Somewhat Chaotic life

So its been six months since my last post and so much has happened! Besides Kids getting older (Kristina is 8 1/2, Connor is now 18 months, and Annika is 3) we moved 2500 miles away to Oregon!!! Mike is now in San Antonio, Texas completing officer training. We will then be stationed in Ft. Lewis, Washington. The awesome thing about that is that we are only 2 hours away from my parents and friends. I moved early so I could start looking for a house to buy, but I think we decided to live on base for awhile to figure out neighborhoods. The move was such an interesting experience! I've moved back and forth from Oregon to Arkansas and vice versa several times as a kid so I new what to expect...okay so I thought I knew what to expect. Being the adult with all the kids is way different than being the kid going along for the ride. It was such a short notice move that I planned the trip in a week and packed an entire 3 bedroom house in one week as well. We planned it so that me and the kids would leave for Oregon the same day Mike left for Texas. My dad flew down so that he could drive the 26' U-haul (the biggest one they make) and I got to drive the van with all 3 kids, 2 dogs, and a cat. Took 4 1/2 days to drive from Fayetteville to Troutdale, Oregon. I think driving was the easy part. Trying to lug kids, pets, luggage, and pet care products into a hotel room every night and then back to the car every morning was exhausting!! I do have to say that the kids and pets did awesome on this trip (even with the kids breaking a cord to the dvd player the first day, thus no movies the entire trip)!! Kristina was as helpful as could be, Connor didn't fuss to much, Annika did well, and the cat only meowed a little each day, oh and zoey the little dog did awesome as well. The new puppy, Roxy, however I could have KILLED!! She peed twice in my drivers seat without me knowing. Climb back in the car after grabbing food to sit in a wet drivers seat. The kids and my dad found it highly amusing, I of course was not a happy person. Don't worry, I love my pets so she wasn't left on the interstate haha. Overall the trip went well, just very exhausting. We are staying with my parents until mike is gets here. So several months in a packed house with 8 people and 7 pets!!! It's so chaotic!!! I love my parents and brother so much and I am so appreciative of everything but I do look forward to being back in a home of my own. My ways and my schedules. In the meantime, Kristina is loving her new school and I'm enjoying getting together with old friends and letting all of our kids play. I'm missing my husband so incredibly much, I guess the old saying is true: absence really does make the heart grow fonder. We've realized through all of our ups and downs we really have done the right thing by staying together and persevering. I can't wait till we are together again. Only a few more weeks to go! The 28th of may he will be able to drive up here! From there its get a house on base, unload the storage shed (literally packed from top to bottom) with all of our belongings, move all 3 kids/pets/belongings up to Washington (fortunately only 2 hr drive), and then unpack it all and make it our new home and life together. I'm looking forward to getting settled into our new life in the Army and in Washington. So that's the somewhat chaotic life we've been leading.

Loving Fall

I absolutely love this time of year....The cold (but not too cold yet), all the pumpkin and fireplace smells, the cloudy gray skies, the rain..just everything about fall! I finally got all my decorations up, way later than most years I might add. Of course with all the b-days this time of year is becoming more hectic. I can't believe my little one turns one next week, and we just celebrated Kristina's 8th b-day! Of course the con to this season is having two of the three kids sick and being cranky. I'm also really excited because in a month my dad will be coming down to hunt and then my brother will join Thanksgiving week. I can't wait to have Thanksgiving with them and it will be really great to see them with the kids. Last time they saw Annika was a little over a year ago, so she wasn't even 2 yet, and they haven't even seen Connor yet! The girls are ecstatic that papa and uncle nic will be in town soon. Of course they will be in Hot Springs so that means we will be traveling down there on the weekends as much as possible but that's fine by me. I'm just really enjoying the season at the moment, and getting excited to decorate for Christmas (though all the shopping that will have to be done can wait even longer ha ha ha).

So Tired

I don't know why but I can't seem to get enough sleep these days! I go to bed earlier than I ever have (between 9:30 and 10) and I'm still so exhausted these days! It doesn't help that the allergies are kicking in and giving me a sore throat, and Connor hasn't been feeling well either. He's teething and has a virus. I just wish I could get more sleep these days and feel awake during the day. I don't like wanting to do nothing but sleep!!
On a positive note, I am really looking forward to the Tuesday morning Bible study that is about to start up in a few weeks! And MOP's is starting up soon as well! I love being able to get together with other women, it really makes my weeks better! It was such a great time and experience going to Flavor last night. A nice little break from the kids too. Although I did feel bad leaving Connor with Mike since he has been so cranky and fussy from not feeling well. I came home to Connor fussing (apparently he had slept a little) and Annika was happier than usual to see me. She was so upset for me to leave that she cried herself to sleep and woke up just a little bit before I got home. All in All it went well and I really enjoyed myself.

Summer is ending

The summer is ending, and WOW has the summer really flown by this year! I swear every year things just fly by quicker and quicker!! Kristina is getting ready to start second grade on the 6th of August, and she is super excited! Annika just keeps getting bigger and bigger and becoming more and more of a "big girl" and not just my little toddler. She's become my mini me and literally does and say's everything I do and say. She even runs to get her baby doll when I'm doing something with Connor. Speaking of Connor, just started pulling himself up onto his knees in his crib yesterday and this morning I walk in and he's standing up completely!!! Time to lower the crib!! He's been doing the army crawl for several weeks now but hasn't really tried to pull up...until yesterday.
We had a great family vacation last week. Just to Hot Springs, but we stayed in my Aunt and Uncle's lake house and it was great! We went swimming...an adventure since Annika is scared of everything, took about an hour to an hour and a half to coax her into the water. Then she had fun of course. Connor LOVES the water and loves to splash so he was completely happy swimming. We had lunches and dinners with family and even took the kids to Pirate's Cove, a miniature golf place. Everyone had a blast and it was a very much needed vacation for us all!
Now that we are back, we are just trying to get into the swing of things. Kristina has one week of summer left, I've taken on more kids to watch (so I have 7 counting my 3....Some day's I'm not sure what I was thinking ha ha), and Mike has a new promotion starting this week! I love it, he now works office hours Monday through Friday, so he has evenings and weekends off finally!! I think this will be a great change for our family! It was so nice to sit down at the table and eat as a family last night! I don't remember the last time that happened!
We are still up in the air about when we will be moving. As of now we are hoping to have Mike at Officer training in the middle of October and me and the kids in Oregon at that time. Though if we decide to let Kristina finish this semester of school then we wouldn't go to Oregon until Christmas break. Mike HATES the idea of me and the kids being here by ourselves....and while I would prefer not to, I think we would be just fine. I just HATE not being able to plan for anything. As of now our duty station will be Hawaii, right outside Honolulu. We are still really excited, just tired of the waiting game.
So all in all, the Lombard Clan is doing well...Just waiting to try to prepare for the so many changes we know are a head of us.

Just an update

So there really isn't much going on around here. Kristina is finishing up her last week of school and then we will be going to Hot Springs to visit family over the weekend. Connor is finally rolling over...YaY! Now if he will only start crawling! I always expected him to do the same stuff at the same time as Annika did, which was 6 1/2 months for everything (except walking) and he will be 8 months on the 22nd. And yes, I do know that all children are different, but still lol.
Other than that we are just taking it easy now that I am finally done being sick. I had some sort of cold or allergies two weeks ago, and then the weekend after that we had a neighborhood yard sale and because I always seem to forget to put sunscreen on myself, I ended up with a nice sunburn and a touch of sun poisoning. But all that is behind me now and I'm feeling good now! So other than all this and trying to figure out about moving that is all that is happening around here.

One of those days!!!

So today is definitely one of those days! To start things off, I am sick and don't feel well and haven't since Saturday. Of course we all know mom's have no day's off even when we are sick. We are out of everything so going to wal-mart was a must today so as soon as Kristina jumped off the bus, off we went. Connor was cranky most of the time, though I tried seeing if he would be okay sitting up in the seat instead of his infant carrier...he kept falling over. Finally laid him down in the seat (I have one of those seat covers so it was some what soft and clean for him)..this seemed to do the trick until I went around one of their freight carts and not realizing how far over the side his little feet were, I squished his poor little foot between the cart and the other thing...I feel like a horrible mother!!! Poor guy started screaming so I carried him for awhile and let Kristina push the cart which made her happy but gave me more work since it was a little heavy for her and she kept running into things. Annika of course was trying to open everything and bite into the hot dogs, and kept standing up (almost falling out a couple of times). Gave her two spankings and guess they weren't good enough because it didn't seem to phase her much but of course I still got several horrified looks from other people. We finally make it home and I start putting away groceries when Annika had gotten a hold of a glass frog tape dispenser (with out me noticing) drops it on the floor...Glass goes every where, she screams and runs away. I ran after her to check her over and she had two nicks on her foot but was fine. So I sweep the whole dinning room and kitchen and then mop it real quick to ensure all glass is put up. In the middle of this Annika some how pees all over my entry way...I say some how because I'm not exactly sure how since she had on a pull up. Hmmmm. So I stop what I'm doing, rush her to the bathroom and clean the pee up. Now I have to mop my entry way as well. Then in the process of doing this I decide to clean the cat's box being that tomorrow is trash day and if the picky cat does not have a perfectly clean box he will pee on my bed...It has been done before...always on mikes side of the bed oddly enough...makes me laugh slightly but not him ha ha. During all this Annika spills a drink in the living room. I run to clean that up hoping and praying its not spilled on Mike's lap top...Thankfully it wasn't, just on the floor. During the whole ordeal the girls are fighting non stop and Connor is fussing because he's not getting the attention he wants. I finally manage to get everything cleaned up and groceries put away just in time for Annika to pick up the cats/dogs water dish full of water, drop and break it (getting glass every where once again)and soaking her and the floor.....which when she spills something on her like that, she screams bloody murder and it takes a few to calm her down. So It has been one of those days or nights..whatever. I'm exhausted and still need to cook something...think it will be hot dogs since mike is working...and go buy another dish for the pets. UGH!! Well thanks for listening I actually feel slightly better now after venting! Maybe I won't lock my children in the closet for the night....Just kidding, I wouldn't do that...Just think about it ha ha ha :D

Finally a new post!

Wow! I am way over due to post something!! I need to get a ton better about this especially if we are moving! So anyway.....The newest thing going on in the Lombard Clan is that Mike is officially an Army Officer!! He is a 2nd Lt. and I couldn't be more proud. Just wish I could start planning our big move to Hawaii, but can't do that until we get orders which won't happen until Mike takes the Nclex exam to get his RN license. Other than that the kids are growing so fast! I can't believe Connor will be 7 months this week!! I'll post some pics of him later when I switch over to mikes laptop. I have got to organize my picture files....they are spread out over 3 computers which is part of the problem on me posting new pics lol. Anyway, here are some pics of the commissioning ceremony and Kristina's spring pic.