Day 147

Just like MOM!! This afternoon Logan found the markers on the kitchen table. After her colored all over the table (thank God for magic eraser) He then used it like his Mom uses chap stick:)




Today was a great day. My Katie moved back to Watertown with her two little boys. Katie begged and pleaded for me to wait to watch the Season premiere of Jon and Kate. So after we ate dinner and got the kids into bed. We made us some Hungry Girl Margaritas and enjoyed the show. It is so good to have her back in town.

Day 146

Sorry no video or pics today. I really am not sure where this lazy Saturday went. We had some good friends over for dinner and a movie tonight. The kids got along great while the us gals were able to giggle and chit chat.



Tonight Kresta and I rented Taken. What a great movie that was. It was a enjoyable evening.

Day 145

I so love my blackberry;). Here I sit on the couch watching Sisterhood of the traveling Pants2. It was a rather busy day and the kids were super tired. I am too lazy to get up and get my laptop, but I wanted to do a quick post before I fall fast asleep. I will get a mew video of the kids tomorrow.

Day 144

We had a nice easy day around the house. For the first time in almost a week Logan woke up super happy after a full nights sleep. It was so nice to hear him talking to himself while Emma and I had some time before she left for school.



This evening I attended my final "coffee" with the Catamama's. I really enjoy these women so much and it has sure been quite the ride. I have learned a great deal about myself and how I want to handle my Army Family Life as well as how I want to handle my number one responsibility, which will always be my children and my husband. It was a great day that ended with some great friends and I incredible piece of chocolate mousse!!

Day 143

A couple little videos from our gymnist. The teacher was so excited to say how Emma can now do a cart wheel. She even said she may soon be moving onto the Beginner gymnist class soon. She so loves this!!

Day 142

Today was a long day. Logan is cutting his 24 month molars and is quite the bear. He has been up before 6AM the last 3 mornings. Which has caused his mama to miss her workout and turns his mama into a bear. We had company today that caused Emma to miss-behave a bit. After 2 more incidents with Emma and Logan screaming most of the day I was spent. So after the kids went to bed I sat upstairs with my glass of wine and my 2 current books. 40 days of Love and 3 cups of Tea. As I read more and more I felt myself releasing the stress from today. It also helped to hear to soft sound of my 4 1/2 year old snoring in the next room. Just the slight noise helped me remember what my purpose right now is:) God is Good and I praise him for my trials today.

Day 141

This morning we headed out with a couple of friends to the Syracuse Zoo. We had a great time. We stopped first and saw a Elephant Demonstration. This huge animal did all kinds of tricks (like yoga poses) for treats, it was rather entertaining. We then started the loop to look at all the outdoor animals. The favorite exhibit for the Thom kids was the penguins. Logan thought this was the coolest thing ever. Each time a penguin would swim by he would try to follow it down the line and then try to move the wall:) We concluded the day by coming home and grilling steaks, veggies, and a artichoke and ate our Memorial Day feast in the Gazebo.

Day 140

Today has been a fun day. This morning as we got ready for church Emma and I were having a "missing daddy" moment. We have been so busy the last few weeks we really have not taken time just to hang out and do nothing. So after church we headed to the store to buy ice cream, cheese and crackers, cherries, and Cheetos's. The kids and I sat down with our junk food galore and enjoyed some complete down time with no limitations. After our bellies were full Logan and I headed to nap and Emma stayed up to watch TV. At the end of the day we played and laughed and while we still miss Daddy we were together just the 3 of us.

Day 139

So, I really do not know where the days are going. I am so incredibly blessed with some great friends. Obviously, this post is a day late so I will just let ya know what we did.



We had a sleep over at a friends and decided when we woke up that we would load up the double joggers and head to the river trail for a walk. My foot was kind of bothering me but I knew that would not stop me. My two friends and I are currently training for the Army 10 miler so it did not talk more than 5 minutes for me to want to do sprints. Oh, we had fun. In the end my girl friend and I did 7 miles of running and walking and felt great afterward.




God is incredible. He continues to surround me with positive, encouraging, and loving people. I feel incredibly blessed:)

Day 138

Logan the little ham!! My good friend Kresta has a awesome playscape. The slide is super fast and super steep and Logan loves this. We have had a very enjoyable laughs as the kid flies down the slide and gets up with a smile on his face. I finally was able to take a clip without camera shaking laughter in the background. Logan, of course, wanted to be a ham and see how long he could hold off before going down the slide.

God is incredible. With the sun shining, the birds chirping, and the flowers blooming I cannot help but reflect on all the positive things in my life. I have wonderful kids that keep me smiling all day, I have a big beautiful home that I love, I have God guiding me down the path he has chosen for me, and I have friends that continue to support and love me unconditionally. Praise the Lord with me.

Day 137

Good Friends, Good Kids, & Good Food

God has really blessed me with great friends. There is a small circle of ladies who are getting together to have dinner and let the kids play. It has been such a blessing to have adult conversation while the kids are having such a good time laughing and playing. Oh, and then the food is divine. I am a big fan of "potluck" style dinners:)

Day 136

My May flowers have arrived:) This time when I took them out of the box I decided I would split them up and put some in Emma's room as well as mine. The picture with just one vase is a updated pic. They have really bloomed in the 2 days since I received them. I LOVE THEM!!

Day 135

We had a good day today. The kids were in care while I attended a VTC FRG meeting with Matt. It was nice to see his smiling face. BUT I still enjoy the skype a little more:)

After I helped a friend paint the afternoon away we met up with her, Katherine, and Kresta for dinner and Buffalo Wild Wings. YUMMOO then we headed over to Kresta's to play for awhile. The kids really enjoy playing with her children and I enjoy the company too.

Day 134

Not feeling well today. Logan and I both seem to have a bit of a upset tummy. Nothing to report on.

Day 133

This afternoon we attended a double Batman/Superman Party for some good friends. The kids (and mommies) had a blast. After yesterdays emotionally draining news and day the mommies took the first couple of hours to fellowship and enjoy each other while the children ran through the house. And then the party began for the kids. The birthday boys each enjoyed a cake and then shared cupcakes with the many kids around the table.



It is a blessing to be surrounded by some many women and their children. I am embracing what life has to offer at this given moment. God is shining through me and using me beyond what I knew was possible. This afternoon as my dear friend's child was sick in bed. And as I sat next to him (on the top bunk) I asked if we could pray and this dear sweet child of God looked up and said yes. At that moment I felt so honored to be praying for this child and his family.





Romans 12:9-10 "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."

Day 132

It has been a emotional night and day for us. Early this AM I learned that my fellow Catamount family has lost 2 fallen Soldiers. With my 2 great friends in a great deal of grief we hung out with their kids for most of the day while the ladies made their important phone calls. This deployment really has its moments but it is women like these that will pull us through it. While the situation was incredibly difficult and made for some hard conversations it was great to be surrounded by my incredible "Battle Buddies" and our always smiling and laughing children.

Day 131

Busy Busy Busy is how we have been.


We started the morning by heading off to the YMCA in Watertown for me to take a Body Composition test. Finally, after 15+ months of getting myself up at 5:30 AM to run or P90X it was all worth it when the man gave me my results. I am 1 pound away from my "ideal" body weight and 20 % body fat. I am in the athletic area there!! I was on cloud nine. While I may never see my pre-logan clothes again I am not going to give up my 0530 workout schedule and i will continue watching my calories and eating clean. It was a great afternoon.

Day 130

Nothing new to report around here. The day was gloommy with rain and wind so we tuckered in and hung out all day.



The one really excited thing to me is I had a local Garden center come out to give me a quote to bring up some roots, plants some grass, and they gave me ideas about a tree to plant and other "blooming" plants to put around the area for cover. I cannot wait until Mid June when they should be able to make it out and make it happen.


Pool guy comes this next week and once the flowers are in I will be in my seventh evening every day during nap time. Oh, I love the outdoors.

Day 129

It was another beautifully blessed day. We started out early this morning by taking Logan to day care so I could meet up with Emma's class at Old McDonald's Farm. We went on a dairy tour looking at hundreds of cows. We then played in a bouncy house and feed the goats. When it was our turn we went on a hay ride through along to the tune of the Wizard of Oz. We stopped to feed the billy goat, pigs, and finally a few cows. After the tours we stopped to have lunch with some of Emma's friends from school. She is so silly!!! We ended our time at the Farm by playing golf, feeding the goats more, jumping in the bouncy house, and then catching up with her class mates to see the horses, reindeer, and Rabbits.




After a few errands and running home to drop off groceries we meet a dear friend and her kids for dinner. The grilled chicken at KFC is super yummy but the mac n cheese and biscuit turned my tummy. Guess that's what I get after turning my back to high carbs and grease and then trying eat that junk:( We ended the evening with Gymnastics, baths, and bed:)

Day 128

Exhaustion, is about the only way I can think to express my day today.

I am still working hard to finish the P90X schedule. I am not following day for day because I need to run 3 days a week to train for the Army 10-miler. But I am finally on Day 60 doing the P90X doubles routine. This AM I was up at 4:50 to do 1 hour 45 minutes of plyometrics and cardio. After a quick shower we headed out for the normal Tuesday routine with the kids in care while I run the weekly errands. After that I was able to drop Logan off with a friend before Emma and I went to our FRG meeting.

I am pooped, yet it is 10:30 and I am still "clicking"

Day 127

Day 126

It was a wonderful Mother's Day!!!

This last Friday Emma came home with a gift for me. When I asked her about it she said it was for "Mudders" Day and I could not open it. So this morning I was very excited to ask if I could open it. She then took the bag and started to open it for me. When I said it was mine and I would like to open it she handed it to me. And with a big smile she said, "It's a Hand print"!! Oh, I loved it. It was her hand print on a piece of clothe that the teachers must have helped her sew and then put a loop on it to hang up. It was a perfect start to the day.

After a little lounging we headed to church and then had a good friend and her daughter over for dinner. And the perfect end to the evening is relaxing on the couch "clicking" away as I watch Brothers and Sisters.

Check out the above pic. You can tell Logan had a haircut and he looks like a little boy. I can really see Emma in that big smile. I am one lucky Mama:)

Day 125

Today was Emma's special morning with Mommy. We went and had breakfast with the PBS characters. Oh, we had fun. And it was a super surprise to find our good friend Heather and her family sitting at the same table we were at. Emma is still a little shy around the characters. But she did shake Clifford's hand, and posed with me and Word Girl and then at the end she gave Word girl a hug and posed with her. We had a great time. After that Emma went to Home Depot with me and helped pick out flowers and vegetables for our garden. And we finished up with a lunch and some playing at McDonalds. Emma and I had a great time.

Day 124

Today has been a day. Nothing too exciting to report on. Logan took a 3 1/2 hour nap. Oh, that felt GREAT. I got 2 hours of mowing done, 1 hour of reading, and 2 casseroles prepared. It felt good to get so much accomplished before we headed out to do some FRG business.


Tonight I did something very enjoyable. It was so nice today and I have to windows in the mud room open. Since the outside furniture is still there I took the opportunity to sit in the mud room after I put the kids to bed. Oh, how relaxing. I could hear the crickets amongst the black of the night. As I enjoyed my Friday night glass of wine I enjoyed reading a few pages of my new Book Club's May Book. We are reading 3 cups of Tea by By Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. It is a incredible book. The night is ended with a big sigh and but of course a daily verse that gave me inspiration today.


Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things.

Day 123

So last night Emma had her first Gymnastics class on Post. She loved it!! It was really good to see her enjoy herself again.

Today has been a emotionally draining day for me. But I am confident and feel good about the integrations that I had. Some were unpleasant but had to be done. A good friend brought this bible verse to my attention and I will stand beside it. God is good and has a plan and while right now I don't know what it is I know it is good.

"...but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts...
Romans 5:3-5"

Day 122

Holy Banana's!! We are 1/3 of the way through this deployment. It has really gone by fast for me. I am not saying it has been easy, I have definitely hit some road blocks. But with God beside me we have made it!!

Tonight I got together with a group of ladies who's Soldier's are also away from home. The kids had a blast. Thankfully, the host of dinner had a child proof home and I actually able to sit down and have a adult conversation without chasing after Logan. The kids and I look forward to many more weekly dinner dates with this incredible bunch of women and there children.

Day 121

I am a few days late with the finished monthly Calender. April is DONE!! WAAHOOO:)



The other day we were driving somewhere or other. And as normal the kids were watching a movie and I was chatting away on my blue tooth. At one point I told Emma to be quite please and it appeared the volume on the DVD player had been turned up. I decided to give up on the phone call and told my friend I think Emma must have turned the volume up and got off the phone. Emma then explained to me that she did not turn the volume up it was Nemo's Dad who was talking so loud. I could not help but smile and thank God for that little girl.

Day 120

Today we had a playgroup at a play area on post. It was fun to watch Logan truly experience some of these toys. His preference was the high very steep slide that sent him flying. Emma also enjoyed running all around.

We also had a good friend cut Logan's hair today. I did take pictures but they did not turn out. He was screaming the entire time. So I will post some good ones tomorrow.

Day 119

The above video is from yesterday. The kids woke up in super silly moods and as I was warming the frozen mini pancakes they were eating a few while dancing around.

Day 118

I am so totally on cloud nine right now. I had a blast at the Running for Recovery From Additions 10K this morning The weather was beautiful. A little cold but I knew once I got started I would warm up. I enjoyed every moment of the run. The course was not bad. There were hills but then there were parts of going down hill that seemed to last a while. I had set my mind that at 5 1/2 miles that I would put on my favorite song Flo Rider's Right Round and as soon as the song started my legs just went. My goal was to complete the 6.2 mile run in 60 minutes so you can imagine my surprise when I crossed the line at 56:30 and then learned I took 2nd in my age group. I am so totally proud of myself. In March I did a 5 mile race and was in pain as I crossed the finish line in 50:12. So to know I had improved my endurance and strength so much makes getting up at 5:30 oh so worth it!!

Day 117

On Thursday we took off and went to the zoo. Our first stop after lunch was the farm house where Emma thought the goat wanted food. But we quickly realized he wanted to be touched and we both backed off pretty quick. After we walked for about 5 minutes Emma decided she would rather head back to the play area and play with her friends. Which I was fine with because every time I put Logan in the back pack he thinks it is a great idea to pull my hair and try to lean down to see my face, silly boy:) So we spent some time in the sand box.