Happy 50th Patrick!!

July 4th, 2019!  We love you!

Hugs and Kisses

Dearest Summer,
I love you. I am waiting for the leisure part of you to kick in. Whenever you are ready. 
Thank you!
Carla

Where?

I run a pretty tight ship around here. ALL Stream children started doing their own laundry when they hit the double digits. Yes. 10 years old. Joy to the world for mom. I have been hearing about wool dryer balls FOREVER and finally bought some. I expect all 6 to be back in the little basket I have for them. All tucked in. Safe and sound. I bought 6. I have 4. 
Me "Where are the other 2 dryer balls? Who has them? They are in someone's laundry basket!! Everyone check!!" 
Tim "Is this how summer is going to go? You yelling about dryer balls everyday?"
Me "YES!! KEEP LOOKING!!"

Raider Pride

Proud parental moment coming up. 
Tim was nominated by his Art teacher for Creativity. My youngest(just finished 7th grade!!)was identified with Learning Disabilities in 1st grade. He does his best with academics. He is not a quiz grade. He is not his report card. He is more than points accumulated on a test. He is God's son. With God given gifts. Namely artistic expression. I do ask him to draw his mommy trees and snow capped mountains once in a awhile.

How it's Done

FYI
This is how I do facebook. 
I post a zillion things all at once. The faster the better.
Prolife!! funny stuff, cute things, God's truth, personal reflections, human interest, pics of doing life with Streamers, extend birthday wishes and I calmly and respectfully bring TRUTH to those that are proabortion. Then I run away. (I took fb off my phone years ago) I come back to 67 notifications. Get overwhelmed.Post stuff. Run away. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Facehole and I have a like/intense dislike relationship.

Back Off Hudson!

My baby boy is practicing!!

Maybe

Maybe you are like me. Maybe you battle your doubts, your thoughts and your fears. Every.Single.Day. Old lies from the past sweep in and I have to battle. Battle the lies with the truth. It is exhausting and yet brings such joy!!
I used to try cope with alcohol and entertaining suicidal thoughts. It could not bring peace or hope or joy. It never will. BUT GOD....
God meets me where I am. He was there back then. He is here now. He will be there in the future. He sees me. He knows me. One day it will all be different. Just like that I will leave this place and I will go home. To Him.
That is where I find the joy in struggling well. That is where the hope lies. And although it is not Christmas this line has always meant so much to me.

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
-O Little Town of Bethlehem

Yeah Baby!

The girl purchased her first car!! His name is Darryl.

You've Been Warned

Another Streamer is on the road!

This is Us

PVT STREAM IS HOME!!

Graduation!

Chores

Dear Nathan's future wife,
Nate had early release today and he was made to scrub
the tub. 
You're welcome.
The future MIL

Homecoming!!

From PVT STREAM
I can finally say that I get to come home next week! I passed my pt test!!!! I had to retake it three times. I guess the statement “third times a charm” is really true. I am so happy!!! I have been here for 5 weeks and been away from home for about 6 months now. It is time to go home. See you April 10th Hudson, Wisconsin!!!!

Facehole

Dinner conversation with my wife:

Patrick: "Man, I think I'm getting tired of Facebook."

Carla: "Go ahead and block me, unfriend me, snooze me, do what you gotta do."

Cribbage

I, Patrick learned how to play cribbage from YouTube. I got excited to teach my family to play with me. But nobody would play with me. Finally Carla decided she would give it a try.

Me: "See?! Isn't this fun?"
Carla: "Yeah."
Me: "You don't seem all that into it."
Carla: "I'm just waiting for the fun."
Me: "This is great. It's how we pass the time."
Carla: "What? Are we 70?"

LHOTP

Got home from work and began the usual check in questions with Carla.

Me: "Hi! How was your day?"
Her: "It was a tough day."
Me: "Aw. What's going on?" (shifting into deep consoling mode)
Her: "Mary is blind. Ma and Pa had to send her to a blind school in Iowa. Mary is mad. They can't see her for three months. But she met Adam. So that's good."

PT

My dearest Sarah,
I did my PT test today!!
Pushups 1 1/2 in 2 minutes
Situps 31 in 2 minutes
I drove the van 2 miles in 7 minutes.

I hope you are inspired sweetheart!! NOW CRUSH IT ON WEDNESDAY!!
I love you,
Mom
21 Days!!! armystrong armymom

Sunny Day

Me: "Oh! The sun being out is wonderful isn't it babe?"

Carla : "Yeah, when its cloudy I don't want to do anything at all, ugh..."

(pause)

Carla: "Well, when it's sunny out I still don't want to do anything, but at least I have a better attitude about it."

JOSH IS HOME!!!!

From North Carolina to us.

Ugh

I went to Aldi(not Aldis)this morning with the rest of humanity to prepare for our what....8th snowstorm?! I was at the checkout and realized I had forgotten buns. I ran and grabbed some and made it back to my cart. Nobody even got mad at me. I realized that someone had poked their finger into the bag and dug a hole. I am hoping it was some sweet cherub doing what they do. Got home, put scotch tape over the hole and threw the bun away. And nobody will ever know. Except all you guys.

Vaycay

Nathan "So are we going to do anything fun over spring break?"
Me "No. Absolutely not. No way."

I do what I can to keep expectations low around here.

From Patrick

Upon arriving home from work my wife Carla asked "You didn't happen to get some BBQ potato chips did you?"

Me: "No I didn't. Did I miss a text? What are they needed for?"
Wife: "They're for my uterus."

GRADUATION!!!

He Gone

I find it strangely comforting that when I go to schedule parent/teacher conferences online I read that Joshua doesn't have any scheduled classes or scheduled conferences. 
Probably because he graduated in 2016.

YAY CARLA!!

This thing always seems so happy for me.

Passing

Sarah just called!! SHE PASSED HER PT TEST TODAY!! Thank you so much for praying for her!!
Pushups 19 to pass. Sarah did 37.
Situps 53 to pass. Sarah did 53.
2 mile run in under 18:25. Sarah's time was 16:37.

She is onto BLUE PHASE!! And lobbing live grenades on Thursday! See you in 22 DAYS for graduation girlybug!!

Adulting

This is Joshua.  Working in NC until March.  I love this picture and miss him very much!!

Sarah!!

Sarah usually calls on Sundays.  We turn the volume up on our phones and watch the facebook pages for posts that say "THEY ARE CALLING!!"   We talked for quite awhile and then hung up.  She called back because her DS forgot to set the timer.  Talked again for a little longer and then she called a bunch of her friends.  And called us back to talk two more times.  She was heading for a 7 mile hike and overnight camping and wouldn't be able to call the next Sunday.  So great to see her and chat!!

My Baby is 13!!