Project 365...TAKE TWO

So, I'm doing it again! I did it in 2009/2010, but never finished! It has been deleted now, I really really really wish they didn't delete albums that haven't been updated in a certain amount of time, because I'd love to look back.

So here it is: http://365project.org/jaimee365/365/2011-12-31

Here's to hoping I stay on top of it!! :)

Facebook..what gives?

So we've all seen them, at least most of us have, the top 10 things women, men, moms, etc, say/do on fb. They are pretty dead on, too. I read one about moms, and I reposted it on my FB because I found it interesting. It listed things such as wishing your kid(s) happy birthday, posting a bunch of pics of them, putting your kid(s) pic as your profile pic, advertising your "Mom" blog, asking for advice, etc. I was guilty of probably MOST of the things, and I think we all do it because we see our other mom friends do those things too. So, one particular friend of mine said she hates when people do those things, and has even deleted someone because of it. Now, I have to admit this type of response aggravated me because a.) I'm guilty of most of the list, as I stated above, and b.) why have that person on your friend list if something as simple as what they post about their experience in being a Mom gets them axed? and lastly, c.) I'm pretty sure I've seen her do some of these things. Do people really work themselves up like this over FB? These were all questions that came to my mind.

I'm not trying to make a hate blog against my said friend, but I'm truly just trying to figure out why people get so worked up over their friends status updates. I've come across a lot of people who are like this, and it irritates me. I suppose you could possibly say that one of the reasons is that I take it personally. I am a military wife, which means I don't have the luxury of being close to home, therefore, my main means of communication is FB. This may be sad to some people, but it works for me. I'm not even in the same country as my family, so now more than ever I want to utilize my FB to keep my friends and family updated on my life and also feel closer to them. But, I can't help but feel like I can't be open and say whatever I want. People are way too critical about it.

My advice for those who nag and complain about what your friends are posting, it is as simple as if you don't care that much, then delete them. Obviously, you don't care that much to be their friend if you don't want to hear what is going on in their life. FB also has this great option that lets you block what they post, so that it won't show up on your wall..but again, why are you keeping them as a friend, then?

This has bothered me for a long time, the feeling of not being able to post whatever on FB. I've wanted to blog about it for quite some time, and I guess when I posted that link on my FB page it just fired me up to write about it. It actually feels pretty good to put it in writing. And as far as my 'mommy blog' making it to FB, I no longer have it set up to automatically post anymore. Not just because it could annoy some of my 'friends', but mainly because I also have felt restricted on here as well. Now I'm letting loose, I'm tired of holding all of my feelings inside. I think better when I feel like no one is watching/reading. My mind opens up, and it's like therapy.

This past year has been difficult for me, more than anyone could know. I have been somewhat vocal, but no where near where it would reflect what I'm really feeling. I think for one of my New Year resolutions, I will be removing those who I feel don't need to be apart of my life anymore.

There's something about the coming of a new year..

There's something about the coming of a new year that makes some people apologize for things that they've done within that past year, or maybe within the past couple years. I know this personally because not long ago I sent a message to a friend who was a good friend of mine for years, apologizing for a falling out that we had, mostly because of the things I said to her. I couldn't see things from her perspective, and they didn't make sense to me. I wanted to help her, but ended up hurting her instead. I defriended her during that time, and went on with my life. Being military wives, and living so far apart, defriending her was the best thing I could have done back then, in my mind. Time went on, and a couple of months ago I felt like I wanted to make amends with people who I felt I needed to. She was the first person that popped up in my mind. In fact, she was the only person I felt I needed to apologize to. Sadly, I haven't heard back from her, but at least I know in my heart that I apologized to her and that's all I can do.

Karma works in funny ways because tonight I received a message from someone who said some pretty awful things to me awhile back, and she apologized. This was pretty unexpected. She said she would understand if I didn't give a response back to her, but she just wanted to be sure to apologize. I know the feeling exactly. And I'm very appreciative of her simple message to me.

2011 is coming to an end, it will never be again. 2012 will be a new start for everyone, if they choose to view it from that perspective. Don't hold grudges, with friends and ESPECIALLY with family, because life is precious and you never know when you can lose a person forever. I have spent my life thinking like this. Think how much happier you would be, too, if you apologized for things that you knew you were wrong for.

Life is too short and is pressure loaded as it is to hold a grudge and allow it to be a weight on your shoulders. It's not worth it.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, MAKE IT A GOOD ONE!!

Recurring Dream

I meant to write about this in my last blog, but I completely forgot.

So, I keep having this dream where I go back to my high school and get lost. I've had this dream so many times, it's crazy. But, it's different each time. The concept is the same, where I am always getting lost or I forget my schedule and end up being late to a class. However, different things happen, and my high school is a little different each time. For those that have went to Sandalwood, it's the same setup, only there are many halls in between the two main halls. It's more shapely as well, not so much a rectangle. It's also a lot more fancier.

In past dreams, I've been lost trying to go to gym class, history class, forgotten where I was going to, and today in my dream I got lost trying to find English class. It's so weird. People are crazy, and the classrooms are really really small. In one dream, I had to go to the dean's office to have them help me find my way.

After I finally found the class I was trying to get to, I remember getting picked up and going home on Atlantic. During the drive home, a DUCK flew in the window and grabbed my purse. The duck would NOT let go. I fought with it, when I finally decided to take all my stuff out(while the duck was biting me) and admit defeat. Right when I did that, the duck flew off and left my purse. After all of that craziness, Hailee and her cousin Lexi got out of the car and Hailee was on her scooter with a plastic red wagon(that we have) pulling Lexi, down Atlantic blvd on the road. I freaked about it because Atlantic Blvd is crazy, but also because that whole concoction was just NOT going to work! lol

AND then, I woke up. Pretty weird. Wish I knew what all of that means! Especially, the one where I go back to high school and keep getting lost. I'm sure it means something, since I keep having it.

Here is what one dream interpretation site says what it means to be dreaming that you are lost: Lost

To dream that you are lost suggests that you have lost your direction in life or that you have lost sight of your goals. You may be feeling worried and insecure about the path you are taking in life. If you try to call for help, then it means that you are trying to reach out for support. You are looking for someone to lean on. Alternatively, being lost means that you are still adjusting to a new situation in which the rules and conditions are ever changing.

............Which makes sense to me........

And here is the interpretation of having a duck in your dreams:

Duck

To see ducks in your dream, represent your spiritual freedom (if flying) or the unconscious (if swimming). They serve as a connection between the spiritual realm and the physical world. Ducks are multi-talented animals in that they can walk, swim and fly. Thus, a duck indicates your flexibility and your ability to blend and adapt in various situations. Alternatively, the dream suggests that you are setting yourself up or being set up for the kill as associated by the phrase "sitting duck". Are you being targeted? Also, the duck may be a pun on "ducking" some issue or situation, instead of confronting it head-on. Consider the phrase, "if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's a duck". Some things are too obvious to deny.

They kind of go hand in hand?

December Update

Our first major holiday-Thanksgiving- while being in another country has come and gone. It really isn't bad if you don't dwell that you aren't 'home' for it. And by home, I mean in the states. However, I learned that trick of the mind years ago when I had to get used to not actually being in Jacksonville for major holidays. My mother in law was here last week, and I'm sure that played a big part in the holiday not being so bad. We spent the whole week site seeing, including myself going to Ireland the day after Thanksgiving. I was pretty exhausted when I got home Saturday evening, I fell asleep as soon as I got out of the shower and laid on the couch. Then Sunday, we spent the day in London. It was awesome to see the Buckingham Palace and Big Ben. Those are sites I honestly never thought I would have seen in my lifetime, and there I was standing in front of them. It was surreal.

After flying across the ocean to move here, and having to board flights from Jax to Ohio, Ohio to VA, VA to DC, and then DC to London, I got over my anxiety of flying pretty quickly. Before we flew here, it had been about 15 years since I had flown anywhere. Then 9/11 happened, and all of that contributed to my fear of flying. I still have a little anxiety about flying, but not enough to hold me back anymore. That's why I went to Ireland! I'm so happy that I've gotten over my fear of flying because I feel like there's so much to see, and I want to see it!

I'm in the final weeks of this semester in school. In all honestly, I can't wait to be done. I want a little bit of my life back where I'm not consumed by assignments, discussions, quizzes/exams, and projects. I have 2 weeks left, and they are going to be some busy ones, but I'll get through it, and it'll be done and under my belt! It really is bittersweet because while I'm looking forward to getting on my own schedule again, I know that I need to keep going. But, it isn't an option right now as we can't financially pull it off. Cody is going to see what he can do, and maybe I can take classes again by next summer!

It is getting COOLD here. I had to scrape ice off of my windshield this morning before taking Hailee to school. I just know the snow will be coming soon. I'm really not looking forward to it! Right now, it is currently 43 degrees outside. BRRRR. ;)

There's my update for now, until next time......

Jaimee

Our Life Lately..

I realized that I haven't blogged lately about our life. Hailee turned 6 on November 4th. She is super excited to reach this age, as she has been waiting a whole year! haha. For days after her birthday, she kept asking me, "Mommy, am I still 6 years old?" as to which I reply, "Yes, Hailee, you are still 6". I remember about 8 months ago, she told me she was going to marry a kid in her class when she turned 6. I asked her why 6? She said because she will be old enough. Well, the kid moved away before we moved away. She wasn't too happy about that. She really liked him. Since we've gotten here, she's named a couple of boys that she is going to marry. But this time she says they will marry when they are 11. ;)

Andrew is almost 19 months, and wilder than ever. He loves to climb and pull things off of shelves. He still loves cars, but has developed a new love towards planes. We were watching Cars 2, and there is a preview of the new Planes movie coming out(from the makers of Cars) and he is all interested. That movie won't come out till at least 2013, tho. I'm sure he'll be just as interested 2 years from now. His favorite things in life are cars, balls, dogs, and his blanket.

Lincoln is a big pain in the you know what. I can't wait till he calms down a bit, but I think we have a couple years to go until then. I think it's partially our fault because we need to give him more attention and exercise. So, that's something we need to work on. He's growing so fast, and is a big boy! Him and Bubba are such good buddies. Bubba will come and love on him various times a day, and then while Bubba naps, Lincoln lays right by him.

I'm doing okay. I'm over half way through this semester of school, only have a little over a month left. I'm working out, trying to get back into shape and then I'll be training to become a Turbo Kick instructor. I'm really looking forward to that. I'm not sure if I'll be going back to school next semester due to the gi benefits issue I mentioned in the last blog. It sucks, because right now is the best time for me to take classes. I imagine it will all work out in the end.

Cody's Mom is coming up in a couple weeks to spend Thanksgiving week with us, and we are looking forward to it. We will be going to London, visiting Stonehedge, showing her around where we live and the surrounding areas. I know she will enjoy herself, as well as we will enjoy her company. :)

TURRRBOOOOOO

TURBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I'm back at it again, and this time I'm training to become an instructor. This is something I've wanted to do for a couple years now, and I've taken the steps to begin. I don't know how long it's going to take me to become certified, but I'm going to work my butt off. I've done Turbo for years now, although not as consistent due to pregnancy, moving, being lazy, living in a 3rd floor apartment(which the neighbors were none to happy with me doing TurboFire, lol), worked out at the gym, etc. But, I haven't forgotten Turbo, and I always go back to it. This is the ONE program that gets me in shape faster than anything I've ever done before, and it's addictive. I'll admit, starting off can be rough. In fact, I'm sore as I speak. But, no pain, no gain, right? After taking 4 months off of working out, I started out with TurboFire instead of Turbo Jam. I figured TF will get me in instructor shape faster than Turbo Jam. So, it's no surprise to me that I am sore. I have some bad habits that I need to kick, but once I get my butt in gear, I'll be on a roll. It's time for me to get refocused!

On another note, I have to put off getting my degree. Unfortunately, the whole 'you can transfer your gi bill to your dependents after 10 years of service, as long as you are still enlisted to do more', is a lie. Because, they declined our request for me to get gi bill benefits to pay for my schooling due to Cody not enlisted for longer than he currently is(which is 14 years of service by the time the current contract is up). So becoming an instuctor is my plan b, so to speak. I guess I will have to wait until Cody reenlists again. Makes no sense, but whatever.

Another program I want to teach is Hip Hop Hustle, but I'm going to start with Turbo Kick first, since I know it. Hopefully this time next year I'll be rockin' it! :)

Discovery & Motivation

It only took my whole 28 years of life, but I finally figured out what I want to be, what I'm supposed to be, when I 'grow up'! It's funny how I got to this conclusion, because in hindsight, I should have known it all along. I love animals. Always have, always will. They make me happy, they make me sad, they frustrate me, they astonish me, and I feel as though we should take care of them. These little creatures depend on us to.

I woke up this morning with so much motivation for my life, I have no idea where it came from. I do feel as though I need to credit the good Lord above, because we went to the Lincoln Cathedral yesterday and I went into the prayer room and said a prayer for my life. I woke up this morning with this great motivation and guidance.

Then, of course, I lost some of it after spending the WHOLE day on school work, lol..but that's okay. I still know WHY I am going for criminal justice. Now, I have a more specific goal in mind- to become an animal cruelty investigator. I feel it's my calling. THIS is what I want and need to do. I have so much passion for it. It's going to be a long road, but I'm going to get there and I have plans along the way to help me.

It has been a long day. It's been a long week. I've had so much to do as far as school alone goes. I can't imagine being a full time student, I have no clue how people do it and juggle everything else in their life. I feel like I'm a full time student now, and I'm only taking 1 class. Maybe one day I'll figure that out, because I don't want to be in school forever.

Cody has been so supportive. He helps me more with the kids, and housework, because he knows I have a lot of school work to do. He knows this is what I need to make me happy. I couldn't be more blessed to have a great husband. It's time to focus on me more, and what I want to do with my life. The last 10 years have been great, but I really need to find my path. It's something I've struggled with for years. And now, I finally have a direction to go.

Amazing.

Finding My Place

So, it's only taken me THREE months(which feels more like SIX), to feel comfortable here. But, I think I'm finally finding my way. I drove to the base w/o the garmin today, which I consider an accomplishment since I take the back way that Cody showed me.

Also, Hailee is starting to fit into her school. I think you are cool if you have a scooter here, lol. I let her bring her scooter in the morning today, and she instantly joined the group of girls with scooters and wanted nothing to do with me. She was constantly showing off her Toy Story scooter (with Jessie on it) to anyone who would listen!

I have been looking into churches around here, because I always feel better when I have a church to go to. There is one about 10 minutes away from the house, that I am going to check out this Sunday..since Cody will be off. I'm not sure if they have sunday school for the kids, but I'm going to look into it. I know that they have something called Fizz for Hailee's age group. I'm sure it's something like Awana is, back in the states. I always like to be involved in things, it makes me happier. I also love when my children learn about the word of God.

I'm trying to find a gymnastic type class for both kids. I found something that I am going to look into which is similar to a "My Gym" in the states. I think Bubba would benefit from some socialization, considering I think he is my interverted child. Hailee is the exact opposite, and it has made life easier for her and us.

Lincoln is getting better with potty training. He knows to go to the door. His biggest problem is holding in his potty, I think his bladder is quite small and/or he doesn't quite know how to hold it yet. When he has to go number 2 tho, he goes outside every time. The kids are also learning how to adjust to him. First, Bubba was scared of him, but now Hailee is moreso scared. It's getting better every day tho. I'm not as stressed as I was the first two weeks we had him.

I can't wait, but then I can(hah), to start school in 12 days. I'm ready to get the ball rolling on my degree. There are some hurdles since I'm in England, but I am determined so I will pull thru them.

"My life is like a lemondrop, I'm suckin' on the bitter to get to the sweet part..I know there are better days ahead.."

The Start of our Life in England

Well, this week officially starts our life as we know it in England. Hailee has begun school, Cody has been on shift work, and me? Well, I've been stressed to the max. I'm all to blame, however, because I always have a way of making my life more difficult than it has to be. I obviously get bored, or feel like I have a gap that needs to be fulfilled somewhere, and the ending result almost always never lives up to it's expectations that I put forth for it. In this case, I am talking about our latest addition to our family, our dog Lincoln. Whew. This little fella has turned our household into chaos. I almost think it would have been easier to just have another baby! HA! Joking, of course! But seriously, having Lincoln has been quite an adjustment. We usually get our dogs a little bit older than we got Lincoln. Lincoln was only a measely 8 weeks old, now he is 10. In all actuality, I have dreaded the day we got our "big dog". We knew it was going to happen one day, and that day is here. We love labs, and have always wanted one, so we are sticking it out and hoping that he will learn all things he needs to in a speedy kind of way.

Cody is on shift work. 12 hour days. When 8pm rolls around, I am basically running out the door..welcoming him home! haha. Yes, by that time, I am literally run down to the ground and in desperate need for recoup time. Cody comes in, in a happy mood most days..thank God...and takes over. Apparently his days consist of him sitting in a nice quiet room..oh the LUXURY! At this moment, Hailee is harassing the dog..and if Hailee isn't harassing the dog, the dog is harassing Hailee. And if neither of those two scenerios are happening, then Bubba starts in. I cannot tell you how THANKFUL I am, when the dog finally plops down and naps. I don't think I have ever been so happy for a nap time, in my life. haha. But, then, usually, if Hailee is home...right when the dog is good and napping, she picks him up and starts harassing him. *sigh* When none of the above is going on, I'm obsessing about the dog having to go potty or yelling at him to stop trying to chew on something. Okay, enough about this topic..just talking about it, stresses me out. Of course, it may be because the chaos is happening as I speak..so that doesn't help.

Hailee started school, week one DOWN. She is doing well. I think we got off to a bumpy start in the beginning of the week. She came home and said that the kids don't like her name, they don't want to play with her, and they don't want to be her friend. But now, it seems as though she is making friends, so that relieves me. This week they learned about living and non living things, bones, and how to treat each other. She says she loves school.

I'm taking a Biology course on the 26th, I'm excited about this, but I really hope things calm down at home. It's about that time now, where Cody should be on his way home..and believe me, I am counting down the minutes till he walks through that door! :)

Adios!
























































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Home Sweet Hizzzome!

I wish we could say we are settled, but our furniture and car still has not arrived. No worries, we should HOPEFULLY get everything very soon. Hopefully. Ha. It's the 20th of July, and we were told the 27thISH..so...crossing my fingers! I keep thinking about how NICE it's going to be to zoom around in my little cubical again! It'll be like a little slice of home. I never thought I'd fall in love with that little box, but it has grown on me. In the winter, I'll be able to use my cool little disco dashboard/cup holder lights, since supposedly the sunny days get shorter.That's assuming I'll actually get the little box to move in the snow, of course. It's also going to be nice to hook up my ipod in it, and listen to some REAL music! Ooooh, it's the little things.

I'm getting used to the whole driving thing. I haven't gone down a wrong street yet, *knock on wood*. Yesterday, in an attempt to find a salon that accepts visa cards w/o a smart chip in it, I went to downtown Lincoln..not sure if that's what it is called, but that is what I'll call it. I give myself major points for this little journey into town because it's full of one ways, and two ways on a single lane road, and just some other very confusing roads. I've been avoiding driving thru there, but the time came for me to do it yesterday. I tried to just stay with traffic, and if the gps suggested I went down a road that looked questionable(because the gps has been known to take me down some wrong way roads in the past), I would just keep going past it and let the gps reroute me. I could tell the gps was getting annoyed with my doing this, but it was for the better. I didn't want to end up on some one way road, going the wrong direction. I EVENTUALLY got to my destination, probably about 20 minutes after I should have. BUT, I got some experience driving around Lincoln, and some good scenery, so that's a plus. Also, if you ever visit England, be SURE to use your turn signals. This is very important. They REALLY don't like when you don't, and they will let you know!

All in all, I'm enjoying it here. Well, honestly, no I'm not. I'm trying to enjoy it the best that I can. It's amazing being in England, but then when you can't go anywhere and use your bank card, or ask if they take Visa and they look at you like your stupid, then you're really wishing you were back in America where you don't have to ask that question..99.9% of the time. Or, when you are driving and you really wish you could be on the left hand side of the car, on the right side of the road. OR, if you are looking for something particular in a store and they don't have it..and you really don't know where to go to get it..because if anywhere would have it, it'd be that particular store..and they don't HAVE IT! OR, it's 6 oclock in the evening and that's your potential "ME" time to go out to do some looking around, and then you realize everything closes at 5. OR, you're freezing and it's JULY. OR, it's now a warm day and you have no AC(which, it's really seldom warm, but we've had few days like that). OR, you would love to have internet, but the internet company can't get their crap together and give you a date when they can come out to connect it. So they keep telling you that they will call you the next day with a date, and they never do. OR, you are super hungry and wish there was an Olive Garden or an Applebees, and there isn't..and nothing here sounds good. OR you look at the britsh pound price and realize that you will pay much more than that price. Okay, well enough about venting about why I wish I was back in America...other than the obvious of, OKAY...I miss my dog and my family back home, are we done yet, here?

But really, I'm doing fine. Really. I'm grateful.

I must say, I love getting comments on my blog. I love logging in and seeing that I have comments that need to be moderated. On that note, I'd LOVE to know who is commenting on my blog, so PLEASE give me a hint or put your actual name. lol. One of the comments I got, was from someone named ME. So I clicked on their name "me", and it shows that they also have a blog, with one post. The blog is called "A place for me to scream" and then the title of the first post is conveniently called "My First Post" followed by "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!". Now, this post could very well be written by me, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't. So, whoever you are, thanks for the comment! Would love to know who you are tho!! lol.

Well, that is all for now..I must attend to my children and start our day. I hope you all have a great one!!

*~*Jaimee*~*

I'm in ENGLAND!

As most of you know, we've been here for 2 weeks now! We spent the first week in a cottage at Watermill Farm. We really enjoyed staying there, it was really peaceful. However, we had to leave after a week because they had the place booked out for someone else. Cody was recommended another place, which we are currently staying at. It's nice, but it's weird because it's similar to that of a mother in law suite. We park in the owners driveway, and have to walk by their house windows to go to our cottage. It's just a little weird. The first cottage had a dryer, but this one does not. I started to just wash clothes and hang them up on hangers all over the house to dry, but that got old and I gave in. I found out where their clothes line was, which is in their backyard. Again, it's an odd feeling going in someone's backyard and hang my laundry in front of their windows. That didn't fly for long. hah! I was hoping and praying that we would find a house with a dryer soon! And we did!

We are moving into the house on Tuesday. The only downfall is that we don't have furniture/dishware(except a tv) and we don't have internet. We should have TV on Tuesday which is why we picked to move in on that day. I'm really excited to move in, though. It is so much more spacious than this cottage we are staying in. The kids love the backyard, and Hailee loves the fact that there are other kids to play with.

Yeah, so...we won't have internet until the 14th. Boo. I have internet on my phone so I'll be on every once in awhile to update everyone. But I'll miss skyping and being able to watch Casey Anthony trial snippets on youtube. Ah well.

I'm trying to get everything together to get Hailee enrolled in school. I found one school down the road from where we live. They only have 2 spots available for next year tho. However, the neighbors told us of another school that is across the street from the neighborhood. That would be great also. The whole school process is different here than it is in the states. She doesn't automatically go to the school because she lives near it. You have to try to get into a school. So I have to submit like 3 choices to the Lincolnshire County Council and wait for them to get back to me, or wait for the school to get back to me. It's interesting the way they do it. I just hope she gets in one of the schools that are close by.

We are liking it so far, here. We have been to a few pubs(during the day), and have become comfortable with picking things from the menu. We went into one pub that explained to us that they don't allow kids inside, we could sit outside, but they didn't have high chairs, and don't cater to kids. So we left, and went to a place called "Nosey Parker". It was in a bright orange building and was written in a similar font to "Hooters". Plus, it was called Nosey Parker, which to me sounds like an england version of the saying "Peeping Tom" hah! I thought for sure they weren't kid friendly, BUUUTTTTTT....they had a kids playground outside! It was a nice restuarant, but it only had 2 highchairs..so that was a bit of a pain.

Tomorrow is the 4th of July, and I'm trying HARD to not think about it because I LOVE the 4th..and we have no plans. I'm really gonna miss the celebrations they do in the US. Boo. :( I'll be spending my day doing laundry, again. But oh well, even tho I may seem bummed, I am really having good days. I just will refrain from thinking it's the fourth of July.

Cody brought home some brownies today from Asda(which is part of the Walmart family). O..M..G. I like brownies, but these brownies are the BEST brownies I have tasted in my ENTIRE life. They are sooo yummy! I should tell Cody he is never allowed to bring them in the house again! ha! I really need to find a gym! I can't be eating like that and not working out. That's not the only junk I eat. They also have iced fingers, YUMMY! They remind me of the cinnamon buns I used to eat in high school.

Alright well, that's all I have to say for now..I feel like I have tons to say, but I'll get to it eventually!

Cheers! ;)

Our stuff is all packed up and will be loaded up on the moving truck today to be shipped off!

Last Week in the US!

I blogged a few days ago about getting our visas and passports done, but Blogger ate my post! We finally received them in the mail this past week, just-in-time! We have booked a cottage that was recommended to us by hubbs command. They aren't the best looking, but they will do during our house hunting time. So I feel as though we are on the right track now. I'm feeling pretty confident about things, I have some houses picked out for us to go look at. Hopefully, it won't take us too long to house hunt.

I am feeling anxious about the coming days. I have a Dr. appt tomorrow, and then we have to go apply for our tourist passports(so that we can travel while we are in England and surrounding parts). Then Tuesday, the movers come to pack up our stuff. Wednesday, they load up the truck. Last time the military moved us, they set it up to take 2 days, but it actually only took one. I'm hoping that they'll pack and load the same day, like the last time. Thursday, we are supposed to drive to Orlando and drop off our cube for it to be shipped. And finally Friday, we should be flying out. Although, we still haven't gotten tickets yet, waiting on the Navy for those! We have several small things to do in between all of the above, so it's going to be an extremely busy week! It's hard to imagine that this time NEXT week, we will be in England. I am super excited to be on some quiet land, as the website for our cottage claims it to be. I am worried about transportation tho. I'm hoping we can rent a car until our car arrives. Our stuff isn't supposed to make it to England until the end of July. So, it's going to be different, but we'll manage somehow.

I came across a quote, while reading a blog earlier:

Change is inevitable, growth is optional.

So true! And as always, I'm sure there will be some growth within me during our journey overseas. I have grown a lot in the past several years due to this military lifestyle.

In case I don't update again before our move, due to all the stuff we have to take care of this week, I will update as soon as I can in England! I won't have a phone, or internet, so I'm not sure how long it will take me until I can write my next blog again. Hopefully sooner rather than later!!

Road to Acceptance

I have struggled for several months, mostly silently, about our move to England. These orders had literally taken over my life, and was affecting me in an extremely negative way. I ignored friends and family, put important things off which needed to be done, slacked on my duties of being a wife, mother, and friend, among other things. Whenever my husband brought up things that needed to be done in order to proceed in our move to England, I would get sick to my stomach and would become really irritable towards him and anyone else. Then you throw in his deployment and the problems I was having with my neighbors on top of everything I was dealing with emotionally to go to England, I was spinning downward fast. The picture included in this blog is of our dog of 6 years, Pebbles. I'm going to miss her dearly while we are in England.

Tomorrow, Cody will have been home for 4 weeks now. It has taken me 4 weeks with his help and support to get my act together, and get a new outlook on life. I am FINALLY on the right path, I believe. I find myself getting a little excited about our journey to England, and that is a whole lot more better than what I felt before.

This past weekend we went to Louisiana. It was a great escape from reality, until we would remind ourselves how much we are going to miss going and seeing the people we care deeply about. But, nevertheless, we had a really wonderful time. Hopefully, when we get back to the states in 2014, we can get orders back to Pensacola, so can be in between the 2 places where the people we love are at. Until then, we are hoping to meet some great friends in the lovely UK.

It has been a long, hard several months, but I think I'm finally on the right path to experiencing England.

A little over 2 weeks and counting.....

Disney World 2011

We have been wanting to take Hailee to Disney World. Over the years, our excuses not to ranged from her "being too young" to "we'll wait till...(before a deployment, after a deployment, when we have more money, etc etc)". Since our time in the states is coming to an end, and we are only 3 hours(tops) away from Disney, we jumped on the opportunity!

Cody and I decided not to tell Hailee about it until we were literally pulling through the welcome sign. She knew we had a surprise in store for her, but she did not know that it was going to be probably the BEST day of her entire little life. She could hardly contain the excitement as we drove closer to the parking lot. She screamed every time she saw a bus that said "Disney" on it.

The kids were SO good. We were the most worried about bringing Andrew with us. We weren't sure how he'd react to being outside all day, being in the heat with his eczema, riding on the monorail, rides, seeing the characters, etc. He did SO WELL. He loved the monorail, he snuggled with me on the rides, and he clawed Daddy when the characters got close to him. It was definitely hot, but I made sure he was well moisturized, and his eczema didn't flair. Thank goodness. He took one nap, at his normal time, but other than that stayed up most of the day. He even watched the 9pm fireworks. Once we put him back in the stroller to head back to our car, he was out like a light, though.

One funny thing about Andrew is that once we got close to the castle, I thought I'd let him walk a little so we could take pictures of him. Now, he never has fought me when it comes to walking. He usually holds my hand when he walks. But this time, when I put him down, he wanted nothing to do with me. He kept pushing my hand away when I reached out to hold his. Then he kept walking faster to get away from me. It was like he wanted to get to that castle, haha. He was so upset when I finally went to pick him up to bring him back to the stroller. I wanted to get a picture of him and I, in front of the castle, but he was not having it. Oh well.

We knew Hailee would be a trooper thru the day. She fought to stay energized towards the end of the day, but once we got in the car and started our way back home, she was out. She was exhausted. I think it was around 4 oclock she said, "Can we just go home and sleep and come back tomorrow?" hehe.

I have gone to Disney a lot in my life, and it(for the most part) looks the same to me. Sure, there are small changes here and there..but, it's still the same. (I'm referring to Magic Kingdom). But, the end of the day show was so awesome. They still have Tinkerbell "fly" out of the castle, but other than that it was different. I love how they "change" the castle into different variations of it. It seems so magical. The fireworks were awesome. It really gives you such a happy feeling, even as an adult. haha. Of course, until you turn around to head back to your car and have to fight the thousands of people.

All in all, we had a really great time at Walt Disney World. Another memory to keep in my mental memory book. I know it will be a day Hailee will remember for a long time! WELL worth it! :)

Tornadoes!

Yeah, I am terrified of tornadoes! I have never seen one, nor do I ever want to. I'm not sure if they have them in England. I have researched it, and I have seen that there has been some outside of London, but it doesn't seem like a common thing. This is just what I assume by the tiny bit of research I've done on the subject.

The tornado that ripped through Alabama a few days ago, was just absolutely devastating. I try not to dwell too much on it, and limit myself to reading about it because it's so sad. Last I heard, the death toll was at least 300 people. There is a page on FB which allows people who have found pictures and/or documents around their homes to post the files on the page in hopes to find the owners of the documents/pictures. I must say that looking through the album of all the documents and pictures found thus far, is so sad. I couldn't go through it for long. The pictures put faces to lives that were possibly destroyed due to this beast of a tornado.

Anyway. The reason I posted a blog about this is because I saw an article, which I found interesting, today that said this:

This month was so stormy that if you add up all the damage it comes out to the US being hit with the equivalent of two Hurricane Katrinas. The deadly Tuscaloosa tornado tracked from Mississippi and stayed on the ground an incredible 380 miles before it dissipated in North Carolina.

The old record for the longest tornado track was 219 miles in 1925 with the Tri-State tornado that started in Missouri and ended up in Indiana. That tornado was part of the deadliest tornado outbreak that killed over 700 people. The second deadliest tornado outbreak was this past week with over 300 fatalities and counting. These are statistics that do not lie. This will go down as the most violent weather month in US history bar none.

This tornado caused enough damage to be equivalent to TWO Katrina's? Wow. I was amazed by that. I'm also amazed that it lasted for 380 miles. I always thought tornadoes were short lived, but apparently they aren't. Although, it seems very rare for them to last so long as the last tornado that lasted a heck of a lot shorter, but still a long while, was back in 1925. It went for 219 miles, as the article above states. Amazing.

So, the remnants of this storm hit Jacksonville on Thursday. It seemed like we could have possibly had some bad weather, and it was supposed to get at it's 'worst' around the time I had to pick Hailee up from school. So I picked her up early, and of course..the weather wasn't bad AT ALL(thankfully). I probably looked like a nut going in and getting her early. However, it is better to be safe than sorry and I wasn't going to play around with any bit of a storm system that created that beast of a tornado a day prior to it coming here.

Picture Source: Wordpress.com
Article Source: http://www.firstcoastnews.com/weather/blog.aspx
FB Pictures/Documents Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Pictures-and-Documents-found-after-the-April-27-2011-Tornadoes/162443980482277

More Blogging Please!

So, I'm trying to attempt blogging MORE. I really enjoy it, it allows me to release feelings and emotions. The problem I have is what should I talk about? For some reason, I have a hard time talking about my days. I like to blog about things deeper than that.

Tonight, as I sat down with a coke zero and some nutty butters(THANKS NICOLE, FOR LEAVING THEM AT MY HOUSE!:p), I googled "blog topics". I found a topic generator. It randomly throws out topics for you to use. So I decided to try it and I got "finding your soulmate".

Have I found mine? I believe I have. I don't think there is anyone in this whole world that could make me feel the way my husband makes me feel. I have a feeling of comfort and security when I'm around him. I feel like we fit together like a puzzle piece. He knows what to say when I'm feeling down, and I know what to say when he's down. I feel like we match each other so well, we never clash. I'm not saying we are perfect, I'm just saying I couldn't imagine life with any other person. I can see myself sitting in a rocking chair right next to him on our porch when we reach old age, watching our dog(s) and grandchildren playing. *imagining it* Yes.

Makes me think of that song "This", by Darius Rucker. As one of his lyrics go.."One little thing could have changed all of this".

I love you, babe! <3

Countdown Begins!

It's almost May, and we'll be England bound in June!

*sigh*

No matter what I do, I just canNOT prepare myself for this move. It's really taking a toll on me. I'm having a hard time handling my emotions toward this move. I don't know why I can't be thrilled, like many of my friends have been when their husbands have been stationed overseas. The only reason I can think is that I never even wanted to leave my hometown, let alone the state of FL, or even the USA. Darn that love thing! This is probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life. My preparation for it has completely sucked. I haven't gotten our passports done, and I haven't submitted our overseas screenings. It seems like every time I have attempted to do these things, there has been something that sets me back. I'm already emotional about this whole thing, so I get really upset when I try to take care of things and it can't get done for whatever reason at that time. So, I really feel as though I've given up. I have reached my weakest point.

My husband was supposed to be home at the end of March/beginning of April, but they have pushed his date back twice, and tried for a third time. Now when he gets home, we will have a limited amount of time to get all the things done that we need to. I just don't know. It's going to be so stressful, I think. His command's attitude has been "well you picked these orders", and it would be true, however, our options were England, Australia, and Japan..so..really..just because we picked to go overseas, doesn't mean we wanted to. England was our best choice.

I try to be positive, I really do. But, I have so many fears about this whole thing.

I woke up last night in the middle of the night(not the first time, and certainly not the last), freaking out about moving overseas. I just don't know how to handle it. And I'm terrified of planes, so that doesn't make matters any better. I don't know what to do. A part of me wants to go to England, but not for 3 years.

I just wish Cody could hurry up and get home so that maybe some of the stress that I currently have can reside, and I could muster up enough courage for whats next in our life.

Things That Make Me Happy

Since I wrote an unhappy blog yesterday, and I've been feeling unhappy lately, I figured I would reflect on things that make me happy!

So here it goes..and in no particular order..

-My husband, kids, friends and family of course!
-Crawling into freshly laundered bed sheets after a shower/bath
-Clean house/car
-Being caught up on laundry, and having it all put away
-Coke Zero
-Facebook
-QUIET TIME
-Army Wives on Lifetime
-Desperate Housewives on ABC
-Photography
-Being able to do Photography
-Massages!
-Getting my hair done
-Pedicures!
-Going to bed at night and sleeping till morning with no interruptions, which rarely happens for me.
-Sleeping in
-Flip Flops
-Wearing a new outfit
-Music, all different kinds..depends on my mood
-Shopping
-GYM!!
-Going to the beach without kids
-Having time alone with my husband
-Having time alone with each child(spending one on one with Hailee, and spending one on one with Andrew..which I currently don't get to do much with Hailee)
-Going out dancing
-Family time

And, now I'm stuck. I know there is a lot of other things, so I will just have to add to my list when I think of them.

That's it for now, I'm going to take advantage of what's left of nap time...

<3

I Am Not Happy

Time to take off the mask, and be real. I'm not happy. Yes, this is a military wife vent post, so if you are insensitive please go on with your life. I'm hoping blogging will help me feel better, but I'm not sure it will.

I am soo stressed out. I just don't think anyone but my husband understands. I just don't know where to begin. These past 3 years of sea duty has kicked.my.butt in many different ways. We thought after those 3 years, Cody would go to shore duty for 3 years, and I used that to get me through the past 3 years. Until last December, or so. We faced reality, and the decision to pick orders to either Japan, Australia, or England. There were no out tours in the states available.

After being away from Jacksonville for 6 years, I was really looking forward to coming back home, if not that, than going to somewhere like Ga. I have been homesick. I feel like I have missed so much. I never wanted to leave Jacksonville in the first place. But, you fall in love and..well, you know the rest of the story. So you can imagine my excitement for going overseas.

The choice between the 3, was simple...England. I have always wanted to go there. Not necessarily to live, but to visit. Nothing against England, I just miss home. I miss being close to family.

One of the hardest things I've had to do was give up our dog of 6 years. I get emotional just thinking about it. Yes, we are blessed enough to have a family member take care of her for us, but for 3 years? She's going to be old when we come back. And the void that is here without her is hard to bare. When I look at houses in England, and I see a big open yard..I get so sad. When I look at that, I want to imagine my kids and my Pebbles playing together. We are all a family. I am heartbroken.

This is just one of the many sacrifices.

The closer we get to our move, the more emotional I am. I am dealing with a lot as far as this transfer goes. And I'm doing it alone. I'm doing it while dealing with the stresses of a deployment. One in which they have changed his come home date 3 times now. They change it right when the time gets close. The countdown gets close to him coming home, and then BAM, they change it again.

I am emotionally spent.

There is so much more to this story, but it would be a novel and I really don't want to put everything out there. I'm trying to keep it short.

I'm just not happy.

Another Weekend...

I hate weekends these days. Kind of. I mainly hate them because I have 3 teenage roommates living below me, who aren't very considerate that I have 2 young kids. One of them was gone for almost a week, and my son was sleeping through the night! So, that confirms the fact that he has been waking up because of the noise from below.

I really regret moving into where I live. I should have reconsidered a bottom floor, but I figured that I would be living around people who had families and who were on a similar schedule as we are. But, these teenagers are on the complete opposite schedule. They are up all night, and sleep during the day. This is really one of my stressors, because I'm constantly worrying about how much noise my kids are making. It's very hard to contain a 5 year old and a 1 year old is trying to learn how to walk. They, of course, do not understand this. And, of course, the floor is as thin as anything. I find myself trying to walk super lightly, so I'm not making a lot of noise. I feel when we make noise, we 'pay' for it some way or fashion, such as they will be noisier and I value my downtime too much to have to deal with that. This is VERY irritating to me, and I cannot wait until I don't have to stress about this anymore.

A couple weeks ago, when Andrew had bronchitis. They cranked up the bass music(in the room RIGHT below his)at night. As you would assume, I had little sleep that week so I went down to their apartment and confronted them. They turned it down. The next day, one of the other roommates came up to talk to me, and I THINK we are on a respectable level..but then again, you just never know. They do know that the next time I have a problem, I'm going to the office and straightening it out through them and I won't hesitate to call the cops. SO tired of the drama.

Well, I didn't plan to blog about that, but, that is my main reason for hating the weekends.

During the week, we have been busy with the gym and Hailee's school. I'm still faithfully going to the gym daily, minus the weekends now. I really really really love the gym I go to. Everyone is so nice. They pretty much know me by name, because I'm always going to the desk for something, haha. And, they know my kids. The childcare woman who is there daily during the week is so awesome. I really couldn't ask for anyone better to supervise my kids while I'm working out. She rocks. I am really going to miss that gym when I leave here. Which makes me think of something else that I've been wanting to blog about, but I will save that for another day. It'll be a somewhat emotional blog.

Hailee is now out for Spring Break. Today was her first day off. It was an okay day. Next week I plan on bringing her to the zoo, and stuff of that sort, to pass the time. We have a little bit longer to go, until our special day is here. Those who know me, know what I'm talking about. :)

Well, that is all for now. It had just been several days or so since I blogged so I wanted to update.

<3

Daughter's Self Portrait?

Lately, Hailee has been in a coloring/drawing phase. She has been doing it ALOT. She draws different random pictures from tracing her hand to bunnies(her latest creation). Her drawings are very colorful and resemble the way a typical 5 year old would draw. However, this particular picture caught my attention. The other day, she said "Mom, look at this picture I drew of myself!". I looked over, expecting to see a stick figure type drawing with curly red hair, but instead, I saw this! I didn't know whether to laugh or be worried! haha. Clearly, she doesn't view herself like this!? I asked her what the yellow thing in her teeth was and she said it's a piece of food. Future comedian or poor self image? I'm going to lean towards future comedian, I don't see a reason otherwise to believe poor self image. ;)

If I wasn't a Military Spouse

I saw this on another military spouse blog, and figured I'd blog my own list. It would have been likely for me to walk away from my now husband back when I first met him, because I didn't want the military life. So I'll start off by saying that...

If I wasn't a MS(Military Spouse) I would have missed out on having a superb husband such as mine. While his job takes him away more than I would like, he comes home and jumps in as if he never left. He also does his best to be involved as much as possible while he is away. He is a great father to his kids. He supports me in anything that I want to do. He strives to make sure his family is completely happy, even while he is away. Having someone like him makes this life easier, I'm not sure I could deal with the military life with just anyone.

If I wasn't a MS, I probably wouldn't be a SAHM. Moving every 1-3 years, such as we have, definitely makes it a challenge to maintain a job. Also, being able to spend time with my husband while he is home and not have to worry about going to work, is a plus. Being a SAHM allows us more time as a family, since so much of that time is taken away.

If I wasn't a MS, I probably wouldn't have 2 kids. I never wanted any kids before I met my husband, but after I met him, I could see us having them.

If I wasn't a MS, I'd probably be self absorbed into a job. When I met my husband, I didn't want to be in a relationship. I just wanted to enjoy life. I didn't want to be dependent or involved with anyone.

If I wasn't a MS, I wouldn't have moved to the places or have seen the places I have seen. I definitely wouldn't be moving to England this year. I feel like I have grown from the different places I have been.

If I wasn't a MS, I wouldn't have friends all over the world. It's amazing to say I have friends in Japan, Australia, California, Hawaii, England, etc. It's crazy.

If I wasn't a MS, I may be called a 'military dependent' but I am more independent than I was years ago. Dealing with the military life will make you that way. I have dealt with situations, that I never would have thought I could have handled years ago.

If I wasn't a MS, I wouldn't be the person I am today. I have grown to accept this way of life, and I honestly don't know life any other way. I can't imagine it any other way. I think my husband and I have a stronger love because of the Navy. Distance makes the heart grow fonder(sometimes it doesn't, but in our case it does), and it really makes us appreciate what we have with each other.

Blog Recommendations?

SO, I've been searching the web and blogger for some good blogs. It's hard to actually search blogger, does anyone know how? So I've mainly been searching the web. I've found some blogs that I think I will find interesting, but if anyone has any suggestions, do let me know! I'm interested in parenting, meal ideas for families/kids, military life blogs, photography, fitness, etc.

Thanks! :)

Tired & Rambling

Tonight was one of those nights where bedtime just wouldn't come fast enough and a vacation never sounded better! haha. Hailee wasn't listening, Bubba was fussy all afternoon, and it just didn't seem like the light at the end of the tunnel was going to appear. But, as we all know, it does and now I'm listening to the humming sound of my neighbors washer along with my ac blowing. I don't know why they say neighbors shouldn't run their washer and dryers after a certain time of night, I actually find it relaxing. It's better than hearing them stomping around, and banging things. I better not say anything too soon, the night is still young!

It was a pretty long day today. Our morning started off great. We went to the gym, and then when we came home, I cleaned and rearranged the master bedroom. Bubba took a nap, and after that nap was when the fussing started. For the rest of the day, it was nonstop. All I could think about was sitting on the beach somewhere, sun beaming down, myself relaxing in a hammock between two palm trees.....hahahaha. Then reality hit me, and I started researching hotels in Pensacola, Fl, on the beach. Would it really be worth it if I had two kids with me? I really hate where I live right now, so I'm kind of on the fence. It can't be any worse than it is here with the thin flooring and loud neighbors. I so need a getaway. That and I'm trying to waste time. I don't know. I have just been thinking...

I cannot wait until I can put my kids to bed and not worry about other people waking them up. I seriously hate being this close to neighbors. I really should have reconsidered my plan..or at least did better research. Seriously, how hard is it to respect your neighbors?

Anyway.

Are boys more whiney than girls when they are little? I've heard this before, and now that I have a boy who is 1 year old(along with a 5 year old girl), I'm actually starting to believe that it's true. I don't remember Hailee being this whiney, but it may just be that I don't remember. I think you tend to you remember more good stuff than bad stuff. It just seems like when I clean, he's fussing. When I sit down, he's fussing. It doesn't matter what I do, he is always fussing about something. I'm hoping that this is just a phase and it will pass quickly. :)

Alright, that's all I have on my mind tonight.

On a side note, the child care attendent at the gym said that I could come twice a day and use childcare. Guess how happy I was to hear that?! :D I'm not going to go every day, but there are a couple days where Zumba is twice a day and I would love to go! I'm addicted but at least it's good for me!

Goodnight!

Nap Time!

This is how I spent Andrew's nap time yesterday, see picture.

We went to the gym early yesterday morning, it's become an almost daily routine for us. I must have not gotten as much sleep the night before, as I thought I had, because after the gym all I wanted to do was fall asleep. Must have had a great workout too! haha. I had to take Hailee to school tho, and so I thought maybe Bubba would nap after we take Hailee to school.

Andrew fell asleep on the way home from taking Hailee to school, and I managed to carry him up the stairs and inside our home while he was sleeping. He woke briefly when we got inside, and I sat on the recliner and rocked him back to sleep.

My goal was to get some zzz's while on the recliner with him, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't. There was one point where I was nice and relaxed and so close to getting some rest, and then my phone rang. It was my wonderful husband, so of course I can't get mad at that! haha. But, after that call, there was def no chance of me getting rest. I was wide awake!

I don't know if it's like this for everyone, but when I actually have the moment to get rest(with the exception of night time), no matter how tired I am, I can't fall asleep! Sucky. Needless to say, I was sooo ready for bed at bedtime last night! :)

Bodybugg and Gym Update

I haven't been speaking much about my Bodybugg in the past couple days, because it's pretty much the same thing over and over. I'm not meeting my calories consumed goal, I'm meeting my calories burned goal, I'm struggling to meet my steps taken goal, etc. My personal goal is to go beyond 3000 cals burned in a day, but, I haven't been successful. I have been close! Probably is a good thing because I'm not taking in enough calories daily, and my deficit is larger than it should be.

On my Zumba days, I get really close and sometimes beyond my steps taken. They say you could burn 600-1000 cals during the class, but I have only seen 600 cals burned one time(for me). I feel like I work pretty hard during the class, but maybe I should work harder. Also, learning the songs better will help me as well. Once I learn them, I will be able to put more energy in the moves.

The kids are doing great at the gym. I knew Hailee would be doing good, but Bubba is doing awesome. The first week he wasn't happy about it, but I think he likes going now. The first week he would always be sleeping when I came to pick him up, and now he plays the whole time I'm gone(2 hrs).

Back to Bodybugg, I've been really slacking the past couple days about tracking my calories on their online system. I'm bad when it comes to things like that. If I have to track them, then I'm always thinking about cals and if I'm always thinking about cals then I want to eat. haha. It's wierd. But see, today I haven't been tracking and I didn't eat a lot because it wasn't on my mind the whole day. I pretty much know where I stand when it comes to the cals. I'm not trying to lose weight, so it's no big deal to me. I'm really just interested in the cals I'm burning. Knowing that, makes me work harder.

Our Tuesday

Yesterday, we got up early for dr appointments. Both Hailee and Andrew had them. Hailee had to redo her school physical for FL, and Andrew had his 12 month well baby checkup plus immunizations. The woman who I set the appointments up with, scheduled them back to back with the same dr. I thought that worked out great. Hailee did great for her appointment, and Andrew also did great. Hailee weighs 30 lbs, she eats to live. Andrew weighs 22 lbs, he lives to eat. :)

We've been having warm days here in FL, so I of course put Andrew in the only outfit he has suitable for that kind of weather. We walk outside, and it was cold. Go figure! hah. But, I went shopping yesterday and got him some more warmer weather clothes. Still wasn't much of a warm day today. Maybe tomorrow?

Andrew did great for his immunizations. They also took blood from him? Not sure exactly why, but they did. I was glad when all of that was over with, and I'm sure he was too! :)

Oh, Florida!

Super nice day today in good ol' Florida! I still have yet to get Andrew some summer clothes. So, most days he is wearing jeans and long sleeve shirts that I have to roll up. Those were the type of clothes he needed while we lived in VA.

I went looking around at the mall today, and I didn't see anything I liked in the boys section. But, when I glance over in the girls section, there are so many cute things! I have always struggled finding Andrew clothes! lol. But, with the weather warming up, I need to stop being picky and just find something..poor boy needs some cooler clothes!

So, as you can see in the picture above, as soon as we got home I stripped him and he's as happy as can be!

My BodyBugg

This is my latest obsession. It's a Bodybugg, and mine is PINK. But, actually, it's just the band. I can switch bands and it can be a different color. Enough about the appearance, let's talk about what this thing does. You wear it on your arm, and it tells you how many calories you are burning. It's kind of like being on a treadmill, and you can see how many calories you are burning..but better because you don't have to be on the treadmill, or elliptical, etc. And it's personalized to you. When you get it, you go through a series of questions about yourself and what your goals are. Then it formulates a plan for you. It even gives you a meal plan, to help you stay on track. You can also add in the online application what you consume a day. From that, you can see what you've consumed, and what you've burned. If you want to lose weight, you need to have a deficit of at least 500 calories. The online application will also tell you how many steps you have taken in a day. Bodybugg will have goals set for you as far as what you consume, what you burn, and how many steps you take.

I don't use it for weight loss. I am actually at my desired weight. My goals are to tone up and improve my body fat percentage. I use the Bodybugg as inspiration to keep moving. It's also very interesting to me. I've been told a few times that I don't need it, so I hope people don't think I have some kind of eating disorder or obsession while I'm out and about with it. It just peaks my interest.

I do struggle with my calories consumed. I'm really not a big eater. I have a hard time grocery shopping because nothing really appeals to me. I buy the same things over and over again, and I never really try any new foods. My daughter is similar to me as far as eating habits go, although I eat more than her! My son will eat any and everything, and is always hungry. So he is a challenge to me. He will be cleaning off his and my daughters plate in the future, I believe. lol.

When my husband is home, he does tend to rub off on me, and I eat a lot more than I do when he is away. Sometimes, I think I eat more than he does, when he is home! I definitely weigh more when he is around. So, I think this Bodybugg thing is going to be challenging when he gets back.

Yesterday, I burned 2453 calories. I exceeded Bodybuggs goal of 2400, but I didn't reach my goal of 3000. I really thought I could yesterday, since I went to the gym and I've gotten sooo close to 3000 calories burned in a day. But, I didn't do anything else after the gym. I did double my calories burned in Zumba, and I believe that's because I pushed myself harder due to wearing the Bodybugg. Motivation, baby!

My calories consumed yesterday was 1372. I have yet to meet my calories consumed goal of 1900 that Bodybugg gives me. I try! Believe me! I try to get close to my deficit goal of 500, but it never fails. I always exceed 1000. Yesterday, my deficit was 1081. I keep telling myself to eat more, and I feel like I do, but somehow, I still exceed 1000. I guess it's better than having a surplus, eh?

My steps reached 8947. Such a bummer, since I went to the gym. I could have easily done another 1000 to accomplish my goal, but I didn't. I probably took more steps than this, but I take my Bodybugg off at night. I was up and about a lot last night since Bubba was having problems sleeping, as normal. I don't think I reached my 10000 goal, but I probably reached the 9000 mark.

Today is a new day! So here we go again! :)

Andrew's 1st Birthday

Ten days ago, we celebrated Andrew's first birthday! I still can't believe he is 1! It's bittersweet. He's our last child, so that means our baby is on the road to no longer being a baby. But, at the same time, I'm so glad that first year is over. It doesn't mean the next few years are going to be a piece of cake, but at least we are closer to him communicating and things just seem easier when your kids can communicate with you.

He is not walking yet, although it's not far down the road. He is standing on his own for long periods at a time, so it's just up to him when he wants to try to take that step.

We've been going to the gym for the past couple weeks, and although I know he doesn't like me leaving him, he is like his sister and tries to be a big boy about it. He is getting better, and thank goodness because Mommy needs those 2 hours at the gym!

These days, he enjoys playing ball, playing with his sister, getting into things he's not supposed to(and knows he isn't supposed to, because he looks at me first before touching, lol). He loves baths, music, Mickey Mouse, FOOD(ha!), pulling all my dvd cases out, and pulling his sister's hair. He can wave bye bye, shake his head no, clap his hands, say mama, dada, and baba. Those things he has been doing for awhile, lately he has picked up UH-OH. It's so cute when he says uhoh, and of course this means he will purposely drop something just so he can say uhoh. That's my Bubba. :D

Bloggin' Mood

So, I am in a blogging mood today. Blame it on it being Saturday and I didn't really do much. I can go through the week and be fine if I don't do anything on a particular day, but if that particular day is Saturday, it gets to me.

My Saturday started off good. I went to the gym with my sister. We did the Zumba class, which was better than the last one but not as good as the first one I went to. Apparently, Mondays are going to be my favorite days for Zumba. I am not a very good latin dancer, and the teacher who teaches class on Mondays, incorporates hip hop..so I love it! I think I'm used to high energy stuff thanks to Chalene Johnson(Turbo Jam, TurboFire) because when the music is slower and the moves are slower, my energy is on the downfall. I get bored! There were some moments today in class where I thought, this instructor needs to pick it up!

Tuesday, I take the kids to dr appts. Hailee has her school physical, again..and Andrew has to have his 12 month checkup with shots! We also have to get our overseas screenings done. Busy!

Something I picked up within the last several months is photography. I have my own site, www.jaimeedaiglephotography.com. I am currently taking a break for a number of factors, and I miss it. So, I'm going to try to take pictures to throw in my blogs, that way I will stay active. I hope to get back into portrait photography in England. If not, I'm sure the landscape in England will be wonderful to capture as well! :)

One Year Later..

Well, hello again blog! I am reminded of diaries I had growing up. There would be a cluster of days where pages were filled, and then just like that, you turn the page and it's nothing but empty lines.

It's been a year since I have updated my blog, and a lot has happened. The year has definitely flown by. Andrew was born on February 17th, 2010. I had an induced labor. I was terrified of going that route, because I firmly believe that the baby will come when ready. However, the way hubby's schedule was looking, it was either he was going to be there for the birth or he wasn't. So, since the dr insisted on doing an induction, we went that route. It turned out to be a great decision. We had a wonderful experience.

Andrew has grown into a good healthy sized 12 month old, and he definitely keeps me on my toes! He's more curious than Hailee ever was..and more hungry! He can eat and eat and eat. I'm grocery shopping every other day, it feels like!

It has been a hectic year, since Bubba(we call him Bubba) was born. We moved shortly after having him, in April 2010. Then we moved again in December 2010. We have a really big move coming up in June 2011, to England. Husband has orders there, and we will be spending 3 years in Lincolnshire. He has shore duty, so hopefully I will see him more than I have the past 12 months. Or heck, even the last 3 years. This tour has been..challenging. We look forward to hopefully better days where we can enjoy being a family.

So I changed the name of my blog, again! Those who've known me for years, would understand where it comes from. I thought it was fitting for me. :)