My dad bought me a mac desktop when I was in college, but after 10+ years (do the math and add a few more years because I wasn't a freshman - or a sophamore - when I got it) and it died last year. Like really died. Won't even turn on anymore died. So, if Brandon ever has to leave town, which isn't that often, but when he does it's for long periods of time. Which means I have to deal with emails on my phone. Which is extremely convenient, but anything more than a quick response gets old after 3 weeks.

AND since we don't have cable we use our computer to watch tv. Unless it's Netflix, then we use the Wii. (Are you totally bored yet?) But I convinced my sweet husband that if he was going to be leaving us for a year then I needed something more than an ipad. He went to pick up meat for burgers for supper and brought this home. He hinted that he might pick this up and when he unloaded all the groceries I had two minutes to find it in the truck. He hid it VERY well because I finally found it with about 20 seconds to spare. I want to sleep with it and I'm afraid of what I will do to the children if they touch it. Christopher did and thankfully my parents were in the room because he may have lost that finger if they weren't. I want to sleep with it, but something about things that electronics supposedly do to our bodies over periods of time is the only things keeping me from actually going through with that. And I'm afraid I'll knock it on the floor. Or crush it.

Anyway, we've already used it to video chat and I've looked up lots of useless things on it and I just had to share my exciting news with all of you. I would definitely say this is waaaaaay more exciting than buying a house! And since we don't have to buy one any time soon, I'm thrilled!

Yesterday was Christopher's 5th birthday. F-I-V-E. I still can't believe he's that old and he just keeps getting taller and that's hard for a mommy to deal with. Even worse, he's starting kindergarten in the fall. I always thought I'd be happy to drop him off, but I think I'm going to be a basket case and it's only March. We are having his birthday party tomorrow, but I couldn't go without wishing him a happy birthday on here for all to see. We made him a pancake in the shape of a 5, stuck a candle in it, sang to him and let him open a present. We wanted to spread them out so they could have time to enjoy each one. He got a new Wii game from Brandon's parents and I think we are going to be playing it a LOT in the future!!! It is lots of fun and the kids can play the games without any problem.

Then we got dressed and headed to school. I dropped Christopher off (with his big "I'm 5 today" sticker in the middle of his shirt) and Sophie and I ran to Walmart to get popsicles for the birthday boy's class and I let her pick out something for her brother. (I'm last minute people!) Then took her to school. I ran home and finished making a cape for our friend Jake's party today. I've finally figured out how to make this and not look cheap. I'm kind of proud of it. Because everything I've made so far looks very beginner and I feel like this looks a little bit like I know what I'm doing. (If you are a great sewer then you will never see my stuff because you will notice the flaws.) Did some more "mom stuff" around the house and then headed back to get the kids.

Christopher couldn't wait to get home and open Sophie's present. He asked me on the way home, "Is it wrapped in that pretend wood stuff that you cut open?" Huh?? I thought about that for a minute and asked, "You mean a cardboard box?" Yup. That's pretend wood people. Cuteness!!! Sophie had forgotten what she picked out, so we didn't have any spoilers and he was very excited about his new lincoln logs. We played for a minute then got a phone call from our best friends, Tiffany and William. We miss them terribly and can't wait for them to visit this June when they come for Brandon's graduation. Then it was time to go to taekwondo. When we got home, Daddy was outside raking pine straw and Christopher couldn't wait to open his present from us. We made him wait until the end of the day because I knew that we would never get him out of the house all day if he got it in the morning. He has been asking for a "construction" train sense Christmas, but this was after he mentioned he wanted the garbage truck we bought him. So, he got it for his birthday. We still love trucks, but we are obsessed with trains right now. He was so excited!!!

I'd been asking him all week what he wanted for supper on his birthday and he kept changing his mind. I was running out of time and getting worried about what he'd ask for, especially since it was 4:30 and I still had no answer. He decided on chicken nuggets and mac and cheese. DONE! We didn't have a cake because his party is tomorrow and we don't need two in the house, along with the cookies I made this week. We love you so much Christopher and are so proud of the little boy you have become!!!!


Now, onto the shocking news. Brandon got a phone call on Monday from the Air Force and it wasn't a good one. We found out that we are not staying in Florida after all. And the list we made back in November was thrown out the window too. He will be going on a remote tour to Korea for a year. Alone. This came totally and completely out of left field. From several fields over. We. Never. Saw. It. Coming. EVER. We'd been told, "Chief residents always get something on the top of their list." And "You are 95% guaranteed to be staying here in FL as faculty." And "If anyone gets pulled for a non-voluntary slot, it will be people underneath you." Left field people. Left field.

Before anyone says anything I want you to know we are fine. Yes, we are shocked and yes, I've been spending the better part of the week taking care of getting the kids enrolled in school somewhere besides here, but overall we are fine. And don't say, "Well, you are in the military so it can't surprise you." To that I say, yes it can and don't ever tell me your name because I will find you and it won't be pretty. We know we are in the military, but that doesn't take away the element of surprise. How else do you think they attack people, by sending letters first? We will be asking that you pray for us. There is a slight chance we could swap with someone. There is also a chance that we could be pulled again and end up somewhere else. You don't know where you will end up until you get there and the key is in the door. (A friend told me that and I believe it!)

Now, one of the possible perks is that we can put in a request to follow up somewhere awesome. Like Europe. Again, no guarantees we will get our top pick, but they do pay better attention to you because they are making you go where nobody wants to go for a whole year without your family. So, we shall see. Our families are sad, but excited because the kids and I will be moving back to Montgomery to be with them. I'm looking forward to the kids getting to spend TONS of time with grandparents and cousins and our best friends, the Khans, who are practically family. We have not told the kids what is going on yet and will not tell them until we have orders in hand. I've started talking to wives who have been through this and I'm taking notes and getting advice. I think we will be good and God is watching over us and we can only come out stronger on the other side. We wanted an adventure and that's what we are getting!! So, there's our latest news! It might change, but it might not.

I'll keep you posted. : )

In case any of you were wondering what it is like to live with our little Sophie, I found this video clip that might help a little. I completely forgot to post it when I made it, but well, we all know how life goes with kids. Full of distractions!! Just a little background, she had been doing this for about 5-8 minutes before I even grabbed the camera. We took a break to change our underwear and pants (don't ask why, if you have a little girl, you don't need to ask anyway) and there is a second clip that is just as long as this one. So, just in case you need help with that, she went on like this for about 12-15 minutes. She is a mess is all I have to say! In case you haven't noticed, her hair pretty much describes what she's like and what I feel like. And if it drives you crazy to see that mop on her head, imagine how I feel. Beautiful blonde curls in a crazy tangled mess... painful to look at when you know the potential they have. (I can't get the video to come up on here so you'll have to click the link below until I can figure it out.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe9EMMiyyXc

Yesterday morning Brandon ran his first half marathon in Seaside, FL. His best friend Burt signed them up for it about 9 weeks ago. Brandon and I don't run. I tried several months ago, but it never stuck. I wish it had. Brandon had to when Burt called him and told him what he'd done. Can you imagine 9 weeks to train to run 13.1 miles? But they did it and I could not be more proud of them. (We wish that Melissa and the boys could have come too, but they weren't able to make it.)

The weather was supposed to be sunny and in the upper 50s to low 60s. Not so much. It started pouring Saturday night and I knew that wasn't going to be good. When we woke up it was in the 30s, overcast and windy. I grabbed extra coats and blankets and loaded myself and the kids up, turned on a movie and hit to road. We found a parking spot, rode the shuttle to Seaside and the first thing I saw when I got off the bus was a bearded man in a hot pink floral bikini running by. Runners are crazy people, ya'll.

(Christopher and Sophie were really good on the drive there and did great getting to and from the shuttle. I was so proud of them!)

We found our spot at the finish line and waited. There were 3000 people running so I had no idea when they were going to finish. The kids were great and stood there looking for Daddy and Uncle Burt and only asked about 6 times when they were going to get there. They finished in just a hair over 2 hours. And they didn't look too bad either! Some people looked like they were going to lose their lunch while one lady looked like she was about to go play tennis and didn't just run a half marathon she was smiling so much. I think I would have been found on the ground about a third of the way into it.

(Brandon finishing on the far left. Burt is behind the guy in the white shirt. I didn't realize until this morning that I know the guy in the white shirt. He goes to our church.)


(Brandon and Burt still trying to catch their breath. I think Brandon is used to doing the #1 thing from playing sports because I don't think he realizes he still does this.)


(Jim N' Nicks was there and Sophie was in love with this pig. We had to see it three times. I wish that she would let me fix her hair, it drives me crazy that it's in her face all the time.)


(Burt still had enough energy to chase the kids around. See that cute bag in the stroller? That's what Melissa and I got for the guys running. Nice, huh? It was sponsored by Vera Bradley.)

Some of our dear friends, and former neighbors, from Huntsville happened to be in town on vacation so they came over to hang out with us. We loaded up and went to get lunch at PF Changs and then came home. I think Brandon and Burt were surprised at how little they hurt, but I'm pretty sure it was because the high hadn't worn off yet. You've got to feel something after doing that to your body, right? Regardless, I am very proud of them!!!!! Way to go guys!!!!

I feel like I have been MIA a lot on here lately and I'm sorry. To all 23 of you who actually read this blog. (Wait, I'm not sure I even have that many followers!) Anyway, we have been really busy here at the Hemphill house. So busy that we recently had one of those days where you wake up hoping that everyone has a clean pair of underwear and at least two clean socks to wear. Notice I didn't say matching socks. Or clean clothes. I have been known to wear something, see it is dirty, never change and then say, "It happened after we left the house."

What have we been up to? Mostly enjoying the warmer weather we have been having, taking advantage of the week off that Brandon had, me leaving him with the kids for two days and two nights to hang out with my best friend at the beach (he planned it, not me and I adore him for that!), then enjoying the same beach with Brandon and the kids, running back and forth between home/school/activities and honestly, I can't remember what else! Oh, I had a birthday. Enough said. They aren't fun anymore.

We have also decided this past week to start house hunting. I found a steal of a house online that I thought possibly could just need some painting and maybe new carpets and a wooden fence to replace the ghetto chain link one it has (like the one we currently have), but once we entered the house and the real estate agent told us that she has to leave the door open due to the smell, I got worried. One of those "we bought a house, couldn't sell it so we rented it out" cases gone bad. Just think puppies who peed, people who smoked, water leaks in bathrooms and that's just the stuff we know about. Even the agent was ready to get out of there. Yesterday we looked at a house that Brandon found and liked it. Didn't love it, but it would work. Hopefully I will go look at at least 2, maybe 3 more on my own this week.

In other news, Christopher had his first taekwondo belt test today and passed! He now has an orange stripe on his belt and to celebrate we had spaghetti and make him a chocolate cake with orange colored glaze. We wanted to make sure he knew how proud we are of him and that was what he wanted. He's already started talking about doing it again with yellow colored glaze when he tests for the yellow striped belt. I'm so proud of him!

Sophie is still taking dance and is as funny as ever! Yesterday, I ran to Walmart (to get something for MOPS that nobody even touched) and Brandon told me that the class was to work on doing a pleia and Sophie had her heels together doing it, but the girl next to her didn't, so what did Sophie do? Start pointing and telling the teach that "she's not doing it right!" Great. Later she was spinning around (one of her newest favorite things to do) and she got in trouble because she wouldn't stop. She likes being dizzy? Crazy kid!

I guess that's about all. That I can think of now. My eyes are so blurred over because I've been looking for bedding for Sophie's new big bed... that we have not bought, but I like to be prepared for when we do. It's hard to find something I like. It's quite a commitment. Maybe it's because I don't want pastels or something that is mostly pink. She likes blue. Hope to come back soon with photos, but not sure what we even have photos of. Oh yeah, our little trip to the beach. I told you I was tired!

I need some advice. And in order to get this advice, I have to confess something. It may shock most of you, and I'm pretty sure that 95% of you reading this will totally disagree with me and/or not feel the same way as I do and I'm aware of that. Please do not hate me. Here goes....

I despise this part of being a parent. It goes right down there with potty training. They stress me out beyond belief! Now I feel that I need to say this, I LOVE LOVE LOVE to have people over and would do it every week. But in a way that means I don't have to clean house and light candles and have a bath before you get here. (I have had 30 minutes warning for people I have never met and told Brandon if they are ok with no makeup, a dirty t-shirt and a cluttered kitchen/house then I'm ok too. True story!) It just means that you are extra welcome in our house and we think of you as family! : ) You have to be ok with toys on the floor, a non-fancy meal and my kids yelling, "GROSS!!!! THERE'S A BEAN ON MY PLATE!!!" or you can't come over. We entertain casual style at the Hemphill House. This does not ruffle a single one of my mother hen feathers. But throwing my kids a birthday party will make me want to pull every single one of those feathers out, dress like a wolf and scare the mess out of anyone around me.


I'm pretty sure it's because everyone else that I know will go above and beyond in the planning and decorations and themes and invitations and cakes and more and I just can't do it. (Wendi, I'm going to go ahead and tell you that I know you are the exception because we have talked about this.) And most of you can do it on a budget. Which makes it worse. Or maybe you don't do it on a budget and great for you. But I fear that you will see the lame party that I threw and that not a single thing is handmade (I have made the cakes before, just not every year) or hand chosen, but it is all store bought and not special ordered for just my child and leave telling your best friend, "I just went to the tackiest birthday party ever!!!"


I'm not here to judge/be jealous/talk bad about you and your parties, I'm here to ask how you do it? I didn't throw Sophie a party this year. I had full intentions of doing it and Christmas was so busy that I couldn't plan ahead for it in December and after Christmas was over, the last thing I wanted to do was have a big gathering 3 weeks after Christmas that involved even more toys being brought into our tiny house that was already bursting at the seams. That and we were sick. The whole month. The day I was "going to" have the party I woke up and felt like I'd been hit by a mack truck and was so glad I never planned it. Poor kid! And please give her the pity party the next time you see her. She deserves it. I'm a terrible mother. (Note, I wanted to throw her a tea party with only the girls she finally has for friends, but was stressing about what the moms would do with their sons during the party and so I decided to just give up and have it at Chickfila because they do everything! Even the party favors! Never happened.)


Now, Christopher's birthday is coming up next month and he's going to be 5. That's right, FIVE. He has had a party of some sort every year. It may have just involved friends at the park with pizza and cake, but it was fun and he loved it. This year we want to do something different. We had originally thought about going to Montgomery to have it at the zoo because at the time we thought we'd be moving far away and wanted to have just our family get together for one last b'day party. But now that we are staying I'm thinking we will just have it here. Bowling maybe. He wants to and I'm ok with it.


Here's where the question comes in, (I know a lot of talk for one question) how do you decide how many kids to invite to the party? I really like the idea of "the age of the child determines the number of kids to invite." Do you stick with just the birthday child's friends or do you invite your own friends too? Where do you draw the line? Because we could easily have up to 60 people at this party! Do you let the child pick and hope no one gets their feelings hurt? Most everyone you know has siblings by this point so that doubles or triples the number of kids running around. I'm totally cool with kids running around (because we won't be at my house!), but then here's another question... (sorry!) do you give party favors to every kid that comes or just the one that is the closest in age because that is the one who is the birthday child's friend? 


Which leads me to another question that I'm pretty sure will offend everyone I know, especially the Southerners, but why do we give party favors? Do we feel the need to pay everyone back for buying our child a gift? If I buy your child a gift I don't in any way expect you to give my child something too. We are here to celebrate you, not me. Wait, isn't that the Southerner coming out in me too? We are a confusing bunch.


Which leads me to another question.. (I'm full of it today!) is it wrong to write "NO GIFTS" on the invitation? I've seen people do this, but people bring gifts anyway. Doesn't that annoy the parent who didn't want gifts? Were they just being "nice" or did they really not want more gifts? At this age I don't really care if he gets more gifts because he is old enough to get the whole birthday thing, but I'm just curious what you all think about it.


Ok, I think I may have just lost a couple of my "followers" OR given some of you a heart attack OR totally and completely offended you and you will take me off your list of "blogs to read" and never come back again, but I just had to ask. I need to know what I'm supposed to be doing about all of this.

So, help me out here ladies. I need it when it comes to this party stuff. And please, do NOT be offended by any of my questions, I need to know how to do it and not feel stressed about it! I love my children and want to celebrate them, but not freak out when I do it. Maybe it just means having it away from home, grab a couple of balloons and a cake on the way. Let me know! : )