About that time again. (Moving week!)

Well, it's officially moving week! I thought it would never come, but as time often does, it drags by until things get busy and then it acts like a kid on Christmas morning. It seems like we only just moved out here to Monterey and now it's time to Pcs. I remember leaving my childhood home of Steubenville Oh, last October and moving here, flying alone with a 3 and 1 year old, to meet Mike who was already out here, but this time it's on a huge road trip. It's sure to be a happening time, no doubt. All the activities that I've been getting together for the littles, with snacks should definitely help too.(at least for the first hour or so). Yesterday we wanted to take a break away from organizing and cleaning to get ready for the move so we went out to Point Lobos on a hike one last time. And even with the cloudy, foggy day that it was it's always a pretty epic experience all in all.

 

These sunsets on our back deck were pretty fantastic.

                          I know we'll never forget this amazing place and some of the incredible people that we've met while living out here in Monterey, but now it's time to go see what kind of adventures we can get ourselves into at the next duty station.
  Have a good week guys!!

-M

Park days. Best days.

Well guys, next month we'll be long gone from California and on to Maryland, doing a massive road trip as a family across the Country. Mike will also be back home in the beginning of Sept! We may actually be counting down the days at this point..There will be Tons to do to get ready for the big move so hopefully it'll run as smoothly as it can in the Navy (and that's all I'll say on that haha) My sidekicks and I do a lot of this to pass the time..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   And by This I mean go the park and out on walks..a whole whole lot. But you know they grow more everyday and these are the days I'll look back on one day, so for now I want to just let them be little and enjoy their carefree days. (mostly)
                                    Have a good week people!

-M

Change of Season.

Okay guys, so it's been about two months (give or take) since my last post but it's something I really enjoy doing and want to get back into doing on the regular. With Mike being away at School for the passed almost 4 months, I thought I was going to have loads of time to just sit and write and that hasn't exactly been the case. My two keep me Crazy busy! We also went on a trip for over a month to visit my family in the Norfolk Va area and it was pretty Amazing being with all of them.
            As of last Sunday I'm back to singing (which I Love) at our Chapel near our base housing and today while I was up on the Alter singing with the rest of the group, I couldn't at all help but notice everyone that isn't here anymore. The thing about this Military lifestyle that I'm finding, is you constantly have to be up for change, and that includes awesome friends coming into your life and then moving on to all the new places that they all go...It's been totally amazing getting to know some of the people that I've met here and while I might never see some of them again that doesn't mean that I'll be forgetting them anytime soon. Some of the families that I've met have been so strong and the strength of the women having to hold down the fort while their husbands are away constantly inspires me to try to live out this life that I've been given and give it all I have. It also made me think of some of my friends back at home in Ohio (and near it) who I won't ever be forgetting either..(not to be emo) I think the people that come into our lives are there for a reason. My husband will be done with his School in Just two weeks and graduating. We're waiting on the official orders to know where we'll be stationed, but what I do know is that I have loved this time out here in Monterey Ca and just keep taking in all the little things about the area before we too join all the others that have moved on from this place.
                        So, in other news my kids are now 4.5 and 2 (and a few months) and totally crazy, but adorable and it's a good thing too. Ha. A few recent things the little man likes to do/say is:
                                         1.(While getting up from his bed the other night and coming out to the living room) oh Momma, I sooo tired (putting his hand on his head for effect) I sleeeepy. Haha maybe you should try going back to the bed that you came from crazy face.
                                2.) Wait 1 second momma, I be right back, I just need my sword! (always)
                            3.) Momma, when Daddy come back? He on airpane momma? he come back now? (also always...sweet buddy)
                                4.) And last but not least if you ever give him a set of options to eat, his response will always be, I want food momma I want food! Thanks for clearing that one up because I totally wasn't about to feed you food...

   

                                            (More about this sweet little lady in my next post.)

 

(Ring ring ring a foot phone) Just another one of their Many games.

 

(to sum up)

 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

 

So there's that...

Have a good week guys.

Love & Peace.

-M.

 

i got this. I Got This.

So.....as most of you know I've been going solo for a month now as of this coming Sunday (but who's counting really) and holy whirlwind city! It's definitely a lot more, um, exhausting I guess is the word, than I would have thought. That could for sure be partly due to the fact that the three of us got these colds that are more like this crazy vortex of a Cold which just might stick around forever. I mean, it's comfortable here, I get it, but it's had it's fair stay and it's time it hit the road jack, if you know what I mean.

        Can you tell it's been a long week?!?!?!?!? It kind of makes us do things like this with the laptop face-time camera.
                                                     

We also had a beach day recently right when I thought Mikey was over the cold and right Before Ava and I both got it. We may have gotten pretty sick the day after, but This day was beautiful and fun and we're just beach people. We're always happy when outside and by the Ocean.

                                                         

 

In one week from today we'll be in New York City with my parents and other extended family and friends celebrating my Sister's final vows as a CFR Sister and we're SO excited for the trip and to see everyone! We're also going to be staying in the Virginia Beach area for the month of July at my parents new house. I love these little people in my life that I get to go and have these adventures with, and even though there will always be hard days, like when they get sick, the better days Always far outweigh any of the hard ones and make it so. very. worth. it.

 

Happy *almost* Friday everyone!

 

~M.

Random life moments.

Well...it's a Thursday morning here on the West coast and I'm currently drinking my favorite drink (coffee, obviously) and the kids are riding Mikey's Mater power wheel all through the house so I thought I would write a few things down. (if only that thing weren't SO loud but here goes;)
                  Strange things you always hear in our house:
                                                "I see you fake crying..look at those fake tears" I have no clue why but it usually works like a charm and they stop crying and just start laughing. No joke. So it will continue. 
                   To Ava: "Look at those little hands, I love those little hands" but no really, to me her hands are adorable and she's so into all things crafty so she's always doing a little project with those tiny little hands trying to get it just right. And now she turns it back around on me, so if I'm feeling frustrated about something she'll come up and put her hands in my face and say, "look at these little hands." and it's pretty adorable. Weird? Probably, but I think we all are whether we admit it or not. At least that's what I'll keep on telling myself..
              If Mikey is whiney, or even if he's not, I just get down to his level and say, "run to Mommy!" and he'll run all the way to the other side of the room, or a ways down the sidewalk if we're outside, and he'll say "I fassst I fassst!" and run into my arms all smiley and happy again. He'll do this basically anytime, it's his favorite.
                   And speaking of fast, childhood in general seems way to go by WAY too fast for me. I guess that's why I try to take in all of these strange, unique but real life moments that make them happy and then it ends up having the exact same effect on me. It doesn't mean there aren't Rough days, oh we all Know about those, but these kids are the ones that God had laid out for me and I'm pretty A-ok with that.

                             
     I thought I'd put a visual to give you an idea what in the, um I was talking about. Haha

                                                            And Ava doing her nighttime ritual
                                                      before bed.

                                           I hope you guys all enjoy your day.
                                                              And your weekend.
                                                            And life in general.

-M.

Life as of late.

So as most of you know, we said goodbye to Mike for the next 4 months.The week leading up to it completely FLEW by. As in, if this time can go even a quarter that fast, we'll be good to go. It's always interesting trying to explain to the kids about him going away and trying to get them to understand in their little 4 and 2 year old minds.
    Ava's questions went something like this, 1.) Will you be scared and lonely without me Daddy?
                                                                      2.) will we talk on the Skype?
                                                                      3.) will you miss me and mommy and mikey?
                                                                      4.)will you still tell me bedtime stories?
     
  and Mikey well, he didn't really have any questions but he's looked around the house for him a few times doing his lion growl which he always did with him usually before wrestling and being all around dude like.

    Honestly though, I'm so grateful for this life and even though there are difficulties, like having to be apart at different times, it's still such a blessing to be able to see the world and experience and meet so many new people. It doesn't mean it's not crazy hard at times, but it just makes it worth it.
 Now here are a few things that the kids and I do to stay busy..

                                             Always random photo taking going on around here.
                                   

 

Quaker peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.
I just follow the recipe on the box of quick oats
and then add in the chocolate chips and 1/4 cup
of peanut butter to the dough because, I mean, who really needs a good reason for peanut butter
and chocolate (;                    

                                                                I think she approves.

And I'll leave you guys with some of the photos that we took

with my new tripod as one of my Mother's Day gifts from Mike

this year. They're not perfect but they're Us.

 

~Have a good Memorial Day weekend~

 

-M.

Camping at Home. Why? Why not.

                                           So as I've posted a couple of times now, Mike is getting
   ready to leave for Schooling with the Navy in the South. He decided to take "leave"
   this week beforehand to spend time with us and whatnot before going. We've been keeping
pretty busy with the usual sort of things but wanted to do a few special things with the littles too.
   
           So, we thought, what more would a 4 and 2 year old like to do than go camping in their backyard? (or something like that) so I loaded us up with the necessities like Smores ingredients (obviously) and found all of our tents and flashlights and we were ready to do. this. thing. And now photos because they basically speak for themselves.

So to sum up:

Smores.

story telling.

lack of sleep.

laughing.

sunset.

wake up at sunrise.

Coffee.

 

And Ava asking if we can go camping every night. (no)

But it was still a really Good time. I'm pretty crazy

for these people in my life.