* Keeping Up with the DeRoos *

onesies

2012-02-03T21:18:00.002-05:00

I have been a sewing machine for the past month.

I can't wait for our little lady to get here & I just love being able to make her all sorts of cute girly things.

Pinterest has become my new best friend for ideas & tutorials. I have been on a search for all things baby. Trust me, I have enough projects to last me a while {yet I keep looking for more}. I think Brad's getting really sick of the craft stores, but it all pays off in the end & our little lady is going to be the cutest baby on the block. If nothing else, she'll have a better wardrobe than any of us!!

A few weeks ago I dedicated all of my free time to onesies. I have finally stepped away from the sewing machine to pick up my camera and document all of these little projects. I know she won't remember these outfits, but hopefully she'll know how much love was put into making them all for her. :)

I love the pink {because every little girl needs a lot of pink in her life}, but I fell head over heals with the black!! Hopefully she doesn't take after her mommy, though & have a wardrobe full of black outfits. And how can you not love those ruffle butts?!?

I found this adorable lacey ribbon at one of the craft stores & immediately thought the scallops would be cute in place of the ruffle butts. But, more than anything, I'm loving the little flower on the front. It reminds me of a mix between burlap & my grandmother's doilies. Too sweet...

And lastly, I think this is my all time favorite....

I have plans to make a few more of these because they're so girly, yet so practicle with having the onesie underneath. I've decided if none of the other "bring her home" outfits work out, this will be the one. Pretty fuss free, but oh so cute!! Yes, be ready to see her in a lot of onesie dresses in her first few months.

There are still a lot more projects to come. I need more hours in my day to sew because I'm sure time will be few and far between once our girly gets here.

So, which one is your favorite??

pelican drop

2012-01-31T21:47:00.000-05:00

**phew**

I didn't think I would get the New Years Eve post in before the end of January!

A small accomplishment. :)

New Years Eve was a big deal for us this year. It was the first New Years Eve that Brad and I spent together since our first year dating in 2003. We went to Camden, NJ to see moe. in concert that year & every year after that he was scheduled to work. We were looking forward to every second of this celebration.

In Pensacola they close down a few of the main streets & bring in a bunch of vendors & bands for the Pelican Drop. The streets are crowded with thousands of people ready to ring in the new year. We enjoyed the music & everyone {except me} indulged in all sorts of goodies from aligator meat to shark skewers. We had a wonderful time walking around taking in our surroundings until our dear friend, Travis, stepped on a large shard of glass that went right through his Converse sneaker moments before the clock struck midnight. He was quite a trooper, though. He wasn't about to miss the moment. Luckily, we were down to minutes before the pelican dropped & we were greeted by 2012!

The Pensacola Pelican drop is the next best thing to the ball drop in NYC. Who knows, maybe next year we'll cross NYE in NYC off our bucket list.

After we got our New Years kiss in, we rushed Travis to the ER to get stitches. Who would have thought we would be starting our New Year in the hospital?? But, no matter where we spent it, we were just happy to be together and with great company!

2011 was good to us & I know 2012 will be just as wonderful & life changing! I hope you are all having a wonderful 2012 so far!

*p.s. I am all caught up on blog posts. :) No more 3 month old posts from me... for now, anyway.*

police hall of fame

2012-01-30T21:56:00.001-05:00

When we were near Daytona, FL for Christmas Brad & Scotty ventured out to the Police Hall of Fame while I stayed behind at the house to work.

Brad loved every second of it & left really missing the police force. I'm sure someday he will return. His calling is definitely to protect & serve.

As Brad was leaving for the museum I made sure he took the camera with him to capture what I was missing. I am slowly getting caught up on blog posts.

aviation museum

2012-01-26T22:27:00.002-05:00

Months ago {we're talking probably October or the beginning of November} Brad took me to the aviation museum on base. Somehow I forgot to blog about it, but I had so much fun I didn't want to miss the opportunity to share it.

We started out taking the official tour, but since Brad had already taken one a few days prior, we decided to break off & he took on the roll as my personal tour guide. It's all so fascinating & I LOVE old memorabilia!!

{You can't fly a plane without making flying sounds}

sewing

2012-01-23T20:52:00.000-05:00

If you remember, Brad bought me a sewing machine for Christmas this past December.

I have wanted one for years, but with the little lady on the way I thought now was as good a time as ever to put that on the top of my Christmas list.

I have been itching to start some projects, so Brad and I took a trip to Joanne Fabrics this weekend & stocked up on fabrics and supplies to keep me busy for a little while. I have been losing sleep at night thinking about starting these projects, so when Brad told me today was going to be a late work day, I jumped on the opportunity to have the apartment to myself & start sewing.

A few weeks ago I found this little tutorial on Pinterest.

I was a little concerned to tackle the project, but as the title says, it really was easy {seriously, the hardest part is cutting the fabric... for some reason I have a really hard time cutting in a straight line}.

I've been dreaming of doing the baby's nursery in pink and grey... when we get to a place where she can actually have one. That was my inspiration when picking out fabrics for this blanket & I must say, I LOVE IT!!!

The pink minky fabric is soooo soft. The baby might have to fight Brad for it when she gets here... then again, I want one for myself, too!!

But, after a 45 inch x 45 inch project & the soreness that came with it from spending so much time on the floor cutting & pinning, I think this will be a project strictly for baby. I can only imagine she will love it!

I am thinking of making myself a cute little scarf out of that grey fabric, though. I just want to go buy the entire ream. Yes, I love it that much! :)

While I'm at it, a few weeks ago I took my first attempt at a ruffle butt onesie {seriously, this has got to be the best part of having a baby girl}!! I wasn't overly impressed with the outcome of the ruffles, but practice makes perfect & someday I'll be able to make something worth while... in the meantime, this will work around the house.

My ruffles are really uneven {again, cutting is my biggest challenge... does anyone else have that problem??}

I have a bunch of other projects up my sleeve, but this preggo lady can only manage one a night, I think.

Have you ever tried lying on your belly to pin only to remember there's a big bump there??

I don't know how I can ever forget... haha.

Stay tuned for my future projects!

And if you have any patterns or tutorials you would like to share, I'm always happy to try something new!

And stay tuned for past posts that I have managed to forget. I realized I never blogged about New Years as Brad was flipping through my pictures last night! I have so much catching up to do {and so little time}! I promise I will get there before April!

cheers to four years.

2012-01-09T20:11:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Brad and I celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary!

Where has the time gone??

It feels like just yesterday we were sitting on the beach in Jamaica, swimming in the Caribbean Sea only hours before exchanging our vows & celebrating with a very small group of friends and family.

We have become one heck of a strong couple in the past four years. I have no doubt in my mind that there are so many more years ahead of us... how did I become the luckiest lady in the world??

To celebrate the big day, Brad and I tried to replicate it as best as we could...

...so, we went to the beach. Surprise.... Surprise. :)

And this girl forgot her camera {even after we made a special trip back home to grab it... preggo brain got in the way & my other mission to grab my sunglasses}. Thank goodness for cell phones. Not the best quality, but it still allowed us to capture the moment without turning around for a third time to grab the camera.

I was amazed at how much the little beach bar reminded me of Jamaica.

I just love how my husband appeases me & my silly requests.

And leave it up to me to insist on ice cream! I was pretty confident I had it all over my face & yet I thought the ice cream cone was going to hide me... haha.

We took a stroll on the beach & made sure to get our traditional feet-in-the-water picture.

This was our first time to Pensacola Beach... it had to be done. :)

Look at how big the belly is getting!!!

After our walk along the beach, Brad took me for a round of mini golf.

This one was for Craig... we wanted to show him we were in Egypt, too!

Brad won... no surprise there... but, I am the real winner!

Somehow it worked out that the winner had to buy dinner...

So we stuck with our anniversary tradition & made our annual trip to The Melting Pot.

The shrimp were in the shape of a heart {hence the picture of the dead meat}.

It was a wonderful day out with my hubby & the weather couldn't have been better!

I am so glad that after 4 years, we are finally expanding our family & I am so excited to see what the rest of our lives have in store for us! I know there's nobody else in this world I would rather go through life with.

Happy 4 years, honey bunches!

archiving

2012-01-05T15:09:00.002-05:00

When we were in New Smyrna, FL for Christmas, we went to the beach with Scotty.

We love the beach. I'm not the most comfortable person swimming in the ocean... somewhat because I'm not a good swimmer, but I think the majority of my hesitation are the sea creatures... primarily jelly fish or anything else that can sting me or bite me. But, I LOVE to put my feet in the water as often as possible.

Although it was warm in central Florida, I wouldn't say it was swimming weather {but, it didn't stop many}. It was quite windy...

But, Brad & I took the opportunity to roll our pants up & enjoy as much of the waves as possible.

I didn't want to lose these pictures over time, so I made sure to bring them over here for archiving purposes.

{Baby's First Christmas Eve - 23 weeks & 3 days}

Next year the baby will be able to put her own little feet in the water. It's almost hard to believe she'll be here in 3 1/2 months. We are so far from being ready & it's so difficult to plan for the big day with knowing we will be relocating sometime before or after she arrives {not knowing when is the killer}. For now, I'm enjoying every little kick and punch coming from inside my belly. She definitely likes for me to know she's still there... I LOVE that!

christmas twenty-eleven

2011-12-31T12:37:00.000-05:00

It has been quite a while since I've posted any updates {an entire month, in fact} & there has been quite a bit going on in our world lately! We moved into an apartment... that was a roller coaster ride in and of itself, but hopefully all of the headaches are behind us here & we can start enjoying our new temporary home. We were reminded that we have been country people for the past 7 {plus} years when we tried taking Damon for his first couple of elevator rides. Let's just say he's finally getting the hang of the floor moving... it really was a sight to see the for the first couple of weeks.

I love having an oven again! Nothing beats being able to make chocolate chip cookies whenever your little heart desires!!

Sorry we didn't save you any, Santa!!

With the holidays falling right in between our move, we barely had a chance to sit still. We were sad to have missed Christmas with family in PA this year, but so happy that some of our best of friends were only a few hours away. So, we took the trip down to the Daytona area for a quick visit & Christmas celebration with the Davis/Gaboury/Snyder clan. It's amazing how very little changes over the years.

But, before we left for warmer temps, we had a little Christmas celebration of our own. We opened all of our oh-so-generous gifts from Brad's parents & exchanged our gifts to each other. It didn't feel like Christmas here in Florida, but we sure did make the best of our early holiday together.

Brad & I love the movie Prep & Landing. When we came across these snazzy goggles in the Hallmark store, I heard about them for weeks. And since Brad is, & always will be, a kid at heart, I knew they would be a big hit for his Christmas toy {thanks Mom... he wears them ALL of the time}.

Even Damon got a toy. This was the best invention ever... Damon LOVES water bottles, but they always cut his gums. This bad boy covers the bottle for safe chewing. Unfortunately, he chewed the stuffing out of the head & that has been put away until I can fix it...

Very important reads...

Brad got me a sewing machine!! I was one happy girl! Think of all of the fun things I can make now... eek... I haven't sewn since home-ec class in 9th grade. I don't even know where to begin, but I'm uber excited to tackle this new challenge.

Brad's big gift from me this year was an XBox Kinect... unfortunately, it will be staying in the box until we can get the XBox out of storage this spring, but it will be a blast once we get back to some sort of normalcy.

And as a joint gift, we will be heading out to see Blake Shelton at the end of January. So exciting! :)

But, thank goodness for Mom & Dad because Brad wouldn't have any toys to play with this Christmas if it wasn't for their big surprise...

We got his & hers iPads... and let me tell you how much easier it is to drag this bad boy into the kitchen than the laptop...

And I just know that baby will love it when she gets older. I love the kids books you can get for this:

As you can see, it was one heck of an exciting non-Christmas night & we are so grateful to have family that thinks of us & sends so much love from miles away!

So, after such an eventful Thursday night, we packed up our bags & headed down to New Smyrna, Florida for some fun in the sun!

The weather was beautiful {even though a "cold" front of 67 degrees came through}.

We loved going to the beach with Scotty & Peg. I don't think I've ever seen either of them so happy.

It's amazing what a little sunshine & beaches can do for you... something Vermont lacks a bit of.

We enjoyed a lit tree by the fireside leading up to Christmas. It was wonderful to be surrounded by a tree & lots of Christmas decorations. The holiday finally felt like it was upon us.

{the only shot I got of Scotty outside of uniform}

Brad loved doing a ride along with Scotty. We'll see how long Navy life lasts after a day back in the police world... haha. I knew he'd miss it, especially after seeing a day in the life of a cop again.

We spent Christmas day with Gary, Bri & their kids! It's hard to believe they left Vermont 7, or so, years ago! We did not have enough time with them!

We were thrilled to be within driving distance from great friends again, but so sad that it is only temporary.

It was a wonderful Christmas! Thank you Peg & Scotty for inviting us into your home for the week! We miss you already!!! xoxo

the big reveal

2011-11-30T12:32:00.001-05:00

Now that all of the phone calls have been made {minus one to my brother who I'm pretty sure doesn't reads my blog anyway}, I think it is safe to post to the world our big news!

As you have all so patiently {or impatiently if you're me} been waiting, the big day has arrived {well, not THE big day, but a pretty special one nonetheless} and I'm not sure we could be more excited!!

If you couldn't tell by now, we had the ultrasound today to determine the gender of our baby & we couldn't have asked for a nicer ultrasound tech. He took all of the stress & anxiousness out of the picture & pointed out every little detail of the baby that he possibly could. Sadly, he wasn't able to answer any of our questions {only the radiologist could do that & we didn't see them today}.

Baby's heart was beating at 153bpm {a little slower than the past two tests, but right on beat with the average heartbeat hearings we've had so far}. There is nothing quite like seeing that little face either. Such a blessing!!

Here's the baby's most recent close-up:

Does anyone else out there just want to reach over and take control of the camera?? There were so many amazing pictures that he didn't capture. The mom should always be in control of the clicker!!! ;)

So, I know you're all still reading to find out what are we having??

Do we buy PINK or do we buy BLUE??

When we first found out I was pregnant, I really really wanted to wait to find out the gender at delivery. Brad couldn't wait until 20 weeks to find out, let alone double that, so I agreed to find out for his sake.

Well, the more we went registry shopping {and only finding things in pink or blue} & the closer we got to today, I couldn't wait much longer, either. The anticipation was killing me... and if I was going to torture myself by drinking 50 ounces of water in an hour for this ultrasound, I was walking out of there with results. I think finding out the gender was the best decision we could have made. Maybe we'll wait with the next one, but I wouldn't count on it.

Ok, enough of my rambling... What are we having???

If you said boy... well, you'll just have to wait for us to have another one because there was nothing on this ultrasound that screamed boy. This baby is all girl!!! And as sad as I was for Brad because I know he REALLY wanted a son to fish with & hunt with & most importantly pass his family name on, we are both overjoyed to be welcoming a pretty little princess into this world. And I'm happy that we will be contributing to the girl population because out of the 5 friends I have who are due in the next couple of months & have broken the news of what they're having, we're the only ones having a girl.

When I was a little girl my mom used to do this old wives tale trick on everyone where she would hold a needle on a piece of thread above the wrist. If the needle waived back & forth it was a boy. If it went around in a circle, it meant you were having a girl. My mom did this trick on me MULTIPLE times & it never failed, I was having two girls & a boy (in that order). Should we put the dream of having two kids (a boy and a girl) behind us now? ;) I was interested in seeing what the results of this test would be & not at all surprised when he told us it was a girl! :)

So, now Brad and I are heading back to Babies 'R Us to add to the registry & putting lots of pink & pretty bows on that registry. :)

thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-26T18:03:00.001-05:00

We have had so many changes this year. Brad & I are still in a temporary home without an oven or room to decorate, so we had to get creative with planning Thanksgiving. On our walks the past couple of weeks with Damon, we have come across some perfect places to entertain, we just had to get everyone on board. We have a few close friends who, like us, couldn't travel for the holiday & we were so excited when they all agreed to be a part of the big day!

Damon was very curious as to what everyone would be eating today & Brad was a little concerned that there wouldn't be seconds left for him.

Brad, Carly, Garrasi, Kirsten, Travis

Thank goodness for Kirsten & Travis who have an oven in their apartment. We did not go without the bird & my personal favorite, green bean casserole, on Thanksgiving! It was a learning experience trying to make all of the sides on two burners this Thanksgiving, but all of the food came out wonderful & we had a feast large enough to feed the entire Navy, in a wonderful location. I am loving being so close to the beach!

Damon got a little dip in! He can't get enough of the beach. I know he's missing the snow, but hopefully over time he will forget all about it & become a southern pup!

The sunsets are breathtaking here! We spent a great amount of time taking in the scenery & were lucky enough to see dolphins off in the distance after the sun went down. It was the perfect end to a memorable day.

Brad & I had so much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving & throughout the year. After years of trying to expand our careers & family, we were finally able to this summer. We have had the opportunity to see a good portion of the United States over the past couple of months & Brad seems so happy with the direction his career is going. He is getting great scores in class & may have found his niche. We are thankful for the baby on it's way this coming spring & have been so grateful for a mild pregnancy so far. We are blessed with family & friends who have supported us, and continue to support us through this crazy time in our lives! And are loving all of the new people we have met over the past couple of months! They will be forever friends no matter where the Navy takes us all. And I can't forget my Damon Dawg. I would have gone crazy without him around the past couple of months. :)

We made sure to get a picture of the belly bump... baby's first Thanksgiving.

19 weeks & 1 day

There has been a lot going on lately. Brad and I looked at a more permanent place to live today & are hoping to sign a lease tomorrow. It will be WONDERFUL to get out of a hotel room & into a larger space. I know Damon will love the room to stretch out, too. We're hoping Brad will get authorization to move off base this week, which will make life soooo much easier for all of us. And on Wednesday we're hoping to find out the sex of baby kangaroo DeRoo. :) Stay tuned for that update!

The baby had been kicking away earlier this week. S/he has been much quieter in the past couple of days, but feeling the baby kick is one of the most amazing feelings ever. It's nice to know that it is active & moving around. My belly has grown by leaps & bounds over the past week. I can't even imagine how far it will grow in the weeks to come. Wednesday marks the half way point of my pregnancy. It is just flying by. I think April will be here before we know it & we're so excited! But, first let's pray that Wednesday goes well & I'll be sure to keep you all posted on the news! :)

I hope you all had a wonderful & blessed Thanksgiving!

gulf coast

2011-11-13T23:26:00.001-05:00

Brad and I decided to take Damon for a walk today on our day off.

Poor Damon was used to 6 & 8 mile daily walks while we were staying with our friend in Massachusetts.

When we were living with Brad's parents in Arizona he got in at least a mile every night,

but since we have been in Florida, I have been too afraid to walk the neighborhoods, so Damon & I have been pretty cooped up in the room while Brad takes the car to and from work.

Brad runs the nature trail almost every day on base & he's been wanting to share it with me & I couldn't wait for an opportunity to work some of Damon's energy off.

I was grateful we didn't run into any alligators today {Brad had seen one not too long ago on the trail...eek}.

And I got to see the lighthouse on base {I can't wait to go up inside one of these days... I LOVE lighthouses}!

Damon was in his own little heaven leading the way on the trail while Brad and I enjoyed the time together.

On our way back to the car, I noticed a bridge that led onto the beach. Since I haven't seen the Florida beaches yet, I thought now was a great opportunity.

Damon ran right up to the water. He has never been much of a water dog. When we lived in Vermont we couldn't trick him into going into the river... he would sit on the rocks and drink from it, but never swim in it {even on the hottest days after a long walk}. When we were in Arizona he never laid one paw in the pool. He was quite hesitant about the ocean waves at first, but he was in the water and swimming before we knew it.

{sorry for the grainy cell phone photos}

Damon had a great day & we can't wait to bring him back to this beach. There were very few people & no dogs today. It was the best place for him &, apparently, it was exactly what he needed...

...because he has been passed out for over an hour. Mission accomplished! :)

big & rich

2011-11-07T19:06:00.004-05:00

At some point over the 10 years of living in Vermont, Brad got involved with this crowd of guys {all co-workers} who listened to country music. When we first met, "country" was not a word in our vocabulary. Neither of us listened to counry music & quite honestlly, we despised it. I guess when you spend 8+ hours in a car with somebody who loves country music, eventually you would get hooked, too. He was determined to pass his new fondness on to me {I guess if he had to be torchered, I did, too}. At this point in time we were making numerous trips to PA to visit my mom. I kicked and screamed every time he put the country station on. I wasn't budging. I didn't want to hear it {it's quite funny I put up such a fight since I had, at one point in my teenage years, enjoyed country music... but that time was in the past according to me & I didn't want to revisit it}. To make his life easier, Brad would USUALLY wait until I fell asleep to turn it on {which didn't take long in most cases... I am completely a car sleeper}!! Well, after a few weeks, & a bunch of 5 hour trips, he had me listening to {and loving} country music. Trust me, it took a lot of work on his behalf to turn me on to that genre, but as with most things, he was successful & to this day it is always the first station we look for when traveling.

I have this vivid memory of driving my Jeep to the garage, in Bennington, one day with the top down listening to Big & Rich. I don't know why that night sticks in my head... maybe because I was completely and utterly happy at that very moment. I remember smiling, singing, & dancing along to the lyrics without a care in the world. I love when music can have that effect on you. It sounds silly, but if I could have a slideshow of happy moments in my life, that would definitely be one of them.

A few weeks ago Brad and I had the opportunity to attend a concert on base. We weren't going to go, but it turned out I was having a not so happy, sing-a-long kind of day & we both thought this would be the best opportunity to turn that frown upside down & we were right... it worked. All of my worries went out the window, like that day in my Jeep.

I'm excited to tell our baby someday that Big & Rich was their first concert {even though they may not have been able to hear it at that point in time or will never remember it}. Big & Rich is full of energy & always makes me smile.

Half way through the show, Cowboy Troy made an appearance. It really added to the show {not that Big & Rich need any help... Big has enough energy for the entire crowd}.

We had a great time & a date night was exactly what Brad & I needed. Sometimes it feels like they're few and far between & I know once baby arrives, they will be even further out of reach {or, we're just going to have to get more creative... those little baby ears will not be able to handle concerts & crowds for quite some time}.

It was a great event & I love that the base here is always putting activities together to entertain the troops.

before we left california

2011-11-04T20:42:00.000-04:00

Wooo, have I been a busy bee?! Between work, doctor's appointments, & trying to figure out how to make mine & Brad's schedules jive, I haven't had 5 minutes to blog. On top of it, I may or may not have neglected saving my pictures onto a back-up source & completely bogged down my laptop. Moving all of those photos elsewhere was the most time consuming of them all! But, now that I have accomplished that, let's back up a little bit... I never had a chance to blog about our last outing in San Diego...

We knew for a few weeks we would be leaving California, we just weren't sure when exactly that day would be... so, I got it in my head that I wanted to see everything I could possibly see before leaving the west coast.

Well, that dream was crushed when we found out we had 3 days to pack up the apartment and move, but before we left we were able to kidnap Stephen, after picking him up from the airport, & went to see the oh-so-popular San Diego Zoo.

I love zoos & aquariums. I find these animals to be absolutely fascinating. What I would have paid to be able to snuggle with one of those koala bears! The entire exhibit was perched up in a tree taking a snooze. By the end of the day, I would have gone for a snooze, too. The first trimester of my pregnancy was surrounded by food & naps. If that was the worst side effect I faced, I was a happy camper!

I have quite a bit to get caught up on with this blog &, as requested, will get some more baby bump pics up. I am getting used to Northern Florida, but there's a little bit of me that is missing everything San Diego had to offer. I wish we would have had a little more time to see all that the west coast had to offer, but that's what vacations are for, right?? :) I can't wait to head up north to see my family for Christmas! I can't believe that's less than 2 months away!!! Where is the time going??

luck o' the irish

2011-10-17T00:31:00.000-04:00

We've made it to Pensacola and everyone is settled into their temporary homes.

Let me just say, it sure isn't Coronado, CA. I drive around the city with my doors locked & you wouldn't catch me dead walking around without somebody by my side.

I know I spent a long time in Vermont, but even some of the scariest parts of Philly are a little less intimidating than this city. From what I've been told, it's not uncommon for military towns to be in some of the worst locations.

Note to self: find an apartment much further away from the base {maybe the beach areas are nicer... I hear they have some of the most beautiful white sand beaches here}.

In our search for a safe & semi-normal place to enjoy our weekends, we found a not-so-little Irish Pub in downtown. It's an Irish girl's heaven. Brad and I have been there twice... once for dinner & again because we just had to share it with a good friend. During our first dinner date in Pensacola, we were serenaded by a live bagpiper. I can't begin to explain my excitement. I think it consisted of some clapping and jumping up and down in my booth. I'm definitely an Irish girl through & through.

There is over a million dollars hanging from the ceiling throughout the restaurant. The story goes that a waitress hung her first tip on the wall of the restaurant & everyone else followed suit. If you hang a dollar from the ceiling you get a card officially declaring you an Irishman!

Brad was so excited to learn that they brew their own beer here! I imagine I would have joined in the same excitement if I could indulge in a glass or two, but this baby has put drinking on hold for a very long time!

When Brad finds a restaurant, I think he makes it a personal goal to try the most obscure item on the menu. Well, I don't think it gets any stranger than this:

It's McGuire's Terrible Garbage Burger. I can't even begin to tell you what is on it, but I can tell you that Brad didn't finish half of it before having it boxed up & brought it home. He made it through the ice cream, chocolate hot sauce, bacon, wasabi, & maybe the corned beef. It sounds disgusting, it looks disgusting & the menu describes it as "some of everything - it's absolutely disgusting." That about sums it up. I'll stick to my salad & baked potato.

We sure did find our new regular place! One of the benefits of Pensacola -- everything is MUCH more affordable than San Diego. You don't feel like you're spending your life savings whenever you go out for a dinner date. I have to admit, I love that.

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On a side note, this chicadee had to go shopping today. There's nothing more frustrating than not fitting into any of your clothes anymore. I was never the type of person to try on 10 different outfits before finding the one that satisfied me for the day, but this morning I became that person & it was quite exhausting. So, Brad and I ventured out to the mall to buy some mommy-to-be clothes. I loved it & Brad could see it written all over my face that I was in desperate need of some retail therapy & some clothes that my baby belly will fit into. Now, I just need to stay away from the mall & the restaurants!

cha-cha-cha-changes

2011-10-07T13:38:00.001-04:00

There has been so much going on in our world lately, I'm shocked I can even keep up half of the time.

Let's see if I can recap it all...

As you know, we moved to sunny California {it really is as sunny here as they make it out to be}.

Brad has been here for 3 months & I've been here just over a month. We love it.

I love the beaches, the sunshine, the hummingbirds dancing around our apartment. Everything is so easy going out here {except the highways... people are in such a hurry to get nowhere fast out here, but I guess living in Vermont for 10 years will make me see it that way}, & of course the food. Oh there are sooooo many good restaurants out here & I have the scale to prove it!!!

Sadly, after only a month of enjoying this beautiful state, we are moving on... & fast!!!

Where will we go???

That's right... we're moving back to the EAST COAST... on MONDAY!!!

I've never been to the panhandle of Florida before, but I'm hoping the beaches are just as beautiful as the ones here. I'm really excited that we will still be in warm, sunny weather for at least a few more months.

And I'm soooooooo excited to be closer to family & friends on the east coast again! :)

They will be a huge help and big support system for us...

Why, you ask?

Cause we're having a BABY!!!!

Baby DeRoo is 12 weeks and 2 days along & should arrive on April 18th.

We are oh so excited to share this little sweet pea with everyone!

It's been a long 12 weeks of waiting to share the news! Trust me, we wanted to scream it from the rooftops, but wanted to be particularly sure that all was safe & sound!

Baby Deroo will be a gymnast someday, I have no doubt. The little cutie pie was doing back flips in my belly during the ultrasound making it difficult to hear a heartbeat, but it's there & beating at 150 bpm.

Daddy was grinning from ear to ear the entire time! He's going to be a great father... just you wait and see!

So, there it is... all of our big news!

Can you believe it?? Because I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of this {more-so the move across country... AGAIN... on Monday}. As for the baby, I've wrapped my head around that and am uber excited to introduce him/her to this crazy world!

air

2011-10-05T19:16:00.000-04:00

Brad's parents are in town for the month of October, so we decided to jump in the car and head up to the Marine base in Miramar this past Saturday for the air show.

Brad was in his element {especially now that he will be working with planes} & I have to admit, there are very few things that Brad loves that I don't.

It was a beautiful day {ugly days are few & far between here}. I took every opportunity to soak up the California rays.

I love that we always have something to do here {and so many things are free}. I guess that's one of the perks of living outside of the city & I must admit, I love perks. :)

fun with fish

2011-09-27T17:36:00.000-04:00

When we went to Legoland, I knew it was more of a day for the boys. As I mentioned in my last post, Legos were never my toy of choice, but when I found out there was an aquarium on the property, I was overjoyed.

I LOVE aquariums {even more than zoos}!

I could have spent all day there {even if it was a bit small}.

And I'm so glad we saved the aquarium for last!!

Even the boys had fun.

Legoland, CA

2011-09-20T19:55:00.000-04:00

This weekend we ventured out to Legoland! We are bound and determined to see everything we possibly can while we're out here on the west coast. It was a beautiful California day. I can never complain about the weather out here!

{with our favorites - lego version}

We built our own little lego cars & raced them on a track. Guess who won??

That's right... moi {the girl who can't build with legos to save her life}.

Brad asked how that was possible, but I told him it was quite simple... mine had a driver. :)

We had a great time playing with legos, even if they weren't my toy of choice growing up.

But, even Legoland had something for me... stay tuned for the next blog post.

I LOVERMONT

2011-08-29T15:33:00.000-04:00

When we left Vermont back in July, it sure was a bittersweet moment.

Not counting the 5 years my family lived up north, I came to Vermont in the fall of 2000 to start my freshman year of college. Brad joined me in the fall of 2003. We lived there for years & although we had our good and bad moments, there's something about the little towns of Bennington & Woodford that really suck you in.

I left Vermont thinking "you'll be here when we come back to visit." And I was sure it would always be the same ol' Vermont. I would have never guessed that Hurricane Irene would have had such an impact on those little towns & the place we called home for so long.

(This was taken back in 2008 in front of Wahoo's in Wilmington)

This is what that location looked like yesterday:

Remember the sweet little river that ran behind our apartment??

Brad LOVED that river!!! But, it was bigger than ever yesterday & did a lot of damage to the house that we rented & a lot of nearby homes. It's all so devastating & hard to grasp.

These were all taken before our landlord and the tenants were evacuated. That black truck was washed away & from what I understand, the house is now unlivable. If you've been to our old apartment, you will remember how far away that river was from the house. It's amazing to see how high the water got.

Our neighbors up the road lost everything. This is where our good friend Jamie grew up & his parents were renting it out to a family. They lost EVERYTHING. It is all so sad.

And if we thought Woodford got hit hard, Wilmington was almost unrecognizable.

This is a picture of Brad's old office. There used to be a line on the side of the building that showed where the flood line of 1938 was. If I remember correctly, I would say there is easily a foot more water in the flood of 2011.

This is just as you're entering the town (Brad's old office is in the background). The entire town was destroyed. It is so sad to see all of those places washed away. Terrifying to think that sooo many of our friends had to experience this. We are so blessed to know that everyone is safe, but wish we could be there to help! We love you all so much and are sending so many prayers your way for a speedy recovery from this disaster.

For those who can afford to donate, please go to the Red Cross of Vermont & New Hampshire website to help! Every little bit will make a difference!

We Love you, Vermont!!

my weekend retreat.

2011-08-01T17:59:00.000-04:00

ahhhh... another weekend in Coronado with my hubby. I'm beginning to LOVE these weekends. The fear of being in a new city is almost behind me & the enjoyment of every moment spent with Brad makes every bit of that drive worth while! The view of the drive up the border isn't so bad either. After driving through many miles of farm land and towns that remind me of the movie Nothing But Trouble with Dan Aykroyd & Demi Moore from the '90's (where I would fear for my life if I were to get pulled over) in Southern California, I get to feast my eyes on these sights.

The sand dunes are spectacular. It baffles me as to how so much sand ever got to that one location! There are miles and miles of this soft sand! I just love the ripples from the wind!

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I love that every weekend there is something new to do, something different to see & something oh-so-delicious to eat!! There are non-stop restaurants around the city. I know there will never be enough days to try them all. It's a 20-something year old's dream city! I just LOVE it out here! In one month I will be a full time resident {this may call for another countdown}.

This weekend we decided to hit up the Padres & Rockies game! We are a baseball family, that is for sure & I just couldn't believe the price of Padres tickets compared to the Red Sox. Granted, we didn't have the best seats in the house, but for a Saturday night outing, it was still a great time!

I figured it was only right to route for the Padres Saturday night since they will be our new hometown team, however I will always be a Red Sox girl!! :-)

Sadly, the hometown team didn't win, but we all had a great time!

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Sundays are always sad. The weekends go by too quickly, but I'm loving our new ritual of hitting up the coffee shop up the street from our new place for a quick breakfast before heading back to Arizona.

I love the '50's feel of it & hearing Brown Eyed Girl on the jukebox!

I really think I'm going to love calling this place "home" & how could I not...

...everything I've ever wanted & needed is right there!!

coronado

2011-07-25T21:00:00.000-04:00

This weekend I ventured to the state of California for the very first time in my life. Until I had come to Arizona, I had never been further west than Indiana. I have always seen the palm trees & beautiful beaches of California on TV growing up & have always wanted to experience the west coast. I can finally cross that one off the bucket list. I took the 6 hour drive up U.S. & Mexico border & met the hubby for a fun filled weekend of showing me around our new stomping grounds. I really do think I'm going to love it here {especially once the winter comes and all of you east coasters start posting pictures of **snow** online}! Although, after a few weeks of 110 degree weather, even 75 feels cold to me!!

The traffic & city driving is going to take some getting used to, but the beautiful thing about it all is

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION...

I'm just a little bit excited about that. I haven't seen buses in 7 years & I love that I don't have to drive into the city if I don't want to. :-)

This weekend was Comic-Con in San Diego... it was interesting, to say the least. I was sad to learn that the Big Bang Theory cast was in attendance. I may have paid a little more attention had I known that.

Brad took me for ice cream in downtown...mmmm... I'm going to have to be careful about that!

San Diego has so many restaurants! I wanted to try them all!! Of course there was not enough time in the weekend, but I'm so excited to have so many options to choose from!!!

We went to the mall, which was so refreshing because it is outdoors. You still get to enjoy the sunshine of Southern California while getting in some retail therapy {and 5 floors of shops, at that}!

We walked down to Petco Park where the Padres' play & it sure did make me miss home! I can't wait for my nephew & brothers to come out to catch a game with us! We got to watch part of the Padres & Phillies game on the big screen outside the park! I could see myself watching some away games from the hill.

Brad showed me around the island a little bit {this was a view from our hotel room}. We were even able to secure a condo for us, so I am very excited to become a resident beginning next month! We had a very eventful weekend & I can't wait to come back and see more of the city! I can't see how you could ever run out of things to do. I LOVE that!!

heat wave

2011-07-14T00:17:00.000-04:00

I have been in Arizona for about a week now & I can't help but feel I am on a much needed vacation.

It has been a long couple of months being separated from Brad & I have been itching for some relaxation.

Well, let me tell you, I'm getting it & I better soak it up now, because it may not last forever.

My in-laws have been wonderful & so hospitable. I couldn't feel more comfortable in their home if I tried {even Damon is more at ease spending most of his time snoozing and observing what everyone in the house is doing}.

I wake up every morning & go to work. Since my office is east coast time, that means I'm out by 2pm everyday! It's quite wonderful & I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to still work for the same company I have been with for the past 7 years! I am very fond of the job I do & the people I work with, but having the peace & quiet of working from home guarantees a lot of work to get done... I love that!

After my day "at the office," I walk outside & lay by/in/around the pool for a few hours. It's a good time to get my reading in, too... and occasionally a nap. I am not the same, white, pasty girl that left Vermont 2 weeks ago, that is for sure!

After some down time, dinner, & my favorite time of the day {skyping with my hubby}, Damon is usually whining to go out for his walk. Boy, does he love his walks & so do I... especially in these parts. Check out the view:

It's hot here, I'm not going to lie! And people say "oh, but it's a dry heat..." Phewy! It's hot! However, I've learned that my body was created to stand the heat. I am not a winter girl, I'm a hot summer desert girl & I'm loving every ounce of the sunshine! :-)

There is a lot of wildlife in Arizona. I haven't seen anything too crazy, yet {i.e. coyotes & snakes}, but the lizards, bunnies, & bats sure send my nerves flying when they rush out of the bushes. I'll get used to it all, I'm sure. I guess it can't get too much worse than the bears in New England.

I'm trying to soak in as much of these moments as possible. Brad arrives on the west coast tomorrow & I couldn't be more excited to be in the same time zone as him. I'm itching to get a place to call home again & start a family! Hopefully in a few short weeks things will be back to "normal" & Brad and I will be reunited on a full time basis.

the 4th

2011-07-05T08:32:00.000-04:00

Brad was so lucky to be able to graduate on the centennial of the Great Lakes Recruit Training Command & we were equally as lucky to have it fall on the 4th of July weekend. That meant an extra day of not missing work, a lot of extra festivities & an extra day with my husband {kind of}. What I mean is we didn't have to rush home on Sunday to get to work by Monday. That was a nice feeling!

Unfortunately, we had to say our goodbyes to Brad last night. We were supposed to rendezvous this morning for breakfast, but his duties as a sailor had changed & we had to say our goodbyes last night. I wasn't ready for it. I didn't want to leave {I still don't}, but because my husband is always so good with words and shooing away what my sister-in-law would call the "devil in my head," I actually was able to leave him a little more peacefully last night than I ever imagined I could.

We had a wonderful weekend & as much as I initially said I wanted to do "this" and see "that" while we were in Chicago, I found myself much happier relaxing with my hubby & not running around creation trying to fit in as much as possible. It was the perfect weekend.

On the day before graduation, I was able to stick my toes in Lake Michigan... oooh it's like sticking your toes in the water in Maine in the middle of August. I don't think it ever warms up.

Pretty pedicures!

We were so lucky that Brad was able to receive late liberty on Sunday and Monday night. We were able to watch the fireworks from Ross Field {where Brad's graduation took place}. I think we said a few times "They don't have fireworks like this in Vermont." The beginning, and all throughout, was very much like the finales back home.

{sorry for the poor cell phone quality}

It was so nice to just be able to stand next to Brad and enjoy the moment. And when they played "Anchors Aweigh" the entire crowd of sailors joined in singing. It sent goosebumps up my spine {no matter how many times I've heard that song & have claimed I could go without hearing it again it was one heck of a memorable moment}. :-)

Today begins the second leg of the drive to Arizona. Brad and I will be closer to each other sooner than we expected. I can't wait 'til then! The past 4 days have been perfect & I can't wait to get back to "real" life.

100 years

2011-07-02T00:26:00.000-04:00

The day I have been waiting so long for has come and gone! And what an amazing day it was!

We arrived on the base before the sun even came up to celebrate Brad's Navy graduation...

...and we waited quite some time for the celebration {but we had the perfect seats for the event}.

As we sat and waited we heard chants coming from the rear field, so Brad's mom & I went for a walk to find out what the commotion was... the sailors were lined up waiting to begin the ceremony, so we snuck in some pictures...

...he looks so handsome! I had butterflies in my stomach at the immediate sighting of him. I wanted so badly to run up and wrap my arms around his neck, but I knew getting his attention would just distract him, so I kept a healthy distance... he didn't even know we were there!

The ceremony was beautiful. It kicked off with a rain shower or two & the 105 degree weather they were calling for turned out to be quite chilly. I had the privilege of sharing my umbrella with the Master Chief of the Navy {he's the highest ranking sailor in the entire US Navy}.

Brad's division was inducted into the Hall of Fame. They are one of only 4 other divisions that have received that honor this year. They have spent the last two months working so hard for their achievements & it definitely paid off! They received 9 flags for excelled skills and how exciting that all of this happened on the centennial birthday of the Great Lakes boot camp?!?! Such an honor!

Looking back on it, it all seemed to go so fast, but I know I spent the entire time wishing it would go by just a little bit quicker. When it did come to an end & liberty was called, I couldn't wait to find Brad! The moment I hugged him was one of the most amazing moments of my life. I didn't think I would ever let go!

Saying goodbye tonight was so tough. I can't even imagine what Tuesday will feel like. I'm trying really hard not to think about it too much and enjoy the next couple of days to their fullest. It was funny to watch Brad use electronics again for the first time in two months. You forget how removed they are from the "real world." But, I can't tell you how nice it was to be able to hear his voice on the phone before going to bed. It really is the little things in life. I have a lot of respect for the sailors and their families from years past who didn't have technology to stay in touch. I am so grateful that we have cell phones & internet to get us through. I'm not sure I could do it without!

To Brad: Words could never explain how much I have missed you over the past two months & how happy I am to be together again {even if it's temporary for now}. No matter how difficult the past has been & the unknown that is yet to come will be, I am beyond proud of you & support you 120% through all of this. I will forever love you & am so happy to have you as my husband! I really am the luckiest girl in the world!!! I love you with all of my heart!!!

1 more day

2011-06-30T17:33:00.000-04:00

We have made it to Chicago. After a number of unexpected plane delays & Brad's mom's later-than-expected arrival to Albany, we got on the road first thing yesterday morning {and it worked out PERFECTLY having to leave a day late... a blessing in disguise}.

I was one bound and determined girl yesterday. I was on a mission, with my husband on my mind, the entire way.

I am not a long distance driver. The 4 1/2 hours to Pennsylvania was always my limit, but not yesterday...

I drove the entire 15 hour trip from Albany to Chicago!!! Yes, I even shocked myself. I'm paying for it today with a stiff upper body, but it was worth it.

The trip was enjoyable. One straight shot across I-90 & we were there in no time... Mom did such a good job at keeping me distracted from the passing time & kept me focused on the goal. I couldn't have done it alone, that is for sure! I am so grateful to have had her company!

Damon was a blessing, too. We couldn't have a better car dog. He may need training in other places, but he has car rides down to a science. I would forget he was even there until, every so often, his ears would peak up in my rear view mirror. He's so patient in the car! I have Brad to thank for that!

We arrived in Chicago around 10pm & once we were checked in, & while I was unpacking, Damon got comfy. He's been snoozing the time away & is LOVING the bed! He will be so excited when he sees Brad tomorrow & I know Brad cannot wait to see him!!

Hopefully Damon will stay this calm for the second leg of the trip.

In less than a day Brad and I will be reunited! I can't wait to see him, wrap my arms around him & to have a husband again! What a strange feeling it is to be apart so long. I've missed him! We have waited two long months for this & it's hard to believe it's finally here! I hope the next 4 days last forever!!!

so proud

2011-06-27T21:24:00.000-04:00

He did it!!! I received the call tonight that my hubster is officially a United States Sailor!!

This has been his life long dream & I'm so happy that he gets to live it! I couldn't be any prouder.

He has worked so hard to get to where he is. Many many months of blood, sweat & tears have gone into fulfilling this dream. I never thought we would see this day. I cannot wait to celebrate with him on Friday!!

On a bittersweet note, tonight is my last night as a New Englander! After 11 years of living in Vermont, I am finally saying goodbye to the Green Mountains and the Berkshires of Massachusetts. Brad and I have made some amazing friends over the years & I will be the first to say that we will miss them all dearly!

I have found an amazing friend in Brenda {even more so over the past 9 weeks}. She has taken me under her wing & made sure the separation from Brad has been as painless as possible.

She has entertained me & supported me every step of the way. I know Brad is equally as grateful for the friend she has been to me; having one less thing to worry about knowing that I was safe & comfortable staying with her. Brenda, I owe you! I hope I can be half the friend that you have been to me! I'm going to miss you & our 6-8 mile walks! Thanks for always offering a shoulder to lean on and an ear to listen.

Tomorrow I begin the loooong trek across country with Brad's parents! I am beyond excited for Friday & that first sighting of Brad. He will look so handsome in his uniform & I cannot wait for that first hug in 2 months!

I am one lucky girl. Not a week went by that he didn't tell me how much he loved me & missed me! I would have never made it through the past two months without his loving words! He really knows how to make a lady feel like a million bucks! What could I have possibly done in life to deserve him??? Eventually we will be sitting on a beach & I just can't wait. It won't happen as quickly as I would like, but I will keep the image in my mind & know that we won't be apart forever.

In the meantime, the car is packed & ready to go. Come next week, I'm going to wish I never had to see the inside of a car again, but I will try to enjoy it. Not everyone can say they had the opportunity to drive across country & it's something I've always wanted to do. I wish Brad could join us on the adventure, but having to do it again isn't out of the question {the beauties of military life}. I pray the next 3 days fly by & the weekend drags on. I will cherish every second of our time together & can't wait to start our new life together in our new location!!!

June 23rd

2011-06-23T12:12:00.000-04:00

58 years ago today, the world was blessed with the most amazing woman.

Sadly, we lost her at the age of 53.

My mom was the most generous and caring person I've ever known

{and I'm not just saying that because she's my mom}

So many would agree with me on this.

She has taken so many into her home when they had nowhere else to go.

She would listen to everyone when they had struggles or joys to share, no matter what was going on in her life at that time.

She would lend a helping hand even to her biggest enemy {if she even had one}.

She knew she wouldn't be here forever & she lived every day to its fullest!

She raised all three of us to be strong and independent individuals. Although, always giving us a shoulder to lean on and a helping hand when needed, we learned our lessons "the hard way."

She taught us to put others before ourselves & always reach out to those in need no matter how big or small.

We learned to work hard for the things we care most about & that those things that matter most, never come easy.

She showed us when the going gets tough... be a little stronger & push a little harder. We will make it through.

And most significantly, that love was the most important "thing" to have in life.

I am so blessed to be able to call her Mom!

I have so much more to learn from her & even without her here, physically, I see her everyday in the actions of others! She will always be in our most cherished memories!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

making a difference

2011-06-18T15:39:00.001-04:00

Let me start out by saying that today isn't turning out to be an easy day for me.

I feel like the day is draaaagggging on & I'm missing my husband more than ever.

I'm fearing the next two weeks will be the most challenging because I can feel how close we are to graduation, but I just can't get there fast enough.

I was perusing the internet today & just happened to come across this:

{Find the full article here}

That swim-a-thon feels like it took place ages ago! It's hard to believe it was just this past winter!

Brad has come so far since the first day he started training for the Navy {check out that form... and those pasty white Vermont legs... hehe}.

Brad has always wanted to make a difference in the world since the first day I met him. He has come a long way over the years! I couldn't be a prouder wife if I tried & I'm so excited to be able to spend the rest of my life with him! He amazes me everyday!!! Now, if we could get these last two weeks over with so we can get back to "normal" married life again, I would be one happy girly!

nuptials

2011-06-17T18:15:00.000-04:00

It is another summer filled with weddings!

Before we moved out of our house the refrigerator was covered in Save the Dates {and we hadn't even received all of the expected invitations yet}.

Sadly, Brad and I won't be able to attend most of them this year... actually, Brad won't have the opportunity to attend any of them. But, when his best friend, Mike, asked Brad to be in his wedding last year, Brad was so excited! They have stayed so close over the years & we couldn't agree on a better fit for Mike than Carly. Brad agreed to stand at the alter to support Mike & Carly on their big day on the condition that he would be home for it. Sadly, {and this is a BIG sadly according to Brad} he would still be in boot camp for the big day.... but, the show must go on & I made sure that one of us would be there to witness their "I dos."

The wedding was BEAUTIFUL! I couldn't believe I walked in that church without my camera to show you just how gorgeous it all was.

I was so distracted by the thought of being there without Brad & making sure I was going to the right place that it didn't even hit me until 5 minutes before the start that I didn't have it with me.

Even my pictures from the reception were slim to none... but, what I did get to shoot will put a big smile on Brad's face when he gets them in the mail!

It was WONDERFUL to see so many faces that I haven't seen since college. It's a shame it has been so long since Brad and I have been able to get together with the old crowd. He would have loved to see you all, too!

*************************************************************************************************************************

We are two weeks away... TWO WEEKS!

I'm having a really hard time wrapping my head around that.

His division has been very successful & he seems pleased with how everyone is coming together! That was a relief to hear!!
They have won quite a few flags for excelled work!

He is healthy {right now} and very much looking forward to graduation.

Battlestations {his final exam} will take place sometime within the next two weeks. See the video here for an idea of what the recruits go through in order to pass boot camp:

I am anxiously awaiting his "I'm a sailor" call that will arrive after they pass!

I'm getting antsy. I'm ready for graduation {I've been ready for quite some time}.

The next two weeks will fly by in many ways, but I just don't feel I will see my husband soon enough.

Have any of you come across a time machine recently? I'd love to borrow it! :-)

In the meantime I will try to enjoy every second of my last couple of work days & enjoy the company I have known & loved over the past 7 years!

play ball

2011-06-12T21:44:00.000-04:00

We're down to the last 3 weeks until Brad graduates!

He sends me so much love & support from 898.77 miles away!

Let me just say that I couldn't do any of this without his letters & few phone calls.

With every letter I receive, the more I can hear that Brad is getting down to the exciting moments of boot camp & will be busy from now until the end. That just means that things will begin to wind down and graduation is right around the corner.

This weekend, Brad's best friend from high school got married so I took the liberty of taking another trip to PA to celebrate Mike & Carly's big day!

While I was home, my nephew had his last baseball game of the season before play-offs. I have been looking forward to seeing him play for weeks!!!

The weather was touch & go on Saturday. We woke up to showers & were expecting Coach Jason to call the game. I was one sad Aunt until the sun decided to peak through the clouds 5 minutes before game time.

GAME ON!!!

land of the free

2011-06-03T19:12:00.002-04:00

Today I changed the countdown to 4 weeks! WOO HOO!

We are half way there!!!

I have a good feeling about the next 4 weeks. I think they will go by quickly.

So much to do... so little time & that's the way I like it {for now, anyway}.

I had the opportunity to take a trip home to Pennsylvania last weekend. I took full advantage of the 3 day weekend & loved every waking moment of it! It was wonderful to get to spend more time with family & meet new people!

My brother & sister-in-law kept me super busy all weekend & it is bittersweet that it flew by.

Everything was decked out in Red, White, & Blue!

I loved it! Check out those cupcakes! I've seen the most creative cupcakes come out of Whole Foods.

These were equally as beautiful as all of the others!

Bryn flew a flag for her Uncle Brad & we all spent the weekend talking all about him & how proud we all are of him for the sacrifices he is making for our country! Everyday so many people tell me to thank him for his service. I would like to thank everyone for your support!

We spent our day Sunday hanging out with some wonderful people. I had the opportunity to meet people from all over the country & I hope I have the chance to see them again someday! There were games, tire swings, even a live jam session & most importantly... RITA'S!!! That alone made my entire weekend worth the trip! :-)

It is hot, hot, hot in Pennsylvania right now {it does not make straightening my hair worth the effort... haha}, but I loved the sunshine & I enjoyed driving around all weekend in Pam's Jeep & most excitedly, going for my very first motorcycle ride on my brother's bike!

I cannot wait for my trip to Pennsylvania next weekend! Although there will be little time with family, every second with them is going to be priceless! I'm really going to miss them when we finally make it to the west coast! I miss them already!!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend!!!

time away

2011-05-27T14:37:00.000-04:00

I say it time and time again... I miss my husband like crazy!!

I was beyond thrilled yesterday when I received a letter telling me all about his first couple of weeks at boot camp (or at least the interesting parts) & informing me that it was possible that they would receive a phone call yesterday.

I kept my phone close by every second of the day & when I was in the store getting a few odds & ends, that unfamiliar number came across my phone! My heart skipped a beat!

Not a second goes by that I don't think about him. I've written to him more than anyone could imagine (trust me, I don't have that much to write about, but somehow I manage to whip out a 6 page letter every time).

I have missed him over the past 3 weeks & week three was BY FAR the most difficult so far.

I had waited so long for that letter & every day it didn't come, my heart broke a little bit more, but the second I heard my coworkers footsteps running up the stairs at work, I knew she had something good for me!!!

It was instant satisfaction! And let me tell you, I cried the entire way through that letter!

The phone call was the cherry on top!!

Absence makes the heart grow fonder... that is FOR SURE, but hearing his voice makes me miss him so much more!

He says his homesickness isn't as bad as in the beginning & he's finally getting into the swing of things!

He had excelled scores on his PT test & has taken a leadership role within his division! I am not surprised!

My husband is an over-achiever! I wish I had half the drive that he does. I am so proud of him!

Brad's mom & I are starting our plans for graduation & my move across country.

I am so excited to get that ball rolling & to finally be on the west coast! I am looking forward to time together with my hubsters again!

I think June will go by quickly (I'm hoping so, anyway).

I have a lot planned to accomplish next month & shortly after the weekend ends, I can say goodbye to May!

My goal is to keep my schedule packed & hope the days just fly by!

We're down to 5 weeks until graduation!!!

In the meantime, I am going on an impromptu visit for the holiday weekend!

It will be jam packed with lots of activities & I'm sure it will fly by, but I will cherish every second of it!

I will be flying a flag for my husband and all of the past, present & future sailors & soldiers this weekend!

Memorial Day & all of the patriotic holidays carry a whole new meaning in our family now!

I hope everyone has a safe & happy Memorial Day!

1/4

2011-05-21T11:30:00.000-04:00

Well, I made it 1/4 of the way through this seperation from Brad.

When we were at the hotel the, night before he shipped, Brad's roommate (who had already been through boot camp) told him that the first 3 weeks are the hardest.

I know he was referring to Brad getting over the hump of being in a new place & being homesick,

but I can't help but think it's going to be the complete opposite on my side of the spectrum.

The first week was easy peasy for me. I was sooooo busy (I still am), but I thought, "this week flew by... Brad will be done in no time." Last night I had the opposite feeling. Brad's been gone for 2 1/2 weeks & I can't help but think I'm only 1/4 of the way through. I haven't even made the halfway point yet! eek!!!

On a good note, Brad should be receiving his writing privleges soon. Every day I anticipate mail coming across my desk at work, but so far I've only received his form letter. I cannot wait to read all about life at boot camp! :-)

My hubby would be so proud of me in his absence **insert sarcasm here**. He's only been gone a few weeks & I have already managed to get a virus on the laptop. Sadly, I wasn't anticipating this (although, Brad would not be surprised at all that I managed to crash the computer... AGAIN). I was doing research on what to expect after boot camp and made a bad choice of links to click on. The internet wasn't an option anymore, but our IT guy at work was able to rebuild our laptop for me. He's such a doll! Unfortunately, I packed my Photoshop & was not about to go searching through the storage unit for it (although the thought crossed my mind a few times). I have discovered Picnik! LOVE IT! So much cheaper than Photoshop (it's free, actually) & so much fun to use!!! I'm so easily ammused.

For the past couple of weeks I have been trying to stay distracted. I was so excited to hear that one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world was flying in to Albany from Colorado to see her daughter graduate from college. I wasn't missing the opportunity to see her! I headed out to Albany on Thursday to grab a quick bite to eat & a nice evening of catching up.

Barbara was my advisor and my favorite professor in college. She has been there for Brad & I for so many years & I've always defined her as a second mom to me! She is wonderful & so caring! I hate that I have yet to make it to Colorado to visit with her, but am thrilled to be much closer to her by the end of the summer! I'm looking forward to making up missed time with her!

Todd (pictured on the left) was a fellow student in all of my Barbara classes & my co-host on our radio show! He was able to convince Barbara not to assign us homework one semester so we could focus on being mentors to the new students. He's brilliant & I'm so happy to learn that Todd is now an airline attendant for our US military! I hope that Brad and I will have a familiar face on our flights down the road!

It was wonderful to catch up with both of you! Please come visit us in San Diego!!

Last night was Relay for Life in North Adams! I have been a part of the Bennington Relay for Life committee for the past 4 or so years. I stepped down last year when Brad and I started making the decision to relocate. I missed being a part of the committee this year, but really enjoyed participating in North Adams' Relay last night.

I said an extra prayer for Brad's grandfather as we walked around the track & remembered my mom, who is the reason I started Relaying in the first place! It was a very emotional evening for me, as it always is!

I have a lot to look forward to over the next month. I'm hoping the next 6 weeks fly by! I'm missing my husband like crazy & I just can't wait to see him march out on his graduation day in a month and 10 days (but, who's counting??)!

birthdays.

2011-05-13T20:51:00.000-04:00

Birthdays... we get one every year. Mine hasn't been my favorite day of the year in recent years. Admit it, who really wants to get older?? Anyone else's birthday, I love. I adore celebrating the day Brad came into this world (best day in history, in my opinion), but my own, I don't see the point in making a fuss. I always tell Brad, it's just another day. I enjoy spending each birthday curled up on the couch next to my husband with our dog at our feet, watching a movie, worrying about absolutely nothing. Those are some of the best birthdays!

When Brad signed his contract in April, they told him his ship date was May 10th. I'll admit, I was sad to know he would be shipping out two days before my birthday. I felt a little better about the whole situation when they changed his ship date to May 4th. It gave me a whole week to try to get used to his departure. But, no matter when he shipped, my birthday still wasn't the same without him.

I prayed I would get a phone call from him yesterday to wish me a happy birthday. I knew it was a far fetch & I was told by somebody who had already been through the boot camp process that I wouldn't get a phone call until his halfway point (only 3 calls over the duration of boot camp). I was bummed, but, when I received my mail at work & saw an envelope with Brad's name in the top left hand corner & his handwriting, I was ecstatic! That was the next best thing to a phone call! What are the odds that it arrived on my birthday?? When I opened the envelope & saw it was a packet of information regarding boot camp & a graduation date, I was equally as excited even though it wasn't a hand written letter from Brad. I now have an actual date to look forward to & I cannot wait to see my husband in his uniform in a month and a half! I was determined that my birthday couldn't get any better from this point. :-)

I have some pretty amazing people surrounding me every day of my life. My dear friends & co-workers planned dinner at a local restaraunt to help keep my mind off of the fact that the most important person in my life was missing from the party. They did a darn good job at keeping me happy! Thank you all!!! We had a great time & who could beat $5 burger Thursdays?!? I think we just found a new Thursday ritual! When I excused myself from the table for a few minutes, I put a co-worker in charge of watching my phone in case Brad called (wishful thinking), but we left the restaraunt and no phone call. I was pretty confident it wasn't going to happen at this point.

Since I spent little time at home yesterday, I took Damon outside to play & left my cell phone on the kitchen counter only to come into the house to 3 missed calls, a voicemail from Brad and a text from a friend. He called... and I missed it!!! What are the odds? I carried my cell phone with me EVERYWHERE ALL DAY & the one second I lose hope, that's the moment he proves me wrong (he's so good at that). Luckily for me, he called back & I was right there to answer the phone. His phone call was the best birthday present I have EVER received. I can't imagine what he had to do to pay for that phone call, but hearing my husband's voice was all I wanted & he delivered. And now I have a voicemail that I can listen to whenever I'm missing his voice!

For all of you wondering, he says he's doing well. We're both counting down the days to the end of boot camp and seeing each other again. Eight weeks is a long time, but it could be worse. The Army has a longer boot camp & the Police Academy is twice as long. As much as I miss my husband, I couldn't be prouder of him! He's living his dreams & I'm so happy to be a part of them!

In 7 weeks, I will be in Chicago hugging my sailor! I am wishing the days away!

My husband has changed my mind about my birthdays. I don't ever want to have another one that doesn't involve the two of us laying on the couch with our dog at our feet, watching a movie, worrying about absolutely nothing. With his career, this is probably wishful thinking, too, but I'll keep dreaming! :-)

going away... {out of order}

2011-05-08T18:39:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, Brad and I made a trip down to Pennsylvania for a last horrah with friends and family before he shipped. Thinking about it now, I don't think we had been home since last spring. My, how time flies.

My brother & sister-in-law hosted a "Going Away" party on Sunday for Brad & thank goodness for my Aunt Sharon {of whom I get my love for photography from}. Had it not been for her, we would have no pictures of this event. See, in the process of planning the trip to PA, Brad and I were packing up the remainder of our things to move out of the apartment. I had set aside both of my camera bags to go in the Jeep for our trip, but when I asked for them to go in the car, he put my backpack in my car & my standard camera bag in his car. In most cases I use the backpack, but in this case I had my lenses in the backpack and the camera body in the black bag. So, you can understand the confusion.

I am so glad Aunt Sharon brought her camera with & was able to capture all of these memories.

Thank you, Aunt Sharon!!!

our future begins today.

2011-05-08T14:39:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday I said farewell to the one person in this world who really, truly knows me & the man who I go to with everything! We have been looking forward to this day for SOOOO long.

It's amazing to look back on our journey over the past couple of years & the dreams we were trying to accomplish. We dreamt for so long that we never even imagined our dreams would become a reality & I just thought we would never make it to today.

Brad has wanted to join the Navy long before I met him. And, I guess, if it weren't for me, he would have a long time ago. I am so happy that he is fullfilling his dreams & couldn't be more proud of him. He was so excited to get this new life started. Although, we were both nervous for the 8+ weeks apart, we know it's necessary & that it's something we will need to get used to.

We have been trying to prepare ourselves for this seperation for so long & I'm learning that no matter what we did, I would never be ready for it.

I was able to spend all day with Brad on Tuesday & Wednesday before he shipped out & it wasn't long after I kissed him goodbye that I wanted to pick up the phone and tell him how much I missed him! It's going to be a long time apart, but I keep telling myself that the police academy would have been even longer. I worry about how he is doing in boot camp & I pray my husband doesn't come back a completely different person. I'm quite fond of the man he is now, I can't imagine him any other way (I won't mind knowing he will be trained in ironing & making the bed, though). ;-)

After sitting and waiting for most of the day, Brad swore in, ate lunch & we watched some videos on what to expect when he got to boot camp. We said goodbye & I headed for home. I received a phone call around 10:30 (our time) to let me know that he made it there safely. I know he will be fine & will do great things in his career, but I am counting down the seconds to seeing him again!

I am glad I am staying busy & keeping my regular schedule while he's gone. I hope it will make the time go by a little quicker.

Brad will be happy to know that Damon & I are in good hands while he's gone. Damon has been going on 8 mile walks the past two days (6 miles on the weekdays), which is enough to tucker him out and keep him out of trouble. My friend Brenda is a lifesaver & is teaching Damon obedience & me how to be the alpha (a roll that was always Brad's). We have been watching a lot of Cesar Millan and, so far, Damon is behaving very well around Brenda's dogs.

Brad and I have some amazing friends & family. So many have reached out to help us during this time! I don't say it enough... we are truly blessed! THANK YOU ALL!!!

So, tomorrow I should receive Brad's address at boot camp. If anyone wants it, please shoot me an email at aswedanceaway@gmail.com or on Facebook. The only thing we ask is that no goodies are sent to him in the mail (I mean it, Craig!!!) that includes food of any kind or any other items that would get him in trouble. Letters only, PLEASE. I cannot wait for him to get his writing privileges so I can hear all about his experiences at boot cap. It's so hard not having the opportunity to talk to him everyday, but I'm so glad we can still write!

two.

2011-04-18T22:08:00.000-04:00

This pretty lady turned TWO yesterday!!! And she was the light of her birthday party!

She really knows how to entertain all of her guests!

She's such a peach!

I just LOVE all of her silly faces

and I suspect you will see her adorable face frequently over the next couple of months. :-)

Happy Birthday, Princess Logan!!!

packing

2011-04-13T19:52:00.000-04:00

Let me just start off by saying Brad and I have some amazing friends.

We have received so many offers from friends to help us with this new life change

& quite a few people have offered me to move in with them while Brad is off to Chicago.

We couldn't be more blessed!

I was thrilled when our friends Jeff & Amanda offered to have Damon, Lizzy & I for the duration of Brad's leave & I'm so excited to spend the next couple of months with them.

They're so much fun & it will be so nice to have company and not come home to an empty house every night.

Such a generous & selfless couple they are!!!

So, in preparation for our 2 1/2 month sleepover, Brad and I have been trying to get everything packed up around the house.

It's amazing what two people can accumulate over the years.

You don't realize how much STUFF you have until you have to move it. It's all so overwhelming.

But, my favorite part about going through our belongings is finding secret treasures throughout the house.

Over the weekend I was taking all of our decorations off the walls.

They haven't moved over the past four years, so when I pulled this picture off the wall, I found a nice surprise behind it...

Warren Kimble was my mom's favorite artist. His paintings covered her walls.

When she passed away, I inheritted the Warren Kimble collection.

They're a wonderful reminder of her!

My mom loved to document memories. I must get this from her.

I write little notes on the strangest things so that I never forget the most important moments of my life.

When I pulled the painting off the wall it brought back wonderful memories:

Everyone came up that weekend just before I started my senior year of college.

This was only weeks before my mom was diagnosed with cancer. She told us on that camping trip that something was wrong. We never thought Lymphoma would be the diagnosis. Honestly, I didn't even know what Lymphoma was then.

I am not surprised my mom documented that trip on the back of this piece & I'm so glad she did. It's so nice to find little reminders of her around the house & her handwriting always puts butterflies in my belly.

The fall of 2003 was a mix of emotions for me. We found out about mom's cancer, I was starting my senior year of college & my second year as an RA & not long after this camping trip, I would meet Brad. Who would have known my life would change so much in 8 years. 2003 was life changing for me in so many ways. That year sure made me who I am today.

My family loves to camp. Living in Vermont always gave us a great excuse to sleep under the stars.

We always have the most wonderful time playing UNO, building fires & roasting s'mores.

We haven't had a camping trip yet that wasn't amazing & there isn't a better time to catch up on life than in the woods of Vermont.

I think I'll miss our family camping trips most when Brad and I are on the West Coast.

I wish I could pack up my family and move them with us so we could camp whenever we wanted!!!

This move will sure be bittersweet for me!

in the navy

2011-04-02T08:12:00.000-04:00

Wow!!!

That's all I've been saying for the past 15 hours, or so...

brad and i have been working towards getting him a full time career for a VERY long time.

after a lot of unsuccessful attempts, I finally gave in and let him fulfill his LIFE LONG dream of joining the navy.

last september, he swore in for a job on submarines...

...a job that intrigued him, but just wasn't thrilling enough for my dare devil.

for the past 7 months we've been on a roller coaster ride... up & down... fast & slow as he trained and worked oh-so-hard for a new contract with a new job

{we're very used to this roller coaster and fully expect it to continue throughout our lives}

over the seven months, we watched a bunch of guys, who we've become close friends with, ship off to boot camp

& brad still wasn't getting word of a contract for himself.

trust me when I say it has been an emotional journey for both of us... constantly feeling as if we were at a stand still.

yesterday i took the day off from work because he was assured he would have his contract in hand & i wanted to be there to celebrate when he finally received the big news

{and they were calling for a foot & a half of snow... talk about april fools when we only got a couple of inches}.

we sat in the federal building ALL day when the official call was made around 3pm

when the head honcho peaked his head out of the door and said, "how does may sound?"

we were all in disbelief.

i kept stressing "THIS MAY??? AS IN 2011... NOT 2012????"

they reassured me they did in fact mean a month from now!!!

WOAH!!!

we have SOOOO much to do before then.

we NEVER expected a month's notice {even though we kept saying if it was offered, we wouldn't pass it up}

but, another guy just got a contract to leave in september. i thought we would be pushing another winter, for sure.

i was so grateful to be there for that moment with brad!

words cannot express how excited we are, but boy are there a lot of people on the east coast we are going to miss.

it will be a month of visiting and celebrating some wonderful friendships.

as for me & damon, it's still up in the air where we will be for the 8 weeks that brad is gone.

sometimes it is not fun to be an adult with responsibilities, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do

& the entire time brad is gone & i am doing whatever it is i've gotta do,

i will be dreaming of this place:

& we expect all of you to start planning your next family vacation to the west coast! :-)

Let the packing begin!!!

stefan lessard. boyd tinsley. and secret stash.

2011-03-15T21:42:00.001-04:00

Last week I got word {thanks to Facebook} that Stefan Lessard, bass player of the Dave Matthews Band, was returning to Killington for a live show/charity event. For those of you who don't know, I love, LOVE, LOVE DMB & Stefan has always been my favorite! So, when this came across the social network, I was uber excited!!! :-)

The last time Stefan came to Killington, with a random group of musicians, Brad and I were in Jamaica exchanging our wedding vows. They were called Yukon Cornelius then...this time around, they went by the name of Secret Stash & the group included Eric Fawcett from Spy Mob and N*E*R*D; Brett Scallions from FUEL, Warren DeMartini from RATT, Adam Gardner & Ryan Miller of Guster & the one & only Boyd Tinsley {the violinist of DMB}.

One cannot fathom the excitement I felt for this show. I knew it would be unlike any DMB show I had been to! Actually, being that the lead singer from Fuel was there, it reminded me of my high school years when I used to go to Fuel shows & had a few opportunities to meet Brett! I thought it would be funny, had we had the opportunity/time, to catch up with him & ask him if he remembered me {from 11 years ago}...haha.

We're about an hour and a half away from Killington & it was a Sunday night. Brad worked the day shift & I had to be at work first thing Monday morning, so there was no hanging out in hopes to meet the band. This chicky was all about getting home and getting as much sleep as possible before the alarm clocks went off. I knew it would be bad enough being Daylight Savings {and besides, Brad's not big on hanging out to meet people... he tends not to see famous people as being any different or any more exciting than the average Joe}. I, on the other hand, get butterflies every time I meet somebody remotely famous!

Now, everything about the remainder of this blog is terrible... well, everything except for the memories I was able to capture. The lighting was terrible {whoever had control of the lights really liked red} & being that The Pickle Barrel is a teenie tiny club/barn & the music was quite loud, the videos sound aweful, but I'm posting it all anyway because if nobody else appreciates all of this, I know my brothers {Jason & Justin} & sister-in-law {Pam} will appreciate it for what it's worth. And one of these days I will remember that I won't get a pat down when entering a show anymore & I could totally pull off getting through the door with my Canon... the point and shoot is aweful {a quick, inexpensive purchase Brad and I made when both of our cameras bit the dust & we were headed to Maine on vacation... it serves it's purpose, but I guess I'm just spoiled these days.... seriously, people's cell phones were taking better photos than this camera & unfortunately, I forgot my phone at home, so it's all I had}. Ok, enough babbling... off to the grainy terribly amazing captured memories.

{the opening band: Pete Kilpatrick Band}

{my favorite shot of the night}

I even caught some of it on video... but, like I said they're pretty bad, so if you don't want to sit through the noise, I won't blame you one bit. :-)

Rolling Stones - Mother's Little Helper

The Clash - Should I Stay or Should I Go

Bad Company - Feel Like Making Love

{one of my favorites of the night}

Pink Floyd - Another Brick in the Wall

{another favorite... and I think this is the moment Brad enjoyed most}

Dave Matthews Band - #41 with Boyd!!

This will definitely go down as one of my most memorable evenings! :-)

Even Brad enjoyed it {it only took him 3 days to admit it}.

And, when it comes time to leave Vermont, I'm going to have to make trips back for this show, because it is 100% worth every penny!!!

welcome miss mustard seed followers!!!

2011-03-12T14:54:00.000-05:00

There are so many new followers over here & I couldn't be more excited!

For all of you newbies, I have yet to combine my two blogs

(something I've really been battling with for the past couple of months).

This is primarily an {in the life of Kalen} blog, but we have another blog:

I would love to see all of you become fans of our facebook page

and our blog dedicated {somewhat} strictly to the shop.

Click here to follow Pumpkin Pie Design's Blog.

Thank you all who have paritcipated in the giveaway over on

Miss Mustard Seed's Blog.

And good luck to you in the drawing!

I hope to see you all around often!

Please be sure to spread the word to all of your friends.

We'd love for you to add our button {located in the right column} to your blog!!!

oops...

2011-03-06T15:31:00.000-05:00

...I somehow skipped a week of blogging about my Couch to 5k program. Maybe because it was still a little too elementary for me. Honestly, I found it to be extremely tedious. I'm not a fan of interval training. I think I would enjoy running for 10 minutes straight rather than 90 seconds on & off between a jog and a walk.

In the beginning of week 2, Brad took me to Albany to get fitted for a new pair of sneakers. I was previously running in a pair of Nike Cross Trainers. And hands down, they have been the most uncomfortable sneakers I have ever owned. I haven't liked them since day one! I will admit, I bought them because they were cute {the guy at Fleet Feet joked with me that most people buy sneakers because they're cute, not because they're practical...oops}. But, the experience of getting fitted for a pair of sneakers was TOTALLY worth it! He put me in a pair of pink New Balances {LOVED the color}, but they felt like I was walking on cardboard. I had always heard great things about New Balance, so I was a little bummed that they reminded me so much of my Nikes. I then tried on the Asics & the Sauconys {of which I'm noticing EVERYONE pronounces differently... haha... how DO you say that??}. The Asics & Saucony's were so similar in comfort & fit. It was a bit of a difficult decision, but the Asics had slightly more padding at the ball of the foot. They feel like you're running on a cloud. Brad SWEARS by Asics & I used to always tell him it was in his head. Now, I'll be surprised if I buy anything but. When Brad went to the shoe store for his fitting, they put him on the treadmill to see how he landed when running. I was really bummed they didn't have me do this step. I really wanted to see how I ran on the tv {besides, I don't get the opportunity to watch myself run all that often}. But, the assistant was pretty confident in how I walk/run just by watching me run throughout the store. Now, let me tell you, I've NEVER spent so much money on a pair of sneakers in my life, but it was completely worth every penny! My first week of running the C25k program, I was getting a lot of calf tightness & pain {mostly in my right leg} & I knew it was all due to the sneakers. I didn't notice it at all today. It's a great feeling!

Today, I completed week 3 of Couch to 5k. More interval training... I should probably get used to it, that's what the majority of this program is. I started with a 5 mintue warm-up walk, jogged for 90 seconds, walked for 90 seconds... ran for 3 minutes, walk for 3 minutes... and repeat. I have been adding a little more running into the program this week because the 20 minutes was not enough of a workout for me. I know they tell you to stick with the program, but I figured it couldn't hurt to add an additional 3 minute run, 3 minute walk to the workout. Next week should be more my speed: I'll be adding 5 minute runs into the intervals.

Now, I usually LOVE my Sunday workouts. The gym opens at 1pm & is usually quiet as can be... not today. Unfortunately, due to the rain, it was PACKED. I was forced to limit my workout to 30 minutes since people were waiting for equipment. I just found out that the gym will no longer be open on Sundays beginning April 1st. This weather better cooperate, otherwise those overly white kicks are going to be brown {the beauties of living on a dirt road during mud season}... and let me tell you, this year is going to be MUDDY!!!

The rain showers today have been nice, actually. It's good to see a patch of grass across the driveway. Don't get me wrong, there's still a lot of snow out there & we are a long way from spring, but it's the little things like hearing the river flow again, that put a smile on my face. I love spring in Vermont & I have been looking forward to it for too long! When I took Damon out this morning, I heard the geese fly overhead, which is a great sign that it's time for them to come home to warm weather. This will most likely be our last spring in Vermont & I promise, I will enjoy every second of it while I can!

no party like snow party

2011-03-05T12:50:00.001-05:00

I will be the first to admit that I am not a fan of snow, but last Saturday, I was reminded of the beauties of it.

If only we had a hill in our yard I think I might enjoy winter more

{I know, how can we live in Vermont and not have a hill in our yard??}, but we have a river instead.

Last Saturday, our friends, the Wrights, were celebrating the oldest's birthday by inviting their closest friends over for a night time sledding party!

Jamie lit up the yard & Jenn had all sorts of goodies for everyone to enjoy, from hoagies, to dips & of course, hot chocolate!!! It was a blast for the kids & adults, alike!

{sorry for some of the noise & drowning in the pictures... a flash was a must}

{the birthday boy}

{Jamie built a large fire to warm up next to... I spent a great deal of time up there}

{seconds later, Jamie & JT ended up over the bank, popping this sled... must have been a crazy ride}

{even the adults had fun}

{The birthday boy blows out his candles}

The only things missing were Brad {the downfall to working doubles is missing all of the fun}

and a ski lift to get up the hill.

Happy Birthday, Dylan! And thanks for such a great time, Jamie & Jenn!

new necklace at the shop

2011-02-26T15:16:00.000-05:00

For all of you who don't follow my {Pumpkin Pie Design's blog}, I think you should.

I have been battling with the idea of combining this blog with that one, but then I enjoy having them both for different reasons.

So, for those who don't follow both, I went on a button "shopping spree" this morning.

I didn't buy anything, but a girl can dream, right?

I put together a treasury of some of the button stuff I love on Etsy:

That was {this} post.

And then I thought I needed a button item in MY store, too!!!

And that was {this} post.

I love LOVE LOVE buttons {if you couldn't tell}.

So, everyone should head over to {Pumpkin Pie Design} and follow us there so you can see all of the new creations that I have going on in my head because I am so bad at double posting on both blogs. <3

week one {complete}

2011-02-20T14:19:00.000-05:00

Since Brad joined the Navy, it is inevitable that we will end up on a beach somewhere & with time-a-ticking, I am in NO shape to be living near a beach. So, this week I've decided to hunker down and do my best to be bathing suit ready before we leave the mountains of Vermont.

I've been a member of sparkpeople.com for years & have heard so often about Couch to 5k.. basically taking you from couch potato to running a 5k in 9 weeks. There was a day and time (before winter hit) that I could run a 5k, but I've gotten lazy over the past couple months (winter does that to me EVERY year). So, I have decided to work my way back into running. Besides, when the hubster tells me that he runs 8 miles daily, I feel like a lazy tub-a-lub...haha. I can't tell you how motivating he is.

With the program I feel so motivated to finish each day. Without it, I'm sure I could find a million reasons not to leave the warm house and head out into the cold winter weather that seems to have returned for a little while. I found the first week to be really easy... a little too easy & wonder if I should have just jumped right into Couch to 10k, instead, but I figured I'd take baby steps & work my way up to that program at a later date. I pray we will end up on a beach somewhere that allows me to run year round. I really want to try my hand at running on a beach (even though people tell me it's so difficult).

So, that picutre is my motivation to get where I want to be before we are surrounded by lots of itty bitty, skinny, bikini wearing chickies. I will try to keep everyone posted on my progress through the 9 weeks. First, this girl needs to get her butt to a shoe fitting store for new sneakers. Probably not a good thing when you can feel the different ridges in the bottom of your sneakers with the bottom of your feet... eek.

Wish me luck! :-)

memories

2011-01-30T16:08:00.000-05:00

I really have nothing to report from the snowy mountains of Vermont.

Brad and I have been on opposite schedules again.

I had gotten used to him always being around, that the busier schedule is a learning curve for me.

But, it's good. More hours means more opportunity to put some money away, which will come in handy down the road.

In the meantime, while Brad's fighting crime, I've been trying to relax and enjoy my weekends as much as possible.

As we all know, I love Facebook & I spend WAY too much time on that silly social networking site.

I love catching up with old friends & getting to read about what my family is up to hundreds & thousands of miles away.

But, my all time favorite thing about Facebook is getting to see my nieces and nephews grow up!

We miss so much up here in the north... those kids {and us} don't get any younger.

My sister-in-law posted some super sweet pictures of my niece & nephew sledding today.

I just loved this shot:

Of course I had to go and play with it in photoshop.

It brings so many memories back of my brothers and I when we lived in Huff's Church!

It didn't matter how little snow there was on the ground,

as long as there was enough to get that sled moving, we were happy.

And I just love Bryn's perserverance.

No matter how small she is, she is committed to

doing anything she sets her heart out to do.

And Dylan's patience! He's such a wonderful big brother, just like mine are to me!

Dylan & Bryn make such great friends & I just know they will be best friends when they are older, too.

I miss those two & cannot wait to make a trip to PA to visit with them.

We are always thinking of you guys up here in snow country!

Come visit... we'll show you what real snow looks like. ;-)

And please stop growing up! I hate missing these wonderful moments!

We love you!

xoxo

cold love

2011-01-24T22:38:00.000-05:00

No matter how cold it is outside, Brad sure knows a way to warm his girl's heart!

Brad worked a lot of hours this weekend, so we didn't get to see much of eachother.

I was obviously on his mind when he pulled in the driveway last night because he left me this gift on my windshield:

It was a frigid negative 20 degrees this morning, so I made sure to go outside to give my car a nice warm-up

{for half an hour}.

I had to run back into the house to grab my camera because there was no way I was going to miss capturing this moment.

brrrrrr.... It was well worth trecking back outside a second time.

From day one I've told Brad that it's the little things that count...

...he definitely understands what I was talking about.

I must admit, I am one lucky girl to have such a wonderful fella in my life!

three years

2011-01-09T15:00:00.000-05:00

Three years ago, Brad and I were standing on a beach in Jamaica, with some of our loved ones, vowing to always love each other... through thick & thin & through whatever God brings upon us. It's amazing to know that that was three years ago already. Time goes too fast when you're spending it with the person you love unconditionally! I wouldn't trade any of these moments, good or bad, in for the world! Having the opportunity to face each day with Brad by my side, makes me look forward to the next adventure we will encounter.

When we were in Arizona, Brad's parents treated us to dinner at the Melting Pot for our anniversary. We shared the moment with Brad's sister, Jenni, and her husband, Rod to celebrate their birthdays, too! As you will see from the pictures, we had a ton of fun!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yesterday was our official anniversary.

Brad worked most of the day, but when he got home we had initially planned to make our own Melting Pot dinner.

When we realized we still had to put a grocery list together & go grocery shopping & cook... we decided to make our lives a little easier. At that rate it would have been midnight before we ate dinner. So we focused more on a celebratory drink.

When we were in Jamaica, Brad's favorite drink was Snake Eyes (which, luckily, was the easiest drink on the Couples Resorts bar menu to make).

That bottle of rum creme was purchased in Jamaica 3 years ago!

This just goes to show how much we drink. I think of all of the bottles that came home with us from our wedding, this was the first one we opened. Even when we bought the bottle of cocunut rum, Brad and I looked at each other & said, "We're going to have this bottle FOREVER."

So, if anyone is looking for a 1/4 drank bottle of coconut rum & rum creme, we're your go to couple! :-)

So, while we were out in town grabbing that bottle of coconut rum, we decided to try a local italian restaraunt, Allegros.

It has been in Bennington for years & somehow we always forget about it when we have something to celebrate.

It's a beautiful little restaraunt with brick walls and simple decorations. The portions were huge! Even Brad couldn't finish his meal!!! It was delicious & we loved it!

We were able to convince our server to take our picture right before we left.

Two years ago, on our first anniversary, Brad bought me The Beatles Monopoly (since the traditional gift for 1 year is paper & we all know how much I love The Beatles & Monopoly). So, we decided to make it a tradition that we play on our anniversary.

We had tons of fun & Brad won (for a change... I made the mistake of sharing all of my Monopoly playing secrets with him over the years & he definitely uses them against me)!

I am enjoying spending every moment of my life with this boy!

If anyone can figure out how I can stop the clock, please let me know!

It's all going by too fast, but I cannot wait to see what our future has to hold for us!

Arizona {cont'd}

2011-01-08T17:10:00.000-05:00

I'm missing Arizona.

Especially after the snow that just got dumped on us.

I'm hoping to return soon....

....really soon!

Sitting by the pool was one of my favorite parts of the trip. I had no reason to take my vitamin D pills that week.

Although it wasn't warm enough to go swimming, it was beautiful enough to soak up some rays.

You can't do that right now in Vermont.

Everyone spent the week sitting around talking... even the kiddos!

It was wonderful spending time with them. The last time we saw them, Tre was 4, Britton was only 1, & Maddox was weeks old. Presley hadn't been born yet, so it was great meeting her.

What could they possibly be looking at?

I am fascinated by hot air balloons. Someday I'll go up in one.

I'll never forget the day my mom went up in a hot air balloon with my Grandad for his birthday.

SHE LOVED IT and talked about it all of the time {even after many years passed}.

These were out almost everyday. Maybe I'll have to put it on my agenda for our next visit.

We miss you all & we're missing that sunshine!

christmas morning

2011-01-02T16:49:00.000-05:00

The kids were up early to see if Santa had come.

They must have been good this year, because Santa sure left them a lot of wonderful gifts under the tree.

It was definitely a Christmas to remember.

I dream of the day we can share Christmas with both sides of the family.

And I'm hoping we won't have to wait another two years before seeing these cute faces again!

'twas the night before christmas

2011-01-01T18:03:00.000-05:00

I love this picture!

Some of my most memorable moments as a kid are when my dad used to read "The Night Before Christmas" to us.

I love watching the look on kids faces when they get to experience similar moments.

My mom was one heck of a collector of "The Night Before Christmas" books.

Us kids have a slew of them in our homes. It's a great memory of her.

The version that Brad's dad read to the grandkids was the Hallmark recordable book.

It was so precious & now the kids will be able to have Opah read to them every year {even if they can't be with him on Christmas Eve}.

i'm dreaming of...

2010-12-31T21:27:00.000-05:00

...a warm Christmas.

And, with GREAT help from Brad's parents, our dreams came true. It is no surprise that I hate the snow, and we couldn't have asked for a better week to be celebrating the holiday, with family, in sunny Arizona! My heart ached for everyone stuck in the blizzard on the east coast. We had at least 2 feet of snow when we arrived home to Vermont. We did not miss it one bit.

Let me just say, I am IN LOVE with Arizona. It's beautiful.

Everyone tells me how brown it is and how it takes adjusting to, but I LOVED it & I LOVED that it wasn't white! :-)

I took a TON of pictures this week & I'm having such a hard time sorting through them. I love all of the faces in the pictures & want to share them with all of you.

Brad and I spent the day before Christmas Eve traveling & sitting in airports.

The flight to Arizona was long. I don't mind flying {it beats driving}, but we were exhausted by the time we landed at 1am.

{Can you tell they're related?!?}

On Christmas Eve, Brad and I woke up to the pitter patter of little feet across the floor, the voices of three excited little boys, & lots of waves from the cutie pie, Maddox

{in the above pictures}.

Our brother-in-law, Rod, celebrated his 30th birthday on Christmas Eve. His wife, Jenni, threw him a wonderful fiesta with a delicious mexican spread. The theme of this trip was food & I have the scale to prove it!

It has become a tradition for everyone to go to the Phoenix Zoo on Christmas Eve to celebrate Rod's birthday & to experience the Zoo Lights. It was a beautiful stroll through the zoo.

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve.

Stay tuned for more pictures from our week in the southwest!

damon's favorite

2010-11-27T16:19:00.000-05:00

The last time I checked the weather we weren't supposed to get snow this week.

So, I was surprised when I took Damon out to this...

...needless to say, I wasn't thrilled, but I know he's happy for this time of year.

After all, he is a husky.

He was quite hesitant. I was shocked by his hesitation,

but he ate up that bit of snow in my hand before I knew what was happening.

The snow felt quite thick in my hand. I could see every large flake in there and it was coming down hard.

Soon we will be shoveling everyday & Damon will be used to having snow around.

I would gladly take another 90 degree December, though.

happy thanksgiving

2010-11-26T21:21:00.000-05:00

Brad and I are so blessed with such an amazing family!!

That is what I am most thankful for this Thanksgiving and everyday!

Sadly, it is impossible to be with all of our family from Pennsylvania to Arizona, but we were so grateful

when we were invited to New Hampshire to celebrate the holiday with Brad's aunts, uncles, & cousins.

We love getting to visit with them & Brad especially loves any time he can spend with Craig.

We arrived Wednesday night just in time for dinner & some relaxation time!

Craig showed us the town & we enjoyed a few drinks at Margaritas {love it there}!!!

When we woke up on Thanksgiving, Aunt Carol, Uncle Kevin, Craig, Brad, & Kimmy worked off some calories by

running in a 5k. Damon and I stayed behind to watch the Rockettes in the parade

{one of my favorite Thanksgiving Day traditions}.

Sad to say, we were watching the wrong channel & completely missed the Rockettes....

but, now I know there are two Macy's parades. :-)

I spent the afternoon catching up with Aunt Carol in the kitchen while the boys got their hands dirty playing with electronics, trains, & soldering guns.

We enjoyed a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving meal at the Campbell's golf course club house!

We indulged in turkey {Quorn "chick'n" stuffed with goat cheese & cranberries for me}, stuffings, potatoes, casseroles, cranberry sauce, veggies, pies with homemade whipped cream, and the most delicious were the homemade cinnamon buns.

Oh, were they YUMMY!!!

And being the newbie to the Campbell's Thanksgiving dinner, I was the lucky recipient of the cinnamon bun in the center

{according to everyone at the table, that's where it's at... and I have no doubt about it}!

After our amazing meal, we decided to get Damon outside for some exercise {and for ourselves, too}.

We walked the front 9 of the course & as cold as it was, it felt good to burn off a few calories.

Surprisingly, this is the only picture I took the entire trip {what was I thinking??}

{Brad, Damon, Craig, Kimmy, Uncle Kevin}

Craig took us out later for some pool & chinese with his friend Andy.

Although I played like a pro, Craig brought his game out on the last two rounds & sent Brad and I packing.

This afternoon, we ventured back home so Brad could make it to work in time.

I'm missing chats with the family, but I'm so grateful for the time spent with them!

They are the sweetest! Thank you so much for opening your home to us!

I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday!

Lots of love to the family we couldn't be with this week!

black friday coupon code and new blog

2010-11-26T17:32:00.000-05:00

I have posted over at the new Pumpkin Pie Design blog our Black Friday special.

So, be sure to head over there by following this link & follow the new blog!

We are currently offering 10% off of EVERYTHING in our Etsy shop from now through Sunday!

Just use coupon code: PPD10OFF at checkout.

Head on over to Pumpkin Pie Design on Etsy before the sale ends!

Hurry while we can still guarantee Christmas delivery!!

I hope everyone had a happy & safe Thanksgiving!!

to be continued...

2010-11-11T22:33:00.000-05:00

I was thrilled a few weeks ago when our friends, Jamie & Jen, asked us to take their family picture this year, for their Christmas cards!

I told Jen I would have them done tonight... I lied... but, soon!

I just wanted to let you know I didn't forget, Jen! :-)