Ward Family Year in Review 2011

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

David
David has had a busy year. But when hasn’t he been busy? He left the first week in April for a 5 month humanitarian cruise on the USNS Comfort. The Comfort is a hospital ship. The band provided morale support and public concerts in all the ports they visited. They visited Jamaica, Peru, Ecuador, Columbia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama, and Haiti. It was very hot and they worked so hard, and David returned safe and sound at the beginning of September. A few weeks after he returned, he was finally promoted to Petty Officer First Class. It’s been about 8 years in the making, so we’re feeling very blessed and thankful for this promotion. It means we have a job for the next 7 years! David is still serving in the Young Men’s Presidency at church.



Sheila
I’m the reason that no one got Christmas cards this year; our parents didn’t even get a gift from us. I’ve been so crazy busy. I was serving at church as Young Women’s President earlier in the year, but was released and called as Relief Society President right after David left on deployment. For those of my friends who don’t know, the Relief Society is the women’s organization of our church. It’s a big responsibility, but has kept me busy and not able to stop moving much. The summer was hard and amazing at the same time. I was thrilled to host my sister and her 3 kids for a few weeks this summer. It was a fantastic vacation. A few days before David’s return, I packed up the kids, the dog and the truck and evacuated to Raleigh, NC for Hurricane Irene. Right after David returned home, we visited the beach as a family and I was stabbed in the foot by a crab that was hiding in the water. 6 hours of surgery later, and the doctor removed the tip of that little crab’s claw that had broken off its owner and lodged into my heel. I’m healing well, and still feeling a bit perturbed by that little crab. No more beach for me. I was also honored this fall to serve as a team leader for the women’s retreat Time Out for Women, in Richmond. It was a great experience!



Jacob, 11
Jacob has been growing so fast; we can’t keep up with his eating and his pants keep getting too short. He received his Arrow of Light award, the highest in Cub Scouts, before being promoted to the rank of Tenderfoot in the Boy Scouts. He’s already been on one campout and planning another in a few days. He’s becoming quite the young man, but don’t tell him that, he thinks that means he’s supposed to like girls and he really doesn’t like girls…at all. He loves Lego’s, the Wii, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson books and he’s working very hard in school. He is in the 6th grade, and doing most of his school online. Jacob is in his third year of piano lessons and is doing fantastic. He has also started taking drum lessons from his Dad. Jacob is a great helper to me, and a very obedient and funny boy!




Abby, 8
Abby is growing up too fast, too! In March, a few days before David left on deployment, Abby chose to be baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We are so proud of her decision. Abby is in 3rd grade and also does a lot of her school work online. She loves to learn new things and is always writing stories, and making paper books. She loves American Girl dolls and was thrilled to receive her first doll for Christmas. Abby loves having her brothers around, even when they are bugging her...truth be told, she does most of the bugging. Abby loves to teach. She’s been trying to teach Jackson his letters when they are playing school. Jackson likes Abby as his teacher because Mommy makes him do too much homework. Abby is also in her third year of piano and says she wants to be a professional piano player. She works hard and practices every day. She gets very nervous to play in front of people, but has worked hard at overcoming her stage fright. Abby can always be found right by her mom’s side whenever crafts are involved!




Jackson, 5
Jackson is the comedy routine in the family. He’s growing up so fast and starting to say such funny things. He started Kindergarten this year, as a homeschool student. He’s been taught by Abby in playtime for a while, so I had to re-teach him some things and it’s been a bit of a challenge. He thinks Abby is the best and now I’m trying to teach him different, so he fights me a bit. He’s a smart, talented little boy and keeps us all laughing. While talking with Abby in the car the other day about his starting Kindergarten, he said, “Abby, I hate pre-school, Pre-school is for babies and little kids. I’m in Kindergarten now.” Hee hee. Jackson is quiet and kind of shy at church and around new people, but at home with his family, there is no stopping him. He follows Jacob around and plays everything Jacob plays. He loves Lego’s, Cars, and the Wii. We just love this little guy.



Pepper, 1
In February, we added a furry creature to our family. We thought it would be fun to have a dog for the kids to focus on while David was gone. Pepper is a gray and brown-haired Morkie. She’s a cross between a Yorkie and a Maltese. Pepper has definitely kept our attention, she chews on anything and everything, and she’s very active. We spent a lot of time training her. She’s bell trained, so she rings her little bell when she wants to go outside. She also chews her little bell when she’s just playing. Pepper is a good little dog and has given us some frustrating times, i.e.…eaten toys, but also some fun times.



As of December, we will probably be in Virginia for a couple more years. We love our church, have some pretty good neighbors, and we love having David’s brother Jeremy and his family only 15 minutes away. We feel very blessed to know that we are being directed and inspired by a higher power. Knowing that we can rely on our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ for guidance, blessings and knowledge gives us great joy. We rejoice in our family and friends and all the good things in our world.
We hope this finds you all healthy and happy. Thank you to all who have touched our lives this year and in years past. We think of all our friends around the world and give thanks!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Love, David, Sheila, Jacob, Abby, Jackson and Pepper WARD

Grandma, a green Crayon and Wet Wipes

A lifetime ago, when I was "little", I used to watch my mom do the laundry. I can still see in my head our little laundry room and the container she kept the laundry soap in. One day, when I was probably about 14 or so, I walked into the laundry room at the sounds of my mom grumbling. I didn't know what was going wrong at first, but then I saw it...

Bright red melted ink pen on ALL of our family's jeans. Someone, not really sure who, left a red ink pen in their pocket and it was on everything. I don't remember ANYTHING after that. I don't know if she ever got those stains out, I don't know if she threw everything away, I don't even remember if I wore red stained jeans around the house. I just don't remember.

Fast forward to my routines as a laundry-doing-mom. I check the pants pockets...ocassionaly. I mean, I should've learned my lesson from the red pen, but I just don't have time.

I should tell myself that I wouldn't have time to fix or buy new jeans because I didn't check, but I don't, I just threaten my children with their total inheritance if they don't check their pockets and the rule is that if I find something I get to keep it. That goes for the husband, too. (He hates this rule.)

But, usually, I don't check, and I don't keep the things I find, because I'm not in the market for 9.2 million Lego pieces or small pieces of paper, or used up chapstick. I hold out for the cash, coins are acceptable.

A few months ago, my mom and step-dad came for a visit and we did a load of jeans in the laundry. I didn't check them.

They all came out with beautifully tie-dyed looking green crayon melted all over them...every single pair.

Well, I set out to do anything I could think of and show my mom that I was a super mom. I was pretty upset and trying to catch my toungue, but ugh. It has to be jeans, too, the most expensive clothing there is in our family.

So, I made a concoction of stain remover spray and rubbed that in. Then I sat on my floor and scrubbed each and every stain with a baking soda mixture. Then we washed again. A little difference, but not much.

So, while I'm trying everything I know, my mom is in the laundry room, looks up to my shelf, whether inspiration or desparation hit her, I don't know, but she grabs the container of Wet Wipes on my shelf and starts rubbing the green crayon lovliness.

CAME RIGHT OFF. Yes, it took some rubbing and a whole can of wet wipes, but the green crayon was GONE. I couldn't believe it. I wish I could say I knew that it worked for ink or anything else, but I don't want to do that experiment.

We saved all the jeans and now...I check the pockets no matter what.

Thank goodness for my mom and wet wipes and this experience for teaching me that I can always take the time to check pockets and I should always take advice from my MOM.

Blogging

I think I like to change around my blog background more than I like to actually blog. But today, I've learned that when it comes to blogging know how, I don't know how. I have several blogs I follow (see sidebar for Pidgapeg and Sunny Side Up). My sis-in-law at Sunny Side Up and my best friend at Pidgapeg have the most beautiful blogs.

I tried getting a header, animation and some buttons, and failed terribly at all attempts. My kids are actually begging me to get off the computer so they can do their homework! I think it's time I just live with what I CAN do, and admire the blogs I stalk without being jealous.

I guess I'll try to think about the things I like about my blog. I like the title and description of my blog. I do believe the title and the reasons behind why I chose it are what make my blog, MINE.

The title: It's Okay, I'm With The Band. I chose this title and it's description because my husband is a musician. We always have music, drums, instruments and movies going in our home. It's what makes us, US. I feel like a description of our family is that we are a band. We have many different personalities, and tunes, and drummers that we march to, but in the end, we try our best to be in harmony and make beautiful music.

I am a band groupie: I love to see and hear my husband play. He's a rockstar in every way. Other than the silly white pajama uniform he usually has to wear. :)

I am a band wife: I follow the main man around the world so he can play his drums. I meet other women who have husbands out on a "gig" and they know what I'm talking about. I've never been to a dance since we joined the Navy, mainly because I don't enjoy dancing alone, and my little drummer boy is always in the band, playing his heart out, so other couples can dance.

I am the road crew: I have learned that an entire drum set can fit in a 1989 Plymouth Reliant, with me jammed in the back seat next to a bass drum. I have learned that when my husband has a "gig", he gets to take the new truck and I get to load up the other "gear", i.e., the kids, into the little two-door Honda. I have learned that everytime we move, the drums/equipment get their own moving category.

I am the band manager: I run the house. I run the money, he makes it and I fry it up in a pan. I run the calendar, and I even serve as the band director's, i.e. Husband's,secretary every now and then.

Sometimes when I attend a "gig", i.e., concert, I try to go up and tell David how wonderful he played and how much I enjoyed listening. I don't usually try to get special treatment, I wait my turn after all the fans ask for pictures or autographs, (that really happens by the way), and I sometimes get a smile or wink from afar, or he'll twirl his sticks in a performance, and I know it's for me.

But every now and then, I like to push my way to backstage, or to the special seats. I like to share the spotlight with the rockstar and the little groupies we've made together. If anyone tries to stop me or wonders how I got so lucky to get that special drumstick twirl from the rockstar, I just let them know, It's okay, I'M WITH THE BAND.

Hallo-schmeen

Maybe it's because I can't sew, or I can't be creative enough, but I'm so over Halloween. And going door to door to beg for candy? Lame.

I'm being a real party pooper about Halloween, but it falls under the "doing it for the kids" category, so I go forward. This year we were in last minute status, so off to the thrift store we went. The only thing we found was a great jean skirt for Abby. So, here's how we pulled off Halloween very last minute and with me grumbling all the way.

I convinced Jacob to be Steve Urkel of Family Matters fame. I showed him a bunch of clips on You Tube of the tv show and how funny Urkel is. Jacob started doing the Urkel walk and talk and it was just so funny. So, we pulled that off. Jeans rolled up, white socks all the way up, a striped, collared shirt, red suspenders, big glasses with glasses holders, and the walk. He pulled it off great and everyone guessed right away who he was.

I also convinced Abby to do 80's pop star, because sadly, I have a bunch of stuff that works for the 80's. What can I say, I grew up in the 80's. So, we got her a jean skirt with sequins on it, she wore her pink glittery star wars shirt, leggings, cute polka dotted flat shoes, her hair in 3 random pony tails with pink dots sprayed in, blue eye makeup and glitter all over. She looked great!

Jackson is the recipient of saved Halloween costumes from Jacob. He was the pirate. It was black and white striped pants, pirate-ish shirt and all the pirate gear. He looked great and it was easy.

We had a fall festival at our church several days before Halloween, so they got to wear their costumes twice. On Halloween, we went down to Jeremy and Briana's neighborhood so the cousins could all trick-or-treat together. The weather was beautiful and we had a fun time.

Luckily I have a whole year to NOT think about Halloween again. (We didn't even carve pumpkins this year, much to David's dismay...oh well.)

Time Out

One of the things I've been looking forward to all year was Time Out For Women. It's a two-day women's retreat. Two days of laughing, tears, meeting new people and just plain inspiring fun. I bought tickets for me and my mom, back in December, I think, the day they went on sale. I knew that I wanted her to come, so I bought the tickets early to seal the deal.

About 2 weeks after buying the tickets, I got an email from Deseret Book, Time Out For Women staff. It was a form email asking questions about me, who I am, what I do, how I would spread the word about TOFW. I filled in the blanks and sent the reply. Another week after that email popped up, I got a phone call from Mish Hendricksen, the TOFW Richmond team leader, asking if I would like to be on the TOFW team. Team members are volunteer women who help at the event, handing out programs, seating people, etc. I said ABSOLUTELY, and can my Mom help? Yes, yes, yes!

My mom hit the roof when I told her we'd be helping out at the event. She was SO excited. She's never been to TOFW, much less done anything like this before. So, plans were made, plane tickets purchased, and we were ready! (all part of my evil plan to get my mom out here on vacation, ha ha.)

But, then we had to wait. TOFW was scheduled for Richmond, VA on October 21-22. Our plans were made in March! Forward to the first week of April...

April 7, David left for a 5 month South American Humanitarian cruise on the USNS Comfort hospital ship.

April 9, I got released as Young Women's President and called as RELIEF SOCIETY president. (YES, two days after David left.)

April 13, I got the beginnings of strep throat.

April 14, phone call from Mish, TOFW team leader. "Sheila, I have a TOFW captain who will not be able to be a captain anymore for the event in October. Would you be interested in being a team captain?" Me: with pained throat and a bit of emotion, "YES!"

So, now, I was on the books to be a team captain. I had to keep track of the team, make sure everyone was getting their fliers out and spreading the word. It was pretty easy and so stinkin fun.

Fast forward to October. Two weeks before the event, I had 3 team members have to drop out. So, I added some sisters from my ward area. Either way, my team was going to be great!

Mom and Bill flew in to Baltimore to stay with Melissa and then we met them in Washington, D.C. for a few days. We returned on Wednesday evening and turned around and went to Richmond for TOFW on Friday!

Time Out For Women was FANTASTIC. We came on Friday and got our assignments and met our teams. We got everything organized and had a great time meeting new people and meeting my team with the names that I've been looking at all summer!

Friday night was filled with music from Jenny Oaks Baker and even her three little angel daughters. Also we heard from Virginia Hinckley Pearce. I love her!

Saturday morning we geared up for a busy day. Handing out the TOFW totes and programs, and getting the Possibility Packs organized! (Hygiene kits for women's shelters in the area) By noon on Saturday we had assembled 215 kits and had more than 3 full boxes of extra donations to be taken to the local women's shelters. Amazing!

Saturday was awesome, too. My mom was put with my good friend Jolyn on Door Greeters. I was in the lobby and got to watch her smile and hand out programs and totes to all the women coming in. She was so happy and having so much fun. It was a blast just to watch her enjoy herself so much. The speakers and music were all wonderful and being with my mom and new friends was icing on the cake.

I'm so grateful for this experience. I think TOFW is a blessing to so many, and being part of the team was just a tiny thing, but meant so much to me and my mom. What a great October this was! So thankful!



A video of the event posted by TOFW staff.

Washington, D.C.

We've been to Washington, D.C. twice this summer and I haven't gotten sick of it yet! I took the kids in August when my sister was here. We spent one full day at the National Mall and saw as much as we could. It was so HOT, but the kids were troopers.

We went again just a couple of weeks ago. My mom and step-dad came out for vacation and we met them in Washington. We stayed with my step-sis Melissa and her sweet family. This time we had 2 full days and got to see a lot more!

We all had a great time. It's so fun living this close to our nation's capital. The museums are so fun and exciting to visit. But I love the history the most. Just knowing what has taken place there and how our country runs from this place is very intriguing to me. When the kids are older, we might be able to go and visit some of the more historical sites where you have to read a lot. But for now, the history we get is exciting and we are only 4 hours away!

Here are some pictures from our trip earlier this month. We saw the Museum of American History, the Archives, the Petersen Home (where Abraham Lincoln was taken after being shot in the Ford's theater and also where he died), and the Naval Memorial. We also took a tour bus around all of the area. We saw some great stuff from the top of the bus. Fun!

Deactivating Facebook

Maybe it's just me and maybe I'm putting myself out there way too much on this admittance, but does anyone else think about moments in their day as a facebook post?

I mean, does anyone else have an experience or thought and try to decide a clever way to word that on facebook? I have done that, I do that. I also read just about every post that comes through from my friends list. I like to read others posts about their day.

I never play games on facebook, I never spend TOO much time on facebook, and I never do the quizzes or send little facebook gifts. I really just like to see posts of friends.

But...I started having these feelings of simplicity. Simplifying my world. How to do that without just moving to a cave in the Cache Valley mountains and calling it good. (Although, I'd really love to move to Cache Valley)

First thing to hit the chopping block in my quest for simplification: FACEBOOK. I have loved keeping in touch, so I went through my entire list of almost 300 friends and sent messages to the ones that I don't already have an email address for. I told them that I would love to keep in touch, but it would have to be on email. My list was pretty short. I love friends, but it's just become unneccessary for me to know that they are checking in from random points across the globe, or that they're having chicken for dinner.

I will miss getting the posts about the ones I love and their wonderful moments, sorrowful times, and big news. I feel a bit sad just thinking about it. But, in the long run...I am a wife, mother, latter-day saint woman, teacher, daughter, sister, and friend. And that is what matters most. I need to focus on these life moments more.

So, my facebook has been deactivated. It's amazing how much I don't miss it. I do have more time. I don't have blurry eyes from the computer screen.

I'll miss facebook, but I'm glad I deactivated. Now, what's next to go???

Farewell Facebook.

Crabs

crab, n "Any of various predominantly marine crustaceans of the division Brachyura within the order Decapoda, characterized by a broad flattened cephalothorax covered by a hard carapace with a small abdomen concealed beneath it, short antennae, and five pairs of legs, of which the anterior pair are large and pincerlike."

Well, I have eaten crabs, ONCE. Not bad when cooked right and covered in butter. I have seen them, small ones on the beach...but NEVER in my dreams could I have thought that I would come to HATE them. (But I might still eat them, if cooked right and covered in butter)...

Here's my rundown...with a crab.

Last Tuesday, we thought it would be nice to go out to Sandbridge, our favorite beach. (Sandbridge made it into the news a few weeks ago because during the hurricane it was hit hard and they even think a tornado whipped through there at the same time.)

We've been going there all summer, and thought it would be a nice day, not a lot of crowds, to take David out to "our" beach. So, we packed up the truck and the kids and headed out.

It was a really nice day, the water is still pretty warm and the sand is hot. There was a lot of debris and shells everywhere, churned up from the hurricane, I assume. We were walking on the beach and playing in the sand. It was fun!

David and Jacob were wading in the water and pulling up some pretty big shells. Jacob picked up what he thought was a big shell and it was a live lobster! I guess I didn't really think about the danger of bare feet around all that marine life and broken shards of shell.

Well, I found out. I waded into the water to find some shells of my own and as soon as I walked in to the shallow water, I placed my feet down about 8 inches apart and got STABBED. One hole on the inside of my left foot and one hole on the inside of the right foot, near the heel. I had planted my left foot and jerked away from the pain with my right foot and started out of the water to check my feet.

I immediately thought I was cut from sharp shell pieces. I got to our "camp" and sat down with some clear water and cleaned off the cuts, which were bleeding, but not a whole lot. I put some antibac on them and sat for a while. My feet were throbbing, but not unbearable.

After a while, we decided to get some lunch and get home. I hobbled off the beach, putting the weight on the front of my right foot, because putting my heel down was pretty painful.

We got home and I got a shower, but still couldn't put pressure on the heel of my right foot. The left foot was sore, but not nearly as bad. I decided that I better be safe and get to the hospital. We're talking about marine life and sea water here, so I didn't want to mess with infection or something.

I got to the hospital and got checked in. When the doctor came to get my story and I told him it was from the ocean, he left the room and the nurse came in quickly after that and gave me a tetanus shot and put a liquid antibiotic into an IV in my arm. I guess we aren't supposed to mess with chances with infection from anything on the beach or in the ocean.

So, then I had an xray. The doc came back pretty quickly after that and said, "yep, clear as day, a big bright spot in your foot that shouldn't be there. You've got a foreign body in your foot" So, next step...call ORTHO to take a look.

I ended up in the room where they put casts on broken bones. They put my foot under a little machine and I saw a tear drop shaped white spot in my foot. No mistaking it.

So, next step...LIDOCAINE. UGH. It's bad enough at the dentist, but 3 shots later, and my husband's hand squeezed to death, and my foot was finally numb. They start to dig. About SEVENTY minutes later, the doc informs me that he can't get "IT" out and will have to move me to the next room with better lights and surgical equipment.

Next room...well, lidocaine wears off. UGH again, 4 more shots to numb. Those are SO painful in my opinion. And more digging,a bigger incision and more squeezing David's hand. My foot wouldn't stop bleeding of course and the doc couldn't get a hold on "IT", so bring in the retractor to open the skin wider and the fake tourniquet to stop blood from going to my foot as much.

AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER (we're talking almost 3 hours here), the doc finally said, "I got IT!" About 5 medical people swarmed whatever it was he pulled out and starting taking pictures of IT.

He finally got me stitched up, 6 stitches, and told me there may be nerve damage from cutting the skin and stretching it like that. Great.

I finally got to see the culprit...see that little sharp pointed tip of crab claw in that diagram at the top????




YEP...the tip of a crab claw was broken off the owner and lodged in the tissue of my foot. OUCH.

Now...claw out, serious antibiotics for two weeks, crutches and probably nerve damage (my heel is still numb).


So...to close this epistle to the crab...I HATE you little crab. I know you were just defending yourself, but really? And, much to the chagrin of my beach going friends, I hate the beach, I've never really loved it, just "doing it for the kids" type of thing, so, no more beach for me. I've been told to just invest in some beach type shoes. To me, that defeats the purpose of enjoying the sandy beach with your bare toes. So, I'd rather get some good BOOTS on and find a gorgeous mountain to climb.

PT

For the last 12 years, David has been on a regular routine of physical exercise. In the Navy, they call it PT. He has to pass a PT test every 6 months. Scores from this test go on his record. In 12 years, he's never failed a PT test. (We've known guys that have failed 3 PT tests in a row and have been "kicked out" of the Navy) When he was on the ship, he and his friend Billy had a great routine of exercise. I'll have to say that David looks GOOD. And let's face it we're not spring chickens. No, we're not OLD yet, but David is 37 and looks fantastic. Me, not so much, but I'm still going to use the "I've had 3 kids" card for a while.

I have been working on exercising better. I got some awesome running shoes for my birthday...gift to myself...and I love walking/jogging/running in them. I've been doing that for about 2 months...off and on.

The biggest challenge we face is getting the kids to exercise. This is one of the biggest challenges of homeschooling. I just don't love to get all three kids out there exercising and when it's 9000 degrees and 100% humidity in Virginia, NO ONE wants to exercise outside.

So, last Christmas, we got a Wii. We use it a lot. We have really enjoyed the family time with the games and the exercise. (Although my Wii character hides her face and slouches her big fat butt every time I do a weigh in...WHATEVER!)

However, this summer has been a big challenge! Not only was it so hot, but David was gone, and he is usually the source of motivation for us. And, part of our coping with a lonely house in the evening while he was gone...going out to eat. I admit, this is all my fault, but we used our outings at night to avoid the crying and heartbreaking sobbing of going to bed without Daddy.

Anyway, I am sorry for our lack of exercise. Jacob has been getting a gut, and he's only 11. So, when David got home, he started putting together a routine of kids exercises and we decided to do a homeschool PT program. Unfortunately, he's going to have to do it with them for now, I had a little accident with my foot and am off of it for awhile. (See Post "Crabs")

Today was our first day of PT. I took the dog out and took pictures while the kids and David did a little PT, or as the kids would call it if they were in school P.E.

I think this will be fun, and I hope the kids get a better lesson in exercise from me from now on.




Even Pepper got some exercise.