I've been tagged by Amy (W)!

So I guess that means I'm 'it' for now. :)

The Rules:
1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

1. I have attended PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel--Bible study) for 4 years and am just now getting to know people and to volunteer my talents to support the ministry. Of course most of my new acquaintances are PCSing this summer (permanent change of station--aka MOVING--it's acceptable to add 'ing' to several Army terms, thus creating new words and breaking many grammar rules). So I have to start all over....

2. For 2 years, I was in FRG (Family Readiness Group) leadership. I quit because dealing with ignorant military spouses who had no desire to educate themselves frustrated me. Well, that, and Barry was traded to another unit. Now I'm in the middle of AFTB training (Army Family Team Building) so I can be a certified Army know-it-all. :) Seriously, though, eventually I'd love to volunteer as a mentor-teacher through ACS (Army Community Services)--helping spouses who care and want to learn more about surviving military life.

3. I started blogging to keep up with Kari and because Robin made a comment about her world not being complete without me. Just kidding--I don't hold that kind of power. But it's been great to reconnect with old friends. Somehow ELP doesn't seem so far away now.

4. My favorite coffee shop item is a spiced chai latte with whipped cream. And my drink snobbery has rubbed off on my children. Sydney no longer asks for Italian sodas--she prefers iced chai, and Bryce loves gourmet hot chocolate "that's not too hot." Any coffee served at my house is either Gevalia or Millstone (but only if all the Gevalia is gone), and my tea is gourmet, too (unless it's cold, then it's Tetley). Thanks, Angela & Laura, for opening my eyes to the glories of quality beverage.

5. The laundry hamper I took to college as a freshman almost 13 years ago died last week. I was sad and considered writing a poem about it. I still may.

6. Army acronyms are annoying. Soldiers use gazillions of them. But amazingly Army-speak is second-nature now. When Barry says, "I need a copy of my LES for my OIC before our FTX," I don't need a translation. Scary.

7. Jamie and I are writing 2 books! One's a devotional for military families to help them find God's provision during deployments, and the second is an accompanying Bible study. No one's surprised by this, but I'm sure they're hoping this means I'll want to talk less and write more.

8. In 2 years, we'll be moving! We joined the Army to see the world (and to have some financial stability) and have been at Ft Bliss ever since. But Texas must be our destiny...Ft Hood is just 13 hours east. Which, of course, means it's in TEXAS. I may have to give up my IN license plates & driver's license, concede, and become a registered Texan.

Since I have to tag now, here goes:

Bekah

Kari

Robin

Kim

Laura (who doesn't have a blog but can certainly leave hers in a comment!)

Mom :) (you can leave yours in a comment, too)

Catch-up

Thought I'd share some pictures from the last couple of months. We've been occupied with life, and blogging hasn't been a priority. The photos are in chronological order, starting with March 31 and ending with May 5. Jamie took some great pictures of the kids this weekend. Click on her link, then choose events. The user name is crossman07; password is 12299. In the meantime, enjoy these:




Brady prepares for his first haircut.




After, Daddy's still a friend--an important point to make.




This pretty much sums up the difference in Bryan's & Brady's personalities. Bryan ran to me and ignored Barry until after his relaxing bubble bath.




Bryan's daily goal is to get as much airtime as allowed by Mom. What did he play with before Barry's supersack arrived?




This is the cake Barry designed and I decorated for Taylor's 14th birthday.




Syd & Bryce loved looking for eggs, but they totally ignored Barry's 'hints.'




Not even the promise of Easter chocolate could cheer up this boy!




This occurs frequently. On this occasion, however, the clothes had to be discarded. Sorry, Daniel. Bryan wins.




Bryan performs one of his best primate imitations.




Yes, he really is asleep.