She's Like The Wind

So as of recently I am feeling restless in my surroundings. Not restless as in let me buy a new sofa painting and floor lamp and a rug to tie it all together... Restless as in it is growing more and more apparent that there is not that much here for me in Joplin. Of course it goes without saying that my parents are here and they are everything to me. But as for me and Reed... I am thinking about the long term. The closer he gets to Kindergarten the more I realize that if I want to move, I best be planning it now.

I have thought alot about it... Silently of course because once I give this lovely news to my parents all hell will surely break loose. Bartlesville, OK is my favorite option.... It has everything I want and it is my hometown. I love the cultural side of it and the schools and overall environment for kids are great. I love Arkansas if I can ever get past the yucky pigs (razorbacks ughhh) everywhere. Of course going back to NC would be amazing... Cali has come to mind too. Recently though it has occurred to me to perhaps jump in head first somewhere new and different. I have never lived anywhere near a big city.... So I started thinking Chicago. I have never even visited the windy city... I will of course before I decide to live there, but that is later. There are factors in all this that shall remain unspoken but I am considering it very seriously.

I feel so silly for thinking about this. I am an only child and my only family is right here where I am. But I have never just set out on my own, with my own direction completely. Moving to NC wasn't a choice I made or helped make. It was the USMC making it for us. Maybe I am just itching to set my own path because I feel trapped. This place is full of people who just "feel silly" about leaving. Why? Why should I leave when this place has one of the the lowest costs of living, and I am pretty much guaranteed to keep my just above minimum wage job for as long as I want it if I do it right? I have a house, and friends, and family... It's all right here. But I want something more. Seems selfish, but it's how I am feeling at the moment.

So here it is. The savings account for my moving fund will be opened on Friday... and this summer break will be a busy one. I'm ready.

Coming Back To Life

So... It has really been a long time now hasn't it? Let's see... What has happened since I last made a blog... Ah! I have just the thing to get me back in the swing of this! A clever gimmick to aid me in not rambling... Carmen's Top Ten List!

Top Ten
Life Changing Events (2009-2010)

1) I am no longer married. I have been a single mom since August of last year. It was really rough on me at first, but I am more than fine with it now. It really was for the best for all three of us.
2) I am now working as a Preschool Teacher for Head Start. I love my job. I definitely miss the SAHM lifestyle more often than not though.
3) I am living in my own home. That is pretty special these days!
4) I have experienced the grown up dating scene and let me just say it is one ugly world! I was really let down by one person in particular, and it taught me to heed the words of someone wise I once knew... "When Someone Shows You Who They Are, Believe Them."
5) I acquired a Volvo. Life changing? I think so.
6) My son started school. He is doing really well. A recent development with him is his glasses. We just got them last week and already it seems his schoolwork is improving.
7) I got back in touch with alot of my good friends I had been missing while living in NC then dealing with the divorce. I also found time to make some new friends that are also awesome as can be! They have been there and helped me through so much... I don't have any idea what I would do without them.
8) I saw Avatar. Whoa.
9) I explored my inner spiritual roots and was surprised to learn what kind of tree I really am.
10) I was more recently given some medical news that really shook me up. It is very humbling to learn of your own fragility. I know I have spent my life saying "Not me!" and when that day rolls around where it IS in fact you... It hits you like a ton of bricks.

So yall... that is it in a nutshell. I don't know if anyone will even read this anymore but at least I will have somewhere to get everything out that I want to say. Facebook status updates are cryptic, and who really reads Facebook notes? Hopefully this will be the one successful attempt I make at actually keeping up with this.

Hello Stranger

Wow. It has been a mighty long time since I have posted a blog! Sorry for that, to anyone who reads this. *crickets chirping* Uhh... oooook.

So we are nearing the end of this long journey we call the Marine Corps contract. Ty, Reed, and I are moving back to Joplin in a few short weeks. We have been remodeling a house with the HUGE help of my parents. I can't wait to move in! Things are great with us. We have had some really fun times lately... now it is time to buckle down and get packed so we can get the heck out of here!!!

That is all I have for now... I will write a blog with some pictures in it soon.

October Song

In case you did not know, I am slightly injured. I had a run in with a vegetable peeler, and ended up with 6 stitches. Ow. Not exactly condusive to typing- which is why I have failed to update this. I have had a hard time healing and had to go back to the ER on Monday... But hopefully I am now on the mend.

We had a busy weekend... On Saturday we drove to Wilmington to go to a Habitiat for Humanity Oktoberfest. It was small but fun. We love getting out of Jacksonville whenever we get the chance... It is such a busy place with basically wall-to-wall Marines... Not exactly fun. On Sunday we carved pumpkins. Reed actually touched the seeds and everything! He is usually so squeamish about gooey things. I attempted to be crafty with mine and woke this morning to find it caved in! I guess I went a bit overboard with the star cut outs. Anywho.....

Here are some more pics of our fall fun!

That is my over-zealous star pumpkin... it did look cute while it lasted!

I wanted to add that we are flying out to Joplin on Friday! I am so excited. Of course I wish Ty was coming, but only a few more months until we are all home together! I cant wait! I finally got Reed's Halloween costume. It is adorable. I will take some pics and put them up.

Have a blessed day!

It's the Most Wonderful time Of the Year

I love everything about fall. It is the best season there is. There are so many cool things to do. We decided to go this weekend to Greenville, NC to Briley's Farm. We took a hayride to pick our own pumpkin. Reed had a blast.

Taking a hayride to the pumpkin patch
Reed scoping out the pumpkins
"I found one, guys!!"
Riding back with his pumpkin
Can I have this one too, Mom?


He had so much fun. I got a bunch of gourds for a centerpiece and unfortunately the basket still looks a bit bare, so we might still go to another farm this season...

Every Day Is a Winding Road

We just got home from our weekend trip to Lexington, NC. We had SO much fun with everything we did. The cabin was so awesome. We were right on the lake with our own dock... Made us miss home in Missouri even more. We definitely plan on going back several times before we move. It was so reasonable, and we love how beautiful the area is. We wished we could have spent a few more days. We ate LOTS of barbeque. We were trying to find the best one in town. It was a daunting task but someone had to do it. Reed had so much fun with Thomas the Train. It was almost as good as Disney World!

I am going to post some pictures and tell you a bit about our weekend!

Here is Reed making sure we had all of our gear together before we left!
Reed and I sitting by the water feeding a duck!

This happened literally 15 minutes after we got there. The little duck came up to see what we had to give him!
Ty and Reed tried to get in a little fishing before we went out for dinner...
How cute are they?

This was our first BBQ restaurant of the trip. This place was really good... Probably my favorite of the trip. They used just the right amount of sauce. If you are wondering, it is BBQ pork, Fries, and Red Slaw (it is really popular in Lexington).

Here is Thomas!

Ty and Reed getting on board Thomas. We got to sit in the very front car!

Reed and I sitting on the train Watching the world go by...Us by a really old train

Reed playing with one of the MANY train tables throughout the event...

I am still a little surprised we were able to get him away without a fight! ha ha

Posing by Thomas

Reed and Sit Topham Hat! He was so excited.

Reed's Harold tattoo... He picked it out himself!

Comparing ink with Daddy

Model Train in the museum

Here is Reed and Daddy on the Turntable at the station. We actually got to ride on it! Reed with FiFi from "FiFi and The Flowertots"!

Our second BBQ joint... Smileys

Ty bringing out the food

Here is the grub... Same items as the first place. It was good, but a bit too much sauce for our tastes.

Reed chilling out in the cabinAll three of us in the cabinSitting on the deckAt the Zoo

He was pretty excited!Reed and Daddy in front of a Zoo Range RoverReed with his puffin from the Zoo

Well, I know that was ALOT of pictures! Hope you enjoyed them!

Last Train To Clarksville

Reed watches PBS Kids in the mornings while he eats his breakfast... The past few months they have been advertising Thomas the Train Live in Spencer, NC. Every time he sees this he gets EXTREMELY excited. So we decided to get tickets and go. Next week we are leaving on Friday morning to go to Lexington, NC. We are staying in a lakefront cabin! On Saturday, we are going to see Thomas the Train himself. If he had a shin I would probably give it a swift kick. This train is Reed's obsession... It pretty much drives me crazy, because he refuses to do ANYTHING else when he starts playing with a track. He remembers that Barnes and Noble has a train table, and has a fit everytime we drive by without stopping in there. He calls it the "Mallisary" (Mall+Commisary?? I have no idea.) But anywho... on Sunday we are going to the NC Zoo in Asheboro and then heading home. I am so excited to stay at the cabin! I got Reed a little Diego fishing pole. I think he will have a blast.

Reed is practicing roughing it.

I was a cool mom for a day and built him a tent. He ate lunch in it and everything... I promise he does own clothes. I noticed he tends to be in various stages of undress in all these pictures I post. Part of potty training I guess.

**Counting My Blessings**

MIKE

I really can't express how much he means to me. He was more than my uncle. He was like a second father to me. I still can't believe he is gone. We had so much fun when we were together. It really just hurts to the core that he can't be here today and see Reed... I know they would be best buddies if the two of them got together. I just wish I could talk to him one time... Is he proud? I still talk to him almost everyday. He was just such an easygoing person. We were alot alike. We were both so silly... The two of us had alot of inside jokes... I still order Mountain Dew in King's House and think of him and laugh every time they tell me they just have "Meh-yo Yeh-yo". I find myself wishing that everyone in my life could have met him. I can't wait to meet him at heaven's gates. I know he is watching over me, and now Reed every day. I miss you, Mike.