Halloween at Grammy's

I brought the kids up to my mother's to do Halloween this year.....Olivia wasn't big on dressing up, but Trevor did have a great time!

A Farmer and His Strawberry......get it?

West Ghent Halloween Parade

How Do We Do It?

People constantly ask "How do you do it?" in reference to how we manage this long deployment, two kiddos (one who is super tiny and one who is super headstrong), a house, a full time job and full time school.....The question is such a loaded one, and the answer varies greatly depending on when I am asked.  In short, here is a "day in the life" of how we survive some of our days....

I am in graduate school hell....funny, seeing as I am studying Theology

The dog suns herself and sleeps all day (hence the grumpy face)

Trevor plays school and has circle time with his stuffed animals

and Olivia sleeps......

SOME days, that is how we do it.  

Other days (which one day I will get brave enough to share), are a hot flipping mess.  

Olivia Renee::Three Months 10.26.2013

Olivia is three months old!  She has found her voice and how "squawks" at us all the time.  She has such a sweet little voice!  No rolling or anything yet....she is waiting for Daddy to come home to see all that!

My parents came down, so I was able to get a nice setup in the backyard for some cute photos of both kiddos:

A Year Further Down the Road...

Today was my birthday...and even though I had every reason to be lonely and cynical, I found myself  surrounded by love and support from all those who have come to mean so much to me in the past year.

In the last year, I have learned that no matter how horrible and beat-down I feel, that I am strong, that I really am a fighter, and that I can survive.  Part of that strength, survival and fighting, though, is realizing that it is okay to ask for help and to accept help when it is offered.  Martyrs don't get medals.....and in asking and receiving help and support from others, the greatest thing you get overall is the knowledge that you ARE loved, you ARE supported, no matter how much you may not feel like that.

Tonight was a day of ups and downs.....thank you to everyone who called and messaged.  It meant the world to me.

It started out with this:

sheesh.....a decade.  time does fly.  especially when you are surrounded by amazing friends and family who love you.  

Went into the homestretch with a phone call from my beloved Shaner that ended with this:

"Well sweetie, there is the sixty second warning.  Have a great birthday.  I love you.  The next time you hear my voice it will be on the pier."  

Swoon.  My life is complete.

Winded down with drinks with an amazing friend while we skipped the gym.

And ended with girl talk and birthday hugs from a dear friend who showed up with wine and cupcakes.  

I am loved.  
And that is the best lesson I learned in the past year.

I want to add that my birthday was really a four day extravaganza, where I spent an evening with my ZBs and had lunch with one of my closest and bestest friends.  The best, best birthday in a long long time.

Thank you everyone, for making me feel the way I do as I go to bed tonight.  <3 nbsp="" p="">

Thankful Thursday (on Friday)

This Thursday, I am thankful for family....the one I was born with, the one I gained through Shaner, and the friends that have become family.....


Enough said.

Clarke Farm

This evening Brian and I took the kiddos to Clarke Farm for hayrides and pumpkin picking.  Shane and I took Trevor there last year and had a great time, and since it is so close to our house, and is much smaller than others in the area, it seemed like the perfect thing to do again this year.  Trevor had a great idea checking out the animals and playing on the dirt pile.  We went on a hayride through the farm fields, picked pumpkins and then called it an evening. Both kiddos were completely wiped and went to bed super easily once we got home.

Noland Trail

I know I am behind with my challenge to blog every day, but I am going to catch up by tomorrow and at least have a post for every day.  

On Monday, Brian, his buddy Alfredo and I took the kids up to Newport News to do the Noland Trail.  We didn't do all of it, but it was a beautiful day and the kids had a great time being outside after our week of non-stop rain.  I can't wait to get back up there myself and run the whole thing.  I have the feeling that trail runs will be much more my speed.

Kiddos ready to go (it was super sunny where we parked)

Uncle Brian and Trevor at the Lion's Bridge

Looking for fish

gorgeous views!

Happy Birthday Shaner!

Saturday was Shaner's birthday.  He is umpteen years old.  I was away at my parents house to get a haircut and to hang out for a bit.  In honor of his birthday, we all went out to lunch to celebrate.....I made a point throughout the day to send Shane pictures to say Happy Birthday.  Of course, since the Navy has such high quality internet access, all the photos got sent to me....SO....here are Shaner's Happy Birthday photos:

margaritas and daquiris to celebrate shaner's birthday!

and sweet baby smiles too!

October 12....Some Good News

This post may not have gone up yesterday as planned, but the article was released last night, so it still counts, right?

And now for the good news:
http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=77067#.UlqCd2N39sU.facebook

Suspense

It has come to my attention that there are some people living in corn fields in the middle part of our great nation (ahem, Liz) has spent her evening refreshing her browser on the blog, so I figured I would get something up here before I head off to sleep...

Get ready for a huge let-down to that suspense there pal...

I have a deep post that I am working on to come up here soon....but am drawing a blank, so just random stream-of-consciousness to get it out there tonight.

• Took a run up to my parents' house in NoVa for the night.  I needed a haircut and Trevor didn't have a soccer game, so I wanted to get out of town while I had the chance.  
• I haven't lived at home with my parents in over ten years....and yet the nighttime sounds here are the most comforting sounds in the world.  You'd think that after being away for so long I would have gotten used to it.  
• When I got Olivia's sound machine, I was super happy to find a cricket/wind/trees noise that she sleeps with on at night.  It is the closest I have ever heard to what nighttime sounds like in Lake Ridge.
• Traditional white noise freaks me out.  I blame the movie....
• I haven't been to the movies since.....well, it has been a long time.  Wait, I take that back...Shane and I saw Safe Haven back in March.  Before that, the last movie I saw was Nights in Rodanthe.  
• Looks like my movie preferences have a Nicholas Sparks theme.  Did you know his books are mostly set in the Wilmington, NC area?  And that Safe Haven was filmed in Southport, where we spend time each summer when we go down to the condo at Kure Beach?  Yeah, yeah...random information.  
• There is a not-so-tiny four and a half year old snuggling up to me wanting me to go to sleep.  Yes I know it is almost 10pm....but we are at Grammy's house, and the rules are always different (and more fun) at Grammy's.  
• It took me over four hours to get here today....ugh.  Four hours in a car makes me a cranky person.  Cranky and tired.  
• Tired....yep.  Time for bed.  

Goodnight everyone.  Three posts down.....not too shabby for me sticking to it!  

And since I am drawing a blank....I am taking suggestions for post topics to get me through this whole one post a day until Homecoming thing....Anyone?  Any reasonable suggestions accepted!  Leave a comment and your suggestion!  

Olivia Renee: two months 9.26.2013

Olivia Renee at two months.....

We have finally found our stride.  You have a nice little schedule going on and I have gotten my act in gear to stick to it and keep you happy.  You love to snuggle and have tons of smiles to share.  Your personality shines through every moment of the day....even when you sleep, hence the photo above.

Two Month Well Baby Stats:  10lbs 6oz.  22inches long.

Challenges....

We are in the final days of deployment....which is fabulous.  It also means that every clock in my house has started to tick a little slower as my anticipation for Shane's return grows.  In an effort to make the time go by faster I am challenging myself to do a couple of things between now and his return.  This should speed up the ticking clocks for me (hopefully) and maybe provide some entertainment for you (again, another hope!)  So, here we go...between now and Shaner's return, I challenge myself to:

--Blog.  Every day between now and homecoming.  Even if it is just an adorable photo of the kiddos.  One post a day.
--Hot for Homecoming!  Yes, that is right...I am not satisfied with the 30lbs I am already down.  I can do better.  So, running (with my fab new stroller!) and the 30 Day Shred between now and then.  I should finish the 30DS shortly before Shane gets home, so yeah....hot for homecoming.  Here we go.
--Say "Thank You."...These last umpteen months have stretched me to near my breaking point, and without the help and support of countless people, I would not be here today, wiser and stronger than I was when I stood on the pier waving goodbye back in March.  Between now and when Shaner comes home.  I need to say Thank You to everyone....so, be on the look out for surprise texts, cards and calls from me....you all know who you are.  


...because if deployment isn't a challenge in and of itself, it takes a challenge (or three) to get you through to the end.