I feel like tomorrow brings a new chapter to this deployment.  For the last 3 months I have enjoyed the comfort and help of friends and family in Georgia while escaping the upstate New York winter.  I have to admit, it feels a little more like leaving home, than going home as we have spent so much time here this year.  .  Going back will bring many comforts of home and plenty of responsibilities to keep us busy, but it will also bring back the sting of single parenting and lonely nights.  I am so thankful for all play dates made, meals severed, baths given, kid free afternoons, games of Monopoly played and hours of conversations given to Addison, Mya and me by our family and friends.  My parents have graciously allowed us to take over their home for 7 out of the last 12 months during our move, block leave and deployment.  Many people can't believe I can stay this long at my parents house and I always say that my parents make it so easy by ignoring mess...

Have you heard the Hallmark commercial this year?  Valentine's Day is not just about "I love you," but more about "I love us." I met my Valentine over 7 years ago.  In honor of Valentine's Day, here's a look back at how it all started for us... The first time we ever spent time together was May 2004 in New York City.  I'm not sure if it takes a while for some people to know if they've found "the One," but for us, we knew right away.  It took us a few weeks to actually talk about it, but we knew from the moment we saw each other in New York that we wanted to get married.   Having lunch in Little Italy in NYC  Top of the Empire State Building Monroe Family Vacation - Ft. Walton Beach, FL - June 2004 Chad is my favorite person.  The Lord has blessed me so much by bringing Chad into my life.  I can't imagine my life without him.  He challenges me to be a better person.  Leads our family confidently under the Lord's guidance. En...

I hate being sick.  Thankfully no one in our family is sick that often.  Unfortunately when we do get sick, we rarely get sick in the comfort of our own home!  Mya has never been sick at home.  The last time I was sick at home was 3 years ago.   I can count on one hand how many times Addison has been sick in her life and they have pretty much all been away from home. Not sure why this is the trend with our family.  Last night Mya and I starting running fevers. Poor kiddo was up all night.  Sick kiddo and sick mommy make for a long night. I am very thankful to be here with my parents for all the extra help. Here's praying we get well and stay well soon.

The last several posts have been about my kids, so this one is all about me. :) ha!   I have lots of things to look forward to this year - welcoming my husband home, R&R, Chad's sister's wedding, and finding out our next duty station.  I am also really excited about my first Sprint Triathlon in June!  When I was pregnant with Mya, a friend mentioned doing a Sprint Triathlon and I have been interested in doing one ever since.  I have always hated running.   I have lots of friends who run but I've never been interested in jumping on that bandwagon. Not just for the physical strain, but mainly because I get so BORED!   I could spend two hours in the weight room at the gym or in a class but have typically spent as little time as possible on cardio.  I like the idea of a sprint b/c while it is a challenge, it is a variety of activities - not all running.  All of that motivated me to look into Sprint Triathlons earlier this year. ...

Since Mya's birthday is right at New Years...that makes it difficult to plan a birthday party.  This year not only was it New Years, I was volunteering at the Passion Conference in Atlanta the weekend after her birthday.  Thankfully she didn't seem to notice her party was a little late...or after her sister's! I couldn't make Addison a big princess castle cake and not try something cool for Mya's cake too.  I got the tiered cake idea from my friend Courtenay and my mom and I made the rest up!  I decided to make the cake from scratch too (we always make the icing) for this cake and make a lemon filling.  Crazy! This is how much butter was needed for the cake and icing!  13 sticks! Granted, we didn't use all the icing and it was a BIG cake.  Still, not healthy, but pretty... This cake was actually very easy.  The top layer was styrofoam again to make the cake lighter and to avoid wasting anymore cake.  While this cake didn't taste as mois...

Even though I posted about her party the other day, I didn't get to give an update on all things Addison! As adults one year doesn't do much as far as our maturity, personality, etc...  For kids it is SO different!  Addison has changed from a toddler to a little lady in the past year.  Her mind is as quick as her body these days - constantly asking questions that take some time and thought to answer.  She exhausts me pretty much everyday, and I don't always have the patience that I should, but I love this little girl more than life.  I wish I approached life with the gusto that she does.  She makes this deployment a little easier because I feel like she is my little battle buddy! Here are a few things about Addison right now: - I'm not sure how much she weighs or how tall she is...I will find out and update this post!  My guess is 30 lbs., 42 inches tall - She is quite the little gymnast.  In GA and NY she has been placed in the advanced clas...

 A few weeks ago our sweet baby Mya turned one!  I can't believe it!    I know all parents say this, but it really does seem like yesterday she was a little baby... Now she is a big girl that is one the move! Here are a few things about Mya right now... - weighs 17.5lbs (5th percentile) - 26 inches long (also 5th percentile) - recently cut her first teeth! 2 on the bottom and at least one coming in on the top - "Mama" has become the word of choice lately...she would love for me to carry her ALL the time! - she is still a great eater!  Her favorite foods right now are - avacados, any kind of bean, bread, cheese, yogurt, Plum baby food squeeze packs (other than those, no baby food).  She really eats anything you put in front of her and most days she out eats her sister. - LOVES bath time with Addison - not walking yet, but can definitely get anywhere she wants to go by crawling or cruising - loves milk and water...almost finished nursing! - s...