Last year, I hand crafted a 5' x 4' sleigh, 9 reindeer and each individual letter to spell out "Happy Christmas o All And To All A Good Night." I painted each of these and adorned them with jingle bells and ornaments. I even made felt harness for each reindeer and labeled them with the names of each reindeer. I spent hours putting these things up on my balcony, in addition to the days I spent making them in the first place. If you check out my blog from October 25th, you will see what I am talking about. I am so over the whole contest thing. I didn't win last year, and I was mad...but now I am okay with that and I just wanted to put decorations up because they make me happy.
Anyway, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving this year, I spent 3 1/2 hours putting these decorations up on my balcony. I sat out there in the cold with a roll of duct tape, making 6 little duct tape circles for each individual letter so they would stick to the wall. I've had people knock on my door to tell me how much they admire my balcony. I can hear the kids being dropped off at the preschool downstairs telling their parents how cool my decorations are.
Yesterday, The housing office called me and told me that I needed to take them down! They said it was against regulations to put decorations on the other side of the balcony. I had to climb over my balcony railing in order to put these decorations up and I guess they don't want people doing that because it is a safety issue. Whatever, I did it last year when I was over 6 months pregnant. It is not dangerous.
The guy from the housing office said that they needed to be taken down immediately. Of course I am not going to say, "Okay, no problem". Those decorations are not coming down without a fight! I told him that they were the same ones that I used last year. He told me that he had seen them last year and had meant to tell me not to do it again this year. What? Why would they let me keep them up last year after seeing them and then decided to be super mean this year? Why would they wait until after I put them up?
If it's a safety issue, it would present the same amount of risk for me to take them down now as it would if I took them down after Christmas. In fact, it would probably be more dangerous for me to take them down now because I am pissed off. It would be like driving with road rage.
After trying to present my argument over the phone, he told me that if I do not take them down, the housing office will present us with a letter to vacate.
Seriously? Over Christmas decorations? I am not hurting anyone! Why would they threaten something like that? What kind of inconsistency are they practicing when it was okay last year, and now they are going to kick us out of base housing for something that is not hurting or bothering anyone!
I am pretty sure the regulations were the same last year. Why have they decided all of a sudden to just be jerks. This guy must be one of those people that never got a Christmas present in his life, or has never had anyone told him that they love him. Now he is taking his holiday hatred out on me!
Brad just wants me to be nice and comply, because if we do get kicked out of housing, it will ruin his career. That makes me look like a bad guy for risking his career on silly Christmas decorations. Seriously though, should I just go down with out a fight? Should I just let these idiots be mean and inconsistent? NO! Something needs to be done about these a-holes. Call me a bad wife, but I am fighting for this because there is no reason I should have to take my decorations down until after Christmas. Period!
By the way, Brad has been home for 2 weeks now and things are great. It is amazing to have a husband around! I think I have spent more time away from Jocelyn in the last two weeks than I ever have. Anyway, I am loving life and Team Hayes is going strong....except for this deal with the housing office. I am going down there to talk to the boss in a couple hours. We'll see how that goes.
04 December 2008
17 November 2008
Tagged...
I've been tagged by my sister Amanda to do the following:
1) Choose the 4th picture folder on my computer
2) Choose the 4th picture
3) Explain the picture
4)Tag 4 other people
(I don't know how to make it fit in my blog. you have to click on it to see the full photo.)
This photo was taken at the "team peridot" birthday barbeque in August of 2004 or 2005 (I can't figure out which it was). Brad and his friends, Matt and Grace, all have birthdays in the middle of August. We got together at Matt's house, drank some jungle juice, grilled some food, and played beer pong and Texas hold-em into the night. It was a super hot and humid day in Nebraska (too hot and sweaty to wear make-up, as you can see), but it was still fun to hang out with friends. I don't recall why we are wearing those hats or why we were so happy and goofy looking in this photo. Anyway....
...now I’m tagging:
1) Erika H
2) Kylie P
3) Pam U
4) Moriah H
1) Choose the 4th picture folder on my computer
2) Choose the 4th picture
3) Explain the picture
4)Tag 4 other people
(I don't know how to make it fit in my blog. you have to click on it to see the full photo.)
This photo was taken at the "team peridot" birthday barbeque in August of 2004 or 2005 (I can't figure out which it was). Brad and his friends, Matt and Grace, all have birthdays in the middle of August. We got together at Matt's house, drank some jungle juice, grilled some food, and played beer pong and Texas hold-em into the night. It was a super hot and humid day in Nebraska (too hot and sweaty to wear make-up, as you can see), but it was still fun to hang out with friends. I don't recall why we are wearing those hats or why we were so happy and goofy looking in this photo. Anyway....
...now I’m tagging:
1) Erika H
2) Kylie P
3) Pam U
4) Moriah H
10 November 2008
Seriously....Why?
I read the below article online today. I thought I'd post it because of it's relevancy to my last post. It's quite sad.
EVERGREEN, Ala. (Nov. 10) - Authorities say an argument over Saturday's Alabama-LSU football game led to the shooting deaths of a couple at a home in southern Alabama.
Prosecutors identified the victims as Dennis and Donna Smith of Brewton. The shooting happened about 7 p.m. Saturday at the home of Michael Williams in the rural community of Owassa.
Williams was arrested and charged with two counts of murder.
Investigators told the Press-Register newspaper in Mobile that Dennis Smith, an LSU fan, called Williams, an Alabama fan, after Alabama's 27-21 overtime win and an argument ensued.
The Smiths went to Williams home. Investigators said Smith had a pistol and Williams had a shotgun and fired. Donna Smith was a relative of Williams' girlfriend.
EVERGREEN, Ala. (Nov. 10) - Authorities say an argument over Saturday's Alabama-LSU football game led to the shooting deaths of a couple at a home in southern Alabama.
Prosecutors identified the victims as Dennis and Donna Smith of Brewton. The shooting happened about 7 p.m. Saturday at the home of Michael Williams in the rural community of Owassa.
Williams was arrested and charged with two counts of murder.
Investigators told the Press-Register newspaper in Mobile that Dennis Smith, an LSU fan, called Williams, an Alabama fan, after Alabama's 27-21 overtime win and an argument ensued.
The Smiths went to Williams home. Investigators said Smith had a pistol and Williams had a shotgun and fired. Donna Smith was a relative of Williams' girlfriend.
01 November 2008
Foosball is for the devil!
I am sitting here typing this in the last 10 seconds of Nebraska getting their butts whooped by Oklahoma. A lot is going through my mind about the importance of football in America. Why do people get so excited about this? Why do I get so excited about this? I am not going to stop being a college football fan but, seriously, how can this be such a big deal to me or to anyone? Why do we idolize these people? The life of a college/professional football player revolves solely around moving a ball from one end of a field to the other. Why is this a talent we all admire so much? In the big scheme of things, who cares if someone can get a ball to the end of a field? Some of these people lack written and verbal communications skills, the ability to balance a checkbook, or even the knowledge to tell you what the electoral college is. Some of these athletes cannot even tell you the name of the speaker of the house or the difference between 'except' and 'accept'. How can we value athletic ability over common sense and general knowledge when we are choosing who we will admire in our lives? Why can't we get dressed up and paint our faces to cheer for people who have actually accomplished things that change our world for the better? I want to get a cheering section together for the next Nobel Peace Prize awards ceremony. I want thousands of people to wear clothing adorned with the name and favorite colors of a person who has made a significant difference in the world. It is ridiculous to think, in this time of economic struggle for our nation, that sports programs are thriving while so many other serious endeavors are suffering. The athletes that get paid millions of dollars are not going to be affected by a bad economy, even though many of them don't know how to make good financial decisions. Yet, the average guy who is affected by this financial crisis is still helping The Manning Brothers to get their enormous paychecks. What?!!? It's an unexplainable and unjustifiable thing that riots are started, people are killed and personal property is destroyed based on some random person's ability to get a football across the goal line. Friendships can even be ruined due to sports rivalries. It doesn't make any sense! I am sad today because Nebraska lost. But, why should I waste time being sad over something that has NO affect whatsoever on my life? It's just crazy! I want to go to a book signing for Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio with some pom poms and let him know that I am a fan of his accomplishments and give him a big high five for his Nobel prize win (He's kind of a hottie, I'm sure that he would have tons of groupies if only people were aware of his existence). Why don't people do this? They are too busy obsessing themselves with athletes and movie stars. People let their political and religious beliefs be swayed by athletes and actors who have never even graduated high school. We should be more influenced by educated people when it comes to these matters. However, educated people will never have the status to influence the general public. Why do we recognize and support (with our hard earned money) talents that are relatively pointless? Why, why why, how, how, how...these questions will never have a justifiable answer. But, here I sit, in a crummy mood because Nebraska couldn't move the football as well as Oklahoma. Whatever. Go big red!
31 October 2008
Just kidding
The previous blog was posted during the time immediately after the "mistake" that I thought I had made. I was very emotional about the fact that I had lost someone that I considered a good friend. It was kind of dramatic and self-pitying. I'm sorry for that. The truth is, and I have come to realize this with the help of many (real) close friends, that I did not make a mistake at all. I am not going to apologize when I don't mean it and I am not going feel bad about doing something that I would have wanted someone to do for me. I am not going to feel bad about taking a risk to help someone, when they can't even pause to consider what I have to say. I am going to tell myself that this person is unaware of what a great friend I am and that I am not the one losing in this situation. That may sound very egotistical to say, but it's the truth. What I actually learned from this whole thing is that HONESTY is always best, no matter what (and that people who don't feel that way should not claim to).
29 October 2008
Go ahead, everyone else is thinking the same thing
Today I made one of the top five biggest mistakes I have ever made in my entire life. I hurt someone and I hurt myself. I told myself that I was doing the right thing. It took me days, weeks, even months to convince myself that it was the right thing to do (I even ignored my husbands opinion, telling myself that he didn't fully understand the situation). Well, I don't usually have a problem admitting that I was wrong. In this case, I was absolutely wrong. But, this time it IS hard for me to admit it to myself because I convinced myself, and other people convinced me, that I was doing something good. Nope. Not even close. I wish that it would have done the good that I intended it to do, but the situation turned into the absolute worst possible scenario that I could have imagined. I made myself believe that wouldn't happen, but it did.
I have a thing about mistakes, especially about giant mistakes. I learn from them. Those bad decisions that are in my top five, ten, or even fifty, are things that I am NOT going to repeat. I am going to try my hardest in the future to not do similar things that will make me suffer emotionally, the way I am suffering now...with guilt, frustration, and self-loathing. I will definitely try even harder to avoid making others suffer the way that I have made a loved one suffer today. I sometimes tell myself that it is okay to hurt someone's feelings or to be 'honest to a fault' if it is for the overall good of that person. Well, I learned that this method does not apply to all people. Some people would rather hear what they want to hear and defend themselves to the end because they feel so judged by your honest opinion. Today I lost a friend that I considered one of the closest friends I have ever had. I wish I could have avoided telling her the things that I was convinced she needed to hear. Who the hell do I think I am...trying to tell other people how to fix their lives? I thought I was being a caring, invested, and sincere friend. WRONG! I was a judgmental, nosy, and hurtful friend.
I know that I will make bigger mistakes in the future that will push this one out of the top five. We all make bad decisions that we regret. However, those future mistakes will be new and I will learn from them as well. I am going to need a long time to feel better about this one. It has happened now and I cannot change it. That's life. It sucks.
Everyone should realize that just because you are really close friends with someone, that does not mean that they are the same kind of person that you are. You cannot validate your decisions by telling yourself, "Well, I'd want someone to do this for me, so she will appreciate me doing it for her." Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way.
I have only had, maybe, 6 friendships in my life that could be considered as important to me as the friendship that I had with the friend I lost today. This causes HUGE sadness for me, and it is all my fault.
I will never buy a new car again, I will never again buy new clothes when I cannot my pay bills, I will never throw broken glass in my husbands face again, I will never sit my 7 month old on the top of a picnic table again, I will never stop talking to my sister for a year again because she made a mistake that I, myself have made, I will never eat a hamburger AND put on mascara while driving again, I will never again have sex with someone that does not love me and whose medical history I do not know(I am assuming this would never be an option anyway as I plan to be married to Brad forever), and I will NEVER again tell a valued friend that she is going to have a horrible future if she doesn't start to be more like me.
We all make mistakes, right?
Life goes on. :(
I have a thing about mistakes, especially about giant mistakes. I learn from them. Those bad decisions that are in my top five, ten, or even fifty, are things that I am NOT going to repeat. I am going to try my hardest in the future to not do similar things that will make me suffer emotionally, the way I am suffering now...with guilt, frustration, and self-loathing. I will definitely try even harder to avoid making others suffer the way that I have made a loved one suffer today. I sometimes tell myself that it is okay to hurt someone's feelings or to be 'honest to a fault' if it is for the overall good of that person. Well, I learned that this method does not apply to all people. Some people would rather hear what they want to hear and defend themselves to the end because they feel so judged by your honest opinion. Today I lost a friend that I considered one of the closest friends I have ever had. I wish I could have avoided telling her the things that I was convinced she needed to hear. Who the hell do I think I am...trying to tell other people how to fix their lives? I thought I was being a caring, invested, and sincere friend. WRONG! I was a judgmental, nosy, and hurtful friend.
I know that I will make bigger mistakes in the future that will push this one out of the top five. We all make bad decisions that we regret. However, those future mistakes will be new and I will learn from them as well. I am going to need a long time to feel better about this one. It has happened now and I cannot change it. That's life. It sucks.
Everyone should realize that just because you are really close friends with someone, that does not mean that they are the same kind of person that you are. You cannot validate your decisions by telling yourself, "Well, I'd want someone to do this for me, so she will appreciate me doing it for her." Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way.
I have only had, maybe, 6 friendships in my life that could be considered as important to me as the friendship that I had with the friend I lost today. This causes HUGE sadness for me, and it is all my fault.
I will never buy a new car again, I will never again buy new clothes when I cannot my pay bills, I will never throw broken glass in my husbands face again, I will never sit my 7 month old on the top of a picnic table again, I will never stop talking to my sister for a year again because she made a mistake that I, myself have made, I will never eat a hamburger AND put on mascara while driving again, I will never again have sex with someone that does not love me and whose medical history I do not know(I am assuming this would never be an option anyway as I plan to be married to Brad forever), and I will NEVER again tell a valued friend that she is going to have a horrible future if she doesn't start to be more like me.
We all make mistakes, right?
Life goes on. :(
25 October 2008
Well....
It's been almost a month and a half since I updated this thing. I guess I should get on it!
Brad came home on the USS George Washington for 5 days at the end of September. It was the first time a U.S. nuclear powered ship has pulled into port in Japan. This caused quite a stir. Coming home from swim lessons that night took me over an hour because of all the protesters marching in the streets. They are peaceful protesters, so it's no big deal. In fact, I heard that most of them get paid to protest and they could actually care less that there is a nuclear ship here. Oh well. Here are some pictures from while Brad was home:
I have been keeping busy with school, teaching swim lessons on Tuesday and Thursday nights, staying active with my Family Readiness Group, and my Pampered Chef business. I started to get back into it this month after not holding a show in over a year. The day after tomorrow I will be doing a fundraiser for my FRG. It should be fun, and I hope to book some home shows off of it. I already got a recruit to sign on as a consultant under me! If I can get 4 more consultants to sign up, I can become a director. We'll see how that goes.
Last week Jocelyn had a temperature of over 102.5 on and off for a couple days. I'd give her Tylenol and it would go down, only to come back again in a couple hours. On the third day, it went up to 103.7 and she wouldn't eat anything all day. We went to the Emergency room and found out that she has a urinary tract infection. Don't ask me how a 6 month old gets a UTI, the doctor couldn't even tell me. Poor baby girl. Anyway, she is on antibiotics for 10 days now. Here is a picture of how she fell asleep in the ER while we were waiting on the Doc:
Oh, Jocelyn's first ad came out in CREA magazine on October 7th. It's not as exciting as I thought it would be, but here it is:
They also did a section, in the same magazine, about baby models in Japan. I can't tell if they gave Dean the photo credit or not, because it is in Kanji. But, it should say something like "My name is Jocelyn. I was born on 29 Mar 08. I like sweet potatoes and bananas and boob juice. I love to smile and play. My favorite song is 'You are my Sunshine'. And my favorite animal is a giraffe (at least until I am old enough to choose for myself." Who knows what they really put, but that is what I sent them. Here is that page:
Well, today was the Halloween festival on base. My friend Kharisa was planning on dressing her kids up as Tinkerbell and Peter Pan. Last night I was pondering what I would dress Jocelyn up as. I figured I would join in on their theme. I considered Wendy, a mermaid, Tiger Lilly, or even Smee. This morning, Tiger Lilly won because it would be the easiest to make in a short period of time. I got out some black yarn to make her hair, I cut up an old brown t-shirt to make the dress. I sewed on some excess pieces of dresses that I had hemmed...and we had a little Indian girl! Here is the end result:
Here is a picture of Tiger Lilly from the movie, Peter Pan:
Well, my creativity paid off. She won best overall costume!!! We got a little stuffed pumpkin and ghost for her and two free movie passes for me and Daddy!
I don't know if you are all aware of the upset I suffered last year when I lost the balcony decorating competition on base. Anyway, I slaved over my decorations. The prize was $150. So, I didn't want to spend a bunch of money trying to win. I got a bunch of old boxes from the furniture store and drew, cut out, and hand painted a giant sleigh, 9 reindeer (complete with felt harnesses, jingle bells, and name tags), and each individual letter for 'HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!" I attached reins from the sleigh to the reindeer. I hung up all of my extra lights. I twisted lighted garland around my drain pipe. I put giant, lighted candy canes in front of my sleigh. I went all out and only spent a couple bucks. When I found out who won, I about cried. Actually, I think I did cry. This person's balcony only had a couple of light up figures; a snowman, a santa, and an elf; and a couple strings of lights. Now those figures probably cost quite a bit, but it doesn't take any creativity to plug in a couple things and sit them out on your balcony! I was so disappointed. It may seem childish to be this competetive...but mine WAS the best. See below:
Anyway, tonight I proved that it doesn't take expensive things to win first place. I know there were people at this festival that spent a pretty penny on their kids' costumes. But, guess who got the movie tickets!!! Now, I am setting out to prove once and for all that I don't have to spend $500 on Christmas decorations to win this contest!!! It will be mine, oh yes...it will be mine!
So, Brad will be home in time for Thanksgiving. He missed it the last two years and it is his favorite holiday. I can't wait for him to come home and see how much Jocelyn has changed in the short time that he has been gone. She is so adorable!!! Here are a couple more Jocelyn photos before you go:
Brad came home on the USS George Washington for 5 days at the end of September. It was the first time a U.S. nuclear powered ship has pulled into port in Japan. This caused quite a stir. Coming home from swim lessons that night took me over an hour because of all the protesters marching in the streets. They are peaceful protesters, so it's no big deal. In fact, I heard that most of them get paid to protest and they could actually care less that there is a nuclear ship here. Oh well. Here are some pictures from while Brad was home:
I have been keeping busy with school, teaching swim lessons on Tuesday and Thursday nights, staying active with my Family Readiness Group, and my Pampered Chef business. I started to get back into it this month after not holding a show in over a year. The day after tomorrow I will be doing a fundraiser for my FRG. It should be fun, and I hope to book some home shows off of it. I already got a recruit to sign on as a consultant under me! If I can get 4 more consultants to sign up, I can become a director. We'll see how that goes.
Last week Jocelyn had a temperature of over 102.5 on and off for a couple days. I'd give her Tylenol and it would go down, only to come back again in a couple hours. On the third day, it went up to 103.7 and she wouldn't eat anything all day. We went to the Emergency room and found out that she has a urinary tract infection. Don't ask me how a 6 month old gets a UTI, the doctor couldn't even tell me. Poor baby girl. Anyway, she is on antibiotics for 10 days now. Here is a picture of how she fell asleep in the ER while we were waiting on the Doc:
Oh, Jocelyn's first ad came out in CREA magazine on October 7th. It's not as exciting as I thought it would be, but here it is:
They also did a section, in the same magazine, about baby models in Japan. I can't tell if they gave Dean the photo credit or not, because it is in Kanji. But, it should say something like "My name is Jocelyn. I was born on 29 Mar 08. I like sweet potatoes and bananas and boob juice. I love to smile and play. My favorite song is 'You are my Sunshine'. And my favorite animal is a giraffe (at least until I am old enough to choose for myself." Who knows what they really put, but that is what I sent them. Here is that page:
Well, today was the Halloween festival on base. My friend Kharisa was planning on dressing her kids up as Tinkerbell and Peter Pan. Last night I was pondering what I would dress Jocelyn up as. I figured I would join in on their theme. I considered Wendy, a mermaid, Tiger Lilly, or even Smee. This morning, Tiger Lilly won because it would be the easiest to make in a short period of time. I got out some black yarn to make her hair, I cut up an old brown t-shirt to make the dress. I sewed on some excess pieces of dresses that I had hemmed...and we had a little Indian girl! Here is the end result:
Here is a picture of Tiger Lilly from the movie, Peter Pan:
Well, my creativity paid off. She won best overall costume!!! We got a little stuffed pumpkin and ghost for her and two free movie passes for me and Daddy!
I don't know if you are all aware of the upset I suffered last year when I lost the balcony decorating competition on base. Anyway, I slaved over my decorations. The prize was $150. So, I didn't want to spend a bunch of money trying to win. I got a bunch of old boxes from the furniture store and drew, cut out, and hand painted a giant sleigh, 9 reindeer (complete with felt harnesses, jingle bells, and name tags), and each individual letter for 'HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!" I attached reins from the sleigh to the reindeer. I hung up all of my extra lights. I twisted lighted garland around my drain pipe. I put giant, lighted candy canes in front of my sleigh. I went all out and only spent a couple bucks. When I found out who won, I about cried. Actually, I think I did cry. This person's balcony only had a couple of light up figures; a snowman, a santa, and an elf; and a couple strings of lights. Now those figures probably cost quite a bit, but it doesn't take any creativity to plug in a couple things and sit them out on your balcony! I was so disappointed. It may seem childish to be this competetive...but mine WAS the best. See below:
Anyway, tonight I proved that it doesn't take expensive things to win first place. I know there were people at this festival that spent a pretty penny on their kids' costumes. But, guess who got the movie tickets!!! Now, I am setting out to prove once and for all that I don't have to spend $500 on Christmas decorations to win this contest!!! It will be mine, oh yes...it will be mine!
So, Brad will be home in time for Thanksgiving. He missed it the last two years and it is his favorite holiday. I can't wait for him to come home and see how much Jocelyn has changed in the short time that he has been gone. She is so adorable!!! Here are a couple more Jocelyn photos before you go:
16 September 2008
Quarter Century
Jocelyn and I have been keeping pretty busy with modeling jobs, swim lessons and school. She has been scarfing down any type of new food I give her! She loves sweet potatoes and turkey (just like her daddy) and bananas, apples and pears. She is happy almost all the time and the life guards at the pool love playing with her while I teach my lessons.
My 25th birthday is the day after tomorrow. It definitely doesn't feel like it. In fact I haven't really thought about it much until I received a card from Brad's grandmother today. As I was opening it, I was thinking, "why am I getting a card from Brad's Grandma." When I opened it and saw that it was a birthday card, I realized that my birthday is actually coming up. I fear that I have outgrown the novelty of the birthday. I wish that I could find some way to get joy out of it, but it's just going to be another day. Plus, I am saving all of my excitement for the return of my husband! Well, I guess I will be able to rent a car in the states now without paying the extra for being under 25! Whoopee.
Brad comes home next week! We are so excited. Sadly, he will only be home for about five days, and he'll have to spend the night on the boat two or three of those nights. It will be a true test of my fertility! Then he will be gone until Thanksgiving-ish. The good, scratch that, GREAT news is that once he returns in November...he will not be leaving us again for four and a half years! It's crazy! I don't know what we are going to do with so much time together. It's definitely going to be weird, but a good weird.
Look forward to some Team Hayes photos next week. We don't have very many of the three of us as a family.
Now, I've got to get my rear in gear and clean this house before he gets home!
My 25th birthday is the day after tomorrow. It definitely doesn't feel like it. In fact I haven't really thought about it much until I received a card from Brad's grandmother today. As I was opening it, I was thinking, "why am I getting a card from Brad's Grandma." When I opened it and saw that it was a birthday card, I realized that my birthday is actually coming up. I fear that I have outgrown the novelty of the birthday. I wish that I could find some way to get joy out of it, but it's just going to be another day. Plus, I am saving all of my excitement for the return of my husband! Well, I guess I will be able to rent a car in the states now without paying the extra for being under 25! Whoopee.
Brad comes home next week! We are so excited. Sadly, he will only be home for about five days, and he'll have to spend the night on the boat two or three of those nights. It will be a true test of my fertility! Then he will be gone until Thanksgiving-ish. The good, scratch that, GREAT news is that once he returns in November...he will not be leaving us again for four and a half years! It's crazy! I don't know what we are going to do with so much time together. It's definitely going to be weird, but a good weird.
Look forward to some Team Hayes photos next week. We don't have very many of the three of us as a family.
Now, I've got to get my rear in gear and clean this house before he gets home!
03 September 2008
Huge in Japan (almost)!
So, I got the music video job that I wrote about in one of my previous posts. I don't even have to audition. It's not exactly what I expected, however. It's kind of like trying out for the part of the hot girl and then getting cast as her mom. However, I like my job better, and it pays more. They were looking for a couple girls to do cheerleading dances in this video. I knew I wouldn't get hired because I am not skinny or hot enough, but they asked me to send them photos anyway. Well, when she called me today I was expecting to hear the usual, "Sorry you weren't selected." Instead, she said, "I have some questions for you." As you can imagine, this got me a little bit excited. She asked if I would like to play the part of the cheerleading instructor. I eventually interpreted this to mean that she wants me to to teach the girls, who are actually cute enough to be in the video, how to dance. She said that the girls have dance experience but have never cheerleaded, uh, led cheer...whatever. She said that her agency only deals with models and that they have never dealt with this kind of thing before. She asked me how much I would charge. I had no clue what to say! The model/dancer job was going to pay $150. I told her $250. She said that was definitely reasonable and then I hit myself for not quoting her more. I'm not going to obsess about the money, though. Hello?! I choreograph cheerleading dances in front of the mirror all the time anyway. She e-mailed me the song and I have been hopping around my living room for the last hour or so while Jocelyn has been napping.
So, I get to be the mom instead of the hot daughter. But, you know what? The mom doesn't have to deal with the pressure and scrutiny of being hot, and the mom gets paid more! :)
I tried to post a link to the song, but I couldn't figure it out. It's called 'I'm Alive,' and it is by BECCA. I think it's on iTunes.
So, I get to be the mom instead of the hot daughter. But, you know what? The mom doesn't have to deal with the pressure and scrutiny of being hot, and the mom gets paid more! :)
I tried to post a link to the song, but I couldn't figure it out. It's called 'I'm Alive,' and it is by BECCA. I think it's on iTunes.
I know Kylie would buy my book...
...actually, she would probably expect to receive one for free.
I am having quite a bit of difficulty in my online classes due to the fact that most of the other students seem to barely know English. I might not be the best writer, but I sure feel like I am when I read the assignments that some of these people have posted. It makes me sad to think about what is happening to the English language. These people are going to get college degrees and they don't even know how to capitalize the first letter in a sentence! Here is the exact copy of an introduction posted by my classmate, Cory (make sure to read the last sentence):
"Hello again this is Cory Sturdevant. This is my first Class in college, hopefully first of many to come. here are my two goals to help my college career,
1. not to get distracted during semesters and not completing my classes.
2. to keep a steady workload for myself but not to over burden myself and get burned out also not to take up a light workload in the process and drag my feet and take forever to complete college.
my strategies for goal number 1 is to cut back from television , video games, and the internet until my daily weekly assignments are completed. Also try and go to a quiet place and study. Push my assignments back until the last second to complete them.
Now on to my strategies for my second goal to make my workload not to tough or weak is i know my weak point is math so i would probably just take a math class one semester and thats it. also English is one of my strong points so i would probably take a few classes along with my English classes in a semester."
Oh my. I am completely flabbergasted (yes, flabbergasted) that someone would submit that for credit in a college course! How did he even graduate high school? Any English teacher who gave him a passing grade should be fired. Eighty percent of my fellow students have identical writing styles. I chose to share Cory's with you because English is one of his strengths. In each of my classes the instructors expect all of us to respond to our classmates. This is so difficult for me! Please, wish me luck and pray that I can maintain a professional attitude. I will try to make it through the course without being too honest with my responses!
I have a feeling that I will encounter this in all of my future classes. I think I might start keeping track of the worst ones and eventually publish them. Is that legal? I would definitely make it a point to cite my references. I would title the book, "You're Dumb, And Your Dumb Is Showing: The Online Classroom And The Ignorant College Graduate."
I am having quite a bit of difficulty in my online classes due to the fact that most of the other students seem to barely know English. I might not be the best writer, but I sure feel like I am when I read the assignments that some of these people have posted. It makes me sad to think about what is happening to the English language. These people are going to get college degrees and they don't even know how to capitalize the first letter in a sentence! Here is the exact copy of an introduction posted by my classmate, Cory (make sure to read the last sentence):
"Hello again this is Cory Sturdevant. This is my first Class in college, hopefully first of many to come. here are my two goals to help my college career,
1. not to get distracted during semesters and not completing my classes.
2. to keep a steady workload for myself but not to over burden myself and get burned out also not to take up a light workload in the process and drag my feet and take forever to complete college.
my strategies for goal number 1 is to cut back from television , video games, and the internet until my daily weekly assignments are completed. Also try and go to a quiet place and study. Push my assignments back until the last second to complete them.
Now on to my strategies for my second goal to make my workload not to tough or weak is i know my weak point is math so i would probably just take a math class one semester and thats it. also English is one of my strong points so i would probably take a few classes along with my English classes in a semester."
Oh my. I am completely flabbergasted (yes, flabbergasted) that someone would submit that for credit in a college course! How did he even graduate high school? Any English teacher who gave him a passing grade should be fired. Eighty percent of my fellow students have identical writing styles. I chose to share Cory's with you because English is one of his strengths. In each of my classes the instructors expect all of us to respond to our classmates. This is so difficult for me! Please, wish me luck and pray that I can maintain a professional attitude. I will try to make it through the course without being too honest with my responses!
I have a feeling that I will encounter this in all of my future classes. I think I might start keeping track of the worst ones and eventually publish them. Is that legal? I would definitely make it a point to cite my references. I would title the book, "You're Dumb, And Your Dumb Is Showing: The Online Classroom And The Ignorant College Graduate."
busy busy
Well, I'm not terribly busy. But, I haven't updated this blog in about two weeks so I thought it was about time.
Jocelyn's first modeling Job went very well. She loves the camera. I cannot wait for the magazine to come out on October 7th. She's got a few more auditions and jobs lined up this month. We actually went to an audition in Tokyo today and she did great. I even passed the photo selection for a music video audition that will be happening next week! I submitted some photos upon request at the modeling fair in April, but I have never passed the photo selection board. We'll see how that goes.
In the mean time, my second term of online classes started this week. I am taking biology, biology lab, libs, and principles of effective learning. My neighbor, Moriah, is also taking the biology classes so we saved some money by sharing the $120 book. We did our first lab together on Monday. This term is going to be harder than the last term, but I think I should be able to stay on top of all the work.
Tomorrow I will start teaching swim lessons again. I will be doing group lessons on Tuesday and Thursday nights and a couple of private lessons here and there. The aquatics staff doesn't have a problem with me bringing Jocelyn to the pool, so it will be nice to not have worries about child care.
The base schools all started last week so I stopped by the high school to let them know I was still available to sub this year. I had originally planned on not going back to subbing so that I could stay home with Joey, but I figured that a couple days here and there wouldn't hurt. One of the girls that taught swim lessons with me graduated from the high school last year and will be here until November. She said she had no problem with me dropping Joey off with her on the days that I have to sub. I don't have any days on the schedule yet, but with all of the away football games coming up they will be needing tons of subs every Friday.
Brad and I hired a contractor to fix up the house back in Nebraska. He should be starting next week. He will be installing all new carpets and all new windows. Replacing doors and painting everything. It's going to cost us about $16,000. We still haven't heard from our lawyer about the tenant's response to being served. We will probably never see a penny from this woman, but if we have to force her into bankruptcy that is still a win for us. We are vindictive like that. We listed the house on a military housing website and have already seen some interest. However, we need to find a new property manager and wait for all the repairs to be done before we can show it to anyone. We hope that it will be ready for new tenants by the beginning of October.
Brad will be home at the end of the month (hopefully). He is so excited to see his baby girl, even thought it will only be for four days. He will have to leave again right away for a fall deployment and we hope to have him back by Thanksgiving. After that, he shouldn't have to go out on a ship for over four years! I am so excited to finally be able to be with him. We have never spent more than three months together consecutively in the 5 years we have known each other. It will be a welcomed change. In case you don't already know, we got orders to Hawaii. We will be moving in May and we will be there for four years before having to go back to sea duty.
Team Hayes is doing swell for now. I just wanted to keep you all posted about what is going on with us.
Jocelyn's first modeling Job went very well. She loves the camera. I cannot wait for the magazine to come out on October 7th. She's got a few more auditions and jobs lined up this month. We actually went to an audition in Tokyo today and she did great. I even passed the photo selection for a music video audition that will be happening next week! I submitted some photos upon request at the modeling fair in April, but I have never passed the photo selection board. We'll see how that goes.
In the mean time, my second term of online classes started this week. I am taking biology, biology lab, libs, and principles of effective learning. My neighbor, Moriah, is also taking the biology classes so we saved some money by sharing the $120 book. We did our first lab together on Monday. This term is going to be harder than the last term, but I think I should be able to stay on top of all the work.
Tomorrow I will start teaching swim lessons again. I will be doing group lessons on Tuesday and Thursday nights and a couple of private lessons here and there. The aquatics staff doesn't have a problem with me bringing Jocelyn to the pool, so it will be nice to not have worries about child care.
The base schools all started last week so I stopped by the high school to let them know I was still available to sub this year. I had originally planned on not going back to subbing so that I could stay home with Joey, but I figured that a couple days here and there wouldn't hurt. One of the girls that taught swim lessons with me graduated from the high school last year and will be here until November. She said she had no problem with me dropping Joey off with her on the days that I have to sub. I don't have any days on the schedule yet, but with all of the away football games coming up they will be needing tons of subs every Friday.
Brad and I hired a contractor to fix up the house back in Nebraska. He should be starting next week. He will be installing all new carpets and all new windows. Replacing doors and painting everything. It's going to cost us about $16,000. We still haven't heard from our lawyer about the tenant's response to being served. We will probably never see a penny from this woman, but if we have to force her into bankruptcy that is still a win for us. We are vindictive like that. We listed the house on a military housing website and have already seen some interest. However, we need to find a new property manager and wait for all the repairs to be done before we can show it to anyone. We hope that it will be ready for new tenants by the beginning of October.
Brad will be home at the end of the month (hopefully). He is so excited to see his baby girl, even thought it will only be for four days. He will have to leave again right away for a fall deployment and we hope to have him back by Thanksgiving. After that, he shouldn't have to go out on a ship for over four years! I am so excited to finally be able to be with him. We have never spent more than three months together consecutively in the 5 years we have known each other. It will be a welcomed change. In case you don't already know, we got orders to Hawaii. We will be moving in May and we will be there for four years before having to go back to sea duty.
Team Hayes is doing swell for now. I just wanted to keep you all posted about what is going on with us.
19 August 2008
Joecelyn's first job
Joey's first modeling job is in two days. She will be in an ad for CombiMini, a children's clothing catalog. The ad will appear in the November issue of CREA magazine, here in Japan. The November issue hits the stands on October 7th. I will be sure to scan and post a copy of it when I get it! Below is an example of the type of ad she will be doing and also a cover of CREA magazine. I am so excited!
^^An example of a CombiMini ad^^
^^An example cover of CREA magazine^^
Wish us luck!
^^An example of a CombiMini ad^^
^^An example cover of CREA magazine^^
Wish us luck!
12 August 2008
08 August 2008
Bythe way...
Brad and I did get orders to Hawaii and will be moving in March or April 2009. Also, our attempt at conceiving baby #2 in Hawaii was a failed attempt. He will be back for 4 or 5 days in September and then gone again until November. So, who knows when we will be able to get pregnant again. We'll find out eventually!
Check out the following link to view our photos from this summer so far:
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=16654905&albumId=1922948
Check out the following link to view our photos from this summer so far:
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=16654905&albumId=1922948
07 August 2008
It's not over until the fat lady sings...
...I sang for 4 hours in the car today. So, why isn't it over yet?
Here it goes.
June 25th I drove up to Yokota AFB from Yokosuka hoping to get on a flight to Travis AFB, CA that afternoon. There were only 20 seats available and Jocelyn and I were numbers 35 and 36 on the list. I didn't want to drive all the way home and there was another flight scheduled for the morning of the 27th. So, we stayed in a room at the lodge on base for two nights and returned to the terminal at 0400 on Friday morning.
This flight had 73 seats and we were selected. Yay. However, this flight was not a direct flight to Travis. It was scheduled to go from Yokota to Osan, South Korea to Kadena, Japan (on the island of Okinawa) to Hickam AFB, Hawaii to Travis AFB, CA. That day we flew to Osan and had lunch with my sister Amanda (mmm Charley's). Then got back on the plane and flew to Kadena. We spent the night at Kadena. The humidity at Kadena was disgusting and I walked 4 giant blocks from the lodging office to the nasty building that they put me in. I had a second floor room in a building with no elevator...with 2 giant suitcases, a stroller, a car seat, a carry on, a back pack and a diaper bag. I tried to do laundry that night and had some bats to keep me company in the laundry room. Gross!
Anyway, I showed up the next morning at the terminal ready to fly to Hawaii, and the passenger service reps were telling all of us that the plane had to take a detour to Andersen AFB, Guam. No big deal...but, they said that the cargo the plane was picking up in Guam was 'high priority' and we would all likely get booted off the plane there and have to compete for a new flight when and if there was one. Over half of the passengers opted to stay in Kadena and find other means of travel back to the states. I felt like taking my chances and got on the plane to Guam. As soon as we got on the plane I asked the crew what my chances were of getting back on for the flight to Hawaii the next day. They told me that all the passengers were manifested all the way through to Travis and that the guys in the terminal had no clue what they were talking about! All those people that decided not to get on the plane got screwed! So, we landed in Guam. One of the girls on the plane happend to live there and she let Jocelyn and I stay at her house for the night, saving us at least $150 on cab and hotel fare.
The next day (June 29th) we flew to Hawaii (and landed in Hawaii on June 28th). At this point Brad and I decided that I would get off in Hawaii, instead of going all the way through to California, because his ship was going to be porting in Hawaii on the 1st of July. Jocelyn and I hung out in Hawaii for 2 days waiting for him. We went shopping with our new friend, Cristine, who we met on the flight from Guam (who also happens to be stationed at Yokosuka). The day the ship pulled in, I went to pick up my friend Melynda from the airport. She was actually moving to Hawaii, not just meeting the ship there. She was a bit stressed from the relocation overload. We kept telling ourselves that Brad and I are going to get orders to Hawaii too, and then it would all be okay. Haha.
Brad and I had a great time in Hawaii. We hung out at the pool and got really bad sunburns, saw a couple movies, spent too much on dinner, watched fireworks on Waikiki beach on the 4th of July, made an attempt to conceive another child, and just enjoyed having our family together.
The day after Brad left I had Cristine and my friend Pam in my rental car and we were headed to the mall to meet Melynda there. I went through an invisible red light and ripped the front off of some guy's truck. He called me later that day and demanded $3000. I told him to have his insurance call me. He called me again the next morning and threatened me. I still haven't heard from his insurance company. So, that's still not over.
The next day Jocelyn and I hopped on a flight from Hickam to Travis. Kylie picked us up and we spent about 7 hours with her before we got on a plane from the Sacramento Airport to Omaha, Nebraska.
We were in Nebraska from the 11th through the 18th of July. The point was to spend some time with my in-laws and introduce Jocelyn to her Grandpa, Aunt, Cousins, etc. It turned out to be far from a vacation. If you have viewed my Myspace photos recently, you know what I am talking about. The house that Brad and I own in Bellevue, NE, near Offutt AFB, was completely trashed by the tenant that was living in it. I had to talk to our insurance agent (our homeowner's insurance won't pay for the damages because it was deliberate abuse and neglect)and a lawyer (who we had to pay $1000 just to get papers together to serve this dumb broad). When I went to the house, I had to excercise some MAJOR self control to not cry and to not punch this b***h in the face! We have not decided whether to get a $20,000 (yes, that's how much damage she caused) home improvement loan to fix the house and rent it out again or if we should sell it as-is for a $30,000-$40,000 loss and lose all the equity we have built. Grrr.
Other than the house situation, Nebraska was a good time. Brad's sister and I took the Hayes grandchildren to get pictures taken. We did some shopping and a litle bit of Karaoke. Brad was sad he wasn't able to go.
On July 18th we flew from Omaha to Monterey, where my sisters Kylie and Stacey, and Stacey's 7 month old Daughter, Jane, picked us up. It was rodeo weekend, but Joey and I didn't make it to the rodeo. We drove around town visiting old friends. I got to show Joey off to a lot of people. We were super lucky to catch Mike and Marilyn Astin while they were in Salinas for the day. Mike is the son of Joey Astin, Jocelyn's namesake. We visited with Belinda Cole, Ron and Jan Johnson, and Jenette Vogt. It was nice to catch up with people that I haven't seen in a while.
On Tueday Kylie, Joseph, Joey and I were headed up to the lake for out Family reunion. We had in-and-out burger with my dad first. Mmmmm.
Finally I got a chance to kick back and relax. The lake was a blast. I did have to drive to Oakhurst one of the days and pay $10 to use the wireless internet at Starbucks so I could do my homework that week. Throughout all of this I have been so proud of myself for staying on top of my school work. Anyway, it was so fun to get to see everyone. This was the 4th annual Tjerrild picnic at Bass Lake...but it was my first! I have been to that lake every summer since I was born except for the last three years. All 7 of my mother's grandchildren were there....6 years, 2 years, 1 year, 7 months, 6 month old twins, and 4 month old Joey!!! So many babies. We tried to take a picture of all of them but there were too many little ones and not enough big ones to hold them. You can look at the best one in my Summer 2008 album on MySpace. My friend Amanda even came up for a couple days, which was awesome because it had been a long time since I saw her. Jetskiing, making s'mores around the campfire, eating yummy food, and just hanging out with family makes up a pretty great week. I can't wait for next year when all of those babies will be running around! Hopefully Brad will get to come next year.
Sunday, July 27th we loaded up and headed to Gonzales. We had dinner at my Dad's with all 6 kids and 7 grandkids. Those pictures actually turned out okay. My brother didn't make it to the lake, so it was cool to have all 6 siblings together that night.
At this point Amanda and I were calling Travis AFB terminal to check for flights back to Korea and Japan, respectively. There was one with 73 seats going from Travis to Hawaii to Guam to Yokota to Osan on Monday morning. 73 seats and we didn't make it on!!!! That turned out to be a very good thing. That plane broke down in Hawaii and got stuck there for 2 days then went to Kadena instead of Yokota and never went to Osan at all!
Jocelyn and I spent a couple nights in the Terminal at Travis and attempeted to get on 4 different flights to Hawaii because Brad was going to be there again for 3 days. We had our bags checked and boarding passes for one that got cancelled at the last minute and we didn't make it on to any of the other ones.
On the 31st of July, Amanda and I finally got on a couple of KC-10s that were flying directly to Yokota. I rove home to Yokosuka and she stayed up at Yokota planning on staying two nights and then getting on a scheduled flight to Osan. They didn't release any seats for the scheduled flights and billeting didn't have a room for her, so I went back up there to pick her up. She and the boys were here for the past 5 days.
Yesterday we tried to drive to Atsugi Naval Air Station so she could get on a small plane to Osan. We drove around for 5 hours and I couldn't find the dang place. The plane left empty! She would have gotten on if I had only paid more attention to where I was going. Today there was a C-5 with 65 seats scheduled from Yokota to Osan. We got there 10 minutes after the show-time but she was still able to talk her way onto the manifest. She checked her bags and boarded the plane. I left and it took me 4 1/2 hours to get back to Yokosuka!!!! I have never been in traffic that bad ever! Uusally it is a 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hour drive. Anyway, I just got home and checked my answering machine to learn that her plane broke down after they boarded and she had to get off with all her stuff and walk to billeting. Thankfully they had a room for her tonight. Hopefully the plane will get fixed and she will make it home tomorrow.
Here I am. Back to just me and Joey after a crazy month of world travels. Believe it or not, this is the short version of our adventures!!! I learned a couple things this past month. Thanks to all of my frustrations, I have been in control of my spending habits and stopped taking many things for granted. I have also learned that sometimes God puts certain volitle people in your life, not to frustrate you or get on your nerves, but to make you be more aware and thankful of those true friends you have that should not go unappreciated.
I wish I could take a nap for the next week...but I have my end of term exams for my online classes on Tuesday and Wednesday, so I get to study all weekend!
This is where I stop to breathe. :)
Here it goes.
June 25th I drove up to Yokota AFB from Yokosuka hoping to get on a flight to Travis AFB, CA that afternoon. There were only 20 seats available and Jocelyn and I were numbers 35 and 36 on the list. I didn't want to drive all the way home and there was another flight scheduled for the morning of the 27th. So, we stayed in a room at the lodge on base for two nights and returned to the terminal at 0400 on Friday morning.
This flight had 73 seats and we were selected. Yay. However, this flight was not a direct flight to Travis. It was scheduled to go from Yokota to Osan, South Korea to Kadena, Japan (on the island of Okinawa) to Hickam AFB, Hawaii to Travis AFB, CA. That day we flew to Osan and had lunch with my sister Amanda (mmm Charley's). Then got back on the plane and flew to Kadena. We spent the night at Kadena. The humidity at Kadena was disgusting and I walked 4 giant blocks from the lodging office to the nasty building that they put me in. I had a second floor room in a building with no elevator...with 2 giant suitcases, a stroller, a car seat, a carry on, a back pack and a diaper bag. I tried to do laundry that night and had some bats to keep me company in the laundry room. Gross!
Anyway, I showed up the next morning at the terminal ready to fly to Hawaii, and the passenger service reps were telling all of us that the plane had to take a detour to Andersen AFB, Guam. No big deal...but, they said that the cargo the plane was picking up in Guam was 'high priority' and we would all likely get booted off the plane there and have to compete for a new flight when and if there was one. Over half of the passengers opted to stay in Kadena and find other means of travel back to the states. I felt like taking my chances and got on the plane to Guam. As soon as we got on the plane I asked the crew what my chances were of getting back on for the flight to Hawaii the next day. They told me that all the passengers were manifested all the way through to Travis and that the guys in the terminal had no clue what they were talking about! All those people that decided not to get on the plane got screwed! So, we landed in Guam. One of the girls on the plane happend to live there and she let Jocelyn and I stay at her house for the night, saving us at least $150 on cab and hotel fare.
The next day (June 29th) we flew to Hawaii (and landed in Hawaii on June 28th). At this point Brad and I decided that I would get off in Hawaii, instead of going all the way through to California, because his ship was going to be porting in Hawaii on the 1st of July. Jocelyn and I hung out in Hawaii for 2 days waiting for him. We went shopping with our new friend, Cristine, who we met on the flight from Guam (who also happens to be stationed at Yokosuka). The day the ship pulled in, I went to pick up my friend Melynda from the airport. She was actually moving to Hawaii, not just meeting the ship there. She was a bit stressed from the relocation overload. We kept telling ourselves that Brad and I are going to get orders to Hawaii too, and then it would all be okay. Haha.
Brad and I had a great time in Hawaii. We hung out at the pool and got really bad sunburns, saw a couple movies, spent too much on dinner, watched fireworks on Waikiki beach on the 4th of July, made an attempt to conceive another child, and just enjoyed having our family together.
The day after Brad left I had Cristine and my friend Pam in my rental car and we were headed to the mall to meet Melynda there. I went through an invisible red light and ripped the front off of some guy's truck. He called me later that day and demanded $3000. I told him to have his insurance call me. He called me again the next morning and threatened me. I still haven't heard from his insurance company. So, that's still not over.
The next day Jocelyn and I hopped on a flight from Hickam to Travis. Kylie picked us up and we spent about 7 hours with her before we got on a plane from the Sacramento Airport to Omaha, Nebraska.
We were in Nebraska from the 11th through the 18th of July. The point was to spend some time with my in-laws and introduce Jocelyn to her Grandpa, Aunt, Cousins, etc. It turned out to be far from a vacation. If you have viewed my Myspace photos recently, you know what I am talking about. The house that Brad and I own in Bellevue, NE, near Offutt AFB, was completely trashed by the tenant that was living in it. I had to talk to our insurance agent (our homeowner's insurance won't pay for the damages because it was deliberate abuse and neglect)and a lawyer (who we had to pay $1000 just to get papers together to serve this dumb broad). When I went to the house, I had to excercise some MAJOR self control to not cry and to not punch this b***h in the face! We have not decided whether to get a $20,000 (yes, that's how much damage she caused) home improvement loan to fix the house and rent it out again or if we should sell it as-is for a $30,000-$40,000 loss and lose all the equity we have built. Grrr.
Other than the house situation, Nebraska was a good time. Brad's sister and I took the Hayes grandchildren to get pictures taken. We did some shopping and a litle bit of Karaoke. Brad was sad he wasn't able to go.
On July 18th we flew from Omaha to Monterey, where my sisters Kylie and Stacey, and Stacey's 7 month old Daughter, Jane, picked us up. It was rodeo weekend, but Joey and I didn't make it to the rodeo. We drove around town visiting old friends. I got to show Joey off to a lot of people. We were super lucky to catch Mike and Marilyn Astin while they were in Salinas for the day. Mike is the son of Joey Astin, Jocelyn's namesake. We visited with Belinda Cole, Ron and Jan Johnson, and Jenette Vogt. It was nice to catch up with people that I haven't seen in a while.
On Tueday Kylie, Joseph, Joey and I were headed up to the lake for out Family reunion. We had in-and-out burger with my dad first. Mmmmm.
Finally I got a chance to kick back and relax. The lake was a blast. I did have to drive to Oakhurst one of the days and pay $10 to use the wireless internet at Starbucks so I could do my homework that week. Throughout all of this I have been so proud of myself for staying on top of my school work. Anyway, it was so fun to get to see everyone. This was the 4th annual Tjerrild picnic at Bass Lake...but it was my first! I have been to that lake every summer since I was born except for the last three years. All 7 of my mother's grandchildren were there....6 years, 2 years, 1 year, 7 months, 6 month old twins, and 4 month old Joey!!! So many babies. We tried to take a picture of all of them but there were too many little ones and not enough big ones to hold them. You can look at the best one in my Summer 2008 album on MySpace. My friend Amanda even came up for a couple days, which was awesome because it had been a long time since I saw her. Jetskiing, making s'mores around the campfire, eating yummy food, and just hanging out with family makes up a pretty great week. I can't wait for next year when all of those babies will be running around! Hopefully Brad will get to come next year.
Sunday, July 27th we loaded up and headed to Gonzales. We had dinner at my Dad's with all 6 kids and 7 grandkids. Those pictures actually turned out okay. My brother didn't make it to the lake, so it was cool to have all 6 siblings together that night.
At this point Amanda and I were calling Travis AFB terminal to check for flights back to Korea and Japan, respectively. There was one with 73 seats going from Travis to Hawaii to Guam to Yokota to Osan on Monday morning. 73 seats and we didn't make it on!!!! That turned out to be a very good thing. That plane broke down in Hawaii and got stuck there for 2 days then went to Kadena instead of Yokota and never went to Osan at all!
Jocelyn and I spent a couple nights in the Terminal at Travis and attempeted to get on 4 different flights to Hawaii because Brad was going to be there again for 3 days. We had our bags checked and boarding passes for one that got cancelled at the last minute and we didn't make it on to any of the other ones.
On the 31st of July, Amanda and I finally got on a couple of KC-10s that were flying directly to Yokota. I rove home to Yokosuka and she stayed up at Yokota planning on staying two nights and then getting on a scheduled flight to Osan. They didn't release any seats for the scheduled flights and billeting didn't have a room for her, so I went back up there to pick her up. She and the boys were here for the past 5 days.
Yesterday we tried to drive to Atsugi Naval Air Station so she could get on a small plane to Osan. We drove around for 5 hours and I couldn't find the dang place. The plane left empty! She would have gotten on if I had only paid more attention to where I was going. Today there was a C-5 with 65 seats scheduled from Yokota to Osan. We got there 10 minutes after the show-time but she was still able to talk her way onto the manifest. She checked her bags and boarded the plane. I left and it took me 4 1/2 hours to get back to Yokosuka!!!! I have never been in traffic that bad ever! Uusally it is a 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hour drive. Anyway, I just got home and checked my answering machine to learn that her plane broke down after they boarded and she had to get off with all her stuff and walk to billeting. Thankfully they had a room for her tonight. Hopefully the plane will get fixed and she will make it home tomorrow.
Here I am. Back to just me and Joey after a crazy month of world travels. Believe it or not, this is the short version of our adventures!!! I learned a couple things this past month. Thanks to all of my frustrations, I have been in control of my spending habits and stopped taking many things for granted. I have also learned that sometimes God puts certain volitle people in your life, not to frustrate you or get on your nerves, but to make you be more aware and thankful of those true friends you have that should not go unappreciated.
I wish I could take a nap for the next week...but I have my end of term exams for my online classes on Tuesday and Wednesday, so I get to study all weekend!
This is where I stop to breathe. :)
17 June 2008
Firsts
Jocelyn, Melynda and I flew from Japan to Korea on Saturday. We have been here visiting my sister Amanda. It was Jocelyn's first plane ride and she did really well! The C-5 was really loud, so nobody would have been able to hear her even if she cried.
This morning I fed Joey and then put her down on the floor for some tummy time. I looked up for a couple of seconds to see something Amanda was trying to show me. I looked back down and Jocelyn was on her back! I put her back on her tummy and grabbed my camera. So, you are actually seeing her roll over for the second time, not the first time.
Make sure to keep watching until the very end. You will also see Jocelyn getting smacked in the face with a toy truck for the first time ever!
I am sad that Brad will not be able to see this for two weeks.
This morning I fed Joey and then put her down on the floor for some tummy time. I looked up for a couple of seconds to see something Amanda was trying to show me. I looked back down and Jocelyn was on her back! I put her back on her tummy and grabbed my camera. So, you are actually seeing her roll over for the second time, not the first time.
Make sure to keep watching until the very end. You will also see Jocelyn getting smacked in the face with a toy truck for the first time ever!
I am sad that Brad will not be able to see this for two weeks.
15 June 2008
12 June 2008
10 June 2008
I can no longer call him 'the other half' of Team Hayes!
The oldest third of Team Hayes is unable to receive videos into his ship email account. He also cannot view MySpace, Blogspot, or anything like that from his 'offical use only' computer onboard. Right now, he is somewhere that he can access a computer that will let him view these things. So, I have decided to post another cute little video clip of our daughter for him to see. Enjoy, daddy!
09 June 2008
giraffe poop
I was shopping at the children's store on base, perusing the clearance rack, when I saw this adorable pink giraffe print sleeper. I looked closer and noticed two green ovals embroidered just beneath the tail of the baby giraffe. I racked my brain trying to figure out what it could be, but came up with only one solution. There are green giraffe turds embroidered on this baby outfit!!! I am still trying to think of what else it could possibly be. Of course, it doesn't matter because she still looks adorable in it!
This is how happy she is to be dressed like a pink baby giraffe:
This is how happy she is to be dressed like a pink baby giraffe:
06 June 2008
Pictures are worth a thousand words...
...but, I cannot think of any to describe this picture! I laughed so hard I almost peed my pants. ***Warning to those with bladder control problems, put on a depends before viewing the photo below.***
01 June 2008
Jocelyn's first trip to the pool
We went to the base pool today. The water was way too cold for Joey to get in with me, but I still splashed her a little bit. It was a beautiful day and I got a really scary sunburn. She looked so cute in her bathing suit from Aunt Jodi. I just wanted to share a couple pictures.
Sayonara Kitty Hawk!!!
Brad left this past Wednesday. When he returns, it will be aboard the USS George Washington. The USS Kitty Hawk is sailing off into the sunset for good. The Navy has not yet decided what fate the 'Battle Cat' will meet. She could end up as a museum, as scrap metal, or even as new decoration for the ocean floor.
When the ship pulled out on Wednesday, we had a little going away party for it. It was the last time this ship would ever pull out of Yokosuka, Japan. Commissioned in 1961, the USS Kitty Hawk has called Yokosuka it's home port since 1998. It is the ship with the longest active status in the history of the Navy (excluding the USS constitution, which I don't think should count).
Anyway, Jocelyn and I hung out to watch the ship pull out. Here are a couple photos from that day.
There were sailors "manning the rails" as the ship pulled out. When the ship got into the bay the sailors spelled out 'SAYONARA' on the flight deck.
If you are interested in reading the article from the base newspaper, the link is:
http://www.cfay.navy.mil/seahawk.htm
When the ship pulled out on Wednesday, we had a little going away party for it. It was the last time this ship would ever pull out of Yokosuka, Japan. Commissioned in 1961, the USS Kitty Hawk has called Yokosuka it's home port since 1998. It is the ship with the longest active status in the history of the Navy (excluding the USS constitution, which I don't think should count).
Anyway, Jocelyn and I hung out to watch the ship pull out. Here are a couple photos from that day.
There were sailors "manning the rails" as the ship pulled out. When the ship got into the bay the sailors spelled out 'SAYONARA' on the flight deck.
If you are interested in reading the article from the base newspaper, the link is:
http://www.cfay.navy.mil/seahawk.htm
28 May 2008
Ouch!
Jocelyn got her 2 month immunizations yesterday. I cried. Brad couldn't even stay in the room. He waited outside. She has been such a happy baby so far that her reaction really shocked me. She usually only fusses when she is hungry, and even then, she has never screamed. My poor girl screamed her little head off. It was so painful to watch. Her face turned red and her little tongue was shaking. :( She was mad for more than an hour afterward, on and off. It was so hard to know that she was so uncomfortable and there was nothing I could do to ease her pain. I have a feeling that watching her suffer will never get easier.
Here is a happier picture of sleepin Jocelyn later that night.
P.S. Yesterday she weighed 11 pounds, 9 ounces (75th percentile)and measured 22.5 inches (98th percentile)!
Here is a happier picture of sleepin Jocelyn later that night.
P.S. Yesterday she weighed 11 pounds, 9 ounces (75th percentile)and measured 22.5 inches (98th percentile)!
27 May 2008
Spiderbaby!
Team Hayes attended a birthday party for our friend's 3 year old on Saturday. Joey couldn't go in the bounce house with the other kids because she was too small. We were too big, so we couldn't go in it either. :( But we managed to entertain ourselves with some Spiderman masks!
19 May 2008
Rules were NOT made to be broken!
Almost every escalator that I have approached since having a baby has a 'no stroller' sign on it. See below.
Now, usually there is an elevator nearby to accomodate people with strollers. The building that houses the 100 yen store right off base has an escalator with a 'no stroller' sign. I always disregard it being as the elevator is all the way on the opposite end of the shopping center. I always told myself that it was a stupid rule anyway. I mean, how much is it going to inconvenience anyone if I take my stroller up the escalator? How dangerous could it be?
Well, I have a bruise from the shin to the knee of my right leg to prove how dangerous it can be!
We boarded the escalator and made it all the way to the very top. As I was about to push the stroller over the threshhold one of the front wheels got stuck sideways and jammed up against the wall. I don't think I can even explain what happened in terms that are understandable. The stroller would not budge! It would not move forward. However, the steps of the escalator kept moving forward and pushing me, and eventually my mother-in-law, up against the stroller. I got my foot stuck between a moving step and the basket on the bottom of the stroller. It pushed my leg into the stroller so hard that my eyes watered. I was trying to jiggle the stroller free and lift it and pull it...anything I could do to get us out of this predicament. My mother-in-law is freaking out right behind me as she is being pushed into my back. We both panicked for a little while. The whole ordeal probably lasted no longer than 4 or 5 seconds, but it seemed like we were never going to get free!
Amidst our panic, a Japanese man walked by. I couldn't tell if the look on his face was saying, "stupid American's can't follow the rules," or if he was deciding whether or not we needed his help. We got free before he could get too close. I guarantee that we would be on You Tube by now if he had a video phone . I kind of wish someone would have gotten this on video.
Anyway, I will be using the elevator from now on. I might just have developed a phobia today. Do you think they have an actual name for a fear of being stuck on an escalator?
"An escalator can never break: it can only become stairs. You should never see an 'Escalator Temporarily Out Of Order' sign, just 'Escalator Temporarily Stairs. Sorry for the convenience.'" -- Mitch Hedberg
Now, usually there is an elevator nearby to accomodate people with strollers. The building that houses the 100 yen store right off base has an escalator with a 'no stroller' sign. I always disregard it being as the elevator is all the way on the opposite end of the shopping center. I always told myself that it was a stupid rule anyway. I mean, how much is it going to inconvenience anyone if I take my stroller up the escalator? How dangerous could it be?
Well, I have a bruise from the shin to the knee of my right leg to prove how dangerous it can be!
We boarded the escalator and made it all the way to the very top. As I was about to push the stroller over the threshhold one of the front wheels got stuck sideways and jammed up against the wall. I don't think I can even explain what happened in terms that are understandable. The stroller would not budge! It would not move forward. However, the steps of the escalator kept moving forward and pushing me, and eventually my mother-in-law, up against the stroller. I got my foot stuck between a moving step and the basket on the bottom of the stroller. It pushed my leg into the stroller so hard that my eyes watered. I was trying to jiggle the stroller free and lift it and pull it...anything I could do to get us out of this predicament. My mother-in-law is freaking out right behind me as she is being pushed into my back. We both panicked for a little while. The whole ordeal probably lasted no longer than 4 or 5 seconds, but it seemed like we were never going to get free!
Amidst our panic, a Japanese man walked by. I couldn't tell if the look on his face was saying, "stupid American's can't follow the rules," or if he was deciding whether or not we needed his help. We got free before he could get too close. I guarantee that we would be on You Tube by now if he had a video phone . I kind of wish someone would have gotten this on video.
Anyway, I will be using the elevator from now on. I might just have developed a phobia today. Do you think they have an actual name for a fear of being stuck on an escalator?
"An escalator can never break: it can only become stairs. You should never see an 'Escalator Temporarily Out Of Order' sign, just 'Escalator Temporarily Stairs. Sorry for the convenience.'" -- Mitch Hedberg
28 April 2008
One month!
Wow. I can't believe Joey is one month old already. If the months continue to fly by like this, she is going to be 18 before we know it!
2 days old
1 month old
2 days old
1 month old
25 April 2008
Huge in Japan
Today was the bi-annual modeling fair on base at Yokosuka. A bunch of Japanese modeling agencies come to recruit Americans. They love little American babies! I only filled out info sheets and printed pictures for Joey. These people went crazy over her! She was the youngest one there. Most of the 10 agencies that were there only represent models ages 0-19. There were 3 agencies who represent all ages. All three of the 'all ages' agencies asked why I didn't have my paperwork and asked me to email them my information. It felt so good to get complimented like that! Even one of the kids agencies asked me if I wanted to do mommy/baby modeling for them! I know this probably sounds like I am bragging, cause I am, but I am so excited that I wanted to share it. Brad called it. I told him that I was only registering Joey and he said, "I bet both of my ladies get a job tomorrow." No jobs yet. We just sit and wait for them to call us for auditions. You bet we will let everyone know if Joey gets a job. This girl is going to pay for her own college with her good looks!
"
Janis: Regina George... How do I begin to explain Regina George?
Emma Gerber: Regina George is flawless.
Tim Pak: I hear her hair's insured for $10,000.
Amber D'Alessio: I hear she does car commercials... in Japan.
Kristen Hadley: Her favorite movie is Varsity Blues.
Short Girl: One time she met John Stamos on a plane...
Jessica Lopez: - And he told her she was pretty.
Bethany Byrd: One time she punched me in the face... it was awesome.
"
-Mean Girls
Mommy and baby:
Baby:
"
Janis: Regina George... How do I begin to explain Regina George?
Emma Gerber: Regina George is flawless.
Tim Pak: I hear her hair's insured for $10,000.
Amber D'Alessio: I hear she does car commercials... in Japan.
Kristen Hadley: Her favorite movie is Varsity Blues.
Short Girl: One time she met John Stamos on a plane...
Jessica Lopez: - And he told her she was pretty.
Bethany Byrd: One time she punched me in the face... it was awesome.
"
-Mean Girls
Mommy and baby:
Baby:
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