, he wouldn't eat anything and being that he is not actually plottable on the weight chart as it is, I couldn't bear to see him starve so I gave in. Now that he is being weaned yet again, he has gotten smart and has boycotted milk in a cup. It's a battle of wills, but I'm a Taurus so I should prevail.

On a side note, I lost 3 lbs the week I weaned him and promptly put it back on when he got reattached. It's a crazy phenomenon, but just in case you are also one of the 1 in 5 women whom breastfeeding doesn't help you shed the pounds, there is hope. This happened to me with Avery too. I don't know how it works with the hormones (the same ones that make any moles I might have plump up) or water-retention or what but it's very real.

Britt- Got her identity stolen, but at least she still has her Gucci bag! The situation is being investigated now and luckily they didn't get away with much, but it's a good reminder, at someone elses expense, to be aware and check your credit periodically. And of course, I do have celebrity sighting news from B.'s camp. Not firsthand but very close, as "Uncle Sammy" was on a private jet with Prince (I can't figure out how to do the whole symbol bit), whom he was instructed not to speak to unless spoken to and not to look him directly in the eye. Okay, I made up that very last part, but there were other restrictions. What is also true is that Prince was wearing 4 inch clear-heeled shoes that lit up when he walked. Purple, of course.

TV - Started watching Samantha Who? because I need a break from Reality TV and it's actually a very entertaining half-hour. It's Christina Applegate, who is very cute and a whole host of actors with excellent comedic timing (including Martha from 24). The premise is a girl who wakes up in a hospital with amnesia and doesn't remember anything, hence what I already wrote about her having amnesia, and in her previous life she was a horrible person but now is..well a blank slate...who is nice. Since I'm doing a terrible job explaining this, you can read more about it here if you want to but it is a fun, funny show, that that makes me laugh out loud...and Ben watches it too.

Giveaway - Daved David Booth won the copy of Kite Runner. As if he doesn't have enough to read!

Stock Picks -

AGN (Allergan) - 65.75 to 67.58 Up 1.83
FRX (Forest Pharm.) - 37.10 to 39.07 Up 1.97

Happy Halloween From Under the Sea

It's over! No more parties, trunk-or-treat or trick-or-treating. Now we're just left with what we pillaged from the neighborhood and what we didn't give away. Luckily I picked out stuff I liked in case we had some leftover. We've never been home to give out candy on Halloween night so I thought that would be more fun than taking the kids around myself. Avery thought so too. We did hit up our street and got some good loot (jr. mints, milano cookies and reeses are mine!) but A. was really excited to give candy away. And I even convinced her to go through her bag and add to the bowl whatever she didn't want. I hate the pure sugar/foodcoloring candies, like Nerds, Sweet-Tarts etc. At least chocolate has some nutrients! Here are some random snapshots of our ghoulish adventures. We're lucky that there are any sequins left on that mermaid dress.