And when it rains.....

IT POURS!

Oh my goodness, do I believe in that saying now! So, yesterday I went shopping at the NEX, grabbed a coffee, and went about my day. I leave the NEX, and decide to stop at a friends house before I head home, she's right down the road, so why not? I pull in, she's comes outside to help me get the kids and coffee, and she goes "uhm..your car is making a really weird noise, I think you might have a hole in your tire!" NO WAY! I'm thinking there's no way, I am NOT dealing with this! We head inside, I decide 15 minutes later to go outside and check it and low and behold........I HAVE A COMPLETELY FLAT TIRE!!!! Now I'm standing outside thinking to myself, jee, why am I NOT surprised, my husband is underway, I've never dealt with this before, It's only right that this happens now and doesn't wait. OF COURSE NOT! First thing I do, call the insurance company, right? Well, first thing I did was panic and just cry! I've had some serious anxiety issues lately! I HATE IT! Wish I could pinpoint where they're coming from. Anyways, after my panic was over, I called the insurance company, they send out roadside assistance, and they the roadside assistance guy asks me for the bar to get my rims off. WHAT?! Who knew that my husband has custom rims on the car, I sure didn't! Anyways, I FINALLY find the hook, bar whatever. lol He puts my spare on. I decide to head to base to the auto place, I get lost and it takes me about an hour to find it, I find it and they tell me my tire couldn't be fixed (kinda figured that since it had 4 holes in it!) Crazy right?! $160 later, I order a new tire. I go in today THINKING I was going to get my new tire on, just kidding...apparently I'm missing a "hub spacer" I'm a girl, I couldn't tell you what that is to save my life. So, because my spare is a full sized...guess who is NOT going back to the shop?! ME! The car will be waiting on my husband to get home and take it in, yes I make my love "hunny do-lists" . On, a plus side, he starts leave as soon as he gets back for Christmas! VERY EXCITED to actually have him home this year! Hard to believe, that this time last year I was 5 months into my very first deployment, and skypeing with my husband because they were in port on Christmas! And, can you believe it's almost 2013?! 

Where in the world has time went? 

And are we in high school

Okay, If you remember a few posts ago you know I'm having a REALLY hard time making friends. And, now I know why...I have NEVER in my life been surrounded by some of the FAKEST people! Now here me out, I'm not normally the one to go around saying people are fake and things like that. But come on..90% of the people I have met here are nice as can be to your face, but goodness knows their running back to their "friends" (that's in quotations, but they all talk crap about each other) talking about you to them. Now, I am going to be the first to say I am guilty as can be of comparing my friends from WA to "these people", but who wouldn't I have some AWESOME FABULOUS FANTASTIC AMAZING INCREDIBLE friends in WA! So who wouldn't compare them? I know that you can have more friends then just them, and believe me..I'm trying! I can't seem to find to many "normals" in this part of the country! Which is weird because I'm from this part as well ;) Maybe, I'm just secretly a west coast girl and I've been denying it all my life. ;) I wonder what my husband would say about that. Because, I begged and pleaded, I wanted the east coast, now I'm counting down the days till we're else where! Speaking of else where, I'm taking a trip early next year to WA! I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I do have some pretty awesome neighbors, I think that's the only complaint I don't have about this place. I mean, not everyone I've met is fake, but a good portion of them are. Which takes me too, I got out of high school in 2009, I thought I left that behind, because DON'T even get me started on cliques! It just kills me. I'd love to have friends like I had in WA! But it's not looking very likely! :( Hopefully I'll have some kind of luck and soon...until then, I'll do what I always learned in high school, LEARN EARLY who you can and can't trust! 

Cursing is SO over-rated

Yes, yes it is! 

We are a "Sailor Family" that doesn't mean we should have mouths like them! I sat down the other day and made a list of things I want to accomplish during deployment, and this is at the TOP of the list! Christopher has picked up a few curse words and I nearly DIED when I heard him yell "oh sh*t" the other day! I've started working on it now, and I'm doing pretty well! My husband is doing AMAZING, seriously you'd think he'd have the worse time of all of us! He told me it's because "I leave work at work, I don't bring it home unless I'm having a bad day!" Which is SO TRUE! He NEVER brings home work, he leaves that at the door! I think we'll make a swear jar! 

Oh, and this has NOTHING to do with swearing, but we're moving Owen to his BIG BOY CARSEAT! It's such a bitter sweet moment! I hate seeing, well I don't hate it but I don't like my baby growing so quickly! It feels like just yesterday I brought home that 8lbs 2oz 21 1/2 inches baby-boy! And now, he's going to be 8 months old! I just can't believe it! Also, Christopher is going to be 2 a month from the 30th! Kids grow way to quickly! 

One of those sleepless night

Kids are asleep, so why am I awake..well, because I can't sleep! My oldest has been asleep since about 8, my youngest crashed about 10:00, and here it is...1:30am and I am still MORE THEN AWAKE! Got an email tonight from my husband, telling me some very upsetting news, a friend of his that he served with in Afghanistan passed away a few days ago, now I'm not going to get into detail but it was VERY UNEXPECTED and my hubby is having a REALLY HARD TIME! Thankfully, he'll be home soon! (due to OPSEC I shall refrain from saying how soon!) But, I'm glad that he won't have to deal with these emotions all by himself. So keep that Soldier's family in your prayers! I'm not to sure on how long this blog will be, because weather I like it or not, sleep is in my near future, or I won't want to get up in the morning! The house is almost COMPLETELY unpacked, only took forever right? Really all that's left is boxes of clothes, have I ever mentioned how much I HATE folding clothes and hanging them up?! Yeah, well now I did! Maybe I'll leave those boxes for husband! Oh, and there's a pile of stuff in the upstairs hallway, just random things I need to think of a place for. I'm going to have to get the house done soon so I can make a video for here and the girls back in WA since they're DYING to see the new house! So, last week Christopher was sick, he got all better and now what do Owen and I have, you guessed it! Christopher's sickness! This is the FIRST time Owen has really been sick, thankfully he's still nursing and eating his baby-food, so I'm not real concerned, but I do HATE seeing my babies sick! That's the worst thing ever in a mother's eyes! I think I'm going to cut it off here, because my eyes are actually getting pretty heavy! Yay! Sleeptime! 

Momma needs a timeout!

And the title says it all, Momma needs a BREAK! A TIMEOUT or whatever you want to call it! Christopher potty-training has begun and is A LOT harder then I imagined! (ALL the books don't tell you EVERYTHING that you need to know!) He's been showing interest in the potty since he was about 15 months old, but recently started because life has been so hectic with the move! Daddy is in and out on underways, which is making Christopher ACT OUT! Now, Christopher is a FULL ON DADDY'S BOY which it the complete opposite with my Owen! Owen he's my momma's boy, through and through! He's always wanting mommy! ALWAYS. ALWAYS. ALWAYS! Now, I love that about him, I really do! But it's getting to the point of I can't even walk out of the room! I practice "attachment parenting" with the kids, so this is a normal side effect to that kind of parenting style! He's been EBF (exclusive breast-fed) since day #1! And I love that, because that bond with Christopher had to end at 4 months due to not making enough milk to keep up with him! I co-sleep with him, I've been doing that since day #1 too, now do I regret ANY of this? Absolutely not! I love that I'm able to stay home with the kids and get to see every milestone, and see everything they do! I'm thankful enough to be a stay-at-home mom! But if only I had 5 minutes to myself! Let me add, I did get very lucky to have kids that started sleeping through the night by 2 months! Christopher was sleeping through the night by about a month and a half, and Owen followed behind at 2 months! But bedtime is the only chance I get alone, except when Robert is home, then he makes sure I'm able to get about an hour to myself, even if that means I'm cooking dinner without interruptions! Hey, you take what you can get when you're a mommy to 2 under 2! Oh, naptime is also when I get some time alone, but then I'm cleaning, or doing what I'm doing right now, Blogging! I know we're okay, we really are!!!

Army Wives Alaska Part 2

So, after I posted the commercial for this show, I did a little more digging around and realized the first 5 minutes of the show was available as a "sneak peek" and if I wasn't excited for the show by the commercial, this made me even more excited! 

It seems like this show is going to be SO REAL!

Give me some feedback, and let me know what YOU think of it, will you be watching? 

Yay! My first blog award!

Thank you so much! I was awarded this by 

http://happeninhaylie.blogspot.com/

I was nominated for a Liebster Award. 

Liebster: (der) n. sweetheart, beloved person, darling

Facts of the Liebster Award:

The Liebster Award's origins are pretty much a mystery. Bloggers nominate other bloggers that have 200 or less followers. It's basically a "Hey, that's a sweet little blog you've got there. Here's an award!" You can't just accept the award. You have to play by the (ever changing) rules and pay it forward. Then you can put the award on your blog for all to see.

Rules:

• Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
• Answer the questions that the nominator set for you, plus create 11 questions for the people you've nominated to answer.
• Choose 11 people and link them in your post.
• Go to their page and tell them.
• No tag backs.

 11 Things About Me

1.) I have two beautiful baby boy's named Owen and Christopher!

2.) I am super outgoing once you get to know me, but before then I'm pretty shy!

3.) I got married at 18, and wouldn't trade it for the world! Robert is my best friend!

4.)  I love TV shows that have ANYTHING to do with crime ex. Law & Order SVU, NCIS, etc

5.) My favorite holiday is Christmas. Not because of the gifts either, I LOVE decorating! 

6.) I have 3 piercings, and no tattoo's! 2 ears, and my nose! I'm hoping to get a few tattoo's soon!

7.) I have 3 older brothers and a younger sister! 

8.) I'm an "attachment parent" 

9.) I delivered my youngest son without any pain meds, including an epidural! 

10.) I'm hoping to start school soon to get my doula certification, and eventually go on to to get my RN so I can become a Midwife!

11.) I started blogging during my first deployment, and here we are gearing up for our second!

 Leslie's Questions:

1. What is the best gift you ever received? 

My I Pad for my 21st birthday!

2. What is on your DVR right now?

Halloweentown.

Halloweentown II: Kalabars Revenge.

Halloweentown High.

Extreme Cheapskates 

Presidental Debates

Seahawks and Steelers football games!

3. What is your favorite place to vacation?

Seattle <3

4. What is your favorite accessory?

My earrings that my husband got me from Dubai! 

5. What is your most embarrassing moment?

I don't really think I have one.

6. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

Anywhere but Virginia, honestly!

7. What is your biggest pet peeve?

Liars! Ughhh!

8. Who is your favorite author?

I'm not sure I have one anymore!

9. If you had 3 wishes, what would they be? (And more wishes is not an option!)

1.) Unlimited supply of money so we could be debt free and I could buy my mom a house!

2.) My brother to be alive still. 

3.) My kids to stay little forever, they grow up way to quickly!

10. What are the five most played songs on your iPod?

Don't do lonley well by Jason Aldean

Back by Jake Owen

Did it for the girl-Greg Bates

Forever and ever, Amen-Randy Travis

American Soldier-Toby Keith

11. What is the best lesson on life you have learned so far? 

You can't please everyone. Be yourself and if you're happy that's all that matters.

Terri's Questions:

1) How do you decide what to blog about every day?

I don't blog everyday, I normally choose how I'm feeling that day, or if there's something new I found!

2) Do you hope to keep blogging for many years?

Yes!

3) Do you want kids/more kids?

Yes, we have 2 boys! We'd like 2 more, but not for a couple years!

4) Where would be your dream place to live?

I'm really not sure.

5) Why did you start blogging?

To pass time during our first deployment!

6) If money was no issue where would you go? 

Italy! Hands down!

7) How did you get your blogger name?

Because my life is everchanging because of the Navy! You never know what their going to throw at you!

8) Are you a dog, or cat person?

Neither? Is that an answer! lol

9) What is your favourite food?

Chicken! I love anything chicken!

10) What is your favourite family tradition?

We got new pajama's and one gift on Christmas eve! I can't wait to continue that with my kids!

11) What is your favourite movie?

 The Green Mile!

Questions for my nominees:

1. Where did you grow up?

Lake Milton Ohio!

2. What's your biggest fear?

Clowns. No joke. I have a severe fear of them!

3. What did you want to be when you grew up when you were a kid?

A Lawyer!

4. Do you like sports? If so, what's your favorite?

Football!

5. What's your most visited webpage?

Facebook! lol.

6. Where's your favorite place to shop?

Carters. I have a slight addiction to buying clothes for the kids!

7. What's your favorite movie, TV show, musical artist?

Way to many to choose, honestly!

8. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Still in the Navy! I'll have my RN and working as a midwife, and I'll probualy be pregnant with our 3rd!

9. What would you do if you won 1 million dollars?

Pay off all of our debt!!!

10. What kind of phone do you have?

IPhone!

11. What's the number one thing on your bucket list? 

Go on a honeymoon!

I nominate:

http://jomygosh.blogspot.com/

http://numerodos-rosannarox.blogspot.com/

http://www.thehellolovelyblog.blogspot.com/

Army Wives Alaska

It was brought to my attention the other day that on the Opera Winfrey Network, on November 18th, there's a new reality show called "Army Wives Alaska" now, I for one am VERY excited about this show. I just hope they portray the military wives world decently, and not make us all looks insane! LOL! From the short 2 minute preview it looks like it's going to be an amazing show! I feel like I'm the only one in the world that thinks that should do a show for all branches! LOL! I feel like the outcast when I say that stuff, but I think it would be an awesome thing for, "Outsiders" well not really outsiders, but people that don't know the struggles we go through daily when our husband's are deployed! The sleepless nights, the worrying and the infamous playing the role of mom and dad!

Without further rambling, here is the youtube preview! 
If you haven't seen it definitely watch it, please :)

Fall Fall Fall

You know I never used to like fall, my favorite season was ALWAYS summer! I love the sun, beaches, swimming and being outside so that's why I've ALWAYS LOVED summer! Well, I've realized now that I have kids, fall is a close first favorite season! Pumpkin's, Hay-Rides, Pumpkin Spice Latte's, Pumpkin pie seriously EVERYTHING is beginning to grow on me! And I NEVER used to even like pumpkin's! lol

These pictures were taken last fall of my oldest when my youngest was still a little bean in my belly!

Goodness gracious, he was so little!

I'm still in search of a photographer here in Norfolk, and I hope we can find one quickly so we can do fall photos and Christmas photos!  Yes, I'm a  photo-fanatic! Today my little guy and I are making homemade apple sauce! SO excited to try it out! I've been debating on making a recipe tab on here, maybe if this comes out absolutely delicious!

Here's a photo of when it first went into the crock-pot, yes crock-pot! I love mine! lol

It was such a simple easy recipe! And didn't take many ingredients either! Well that's all for now, I just wanted to talk about fall! :)

How long have you been with your husband?

No, this isn't a sappy post about how long we've been together and all that. It was a legitimate question that was asked of me earlier today. Hubs and I have been married going on 3 incredible years, but in that time we have endured multiple underway's, a 7 month deployment, schooling and even more underways. So when this person asked me "how long have you actually been with your husband?". It made me sit down and think and do all the math, there's 36 months in 3 years, and out of those 36 months we've spent MAYBE 16 of those actually TOGETHER! Now, let me also say that our oldest son Christopher is almost 23 months. That say's A LOT! My husband started his underways a few weeks after our son was born, and has pretty much been in and out since. He deployed when he was 7 months old, and then came home when he was 16 months old. Most of the months that we've actually been together is when we first got married, he first left 11 months after we got married, now I loved those 11 months and cherished every single one of them, but in all seriousness 16 months together, really isn't all that especially when we're talking about 36 months. That's seriously insane, I've never actually sat down and figured that out until just today! Now, on that note I LOVE my husband more then anything in this world (well besides the kids! lol) and I couldn't imagine life without him, so everyday is worth it. Sure they're far and few in-between, and I knew that when him and I said "I do" It's just shocking though how much we've actually been together! Interesting when you really think about things! 

But I tell ya what, homecoming gives you butterflies like nothing else <3 No matter if it's a few weeks, a few months, 6 months or 12 months! 

......

I'm not even sure what to put as a title, but this is going to be a "pity post". You know I've done this underway thing MANY TIMES, I've lost count on how many underways he's done. But it doesn't make it any easier, I've dropped him off at the pier's and watched him walk away with that big green sea bag, packed full of NWU's, dress uniforms, pictures and snacks! (because they ship food isn't all that good! ALTHOUGH he said the new ship's food is AMAZING compared to the Stennis, lol) many of times, and it NEVER EVER EVER fails I'm driving off that base with my eyes swelled with tears and 90% of the way home I'm crying. I stop crying for a while, but AS SOON as the kids head to bed, the house is quiet and I'm at it again! It's when I'm alone it really hits me that he's gone, I'm back to a big empty queen sized bed, back to cooking for one (Christopher will SOMETIMES eat what I'm having but MOST of the time he wants chicken nuggets and fruit) and oh, not to mention I sleep TERRIBLY when he's away! I awake to the smallest noises, and I'm constantly checking on the boys! There's times I'll stick them both in bed with me so I'm not alone, although Owen is pretty much always sleeping with me when hubby is gone. 
Yeah, I hate being alone. I hate the underway cycle, I hate deployment's.
Okay, I need to cut it out now, but both boys are asleep, so I probably should go there myself, even if I don't sleep...lol 

For all my country music listeners

Now, I am a country music fanatic! Through and through! Truthfully it's ALL I listen too! So the other day this song can on in the car, and I feel like he wrote this song about my marriage! SERIOUSLY! Every word is totally my husband. This is going to be a REALLY short blog entry, because it's about my bedtime...yes mom's have bedtime's too!! 

So Listen And Enjoy :) 

A reflection of the move

I never realized just how hard it would be to leave the girls that became "my other half's" while my husband was underway or deployed! I've been talking to them a lot lately and I realized moving is just a small part of this crazy military lifestyle. But you never understand just how hard it is until you've done it! You know, before I left I had friends move away either they were getting out of the Navy or just PCSing, and of course it was hard BUT I still had my other friends to lean on. This time it was me that was leaving, and not just saying goodbye to one person, but to every single person that helped me in one way or another! Washington was our home for almost 3 years. I left everything I knew, and my family to move there in January of 2010. Moving was not something I thought about after I moved there, It took awhile to get settled in, but once I did I knew I had the greatest friends EVER! I guess really the point I'm trying to make here is enjoy EVERY moment you have with the friends you make at one duty station because they could just be lifelong friends you could never picture your life without, and don't stop being their friends because of petty little arguments (because we all know SOMETIMES being married to the military is like being in high school AGAIN!) I mean for goodness sakes K stood by my side along with my husband when I gave birth to my Owen! And ending on that note, tonight is my first meeting with this new command, am I nervous?! OH YES!

The weight struggle..

In High School, I was ALWAYS the "tiny girl" I was never over 120 lbs, I always was in the 120-110 zone. Well, my first pregnancy, my final weigh in was 200 lbs. Yes, I said it 200 lbs. I was in shock. Although, Christopher was a VERY large baby. He was 9 lbs 1 oz. Okay, so after I had him I set a goal for myself, I wanted to be "myself" again! Not this person pregnancy made me become. So, that goal was set and I was DETERMINED to make my 120 lbs show up on the scale again! So, 7 months later I was a whopping 145 lbs. I knew I was getting to my goal and it felt DAMN good. Well, life threw me a curve ball...a positive pregnancy test and so came along my baby boy Owen! Through that pregnancy I gained a whopping 15 lbs. Which was because I still "had a lot of weight left." So now here we are, 6 months postpartum and I'm back to the 140 range. I'm eating like I should, taking Advocare (if you haven't heard of it LOOK IT UP AND I MEAN IT!) LOL. And very much working out we're walking DAILY! I mean I do have a $700 jogging stroller, and that's NOT just going to hang out in the garage! I know it's going to take time, and I know my body will NEVER be the "same" again. But I'm ready to be comfortable again in my own body! Believe me, every pound I gained for my babyboy's were oh so worth it, but it's time for mama to be okay with the way she looks again! 

The underway cycle

As we prepare to gear up for yet another countless underway cycle and soon after another deployment. I have to ask myself where I'm going to find the strength to make it through another. Last time, I was surrounded by the greatest friends a girl could ask for who helped me through each step of the way INCLUDING a very UNEXPECTED pregnancy! This time I'm the "new girl" who hasn't met many people yet. I guess it's time to pull myself together and act like a "big girl". 

I haven't found many people I really click with just yet, so I'm afraid of being alone this time around. My friends were what held me together when I was alone, sad, down or just for laughs and smiles. I remember last deployment having countless "dinner dates" with B and K, then we'd sit around and watch tv, make late night walmart runs, or just hang out and talk! I was FAR FROM ALONE with them around! Those girls held me together we were like the three musketeers! We were ALWAYS together! They weren't the only ones though, I had a list of friends that went on and on. I was NEVER alone, someone was ALWAYS just a phone call away, or a drive down the road!

I've met one person so far here, just I really click with, which I am so thankful for! I haven't felt very welcomed at all. I feel like I'm being such a crybaby through this. But being alone is my biggest fear through this! It's not like I can just pick up the phone and call my husband because I'm lonley or sad. See a girl needs friends. 

Getting adjusted

We're completely moved in, with about 15 more boxes to unpack.

My husband graduated from school last Friday, and we hit the road from Ohio back to Norfolk.

Longest drive EVER! The road departments decided it was a good idea to close down ALL the bridges, oh and including the tunnel for "routine maintenance" but really?! ALL OF THEM?! Couldn't they split it up? So we ended up being stuck in traffic for about 2 and a half hours! 

The boys are adjusting terrifically, I was pretty nervous about that! I know our oldest is just LOVING his new room and having all his things and big boy bed back!

And mama is LOVING having all her stuff back too ;) Once everything is unpacked and situated, I promise there will be pictures!

My husband checks into his new command tomorrow morning. It's been amazing having him back home, so it's hard to see him go back to the "normal Navy" we just need to make it through these next 2 years and we'll be okay! I mean when you really think about it, 2 years really isn't ALL that long. And then we'll go on shore duty and have our lives back to NORMAL! Ah, NORMAL! Yeah, we'll get through these 2 years! But, we have another round of underways and a deployment. But we WILL be okay! We've done it once. We've destroyed one deployment.....we can do it again! 

The boys are just growing away! Owen is now 6 months old! He's almost sitting up AND almost crawling! He's such a big happy boy! We've started solids and we're 6 months STRONG on nursing!!!! I didn't think we'd make it this far, honestly. You see with my first son, we only nursed until 2 and a half months, because I was not enough making milk to satisfy him. So this is a HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT to make! 

Christopher is just learning new things EVERYDAY! His vocabulary is just expanding DAILY! I swear, he's so smart. He's learned how to count to 6, and we're currently on working on how to count to 20! (that is how many stairs are in our house!) We're planning on beginning the potty training experiance, we're not sure how this is going to go but he is VERY interested in it! He's going to be 2 in LESS then 2 months! This is nuts. It feels like JUST yesturday that I gave birth to him. Kids really grow way to fast! 

Well, I think that's really that's all that's new in our world! Until next time readers! :)