2 years...

Two years ago, Heaven gained two new heroes. Bryant Herlem and Jose Gomez were called to walk with our Lord. I've had lots of thoughts going through my head today, wondering how or what I could write about them.

I'm going to keep it simple. Two wonderful men were lost in Iraq two years ago. Their loss has impacted many people. I know their families continue to grieve for them, I hope they are reassured that these special men are not forgotten.

I wanted to leave this blog entry with a positive, so I will leave a memory for each of them.

Bryant - I went to the unit one day and he tried to convince me to hold onto this contraption that looked like a game controller. If you held on to it, it would shock you. He tried to tell me he wouldn't have the power too high..somehow I didn't believe him, it might have been the gleam in his eye or the smirk on his face.

Jose - The day Kevin deployed, I was sitting at home, missing his presence. I wasn't expecting to hear from him for a few days. The phone rang and it was a number I didn't recognize. When I answered it was Kevin. He said that Jose had walked past him and handed him his cell phone and told him to call me. I was so touched by his generosity and thoughtfulness.

Bryant & Jose, we won't ever forget you. Your legacies live on through those people who's lives you touched. God be with you til we meet again.

HOOAHfied

The view from my room

At my Army Family Team Building (AFTB) Master Trainer Course graduation, we were told that we had been HOOAHfied. I'd like to think that before heading to Florida last Sunday, I had already established that status, but perhaps not.

Well regardless if that really is what happened to me last week or not, the reality is that now I am an Army Family Team Building Master Trainer (woohoo go me!). Actually, I really am proud of my new title. I have a great passion for the AFTB program and what it encompasses. I look forward to helping the program progess and hopefully I can bring new ideas or something constructive to it.

My week in Florida was interesting to say the least. The journey there itself was something to write about. On my flight from Dallas to Orlando, I had the pleasure of sitting next to a young Airman who had recently finished some training and was headed to even more training. His attitude was refreshing. He was so fun to talk to, his patriotism was enlightening. We conversed pretty much the whole flight. I think what impressed me the most was when he told me that he was 11 on 9/11 and that day he knew that he would be joining the military. He told me he was thankful for what my husband did and how in awe he was of the Army and all we had to endure. I found this touching, as he himself will end up in the Middle East someday. He was just a sweet young man and I wish him all the best.

My time in Florida comes with mixed reviews. It was an ok course, I felt that a lot of the information I was receiving was repeat stuff from the local instructor course. Some days I felt quite ADD and had to work hard to stay focused. There were some blocks of instruction however, that really energized me and helped me to refocus and hopefully learn how to be a better instructor. Honestly, I think the best part of the week was the networking I got to do with the other students in the class. We had people who came from military installations all over the world. South Korea, Alaska, Hawaii, Belgium, Germany, Georgia, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, New York, Texas, Washington and many, many more.
Presentation Day..a lot of people were stressed about this assignment..
I had a lot of fun with some of the people I met, almost every evening I went to dinner with the same group of crazy girls. We had a lot of fun and a lot of laughs. I really was blessed to meet these remarkable women and know that I'll be in touch with them for a long time to come.


At the Rainforest Cafe

Of course for all of you who know me, know that I didn't just love everyone. I want to at this moment make it known that I was on my best behavior and worked hard on not going off on crazy, ignorant people. I want everyone who knows me, to know that I accomplished this goal and behaved very well. I also want it known that this was not always an easy task!! We had a fairly large group of people involved in this course and I can say it was diversity at it's finest. We had a lot of people with very stong personalities. I will admit that there are some people who I came across this week that I hope to never cross again in this lifetime (I know I just jinxed myself and I'm sure they will all be PCSing to TX in the near future, lol).

My trip home was somewhat of an adventure. All my flights were delayed and that was not fun. On my flight from Orlando to Dallas, I sat next to the neatest man, we chatted the entire flight. I talked to him a lot about what the AFTB program was all about and he was quite impressed. I get really energized when I talk about anything to do with the military, it really is my passion. He told me that he appreciated what my husband does and what our family does for our nation. I was almost in tears. At the end of our flight, he shook my hand and told me that we were a remarkable family. I don't go out in search of compliments or even moments of gratitude but I will say they sure are wonderful to hear.

Just a cool pic of the clouds

When I arrived in Dallas, I found out that my flight home was delayed. I went into the USO for a snack and just to hang out. I love the USO, I've decided that when we retire we need to live near a USO so I can volunteer. I helped the volunteer there put out some cups and other things as her volunteer who was supposed to work that night didn't bother showing up. It was neat and I wish we lived closer. I really am grateful for the USO and all it does to support our troops. I chatted with a few young Soldiers who were coming home on R&R or some who were getting ready to go to the sandbox for the first time. I was quite emotional but so grateful. I gave them all hugs and walked to my boarding area. After a couple hours we finally got boarded and our short flight arrived in Killeen. As we landed, the flight attendant got on the speaker and thanked our military for their service and sacrifice, it was a nice ending to a long week.

Overall, I am glad that I went and at the end of the week, I felt like I accomplished something...I made some new friends, I learned some new techniques on instruction and I found that my family can survive without me, although they do miss me very much when I'm too far way.

I hope that I can embody the hooahfication process. I really do believe in this program. I am all about empowering Army families. I hope that with the skills I have learned or expanded I can take care of my Soldiers and their families. I hope that I can help others become Hooahfied or at least teach them what Hooah means...

(Here's a few pics of my days in Florida)

My bed Cool TV (with lame channels)
My visitor...actually he owned the balcony and trust me he could have it. He was not at all intimidated by me at all, he let me know who's house it was...

Remember when I blogged about my iron issues a couple weeks back? Apparently it is not in my destiny to iron because the hotel iron literally fell apart as I was getting ready to iron my shirt. The housekeeper thought this was quite amusing when they came to replace my iron.

Leaving the kids...

In less than 48 hours I will be boarding a plane and leaving my family behind for a week. Ask me how far I am in packing...seriously ask me. I have not packed a thing! I do have my suitcase out...I've purchased some travel friendly items but as far as to actually put anything in the said suitcase or even take anything out of the store bag..I have not!

It's not that I'm not excited to go on my trip. I've very excited and looking forward to it. I'm going to Florida to the Master Trainer Course for Army Family Team Building. If you're not in the military, you probably have no clue what AFTB is, it's a pretty awesome program that helps teach Army families basic Army information like lingo, how to read your pay stub and then goes on to teach leadership skills and much much more! Ok, so anyway, that's where I'm headed.

So why haven't I packed yet? Well, really I'm not usually a last minute kind of gal..but I realize that when the opportunity came up a few months ago, I was thrilled, excited, couldn't wait! Now that we're so close I can smell the jet fuel...I'm anxious about leaving my kids. I have not left my kids longer then 24 hours since I got out of the Army. Sure, they've spent the night at friend's houses (very, very good friends and I worried about them a lot while I was separated from them). I've had a few hospital stays that separated me from my kids, again 24 hours and I sent Kevin away (if he was home) to be with them instead of me. I think the longest I've been apart from my kids was this past summer when Neil spent 2 1/2 days in the hospital and my friend Linda kept the other two boys. It about killed me.

Now I'm headed out and will be away from them for 6 whole days..count them..6 days...144 hours. I have been away longer than this when I was in the Army so this shouldn't be so hard, right? Other people do it. I just love my kids and I love being there for everything and anything. I admit I worry too much. I keep wondering..what if..what if and they can't and then this won't and on and on. The reality is..I know they will be ok. Kevin has already let his fellow Soldiers know that I'm headed out of town and that he will need to be flexible (haha, the Army flexible..) I have good friends on standby (oh yeah, got to plug their #'s into Kevin's phone). I really am not one of these mothers who thinks their husbands cannot handle the kids. Kevin is more than capable of taking care of our kids. I have no worries in that department. I will just miss them.

Daniel is already a little anxious about it all. Out of the three boys, he is the one who I have never really left. He keeps asking when I'm leaving, when am I coming home. Will I miss him, he will miss me. Hug here, hug there. Do you think he's making it any easier?

I know while I'm there, I will miss them like crazy. I'm staying at a hotel very close to Disneyworld...do you think I won't be thinking how much they would like it there. I was asked if I would go to Disneyworld while there...uhm..what kind of callous mother do you think I am???

Well I suppose I should head off and pack. I wonder if I could pack them in my carry on. Michael IS old enough to babysit...hmmmmmmmm

The Welcome Home Slideshow below

I finally got it converted so I could upload it. I really like how it came out, thanks to my friend Polly who put it together. A lot of the pics used were ones that Kevin sent me from his last deployment to Iraq.

Welcome Home Slideshow from Deployment Club

What is with our kids?

I do not know what the deal is with our kids but I think they have all gone off their rockers! I know I constantly write about how well behaved our children normally are, because really they are great kids. But they are doing somethings that are driving us nuts!

Last week Daniel took it upon himself to take a bottle of Elmer's glue and pour it all over Neil's bed. When I asked him why he did it, he gave me that fun little standard answer of I don't know! Grrrrrrrr!!! Kevin also found a paring knife in his pocket last weekend that he had been using to dig in the ground. He knows not to play with knives and he also knows not to dig in the yard! Again, asked why he was doing this...I don't know..well dang it..if you don't know who does? (flashback to my own childhood and the words of my own parents.)

Going through Neil's schoolbag, Kevin found lots of food crumbs and lots of crumbled papers and oh, a note from his teacher talking to us about him not turning in his work. Not sure when that came home as it's not dated. As Kevin was dumping out his bag into the trash, Neil told him not to look in his bag. We both did the, excuse me???? Our kids are far from saints but I can honestly say talking back isn't a big issue in our home...mainly because it's not tolerated. He immediately knew he was wrong and put his head down. I don't like for our kids to do that, I want them to understand there are consequences for their actions but I don't want them to feel like we are demeaning them. We didn't yell at him, we just reminded him of our rules and our expectations. He also lost the privilege of using his "cool" bag and will have to carry a clear backpack for the remainder of the school year.

Michael has always been our absentminded child. Yesterday he calls and asks me if I can take him his reed for his bassoon that he had left at home. I know many moms would have rushed to take it to him but I was already out doing my errands for the day and with gas prices as high, a little trip is not worth it. I told him that I was sorry he left it at home but that it is his responsibility. He understood and hung up the phone. If I don't teach him now to be responsible, when do I think he'll learn? This morning he also told me that he had lost his ID badge. Ok, I have been waiting on that one since his broke a few months ago. He tried hard to keep track of it but it got lost. A few minutes later he casually mentioned that he had been given D-hall for talking yesterday. I guess he thought I might not hear or understand because he went on talking about something else. He was quite upset...this is how Michael is, he gets upset anytime he gets in trouble. This is only the 4th time his entire school career he has been punished, it's devastating to him. I didn't yell, trust me, I can't make him feel worse then he already made himself feel. I told him it wasn't really my problem and I hope he could learn from his mistake and work on making better choices.

Even our dog is having issues! Last night she got up and decided to tip over water and then go to the bathroom all over the floor. Kevin was not a happy camper as he cleaned up the mess and put her in her kennel. Sapper is quite spoiled and sleeps with us so she did not handle being put up well and whined quite loudly. I didn't undermine daddy's authority but I did come down and sleep on the couch so she wouldn't be alone. She stayed in her kennel and we all got some sleep.

I don't know if it's the change in weather or the fact that they all sense the big change that is coming up in a few short weeks. But I hope whatever it is, they work through it fast. If not I might have some way cute kids for sale soon!

Iron Will

Ok, actually I have no will at all when it comes to ironing. I despise ironing and only do it out of necessity. If my kids had it their way they could go to school looking like they had slept in the dryer for a few weeks (and if I let myself give in, I'd be ok with it too). But that is not the case, I can't do it, therefore I cave and I iron. Well, the irons in our home have probably been with us for a while and have gotten extremely worn out.

The other day I went and bought a new iron. Now I cannot really see the sense in spending a crazy amount of money on an iron so I admit I bought the cheap one. It's the same brand as one of our old ones and that one worked very well.

I don't know if I'm just special or what but I cannot figure out this new iron. I put water in it, I plugged it in, turned the dial...nothing. The light came on..but it didn't get hot. It got kinda warm, but not hot. Ok...so I play with the dial a bit..still nothing. I think to myself..maybe irons are pretty highspeed now and it doesn't need a lot of heat to iron. Yeah, that didn't work. I actually pull out the owner's manual..I have never in my life ever read an owner's manual for an iron..I mean seriously, how hard can it be, right? Well, it appears I did everything right and it still doesn't heat up..

I'm going to say it's defective and take it back...I can't possibly be so special that I can't work an iron, right? It's definitely the item and not the owner who is defective...stay tuned....

New Family Pics

Boredom

Here's an example of what I do when I'm bored...

Bush Announces Shorter Deployment Lengths By Fred W. Baker III American Forces Press Service

What does these mean for us? It means we are still stuck with a 15 month deployment.

WASHINGTON, April 10, 2008 - President Bush today directed Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to shorten deployment lengths for U.S. Soldiers in Iraq from 15 to 12 months, starting in August.
Bush said he made the decision to reduce the strain on the force and because security improvements in Iraq have allowed for the withdrawal of all five surge combat brigades by the end of July. He also said that officials would ensure troops have at least a year at home between deployments. The change goes into affect Aug. 1 and will not affect those already deployed there...
(In a report in the April 11 Killeen Daily Herald, a 4ID spokesman said:

The policy will not affect the currently or soon-to-be deployed 4th Infantry Division units.

"Our aviation brigade deploys this summer before Aug. 1, so this will not affect their deployment," said Lt. Col. Kelly Sandifer, the 4th Infantry Division rear-detachment deputy commander. )

Not Ready to End the Fight

Memorial Service

Today I attended a memorial service for some fallen Soldiers. It was a very interesting situation to find myself in. Memorial services of any type are always hard to attend. Soldier's memorials tear my heart apart. I went to support a friend. I went to support the family of a fallen Soldier. It's never supposed to be about you when you are there to offer support. I think on the outside I did what I was supposed to, I think I said the right words (and yes they were heartfelt), I gave the appropriate touches of support, I hope I accomplished whatever it is the Lord sent me to do.

On the flipside, at moments it very much became about me (not to anyone else but within myself). As I drove into the parking lot of the chapel, I remembered walking across that same concrete to attend the memorial service with Nita. As I entered the back door of the Chapel, I remembered milling around in there with the families of the Fallen almost 2 years ago. As we were escorted to the pew where the families were to sit, I was again transported to another memorial service. I glanced around me and saw the flags still hanging with the 4th ID insignia. I looked to my left and saw the one labeled with the 4. That was our flag, this was our chapel, that memorial was for our Soldiers. It was weird because the Chaplain that spoke was our chaplain, I remember calling him and reaching out for his support on April 29th, 2006. So again, in my mind...he was our Chaplain. It was almost like being a 3 year old on the verge of a tantrum, pouting and stomping their feet because they want something they feel is theirs. It doesn't matter that it's been given to someone else now, it was mine first and I want it back.

The reality is that it no longer is ours. The Army is all about change and all these things belong to others now. On the same note, it's a reminder that while the Army is constantly changing there are things that are very much the same. The rush of emotions today were much like the emotions I have felt during other memorials I've attended. I can always hold it together until I hear the Final Roll Call, the firing volleys and Taps. That's when I lose it. Those symbols of honor touch my heart. It's the finality of the situation at hand.

I know that a lot of what I felt today has to do with the impending deployment. This is the first service I've attended when Kevin was still at home. He couldn't attend, he was busy...busy packing for Iraq. They are in their final stages of predeployment. It was hard not to think about him while sitting in this chapel. This is the reality of our lifestyle.

I don't want to take anything away from the four Soldiers honored today. It truly is a privilege to attend any ceremony in which Soldiers are honored. I am grateful for these four men who paid the price for my freedom. I pray for their families and their fellow Soldiers continue to heal. I know that these men will not be forgotten.

Thank you SSG Bryant Mackey, CPT Torre Mallard, SGT Phillip Anderson, SPC Donald Burkett.

I couldn't write this blog and not mention the five men who's losses have truly affected me and it was their memorial services I was transported to many times throughout today. I know the men who were honored today won't be forgotten. I know this because it will soon be two years since we bid farewell to our own Fallen Heroes and I know their memories and legacies continue in the hearts of those who loved them and those they served with.

♥SGT Brandon Teeters, CPT James Funkhouser, SFC Bryant Herlem, SGT Jose Gomez, SGT Jeremy King♥

RaNdOm Pics

Finally downloaded what was on my camera and here are the results, lol

Michael receiving his Second Class Rank for Boy Scouts
The kids not playing very nicely on the trampoline, they didn't know I was watching.
The least favorite chore in our house...folding laundry.
Yeah..focus on what??? This is our new battalion t-shirt..wondering about the thought process here...
Our sweet Sapper and her toys...

Men and their Grill..that's a lot of meat boys...

This is how I find Daniel quite often (well when the basket is empty anyway). He has claimed this basket as his own special seat.

This is how we pack our bags...

The sucky part of pre-deployment...packing tuff boxes and duffel bags that will be placed in the containers that will ship them to the sandbox..blah..

It looks like the Army puked in our entry way...

Is there room enough for us in there?

Let's Get Physicals...

Are we having fun yet?

Today we went on an adventure to the medical clinic to get the boys physicals. Michael will need one to attend Boy Scout camp so I figured why not just get all the boys the once over at the same time. I have to say I was quite impressed with their patience. It was a long two hours but we had some great nurses and our pediatrician is awesome. All the boys are very healthy.

You know I have to bore you all with the stats..


Michael is 58" and 94.6 lbs (I'd like to know where he hides that)


Neil is 56" and 79.8 lbs (I was sure he was heftier than Michael)


Daniel is 48" and 54.8 lbs (he was proud to be just as tall as some of Neil's classmates, lol)


The boys were kind of funny going through the different aspects of the exams. Having their ears and noses looked at. All three were quite embarrassed with the hernia check...poor Michael and Neil did all they could to muster up the coughs required...(mommy is terrible because she sat in the corner giggling away). During the hearing check they started to hear beeps that didn't exist (the nurse got a chuckle out of that). Overall, the Doctor was quite impressed with how well behaved the boys were going through all of that. I was too, but I am biased in the opinion that I think my children are well behaved anyway.


All three were quite relieved to find out that their immunizations are up to date and no shots were needed (pesky things those needles are, eh?). Poor Daniel was a bit traumitized when the doc noticed his throat was a bit red and raw and wanted to rule out strep. He did not enjoy the swab being thrust down his throat causing him to gag..he immediately regressed into a toddler and crawled into mommy's lap for safety and cuddling. (Ok, this mommy admits that she loved that moment.)

So we have three healthy, handsome boys. As a treat for being so good and patient during our appointment, the doctor gave them a get out of school pass and they came home and watched Alvin and the Chipmunks and ate junk food!

Too Much Fun in LA

So our Soldier made it home to us this past Thursday evening. He was a scruffy, stinky man indeed. I didn't take a pic of him when he got home, though I should have. In 12 years of marriage I have never seen him with so much hair. It is so nice to have him home..he truly makes our family complete. Kevin feels that their training was a success and that's always a good thing.

One thing I always miss about the Army is the camaraderie and the opportunities for unit or section cohesion. There are always great stories to tell, incidents to laugh about later on. I love it when I hear these stories but they also make me miss the times when I was a part of that. But anyway, this isn't about me, lol.

So if anyone has been around a Soldier when they are bored, they know that they can be pretty creative with their time. Well, Kevin and his Soldiers were doing the "hurry up and wait" in LA and decided that 5 lbs of Gummy Bears could be fun..the videos below will show you what fun they had...some of the video is poor quality...Kevin makes a much better Soldier than photographer but some of the commentary is hilarious... (Hope SGT G and SGT W don't mind being on display on our blog...I hope Kevin gave them the disclaimer that if you end up on our camera you could end up on our blog, lol) *Be sure to turn off the music to hear the Soldiers cracking up.

All in all, they got some good training, created some great memories, got some butt chewings over pizza boxes and had quite a few laughs.

Gummy Bears 3

Gummy Bears 2

Gummy Bears 1

Working Out

So I've decided that I am tired of being out of shape. I know that I'll never reach the size of weight pre-kids and pre-laziness. But I would like to be comfortable in my skin again. I always have good intentions to work out, eat better, and spend less time in front of the computer. Well, good intentions only get you so far.

Starting on Monday, I went for a run. I don't know why I always think that if I start off running, it will show me that I'm not horribly out of shape. I should start off slowly and walk and work up to a run but no I always go for a run and then I'm terribly sore for a few days. I do like that while I don't have a fast pace, I can run for almost 2 miles without collapsing on the track.

So I ran on Monday and on Tuesday, had to take a break yesterday because I had a busy schedule (that's another downfall of mine, I do good and then have a busy day and just ignore a work out altogether). Well today I walked the boys to school and then went and walked the track. I'm sure the unit that was doing PT out there thought I was crazy because, I had the iPod going and I have zero shame in rocking out with the tunes. I'm sure they loved my rendition of Jack Johnson's Banana Pancakes and Al Green's Lean on Me, lol. I don't really care, my music keeps me moving and it helps me control my breathing which I'm terrible at when working out. Maybe the Army does know something about the cadences they used to force us to sing. I always hated calling cadence because I felt that they were asking way too much of a person..you want me to run, breathe AND sing!?!?!

So there you go, I'm putting it out there for the world to see..maybe it will help me with accountability (I doubt it since I rarely answer to anyone in any realm of my life) but perhaps I can fool myself into thinking someone cares and is watching me!

Making Our Blog Private

I hate to do this because I really love having our friends and family able to come and check us out without the trouble of having to sign in..however I have received some disturbing comments left on my blogs from random strangers who have nothing better to do but mess with other people.

I know it's a pain in the butt to have to sign in to read a blog but I really feel this is the best decision for us.

I will send an invite to those of our friends and family who's emails I have. If you want to continue reading our blog and don't think I have your email addy, feel free to leave a comment with your info...I have my comments on moderate so no one else will see your information unless I approve it. Let me know who you are and your email addy.

Thanks!

Dirty Boys, Dirty Clothes

What is it with boys...(ok, girls may do it too but since I don't have any, I can't really say)? I get so aggravated at my boys because they do not like to change their clothes or if they do they want to pull a shirt or a pair of pants out of the dirty laundry. Why is this??? It's not like they don't have clean clothes in their drawers or on their shelves. I don't think it requires much more energy to pull a shirt out of a drawer then it does to sift through dirty laundry (which grosses me out btw!)

The two youngest attend a school with a dress code so it's a lot of the same style and color of clothes so I don't always notice until the last minute that they may have worn that exact same shirt the day before. I don't want to have to turn back the hands of time and be the mommy that sets out their clothes for them, they are old enough to do this themselves. And just as a sidenote..I'm a mean mommy and even if I notice that they are wearing a dirty shirt, I won't turn the car around. It annoys me to the point that I want to scream but so be it (their teachers probably think I'm a terrible mom and never wash my kid's clothes..haha, if only that were true). I suppose if it doesn't bother them, then it shouldn't bother me (isn't that what Jim Fay would say from Love and Logic parenting?).

Also on the topic of clothes...what is it with boys and holey knees in their pants. I swear my children must get hungry and knaw at the pants. I can buy them a new pair of pants today and by noon tomorrow they'll have holes in the knees. I buy the so called reinforced pants from Old Navy...but they are not durable enough for the Albrecht boys. This is strike two in terrible mommyhood because as long as they are clean and not torn from the knee to the ankle, on the bottom half of my boys they go. I cannot afford to buy new pants every single week for 3 boys. Can't I just go with the current fashion of holey knees..I mean I have bought jeans already worn out before..can't the schools just accept that this IS fashionable?

*Sigh*, well that is my rant for today, I'm off to do more laundry...you would think the fact that there is less material in the pants due to all the holes, the amount of laundry would be less, no?