Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Overwhelmed

Growing up in the Midwest I had my fair share of experiences with tornado warnings and watches. But as scary as that could be I was comforted by the fact that we had a basement to run to for shelter

I remember one year I was camping with my Girl Scout troop. We were staying in this huge beautiful farmhouse. The bathrooms were a little ways away from the house and as my friends and I were walking to use them we heard the tornado sirens going off. Then the camp ranger drove by to unlock the basement door for us and told us to take shelter

My mom was chaperoning this trip and for that I will forever be grateful. I can still see the water pour down the basement walls and hear the thunder and wind pelt the farmhouse. When it was all over we got out to survery the damage. The damage to our site was minimal but to the town of Sheboygan it was horrendous. People talked about that tornado for years. And this began my fear of storms. Any time a storm would hit regardless the severity I would take shelter in my basement

And now this scaredy cat lives in northern fl where basements are not common.

Monday night the storms were horrible. By my house however it was pretty calm and the kids and I slept through it all. Tuesday night was another story. I had put the kids to bed and was trying to watch tv but since I have direct the tv kept coming in and out due to the rain outside. I was starting to try and get a news station to come in when a friend called and said that a massive storm and possible tornado was heading my way. The news warned of a tornado in pensacola and as I turned up the volume to listen the news station went blank. 

I figured out my laundry room was the safest place for us to be, laid out pillows and blankets, herded Gianna in and bribed her with my iPad to sit still and went to get a sleeping Ethan out of his crib. At this point we still had power and the internet. Friends and neighbors were texting and emailing me since my tv was out. Then my phone started screaming at me to take cover.

The lights flickered, went out, came back on and went our conpletly. Gianna started screaming and Ethan scrambled onto my lap. I sang songs, told bible stories and prayed that we would be ok. A friend sent me a text saying that a tornado had been spotted in Baker off Gillocer road. When she sent me that I almost peed my pants. It was right across the street from me

Suddenly everything got really calm. Then before I knew it noise was all around me. As I sat in my laundry room with two kids and two 80lb dogs cowering and shaking I felt like I was In Dorothy's house in the wizard of oz. I could hear rushing water all around me, so loud it felt like it was closing in and the whipping of the wind was terrible. I thought my windows and the doors were going to busy in. Before I knew it it was over. Friends continued to call and text to make sure we were ok and to update me on the progress of the storm. I snuck out of the laundry room to peek outside in my backyard. The lightning was like nothing I have ever seen. Constant and relentless. So I hurried back into the laundry room where the kids and I spent the night

I woke up the next morning afraid of what I might find. Power was still out and my phone was almost dead. I was starting to get irritated about the fact that all the milk I had just bought was going to spoil and that the girls night I had planned for tonight would be cancelled. Then I swung open my patio door and blinked in disbelief

There was debris everywhere. Gianna's playhouse that was on my patio was flipped over across the yard. A tree was down on my fence and the husbands grill was pushed up to my kitchen window. Out my front yard the cleared lot had washed away and all the trees were on the power line. The road behind my house was washed away. People were reporting 2ft of rain and over 60,000 lightening strikes in our area. Pensacola was flooded and the airforce base was closed. We were now on a state of emergency. Scary stuff right. Here are some of the pics I snapped

I hadn't exoected much damage so when I saw all this I was overwhelmed. I was so thankful that our damage was minimal compared to many others, thankful that the worst was over and above all grateful that the kids and I were kept safe. Praise to God for looking out for us

I didn't even cry until I looked at Gianna's playhouse. The playhouse that M had spent hours putting together right after he came back from his deployment. The playhouse that we were so excited to surprise her with. As the tears came I looked at my fence and wondered why my husband is always deployed when stuff like this happens. As my two friends showed up to help me cut down and clear the tree I started doubting if we would be able to cut it al down. Then all of a sudden 7 guys walked into my backyard carrying chainsaws and got to work. It took me a moment to realize that they were all my neighbors and I sat blinking back tears as they helped me put the grill and playhouse back in the right spot and continued to cut down and clear the tree from my yard and fence. 

God I love my military family. And I am beyond grateful and thankful that the kids and I are safe. 

And please pray for those that were not as lucky. The rain is still going on and the water is continuing to rise

Thank you God for keeping us safe


Friday, April 25, 2014

Diy Fairy Garden

As a child I had a very vivid and active imagination. I am not ashamed to admit that I believed in fairies, mermaids and unicorns. And wouldn't you know it that those are 3 of my daughter's favorite things. Her fairy obsession started when we watched the movie Peter Pan. Then one day when we were in the nursery my watch kept catching a glint of light and making patterns all over the wall. When she asked what it was I told her it was Tinkerbell. That's all it took to start her fairy obsession.

 I had had this idea for awhile to make a little fairy garden for our backyard. I wanted it to be a fun mom and me project that we could do while Ethan was napping. I had seen a few blog posts on fairy gardens and on Pinterest but wanted to keep things simple since Gianna is only 2.5. So we headed to hobby lobby for our supplies and here is what we came up with

Every fairy garden needs a fairy door









Putting this together was so much fun. Everything was form hobby lobby, all on sale and Gianan picked it all out. Every morning she wakes up and wants to say hi to her fairies and when we are outside in the backyard she plays with it constantly. It is so fun watching her imagination grow

And to go along with our fairy garden we have a handful of fairy books that we read constantly
They are
Fairy Birds
Pinkalicious and the Fairy House
How to Find Flower Fairies
Fairy Houses
The Wee Hours


As Gianna gets older I am looking forward to doing more of the actual DIY fairy garden crafts that we have found on Pinterest. But for now this is is perfect for her to play with!

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

The Real Military Wives of Blogland

Although I already posted today I saw this going around the blogsphere and had to link up. When I first started blogging it was to connect with friends and family back home and also as a way to meet other military wives. Since I've had the kiddo's I feel like I've lost a lot of my old followers and I post less and less about this crazy lifestyle. And I miss that. So here I go. Cant wait to connect with more mil-spouses again. Thanks Samantha and Mallory for starting this
 
Mal Smiles
 
Hello! My name is Katie and I am originally from Milwaukee, Wi. I met my husband through my now SIL. I was working at my local police department where my SIL worked. She had set up a Myspace account to communicate more with her brother. He was in the army and currently deployed in Afghanistan.Since he and I were her only friends, we jokingly became friends. We started talking online and when he came up to WI for a weekend after his deployment ended we hit it off. We continued talking after he returned to Ft Bragg, NC where he was stationed and a month later when his leave started he once again returned to WI. We fell, hard for each other and spent every second together. We went on a trip to Vegas, then to Key West and the rest was history. We were engaged a month later and returned to Key West to get married. 5 months after we first met. It was a whirlwind and little did I know that it was only getting started
 
My husband deployed a month after we were married for a total of 9 months. I stayed in WI where I continued to work at the police dept and where I was also going to school for my master's in Special education. Those 9 months were horrible and the D word was thrown around numerous times. However when he returned home from his deployment we knew that what we had was worth fighing for. When his leave started we finally took our honeymoon and then I packed up my stuff, said good-bye to my family and lifelong friends and moved to Fayetteville, NC where the husband was stationed.
 
 
I got a job as a Behavioral Therapist working with kids who have autism and we slowly adjusted to married life and finally living together.
About 1.5 years after our first deployment ended he left again for a short tour in South America. I kept busy with work and school but one thing was for certain. We both knew that when he returned it was time to expand our family. In Nov of 2010 we found out we were expecting our first baby. He deployed again when I was only 9 weeks along and returned when I was 25 weeks along. A few weeks after that we made our first PCS move to Crestview, Fl where he is currently stationed
 
Our first baby was born in July and I became a SAHM. The husband was in and out for training and when our daughter was 6 months old we found out we were expecting again. Irish twins. Babies 15 months apart. But that wasn't even the hardest part
Right before we found out we were pregnant with baby number 2 we made the decision to reenlist. Adding 6 years to the hubby's time would put us at 16. So basically we made a commitment to this military life for the long haul. The husband also decided to turn in his warrant office packet and was accepted.
So a week before our daughter turned 1 the husband headed back to Ft Bragg to start the warrant course.
 
I enjoyed time with our daughter and prepared for our new baby boy. Luckily I was set to have a repeat C-section so the husband was able to make it home in time to welcome our baby boy into the world
We were now a family of 4. When Ethan was 2 days old the husband left to finish the warrant course and was officially promoted a few days after Ethan turned a month old. The hubby returned home, spent two weeks with us and left for Afghanistan. Life with 2 under 2 is hard, add to that the stress of a deployment and there were many days that I felt like I was swimming under water and struggling to get by. But as time passed things got easier and it was time for the hubby to return home
After 10 months away the hubby was finally home. We loved having him home with us though adjusting to life as a family of 4 was def a huge transition. And of course after 4 months home, duty called and the hubby left to go TDY for 4 more months. He returned home right before Christmas and left again in the beginning of March for another deployment.
So it's just me and the kids again counting down that days till daddy comes home.
 
This lifestyle can be hard. Very hard. And unless you are living it you have no idea what it's like. I've had plenty of people say, Well, you got yourself into this. What did you expect? Or the blank stares when I explain I'm a SAHM. It all boils down to this
My husband is always gone. In the last 3 years he has been gone 2.5 of it. Nothing could have ever prepared me to spend more than half my marriage apart from my husband. Or to have to raise two kids without their daddy most of the time. It's hard to co-parent when you can only talk to your spouse 20 mins a day. If that. It's hard to celebrate birthday's, holiday's, anniversaries, etc by yourself year after year. It's hard to miss someone so much and to hear your daughter tell your son that "Daddy doesn't live here anymore"
So no, I didn't know what to expect. And I find that 6 years into this lifestyle with 5 deployments under my belt on top of numerous TDY's that the time apart doesn't get easier, it only gets harder
I have learned though that with each deployment we get better and better. We communicate better and learn more and more about the other. We also become stronger as individuals and learn not to take time together for granted
And while this lifestyle isn't easy  it also has given us so many opportunities. And an amazing sense of pride. Pride for our country, for all the men and women who serve and for my husband. As hard as it is staying home and raising 2 little one's without their dad, my husband is the one that has to leave us. He spends days and months apart from his family, sacrificing the daily luxuries that everyone else takes for granted. He does it for us, but he does it because he loves his country and believes in what he does. He is the most hard working man that I have ever met and he's dang good at his job. I couldn't have picked a better man to spend my life with and the kids couldn't ask for a better dad.
Life in the military is always changing and never predictable. But I'm along for the ride, through thick and thin and I can't wait to see where this life takes us

A New Kind of Hard

When I found out I was pregnant with Ethan when Gianna was 6 months old  part of me resented that baby growing inside me. I wondered how I could love anyone as much as I loved Gianna and I was mad at the fact that I couldn't enjoy Gianna for awhile longer before having another baby. Even after Ethan was born, while I loved him terribly I still felt like he was an intrusion to my daily life with his sister
 
When Gianna was born I quit working and embraced motherhood. Any sort of mommy and me activity I signed us up for and I loved it all. For the first few months after Ethan was born it was still pretty easy to attend all the functions and activities that we used to go to since Ethan either slept in his car seat or snuggled down in the ergo. But as both Gianna and him got older it became a challenge to attend any sort of mommy and me function. There is only one mommy to go around and when you have a mobile baby and a toddler we all know there aren't enough hands to deal with everything. So we stopped all the mommy and me activities.
 
Now though at 18mths and 2.5 some things are easier, trips to the park are a blast because both kids run around and play. I can run errands with the kids in tow without worrying about fitting the groceries, dog food, a car seat and a toddler in the cart at the same time. I can get more done around the house during nap time or when the kids are playing in the backyard and watching their personalities explode and develop is one of the greatest experiences ever.  But as with any stage  some things get easier while others get harder
 
We are now at the age where Gianna is starting activities. Right now she is in dance and goes to school one day a week. With the husband gone yet again and the summer looming ahead I was looking forward to finding some activities to fill our days. While Gianna loves ballet and I feel strongly about keeping her in it,  Ethan spends that hour with me cooped up sitting quietly in the dance studio. In his 18mths he has never had me to himself, nor done a mommy and me activity with just him and I. I know he will never remember this nor probably care but I do! The mom in me feels guilty
 
I looked at the local gymnastics studio(US Gold in Crestview-never go there) where they have a preschool class and a mom and me class at the same time. G and I took the mom and me class last summer and it was a disaster. As G gets older she becomes less of a "Mom and Me" sort of kid and more of the independent kid. And I don't blame her. With daddy gone 2.5 years of her almost 3 year old self she has had to deal with me 24/7. It's good for her to get away from Ethan and I and have something for her own. So I figured I could sign her up for the 3 year old class while Ethan and I do mom and me.The studio won't let her into their preschool class without doing mom and me. And apparently her doing Mom and me last summer doesn't count. I tried explaining to them that she already took mom and me and that it wasn't for her. I told them she was in a ballet class and did great listening to her teacher and paying attention. I also pulled the military card and described how impossible it would be to take the mom and me class when my husband is deployed and I have another child to look after, They refused so it looks like I will be taking my business elsewhere
 
And the same thing happened when I looked into other activities. Basically until your kids turn 3 everything is mom and me. And with two kids under 3 and a deployed husband it's not possible to sign us up for those activiews
 
Again, in the grand scheme of things the kids not being able to do certain activities like I'd like them to now isn't that big of deal. But the other day I had a melt down of sorts and here is why
 
Last Saturday our church had two family friendly services. One starting at 4, the other at 6. At 5 was the easter egg hunt and other kid friendly activities. We attended the 4:00 service and planned on doing the easter egg hunt. As we left the service and exited through the lobby my kids saw all the food laid out and of course wanted to eat. I quickly got a plate and headed outside toward the field where the egg hunt was held. They were already lining up kids by age groups and of course mine were being lined up in separate areas. 18-24mths in one are, 2-3 in another. I didn't know what to do. Luckily I found my babysitter in the crowd who took Ethan for me while I went to line Gianna up. As I was walking to where G's age group was I looked back at Ethan, in the arms of our sitter and I burst into tears. This was his first easter egg hunt. Last year he was 5 months old and stayed in the ergo the whole time. I was so bummed to miss this one
 
And it hit me. My life with these two have been like this since Ethan was born. My husband has been in and out since before Ethan arrived. Basically I've been a single mom trying to balance life with 2 kids so close in age and I feel like it's a losing battle. There is never enough of me to go around and one of them is always  getting jipped.
 
A friend noticed me crying and offered to watch G for me while I ran back to Ethan's age group so I could take pictures and participate with him. I luckily was able to catch him during the last big of his egg hunt but I still couldn't shake the devastated feeling I had. Like I had let him down in some big way.
 
When I told my husband this later on, he assured me I was being crazy, that both kids are thriving and know they are loved and that I'm too hard on myself. And while I know he's right to some extent, he is not here. He's not here on the days that Ethan screams for 5 hours straight because he has a horrible diaper rash that wont go away. During times like those Gianna has to fend for herself and deal with a very impatient mommy who may lose her temper when G decides to walk into Ethan's room and start banging on his toys just as I finally get him to sleep. He's not there during pivotal family moments where I have to choose which kid's egg hunt to attend. And so on and so forth
 
I know as E get's older things will change. Gianna will be stuck as Ethan's baseball practices and going to his games just as much as he has to for her. But with me going back to work in the fall I just wish there was more time for me to fully give my attention to each kid. The attention I feel they need and deserve
 
But although it's my new kind of hard right now I know I will figure it out. It will take a lot of balance, intention and effort but the kids are worth it
 
So here's to no more easter egg meltdowns for me

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Summer Beach Reads 2014

I can almost taste summer in the air! This Florida weather keeps teasing us though. We will have a day or two of 80 degree weather, followed by a week of rain and cooler temps. I know all you Northerner's are rolling your eyes at me because you  just got hit with snow again but I know we can all agree on the fact that we are ready for summer to be here!
 
I am already counting down the days until my husband gets home and we leave on our family vacation. Even better than him coming home is the fact that my parents will be joining us on this trip which means I will probably be able to read one of the books I am going to share with you while laying out by the pool or on the beach. I also have already told my husband that when he returns home I will be going away for the weekend. By myself. And if that doesn't happen I will be going to the beach. Alone. With one towel and a bag loaded with book while he stays home with the kids. It's only fair right?
 
Anyway here are some of the books that are on  my summer reading list. All are being released between May-August
 
 

 
 
 
I love sitting on the beach, listening to the waves and getting caught up in a good book. But is it only me that prefers having a book in hand than reading them on a e-reader? I love the nook for the convenience and for the storage. I mean our house is literally overflowing with books so with the nook I don't have to worry about finding a place to put my book after I finish reading it. But I love having a book to hold in my hands. I need to start using my nook more though. There will soon be no more room for my books!
 
And any other books to add to my beach read list?

Monday, April 21, 2014

Beach Ballet

Gianna has ballet every Monday in Navarre. It's about a 40 min drive from our house so I try to plan activities to do after her class ends and make a day out of our trip. With warm weather finally approaching I've been wanting to make Mondays our official beach day. However the weatherman have no clue what they are doing down here and every Monday it's either rainy or cold. Today was no exception. Well according to the weather. It was supposed to be cooler and cloudy. So imagine my surprise that it was actually sunny and 70 something today. Gianna requested to go to Publix and get a "sammich" after class and then go to the beach. I had to agree. Although our suits and towels were at home we went anyway and I'm so glad I did

I had Gianna practice her recital dance while at the beach and snapped pics as she frolicked and danced away. Days like these are good for the soul
Passé 
Sunshine arms
Her puppy dog tail 

And I can't forget about Ethan. Last week at the beach he screamed for a good forty minutes because he disliked the Sand and cold water.(the next day he had the stomach bug that's been going around so that explains it) today however he was a daredevil. Running in the water, playing, singing and having a blast. 

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Friday, April 18, 2014

We Can't All Be Bad Mom's

Monday's have become one of my favorite days of the week. On Monday's Gianna has ballet and although the hour drive each way gets old I love seeing her so excited about something, Something of her own that doesn't include Ethan or myself. She loves her friends, her teachers, her tutu and of course dancing away to princess music. And I love the company of the other mom's.
 
Most of my friends here in town either have older kids, kids  around Ethan's age or 4 or more. I only have a few friends  that have a child Gianna's age. So in regards to parenting through toddler hood I don't have many friends to compare notes with or to get toddler advice from. But when we do get together I am amazed at how carefree and laid back it is when compared to playdates with older or younger kids. Mom's of toddlers tend to be more laid back, and carefree when it comes to their child's behavior and the behavior of other toddler's. I think it's because we are so used to dealing with the special behaviors of 2-3 year olds that we have learned the hard way to let things go, pick your battles and to go with the flow
 And that's how it is on Monday's as well when I hang out with the other mom's. We talk and laugh and vent about our terrible toddler's. IN a class of 6 girls they all behave pretty well but they all take turns being the kid who isn't listening, paying attention or the one whose being bratty with the other kids
 
And since we are all mom's of toddler's we laugh it off. We know the drill. Next week it will be my kid so I'm not going to get irritated with a little 2 year old who hit Gianna and then blame it on the mom's horrible parenting!
 
Us mom's all had this talk the other day about how hard it is to be around other people who have older or younger kids. It's as if everyone forgets about the toddler years and instead focus the blame and comments on you, the parent.
 
Don't get me wrong I'm not using the fact that my daughter is 2 as an excuse for her behavior but in some ways I am. She is not a mini-adult. She is going to test boundaries, push limits, act out, throw a tantrum, etc. And if you research toddler brain development all this behavior is normal for kids their age. It has nothing to do with parenting. The brain develops the most during the toddler years and the kids are struggling to figure out this big bad world they live in. They are also trying to find themselves, find some autonomy from their parents and to exert their independence.
 
The toddler years are maddening at times but they are also hysterical and so much fun. The things Gianna comes up with  and does crack me up on a daily basis. And she's so smart. I can't believe how smart she is. So while she may not listen at times, and test her boundaries I am enjoying this stage
 
 I love watching her interact and engage with other kid's of this age as well. Like we all said the one day during class, every one of our kids has acted up and been naughty at one point or another. And we all came to this conclusion, if they are all acting the same way we can't all be bad parents. Right?
 
When at times you feel like you are the worst mom in the world because your daughter won't share, or  hit another kid in the nursery or colored on your walls with marker, or  having a massive temper tantrum in the store remember that for the most part this is typical toddler behavior and realize that it is no way your fault as the parent
 
It is our job to guide them and teach them during this stage. I am going to remember that the next time I am frustrated by my toddler's crazy behavior and want to blame myself for her acting this way.
 
After all we can't all be bad parents. Right?

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Ignorance is Bliss

Before I was a mom, I was ignorant. Ignorant as to how hard it is be a mom. What the job description of mom all entails. I used to think that days spent taking the kids to the park and watching cartoons sounded like a breeze compared to working a full time job. Now though I have learned that a lot goes into those trips to the park and afternoons watching cartoons.
 
In order to pack two kids up to go to the park I must pack a bag full of snacks, juice boxes, diapers, wipes and changes of clothes. And wrestling shoes on a toddler's fat feet are no joke. And the reason that the kids are spending afternoon of cartoons is either because the mom needed a break from the constant whining, fighting, crabby kids or because she has to rewash the floor. For the 3rd time that day because her children decided that their lunch looked better on the floor than in their stomachs
 
I can still remember walking the aisles at target and watching a mom ignoring her screaming toddler. On and on he went, getting louder and louder by the minute. She walked on, browsing the aisles ignoring her screaming kid and the stares and comments from other by passers. I remember feeling really bad for the kid and annoyed at the mother for ignoring him. Clearly he was upset. Why wasn't she doing anything
 
Well, now I know why. It's probably the same reason I ignore Ethan when he does it. Because I have a fussy child who gets upset over the slightest things and literally spends 1 minute out of every 5 screaming about something. At first I used to respond to every little peep out of his mouth. He's my baby after all and Gianna was never like this so he must be upset and need me right? Wrong. I've created a monster
 
He cries when Gianna talks to him, when a toy doesn't work the way he wants it to, when he wants his bottle but is too lazy to bend down and pick it up, when his blanket is in his crib, etc etc. It is exhausting. In one not so nice mommy moment I may have told him to grow a pair of balls. I should probably delete the above statement but I am keeping it real here.
 
Where Gianna is stubborn, independent and strong willed, Ethan is fussy, whiny, needy and clingy. Don't get me wrong he is the sweetest thing when he's not screaming and I love him to pieces. But don't wake the monster. It's all over when you do
 
The other day he screamed for 5 hours straight. 5 hours. I couldn't figure out what was wrong. Poor Gianna was left to fend for herself while I tried to deal with Ethan. I held him, rocked him, sang to him, gave him a bath, tried to lay him down for a nap. Nothing worked. On and on he screamed and in that moment I wished for those blissful days of having only one kid. The days when I could love on, play with, discipline, structure and teach one child and one child only. It's impossible to give Gianna the attention and things she needs when I spend so many seconds tending to her whiny brother.
 
And the comments and looks I get in public are really starting to irritate me. We will be out and about, whether it's the store or a friends house and Ethan will get upset. Now i have learned to assess the situation because depending on what's the matter my attention only makes things worse. So I figure out if he's wet, poopy, hungry or hurt and if it's one of those I deal with it. If it's not I ignore it. In a few months he will be starting preschool and I will be going back to work. He has to learn to self regulate. At least a little bit.
 
And I laugh when people tell me how to handle it or command me to deal with my child. No one else want's to hear it they say. He's really upset they say. Aren't you going to do anything they ask? It takes all my energy and effort to not snap back at them. Instead I ignore it and keep on.
 
As his mom I know that this is a phase and while it's not pretty for other's to witness it's my whole life right now. I deal with his whining and crying every second. I don't have the time, energy or mental capacity to respond to it every second! So I pick my battles. And if it means that he has to fuss for awhile before he tires himself out so be it.
 
Now If only I could go back in time and tell my pre-baby self to not be so judge-mental. Or to go back to when I only had one child and think that parenting and motherhood was the easiest thing in the world. Until you have two you have no idea. Especially with two so close in age. It is impossible to fully give yourself to both children. Especially when they both want or need something at the same time. It's a balance, a game of picking your battles and praying for grace. Mostly for yourself so that you can be the parent you need to be for your children.
 
 
And for those with kiddo's close in age any tips or advice on finding a balance between your kids?

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Push Presents

When I was 28 weeks pregnant with Gianna we PCS'd to Florida. Since I was no longer working I had a lot of free time on my hands to sit and watch reality tv. Some of my favorite shows at that time was Pregnant in Heels and The Real Housewives. I watched a few episodes where the woman talked about what they received as Push Presents(gifts given to them by their husbands after they had given birth) Some of these gifts were impressive. Expensive brand new cars, a new diamond ring, etc, etc.
 
My poor husband got so tired of being asked what he got me for my push present. To be honest I didn't expect much. We put a lot of money into our new house and had just gone down to one income. With a baby on the way I knew all our extra money needed to be spent wisely so I set my expectations low. I mean pink diamond earrings in honor of our baby girls isn't that expensive. I figured out quickly that the wedding band that matched my wedding set was out of the question. Still I knew I'd get something thoughtful and romantic to celebrate this occasion. I mean I did just give birth to his child after all
 
But baby birth day came and went and I didn't get my push present. Since my baby was the best present I could ever ask for I didn't give it much thought. Until a few months later when my husband came home with a push present for me
 
When G was a month old the husband had to go away for training. The training was only an hour away, still he'd be staying with his unit overnight. Every few days the guys took turns and rotated who would go home to spend the day and night with their families. On the day it was M's turn to come home he walked into the door excited to show me the push present he finally purchase.
 
He started telling me about this cute boutique in Mobile, Al that he had came across and since it screamed my name he walked in. He said he started talking to the shop owner and somehow the topic of conversation turned into asking if he had children. He replied that he did and the woman asked what he had gotten me for my push present. Shamefully he said nothing and she laughingly chided him. Now he felt really bad and he set his mind to getting me a push present. He explained that the store was totally my style and when he came across some cross necklaces he knew what to get me.
 
Now before I reveal my present I should explain that I do love crosses. I have a cross tattoo on my ankle and will buy anything with a cross on it. Well to some extent. So when he said this I was pretty excited
 
He handed me the package, I opened it up with anticipation and struggled not to laugh when I saw the gift. He had gotten me a ...
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Rosary. A rosary. Not a cross necklace but an actual rosary. My Catholic Grandma would have been so proud. I struggled to smile instead of laugh and I didn't correct his little mistake. However since I stopped going to Catholic mass and instead go to a Methodist church I didn't have much use of it. So the rosary got thrown into my jewelry box and I needless to say never worn. Occasionally he'd ask why I never wore it, or mention that it would look good with an outfit I was wearing but having a baby and breastfeeding was a good excuse to use for why I wasn't wearing it
 
I had totally forgotten about the rosary until yesterday. I finally got around to organizing and cleaning the guest bed room and in a box full of baby shower cards and my pregnancy journal I found the box with the rosary in it. I got a good laugh and I may have even cried. I took out the rosary and vowed to not forget about it again. I may even hang it up in my room like a good Catholic girl should
 
I love that silly husband of mine. He tries so hard and really does love us like crazy


Friday, April 11, 2014

6 Years Ago

6 Years ago I said I do to the man of my dreams. From the moment I met him I knew he was the one for me. Luckily he thought the same of me and after 1 short month of dating we were engaged. By the time we said I do we had only known each other a total of 5 months. Many thought we were crazy but I knew he was the one for me.
Now 6 years later I can honestly say I love him more today than I did on the day we said I do. There have been many amazing times, and some not so good times. Yet it's the not so good times that make us stronger and the amazing times that make it all worth it
In 6 years we have been through 5 deployments, 3 TDY's, 1 PCS move,  and had two children. And there's no questions about it I would do it all over again and again.
I am so glad to have found this man to be my partner during this crazy thing called life