Yay!

We have a house in Texarkana!  That's one less thing to worry about right now.  :)  We've put a deposit down on a duplex not far from the mall.  Now we just need jobs so we can be sure to pay our rent!  :)  Thanks again for all the prayers...I'll keep you all updated as I can. 

home again

I was able to spend last week back "home" in Texarkana, and it was really nice to be back.  I was able to go to a baby shower with friends that I've known since middle school.  I went back to my "home" church and visited with some great friends.  I even got my children enrolled in the elementary school that I attended, and they're loving it there so far.  It was really great to be a part of my friend's and family's daily lives again. 
I was reminded during my church visit about all of the prayers that were said for my family six years ago as we were deciding if joining the Air Force was the route we should take, and for all of the issues that started to come up as Michael began pursuing that option.  We really appreciate all of you that prayed for and with us during that time, and now we're asking once again for prayers as we make this next big change.  We ask for prayers for guidance as we make big decisions for our future and as we look for employment and a place to live.  Thank you all so much for being there for us in so many ways.  We couldn't have made it these last six years without that support system.  And for those living in Texarkana, we're looking forward to living near you again!

Sick Day

Apparently I spoke too soon when I said Chloe was all better.  She did make it through school on Monday and seemed to feel fine.  She ate very little all day long, but she never threw up.  Then Tuesday morning she woke up saying her stomach hurt, but she and I both thought she was just really hungry.  We were running a little behind so I gave her a small cup of almond milk and took her and Chris to school.  All elementary school kids are given free breakfast here so they always just eat at school.  After I dropped them off at school I headed for the gym for my first torture, I mean workout, session.  Now, the kids are dropped off at school at 7:35 and I was at the gym until about 9:30.  Unfortunately, Chloe didn't even make it to breakfast before she threw up at school.  :(  Michael works nights right now so he sleeps during the day.  Poor Chloe had to sit in the nurse's office while the school and Michael's co-workers all tried to get in touch with us for about an hour and a half.  When I finally got the phone call and found out what had been going on, I felt awful!  Luckily, Chloe was actually still feeling much better.  I think her tummy just isn't really back to normal yet and wasn't ready for milk.  She wasn't pale or pitiful looking when I finally made it to the school to pick her up so I still felt bad, but not as bad as I would have if I had been greeted by a pale, sickly child at the school.  Anyway, she's still a bit sick and will stay on a restricted diet for a few more days. 
So, this morning I was planning on keeping Chloe home one more day from school, but, of course, right after I get Chris up he heads into the bathroom and he's sick too.  :(  So I'm spending my day today taking care of two sick kiddos and doing a lot of cleaning.  Max is pretty upset again too.  I'm trying to take him outside and walk around with him for a few minutes every now and then, but it's cold outside today so that's not a lot of fun.  He's given up for now and is taking a nice nap in his crate so that's good.  Both kids also got Valentine cards from Mimi and Pawpaw in the mail today so that has cheered them both up a bit.  :) 
This is not great timing for me to start this new workout program, but maybe it will work out alright.  I survived my first workout yesterday, but it was extremely tough!  And, today, I'm really feeling some pain and stiffness.  My body is obviously not used to so much physical activity.  Luckily, today is a rest day for me anyway so I'm not missing anything by staying home with my sick babies.  I'm not sure if I'll make it to the gym tomorrow though since Michael sleeps until about lunch time and then he has a couple appointments before going to work in the evening.  I've already let my trainer know I might not make it in tomorrow though and asked her if there might be something I could just do at home to be sure and still get a workout in.  I really do want to stick with this even though it's very difficult.  I felt almost like a contestant on The Biggest Loser yesterday, and I really want to prove that I can lose the weight and get healthier just like they're all doing!
So, sorry for the boring posts lately with no pictures or anything too exciting going on, but once we're all healthy around here again we'll work on fixing that.  :) 

Checking In

I don't really have anything to write about today, but I thought I better check in anyway for those who might be missing me in the Facebook world.  We had quite the yucky, lazy weekend around here.  Chloe woke up feeling bad Saturday morning and ended up having a stomach virus for the next 24 hours or so.  The poor thing couldn't keep anything down at all and just felt absolutely miserable.  I hate when my kids feel that way and there's so little I can do to help them feel better.  Luckily, she began feeling better on Sunday and was able to eat a little bit.  She was still so weak and tired though so we all spend most of our weekend sitting around watching movies together.  Poor Max was the most upset over the whole thing.  We were afraid that he would bother Chloe or knock over her Sprite or something like that so he had to spend his weekend either in the crate or on the back porch.  He was very glad when she was feeling well enough for him to come and play a little bit, and he's really happy for things to be back to "normal" for him today.  He's been following me all through the house today like when he was a puppy.  :)  Chloe is all better and back at school today, and hopefully no one else is going to get sick.

I started working with a trainer at the base gym today.  I figured I better take advantage of the base gym and all of it's benefits before Michael gets out of the Air Force!  She talked with me for a bit about my goals and current exercise and eating habits.  Then I took a fitness test, which was way harder than I expected!  She's going to make out a workout program for me that I will start tomorrow morning.  So wish me luck!  Hopefully this will be the push I need to really get my weight loss started.  I feel like I've been saying that for a while now...please pray for me that this will be the last time I talk about getting started with my weight loss!  :) 

Changes

Well, today is a big day for the Gillilands, especially for me specifically.  I have already deleted my Facebook account this morning, and later today I will be canceling our cable as well.  I'm sorry to those of you that wish I would stick around in the FB world, but I just feel like this is something that I need to do right now.  I'm hoping these changes will help me to get more active and healthy, spend more time with my family, and even get out of the house more.  I've already started a running program with the goal of being able to run a 5K with my brother at least by next year.  :) 

There's also another big change coming to our family in the near future.  Michael will be separating from the Air Force, so that means a move, a new job, and other changes.  We've actually made a big decision about that recently, and I think it will make up for losing FB for most of you.  We're moving back to Texarkana! Michael is still hoping to work for the NSA eventually, but after this last week of separation classes and getting a lot of information, he has decided that he really wants to take advantage of his GI bill and go back to college.  So, we're moving back to T-town for a couple years.  We'll both be getting jobs there, so if anyone knows of any opportunities for either of us, please let us know.  Michael will most likely go back to working at Cooper Tire, but we'd still love to hear of any other options just in case.  He's going to be attending Texas A&M Texarkana and working towards a Bachelor's degree in Political Science.  I'm sure he's appreciate any help in that area as well, if any of you have experience in that area.  :)  We'll also be looking for a place to live so, again, any help is greatly appreciated!  We're looking forward to being back in our hometown for a while and being able to spend some time with friends and family there.  We'll see you all in a few months!

Report Cards

Today was report card day for the kids, and I just wanted to share how proud I am of my very smart children.  Chloe made all A's and Chris made mostly A's and one B.  I'm very proud of both of them and glad that they're doing so well and enjoying school.  Chloe's reading level has just been climbing like crazy.  She started the year at a very beginner level, and now she's reading chapter books and getting very close to catching up with Chris.  He also still loves to read and is doing so well.  I'm mostly impressed with his writing skills, though.  He has had two or three papers chosen by his teacher to share with the other students as an example.  Being a military family, moving several times, homeschooling for a year, all of these things have made me worry that the kids might end up having trouble learning or adjusting in school.  So I'm just very glad to see these little things that show me that they are doing well. 

studying hard  :)

Capitol Visit

We ended up with a little time and money on our hands this weekend, so we decided to take a little field trip.  We went to Austin, TX and visited the Capitol building and the Texas State History Museum.  We also managed to enjoy a nice lunch with my brother.  :)  Unfortunately, I forgot to take any pictures while we were hanging out with Eric, and photography wasn't allowed in the museum.  Here are a few pictures, though, from the Capitol building.  It was a really fun trip, and I think the kids learned a little so that's an added bonus.  :) 

Capitol Building

view of the star from the 1st floor

close-up of the star

House of Representatives

Senate

cool lights in the Senate chambers

Supreme Court

very cool door hinges  :)

we're up high!

it took me forever to catch this shot with no people in the way!  :)

lots of confederacy statues around the Capitol

Alamo statue

and, of course, there was a political demonstration going on while we were there

Volunteer Firefighter statue

another confederacy statue

cowboy statue

Tejano statue

the rest of the Tejano statue

cute little cowgirl  :)

Yee-haw!

these were at the Capitol Visitor's Center museum

looking over at the Goddess of Liberty on top of the Capitol

and, Chloe as the Goddess of Liberty  :)