We interupt this program...

I know that I promised pictures of my apartment and I still have two rooms to go. BUT...I have a post that requires participation.

I am in a statistics class this semester and I am in need of some data for a homework assignment. I you could answer this question, in  the comment section, it would greatly help me.

THANKS! :)

How many times have you been stopped by a police officer, to include times that you were in or out of your car, that you didn't get a ticket, and/or any check points (DUI road blocks, seatbelt check points)?


PS ~ Though most of you won't care, I will post the statistics that I gather, but promise not to use any names! ;}

My Kitchen

This is my favorite room in my house! As you can see, there are dirty dishes in the sink, stuff on the stove, and the counter has cookies on it, which is the way you will find it most times. My kitchen is NEVER clean! But I love it that way and I would imagine there are several people who are deployed right now who whole heartedly feel the same way!

It is really funny to me...as a child, my mom would have probably had to tie me up to keep me in the kitchen long, and heaven help the person who ate whatever the product was! But since then, I have perfected my ability to be still long enough to be in the kitchen...it calms and relaxes me, frustrates and aggrevates me, and most of all fattens and slows me (LOL).

So the cookies on the counter and the cupcakes on the stove (they were not cooked there! no jokes, crazy's!!!!)

This is my latest addition to my kitchen (really the addition is in the laundry room, which is in the kitchen so by default the addition is part of the kitchen!)

In keeping with my promise to one of my very special readers, I wanted to show you my favorite room!

The apartment...just for you Sarah!

This is my beautiful bathroom! It is green and gave me a place to put my Costa Rica memories...I love the way it turned out!



Next is my bedroom...












...and of course the most important part of any house! THE CLOSET!

Now I must add a disclaimer...these pictures were taken on the one day that everything was clean. So if you happen to stop by (feel free anytime!), it will NOT be this clean. (said with total certainty!) LOL...I have come to know that I have my strengths and spotless housekeeping just didn't make the cut! I am good with that...it gives me more time to do other things.


Stay tuned for more pictures of my new place....

Today...

I thought I'd give you a glimpse into my day.

I was extremely prepared and made it out the door 15 minutes early with breakfast in my stomach! (Whoa...I think I just heard a collective gasp! LOL I know it is amazing.)

I made it to school on time though I hit 3 patches of ice on the way and had to change my route. (Oh, and de-icing my door...which wasn't really iced anyway...it was locked :})

I made it through the first class (which is an 8 o'clock one) without falling asleep.

I laughed all the way through the second....Thank you, Dr. Green, for making Statistics fun!

During my break, I had lunch with a friend...which always makes me feel a little better!

My last class was slow and long, but the walk back to the car...(its the little things in life!)..made me laugh all over again.

I made it to the gym..yeah for me...and it was packed :`{ I hate working out with lots of people around, especially when I have to do it with this crazy brace. People stare

So, now, here I am...blogging when I should be doing homework, trying to refrain from scarfing down EVERYTHING that is in the fridge, and deciding if I should just take some ibprofen and cough medicine or just the cough meds. That's been my day. Now for some relaxation and bed.

See a theme?

There is still 7 inches of snow not melted and here we go again! But I have to say that it kinda makes me giddy...I love snow. It reminds me of childhood when we would go out and sled then come in and mom would giveus hot chocolate to drink by the fire! Great memories!

SNOW

So I am sitting in my living room looking out my window at all the new snow that piled up over night.

I know it is dark, but here it is actually pretty bright. I couldn't believe how deep it was! I opened the sliding door to put the ruler out there and it feel all over my carpet. Talk about cold...my bare feet were covered! Burrrr!

 

It is still snowing too...they are saying we should get about another inch or two, which means a nice day at home getting all my homework done!

What about you??? Getting any snow?

Sickness...in Society

So last semester I had a class called mental illness in society, well right now I feel just as out of control as that! I sat through class today (still have one more to go) and coughed...hacked...drank...cleared throat...cough drop...coughed...Think you get the picture.

I know that it is annoying! Anybody got any suggestions for remedies?????

Back-to-school...

For me, the first part of the semester is my favorite. New books, which are so much cooler the day you get them than the day you have to use them! New teachers, it is like trading in the one you didn't like for better ones...unless your homeschooled and in that case you are stuck! LOL (Just kidding, mom!) New schedule...ok so maybe this one throws me for a loop a little!

Every semester before classes start, but after I have picked and registered for my classes...I commit to being a better student. Not a bad commitment if I followed through, right? HA...I do good for the first three weeks (sometimes three hours of class!) then things start to taper off.

But I figured since I have this blog and my readers are ... well reading this... maybe that would prompt me to be a little better with my commitment. So here goes...

~I am going to make sure that I make time for family dinners, "aunt" fun with my kiddos, and sister time with my built-in best friends!

~I am going to find one place a week to volunteer at...since the military picks up my college bill (thank you Jesus!) I don't really have a need to work, and since that is the case, I am going to spend that extra time wisely!

~I am going to be more consistent in my quiet time...learning what my relationship with my savior looks like for me!

~I am going to spend my money wisely and make investments for the future.

~ I guess since this is about school I should throw in...I am going to study hard and not procrastinate on my assignments!

I am sure that things will be added to this throughout the semester but for now this seems to be a good start to taking over my life as a civilian. Any thoughts on things I missed?

The Rudloff Family

Many of you will probably have already seen these new family pictures on my sister's blog - http://thesikesfamily.blogspot.com/

But just in case, here they are again! I think they turned out so good.

Meagan and Patrick

Austin

~We...no, should say I have spent the year getting to know this family. Since I was deployed while Meagan and Patrick were dating and had just gotten back in time for the wedding, I didn't have many opportunities to get to know Patrick or Austin. We all have fun together, and I am hoping for more time with them in this new year.

Joe and Amanda
(clockwise)

Maggie
Sammy Jo
Jeremiah
Josiah
Kate



~This growing family is quite a bundle. They are all growing and learning, changing everyday! I teach the girls (and sometimes Josiah) Spanish each week and of course, we have many fun days at my apartment together!

Dad and Mom

~ They are both doing well. They amaze us everyday with the activities they still do at 50! Christmas eve they were sledding with the grandkids and never missed a beat! Not only are they staying active, but they are expanding their horizons. In February, they are going to Haiti to work at the same orphanage Dad worked at last year when he went!

 

This is my family...we have had quite a few adventures over the past year. One thing had stayed consistent though...we are there for each other. From new births to new jobs to new lives, we all get frustrated with each other at times. To be honest though, there is no one else that I would rather have in my family that this group of people. We care about each other no matter what, and that's something in our world today.

Wii

So my Christmas present to myself was a wii...wanted one for years, but never had the room or time for it. Now I do.

I have only used it twice so far. First was Friday night. I had some girls over to the house and we played for a couple of hours. I didn't get any pictures of us (which we are all greatful for!), but we got so many laughs outa the crazy moves on a dance game. The kiddos came over for the morning on Saturday. They were all excited about the bowling game. Then I convinced them to play the dance game and they went nuts with it. They were....well, maybe I should just show you!

It took the girls a minute to get the hang of it...after that they really got into it!

Kate would stand in front of the TV and shake from side to side, but she quickly got tired of it and decided a bath was better. (The girl loves the bath tub! LOL)

 

Not only was this a fun way to spend the morning, but I was amazed at how good of a work out this game is too. Two or three songs and you are sweating and your legs are so tired! GREAT WORKOUT!

The old maid

recently i have played countless games of old maid with my nieces and nephews. the game has always been one of my favorites, so simples and yet filled with that "giggle" factor. just when you think you are winning, the game changes.

my nieces (josiah, not so much, poor thing) are getting the hang of staying quiet and hiding when they have the old maid. the more we play, the more i have this thought...

life is a lot like old maid...you draw your cards with the best information you have and you do your best to find the match to what your thoughts and desires are. here's the catch...god knows what we have in our hand, he also know what we are drawing (even when it is the old maid), futhermore he knows what the rest of us are trying to aviod will sometimes bring us the most happiness. see while playing one day, i watched sammy jo draw the old maid out of my hand. her eyes immedietly shot to mine and sparkled with the giggle that she was trying desperately not to show anyone. the point is that even though she drew the worst card in the deck...it brought her the greatest joy. isn't that how we should treat life? we are always talking about the deck being stacked against us. if we are walking with him trusting in him though, god knows the exact card we need. sometimes it is the old maid, just for the giggle that we hold in, feeling it all the way down to our toes. sometimes it is the anticipation and fun we get out of watching the next person draw...hoping that they, as baby kate says best, "Don't get the old maid!"

My scrapbook

I mentioned in my last post that I had been working on my military scrapbook. I also said that it has been an emotional roller coaster, but not in the way you might think.

Looking at those pictures, the memories are good, mostly, and yet there is a longing for that life again. Though I remember how horrible some of those times were and the tears that were shed over them, I stare in amazement at the close calls and paths that could have turn out to have devastating effects. The feeling is more than that though, so much so that I am not sure I can describe it. It is the fear of what could have been and the hope of the end, chunked together with love for those around me, riddled in some areas with guilt for "quitting", and encased in a longing for those connections again.
Overall, though it is only a scrapbook, I am finding other qualities as well. It is my much needed therapist, who tells me to put it on a page, then close the book and move on! It is a drill sergeant saying...GET IT DONE! And then of course it is like many of my loving friends and family. It takes the time to hear my stories (though they are of no interest to them!) and lets me cry when it hurts, laugh when I can't hold it in, and never condemns for either.


Since it is only a book though, it began me thinking of those family and friends who have been there through the dark hours. Thank you to all who have listened, shared, and hoped for a brighter future with me. I couldn't have done it without you!

Life in gereral

I had stopped update my blog for awhile because I felt like it was a good use of time...because I didn't know if anyone read it. So here's for my best friend Sarah...because she reads it! Love ya...oooh and sent your christmas presents yesterday (wednesday). I know I know they are late, but hey nothing like spreading out the joy of the season right? All my plan the whole time!

Anyway, I don't go back to school until the 19th of January. Late, isn't it? I love it! I am spending the time getting so projects done around the house...pictures in the next blog (have to clean before putting them out on the web!). I have sewn a ribbon on my bed spread and pillow cases to make them more what I wanted for my room. Worked a little more on my military scrapbook. I must say it has been a little emotional than I thought, but I have another post on that! Baked more than I care to think...sending most of it overseas to my buddies there (Let me know if ya need a refill guys!)...using some of it for family gatherings too. I would say that I have cleaned my house, but hey, I wouldn't want to lie on a world wide web! Let see...I have started working on my spanish curiculim also...or again. It is a trail run with my nieces and we took off over christmas, but now that we are back at it, I am wishing that I would have taken the time to think about my next lessons a little more. My biggest challenge of the season was getting things for my house! I have a lot of the eccentials, but the walls are pretty bare and the tan on the walls is just a little boring! So with all of these projects you can see that posting wasn't my top priority.

No worries though...I will update regularly from now on!