Lots of Gingerbread

My rather amazing best friend Sam decided to invite everyone in the neighborhood it seemed over to her house to decorate homemade gingerbread houses. She makes the houses from scratch every year & this year I think there was about 16 houses made waiting in her kitchen for little kids.

 

Here they all are lined up waiting for children to be creative

The teens sat at a seprate table because they could not sit with little kids, geezzz

 

Of course I had to decorate one of the extra houses because it is just to fun to pass up! I also ate way to much candy, I can't believe I don't have a stomach ache yet.

This was almost done- the other side I added a skittles Christmas tree .

Look at all those fabulous gingerbread houses! It was so much fun eating candy & hanging out with the kids. Bekah was a little worried so she had to have a sip or two...

It was a good time for everyone & in the end all the houses look great!

Hope everyone is enjoying their week leading up to Christmas as much as we are so far!

Yes Folks There are Stages.....

All of you Army Wives out there in Blog world or for that matter any Military Wife know that there are Stages of Deployment. Well yesterday I hit month #5 of this year long deployment. I was having a decent day playing one of Santa's Elves by wrapping all the presents I had gotten off of layway. Can I just say how glad I am they brought layaway back to Wal-Mart. I have four boys folks & have run out of hiding spots! Wal-mart made for a great place to hide all the gifts.  
Anyway back to the stages....I actually didn't even realize that I had hit 5 months of deployment until I was wrestling with the tangle of Christmas lights on the front porch. I was standing on the very tippy top of our ladder trying not to fall & crash to the ground ending up unconscious- you know that would totally freak the boys out when they walk up from the bus. Here lies mommy in a mass of tangled twinkling Christmas lights asleep on the porch. I am betting the older two would step over me at this point go into the house fix a snack then ask each other " Why do you think mom wanted to nap on the porch? It's freezing outside!". Huge sigh here folks.... I love my life but some days it resembles the sitcom  The Middle with Patricia Heaton- so unbelievable that it's hysterically funny!

My day went downhill for a few hours as Army Wives provided non-stop drama around Facebook & our neighborhood. I love my neighborhood a lot. We chose to not live on post to avoid a lot of the drama that can occur. I was so happy when about three years ago a friend decided to start Military Coffee groups out in our neighborhood so we could have the support with out the drama. It was a wonderful three years but like all drama free military situations it had to come to an end sometime. We out grew our small intimate group & in doing so I met more wonderful ladies from all branches who I am happy to call friends. But it also opened the drama door with a gaping wide path to craziness. That's when I decided I needed a girl's night in my home with A LOT of WINE involved! That folks is how I knew when I heard this lovely & oh so accurate song posted on my Facebook I had hit Deployment Stage #7!!  Wine has become a Food Group - thank goodness for it-LOL I only need one glass on occasion in the comfort of my home with my favorite girly movie on & some chocolate so yes Stage #2 is still sticking around! But I am no where near Stage #12 yet which would mean this silly deployment is almost over!


I know the stages of deployment well & have gone through most of them maybe only one stage have I ever skipped- never had to have a child with him gone. BUT I could replace that stage with "spent a week in the hospital with your sick soooooonnnnnnn all byyyy myself!". Imagine it sung to the tune of The twelve days of Christmas -haha So enjoy this little ditty posted by another Army wife who also is living with the Stages right now in her life.  Then try to remember if you are not currently living through the stages how you felt when you where in the throws of them all! Take a little pity on us crazy ,stressed out, exhausted, over worked, barely hanging on for dear freaking life wives / mom's -  just be nice smile  leave us ALONE with our chocolate & Wine to pretend we  are doing just fine!! Or if you must become involved in our lives be uplifting, encouraging but by all means PROVIDE said Wine & Chocolate before entering our home or writing on our Facebook Walls!!

It doesn't mean we don't still love you all, it just means we are a little cranky & over sensitive at the moment so proceed with caution before entering our world.