Ochoa PSA – OPSEC…

A business related post. We’ve decided to start employing OPSEC on our blog. OPSEC is Army speak for Operational Security. The Boy deploying is not IF it is WHEN. OPSEC establishes protocol for the family that soldiers leave behind making both the soldier and their family safer. It involves not giving out any information about The Boy’s travels, unit, operations, or whereabouts. It keeps vital information out of the hands of malicious people on the web. It also involves measures to protect us when he is gone. The last thing we need is a banner shouting that ‘my husband and his gun are gone for 12+ months.’ We will be living in an Army community and hopefully on Post but wisdom in light of depravity is always the best option. So we will be pulling off some details such as names and exact locations of our family. I am fairly sure that most people (all 15 of you) that read this know us well and will happily take on this Army adjustment with us.

-Megan

what the rest of us have been doing…

So while The Boy is off doing his Advanced Individual Training (AIT) the Army Brats and I are crashing at my parents just outside of Seattle. So to spare you all the gory details here are the bullet points…

• We found out a couple of weeks ago that we are being posted to Wheeler Army Airfield on the island of Oahu. The Boy has to report on 01.02.2010. This is 100% the work of God. The Kawaguchis did our pre-marital counseling and have since planted a church outside of Honolulu. The Dalizus, some of our closest friends from Texas who joined the Army a couple of months before The Boy are stationed at Schofield Barracks. Schofield and Wheeler are attached. Yay! It is so encouraging that we are moving somewhere where we already have a foundation of fellowship.
• I am immersed in quilting. It’s enjoyable. I like the outlet.
• We lived through the hottest weather Seattle has had pretty much ever. 105° weather is not foreign to me. But it is the first time I’ve had to endure it with kids sans air conditioning. We did our fair share of contributing to carbon emissions by driving around during the hottest part of the day so we could have air conditioning and Pixar movies.

D-Luxe Kiddie Pool (Purchased on the Hottest Day of the Year)

• It’s weird being the only person with kids…let alone 2. Seattle is SO different from Dallas. I do appreciate that 1. People assume that I am a single mom and so they look sympathetic when they meet me; and 2. I then get to see their eyes bug out when I tell them that I am married and that my husband is away with the Army. Cheap thrills.
• The Monkey is at a really fun age. She is quite the manipulator. She keeps me on my toes. She is still super shy but we had a MAJOR turning point at church this past Sunday. I picked her up to join me for the second set of worship and 1 song in she lost it. Tantrum on the floor. Inconsolable. So with much effort I dragged her to the car and still couldn’t get her to communicate. Well she finally was able to communicate that she was upset because she wanted to go back to her Sunday school class. Huh? The Monkey has spent the last 2.25 years standing sideline in the nursery at church just toddler watching. I had no idea she actually enjoyed it.

The Monkey Playing on Nana's Couch (This Wasn't Sanctioned When I Was Her Age)

• The Monster is a little cinder block. He is as large as his sister and 18 months younger. He is almost brave enough to take his first steps. He keeps me on my toes.

Hard to Tell, But He's HUGE!

• The Monkey no longer uses a pacifier. She woke up the next morning and declared “I not baby no more. I a big girl. Yup. I a big girl.” I almost cried.
• The complications of Army timelines and the fact that deployment is not if but when has The Boy and I trying to make some decisions about things like homeschooling The Army Brats. Deployment rule #1 Don’t make any drastic changes or decisions while your soldier is away. Our focus needs to be elsewhere. The brigade that The Boy is being posted to is deploying before we even get to Hawaii. There is a good chance that The Boy will join them. There is a really good chance that he would be gone when The Monkey starts pre-K. Welcome to the Army. So the research begins.

- Megan

for today…

Outside my window… my Durango (aka The Dingo) that my dad just drove from Dallas.

I am thinking… that I don’t have an answer where people ask where home is.

I am thankful for… my free health insurance since my Army brats are sick.

From the kitchen… an endless pot of coffee.

I am wearing… black workout pants and a black track jacket zipped all the way up past my chin.

I am reading… Pride and Prejudice…again.

I am hoping… that all the transitions in the next few months are valuable learning experiences for my family.

I am going… to spend the next couple of hours unloading The Dingo and getting organized.

I am creating… an resource notebook to simplify my impending Army move.

I am hearing… Follow You Down by the Gin Blossoms.

I am praying… that The Boy and I continue to make strides in how to be married but living on opposite coasts. There’s no handbook.

Around the house… sleeping children and clean laundry that needs to be folded.

One of my favorite things… talking to the boy (Clinton)!

A few plans for the rest of the week… driving to Ft. Lewis to get my vehicle  registered so I can go to the PX and the Commissary (the military version of Walmart/mall and the grocery store). Walking up the street to Ferrell McWhirther park with the Army brats. They have great swings!

for today…

Outside my window… a cloudy Seattle day. The sun is straining to peek through but is failing. It makes me happy.

I am thinking… about this weird reality that is my life as an Army life.  “Normal” seems to change often.

I am thankful for… my tiny To-Do List. Being away from home (wherever that is) means I have very little in the way of responsibilities.

From the kitchen… organic carrots, Tillamook cheese, and Great Harvest bread.

I am wearing… blue jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt.

I am reading… Pastor Dad – Mark Driscoll on relit.org

I am hoping… that traveling with the small children tomorrow goes smoothly.

I am going… to see if my sister is willing to mind the small children so I can run to Starbucks late tonight while they sleep.

I am creating… t-shirts for little man by cutting off the bottoms of onsies.

I am hearing… old school Coldplay. It fits the weather. Both make me happy.

I am praying… for my witness at our family reunion this week.

Around the house… sleeping children, empty suitcases, and scattered toys.

One of my favorite things… talking to the boy (Clinton)!

A few plans for the rest of the week… adventures in Cincinnati at the Morrow family reunion. It should be eventful.

thinking, planning, doing, etc….

News Flash: My husband, best friend, and the sane part of my brain have left. He joined the Army. I talked to him for 20 minutes yesterday. He still makes me smile. We’re moving full speed ahead in our new normal. Let me dump the goings on of my brain on you all…

I’ve been marveling a lot lately at how perfectly God has designed the roles of man and woman. Interesting that it takes the removal of my husband for me to truly appreciate this. 1 Peter is an awesome study and SO perfect for where I am at right now. We had a panel of older couples from our church speak to the High School and Junior High students this past Wednesday. It was amazing to hear our students ask questions and even more amazing to hear the responses of our panel. I learned a lot. I don’t think I realized how much I talk until Clint left. I honestly think I don’t acknowledge how much I talk to Clint, because now that it is gone I have spurts of desperation to talk to people. I’m working on it.

A couple of things are driving me to “get in shape” whatever that means. My husband is now amazingly fit although I’m sure he is a bit too skinny for my preference. I plan to put a little weight back on him when he is done with his training. Training in the Army typically leaves soldiers looking sick and emaciated. Not my personal favorite. I also love the show The Biggest Looser. I’m an addict. I typically watch it while eating. Huh. I do want to be more active and that is even more motivating since Clint will have incentive to be active as well.

Clint and I will need completely new wardrobes. Currently the only clothes that fit Clinton are his Army issued clothing. Everything else will literally fall off of him. I’ve never been the chick who really cares what other people think about how I dress etc. I know how to dress and wear make-up but only choose to step outside of the t-shirt and jeans realm when I’m in the mood. I’m trying to adjust to my “new” body and the fact that it is unlikely to change a ton in the near future. For the most part I have been jacking with my hormones for 3 years. Either through fertility treatments, pregnancy or nursing. This drastically effects my weight and shape of my body so now that the hormone-jacking season is passed for the foreseeable future I need to address my wardrobe, buy clothes that fit, that I love, and that don’t scream I wore this in college -OR- that I am a suburban housewife.

I’m currently sewing a diaper bag for my friend Avery, curtains for my mother-in-law, knitting a blanket, and sewing some baby quilts. I should be folding laundry. I am actually writing this post as an excuse to avoid folding laundry. I’m working on a blog with my friend Thelma geared towards wives of military servicemen. It is really more practical experiences and advice. I’ll formally introduce it soon.

I’m off to fold laundry. Pictures of the small children tomorrow.

-Megan

my project obsession…

I’m one of those people who is always working on something. I have a whole notebook which I call my creative therapy where I store all of the projects I want to start, inspiration for decoration or design. I call it my creative therapy because the right side and the left side of my brain are constantly fighting and this organizational technique eases that tension. Structure and creativity. Organized chaos.

Well on top of actually getting my etsy shop rolling (quilts take a while to make and I need a few done to launch the shop), I started another long-term project. I decided I needed a project to work on while Clint is away. An 8 month project. So, I’m undertaking a knitted patchwork blanket. A queen sized blanket. The nice thing about this project is that it will take a long time but it comprised of 100 small knitted sections that I will sew together when they are all done. Crazy, I know. But so exciting. It is just the type of thing you can pick up and put down and travel with. I can’t travel with my sewing machine so I will have to take a long break this summer from sewing.

I started knitting back at Capernwray my freshman year of college and there aren’t many things to do at Capernwray (especially our year, thank you hoof in mouth) except drink beer or knit. I learned to knit. I haven’t knitted much since I got married and then I picked this project up last week because I decided that our next round of bedding needs a large knitted blanket.

So yes, I have a project obsession. I also value handmade things. Thankfully I am the type of person who tends to complete projects. Usually at the expense of sleep but I’d rather loose sleep than have 20 half finished projects lying around.

-Megan

the new normal and a birthday girl…

So here we are, three weeks since Clint left. It has been a weird adjustment for all of us but a good adjustment as well. The simultaneous move into my in-laws home has proved providential to Bella’s adjustment to her Papa being gone. I think all of the time and effort we had put into preparing for this separation has paid off. The move was slow but methodical and my OCD packing system will be appreciated even more once we get our orders in November. So we are here and settled which took several weeks but we are finding our rhythm and our new normal.

Last week, the 2nd, was Bella’s 2nd birthday. She didn’t really clue into what was going on until Abby arrived with Lydia and Ellie, Amanda arrived with Baby Joshua, and Thelma arrived with Noah. They all sang Happy Birthday to her and she was very excited. Since then I have caught her singing “Happy Birthday to Meeeee” all around the house. We took a trek to IKEA with all the kids and walked around letting them explore. IKEA is a great place to let kids roam and play a bit while the adults have big kid conversations. We had $1 hot dogs at the cafe and even found a kids table and chairs in fairly good condition for sale in the As-Is section. I am sure she enjoyed being spoiled and I’m glad she won’t remember that her Papa couldn’t be there for her birthday.

Now that we are settled I’ve had a bit of time to sew. On a whim I decided to make myself a new diaper bag. I realized that the one I made previously still didn’t meet my needs so this one is even more customized with a Mama pocket in the back. I need a Mama pocket because I routinely loose important things like the car keys, my cell phone, and my sanity amidst all the kid gear.

And photos…

Bella doesn't quite understand the whole see saw concept...

Bella and Ellie posing for a birthday photo on IKEA potties...

The NEW Diaper Bag Complete with Mama Pocket!

Inside it has 1 large pocket, 2 smaller pockets and 2 bottle/sippy cup holders. On the exterior there is a LARGE zippered Mama pocket, a pocket on each side, and velcro pockets on the front that sit beneath the flap. It is a messenger style bag that has a strap long enough to wear across my body to leave my hands free.

And a video of Liam…

we still have kids and have pictures to prove it…

Two posts in one day. I have a LOT more free time now and are done with our blog hiatus.

Here are the stats:

Isabella turns 2 on April 2nd. We celebrated her second birthday just before Clint left. She is still super shy but talks up a storm around family. She loves books, Elmo (even though she has never seen Sesame Street), coloring with crayons, and going on walks. Potty training is in full swing and she can count to 10 (and sometimes will add a few extra 7s).

William is 5 months and I have my hands full. He has acid reflux really bad so he is on  medication and special formula. Constant puking=smelly child. He is super long and skinny and can scoot across a room.

Both kids still sleep in past 9am and that is alright by me.

Ignore my hand. Liam sits all by himself now and has the CUTEST smile!

In the midst of helping me unpack groceries Bella helped herself to an apple

Liam helping me pack

Ignore the tears and notice Bella's first haircut!

Army Brats! Noah and Bella.

Bella sleeping in the car

Clint and his brothers wore this velvet sailor suit when they were babies

-Megan

i’m an army wife now…

So this is a long overdue post. I apologize to anyone who is reading this and is wondering why you didn’t get the heads up that Clint was joining the Army. Well the public nature of this blog means that we have several faithful readers who were co-workers of Clint’s at Enterprise Rent-A-Car. We purposefully didn’t post throughout the time leading up to the Army because we didn’t want word to get out at Enterprise and have him loose his job before it was time. In the time since Clint quit, life has been ultimately chaotic and blogging has taken a backseat to things like moving, doctors appointments, and sending Clint off to Basic Training for ten weeks.

So now let’s recap the last year. First off, we love Enterprise Rent-A-Car (ERAC). We leave with nothing but positive feelings and would still recommend Enterprise to people. The nature of Clint’s position at ERAC was that we basically lived off commission. We had a tiny base salary that we couldn’t live off of so we depended on his commission to take car of basic needs like housing, food and transportation. We have had several months with literally less than $200 in commission and we struggled. This is a HUGE reason we left Enterprise, because Clint could do 60+ hours of hard work in a week and have nothing to show for it. There are other reasons for leaving which I won’t get into here but his integrity was at stake and it was time to move on.

So now we are to September ‘08. I’m HUGELY pregnant and we are only making it financially because of God’s grace. Clint casually mentions as we look over another dismal pay stub, “I could always join the Army.” And there was the little seed that the Lord planted. The subject was dismissed and not brought up again for three months. But since that fateful comment I was praying about just that, Clint joining the Army. So when December’s pitiful check showed up I mention the Army to Clint. Evidently we had been praying about the same opportunity. So several trips to a recruiter, the Lord dynamically changing my heart, and lots of wise counsel and pray, we make the final decision for Clint to pursue the Army in the field of Aviation with the hopes of becoming a Warrant Officer and flying helicopters. There was a LOT that went on in between his first visit to a recruiter in December and his signing his contract in February. I am trying to give you an abbreviated version.

So here is where we stand now. I dropped Clint off at his recruiter’s office on Tuesday. He is at Ft. Benning, GA now for the next 10 weeks for Basic Training. During that time we can only communicate via snail mail. From there he will go for his job training at Ft. Eustis, VA for 24 weeks. In mid to late November Clint will be done with training and we will get our first post. We don’t know where we will be going, and that is exciting because there is a good chance that we will be posted over seas. In the upcoming years there will be countless ministry opportunities for both Clint and I and that is SO exciting! There are some perks (other than living over seas and telling people about Jesus). The Army is paying every penny of Clint’s student loans (to the tune of 50K+ leaving us debt free), we have free housing and a food allowance, and I have the freedom to travel more with the kids. There are many more things that we are excited about but those are the big ones.

People I’m sure think we are crazy. We remind those people that we have sought the Lord through out this entire process, we were willing to walk away from everything if the Army couldn’t guarantee us one of two jobs and a few other terms, and Clint and I are definitely the type of people to thoroughly think things through and never do anything flippantly. We are going to have to make a lot of sacrifices and a lot of changes and so far we are really excited and willing to trust the Lord to pull us through.

We appologize for blind-siding anyone. It was not done intentionally.

-Megan

the isle of illeagal toys…

So I promised my husband when we started this blog that I’d never use it as a platform to air my political views. Well I’m breaking that promise and I hope he’ll forgive me when he reads this because I have found something worth airing my frustration.

In response to my previous post I have decided to start selling my diaper bags and quilts online via Etsy and 1000 Markets. As with the start of any business I was doing a lot a research online and time after time I came across articles regarding the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. At first I was excited that the government had responded to all the lead paint scares on children’s toys in the last 2 years. As I researched it further I started to become torn over the legislation. Although I am totally pro having companies like Mattel forced to test their toys that are manufactured in China so my kids don’t get lead poisoning I am totally against that the same legislation will essentially put many independent toy and children’s clothing makers out of business. This article – Heard in Slammer: “I Used to Make Handmade Toys”; sums it up best. As well as this open letter from Etsy about all of their sellers that will be affected.

I realize that this legislation was not enacted to target these mom and pop crafters but the act will force them to pay a whomping $4,000 fee to test each toy type. So, not a big deal to drop $4,000 for Mattell to test a Barbie product line that they will produce thousands of, but for an independant producer making one-of-a-kind toys each individual toy would have to be tested. Thankfully the products I am planning on selling do not fall under the restrictions but I prefer to buy handmade toys for my kids and I’m sad that I can no longer do so. So it looks like we are adding residents to the Isle of Misfit Illegal Toys.

I will be writing a letter to my local state representative who happens to be in my district and is aslo on the House Subcommittee on Commerce Trade and Consumer Protection. I have also joined The Handmade Toy Alliance who is working hard to get changes made to the law to save the mom and pop crafters. And lastly I will be scouring my favorite independant producers of childrens prodcuts and buying up some products that will no longer be available.

-Megan