Just a few pics

Pretty Lilly

A visit with my Nanny


Long-arm self shot

Lilly's first soccer practice

My sweet sweet Kenneth, getting so big.

Too much studying makes my brain mushy

I am only a month into this semester's classes. I was looking forward to my Anatomy and Physiology so much, but not so much looking forward to my Statistics. Well the order of those two has really turned around and bitten me in the butt. I had no idea that so much info could be shoved into 6 hours per week. After pages and pages of notes and lecture I go to the lab the next class. Lab should be easier right?! Well I thought it would be, but oh no. I've been up to my Zygomatic bone in work.(That's one of the 200 lovely terms that we have to memorize by next class.) Exam 1 is coming up and I am dreading it so so much. I have to keep getting A's in my classes. I don't want anything else. I wonder if I will get what I want with it. Probably not.
So tomorrow starts a long weekend for the kids. Chris will get home from yet another trip tomorrow too. So we will start our weekend of fun. Well I guess they will. I need to spend 2 days of the 3 day weekend in the library.
And speaking of Chris and his traveling. It's pretty sad when I forget where he is. Since he started September he has been in Indiana, Michigan, Colorado, and now Oklahoma. Next week it is Kansas and somewhere else I don't remember. He is certainly racking up some serious frequent flier miles and points for hotels. Maybe I'll get to take a vacation when it's all over.

The newest Smith

This is Hank. He is the newest Smith, and by newest I mean since February. He is the sweetest big 'ole goof ball ever! I love this dang dog, and all of his slobbers and hair (geeze the hair is INSANE). He is super protective of the kids. He knows his kids, and he will follow them wherever they go. He loves them as much as they love him. We got him from the Human Society here in Memphis, and I can't believe that we got so lucky to find him. He completes our family.

It's been a year?!

Wow, time sure flies when you're having fun doesn't it? I can't believe that we have been living in Tennesse for over a year now. Chris is about halfway through shore duty. Kenneth is a first grader. Adrianna started middle school. Lilly is a whopping 4 years old and in preschool, and me, well I've started school myself. I'm in my second semester of college and loving it. At 26, I'm starting school a little late in the game, but oh well. It is what it is. I've had 8 years at home taking care of one kid or another, and now I'm doing what I should have done a long time ago. It's tough going most of the time. Even with me only taking a couple classes per semester I am beyond busy! Who knew 3 kids, a husband that travels all the dang time, 2 soccer players, a cub scout, and a girl scout who is also in band could take up so much of someones time?! And then throw into that mix about 20 hours of school and school work. Whew, makes me tired just thinking about it. But we are chugging right along. I'm sure that whoever was reading isn't anymore, but that's okay. Here we are alive and well.

Labor Day weekend

Chris is down in Pensacola for a school so he can learn how to do his new job. It's a really short 3 week school, but after him being deployed for about 4 months these 3 extra weeks really suck! He got 4 days off for Labor Day so he decided to come home. Great plan right?! Yea it is if everything goes smoothly and he can make the 7 hour drive without issue. He decided to leave Thursday after work and drive in that night to surprise the kids on Friday morning. He made it to about 65 miles from Memphis where he made one last stop at a rest area before finishing off. After returning to the car after the stop Chris finds a car that refuses to start. The battery isn't dead but something is not right. He tried to figure it out for an hour or so to no avail so he called me and asked me to come and bring a different car key, thinking maybe it was the chip in the key, at 11:30pm. So I loaded up myself and 3 kids and drove an hour and a half to the rest area where my hubby is waiting. After trying lots of different things we realize we aren't getting anywhere and I'm stupid tired so we called a tow truck to come and get the car. After waiting an hour or so and the hook up of the tow, then the drive all the way back to Memphis to the Volvo dealer, we drop the car off at 5:30am only to get the car to start as Chris brings it off the dang tow truck! I could scream I was so mad! We just paid $220 to have someone bring a car that does indeed start up to the dealer. We left it to get fixed and another $200 later we have a fixed sensor or some sort in the ignition of that darn car.
I was so tired!!
We went with some great friends to the lake for the weekend. They have a lake house and a boat and they are awesome enough to invite us to spend some time with them out there some weekends. We boated, ate, hung out and tried to knee board. I say tried because I tried to do it for the first time and I sucked at it really bad. I love anything that includes water and outdoor sports but this one was alot harder than I thought. I did eventually get up on the board but I didn't stay up there very long, and today I'm super sore from the workout my muscles got. :) The kids love being on the boat. And they love being in the woods at our friends house. It's like one big sleepover for the whole weekend.
After a rough start to the weekend, we ended up having a great time. I got to spend some time with my husband who I've missed so much and with some good friends. So it was a success I think.

I'm back!

Chania, Crete Greece

The view from our room in Chania.

Our new house in Tennessee

I'm back I think. I'm alive and well! It's been a really super stupid long time since I've done an update, but I really do have a good excuse. Well I think it's a really good one. I've moved! I've traveled to Greece! I've made it through Chris' last deployment on the wonderful USS Georgia! Woo hoo!

Life has been moving in super speed this entire summer and has just now slowed down to a manageable pace. Honestly I'm downright bored as it is now. With everything going on I've forgotten how to just be. Chris is off the Georgia, but he's TDY to Pensacola right now for some schooling and he'll be back in just a couple of weeks. We are moved into a great house in Arlington TN. (that's just outside of Memphis) I'm so looking forward to shore duty. This past sea tour was a rough one so I'm ready to see my husband for a little while before we go and do it all again.

Kenneth is in Kindergarted! OMG I know! The last time we were in this area Kenneth was born, and now he's going to school. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. Adrianna is in 5th grade. Again OMG! And ms. Lilly bug is in a local preschool 3 half days per week and she loves it. (so do I!)

Now that I'm back to the blogger world I'll hopefully update occasionally for anyone who possibly checks me out anymore. I've got some pictures to share and a few stories I'm sure will pop up. In the Smith house it's still crazy!

I so needed this...

Tonight I had a few ladies over to the house for pizza and while the kids played. We put together a rocking chair. We got it together without any major incidents. Just one small misstep about arms or the chair. Those aren't important anyway right? I so needed this tonight. I forget how much I love having people over. I get so hung up on how my house isn't as nice as I would like or on how the kids have messed it up, or it's too small; and I don't get to enjoy having this house that really is a nice place and the kids always have a blast. I'm really especially thankful to these women who came over and gave me something to do and someone to talk to when I really needed a friend. Thanks girls!
Kenneth finished Pre K today so now school is officially out for summer! Yay! I get to sleep in in the morning. I'm so excited!