My Valentine

Valentines Day.  Yep.  That was two weeks ago but somehow it slipped through the cracks and I never even mentioned our fun day!

My wonderful husband got me an iPhone and flowers and chocolate covered pretzels and made us dinner.  We got Minka a Jenny Jump Up and she has started to figure out how to use it.  We enjoyed a wonderful meal of crablegs, scallops, and shrimp!  MMMMmmmmmmm.

My lil Monster

M&M has started to make a "monster" face.  She inherits this from her wonderful Auntie Sequoia.  M&M huffs and puffs out of her nose while smiling.  It is so cute to see her personality come alive in this stage!

(I apologize for the quality of these pics, they have been sent from phone to phone to email since I have been away from home)

Cutest Kid on the Block, excuse me, WORLD

Fun in the tub.

Enjoying playing with her bestie at daycare.  (my wonderful daycare provider sent me this pic when I was out traveling for work!  How amazing is she?)

Our incredible friends, Luis and Ash, helped us with Minka while I was away.  After a challenging night for Daddy, Miss M&M was up at 5 AM for the day.  This is how she feels about that:

M&M is one cool cat.  Just chillin like a villian.

Minka's Future Boyfriend

I just had to share another one of my friends has joined the blogging world!! She had the cutest little boy in the whole world, sorry other little dudes, a few months before M&M was born.  Check out her creative site here.

Drowning

Are you wondering where I have been? I have been here, there, and everywhere.
Last Friday, I packed our old house.
On Saturday, we did errands and packed some more.
Sunday we moved to a new home.
Monday, I flew to Wichita, KS.
Tuesday, all day training and meeting my group afterwards for dinner and drinks.
Wednesday, all day training and eating dinner with my new besties.
Thursday, fly back home to my baby and hubby!
Friday, Minka has a Dr. Appt for her 6 month well baby and I have to get my car looked at.
Saturday is cleaning and making sure our old house is completely cleaned out.
Sunday is catching up on bills, address changes, any other moving items that remain outstanding.
Sooo....in between moving and traveling I haven't really had much time to document these moments.
Sorry my blog isn't that fun right now. I could tell you a million things about facilitating a meeting but I am sure I have already lost 90% of you by now anyway.

I will post again regularly when I am able!

Half of a year

Dear Minka-

In the last 6 months, I have learned SO much about life and love.  You are the best thing to have ever happened to Daddy and Me.  We had to be induced since you had made your home in the womb so comfy and didn't want to come greet us on your own.  You met all of your grandparents and made huge strides in the first few months.  We watched as you learned to hold your head up, learned who Mommy and Daddy are, learned how to use your voice, learned how to roll, learned how to sit, learned how to reach and grasp for toys, learned how to eat from a spoon, and learned how to sign for milk.

You have developed such a fun and loving personality!  You love to play with your best friends at daycare.  You love toys and music.  You have started to dance.  You have started to say a lot of consonants and are very social.  You have the most beautiful eyes and smile.

I love you so so so much.  My life would be completely different without you.  I am so grateful to have such a fun friend to share every single day with.

Happy 6 month birthday my dear.

Love,
Momma

Dancing and Signing

I have been a bit behind and although I have thought about the blog I just haven't sat down to make more posts.  If I miss the opportunity on the weekend to set up a bunch of posts, they don't get done until the next weekend.  I am on my lunch break and just had to share a story!

Miss M&M has started to show so much personality! I am loving this stage!  At daycare she found a toy she LOVES.  She enjoys a few toys and smiles at them but this toy makes her DANCE!  We play this video at home and as she hears the song she will dance at home with us too!

(Check out her shoes on her tights- they are attached to her little skirt!  Adorable!  And don't mind the faux hawk.  That was daddy's idea :))

She also learned how to sign for milk!  We have started doing a few words in sign language but just as we remember to use them.  Never on a consistent basis.  At first I thought she didn't really know what she was doing but as I showed her the bottle this morning she lifted her hand and signed for milk with a big grin on her face!

Stylish? Me? Couldn't Be!

Heather at I See Through You gave me a blogging award!  

Here are the rules of the award:

1. Link back and thank the fabulous person who bestowed the amazing award on you

2. Share 7 things about yourself

3. Award 7 other deserving and great bloggers

4. Contact the awarded bloggers to let them know of their award!

7 Things About Myself:

1. Even though I love work and wouldn't change my decision to be a working mom, my favorite part of the day is getting to pick up Miss M&M.

2. I thought this question was easy but listing seven unique things is hard!  I will think of a million tomorrow after this is already done.

3. I like, excuse me, LOVE pickles in my beer and didn't know that was weird.

4. My 'fast food free' February has turned into 'I'd-rather-starve-than-cook-another-boring-meal' month.

5. I miss the lakes.  I love the Gulf but miss the boats and the tubing and drinking on the sandbar!

6. I watch Teen Mom every week but feel so sorry for those kids.  When they get older they will be able to see all those moments the Moms should may regret by then.

7. I have the best hubby in the world.  Sorry ladies.  He cooks, he surprises me with flowers, he is a better daddy than I could have ever imagined, he works hard, he's artistic, he's an awesome soldier and most of all he knows just what to say :)

7 Lucky Ladies- check out these fun bloggers!

1. Life is too important to be taken seriously

2. Life After I "Dew"

3. Hancock Heir

4. Keeping Up with Kelly & Co

5. Caffeine & Cocktails

6. Forever could never be long enough for me

7. Henry & Us

Silly Girl

I think we may have a silly girl on our hands...

First Tooth Picture

M&M has had her first tooth cut!  She continues to chew her hands constantly and I can feel a bunch right under the gums.  We'll see where the next one pops up!

Playtime!

 She has been working on putting on some weight.  It will be fun to have her 6 month appt to see how much she has gained in the last couple months!

Sitting. All on her own!

M&M decided it was time to sit.  She has been sitting with our support for some time but she would flop over to one side or another if we did not pay close enough attention.  Here she is sitting in her Boppy and she would reach to one side for a toy, fall back a little, and then regain her stability!  It was so fun to watch!

Doesn't she look so proud?!

 Look at me!  I love to read!

So What Wednesday

This week I am saying so what to the things I will miss giving up my homebound job.

So what if I

• will miss never having to wear shoes to work.  
• will miss having my two minute dance parties while jamming to loud music!
• will miss literally laughing out loud to my co-workers instant messages.
• will miss getting to use MY OWN bathroom...EVERY time.
• will miss Jareth tremendously for the next couple months.  I look forward to having him join us in Denver!!
• will miss our new friends.  We all went through a life changing experience of moving across the country and supporting our husbands/boyfriends as they changed their life. It is sad to see us all move in different directions.
• will miss M&Ms birthplace.  It was our first home as a family.  Even though I am excited to move on, I will miss it.
• will miss our FANTASTIC daycare.  M&M has the BEST provider and I will miss having the little girls play together.

Visit some more (hopefully happier) So What Wednesday-ers here.

Super Bowl!

Enjoying the Super Bowl

 Hey!  I want some of those wings!

Lazy Sunday

 

Mr. M and M&M time

Fast Food Free February

I have been thinking of New Year's resolutions and I have come up with a few alternatives.  Of course the typical going to the gym, eating healthy, and losing weight resolutions fall apart in a short time so I opted for something slightly different.

I decided to give up fast food for one month.  I picked February, of course, it is the shortest.  That was a no-brainer.

Here are the rules:

I am not allowed to eat anything I can't make at home. 

That is it.  Seems simple enough right?  Here in the HUGE city of Enterprise the only entertainment is to eat out and of course there is the Super Bowl and Valentines Day and we have a lot on our plate this month with a new job/moving etc.  So even though I can't get a McChicken and probably shouldn't eat at restaurants (I could, if I really wanted to, make the delicious burrito from La Bamba at home or sauce up some buffalo wings from Beef O Brady's at home....) I will have some challenges.

It is my hope to give up fast food but also use that as a stepping stone to eating healthier altogether.  So far I have made one trip to the grocery store and I already ate some frozen pizza...oops (but still within my lame, very vague rule :).

We will see how it goes, only 22 days left!

Success!

Looking back on the last year of our new family in a new place, I can't help but think of how far we have come!  We have made some GREAT friends along the way and it is starting to set in that sooner rather than later we will all be headed our separate ways again.  Just writing this makes me so sad.

Ashley and Luis were one of the first couples we hung out with and we bonded instantly (all four of us surviving the "I'll cut you experience").  They moved here from North Dakota so of course we could understand each other's "accent" and felt right at home saying "pop" which is completely forbidden here in the south.  When I needed a friend to vent to or laugh with I went to Ash, Luis and Jareth enjoy the beer bridge and survived SERE together.  When we had Minka they visited us in the hospital and were our first call in case we needed anything with a new baby on our hands.  I am grateful to have met them and even more grateful to know we will be friends forever, no matter how far the Army will take us.

BUT this post is called Success!  not sappy emotional story time. 

I have been encouraging everyone to start blogging.  I think it is a great way to track our life, look back at the pictures/videos of M&M, keep in touch with friends and family throughout the country and all of our different journeys.  Ashley has been convinced!  WOohoo!!  Now I just need to work a little more on Melissa L, Melissa E, Ashley O and well all the rest of you....

You can visit Ash's blog here.

If you didn't think we were outta our minds before, you probably should now.

You know how big life decisions should be done one at a time?  They should be well thought out, discussed, and reviewed...  Here is a little background on our adventure we call Life.

May/June 2009: Miss M graduated college.  Mr. M graduated college.  The Miss & Mr. tied the knot.  Mr. M commissioned into the Army Reserve.  Whew...we made it.

August 2010: Delivered our beautiful M&M.  Purchased a new vehicle for Mr. M the same week. Why?  Because we weren't really busy with anything else.

Which bring me to now.

This past week I have accepted a new job.  Yeah!  I am so excited!!  It is a promotion with Cargill and I will be relocating to Denver, CO in March.  Minka gets to come with me and my wonderful MIL will be helping us out watching Minka as I work and travel during the week while Jareth is still here at Ft. Rucker.

This begs the question...I thought you were going to Ft. Bragg, NC, what happened?  Well I found a sweeter job in Denver is what happened.  And apparently they think I am the best person to do it!  Upon my acceptance Jareth was able to request a transfer to Ft. Carson, CO.  This will be in process until who knows when but we are hopeful this works out in our favor.

Cargill is being extremely helpful in finding me a temporary apartment in Denver and allowing me a long weekend every other weekend to fly home to see Jareth.

February 2011: Transferrred Army plans from Ft. Bragg to Ft. Carson.  Mrs. M starts new job.

This isn't enough you say?  Okay okay...our current lease is also up the beginning of March and with me living primarily in Denver, we are moving here too.  We found a townhouse that is smaller and closer to base for Jareth.  We move there in 2 weeks.  This will help us save money on rent, water, power, and gas!  It was a basic offer of, Would you move a couple miles from your crappy house to a nicer townhouse if I paid you $2,500?  We said Yes!  Thank you very much!

Also, Jareth has been accepted into the graduate program for Architecture through the University of Colorado- Denver.  Congrats to him for switching plans (formerly from North Carolina State in Raleigh) and being accepted!  He is scheduled to start the three year course in August 2011.

To recap: I accepted a new job Feb 1st. (start date March 1st), Jareth is working on getting transferred to Ft. Carson, CO upon completion of flight school around June and will begin grad school in Aug., and we are moving to our new home here in Enterprise in two weeks.

As if Jareth wasn't already busy enough with 14 hour work days and studying at night and I wasn't already busy enough with working full time, preparing for my new role, preparing to move me and my infant to Denver CO, preparing to have arrangements with my MIL to live with us (in our efficiency apartment in Denver), and now to pack, clean, and move everything here.  Oh yeah and to keep up on daily chores/errands/dr appts etc.

Feb 2011- Aug 2011: Mrs. M relocates to Denver, CO and starts new job.  Mr. M moves to new house in current city.  M&M gets to play with her Grandma Lisa everyday. Mr. M will graduate flight school, move to Denver, and begin grad school.

And we thought our lives were busy two weeks ago.  Silly us.

Pebbles!

So What Wednesday

I am linking up with Life After I "Dew" again for the weekly edition of So What Wednesday.

So What....

• if I turn on 123 favorite kids songs for M&M on our way to daycare and then crank it up and jam to "Wheel on the bus" on the way to work.
• if I finally worked out for the first time in two months...aaaand it was only a walk :(
• if I picked the shortest month to give up fast food.  Since deciding this, fast food is all I can think of.
• if my livingroom classifies as "picked up" when the exersaucer, play gym, bumbo, and toddler chair are all lined up.  At least the toys are in their bin and the books on the shelf!

What do you say so what to?

The New Generation

What's up Grandma and Grandpa?