I am flirting with 30, have been married for almost 10 years (May 2011). I have three beautiful boys, Dylan (6) Aidan (5) and Owen (3). My husband Jake is in the Air Force, so in June of 2001 we moved to Missouri where we lived for three years. We moved back home summer of 2004 and were there for four years while Jake was a recruiter (most evil job in the Air Force!!). We moved to Minot North Dakota in April of 2008 and so far we love it, despite the winters lasting 6+months. Basically my life is about my boys and my husband and being a military family, with all the ups and downs that come along with that. I wouldn’t change it for anything though.
I love to read. I tend to get sucked into the computer once I turn it on. I love to lurk blogs. I could sit for hours and read them. I run around burning my candle at both ends most days. I love mexican food. I change my hair style CONSTANTLY….this my husband has learned to live with. 😆 I am messy and struggle with keeping things in order. What other useless things can I think of??? OH yeah, I can pick things up with my toes… ha ha. I love my boys more than anything, more than I thought I could. Nobody warns you about that kind of love. My life is stressful and busy and chaotic, but at the end of the day….I love it.
It’s funny how you think your childhood friends will be your friends forever…. while some still are, you find this whole huge world full of great people who become friends you wonder how you ever lived without. I love my life now, and while some days are hard and I want to pull out my hair, overall, it’s all I ever wanted. I only ever wanted to have a family, be a mom, and make them happy. The rest was just a backup plan. When I look at my husband and my babies faces, I know I have the perfect life, no matter what life throws at us.
So here’s to my God and my favorite guy ever, Jake, and to my beautiful babies…. may I always make you happy.
MY DAO DAYS 
*sniff-sniff*
that deserves an award!
Do I sense sarcasm? 😆 From TAMMY? 😆
Pick up things with your toes ?? I can do that too! We will have to give it a try running through the pasture some day. Squishy stuff!
Thanks for sharing – I am excited for your life!
Between “Squishy stuff” & “mushy stuff” you have a great blog.
Congratson getting your ‘About’ done Bran! Good job! To get into iChat all you need to do is go to AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). Sign up and that will give you a screen name that you will then give to Me, Tam Brent, Papa… I’m not sure who else, I think Darla as well! lol
It’s about frickin time!!!
🙂
yeah yeah 😉
I don’t know why it took me so long….after all, I just sit around eating chocolate and sipping coffee all day! hahaha 😆
Isn’t this rain today awesome?? I am loving it! 😀
i am already on Aim (crazymm186) but ichat is something different isn’t it..like only for you Mac users…Mac is on my wish list…but not this year
Good about!
also on Yahoo, and skype…
Hey, I’m not an atheist! LOL! I don’t think that was about me, was it? LOL!
Cute About Me! BTW, I can’t see your eyebrows anymore.
Hey Brandy, I finally made it over here an’ read all about you.
I sometimes describe myself as a recovering atheist.
Btw, constant change is an oxymoron. We all know this and yet we constantly use it in all our conversations. I don’t know why.
Tell me about it!!
Sorry Bran – i seem to have introduced you to a spam bot – Ad Lis is an english/indonesian/croatian speaking male female apparently – all things to all people – i advise you put it in spam and ignore it…
Not Fried Spam that is – and that sounds like the kind of meal MY mum would make – so i ‘approve’ – more nearly ‘normal’ food and less ‘crap’ anyways 😉
<B
Thanks Love! I spammed it, her, him, whatever. 😆
Oooh, I was wondering how you’d feel about the spam! hahaha!! I thought for sure you’d tell me I was going to croak. heehee
Well the I will confess, I have some cans of it in my pantry, although I haven’t made it in forever. I reserve it for nights I don’t feel like cooking b/c it’s fast and easy. My grandma eats it straight from the can as a sandwhich too. EW. hahaha!! But yes, we LOVE spam. I think I like your Mum. 😉
♥
You’d Love Her! &hearts:
We have Spam (and now new Turkey Spam!! 😉 ) a few times a year – and i eat it stright from the can, Man! 😉
It’s a throw-back from my parents war days (both lived in the UK during WWII and went through ‘rationing’ – Spam was an alternative to unavailable meat and hopefully had less preservatives back then than is all too common today 😦
So how can i ‘chide you for your spamminess?? 🙂 – Those quesadila’s, cheese and cola however….. 😉
Phooey! _ i meant ♥ in the first line above 😉
spamminess…hahaha! I like it! 😆
Love, I will never be able to eat another quesadilla without thinking of you! 😯 haha!
Tonight we had chicken, stuffing, cooked carrots/celery and….it was topped with cheese. We love cheese. 😆
Much as i’d love the idea of you thinking of me lots and lots – go easy on the chemicals in the quesi’s huh? 😉
Dinner was far more ‘acceptable’ and pleasing to the Lord 😉
if a tad cheesy 😉
<B
So Love, question for you…..
What if the tortillas were homemade? B/c I can make homemade tortillas, it’s just time consuming (and a good arm workout!). 😉
Really though Love, not since my lactation consultant (whom I love so dearly and is a great friend now) have I thought so much about the food I eat. Really.
You and her have something in common….being blunt out of LOVE, and I really do love it. 😀 ♥
I am a BIG fan of home-made food since we get a little more control over what goes into it – it is ‘fresher’ and is made with lots and lot of LOVE ( if a ‘Mom’ or ‘Dad’ does it for those they love) 😉
We still might get a batch of chemicals in our flour, shortening (fats), and other packaged ingredients however – but hopefully less than in the pre-made mush 😉
It really is frightening what we have let big business do to our food over recent decades, all of which adds greatly to our own stress and intollerance (allergies) to things we eat and drink daily.
I am concerned for you (and Vinny) and ALL kids generally, Muffin (out of love) – but you do seem to be aware of the ‘problem’ – which is a good thing 🙂
<B
Love, I’m curious, what is your daily “intake” like?
I admit, I know most of the “rules” of bad food vs good food, but for me (us) it comes down to time and cost. I’m not too concerned about whether or not the kids like it b/c if they are hungry, they will eat, and I a BIG about making them eat veggies. Jake comes from a PICKY family of eaters and veggies aren’t a big hit with them (besides his mom) so I am really insistant on them trying everything.
I am a big casserole fan as well. Why? B/c it’s easy and cost effective. But at the same time, what is the cost in the grand scheme of things I often wonder? It does bother me, really. Have you ever watch Dr. Oz on Oprah?? Oh my word I love that guy and love everything he has to say about food b/c I wholeheartedly agree and he makes me excited about eating healthy and cooking better….but…old habits die hard. 😦 😉
You are right about letting big business have so much control over our food. I remembering talking to my mom once in the grocery store about how some of this food is ABSOLUTE JUNK but yet they are still allowed to put it on the shelves and solicit it as food. 😯
I am very cautious too about sugar with the kids. No cereal allowed for breakfast unless that is ALL there is. No candy. No chips. No sugary drinks. Although they do get a mild chocolate milk on occasion. 😉
As good as I am about the sugar though, I could be better about the fast food. 😦 Again, old habits, bad habits….. *sigh*
♥
My daily intake?? Lessee… chocolate in the morning followed by chocolate for luch with chocolate for an eving snack – well Chocolate mainly! lol
j/k – REALLY! – that is only every SECOND Day Hahahahaha 🙂
But seriously folks – i don’t have a great calorie output so i try to watch waht i input in some balance – the older we get the less we need.
Breakfast i alternate between two slices of W/meal toast – with honey or Strawbery jam ( jelly in the US) sometimes but not frequently -and a bowl of cereal with wholemilk.
Lunch is w/meal bread with various sandwich fillings (tuna is a favourite – more salads and cheese/ham (spam even 😉 )in summer).
Dinner is where i sometimes ‘fall down’ health wise and i fry and even deep fry (Only home-made potato ‘chips’ – Aus name for french fries – but thick ones so the fat is ‘less’ per potato qualtity (thin fries are so bad for you!)) 🙂
I vary this meal quite a lot.
Soups and casseroles are a VERY cool option health wise
I might eat pizza, hamburgers and even a hot dog or two on ocasion! 😯 – exception more than ‘rule’ but never all three on the same day/week even.
i snack on chocolate only on alternate days and try to eat fresh fruit once a day at least I like sugar free 100% fruit juice to drink and black (but with milk and one sugar) as well as herbal teas.
I am NOT a health food fanatic, contrary to what some may feel, 🙂 but i do understand that what we put into our bodies (knowingly and unknowingly) affects us greatly.
and i don’t want to worry you unduly – but most choc milks contain a BLUE dye that is asociated with behavioural problems in many young children – almost all food colourings in ‘common’ use are seriously suspect and are best avoided as far as young children are concerned!
little bodies are so susceptible to foods adults can handle but should also avoid as they have no nutritional benefit – they merely make food ‘last’ longer before being made rotten by decay and bacteria.
Nature makes food decay for a reason – if it don’t decay, it probably will not be ‘OK’
Preservatives preserve death – not life!
TMI??? 😉
<B
y’all are having a little party over here, aren’t you!?
its like the party floats all over the internet. LOL!
Yes Mandy, we are very flexible. 😆 haha!
I’m very interested now… so Mandy why don’t you add your “diet” to the mix? 😀 😉
Love, Your diet actually sounds like mine on a normal day. For breakfast we almost always have one of two things…. whole wheat pancakes w/sugar free syrup (only b/c the sugar wreaks havoc on my mood) and whole milk. I am a huge whole milk drinker. Probably not the best, but I can’t bring myself to drink anything else. 😆 Okay so either that, or scrambled eggs and toast. I sometimes add diced ham and peppers to our eggs. I love peppers. 😀 yum! yum! And of course, whole milk. 😉
For lunch, it just depends on what we are doing. I go through “fast food” spurts and when we are out, that’s the easiest thing, although I REALLY need to curb that and I know it. 😦 But usually at home, it’s pb&j for the boys (sugar free jam) with some kind of fruit AND veggie. On lazy days I forget the veggie just b/c it’s usually a struggle to get them to eat it. 😯 Or we have grilled cheese or whole wheat chicken nuggest…both with fruit and/or veggies.
For snacks for the boys it’s usually cheese and crackers, applesauce (no sugar added b/c sugar free applesauce is gross 😆 ) peanut butter and crackers, yogurt, juice, that sort of thing. There juice is limited though as it has LOTS of sugar. 😦 I hate that juice has so much sugar…. I love juice. haha
Now dinner is where we falter a lot too b/c we like to eat out. 😯 It’s easy and Jake and I are big food lovers and love to eat out. If I cook at home though it’s almost ALWAYS a casserole b/c it is so easy. I am a huge fan of “one skillet wonders” for dinners. 😆 Not always, but sometimes, we have salad with that and a bread of somesort. I am lucky that of all things, my boys LOVE salad! 😆 So unusual, but they love it. 😉
Some friends of ours in Missouri who used to come over for dinner a lot and always laugh that I would always have a full course meal. 😆 I just can’t make dinner and NOT have veggies and bread of some sort. 😉
I think where I falter the most, is snacks for myself, and the fast food. 😯 bad bad bad….
MMMMM I love talking about food! 😆 This morning I made apple/cinnamon muffins (organic) and had whole milk. YUM! 😛
Michelle will appreciate what I’m about to do:
There juice is limited…should read THEIR juice. haha! 😆
I am anal about that, something Michelle understands. 😆 hahahaha! heehee
great blog…but oh man..i have never seen so many emoticons…EVER!.lol
ahhh…. klampert, you should brace yourself. This is the emotiblog.
Yes, yes it is!! 😀
Seriously though, if you knew me in person, it is SO fitting. 😉 Ask Tam. HA!!
When I read “emotiblog” my mind went here:
Emoticon-ville
by ric booth
(Really, I just thought this up. Now I just need a melody…)
Nibblin’ on rice cake,
Bloggin’ ’till kids wake
All of those tourists covered with oil. 😯
Strummin’ my key-board
My personal psych-ward,
Smell those shrimp; they’re beginning to boil.
Wastin’ away again in emoticonville,
Searchin’ for my lost shaker of salt.
Some people claim that there’s a woman to blame, {ya think?}
But I know (it’s Nobody’s fault); {sigh}
😉 😯 😆 😛 😦 ♥
————
Nobody, btw, is the invetor of the emoticon.
It’s Mandy’s fault – everything is Mandy’s fault (lets not forget now!) 🙂 Love ya B!
<B
This was a fun read…I laughed to see your correction. 😀
Wow, your own personal poem by Ric Booth, very 😎
Hope you’re OK – haven’t seen you out much today – but then I stay away from FIF – much too slow for that! 😉
Great blog! …and if you need and North Dakota counseling, I escaped from there many moons ago.
.:peace:.
P.S your boys are all wearing matching shirts. Are you aware of that???
LOL
I am VERY aware of that. 😉 heehee
Today they wore semi matching shirts. Same styles, different colors. 😉 heehee
Hey T!!!! Today they wore those shirts up there ^^^^ and I totally thought of you! heehee
those poor poor boys
at least I like to think I saved them from that horrible plaid hell you almost put on them at Easter
ah ha!!!!
S.O.S.F.P
try to figure that one out!
well crap! I have NO CLUE what that one is!!!
oooooohhh….. I think I get it. 😉
something something saved from plaid???
ummmmmmm…….
save our souls from plaid???
HAHA!!!
yes you got it.
HA HA!!
Im LMAO right now
hee hee.
Your too good at these. I JUST HAVE TO STUMP YOU AT SOME POINT!
OK here is another….
A.S.P.I.W.S.Y.O.T
A Smart Person Is Whispering See You’re Old Teresa.
NOW who’s LMAO?!?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!
Okay you got me, I have NO CLUE what this one is b/c I don’t know what it’s in referrence too! 😆
And you KNOW it’s totally KILLING ME that I don’t know what it is!!!! ARGH!!! 😯
NO JOKE, that one about plaid took me about ten minutes to figure out. HAHA!!!
Always Say Plaid Is Way Stupid You Old Tart
A Serial Plaid Inspector Was Saying You Off Thahook
Another Sick Person In Washington Said Yeah Obama Today!
Okay I have NO CLUE!! Tell me what it’s in referrence to at least!!
At Some Point I Will Stump You On This.
HA HA HA!!!!
Mission Accomplished!!!
AWWWW YEA!!! The master!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Omgosh that totally SUCKS!!!!!!
THE MASTER???? Okay Miss, figure this one out…..
I.L.Y.S.Y.L.M.S.
Now I gave you and EASY one for starters. 😉
I Love You Sometimes
You Love Me Sometimes
Figure this one out
K. I.I.B.A.I.H.A
Kambrie Is In Bed And I Have ???
Kambrie Is In Bath And I Have??
You suck. Or I suck. Whatever.
Okay do this:
J.I.W.A.M.A.I.A.O.H.W.Y.
Kambrie is in bed and I have alcohol??
Kambrie Is In Bed And I Am Home Alone
I have no idea on yours. I didnt say I was a good solver… just a good stumper! ha ha
That is so funny! HA!
Jake Is Watching A Movie And I Am On Here With You. 😆
heehee
PersonallY I like the “Kambrie is in bed and I have alcohol” answer best! heehee
Where was Nate?
Nate works super late on Wed nights. That’s where he was. 🙂
DONT YOU READ MY BLOG?????????????? If you read my blog you should know these things.
I.S.D.I.Y
I said do it yo?? 😆 (makes me think of the movie Dodgeball haha!) Okay I don’t know what it is… tell me. I’m getting lame in my sleep deprived old age. 😆
Yes I read your blog but I barely ever know what day it is!! 😯 HAHA!!
Y.A.M.S.M.O.S. 😆
talk about old. Im looking at mine and can’t remember what I wrote
ah ah ha!!
You never wrote me the E back about your paint. get on it sister
You are my sunshine my only sunshine! heehee
I’m changing the paint. I don’t like the color in here now. I’m taking it back to see if they can lighten it up a bit. 😉 I’m so indecisive. 😕
you should know…
i think you are beautiful.
Alece dear, you bless my heart more than you know. 😉
I seriously heart you!! *sniff* You were on my list of bloggers I want badly to meet when Tam and I were chatting about it. 😉
BTW, loving the avi!! Makes me smile everytime!
oh thank you… i’d love to meet you, too. someday, maybe… someday.
and i’m glad my avitar makes you smile. it’s up there for you, you know…
Speaking of avitar pics… Bandy, just how old are you in that photo? Because that pic reminds me of my niece Brittney.
Ric, that picture was taken a few weeks ago. 😉
😳 I look VERY YOUNG. When I was pg with my first, someone thought I was a pregnant teen! 😯
Alece, well I am super happy that pic is up there for me! 😀
OH no….. black and white girl is back!!!
ha ha ha
Hey! I’ve seen your comments on Alece’s blog for a long time… and with some extra time on my hands today- I’ve been lurking on your site! Wow- a mom to 3 little boys (they’re adorable by the way!)… and I’m in the midst of wanting to pull my hair out in transitioning from one to two kiddos. I can’t even imagine 3…
I enjoy your writing- real, down to earth… connectable.
Love the new look. This picture of the 3 boys in the tub is so cute! I must say…it actually looks like the same child…like it’s one child aging getting bigger and bigger, ya know what I mean? The 3 of them look THAT similar to me.
I love your description of the picture of the boys! LOVE IT! It makes me smile.:D
Amy! Oh how I hope you read this since you posted SO LONG AGO!! Maybe I’ll leave you a note. 😉 I read your comment and thought “now when did she leave that?!” I can’t believe I missed it. Did I miss it? Did I reply in an email? I’m so embarrassed that I can’t remember! 😳
Truth: I’ve been lurking at your place too. haha! 😉
God bless you and your family.
Found your blog via the random finder button,
Just thought i’d say hi ! so er… Hi !!
All the best from the UK !!
Gareth
Jumped over to your blog from Alece’s. I see you were married in May 2001. I was too. The 26th to be exact.
haha! yes, May 13th… it was Mothers Day that year. 😉
Thanks for jumping over! I’ve a lot from her lately… maybe has something to do with her monday confessional? hahaha!
I was happy to discover your blog today. I was unable to find a contact link. I hope it’s OK that I’m contacting you through a public comment. I’ve developed an educational program for Windows called SpellQuizzer that helps children learn their spelling and vocabulary words without the battle that parents often have getting them to sit down and write them out while the parents dictate to them. The parent enters the child’s spelling words into the software making a sound recording of each word. Then the software helps the child practice his or her words. It really helped my children with their weekly spelling lists.
I would appreciate your reviewing SpellQuizzer in My DAO Days. If you are interested in hosting a giveaway of a SpellQuizzer license I’d be happy to supply a free license to the winner. You can learn more about the program at http://www.SpellQuizzer.com. There’s a video demo you can watch at http://www.spellquizzer.com/SpellQuizzer-Demo.htm and a community site where SpellQuizzer users can share their spelling lists with one another (http://www.SpellQuizzer.com/Community). Finally, there’s a page targeted to homeschooling families at http://www.spellquizzer.com/spelling-software-for-homeschoolers.htm. I’d be happy to send you a complimentary license for the software. Please let me know if you are interested.
Thank you very much!
Dan Hite
TedCo Software
I would like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in penning this blog. I am hoping to view the same high-grade content from you in the future as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my own site now 😉