Florida's Welcoming Arms 

June 4, 2013 - Posted by Queen&King Lear at 8:48 PM
Let me set this up for you.

Our kitchen. I’m attempting to clear the counters of the ever growing pile of trash, tools, or what have you and putting things in the pantry. Love the pantry. During the unpacking chaos, stuff from boxes marked “kitchen” were haphazardly grouped by likeness and therefore it needs more organization. {Enter lizard} I’m placing a bowl in the pantry from the counter as a teeny orangish lizard crawls lightening fast down the back corner. {insert freakout here}

                                                                                                 
EMILY: “Michael! Michael! Michael! There is a lizard in there. There is a lizard in there.”

MICHAEL: (Ever so calmly does he say) “Welcome to Florida.”

EMILY: “Are you going to kill it?”

MICHAEL: “That could get messy.”

EMILY: “Ew. That's true. Outside?”

MICHAEL: “Hand me some Tupperware, yes we will put him outside.”

EMILY: (handing over Tupperware) “Is he poisonous?”

MICHAEL: “We aren’t gonna find out. Now the lid please.”

EMILY: (handing over lid) “Do you suppose he has a family out there?”

MICHAEL: “They are probably all waiting for him. (a beat) I can’t find him.”

(a few minutes of moving around the pantry items)

MICHAEL: (talking to lizard who we have now named) “Come on little guy.”

EMILY: “I just saw him, there he is!”

MICHAEL: (after a minute of coaxing him into Tupperware) “Got him.”

EMILY: (relieved he didn’t get poisoned) “Phew.”
                                                                                               

After this we ran errands and the lizard (we named him Bet) came with us... we weren’t sure where to put him. We ended up keeping him the whole day, and found another lizard on the back porch that evening (inside the screen) and so we trapped it too. Much the same way. We named this one Midler. We think this lizard was part of the family awaiting Bet’s return to the wild.

About 30 minutes of watching them and admiring the details on their weird looking little bodies we threw them far into the woods behind our backyard. Yes, we have woods.

Goodbye Bet, Goodbye Midler, this one was “for the boys” ;) And thank you Jesus for little moments, details, and screened in porches... not that they matter.

-Queen&King Lear

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Finally Here 

May 29, 2013 - Posted by Queen&King Lear at 12:58 PM
The Leary’s moved, its real. Even with my feverish attempts at prevention. (new adventures are good. new adventures are good. new adventures are good.) We’re officially living in sunny Florida. For the last few nights as more things are unwrapped, and we make a mediocre effort of finding a place for it... we find ourselves asking questions like,

“How do we have so much stuff?” and “Will the counter tops ever be clear?”

To answer those questions: I have a problem with shopping, and Michael has a problem with throwing things out. And yes, the counter tops will one day be clear, if only for a fleeting moment.

A fleeting moment of joy tonight turned into this post. I guess it didn’t fleet so much as it did linger. Which is good. I think I'm gonna like it here. ---> As you may remember from one of my first posts I was leery about starting a blog just because so infrequently do interesting things happen to us. It seems that has changed! During the last month we have said goodbye to our sweet life in Oklahoma, set out on a grand voyage, and safely arrived in Florida! During these past 20-some days we’ve encountered family, friends, dirt, weirdos, bugs, and yes... lizards. We will elaborate on that later ;)

Please by all means, come visit.

My mom says, “You find out how many friends you have when you live by the beach.” To which I followed up with: “Or how many friends you don’t have living in Oklahoma." Sorry Oklahoma, we love you.

Warmly, (literally)
-Queen&King Lear

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IITS OFFICIAL... 

January 17, 2013 - Posted by Queen&King Lear at 5:54 PM
The Leary's are moving to Florida. We got our orders. We shall be reporting in May to Whiting NAS! Congratulations, good thoughts, and air hugs are accepted via email, snail mail, and facebook.

Next weekend Michael and I (+puppies) are taking a mini trip down to Pensacola to take a look at the area, some homes and you know... go to the beach and eat some good food. Good thoughts and prayers are appreciated as we need to find a house quickly, need it to be just what we want... close to the beach, not too far from base, etc etc.

I'm going crazy trying to gather all my to-do lists that I've written over the past couple weeks into one daunting list. (there are a lot of little lists) I'm weary of not be able to get it all done the way I want it, having a garage sale, coordinating movers, company, various events, and finally a road trip.

You would think that this was my dream come true because I'm always wanting something to run more efficeiently, and be uber organized... but this whole thing is so unorganized at this point its making my hair fall out.

Ok, not that dramatic, but I'm not having fun yet. Maybe when we HAVE a place to live. Fingers, toes, arms, legs, ponytails crossed.

Any tips for military moves???

Here is to our next adventure.
-QueenLear


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214 Days: ORGANIZE! 

October 28, 2012 - Posted by Queen&King Lear at 2:40 PM

Right now... we're at the "where to next?" stage on the military life timeline. It's the ever looming uncertainty that's  unfortunate. I'm sure other military wives could vouch for that. For us this stage means we could go, or stay. For whatever May 2013 hold for us, I plan to get organized, and I hope to start now. We're open to moving, even though it would mean leaving our wonderful friends here but we're hopeful about what God has in store for us!

So, I've strapped myself into an organizing fiesta. Michael has never been more THRILLED. For those of you who don't know, that was sarcasm.

During these next 214 days (give or take a few for rest & Holidays, etc) I hope to have our things tidy so that moving won't be as big of a deal as its reputation lets on. I'm not naive. I know it'll be a big job no matter what; we've collected much over the past 3 years! I'd love to make it a teensy bit easier on us when / if the time comes. Plus, if we don't end up packin' up & headin' out, we'll have a newly purged & organized house! Its a win-win. Little things to do here & there, throwing stuff out, cleaning stuff, I can't wait! I will win my made up game. Don't judge me.

This will primarily be my project / game as throwing things away is one of my #favoritepasttimes. However, Michael will help when needed, better yet, when he's available. I think he secretly likes it too. Secretly. Shh.

Sittin. Waitin. Wishin.
-QueenLear

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A Frog & a Turtle. 

October 24, 2012 - Posted by Queen&King Lear at 11:44 AM
The other night we were laying in bed, which means my butt is comfortably placed in the huge indent that is, where I always lay. (I'll tell Michael this week that we need to rotate the mattress) Anyhow, you know how a ladie's mind works when we can't fall asleep...we start thinking about what we have to do tomorrow, something we saw on Pinterest, adding things to our grocery list, etc. I was tired, but at this point I was all jazzed about tomorrow.

So, I asked Michael if he was still awake.

ME: Michael, are you still awake?
MICHAEL: (a sluggish yes)
ME: Ugh, I can't fall asleep...
MICHAEL: (sleep noises)
ME: Will you tell me a story? (the benefits of this were two-fold, a good idea to get me to sleep by having my mind on something else, plus it might help me feel young again)
MICHAEL: Uh.... (stirring) What about?
ME: A turtle and a frog.
MICHAEL: (waits a few seconds and starts the story)

THE STORY
Once upon a time there was Frog, and a Turtle, they were best buds. They were always hanging out and one day Turtle, who was slow at many things, leans over to his froggy pal and notices hes got warts. He says, "Dude, I don't think you're a frog. I think you're a toad." Frog is a little annoyed because no one likes being called out for something they can't help. He says, "No, dude I'm totally a frog, my mom told me I was." Turtle thinks a moment and explains in his sensitive manly manner, "You have warts all over your body." 

 The frog rolls his eyes, and walks away from his so-called friend, annoyed as you would expect. He needs to get this whole toad thing figured out for good. So, he goes to visit his friend Owl and he asks Owl, "Do you think I'm a frog or a toad?" Owl says, "Who." "Who? Me of course," said Frog. Owl cocks his head again and says, "Who." Frog, getting annoyed even more exclaims, "ME!" And he shakes his head as he walks away.  Clearly that old Owl has lost his marbles.

 After a bit Frog comes across his other friend, Deer. He rests a minute while she sips out of the stream, and finally asks the question. "Deer, do you think I'm a frog or a toad?" Deer says, "Oh dear," and sips along. "No. I'm asking you Deer, do you think I'm a frog or a toad?" Then Deer watched Frog as he waits for the answer. Waiting. Waiting. Finally, Frog says "NO, you're the deer, am I a frog or a toad?" "Oh dear," says Deer, utterly confused. "Yea, you're a real dear!" Frog yells sarcastically as she gallops into the woods.

Frog may not have as many friends as he thinks. And I guess he'll never know who he really is, thanks a lot, Turtle. 

I was cracking up at the nonsense that befell my earrios that night. I slept well though thanks to this little diddy. I think we may have to alter the message if it ever becomes a children's book.

Thanks for a husband who doesn't know when he's being funny.
-QueenLear

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