They Might Be Giants

http://www.amazon.com/Here-Come-Bonus-Tracks-Video/dp/B000V5YOZ6/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1208833591&sr=1-1

Okay. I'll admit that I'd only heard two songs from They Might Be Giants- "Birdhouse in Your Soul" and "Istambul"-until I met Beau. Then he introduced me to the rest of their quirky, crazy, fun music. Well, they have produced several children's CDs and I happen to LOVE their latest. It's called "Here Come the 123's." I heard one of the songs on a day when I had the Disney Channel turned on. The more I listened, the more I liked it. I found the CD at Target when I was of course shopping for something else. It's one of the few children's CDs that I actually enjoy listening to. The songs are catchy and simple and get stuck in my head (and I don't mind). :) If you're looking for something different, but kid-friendly I'd recommend this one. Oh- click on the link to hear samples of the songs (I couldn't figure out how to download the songs from my cd, so hopefully you'll get the idea from this). Just press pause on my music (at the bottom of the blog) so you can actually hear it. Enjoy!

Spring pictures

I'm posting more pictures of Gwen just in case Beau is finally able to get to a computer to see them. So- enjoy. :)

"Are we done yet? "

Our sweet Gwen

Fun Pics of Gwen

Masters and Allergies

One of the many scoreboards

So, it's Master's Week around here. All of the dogwood trees and azaleas are blooming and beautiful. And all of the news on television starts out with the Master's Report. I don't mind, I just wish I could go to the Tournament again sometime. Even if you hate golf, the course is just amazing and worth seeing at least once. And you can't help but get excited about the Tournament when you hear the roar of cheers from another hole. The Practice Rounds are especially fun to attend. These are the days when the players are still relaxed and more likely to interact with the crowd and have fun. This year, ESPN covered the Par 3 Tournament on Wednesday where the golfers' kids were allowed to help caddie.

Golfer Trip Kuehne and his son

When I was a teenager I worked on the course in one of their many food tents. Although the smell from the food tent by the end of the week was definitely memorable, even more memorable were the quiet walks into the gate as I made it to my assignment. I loved the smell of the freshly mowed grass (they mow every morning during the Tournament) and the sound of the birds chirpping before all of the crowds arrived. Because I was assigned to the 13th hole, I was able to enjoy the long winding walk along the paths of azaleas and dogwoods. Ah, memories... Of course once the crowds arrived, I did have to go to work.

For those of you interested in the details of the Tournament, I'm sure you already know that it's being broadcast on ESPN and the Golf Channel. Around here it's on the local stations, too, of course. And here's the online version- there are a lot of great pictures on the site and up to the minute scores. I feel like I'm a sports anchor... oh, well... :)

The Offical Site of the Masters Tournament
http://www.masters.org/en_US/index.html


Now, being able to boast of beautiful dogwoods and azaleas does have it's price. And for me, it's paid in the form of Zyrtec. And apparently, I'm not the only one-

Worst Cities for Allergies This Spring

http://www.fitsugar.com/1541391


"Think your city must fall on the list? Here are the top 25 worst allergy offenders:

1. Lexington, Ky.
2. Greensboro, N.C.
3. Johnson City, Tenn.
4. Augusta, Ga.
5. Jackson, Miss. "

So, there are many reasons to live in Augusta- especially if you love golf or the outdoors. Just remember to bring your Zyrtec.

Beau's Address

Here's Beau's address at Fort Bragg:

PFC Beau Person
Class #03-08
A Co 3rd Bn, 1st SWTG
USA JFK SWC
Bldg 3004 Ardennes St Stop B
Ft Bragg, NC 28310

I was finally able to talk to Beau and he's doing well. He is now able to use his cell phone in the evenings and on the weekends. I'll include more info in my next entry. :)

See- I told you! :)

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Family reunion - Pedigree

Beau

I spoke with Beau on Monday. He's doing well, but it sounds like they've decided not to give them as many freedoms as they initially promised- big surprise to all of you military wives, right? :) He hasn't been able to use his phone (he had to get special permission to call me) and he wasn't allowed to go off base for church this past Sunday. He said that there are 7 other LDS soldiers in his group, so they were allowed to hold their own service on base- at least they let them do that. They're trying to make arrangements to get to the closest ward and it sounds like they'll be taking a taxi every Sunday. I think his AIT will go in phases the same way that Basic did so that he should gradually gain more freedom. We'll see. He said that he's sending a letter so I should be getting it anytime now. I'll let you know.

Ear Tubes

Gwen's ear tube surgery was yesterday morning. They told me to just wake her up and bring her just as she was, so I brought Gwen in her PJ's with her blanket and woobie. We got to Augusta ENT at 6:45am and my mom met me there. We were quickly taken back to a pre-op room where I was able to ask Dr. Barfield questions. Apparently, after her follow up, I won't have to worry about using any earplugs for her, even when she's in a pool. That's a relief to not have to worry about all of that. I was also able to talk with the anesthesiologist. He skillfully distracted Gwen with a stuffed animal and gently whisked her away before she was able to get upset.

By the time I went into the waiting room and got comfortable, the surgery was already over. It took about 15 minutes and then a few more minutes for her to come out of the anesthesia. It did freak me out a little to see her so disoriented while the gas was still in her system, but she quickly came out of it. We stayed in recovery for a half hour and Gwen drank 3 full glasses of apple juice since she had not been able to eat or drink since the night before.

When we got home Gwen was very tired and clingy, but otherwise doing well. After a good nap and lunch, she seemed almost as good as new. I've been keeping an eye on her ears today before taking her back to daycare tomorrow. She does have some drainage, but she's not acting like she's in pain like she was during her ear infections. And she lets me put in her ear drops without too much fuss. Overall, she handled everything very well and I'm so grateful. Hopefully this will help to keep her healthier.

Easter

We took a picture on Easter Sunday before Beau had to report to the Fort.

Conlan, Talmage, Madison and Gwen- what a cute group!

Blue-eyed girl

The Latest

What a week it has been... Last Wednesday, my sister-in-law, Andrea, came down to stay with me so that we could drive together to Columbia for the graduation (her husband was graduating, too). Beau's mom and dad would be driving down to Columbia from Maryland. When Andrea got here from Atlanta, the weather was terrible; the kids were tired and it was getting dark. So, I made a quick phone call to confirm that our reservation would still be available, and we decided to stay for the night and leave first thing Thursday morning.


We left early Thursday and had beautiful weather. We made it to our seats and then heard, "Boom, boom, boom!" On the field there were many different colored smoke bombs going off in front of the line of trees in the distance. A huge cloud of smoke billowed across the field and then all of the soldiers appeared through the haze. A very dramatic entrance- I would have enjoyed it more except that the boom scared Gwen and she was huddled against my chest. She quickly recovered, however, and we were able to listen to the introduction for family day.

Once the instructions were given about what the soldiers were and weren't allowed to do, we were able to meet up with one another. Of course, everyone rushed the field, all looking for their own family members, so it took a long time for me to actually get down from the bleacher seat that I had with Gwen. As I got to the front railing, my phone rang. The caller ID said that it was Beau's mom, so I quickly answered hoping she had found Beau (since I couldn't find him in the see of green uniforms I was looking at). It was Beau and he was standing just below me on the the field! I handed Gwen off to him and made it down the stairs as quickly as I could. Gwen had no problem going to her Daddy and promptly laid her head down on his shoulder.

Once we finally met up, we took a few pictures and then found Elliot and his family. The guys were only given an on base pass, so we had to compete with everyone else for lunch. We ended up waiting two hours for Burger King- yum. At that point, I didn't care what we ate, as long as we ate. Thank goodness I had snacks for Gwen.

Elliot, Dad Person and Beau in front of the Maryland flag

The boys

After lunch we went to check into our hotel on base- I had been anxious about it and wanted to do it earlier, but we weren't able to. Well, we got to the desk and they said the reservation had been cancelled. I was so upset. I "politely yelled" at the desk clerk asking her why it was cancelled when I had spoken with someone the night before who had told me our reservation would be held. Of course she said that there was no note in our file and that there was nothing she could do since they weren't a regular hotel chain. After saying a few more words about the fact that we would have driven our three cranky little kids through the downpour if we'd known that we were going to lose our room, it was clear that were weren't getting anywhere. We ended up going to the Travel Agency on post to try to make other arrangements. I was still so upset that I decided to take a walk with Gwen and I let Beau and Andrea handle the details. They eventually emerged with a hotel room off base for the first night and an on base apartment for the second night. I had been told of course, that the on base apartment had been booked solid when I tried to reserve it two weeks before, but I digress...

Beau's lovely bottom bunk

Elliot, Scott, Brock and Andrea

We finally got everything sorted out and took a tour of the barracks with Beau and Elliot. Afterwards we went to a social at the church building on base. The missionary couple in Beau and Elliot's branch wanted to meet their family. They were very nice and were sad to see them leave. Later we grabbed some food and then Elliot and Beau had to be back in their rooms by 8pm. As we drove back through the base after dropping off the boys, I was able to listen as the different companies sounded off outside their rooms. Their chanting echoed off of the brick buildings and sounded like one voice- it was a very proud and patriotic moment for me as I listened.

The next morning we made it to the graduation field just in time. The companies marched in a parade around the field behind the amazing band. After all of the awards were given for each company, we were finally able to meet our soldiers on the field. Once again, it was mass hysteria- I really wish they would have just kept everyone in their companies so we could find them more easily. After wandering and wandering, Beau borrowed someone's cell phone and I was able to find him. We took some more pictures and met everyone for lunch. Mom and Paul were able to come which was a nice surprise for Beau.

After lunch, Beau was free to go, but Elliot had to return by 8pm. We found our apartment and got settled in so the kids could take their naps.


We found out Saturday morning that Beau didn't have to check in at Fort Bragg until Sunday around 11:30am, so that gave us more time to visit with everyone. Eventually we drove up to Fayetteville to stay with our sister-in-law Jeanette, while Elliot and Andrea stayed in Columbia (Elliot's AIT is at Fort Jackson, SC). I brought Easter baskets for Gwen and Beau, so Beau was good enough to humor me. :)

Sunday we were able to go to Sacrament with Jeanette and then Beau had to report to the Fort. I left after dropping Beau off on base and headed out on the road. Gwen did well for a little one who wasn't feeling well, and I was home by about 4:30pm. Beau was able to call last Sunday and Monday, but won't be able to call again until this Sunday. After that he should be able to keep his cell phone with him and have free time in the afternoons. Since they don't have an LDS chapel on the base, Beau will be able to go to church with Jeanette every Sunday while he's there. Eventually he'll get a pass that will allow him to leave base during the weekend as long as he stays in Fayetteville.

Gwen has just shoved as many jelly beans as possible into her mouth...

At some point I'll be visiting Beau again while he's at AIT, but for now I'm just going to try to get back into a routine with Gwen. As soon as I have an address for Beau I'll let you know- he would still love to receieve letters and he may be able to receive phone calls after awhile. I'll keep you posted.

Ears and Graduation

This will be short since my eyes are hardly staying open as I type. I got back today from dropping Beau off at Fort Bragg, NC for his AIT Training. He and Elliot graduated from Basic Training at Fort Jackson this past Friday. We are very happy he's done with this firt part and looking forward to a little more freedom to communicate (although that may have to wait for a week or two while he's gettting started at Bragg). I have lots of pictures from our short weekend, so I will post them soon. Gwen's ear tube surgery is tomorrow morning early, so I'll let you know how everything goes.

Gwen's ears

Well, we went to a doctor at the Family Clinic on base today to have Gwen's ears checked again. The infection is once again coming back, and after hearing about her history, the doctor went ahead and referred her to an ENT. Of course, I can't get an appointment with the ENT for about a month. So now we wait again. This time Gwen's on amoxicillin so we have more fun diapers to look forward to (and her system hasn't even had time to adjust since the last round of antibiotics). So, we'll be having lots of yogurt, and I'm going to try to find some acidophilus supplements to try to help her out. So, that's all for now. I'll keep you posted.

Pavement Picasso

Very cool artist-sorry about the random music with it. :)

Cutie pie

Here are some fun pics of Gwen from the past month or so- Enjoy!

Watching "Baby Signing Times" in her chair.

She loves her musical carousel.



I'm one cool chick...



There's no place like home...



Kisses...

Worn out from running through the halls at church...

Counting down

We're counting down until March 21st... Beau wrote to tell me that his platoon was fitted for their class A uniforms this past week. That's what they'll wear to graduation, so everyone's getting pretty excited. He's doing well and of course staying busy.

Gwen just finished up yet another round of antibiotics- this time in the form of shots. Her ear infection from last week never cleared up, so we ended up back in the doctor's office. After the third shot the doctor checked her ears and said that they were still full of fluid. She sent us to an ENT who of course took one look and recommended tubes. The problem is that our Tricare coverage starts tomorrow, so all of our visits will now need to be through Eisenhower. Gwen has an appt at the Family Clinic on Tuesday so we'll see if they can just refer us back to the ENT we already visited. If not, we may have to go through MCG. It doesn't matter to me- I just want her feeling better as soon as possible.

Madison turned 4 yesteray- how time flies! Here she is in her birthday tiara. She got her very own big girl room as a birthday gift and she was very excited. Happy birthday, Madison!

"Fussy" and "Sore"

On Saturday while I was home with Gwen- which is a treat now that I'm working- I noticed that she was unusually fussy. I felt bad because I was afraid she was bored now that she's used to being around other kids during the day. Tonight I realized that the reason she was fussy is that she just cut four teeth all at the same time! The poor thing cut one more bottom tooth (in the front) and three 1st year molars! She let me rub my finger in her mouth while I was brushing her teeth so I could see all of her hard work. I'm lucky that she has such an easygoing personality. And now I also know why she hasn't been eating anything lately! I finally got her to eat cold pasta and frozen peas with her glass of milk tonight. I'll have to try more cold foods for awhile until the swelling has calmed down a little.

Beau sent a letter to tell me about his tough week. He's had a lot going on, so he basically sent 4 letters all together and finally mailed them on Friday. This week they had to do the stereotypical timed obstacle course and the infamous "gas chamber, " called the Nuclear/Biological/Chemical Training center. They crammed 40 soldiers in a 20' x20' room full of very concentrated pepper spray. First they make them just break the seal of their masks so that they're breathing in some of the gas while they have to yell out their names, rank and social security numbers. Then they are marched around a corner where they have to pull off their masks and respond to screaming drill instructors. They have to recite the "Soldier's Creed" and then their rank. They also have to open their eyes and tell the drill sergeants how many fingers they're holding up. Beau said that several soldiers got sick, but that thankfully, he wasn't one of them and that the burning subsided a few minutes after they were out of the room. He said what helped him most was that he was trying to keep one of the guys in his group calm during the whole ordeal. And Beau's been promoted to Team Leader, which will give him more responsibility within his platoon.

On another note, Beau was asked to give a talk last Sunday about "who he is at his core." Elliot, his brother, was able to attend and pass the sacrament, so he was glad to see him. Beau said that he has had the opportunity to bring an investigator from his platoon almost every week to church. And He and Elliot were able to give one of the older female soldiers a blessing this past Sunday. I'm so glad to hear him talk about the church and his ablility to excercise his Priesthood authority while he's in Basic. It keeps him centered and focused with all of the craziness around him.

Beau wanted me to tell everyone hello for him and to let everyone know that he's sore- "which means I'm working hard. "

Free Rice

It's a fun vocabulary game- and it helps end hunger. What's not to like? Thanks for the recommendation, Jenny! Take a look!

http://www.freerice.com/

"Stand a little taller..."

"I want to urge you to stand a little taller, to rise a little higher, to be a little better."

(The Quest for Excellence," BYU Nov. 1998)

What an amazing prophet. He will be greatly missed. I am so grateful for his leadership and direction for us during such a time of change and growth for the church (Mar 1995-Jan 2008). I receieved the call Sunday night from my sister-in-law, Andrea, who lives in Salt Lake. She told me that Pres. Hinckley had died peacefully at home due to age related causes. I can only hope that I'll be as mobile, quick-witted and optimistic as he was when I'm 97. I know that he is finally able to be with his wife again,whom he spoke of often.

Back at Southern Virginia College, I was able to sing for President Hinckley with our choir during a Regional Conference. It was incredible. When he walked into the room, the Spirit was overwhelmingly strong and everyone became quiet. I knew instantly that he was a prophet of God. I had known before, through prayer, but it was amazing to feel it so tangibly. It was hard to keep a dry eye. And then when the Columbia Temple was dedicated, we were lucky enough to be in the same room when he spoke. To hear him bear his testimony of the Savior was amazing. And the love he had for his wife was evident while she sat and listened to him. I'm so grateful for his leadership and example during the last 12 years- a very formative group of years for me. I will miss him greatly, but I know that the Priesthood keys are still active and I am grateful for the organization of the church.

“This is my prayer for all of us—'Lord, increase our faith.' Increase our faith to bridge the chasms of uncertainty and doubt. . . . Grant us faith to look beyond the problems of the moment to the miracles of the future. . . . Give us faith to do what is right and let the consequence follow.” ( “Lord, Increase Our Faith,” Ensign, Nov. 1987, 52–53.)

Graduation info for Beau

I just received a letter about Beau's graduation from Basic Training. Here are the dates:

Thursday, March 20th - Family Day 10am-8:30pm
Friday, March 21st - Graduation 10am
Saturday, March 22nd - Reports to Fort Bragg by 5pm

Thursday, we're allowed to visit him on post at Fort Jackson, SC. The next day is graduation and then he has to be at Fort Bragg by Saturday. If you want to go to graduation, let me know so I can give get you a copy of the gate pass that you'll need to get in. I also have a map and directions, or you can just click on this site for the info: http://www.jackson.army.mil/161/graduation.htm.

Beau's letters are upbeat. He said that they had to do the ropes course the other day and the Drill Sergeant told him that he would probably freak out. "Maybe it was the huge glasses that made me look like a nerd, but I looked at him and said, 'Please, I used to do this for a living, Drill Sergeant' (between firefighting and being a repelling instructor); and he shut up and let me go."

They also started their Combat Lifesaver class. The first class was about airway management and the the Drill Sergeant asked for a volunteer to insert a nasal trumpet into a dummy. "I was happy to oblige since the practice dummy kept challenging everyone to fight him. I was nice as I rammed that tube without hesitation and then the teacher told me that I couldn't answer anymore questions. For the rest of the class she would start a question with, 'Except Person...' ." So I hope that Beau realizes that what he may lack in youth, he makes up for in experience. :)

Gwen and I are doing well. We're getting into a sort of routine, which is a good thing. She seems to be handling everything well, and for that I'm grateful. I'm also grateful for all those who have been willing to help out and those who have called to check on us. I hope you're all doing well. :)

Update for Beau

Beau's doing well- or as well as can be expected for being at Basic Training. :) He's sore from running and doing push-ups all the time, but other than that he seems to be doing great. He can receive letters, pictures, and cards and I know he'd love to hear from anyone who would like to write. Here's his address:
PFC Beau Person
B Co 1/61 Infantry Regiment
3rd Platoon- Vipers
Fort Jackson, SC 29207


Giving Daddy a kiss.

So far he's been able to call every Sunday, so I'm grateful for that, even if he only gets to talk for 8 minutes. This is the schedule he listed in one of his letters (which would explain why he's sore):
05:00am Wake up
05:30 Assemble
05:45 PT
06:30 Shower, shave, change
07:00 Breakfast
08:00 March/classroom
09:00 Push-ups
09:15 March/classroom
10:00 "Clean barracks after the drill cadre flips bunks that sucked (mine hasn't been flipped at all)"
11:00 Lunch
12:00pm March/classroom
1400 PT
1500 March/classroom
1600 Push-ups/classrooom
1700 Dinner
1800 March
1900 Classroom
2100 Sleep


"Helping out Mama"


Gwen and I are doing well. I'm getting used to my temp. position and the other employees are very nice to work with. Gwen is handling her new schedule well, other than catching a cold pretty much every week. I think she gets bored with our house, so it's fun for her to explore new places. Well... I've got to get up early and start all over again tomorrow, so I guess that's it for now. I'll keep you updated when I hear news from Beau.



She loves her teddy bear.