Kids...

Life... Wow, It is so amazing how kids grow! For those of you who have kids you know what I am talking about. But for those of you who don't have kids of your own you cannot even imagine the joy that it is!

When you have kids you cry when they cry, you smile when they smile and you will do almost anything to make them laugh! It is by far the most amazing thing that I have ever had the experience to witness. She learns so much on a daily basis I feel like I almost cant stay caught up with her! New words, new actions, and even her very own likes and dislikes (which she now expresses very strongly!)

Some of her new favorite things are:

playing patty-cake- She knows all of the actions and she will stand right in front of you and start doing it so that you will sing the song.

coloring- she will color with (and on) anything that she can get a hold of (including tables and chairs and walls)

playing in the park- it is so fun to watch her because she can do it all herself now and she is so proud of herself when she goes down the slide all by herself.

Giving loves- she loves giving kisses and hugs. she will blow a kiss to anyone who looks her way! I absolutely live for a hug and kiss from my little angel!

there are a million other things and I don't even have time to list any more but I felt I just needed a little bit of mommy bragging time! I cannot wait to see what she will learn next!

My Little Angel!

I saw thing great little video the other day about moms. Just thought I would share it! Enjoy!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olSyCLJU3O0

14 Things not to say to a military wife....

I stole this from a friend of mine because i thought it was funny... but also true!

1. Aren't you afraid that he'll be killed?"
-This one ranks in at number one on the "duh" list. Of course we're afraid. We're terrified. The thought always lingers at the backs of our minds - but thanks brilliant, you just brought it back to the front. Maybe next you can go ask someone with cancer if they're scared of dying.
2. "I don't know how you manage. I don't think I could do it."
-This is intended to be a compliment. Though, its just a little annoying. Here's why: it's not like all of us military wives have been dreaming since childhood of the day we'd get to be anxious single moms who carry cell phones with us to the bathroom and in the shower. We're not made of some mysterious matter that makes us more capable, we just got asked to take on a challenging job. So we rose to the challenge and found the strength to make sacrifices.
3. "At least he's not in Afghanistan."
-This is the number one most annoying comment for those whose husbands are in Iraq. What do they think is happening in Iraq? An international game of golf? Guys are fighting and dying over there.Plus more then likely our Good Friends are fighting in Afghaistan, so yeah stupid remark!!
4. "Do you think he'll get to come home for Christmas/ anniversary/ birthday/ birth of a child/ wedding/ family reunion, etc?"
-Don't you watch the news? No! They don't get to come home for any of these things. Please don't ask again.
5. "What are you going to do to keep yourself busy while he's gone?"
-Short answer: Try to keep my sanity. Maybe there's a military wife out there who gets bored when her husband leaves, but I have yet to meet her. For the rest of us, those with and without children, we find ourselves having to be two people. That keeps us plenty busy. We do get lonely, but we don't get bored!
6. "How much longer does he have until he can get out?"
-This one is annoying to many of us whether our husbands are deployed or not. Many of our husbands aren't counting down the days until they "can" get out. Many of them keep signing back up again and again because they actually love what they do or they VOLUNTEER AGAIN and AGAIN to go back to Iraq b/c there is work that needs to be done.
7. "This deployment shouldn't be so bad, now that you're used to it."
-Sure, we do learn coping skills and its true the more deployments you've gone through, the easier dealing with it becomes. And we figure out ways to make life go smoother while the guys are gone. But it never gets "easy" and the bullets and bombs don't skip over our guys just because they've been there before. The worry never goes away.
8. "My husband had to go to Europe for business once for three weeks. I totally know what you're going through."
-This one is similar to number two. Do not equate your husband's three week trip to London/Omaha/Tokyo/etc. with a 12-15 month or more deployment to a war zone. Aside from the obvious time difference, nobody shot at your husband or tried to blow him up with an I.E.D., your husband could call home pretty much any time he wanted to, he flew comfortably on a commercial plane, slept between crisp white sheets and ate well, paying for everything with an expense account. There is no comparison. We do not feel bonded to you in the slightest because of this comment and, if anything, we probably resent you a bit for it. Comparing a 12 month combat deployment to a few weeks business trip is like comparing a Ford Taurus with a Mercedes convertible.
9. "Wow, you must miss him!"
-This one also gets another big "duh." Of course we miss our men. There are some wives who do not and they're now divorced.
10. "Where is he exactly? Where is that?"
-I don't expect non-military folks to be able to find Anbar Province on a map, but they should know by now that it's in Iraq. Likewise, know that Kabul and Kandahar are in Afghanistan. Know that Muqtada al Sadr is the insurgent leader of the Mahdi Army in Iraq and that Sadr City is his home area. Know that Iran is a major threat to our country and that it is located between Afghanistan and Iraq. Our country has been at war in Afghanistan for seven years and at war in Iraq for five years. These basic facts are not secrets, they're on the news every night and in the papers every day... and on maps everywhere.
11. "Well, he signed up for it, so it's his own fault whatever happens over there."
-Yes, ignorant, he did sign up. Each and every day he protects your right to make stupid comments like that. He didn't sign up and ask to be hit by anything, he signed up to protect his country. Oh, and by the way, he asked me to tell you that "You're welcome." He's still fighting for your freedom.
12. "Don't you miss sex? I couldn't do it!"
-Hmmm, no I don't miss sex. I'm a robot. Seriously...military spouses learn quickly that our relationships must be founded on something greater than sex. We learn to appreciate the important things, like simply hearing their voices, seeing their faces, being able to have dinner together every night. And the hard truth is, most relationships probably couldn't withstand 12 months of sex deprivation.
13. "Well in my opinion....."
-Stop right there. I didn't ask for you your personal political opinions. Hey, I love a heated political debate, but not in the grocery store, not in Jamba Juice, not at Nordstrom, not in a bar when I'm out with my girls trying to forget the war, and CERTAINLY NOT AT WORK. We tell co-workers about deployments so when we have to spend lunch hours running around doing errands and taking care of the house, dog, and kids, they have an understanding. We do not tell co-workers and colleagues because we are giving an invitation to ramble about politics or because we so eagerly want to hear how much they hate the President, esp. while we're trying to heat up our lean cuisines in the crappy office microwaves.
And last but not least....
14. "OH, that's horrible...I'm so sorry!"
-He's doing his job and he's a good at it. Don't be sorry. Be appreciative and please take a moment out of your comfortable American lives to realize that our soldiers fight the wars abroad so those wars stay abroad.
If you want to say anything, say thank you. Say that we all will be in your thoughts and prayers.
Just say "THANK YOU!!"

Easter 2010!

It has been a while since I have updated the blog but here is Easter!

Emma woke up Easter morning and after breakfast we took her in the living room where her eater bucket was waiting for her!

What the Easter Bunny left!

A peek inside!

After she looked at the bucket I showed her that there were eggs hidden around the living room. Her eyes lit up and she ran over to the first one.

After she found the first egg she was really excited! (but she was even more excited when she discovered what was inside of them.)

Eggs all lined up on the couch after she found them all!

After she found all the eggs she wanted to play with the toys out of her bucket so we got them out for her.

Helping mommy with her new puzzle!

Reading her new book all by herself!

"Eating" out of her new pink bucket after she emptied it!

Emma's Easter gifts included:

9 Pink Camo Eggs filled with M&M's and Jelly Beans

1 Pink sand bucket with shovel

1 bag of animal crackers

1 package button candies

1 new puzzle

1 my little pony

1 sparkley wand/baton thing

2 books

1 coloring book

2 large crayons

4 bathtub balls

1 watering can for the tub

1 blowup octopus

1 slinkie

We had a great day listening to conference and relaxing while Emma played with her new toys all hyped up on sugar!

Pictures!!

I just thought i would post some more pics of Emma! Here they are!

Pretty Sunday Dress!

Cheese!

Rockin' Out!

Eating a popcicle!

Yummy!

This is one of my favorites!

Lookin' cute riding her bike!

Wow its time for a serious update!

Ok. So since i have written last a lot has happened! Since i cant really remember everything i will just go over the main things! (This might get a little lengthy... sorry)

In November we had a pretty uneventful month except for thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving we went to one of Ryan's Sargents houses and had dinner and hung out for a while. Then we went home. It had been raining really hard (but it does that a lot here so we did not really think anything of it) but when we got home i stepped in a puddle... in the living room... Our roof had been leaking right onto my brand new couches and the running of onto the floor!!! man! so we put a bucket there and they came and fixed the roof awhile later. It was so sad but my couches are ok and its not leaking anymore so that is good.

In December Ryan had to go do training for 3 weeks so Emma and i spent the whole month in Utah with family. While i was in Utah i got to go and see Liz get baptized! That was the most amazing thing ever! I am soooo happy for her! Ryan flew out on Christmas Eve to be with us and Christmas was really good. We flew home together a couple of days after Christmas.

In January we went back to life as normal. I got a calling to be a leader in the Nursery and i love it! My little class is sooo cute! And Ryan was called to work in the Cub Scouts. Everything went smooth until Monday night the 18th...
At about 12:30 he woke up complaining of back pain which is not really abnormal for him but it seemed to be pretty bad this time. Well he had a hard time sleeping the rest of the night but got up and went to work the next day anyways. He called me at about noon to tell me that his back still hurt really bad and it was making him sick to his stomach. He said he was going to go to the doctor soon. Well at about 4:00 he got home from work and was is a lot of pain. The doctors told him that they thought his hips were out of place and so they told him to just rest until they could be readjusted. So he was sitting on the couch but it just kept getting worse and worse. Finally at about 10:00 he could not take it any longer. He could not eat or drink without being sick and he was in too much pain to bare so i took him to the ER. Well the thought he had a virus so they put him on an IV and come pain killers because they did no think there was anything else they could do. Well after the pain numbed a little they realized that it was not in fact coming from his back. That was a symptom. He was having an appendicitis. So at about 5:00 in the morning they took him in for surgery which is usually a routine one and should not have been very major at all. they usually use 3 very tiny holes and you are back on your feet the next day. but there were complications which made them cut about a 4 inch incision down his stomach to do the surgery. He spent several days in the hospital but finally got to come home yesterday. He is going to be fine but right now he is still in a lot of pain.

Well that is what has been going on. Life has been an adventure for us lately. It is not going to slow down any time soon though. Ryan will have a few weeks of Medical Leave and then he has to go back to training because he is being deployed in March. He will be gone for at least 12 months but they could extend for up to 6 more months. I will be moving back to Utah to be close to family while he is gone.

Well that is life in the Herring Family! Hope All is going well for all of you!

Fall Fun!!

I was going to post a bunch of pics of emma playing in the leaves but this one is my fav! so ill just do this one!!! I Love it!!!

Pray for them!

There was a shooting on Ft. Hood, Texas today, for those of you who had not heard... 12 people were killed... and 31 more injured... 10 of those killed were soldiers... They do not yet know what drove the man to go on a shooting spree but they guess he was angry about being deployed...

It may be because i have a soft spot for military families now... but i have really been effected by the shooting. I just wanted to ask you all to keep the families in your prayers... as an army wife i know that they all deal with the thoughts that next time that her soldier gets deployed he may end up injured.. or worse... but for this to happen at home where they are supposed to be safe is just unfair and stupid... all of those men were supposed to be at home tonight with their families and now, because 1 man was upset about something, they wont be. If our troops are not safe at home on American soil, not to mention on an Army post, then where can they be safe? Im pretty sure that this one man killed more soldiers today than the war did in the past few weeks.

Sorry for my ramblings... but please just pray for the families of the victims... and pray for the rest of our troops to be kept safe...(even if you dont agree with the war)... they can use all of the prayers they can get...