Halfway Day Dinner

This last Saturday was the Halfway Day dinner for the adults. We went to a nice restaurant and just had fun chatting with each other. I got some pointers about Navy life from other women who have been in for years and years. I liked getting to know the other wives. I really like the fact that Sean's ship is small so we have a small, tight-knit group of women. We had a little ceremony where we were each presented a letter of gratitude from the CO, Captain Sharpe. Thank goodness Sean's deployment halfway over. I'm done with this single parent scene!

Ward Chili Cook Off and Auction

Tonight was the Portsmouth ward's chili cook off. I made a big crock of chili from the Bear Creek 'Darn Good Chili' mix. I added some stuff like hamburger, cayenne pepper, tomatoes. peppers, etc. I also decided to bring some corn bread because it was a pot luck and I knew they needed food. I also don't like anyone else's cornbread except my momma's recipe. How can you not love cornbread when it's made with a stick of butter melted into the bottom?! With much balance, coaxing, and sheer luck, I got William, chili, and cornbread all in the car without a spill. I had to get out the stroller to get everything in the church in one trip. It was a huge turn out. I was impressed. Unfortunately, I didn't win, but my friends Timille and Delee did. I sat next to the Nursery leader and she was more than happy to hold William while I ate some award winning chili.
After the judging, there was a baked goods auction. People from the ward baked goodies and they were auctioned off to the highest bidder to raise money for Girl's Camp. It was a lot of fun and some treats went for $60 or more!! Four of us pooled our money and bid on a chocolate eclair cake for $30. It was so good! Totally worth it! William ran around with the other kids. At first, I thought, "I can't let him run around wild." But later, it was so nice just to relax and not have a squirmy toddler fussing on my lap. I'm sure he loved the freedom. I could hear his little shrieks once in a while while people were clapping. I'm sure he was charming whoever was nearby.
Now I'm home and very tired, with a sink full of chili making mess. I better get busy. Where's the TUMS?

San Jacinto Kids Halfway Day Party

Happy Halfway Day! Sean is halfway done with his tour. It's all downhill from here. Or so I'm told. I don't know if it gets easier or not. It's pretty much the same. On Saturday, there was a party for the kids to celebrate their patience in waiting for their dads to come home. We went to a bowling alley and had some pizza, chicken fingers, fries, soda, and chocolate cake. Kid heaven! I, on the other hand, spent the whole time chasing William to prevent him from going after the bowling balls down the lanes. I gave up after an hour and a half and strapped him to the stroller. Then I could actually socialize with the other moms.
After the party, a bunch of us went over to my friend, Beth's house to paint on the walls. Her family was moved to another house and this one was scheduled to be demolished. So Beth bought a few gallons of paint and told the kids to go nuts. It was one big, colorful, sloppy, mess! William made his marks on a few walls. I dipped his hands and feet in the paint and he made prints all over. Then, with a brush in each hand, he went to town! When we left, he was covered with paint. It took an hour in the tub to scrub him clean. Totally worth it. What a day!

Tribute to Mitt Romney's Presidential Candidacy

It's such a shame that Mitt had to withdraw from the primary elections. He really was the best candidate. I'm showing this video as a tribute to his candidacy. It made me laugh. I only wish it would have gone on longer.

New Furniture

After years of waiting and saving up, I finally got to go furniture shopping. I needed to scale down in the front room so I sold the coffee table on craigslist.com and I'm going to give the loveseat to a new family in our ward who have very little. I was sad to see the coffee table go. It really was a nice piece that matched the side table console but it was just too big for our tiny room and a rectangle works much better. Unfortunately, the new table looked smaller in the showroom and measuring it didn't help. It is still taking up a lot of room. Oh, well. It's nice, it's new and it's mine.
The chairs were a great find and a great deal. I couldn't wait to have them delivered. When they came, the boneheads that delivered them couldn't figure out how to put the legs on the chairs and they put them on wrong. When they figured it out, they tried to unscrew them but chipped the wood on one of the chair's legs and broke a leg on the other. So I have bought a bunch of junk. I was so mad. I had to call to have someone come and put new legs on my chairs. I have yet to hear back. Darn it! I thought it would be an easy process, but not so. My next big purchase will be a bed. I hope it won't be as stressful as this time.