What we are worried about too

http://news.yahoo.com/budget-debt-worries-plague-troops-065927603.html

They are at it again. If we can just make it 265 more days. It'll be a huge party.Please read the link above.

Pictures

I've been having fun with photography the past few days. I've been having a blast doing it. I was on a web site that showed inexpensive craft ideas. And some you could buy.One of them was the boot picture. They wanted 25 dollars for it. So I thought it would be fun to do something similar to theirs.I know I'm being a copy cat. It's not exactly like theirs though. I think mine are better. I have already ordered these pictures and I've bought a special frame for the boot one. Clearance at Michales for $3.99. It's going to look fabulous when it's all put together. It's s gift to Chris. I am so proud of them.

Key Lime Pie

http://www.joesstonecrab.com/recipes/keylime.html

You have to try this fantastic Key Lime Pie. It screams summer. Click on the link above for the recipe.(right under the picture) Yes I wish that was my picture. I wish I had all of those cool plates and pitchers. It is so PURDY.

Chris loves Key Lime Pie. He's not much on sweets,but this one he'll do just about anything for. If we were to ever order dessert at a restaurant it would always be this. I would always want chocolate. So I would cave and just split with him. (Hey a girl has got to do what a girl has got to do. I'd rather share a dessert then eat a whole one by myself and pay like 6-7 dollars per dessert) ((Plus I like it as well so don't feel too bad for me for not getting my way HA!!!)

I haven't made Key Lime Pie since we were in Florida. So this is how it got started. Jen had told me that Stephanie had made some with yogurt and jello. It sounded gross to me so I thought I'd give her the real version. I made the one on the back of the can of condensed milk. It was yummy,but when sharing it you don't get your fill up of it.So a few weeks have passed and I have a hankering for one. This one I really did mean to share. But dang it is so good that I haven't told my friends here that I made one. I'm mean that way.I've been paying for it by extra time at the gym :> It is so easy to make. I made a few small changes. On the crust I didn't measure. I just used one full section of wrapped Graham crackers then followed directions. I only had one lime for zest, so that's all I used instead of the 2. I also did not freeze it before serving. And I didn't do the heavy cream topping. I just threw on some good old fashion cool-whip. It was fantastic the way it was. Let's just say this will be the only way I make Key Lime Pie for Chris from now on. It's worth the extra gym time. Plus I know your not mean like me and you'll share it with friends.

Monday Morning Rambeling

It's been a long week. So now that it's Monday it can start all over again. First Leia was sick for a few days. Then it's so stinking hot outside you don't want to go out there. I can only handle so much T.V. before I got nuts. When she started feeling better I started going back to the gym and pool. Chris and I have made it a nightly thing to get out of the house. I walk while Leia and Chris ride their bikes.Yesterday we went to our church pool party. We got to swim for about 30 minuets and then scarfed down a hamburger and chips and run to the car while lightning was flashing around us.Then while driving home a bolt of lightning hit way to close to the truck. Leia and I screamed out of terror and Chris was like what. He had been looking the other way. SO then around 8 last night we lost power. It's been happening a lot around here. 3 times in a few short months. It wasn't that bad though. We had battery operated fans that helped keep the house cool and Leia and I drew and chit chatted girly talk until bedtime. Chris had left to get another fan and more batteries. We stayed comfortable temp wise. around 6 this morning I was like man it's freezing in here. I got up and noticed the alarm clock was flashing again so I knew we had power. YEAH!!! Nothing planed this week. But that always changes..

What's been going on in this neck of the woods.

Chris fixing to dig into a desert that I made from our Blackberries. We thought Big Bertha was ready to pick. We've had a few start rotting and we didn't want her to go to wast. Needless to say we should have left her on the vine. She wasn't completely done yet. Thank goodness we have 2 more almost the same size.

This is a different watermelon from our patch that we picked. And yes a load of tomato's.

All of this was picked in one day. I made salsa out of all the tomato's and cut up the squash and zucchini.

This is almost everything that we pulled from our garden today. Minus the sweet peppers which a friend of Chris' just brought over. Imagine a few handful of raspberries in it's place. Chris put those up before I pulled out the camera. None of these tomato's are the same as the picture above. They just keep coming. Today Leia and I got our hair cut. Leia's was a tangle mess so we got it cut shoulder length. She loves it. It would be a better picture if she hadn't been swimming for the last 3 hours. But you can see the length of it anyway.

I also got mine cut short. It feels so nice not having my hair up all of the time. I told the lady shoulder length, but then said do what ever you think would look nice for a big round face so this is what she did. I do have to get use to it. I love the back. Leia said that she's going to have a hard time telling me apart from Kelly.Especially from the back.

Here's a side view of it. Again it would have looked better if we hadn't been outside for the last 3 hours.

And here is the back.

So what do you think???

What happens in 9 months???

Normally it's a pregnancy thing but not for us. It's his out date.

OK so I've been looking at school ratings for different areas. Mainly in Ohio. Springboro rated a 9. Germantown rated an 8. Tipp City rated an 8. Middletown a 4 (Just checking for comparison) Mason received a 10. Centerville got a 9 . Beavercreek and Kettering received an 8.West Carrollton and Miamsburg both got 4's . I checked out Scipio,In which I felt was a fantastic school and it received a 6. I was shocked at such a low score. So anyway I just got done checking Sumter schools. I told you they were bad. Here is their rating. It is a big fat 1. I guess it comes to no surprise to me that it was so low.

I told Chris where ever we live it has to have a great school system. 8 or higher.I don't care if we live in a small house. The 2 things we both want is a little land and fantastic schools.We might have to compromise on the land. We might be lucky if we can score up an acre. But her schools will play a huge roll in where we live.

We have a rough out date. It's around mid April. I've been looking for jobs for both of us and so far nothing. Leia and I will probably move ahead of Chris so we can get settled. I just need a job first. 9 months will be here before we know it.

Leia's 9th Birthday

I can't believe my baby turned 9. Where has the time gone. We headed south past Myrtle Beach for a boat tour.

We took a boat tour to go see dolphins. It's a zodiac boat with inflatable sides. It was a really neat boat. Leia and I sat in the back.
Chris sat on the side. I was to chicken to do this. Plus I wanted to sit next to Leia. The water had big swells and shortly after going out on it the weather rolled up on us and the water got rough. We had to end out trip a half hour early.On top of that we never saw any dolphins. But we still had a fun time being out on the water. The boat rode very smoothly, and the scenery was beautiful.

Pelican Landing

A picture of one of the islands. Look at the swell.

This is what we were trying to stay away form. This scary storm cloud quickly caught up with us and we had lightning strikes all around.So we headed out and found a restaurant to wait out the storm.

We drove around and found Pollies Island. We were trying to outrun a storm from Myrtle Beach. We headed where the sky looked not as dark. By the time we got here you can see that the clouds were starting to look nasty. We jumped out for a few quick ocean pictures scared that this was all the beach action that w were going to get.

We ate at a restaurant called Drunken Jack. You would think it was a bar,but it was named after the island that was near it. It was named that after Black Beard the Pirate left a pirate there along with hidden rum. 5 or so years later they returned to find all the rum drank and the remains of their pirate friend Jack.

This was the view from our seats. It was cool and scary that we could watch these huge bolts of lightning hitting the lagoon.

Leia in her pirate hat.

The waitress and staff came and sang Leia Happy Birthday.

The weather finally cleared and we hit another beach. Leia was so excited and this is one of her many wave jumping pictures. I thought this one was the funniest.

Chris and Leia loving the water.

On our way home we did hit Myrtle Beach just to drive though. Last time I was here this is the restaurant that we ate at. It was a shady crowd and Leia and I couldn't get out of their fast enough.

Gay Dolphin is the name of that shop. I had to share that.Supposedly it's one of the biggest shops in the area. Leia and I did that last time we were here as well just to see what it was about. Just your normal tourist stuff.

Even though we didn't get to do all that we had planed on doing we still had a great time. Leia had a wonderful Birthday.

Chris and Jeans over the 4th 2011

After my family left to head back home, we jumped in the car and headed up to NC to see Chris and Jean.

Happy 4th of July
Chris put in the floor to the pool. It's so nice to walk out and jump in the pool.


We had a great time up there. We hung out and visited,Croaker festival, the parade,the ferry, ate out, and swam. We had a fun few days while we were up there.

Chris and Leia dancing to the music

Leia checking out all the fun things to do at the Croaker festival. They had tons of food, crafts, and nice things to buy.

The fire trucks. Chris and Leia are on the middle one. Big Chris is driving. They had a ton of fun tossing everyone candy.

Jeanie hanging out with Santa. He gets tired of working at the North Pole all year long. He was on vacation. Happy Christmas in July.

No more post for today

I have more to blog but the computer again is failing to post. UGGG!!!!

We got a surprise last Monday. Mom,Kelly and the kids came up for a visit. We were so so so happy to see them. I wish it could have been a longer vacation. Kevin loved hanging out with Chris

I took the girls swimming at one of the pools on base. I love that the gulf course lake is behind it.

I got the girls these fish toypedos that they dive after. Ashley you left yours here.I'm going to have to ship it to you.

Kevin in his swim trunks

I got this dress for Ashley for her Birthday.

Leia trying on her new shoes and socks all at once.

I got Leia a card that had a dog on it that looked like D and it barks out Happy Birthday. The kids are laughing and rocking out to the song.Priceless moment.

Opps out of order. I love the goggles on the kids.

We got a small cake for the girls.

Mom getting some loving time with Kevin.

II miss you all. I can't wait to see everyone again. It won't be much longer now. Somewhere between 6-9 months depending on when I can get a job.No later then 9 months though. YIPIEE!!!! Love to all.

fantastic week

I had this huge post with tons of pictures. I can't get it to publish. I'm helping Jen pack today so I won't be able to redo the post.