2011

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Here are a few things I'm looking forward to in 2011:

  • Celebrating three years of marriage!
  • The birth of our first child! 
  • Life as a mommy :)  
  • Working as an Independent Beauty Consultant for Mary Kay (If you are interested in ordering Mary Kay products let me know! I can send you a link to my website so you can shop online if ya want!) 
  • Traveling home with our baby boy to visit family in the Spring
  • Being the matron of honor in my best friend's wedding
  • Reaching the one year mark of living here in the Pacific Northwest * because it means we're one year closer to sunshine!!! moving back to the South! 

And I've never made a New Year's resolution before, but I thought I would try to work towards a few things on my bucket list this year...

  • Take online classes to earn my college degree (I only have one year to finish so what am I waiting for??)
  • Volunteer at a women's shelter
  • Share my story 
 + I would also like to cook two new recipes every month!


    What are you looking forward to in 2011? Did you make a resolution? Share it with me! :)


      Our Year In Review

      Monday, December 27, 2010

      2010 started off sad and super frustrating for us because we found out around Christmas that J's deployment had been extended for two extra months. As usual we somehow managed to overcome and survive though, and on April 5th J returned home safely from Afghanistan!  

      *Click here to see homecoming pics.*

      Shortly after J's homecoming we decided to meet with a fertility specialist to see what our treatment options were since I was told before deployment that my chances of conceiving would be very low. We met with a great doctor that suggested we try Clomid for a few months before doing further testing on me. The next month I began my first cycle of Clomid, but it didn't seem to be working. Just when I started to lose hope God reminded me that all things are possible with Him, and on June 10th I found out I was pregnant!!

      Even though I was overjoyed that I was finally pregnant, I was also sad because in the weeks that followed we had to move to the Pacific Northwest. It was our first PCS together.. and it was also the first time I would be away from home (and my momma!) for more than two weeks. Needless to say there were lots of tears during this time!

      On July 20th I had my first ultrasound. It was amazing to get a glimpse at our precious miracle! And on September 17th we found out we are expecting a boy! 

      I'm still adjusting to life here in WA, but I know it will get easier over time--especially once our baby boy arrives and he keeps me busy! :)

      I'm looking forward to what 2011 has in store for us, and I'm praying it will be filled with many blessings!

      Speechless *Updated!*

      Friday, December 24, 2010

      Someone broke into my friend's house tonight and stole all the Christmas presents she had for her kids, along with their X Box and TV...

      I don't even know what to say right now because I am so upset for her. I know Christmas isn't about the gifts under the tree, but her boys are only two and seven.. how do you explain to them on Christmas morning why there are no presents for them from Santa?


      *UPDATE*

      As soon as people in my friend's community heard about the robbery they immediately stepped in to help! She had people (even her local police dept) showing up at her house with gifts for the boys until 2 AM!! Her living room was overflowing with Christmas gifts!

      I don't think I really need to say it but I will anyway--GOD IS SO GOOD!!

      From Our Family To Yours

      Hard Work But Completely Worth It!

      Thursday, December 23, 2010

      Thank you for the comments on my last post. I especially loved what Anonymous said.. "Anything worth having is worth working hard to keep." I completely agree, and I think most military couples would also!

      I knew before I became J's wife that being married to him would sometimes be hard work because of his job in the military. I knew we would have to work a lot harder on our relationship than most [civilian] couples since he would be gone for 8 to 9 months out of every year. We actually learned how hard it would be shortly after we met and began dating because J had to deploy to Iraq for half the year.. It wasn't easy being apart from each other that early in our relationship but it only made us work harder and made us realize we truly loved one another!

      Every deployment brought a new set of obstacles for us and there were some moments where we both thought we would never survive but we always made it through and became stronger because of it. Homeports were no different. Once the novelty of him being home wore off and reality hit us on the head we always had to adjust to living together once again. For him it was difficult to go from being in a war zone to being "safe" at home.. and for me it was difficult to go from living alone to suddenly having someone around all the time. Shore duty has brought a new set of challenges that we're not use to, like learning new ways to keep our love tanks filled. In the past we've been so use to depending on phone calls, letters, or care packages to express our love for one another. Now that he is home we feel we don't have to do those things anymore. So most of our struggle is learning how to keep ourselves from becoming a boring couple that thinks spending quality time together is sitting on the couch next to each other in silence while he plays video games and I stare at a computer screen the fire from burning out.

      I know we will get through this though because we've made it through worse! :)

      Adjusting To Shore Duty

      Tuesday, December 21, 2010

      I couldn't wait for J's last deployment to be over so he could start shore duty. Three years of no deployments, and "normal" married life sounded like heaven to me! But I have to be honest.. it hasn't been all rainbows and sunshine like I imagined.

      Half of our relationship has been spent apart due to deployments. In fact, next month is our three year wedding anniversary but we've only spent maybe a year of that actually together living under the same roof. As much as we hate to admit it we have grown accustomed to the sea duty/deployment routine. Normally by now he would be deployed, and now that he doesn't have to leave.. well.. we don't know how to act. We're not use to being around each other this long.

      The thing that makes this super frustrating is that no one ever talks about how to adjust to the shore duty lifestyle. They give you tons of information/resources on how to deal with being separated during deployments and then how to deal with life after your spouse returns home from a war zone, but they never give you tips on how to adjust to shore duty! When I tried searching for things about it on the Internet I found nothing. So what's the deal?? Are we the only military couple that has ever struggled to adjust to this new routine???

      Maternity Photos

      I almost talked myself out of having any maternity photos taken because.. well.. I'm pregnant and I don't feel too pretty or comfortable posing in front of a camera. In the end I'm SO glad I went through with it because I think the photos turned out great and it actually gave me a little boost of prego confidence!

      Here are some of my favorites:


      He Never Fails

      Thursday, December 16, 2010

      There have been times lately when no words need to be spoken, I just look at my husband and know that he is feeling as overwhelmed as I am. It's the worst feeling in the world to know your husband is feeling like the weight of the world is resting on his shoulders and there is nothing you can do.

      One thing I've learned is to keep praying even when it seems like no one is listening, though. So that's what I've been doing. And as usual, God proves He IS listening. Sometimes it's in the form of a door opening to a new opportunity (something I can't wait to share with y'all!) and other times it's extra money that randomly comes our way when we need it the most. When those things happen I am reminded that God knew what we needed all along. He actually tells us in the Bible not to worry because He already knows our needs and He will ALWAYS supply them for us.

      So whatever you're going through, remember that God is listening to your prayers. You can go ahead and take that deep sigh of relief because He is already three steps ahead taking care of everything you might be worrying about!

      Christmas Wish List (Just For Fun)

      Wednesday, December 8, 2010

      Dear Santa, 
          This year I would like.. 


      * a new camera



      * an SUV 

      * pearl earrings

      * two round-trip tickets to Hawaii

      * a new house (paid in full) in the country




      * a maid


      * and an E-book device,
      complete with a cute L!lly Pul!tzer e-book cover 

      A House Divided

      Sunday, December 5, 2010

      Today the New Orleans Saints are playing the Cincinnati Bengals. We have been looking forward to this game all week! Of course J is cheering for the Bengals since he is from Ohio.. but we all know the Saints are going to win! :) 



      Baby Update! 30 Weeks

      Friday, December 3, 2010

      30 weeks & 1 day!
      I'm definitely at the uncomfortable stage of pregnancy. I'm still having problems sleeping which has been made worse lately because of knee and back pain. I feel like I toss and turn a million times at night but I can never get comfortable. There have been a few nights where I've been so tired and miserable that I've cried because I had a moment of "it's not fair.." when I looked over and saw J sleeping so peacefully. (Please tell me I'm not the only pregnant wife that has ever felt that way!) I've also been feeling super emotional because I can no longer wear my wedding ring since my fingers are so swollen. I know it's just a ring but it has special meaning! =\

      Last month I had the one hour glucose test to check for gestational diabetes. It was NOT fun at all. The (orange flavored) glucola was difficult for me to drink. I gagged the whole time I was trying to drink it because it was thick which reminded me of cough syrup. It was gross. So needless to say I wasn't thrilled when the test result came back high and was told I had to do the three hour test with fasting. Surprisingly during the three hour test I was able to drink the (fruit punch flavored) glucola faster and with no problems. Everything was fine until the end of the first hour... I started to feel dizzy so they let me lay down for the rest of the test. My test came back normal though which was a huge relief!

      I am going to the OB every two weeks now which is very exciting! I had a checkup today and my doc said everything is normal & right on track. Joel is in the head down position which explains why my ribs have been hurting--his feet have been kicking them. It also explains what the round bump I feel just above my belly button is--his booty! ;) She also said we should start seriously preparing for the arrival of our precious baby boy because he could come VERY soon. As in 7 weeks soon!! Hearing those words was exciting and scary! We still have a bunch of stuff we need to get so now I'm really stressing!! Ahhh! *deep breath*  :)


      My Latest Obsession

      Wednesday, December 1, 2010

      Last month a few of my friends were raving about their obsession with 0reo's Limited Edition White Fudge cookies so I made a mental note to try some. Well I bought a box last night.. and now.. I completely understand their obsession. I've never been a big fan of 0reo's, but these cookies are AMAZING!! Part of me almost doesn't want to tell you how good they are because I don't want to risk them selling out in my area. And no.. I'm not kidding. Ha! :) Seriously though, you have to try these cookies!!

      I must warn you though - once you eat one you will be tempted to eat the whole box. And it's very possible that you might even consider hiding your box so that your husband (or children) can't have any. Well, that's just what I hear anyway..

      :)



      * I was not paid or asked to blog about these delicious cookies.
       
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