The Alamo

 
 
 
 
Today we woke up and went to breakfast before heading down to the Alamo. You can't go to San Antonio for the first time and not see the Alamo so since it was the first time for me and the boys we did just that. I knew it wasn't a huge place, but it was even smaller than I realized and the story behind it just makes it all that more remarkable. 200 against 2000 just makes those men that much more brave to me. So we enjoyed our little tour and movie and now will "Remember the Alamo!"

 
 
 
 

Happy 7th Anniversary!

 


Today Bill and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary! It seems like way longer than that though. LOL. I'm not sure why. I guess because it feels like we've always been together. We treated ourselves to a date afternoon/evening. I have really been itching to see the Our Bodies: The Universe Within exhibit ever since I noticed it advertised in Orlando. I never got a chance to go. Well, I found out that it was at the University of Texas I asked Bill if we could go. I'm not sure he was as enthusiastic as I was, but he did agree that it was really cool. The price tag is a little steep, but it was spectacular. It really was such an awe inspiring experience. It totally illustrated to us how magnificient God's plan for a human body to work is just amazing. Seriously, our bodies are marvelous machines. And the exhibit while graphic in some regards (ie a man was holding his own skin) and even a little emotional in others (ie the babies that died before they had a chance to live here on Earth), it truly was an amazing experience!

 
 
 
 
(photos are not allowed. i found these on the internet and they are of the displays that we saw.)

After leaving the university, we headed to Round Rock to the French Bistro/Cafe, La Madeleine. We each enjoyed a sandwich and pasta salad and sampled a couple of their little pastries before heading over to the Cinemark to catch Iron Man 2. We knew that was the movie that we had to choose since we saw Iron Man on our last anniversary date when we celebrated our 5th anniversary. We both agreed that it was good, but that the first one had a better story line. We laughed and marked our mental calendars for our 9th anniversary date to see Iron Man 3. LOL.


 
 

After the movies, we headed home. Bill did me a favor and put together our wagon that we've had for nearly years and that I need tomorrow while I went out and fetched our traditional anniversary treat carrot cake. We really loved the ones from Publix that we have had before, but this one from Walmart wasn't too bad of a substitute.
 

My gift is doing double duty. It's a 22 carat gold bangle from Bahrain. It's beautiful! Bill said it's for Mother's Day and our anniversary!

 
 

Great Wolf Lodge

 
 
 
 

I'll admit that I have really wanted to go to the Great Wolf Lodge ever since I found out that it was within driving distance. I just knew that my boys would really enjoy it and I sure wasn't wrong about that. We drove up yesterday and got to Grapevine around 2:20pm and were able to check straight into our room and then go straight to the water park. The boys had a ball. They loved letting the huge bucket of water fall on them. Aaron's favorite was the little water slide. He would go around and around just to go again and again. I'm not sure that Ian came up with a favorite. That kid was everywhere!

We were there and 2 families that we knew were there, too. It was nice to see friendly faces. Bill was nice and let me go on the slides a few times. Not that he didn't go a few times, too!

We really enjoyed our time there and the kids are wiped out! Oh who's kidding? I'm wiped out, too!

 
 
 
 

He's HOME!

Bill is HOME!! I can't tell you how happy that makes us!

Yesterday was filled with lots of time changes and lots of little frustrations. The time kept getting earlier and earlier. This is good in a way since that meant we were going to get Bill home sooner, but it also meant waking the boys up at 2 am and going to Ft Hood in the middle of the night. It also meant no special outfits and really more of a just get there and get it over with. The rear detachment wanted the families in the gym at 2:30am. This ended up being way too early. Nothing like the Army way of "hurry up and wait." Any military family can appreciate what that really means! We were there for 1.5 hours before we saw our soldiers. I did get a text from Bill at 2:26am that they were successfully on the ground at Gray Army Airfield. But just because they were on the ground did not mean that they were on their way. They had to turn in weapons and load bags, etc. So they had us at the gym which was mildly warmer than is comfortable. They gave us lousy snacks and had a DJ. The floor was filthy. The kids were so good for the first hour of our wait. But that was their threshold. Who can blame them? I was getting impatient, too. But finally the buses arrived to cheers. Bill's unit was to be the last ones in the gym and we saw him walk in. And then Ian took off after him so I had to chase him. Poor kid. I wanted to run after Bill, too, but you know the Army. They make everything have some sort of formality. So I did manage to catch him and heard the chuckles from the wives behind me knowing that if their kids were any younger that they would have been doing just what I had done. LOL.

The short address of the soldiers was nothing short of lame. The speaker didn't even say my husband's unit correctly. I mean if that doesn't put a bad taste in your mouth then I don't know. So he finally said "Released!" Ian ran. He ran right to Bill and jumped. It was sweet and then Bill came toward Aaron and I and grabbed Aaron, too. It was so great to see him. So we relished the moment for a few and then started our way out of the gym. We put the kids in the car and Bill went to retrieve his duffle bag. Then it was homeward bound!!

It almost doesn't seem real. Aaron has warmed up pretty well. He didn't cry, but was a little hesitant. He seems to be much better today, but still prefers me. Even Ian, who is overtired, is still preferring me. (Much to Mommy's relief!) We have had a fairly laid back day. Lunch at a local eaterie and then a trip to the commissary on a payday during a case lot sale. (We were definitely NOT thinking on that one!) Then home for naps!

Murder on Mysteria Lane

 
 
 
My moms group ladies came over last night and we had a murder mystery dinner party. It was so much fun! There were 10 ladies who played characters based loosely on the show Desperate Housewives. Each lady was emailed ahead of time telling her about her character and how to dress. They were to arrive in character. From there the next clue was given to them. It essentially was an introduction of their character to read to the group. Each person had a nametag so that you could keep track of who was who. Once everyone had read their introduction round 2 clues were handed out. In this round there are 2 clues in your envelope. One to let everyone know and one to conceal about yourself. While we were hashing these outs, appetizers were served around the bar in the kitchen. Each lady then could interact with the others. Some were given personal clues from other players. Some were loud about their thoughts on who they thought committed the crime. After this, round 3 clues were handed out and dinner was served. We all sat down at the dinner table and feasted on lasagna, salad, and veggies. We discussed the case and kept in character making accusations and trying to get everyone to tell us the information that they knew. Before dessert each person was asked who they believed the killer was. They all made their guesses based on the facts they had collected. Round 4 Reveal envelopes were handed out and read over dessert. It was so much fun! My character was the hostess with the mostess and I did my best. I was NOT the killer!

All of the materials were purchased from Host-party.com and were then downloaded. It gave the set up and the plan for the evening. The game lasted about 2 hours and then we spent the last hour as ourselves enjoying each others' company. I definitely want to host another one sometime!

My Valentine Date: The Wiz!

 
 
 
 


Today Ian and I went to VLA to see The Wiz. Ian liked the show, but it was a tad too long for his attention. I think we may need to stick to the children's theater productions. He did enjoy all the colors and knew the story, but he was squirrely at the end. We did stop and meet the actors on our way out. Ian really liked the Tin Man and the Witches. Then we made a special visit to two ladies. My friend Knitter's daughters were Emerald City folk and were a part of some singing and dancing numbers. It was a great show. I especially enjoyed the Crows and their dancing and the Yellow Brick road dancers.

Favorite Photo of Us

Today (er uhm I mean yesterday's) topic in the blog hop is to post your favorite photo of you and your man. Well here is Bill and me at my first formal ball with him. We weren't engaged yet, but were both pretty sure that this was "it." It was my first taste of true military formalities. I was a little nervous attending, but I remember Bill easing right through it. I believe this was the end of October/early November 2002. We used it as our formal engagement photo after the fact since we didn't really have time to get real ones.

Favorite Wedding Day Memory in the Blog Hop World

So today's topic in the blog hop is to tell your favorite wedding day memory. Well the whole day was pretty memorable so I'll just tell a few highlights!

It was a very stormy spring day in Indiana. Anyone from there knows what stormy days in Indiana when it starts to get warm means: thunderstorms and tornados. Yes, that's just what God ordered for our wedding day. It was pouring rain when I got to the little country church. Everyone was worried about my hair and such and I was just laughing since the weather was so bad. I knew Bill would show up no matter what so I figured who cares about my hair and makeup. He's the only one who is going to see it. LOL.

I remember that moment when he first saw me and that look on his face. I don't think I'll ever forget that smile. He caught a glimpse of me out of the corner of his eye since he was up in the front of the church with the wedding photographer getting photos taken of him and the best man. That's probably my favorite "moment."

Coming in a close second is when we stole away right after the ceremony and went to a little ice cream stand for an icecream cone (just US) before going to the reception. It's a little tiny place. I got vanilla because I didn't want to get chocolate on my white wedding dress. :) Bill got vanilla dipped in chocolate. The girl at the window made a comment that our cone choices matched our clothes.

And one more close second is the rainbow that came out after the ceremony. It had been a rotten storm, but when we emerged from the church as Mr and Mrs. there was a wonderful ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds and as we approached the reception site after our cones, we saw the rainbow reminding us that God keeps his promises just as we intend to keep our vows. It was actually a pretty powerful moment.

The Engagement: Another Installment in Blog Hop Land

So you want to know how the good man came to ask for my hand. Well as luck would have it, it wasn't a surprise to me at all. Too bad for the fine officer who went out of his way to drive 3.5 hours to purchase the perfect diamond ring from my aunt and another 3.5 hours to ask my parents for permission. Can I get an awwwwwww?
It's really kind of funny since it really explains how much of a small town girl I am!

It was January 2003. My friend Sarah and I had gone on a Caribbean cruise to Mexico and my boyfriend went on a mission to get a diamond ring to propose with. He actually drove from Greenwood, IN to Evansville, IN to buy the ring from my aunt who managed a jewelry store there. He went and found the ring and then drove from Evansville to Hillsboro to ask for my parents' permission. Here is where the surprise got all messed up. When Bill drove up to the house, my mom was on the phone with my "Aunt" Valerie. She made mention to Val that she had to go since she looked at the window and saw Bill walking up to the door. Valerie knew I was on the cruise and asked my mom "Why is Bill there?" My mom answered, "I am not positive, but I have a guess." Then they hung up. End of conversation.

So Bill comes in and waits around for my dad to show up from work and then suffers through my uncle coming to visit and he's not able to ask until he's gone. Talk about torture! And my uncle is a talker so I'm sure Bill was sweating by the time this was all said and done. Anyway, he finally gets his mission accomplished and a thumbs up from the 'rents and heads back to Indianapolis with the ring in his pocket.

The next day Sarah and I got back from our cruise and I returned to work. After work that evening, my best friend Amy called and asked me why I didn't call to tell her that I was engaged. Her mom found out at a Pampered Chef party. I told her that I wasn't engaged and wondered where she got that story. Well, Aunt Val was invited to Amy's cousin Lana's Pampered Chef party and Amy's mom was there. Val told everyon that I got engaged and about how Bill had asked my parents.

So the cat was out of the bag and I am not a patient person, so I flat out asked Bill where the ring was. (I know, I know. That wasn't super nice of me.) But anyway, he comes over and we go to dinner at Texas Roadhouse. He doesn't ask. So we go back to my place and we start watching American Idol (It was the first season) and he gets down on one knee during a commercial break and asks. SO NOT ROMANTIC. But I got a lovely ring! :) After he knew that I knew about the ring, he had cooked up a plan to ask me at work, but I pretty much told him NOT to do it in front of a lot of people so it's a LOT my fault that it wasn't romantic.

So there you have it. Exciting? Not really.

What the Hey! How I Met My Love!

Okay, so I've never done this blog hop thing. First off, it's mostly due to ignorance of exactly how to participate (so forgive me if I totally botch this attempt) and 2nd, it's because most of the topics I have next to ZERO to say or what I do have to say isn't nearly as eloquent or entertaining as the previous posters and who wants to be the boring among all the bling? So without further ado, here is my attempt at HOW I MET MY LOVE.

This is a little story of serendipity as one would have it. Can you say totally randomly? Can you say NOT EVEN REMOTELY INTERESTED IN LOOKING? Well this is what I can say for sure.

It was July 2002. I had broken off a pretty serious relationship in February and I was pretty jaded about "love" and finding it. I was doing pretty well on my own as it was. I had my own place, a pretty loyal little dog, and a really good job. I was free as a bird! So as it was, I had finally come into the modern times and purchased my first personal computer with its own dial up internet access via AOL. I had a pretty boring sign on which I still use today: HOAGY74 and my profile said these things: SINGLE, FEMALE, INDIANAPOLIS, Wherever you go, that's where you are. Did I mention that it was boring? Oh yes, moving on.

So it was a pretty typically day in Indy. I had worked. I had gone home. I had probably eaten some boring convenience food though I don't remember. I mostly remember that I was shopping for a new vehicle. I had a perfectly decent 1998 Honda Accord EX-L, but I was getting antsy to get an SUV for some weird reason. It really wasn't a necessary "upgrade", but it just seemed like the thing to do. So instead of hitting up dealerships as that "stupid, single female" I was doing my research online and checking out VIN numbers at the local establishments.

Most everyone will recall that when you used AOL back then that you automatically would be signed onto AIM when you were online. You could block IMs if you wanted to, but most of us just left it on and would occasionally chat with a buddy. Well this particular night, minding my own business, typing in VIN numbers I got a RANDOM IM from a person with an onscreen name of BOLTS505. I generally would ignore these random unknown people. I mean it is kind of unsafe to entertain strangers and I am a pretty "by the rules" kind of girl. So whatever possessed me to reply to this annoying IM, I still don't know. The exact line is something I don't remember. I just remember thinking, EXCUSE ME? So this is how I met my husband. A RANDOM instant message. He found me in the online list and assumed by the 74 in my screen name that I must be about his age or super old. LOL. (Old people weren't as likely to be online back then.) And the SINGLE FEMALE also said something. :) So we instant messaged back and forth for a while. He told me he was a soldier. That he worked at DFAS and that he would send me an email from his AKO (military email) account to prove it. (It would be fairly hard to fake this so I had no reason not to believe him.) He asked for my number and I figured he was harmless so I told him and we talked for hours and hours. Finally, we agreed to meet in person. We met for a drink, then dinner and then we went to a bar to KARAOKE. The rest is history. Well there is a little more. (I actually almost dumped him after the 2nd date, but I will leave that story for another day.)

A Blast from Christmas Past

So I was sorting through my Christmas stuff and was devastated to find that one of my boxes had gotten wet and a bunch of old photos were in that box. This photo included. I scanned it to try to salvage it. :) This is a picture of me and my cousin Brenda. She is a little less than 3 months older than me and she is the closest thing to a sister that I have. We grew up together and I totally looked up to her. We were 5 years old in this photo. It was Christmas 1979 and we are at my Grandma and Grandpa Hesler's house. Christmas so magical back then. This photo sure brought back memories!