Another Setback....

Well, John is home now and that makes me happy. He is helping with the babies and things have been easier the past 2 days. But we took our cobalt in for a state inspection (required every year in VA) and they found some things wrong with the tires or axles (i don't really understand it, but we knew it was a problem..just didn't think it was big enough to fail inspection) and they wouldn't pass the inspection if we didn't repair it. Yeah, it cost us $500. Every month it seems we have a new costly thing sucking money away from allowing us to pay off all our debt as planned to prepare for our move(s) later this year, and early next.
Computer broke. Termites. Opossums. And now our car. I'd like to think that everything valuable has been fixed/replaced so we should be in the clear for a while. But I don't want to jinx anything, and unexpected is expected with kids/babies. It just ruins an otherwise beautiful day, when I know $$ is all that is on John's mind. But we will get ahead again. And regardless of anything else, we are getting out of the Navy soon. That's pleasing enough to get over it.

One of those cute moments

...among stress and anger and frustration.

Today's Cute Stuff

I WILL CUT MY BANGS!

Thats a line from an old Dana Carvey HBO stand up thing. But after I cut Lucas' hair all gay, I got a little scissor happy and cut my bangs. Immediately regretted it. They don't lay right, but they don't look bad in this picture when I was getting ready for mass:



Mass was exhausting. Both babies whining. My back is aching from carrying olivia in the body carrier, and picking up/dragging lucas everywhere. I am being ungrateful today. I just need a break where I can totally relax. Had to get some groceries after mass and my card was declined....I totally forgot that I cancelled my card after that fraudulent charge on my account. Hate using credit cards for little purchases like that.

Oh--I put up this growth chart to measure Lucas and I only did once the other morning. He is 31 inches. And every so often Lucas goes over and stands up back against it waiting for me---after one time! He is learning so much. Here's a picture of him right after he stood there smiling and waiting--he got mad because i got the camera and told him to do it again lol. His hands are always expressing, "what do you want from me!" Very stubborn now that boy.


But today's good news is we are under 300 days til he's out of the Navy!

Speaking of which, here's a house I found in Idaho that's actually nice and significantly lower priced:

It is listing for $209,900 has 4 bdr and 3.5 bath, 2463 sq ft.

Can you tell I am anxious for this year to end?

~*Samantha Gallardo*~

Here is a bunch of pictures of my childhood. Makes me smile to remember all the good times spent in that house in Littlerock. I used to have so much fun making up games, building forts, climbing the tree in the back. I remember when Lucas was born, I thought he looked so much like me. Sometimes I still see myself in him. But looking at these pictures, especially the baby ones, I DEFINITELY see Olivia. I think she will actually resemble me more than Lucas will, except for her beautiful blue or green eyes :)

These 3 really look like Olivia to me:




Grandmama holding me, I think that's my grandpa on the right, and my dad on the left:

Me and mom

I used to suck my 2 fingers..had blisters sometimes. But it didn't give me an overbite thank God



Over at grandmama's playing cards. Me and dad, Grandmama and cousin Kristy


A halloween:

Dad's boots were huge

Playing at "Wee-see's" house--my mom's friend Jessica's daughter Lisa Marie was one of my first friends. We called her Weesee.

People thought we were twins sometimes. It was fun playing at her house that her dad built in pearblossom, even though there wasn't any electricity and it was well water. And there were snakes. They were kinda hippies.

I was in Kindergarten..crying because I got 'Student of the Month' and thought I was in trouble when they took me out of class lol.

Kindergarten portrait

Probably 5th grade halloween (~1995)

The computer lab!

Laughlin trip--at the Ramada Express. Swimming pool was shaped like a train.


Me and our dogs...i remember crawling through that little dog door when we were locked out once!

I wanted my hair cut short because it hurt to have knots! This picture is so funny to me..with my PC ethnic doll lol.

We didn't have this dog that long..it was too loud and hyper

My brother Jon and I with the doggies

Sarah dressed me up and took this picture in front of her and Susan's ridiculous wall of posters..."Snow", Marky-Mark, Joey Lawrence and color me badd...uh huh

Me dousing something in soy sauce- probably mango

Trip to San Diego--some theme park ride

6th grade pic--back then, the higher you had your 'scrunchie' the prettier you were.

Ah the awkward years. Wait, I'm still awkward! These are from middle school. I was 'in love' with this kid.

My friends forever..or at least til high school right?

8th grade graduation. I bought this dress in Las vegas and was so happy something finally fit me that wasn't for little girls

Yet, another laughlin trip. John's probably like "see? you were once 100 lbs you can do it again!"

Me and Susan at the dorky glamour shot place in the mall. These were all the rage back in junior/high school.

John and I at HS graduation--i think we had only been together for 3 months. Didn't know how 'serious' we would get. STILL surreal to be his wife and mother of his children. So happy we have so much history back!