Back with a rant!

I have hated being away for so long! It's been a great week and a half in the mountain state, and I just haven't had time to blog. And I definitely haven't had the internet speed. But with the history changing events that unfolded last night, I felt compelled to (in true Courtney fashion) fire up my parents' stone age computer and do a little ranting!

Let me first say that I am so proud to be an American, and especially proud to be the wife of a veteran! The things the men and women of our Armed Forces have done in the past 10 years has been amazing. I am so proud and happy to finally see this mission accomplished and see the demise of such an evil man! Thank you, Navy Seals for getting the job done! And thank you to every single troop who has spent time in the middle east in the past 10 years trying to reach this goal.

Let me now say ... Holy crap America, SHUT UP! People are never EVER satisfied ... For the past year, all people have done (and rightfuly so) is talking about and complain about the two wars we are fighting, the declining economy, and continuous natural disasters, and all the bullying and negativity going on around this world. But then when something happy, and joyous and full of love is brought to the world's attention, what do we do? Complain about that as well! Now I get it, not every one was as into the Royal Wedding as I was. Weddings are for every one, they were not the leaders and future leaders of our country, and like the media does, they ran it into the groud showing us every last detail of everyone in Great Britain. But come on people, seriously, enough with the bitching. I, personally, was glad to see true love and happiness plastered all over my television for a change. It was a welcomed break from the damage and despair of tornados and tsunamis, hollywood stars overdosing and going through their 8th divorce, or kids beating the crap out of each other in school.

For at least the past 7 years we as Americans have been doubting the abilities of our nation's leaders to find Osama Bin Laden, the man responsible for the 9/11 attacks. We have claimed we would never find him and he would die of old age in a cave. We have speculated that government and military officials knew where he was and were not telling the public. We have come up with 100 scenarios and speculations all the while breathing down the necks our of leaders and doubting their methods and abilities. Well last night, that all came to an end! We found the SOB, and justice was served! Every single family who lost a loved one on Septemeber 11, 2001 may now have a small piece of closer knowing the man responsible for the deaths of their loved ones has met his maker and is enduring his judgement day for all the heinous things he did "in the name of God." I am not saying you should celebrate the death of one of God's children, but I cannot help but be happy about this victory for Americans, especially American troops. This man was not going to do anything but continue to bring harm and evil to the world. I am not sad to see him go. But what are we now doing? BITCHING. Complaining about people celebrating this victory, complaining about  the way we went about it, complaining because Obama said he was behind this attack, complaining complaining.

Someone said that celebrating Bin Laden's death only shows that we are saying the cost of war has been worth it ... Well you're damn right! I am fairly certain that just about every troop who has served overseas, made sacrifices, been away from their family, or been injured or even killed would say that his sacrifice was was worth it. And I can also bet that every wife, mother, father, sister or brother who lost a loved one in these wars in the past year would tell you their loved one did not die for no reason. It absolutely burns me up when people say the death and debt that these wars have cost have not been worth it. How dare someone say that the sacrifices my family has made, and the families of so many that are dear to me is not worth it. These men do not fight these wars for political reasons and they do not fight them to the Democrats, or the Republics, or anyone sitting up on that hill. They fight it for you and me. For their families back home, for their kids to have a safe and wonderful life. They fight these wars so that no one ever again thinks they can come into this country and cause destruction like that caused on 9/11 by Bin Laden and his followers. It IS worth it. And this IS a cause for celebration.

Anyone who thinks this will be an immediate end to the war is a fool. A ton of extra prayers will go up for our troops overseas, as I am sure retalliation is upon them. But this was one very huge, and very long awaited victory for our side. Had I been alive during WWII I would have cheered the death of the coward Adolf Hitler. Osama Bin Laden falls under this same category, and today, his death will be celebrated, and the sacrifices made for this country will be honored and appreciated.

God, bless our troops.Keep them safe with your strongest angels. And God, bless this great nation.


"I have never wished a man dead. But I have read some obituaries with great pleasure." -Mark Twain

New Hair cut

So I went last week and got my hair cut pretty short. I had an idea of what I wanted when I went in the salon, but chickened out when I got there! hehe. But a couple days later I decided that I wanted it shorter. So I went back today and did just that. I love it, but now I want it blonde again. ugh. haha.

We are heading to the beautiful mountains of West Virginia tomorrow. Logan and I will be staying at least a week, maybe two. Evan will only be able to stay with us until Monday, through Easter. I cannot wait to go home! It's been a few months since we have been there and I am anxious to see my family and a lot of friends. I don't know how often, if at all, I will be able to post because the internet is slow and crappy. But I hope everyone has a great Easter, and remembers the reason for the season. Thank you Lord, for you son. <3

The rest of our weekend ....

Before the tornado hit, we were actually having a great weekend. We took Logan to the circus in town Friday evening, which was surprisingly awesome! He loved it! Actually, we all loved it! It was another one of my favorite moments as a parent, when you get to watch your child experience something for the first time. I love to see the world through a child's eyes. Logan particularly loved the "vroom vrooms" or the motorcycles. He could not get enough of them. My personal favorite was the trapeze act! And when they shot a man out of a cannon! Great fun was had by all!

"What's that?!"

Family Fun!

THREE motorcycles!

Elephant Rides

The trapeze family

Saturday morning we were up bright and early to head to Wilmington to participate in the ALS walk. I did this walk in memory of my grandpa who fought a courageous battle with this disease for over 10 years. I wanted to celebrate his life and be a part of finding a cure so no one else ever has to go through this disease again. My grandpa was the bravest and strongest man I ever met. It was so hard for my family to watch him deteriorate  over the years and not even be able to walk or speak. He taught me so much about life and was such an amazing man. He made a huge impact on just about every one in their community. He is missed every day. My son's middle name is after him, and I was so glad that he could be there with me as I did this walk. His little legs even walked about half a lap for his great-grandpa. I am so thankful to my husband for coming with me and doing this walk and supporting me. He knew how much it meant to me. I was only able to fundraise for less than a week, and my amazing friends and family helped me to raise over 200 dollars for the ALS Association! The Wilmington chapter exceeded it's total goal of $85,000 and raised a total of $101,959.00!!! This is so amazing!! Thank you everyone who helped out! I hope to be a part of an ALS walk somewhere every year from here on out! I know my grandpa was there with us. He even brought a little sunshine to the walk. And I hope he was proud. 

I love you Pa. I'll see you again some day.

Logan & I at opening ceremony.

What a great turnout!!

Logan James walking for his great-grandpa James Barger.

I'm so blessed to have them.

Tornado

So, I'm sure most of you have heard about the tornados that ravaged the south this past weekend.. Unfortunately, I got a first hand look at the devastation they caused. We had been hearing all day Saturday that it was supposed to rain hard and hail, but the skies were mostly blue and their was no rain in sight. Late Saturday afternoon the winds had started picking up quite a bit around town. I got online to see what was being forecasted for us and saw that we were under a tornado warning. Evan and I didn't really think much of it because hurricane warnings are so frequent around here and then nothing ever happens. So around 8:30 Saturday night Logan was asleep and we were just watching a movie. The wind and lightning  started to get really bad and we were peeking out the window taking a look at things. My friend was texting me telling me that they were thinking about going to get their son from Saturday Night Daycare on base, and then she said they had lost power at their house. We lost power for just a few seconds. I then text our best friends who were supposed to be coming over and asked if they had lost power as well. About 5 minutes later I received a frantic call from Evan's best friend saying that a tornado had just touched down on base housing right at their house and that homes were flattened, they had lost windows in their home, and he had just helped a neighbor rescue her baby from the rubble! I was frantic and got off the phone with him immediately so I could call our friend and tell her to go get their son. The daycare is on the same road that Megan and Greg live on and I had no clue if it had been damaged. My friend then told me that they couldn't get their garage door open because they had no power. Without even thinking, Evan jumped in his truck and said he was going to get little Evan! He flew over there just as the parents were about to take off walking. Thankfully, the daycare was not harmed and neither were any of the kids, but the elementary school directly across the street was basically destroyed.

All of my friends are healthy and okay, and their home was even spared and they are allowed to go back and live in it as of today. The toddler that our friend helped to save was a 2 year old who has a broken leg, arm and ribs, a collapsed lung and internal bleeding. The toddler was on life support, but I was told today that his doctor is amazed at his progress and he is expected to make it through! God is so good! I have been a mess thinking of this child and his parents!

The mom, whom I do not know but have seen a few times, was laying the toddler down in his crib in the upstairs of their home when the tornado hit and ripped the top floor off of the home. The mom and child were thrown from the house into the back yard. When Greg and a couple of his neighbors got outside she was standing on top of the pile of rubble screaming for them to find her baby. This is an image that will haunt me, an I am certain will haunt these Marines forever. They started searching through the rubble and Greg lifted up a wall that was being held up by the child's crib. They baby was inside. A man had come from the houses behind them and grabbed the baby and took it to Megan and Greg's living room where he began CPR. The mother's jaw is broken and all of her teeth had been knocked out.

The amount of destruction and devastation was unbelievable to me...You just don't imagine ever seeing vehicles through living rooms and piled up on top of each other. That seems to be only a scene from a movie. When I saw my best friend's home and the homes around her's all I could do was cry when I thought of how close they had come to being so seriously injured or killed. God was watching out for them and so many other families. I still just cannot believe all of this happened so close to us. The tornado touched down about a mile from our house. I have been thanking God and counting my blessings constantly since Saturday. Things could have been so much worse. Please pray for those families that lost everything and other families around the country who lost loved ones as well as their homes.

Behind their neighbor's house, where the toddler was found.

Houses right next to them with no top floor.

Bowman Ct.

Love conquers all.

ALS WALK

Here is the link if anyone is interested in making a donation to the ALS Association. I am participating in the walk tomorrow in honor or my grandpa who was taking by this heartbreaking disease. Any donations will really mean the world to me! Thank you!


https://secure2.convio.net/alsa/site/Donation2?idb=1570853817&df_id=17871&FR_ID=7042&17871.donation=form1&PROXY_ID=3013301&PROXY_TYPE=20

Slacker

My goodness I have been slacking on my posts lately!! I have finally started to get more followers, so I had better get on the ball and keep up the posts! The weather has been SO gorgeous lately that we have spent most of our days doing one thing or another outside. Spring is so great down here. It's a little warmer than spring most other places so we can bust out the shorts and tank tops early, but it's not the dead of summer yet so NO HUMIDITY! Summers in the south are just miserable. I cannot stand humidity, and I cannot stand to choke to death when I walk out of my house! So we have been enjoying the days while we can!

Last weekend I went down to Wilmington with a few friends to the Azalea Festival. It was so nice and such a great time. The atmosphere down there was so friendly and calm. The fireworks, the fried food and the company were all amazing! Logan was just enamored with the fireworks and it was the cutest thing ever! I think one of the most amazing parts of parenthood is watching your child experience something for the very first time. I love taking him to see and do new things just so I can see the sheer joy and pleasure on his face. Ah, to see the world through a child's eyes again! Everything is so magical to them. It is such a neat experience! We all had a great time, despite the rain. Evan and Greg were at Busco riding 4-wheelers again, so Aunt Megan stepped in as fill in daddy/date for us. ;)

First Fireworks

She spoils him rotten!

Azalea Festival. Wilmington, NC

Megan and I NEVER pass up an opportunity, when in Wilmo, to have a photo-op with One Tree Hill casting sites!

In PCSing news (Permanent Change of Station, or moving in civilian language): After going back and forth and making changes a million times, we have finally nailed down moving dates! The movers have been booked and will be here to do a walk-through of the house next week! It was such an exciting feeling to see actual paperwork on my table! I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! It's looking like we will have almost a month to get moved out of our current house, find a new place in VA and get settled in! I am beyond excited for the next chapter of our lives. Camp Lejeune has been a lot of hard times, and a handful of unforgettable ones. The people I have met here have mostly been toxic and people that I never want to have to deal with again. But for the very few who are good and true friends, I will hold them dearly in my heart forever and ever.  <3

This weekend, Evan and I are going to be participating in a walk for ALS. This is a horrible disease that took my grandpa from me way before I was ready to let him go. I'll post more about the walk and about my papaw after I have done it. I just found out about the walk last weekend when we were in Wilmington so my expectations for fundraising were not high. But my amazing family and friends have been so generous that I have raised over 200 dollars in less than a week just from posting on Facebook and sending E-mails! I am so exciting to honor my papaw in this walk, but I know it's going to be such an emotional day for me. 

Well, it's WAY past bedtime, and I've got to rise and shine early in the A.M. to help a friend do a little yard saling :) Sweet dreams everyone! 

Top 2 Tuesday: Favorite Drinks

#1:: Dr. Pepper -- I LOVE Dr. Pepper. It's the greatest drink EVER. I have one every morning as my cup of coffee. :)

#2: Bud Light Draft -- Classy, I know. ;)

"They just want their country to love them as much as they love their country.."

I know that people in the military community and in a lot of other places in the country are on edge as to what is going to come about with our pay and this new bill being passed, or not. I am very skeptical that our pay will actually be frozen, but this is definitely an issue I am keeping a close eye on. This issue has brought about an entirely different one that has saddened me so much...

I suppose that always being surrounded by people who love and support our military men and women has made me blind to the fact that not everyone shares that same feeling. After reading comments made by, in my opinion, very un-educated Americans, I am completely astonished. The fact that someone would say that they don't owe military members respect or support breaks my heart. My husband was not "forced" into his job. He is not a Marine because he isn't intelligent enough to hold down any other job. My husband could probably run this country and do a much better job than is being down now. He is one of the most intelligent people I know. He enlisted because it's what he always wanted to do. He did not volunteer for 2 deployments (one in which he missed the birth of our first child) because he had no other options. He did it because he loves his country and has always wanted to be part of something bigger than himself. 

Other comments I have read stated things like "military spouses are lazy, uneducated and  do nothing but live off their husband's money and sleep around." This also breaks my heart, and quite frankly, pisses me off! I have a college degree and am working towards finishing another. My momma did NOT raise a lazy child, and I have worked over half of the time I have been married. I support and contribute to this family just as much as my husband, and without the recognition of the government. I guess if I am anything it is naive. I was living in a bubble thinking that the only military haters were those members from the so-called "church" in Kansas. The fact that people who get to peacefully sleep in their beds at night without worry or threat are not appreciative of those who provide this freedom sickens and saddens me. It breaks my heart for those currently serving, those who have served previously and especially those who have sacrificed it all for this freedom. 

After reading some of the nasty things people have said, I cannot help but to think of my dad. He was drafted into the Vietnam war right out of high school. Their were no "Welcome Home" banners, flags or ceremonies when he returned home. No one was there to greet him with a beer, a hug or a "Thank you."  As a "grateful nation," we can never again allow our troops to be treated like this. And this includes saying you do not respect them. It's no secret that most people do not agree with the wars we are fighting now. Nobody in their right mind "enjoys" a war. But to say you do not support or respect those doing what you are too cowardly to do is an outrage. Claiming that people who willingly leave their families and homes and walk directly into battle are the same as people who are unwilling to work and stand by for government handouts is absurd! 

I didn't mean for this to turn into a soapbox rant, but it was really weighing heavily on my mind and heart and I had to get it out. I think it's safe to say that MOST of us would agree that withholding or even delaying the pay of those who write the biggest check of all to this country is ridiculous even as just a thought. And MOST of us are rational, respectable and grateful citizens of this wonderful country. But the bottom line is, "If you cannot stand behind our troops, feel free to stand IN FRONT of them.."

GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS! <3

Swearing under oath to protect the country he loves for 4 MORE years.

Cinderella wants to go to the ball!

So this past weekend was so amazing! As you know, my parent's came down and although I didn't get to spend much time with them, it was great to have them here and I know Logan enjoyed getting to spend time with them! I'm sure he got to eat whatever he wanted and stay up as late and he could last! ;)

This weekend was Evan's battalion's birthday ball, and also our last ball with our best friends Megan and Greg. Greg is getting out of the military in a couple months so we all wanted to go to "adult prom" as we like to call it, one more time together. This was without a doubt the best ball we have been to! We ALL had a blast! And with a ball that was mainly Staff and brass, we were definitely the life of the party! ;) We stayed at the gorgeous Hilton on the river and everything was beautiful.

Gator Ball '11 - My favorite one of us

I will definitely miss going to these without her..

And I cannot forget to mention, one of Evan's best friends Matt proposed to his girlfriend! We all gathered outside the hall to take some pictures and we just thought they were going to go first. But Matt surprised us all when he dropped down and one knee and proposed to Bri! It was a great photo-op and we already had our cameras ready! She was more than surprised and it was the cutest thing ever!! I am so so happy for the two of them! No one deserves happiness more than Matt and I hope they have a long and happy life together!

The rest are just a few pictures to highlight the night.

The ladies & the gentlemen. 

Hubs & I bustin' a move.

When we returned home from the ball on Sunday we had a great breakfast at IHop and then mom and dad got on the road back to WV. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and recuperating. 

Evan got the day off on Monday for going to the ball and it was nice to have an extra long weekend. We cleaned out the garage on Monday, packed a little bit and enjoyed the gorgeous 80 degree weather! Another successful weekend in the books!

Life is wonderful. I am so blessed.

Top 2 Tuesday: Songs on your ipod

This week's top in Top 2 Tuesday is songs on your ipod. I don't really listen to my actual IPod that much, but ITunes is almost always playing in our house.

(I still cannot figure out how to get the button for the Top 2 Tuesday sit on here, so if someone could help me that would be fantastic! haha)

Anyway .. The top 2 most played songs on my ipod lately are: 

"Crazy girl" by Eli Young Band, who I am SO excited to get to see perform live tomorrow night!! (pictures of that to follow)

"Devi's dance floor" by Flogging Molly, who I have also seen live!

I LOVE music, so I LOVED this week's top 2 idea!

Busy/Wonderful weekend ahead!

Finally Friday!! We started our weekend bright and early at 6 A.M.! We headed out to the base for the Purple Heart ceremony of one of our dearest friends, Greg. Greg was hit by and IED in Afghanistan last August and has a T.B.I. due to the injury. He was awarded the Purple Heart today for his sacrifices for our country. I am so proud to know him and be a part of his life. The sacrifices of so many people in our military are something we should all take a minute and be thankful for. I am so proud to know and love so many brave guys! He was also finally promoted to Sgt. today, so congrats on that as well. :)

Our busy day then took us to lunch with some new friends! Casey, Jessica and I all met on myspace years ago and have been talking on there, and then on to Facebook for the past few years. We all also have kiddos around the same age. Today, we all finally got our crap together and had lunch! How lucky are we to have the cutest lil babies ever! I had a great time with the girls and it was so fun to hang out with people I relate to. I cannot wait to do it again!

My parents should be here anytime, and I cannot wait to see them! They are coming down to babysit Logan tomorrow day and night while we go to New Bern to ball for Evan's unit. It should be tons of fun. I can't wait to get all dulled up and see my man in his blues!

It will probably be a couple days before I get to post again. But I'll be back with tons of pictures! Have a great weekend everyone!!

"...like a soldier comin' home alive, that's beautiful every time.."

Evan & Greg. Best friends since, forever.

And visions of trees? danced in his head.

Yesterday, Logan went to the playroom daycare at the gym for the first time while I got in a good workout. He cried at first, but was okay after a couple minutes. They have monitors in the playroom so you can see the kids as you workout, but they can't see you. It was neat to watch him interact and play with other kids when I wasn't around. When I came back in to pick him up he took off running towards me (which always makes me feel great) and then randomly burst into tears! haha. I don't know if he was just overly emotion or what. But we had a pretty good and productive day. 

Today is going to be a long day! Poor Logan was up most of the night with a fever of 102 that still had not broke at 9:00 this morning. I think he is feeling much better now, but we are both extra tired because of it. He has been a very healthy baby his first 15 months so when he does get sick it just kills me! I cannot stand to see him hurt. We have got to get to the grocery store today though because TOMORROW, my parents will be here for the weekend! We cannot wait! 

I have always wondered what my son dreams about. I know their is some debate as to whether or not babies actually dream, but I am totally convinced they do. It always peaked my curiosity as to what he was dreaming about when he would smile or even crack up laughing in his sleep. Well last night, my question was answered. (At least about last night's dreams.) Logan was in bed sleeping with me since he was so restless all night and he talked all night! He kept saying "buttball" (which means football) and tree in his sleep. So apparently this is what consumes his sleeping mind. Doesn't surprise me at all. The kid is OBSESSED with anything and everything football! He can point out any and all football logos on anything. He loves it! 

Well, I guess we're going to go get motivated. It's rainy, cold and yucky out again so this is going to be somewhat difficult. But we'll get bundled up and on our way.

May God bless you with a wonderful day. 

Top 2 Tuesday

Hey all! Today is going to be my first day participating in Top 2 Tuesday!

I found this on another Marine wife's page and thought it was a cute idea. Today's topic is TOP 2 CELEBRITY HAIR STYLES. This worked out great because I have been looking at hair styles for a couple days trying to decided what I want to do for the ball coming up this weekend.

My #1: Reese Witherspoon. I adore her, and ever since high school I have modeled my hair styles and cuts after her. (I rocked the super short flipped out blonde for years. haha)

My #2: Eva Longoria: I think she is always gorgeous, and I love this hair style! So elegant, but fun.

So Logan has to go back to the doctor this afternoon because his anti-biotics are not agreeing with him. And I am going to get all the paperwork done to get him into daycare on the gym so I can start going during the day when it's less crowded. Megan and I hit up the gym last night for the first time in a couple weeks, and although I'm super sore today, I felt great after the workout. So hopefully now that my days are a little less crazy I can keep it up! 

I am also happy to report that one of my dearest friends Autumn became a new mommy today!! I am so thrilled for her and her husband, Josh! They are the best couple and I know they will be amazing parents! I cannot wait to see baby Owen! It's still so hard for me to believe that most of my high school friends and I are parents! Where does the time go?! I'm so thankful to still be in touch with those who mean so much to me and that we are able to share our lives with each other even when we are all states away.

Happy Tuesday Everyone! <3

No ball in the house?

This has been one of the best weekends in Jacksonville I can remember in a long time! On Friday, we had dinner with the usual gang and then went home to a quiet Lost marathon. (Lost is my newest addiction.) Then on Saturday, some of our really good friends, the Underwoods came to town to visit from Virginia Beach. It was so great to see them and to hang out with a few friends we hadn't seen in awhile. Logan went to Saturday Night Daycare while we all had grown-up time.

Today, Sunday, we all slept in a little later than usual and hung around the house being lazy for awhile. It was crazy cold and rainy out today, so it was a great day for cuddling on the couch, watching basketball and being lazy. This Elite Eight round was going to have a negative outcome for me now matter what happened. I hate UNC (naturally, I'm a Duke fan.) and I hate Kentucky, #1 because they beat my mountaineers and #2, because I just hate Kentucky. So I'm rooting on the Big East and pulling for UCONN to win it all!!

When we finally got motivated, we made a quick trip to the store and then got to working on the task of shampooing the carpets. I hate moving furniture, but I love how clean the house feels. Evan has been working on cleaning out and organizing all of his gear in our spare room, and so far we're on day two of that operation. If you ask me, if the Marine Corps is going to insist on issuing Marines that much gear, they should also issue a storage unit to each house to keep it in! It's amazing what he has accumulated over the past (almost) 5 years! A plus to carpet shampooing day ... A wide open living great for playing football! Evan, Logan and I passed the little Nerf football and wrestled each other around for hours! It was tons of fun! And I loved being able to abolish one of the golden mom rules of "No ball in the house!" Logan was a little irritated that he didn't have any chairs to hide behind when he was being chased, though. :)

4 more days until the parents get here! We're super excited! And I'm happy to have another fun weekend in the books.

Wore out after playing ball!

Like father, like son.

The countdown is on!

In exactly 1 week my parents will be here for a visit!! They haven't been down to visit in about a year, and I cannot wait to have them here! We see them pretty frequently in West Virginia and various places in between, but it's always nice to have them here on our turf and with no other distractions. I am getting so anxious for them to be here and hope the next week will fly by!

Today started out with my oversleeping due to my alarm malfunctioning! I woke up to the mother of the little girl I babysat knocking on the door and me feeling like an irresponsible teenager for not being out of bed on time! After that, it was a mad rush to get two babies and myself dressed and out the door in order to make it to the doctor's office by 8. We made it! Mr. Logan has allergies (who wouldn't with literally EVERYTHING covered in a blanket of yellow pollen) and has developed an ear infection because of it. :( Other than that though, he is complete fine and healthy. The doctor went on and on about how "handsome" Logan is and how he was "one of the most handsome little boys he's ever seen." Well I knew all of this, of course. ;) It's always nice to hear strangers, especially doctors who see hundreds of kids a week, confirm that you're not just a biased mother. A quick trip to the pharmacy and K-Mart went off without a hitch. By the time we returned home the kids were more than ready for a nap, and I was more than ready for them to take one. Today was our last day with Mattison. With my upcoming school schedule and our moving plans uncertain, she had to go to a new babysitter. We will miss her. Logan will definitely miss his everyday play pal. 

The 3 of us (momma, daddy and baby) are about to go curl up in bed for a good snuggle-fest, a Disney movie and my nose still stuck in "Confessions of a military wife." I'm certain it won't take any of us long to pass out. And yay for sleeping in on Saturdays! 

Sweet dreams <3

Logan & Momma after dinner

Rockin' the Coach shades.

Destructive baby.

What can "brown" do for you?

Well "brown" can make my whole day!! I LOVE getting packages in the mail! I don't know why, but even when I know what's in the package, and know that it's nothing of great importance, I just find something so exciting about the UPS truck pulling up and leaving a big box or extra large envelope on my doorstep! Today was no exception. Somehow, I managed to miss seeing the big brown truck drive down my street, and apparently missed the dinging of my doorbell, because when I took the kiddos outside to play I was pleasantly surprised by an oversized envelope leaning up against my door. Inside I found a book that I had ordered from Amazon by standup comedian and Marine Corps wife, Mollie Gross. I've watched several of her standup acts on youtube and follow her on Facebook. I've been anticipating the arrival of this book for about a week now, and am already several chapters in. Mollie gives a realistic and humorous outlook on what it's like being married to someone in the military. She doesn't hold back, doesn't sugar coat the truth, is somewhat crude and "unlady-like," and tells it exactly how it is! My kind of woman! What a breath of fresh air from the stuffy old books of do's and dont's and military protocol. I am having a hard time putting this book down long enough to  bathe my child and type this blog! ;) I can already say I recommend it to military spouses AND civilians. The book gives wonderful and real perspective on what life is really like being married to a Marine. (or any other service member)

So, this post turned into somewhat of a book report. But it's been awhile since I've read anything that's had me so intrigued. But tt's John Wayne movie night in bed with the hubs, :) so I better scram. 

Sweet dreams, y'all.

Life ain't always beautiful...

Today, my heart goes out to one of the most special families in the world to me. It's so hard to understand God's plan sometimes. Bad things happen to the best of people and it simply isn't fair. I know that the Good Lord doesn't go on what our plans are. And it's hard to realize sometimes that we are not in control. You think that if you live life right, are a good person, help others and try to live by God's word that you will have a full and happy life. But that's not always the case. Life isn't fair. It isn't always beautiful. It's messy and it's hard. But I am a firm believer in "everything happens for a reason," and I'll ask you all today to pray that this family finds comfort and reason in their dark time...

A pocket full of sunshine.

It's going to be another gorgeous day here in awful Jacksonville, NC. Normally, I try to find the good in everyone and everything because I believe it is in there somewhere. But 4 years later and I am still having a hard time finding the goodness in this town. One of the few positives is this wonderful weather! Another projected high of 83 today! Not sure what we will have on the agenda today. I am looking into joining a stroller strides group in the next couple weeks. It is an exercise group geared toward engaging your children in activities while you exercise. I'm really excited about it and will love having something to do outdoors. 

I'm starting to learn my way around the blogging world and have really enjoyed the military spouse blogs. So many different people with such similar lives. The military community is a great one and I love how everyone (for the most part) always has each other's back.

Well, not much else to ramble on about for now. Miss Mattison will be here soon and then it's diaper changes, sippy cup refills, and refereeing over toys. I hope my friends and family further north stay warm in all the cold and snow they are supposed to get. I'll soak up a little extra sun just for y'all. ;) 

Have a blessed day every one. 

This was the scene I stumbled upon last night when I walked down the hallway. 

I just love them to pieces. <3

Sunny days, chasin the clouds away.

Sunshine is good for the soul! Today was such a beautiful day! I got a lot of yard work done and finally hosed off the globs of mud stuck to our clothes from our adventures this past weekend. The kids and I enjoyed some bubbles, sidewalk chalk, swinging, and a good game of "momma chase me while I laugh hysterically." 

Today is also my middle nephew Elijah's, birthday! He's such an awesome kid! I cannot believe it has been 9 whole years since he was born. He's my kind of guy. He likes very few people, and comes off a little bit hateful. Just how I like people. haha. Luckily, he loves his aunt Courtney. We have always had a pretty close bond.  And he really really loves his uncle Evan. They are always wrestling and being ninjas and marines together! I dare say uncle Evan is one of his favorite people. He's a little soccer star, and I cannot wait to see what he does with his life in the coming years. So happy birthday Elijah David. We love you!

A happy anniversary.

 Hey y'all! It's Tuesday, and if you ask me, Tuesday is the worst day of the week! Monday gets the bad rap, but at least on Monday the weekend is still fresh in your mind and you have something to share and talk about with others. On Tuesday, everything is old news, it's still way too far away from the weekend, and in the fall/winter, their is definitely no Tuesday night football! So Tuesdays are lame (I'm sure you will agree) ;)

On today's agenda: OUTSIDE ALL DAY! The weather channel is predicting a high of 85 degrees!! It seems that old man winter has finally got the hint that he has worn out his welcome and spring is finally here! So I plan on getting a winter's worth of leaves and pinecones raked up out of the yard while the youngins' play. I babysit an almost 2 year old little girl, and this will be a great way for her and my son to get good and tired for a nice long nap later today. They're the cutest kids, and so good, and it has been great for Logan to be around another baby all day. 

On another note, 1 year ago tonight, my husband (and one of our closest friends Matt) returned home from Afghanistan and finally got to meet our then 3 month old baby boy! That night will always be one of the best nights of my life. My husband had been safely returned home from war twice, and my new little family was finally complete. I had never felt so blessed by God as I did that night. It was such a wonderful thing to watch them get to know each other, and to see the instant love my husband had for our son. I had a few amazing friends by my side, as they always have been while we waited around in the gym on base and then out in the cold for hours! Finally, around 2 am, the buses pulled in and my whole world was complete. I know that not every military family gets to experience that same outcome, so I am taking a lot of extra time today to thank the Good Lord for all he has blessed me with. I am so thankful to have these moments caught on tape to share with our son someday.

Day 1, Let's get this party started!

So I've been trying to find a way to share pictures and posts of our family, and mainly our son, without having to use Facebook and get caught up in all it's drama. A friend of mine has a wonderful blog that she uses for the same, so I became inspired to start my own. It's going to take a lot of playing around with to get it looking how I want, but I think I am off to a great start!

I imagine that most people who will read this blog will already know a lot about my family, but here's a little background for those who stumble upon it and don't know us ... My husband and I have the typical small town fairytale story. We met in middle school, and the good Lord brought us back together our Senior year of high school. He went off to join the Marine Corps right after we graduated, and my life has been a crazy emotional ride of hard goodbyes, long months of waiting, and picture perfect reunions ever since. I did at year at West Virginia University while he was in California for 9 months, and then we quickly decided that we wanted this love story forever. We were married in 2007 and I moved to Camp Lejeune, NC. I've held down the fort while Evan served a tour in Iraq. And on Christmas day 2009, with my mom by my side and Evan in Afghanistan, I welcomed our first child into the world. Our next chapter will be Quantico, VA, with plans of Evan becoming an officer, me finishing my Bachelors in Communications, and hopefully a house FULL of babies!

Today is Monday, and a typical one in our house. Monday aren't very exciting around here, and are mainly filled with laundry, dishes, diaper changes, and catching up on house cleaning from the weekend before. We did however, have a pretty eventful weekend for once! Friday, Evan had duty and we didn't get to see him at all. But Logan and I were busy packing and getting ready! Saturday we ventured North a few hours and met "Nan-Nan" for some awesome Tanger Outlet Mall shopping where we scored some amazing deals! I walked away with a new pair of shoes and roughly 6 new summer outfits for Logan at around 150 bucks! A successful trip! After that, we met Evan at an ATV park where we camped and finally got to ride the new ATV! I didn't get to do much riding since we had Logan, but it was great to get away from the busyness of Jacksonville and finally do something we all enjoy! We ended the weekend with burgers and hot dogs on the grill with our favorite friends. It was one of the best weekends we've had in awhile and I hope many more are soon to follow!

I hope you enjoy this blog, and I hope a lot of my family will follow it so they watch Logan grow and change. Happy Monday!