I'm Back!

I had such a great weekend in Dallas that I can't wait to blog about it. I was there for 5 days and it consisted of grading papers, high school football games, swimming, cleaning, shopping, and getting less sleep than I ever have. Oh!, and we took ADORABLE pics of my little Ellie babe. She turned 6 months old this week. I can't believe how fast time has flown, but I also can't imagine my life without her. I looked at old pictures today (of 6 months ago :)) and she was so tiny. Now she's about to have a tooth pop through any minute! Here's Elle's 6 month practice pic (taken on my phone)

Which brings me to another point. Being a mother of TWO teething children (at the same time!) is not my favorite. But it'll be over soon and I will miss it. (Song popped into my head: You're Gonna Miss This. I love that song and its 100% true for me.)

Calvin loved playing with his cousin Parker. Parker is just a month and a half younger than Calvin. They were so cute together. I probably took a million pictures of them. (Ok, but seriously, we took over 1000 pictures between my phone and my sister's camera.) Here is an example of how cute they are together:

I loved watching these two play together. I love that they can play all day, (or fight) and still have a great time. As we drove away from Parker, Calvin sat in the back and said "Bye Bye Park Park." It broke my heart that I forgot to have him actually say good bye to Parker. He also waved to Kristen until we couldn't see her anymore. (Kristen is Ellie's favorite person in the whole world. She reaches for her even when I'm holding her.) (PS: Ellie is Kristen's favorite person in the whole world.)

We had such a great weekend, but boy were we glad to see our Daddy! We missed him more than ever, and he missed us. We are so lucky to have such a great Daddy.

Now I'm off to sleep next to him for the first time in what seems like forever! (Ellie is in her own room tonight so Mike actually gets to sleep in his bed :))

MIA this week

Hi friends,

I will be taking the week off from blogging because I'm going to Dallas to visit my sisters :) Plus, my sister is flying in from California with her little sweetheart, Parker. I just love him to bits and pieces.

Have a great week! Catch ya on the flip side!

Recipe: and Gratitude: day 13: Hot Lemon Wassail

This is my most favorite fall and winter drink! My mom makes it multiple times a year, and whenever we are sick. It is so jam packed of Vitamin C that it can cure any cold! Seriously though, it tastes amazing. If you like hot drinks, and want to feel better, make this! You wont be sorry.

Hot Lemon Wassail 

Warm together 
2 c water 
1 c honey (if you don't have honey, use sugar. I use sugar every time)

Stir in :
2 c OJ
1 c lemon juice
2 t vanilla extract
1 t imitation almond extract (imitation, because so many folks are allergic to nuts)

2 qts water

Heat and serve warm.  (do not allow to boil)

Happy Cooking!

Gratidude: day 12: Cool Weather

Tonight I am so grateful for cool weather. We sat outside as I helped Mike study for his test tomorrow (wish him luck), Calvin played on his little 4-wheeler, and Ellie sat with us. It was such a great night! We also had a neighbor stop by and say hi.

I could have sat out there all night, except that the mosquitos were eating me alive...

Happy Fall, ya'll!

Today the high is 80. I'm soooo happy! I want to spend all day outside playing tennis and other fun sports. Fall is by far my favorite season.

Tomorrow is the first day of fall. I am going to celebrate by having a fall feast! Tortilla soup, homemade rolls, apple cider, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. I can't wait! I love fall.

Right now the temp is just 65 degrees. BEAUTIFUL. Calvin and I went to a bakery down the street and picked up some really yummy donuts. It just seemed fitting for a saturday morning fall breakfast.

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for this heavenly weather.

Gratitude: Day 10: Technology

I'm grateful for technology. It amazes me that I can "FaceTime" with my family back in Utah, or send them an email or text and receive a response almost immediately. Sometimes I wish it would slow down because I feel like it just keeps speeding up, and forcing us to speed up with it, but when it comes down to it, most of it is a really good change.

Gratitude: Day 10: Other Air Force spouses

Being in the AF has already given me so many friendships and experiences that I would have never had otherwise, and that will last a lifetime. 

 

I am grateful for the friendships that have been created here in Texas. It's almost an instant thing. It's also like you've been friends forever. Everyone is "living the same story" so to speak. Our husbands or boyfriends are all going through flight training and we need the support and help to get through this together. 

When I first moved into my home, it was a week before I was set to be induced with Ellie. Two girls that I had met only once before came and helped me unpack and move in, while Mike was at work. I couldn't believe the love and compassion that these girls showed, and continue to show. They were such a huge blessing in my life at that time, and especially since I really couldn't do much, and I couldn't even get my thoughts together enough to organize it. 

This is not the only time that these wives have come to my rescue. They brought meals when Ellie was born. (I didn't even know most of them, but they came in and it's like we had been friends all along). They have given us rides when we need them. They have been here to babysit anytime, and last minute. They have listened and talked. They have made time to just hang out. They have opened their homes to anyone in need. They expect nothing in return.

I'm so impressed by this lifestyle, and I love being a part of it. There is no other life for us. We love it. I'm grateful to have this opportunity. I will pay it forward.

Projects: Growth Chart

So, I saw a growth chart on Pinterest and decided that I needed one, because I want to remember how little Calvin was. I think mine turned out pretty cute. It was super easy.

Here's what you will need:

3/4 x 6 x 8 board (have Home Depot cut it down to 6 feet, BONUS: you can keep the extra 2 ft for a different project!)

Spray Paint (I used an eggshell color.)

A Sharpie (or in my case,  Cricut and some vinyl, but my letters and numbers are falling off.)

A pencil (for drawing the lines)

Optional: I bought a small stencil at Wal Mart and painted light grey and dark grey clovers on mine. I really like the pattern and it gives it a finishing touch. 

To start, just spray the board with the spray paint. Then do your stenciling if you choose to. This next step is really important. I want to HANG my board on the wall, six inches from the floor. I chose six inches because it will be higher than any base boards in any house. (We will be moving around a lot.) So, measure six inches from the bottom of your board- THIS WILL BE YOUR 1 FT. Then just measure the rest of the feet. Your board will actually be 6 1/2 feet if you hang it 6 inches from the floor. I did a long line for the feet mark, and a short line for the inches. (I will be going over them with a sharpie as soon as I find one.) 

Then add your number and your name if you choose, and you are done! Easy, one night project! 

Happy Crafting!

Little Darlings (not the strip club in Vegas)

My sweet boy heard Ellie crying, (and saw that I was cleaning) so he went to the diaper bag and got Ellie her bottle and tried to feed it to her. What a sweetheart. I love when he shows me how tender his little heart is and how great of a big brother he is.

I love them.

Gratitude: Day 9: Showers

Today (and every day) I am grateful for showers. No one likes to smell bad... at least I don't think they do. But honestly, being a mom of two, it's hard getting a shower in every time you need one. I am pretty sure it had been 3 days since I showered before today. It was getting bad. Finally, I decided to put Calvin in charge of Ellie (they were both awake) and hop in for a quick shower. When I got out, Calvin was sitting next to Ellie playing with his toys and showing her his cool trucks. That made my heart happy. I love them. And I love showers.

Now this wasn't always the case. I am embarrassed to say that I used to be a total grease ball. Nasty, I know. But lets just be grateful I grew out of that stage, and move on. I don't want to talk about that stage of my life :)

Anyway, Happy Showering!

Recipe: Fruit Pizza

This is by far the best dessert, hands down. Everyone loves it and there will never be any left overs, or any thrown away.

Here's how I make mine (there are many different recipes online)

I start with a roll of Pilsbury Sugar Cookie dough.
smash it down on a cookie sheet to make one very large cookie.
Cook the cookie at 350 for 14 minutes.
Let cool.

The sauce:
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese (softened)
1/2 a tub of cool whip
1/3 cup of sugar

Whip this together and then spread on the cooled cookie.

Toppings:
strawberries (1 cup of cut or sliced)
kiwi (1-2) peeled
banana (1)
blueberries (1 cup)

cut these up into bite size pieces and toss it onto the pizza. I never get all fancy like this picture did, but if you google fruit pizza, you find some really pretty designs to copy.

Serve chilled. (I like it warm but my hubby likes it cold...)

I made this tonight and Mike and I ate the whole thing already...

Gratitude: Day 8: Calvin

Calvin is my first born child. He brings me so much joy. This is Calvin, he is one cool little dude:

From the moment I found out that I was pregnant with Calvin, I was the happiest person on Earth. Since the day he was born, he has been everything I've ever wanted in a baby. He was perfect. He slept through the night at two months old. He never really cried. He loved everyone. He loves to cuddle. He was a social baby and a fast learner. He has always been ahead of his age. He loves learning, and talking. He loves Ellie, and loves to give kisses and squeezes. Up until Ellie was born, we never had any real problems with him. I never knew when he was teething because he was always drooly and he never complained. 

But when Ellie was born he missed the full attention, as all kids do. He is getting past it but he like to defy everything. 

Anyway, Calvin has taught me so much. It's great to see the world again through a child's eyes. Everything is so cool, and new. He loves exploring! 

This little boy is sure to bring a smile to your face. He has the biggest eyes, the cutest dimples, and the curliest hair. Here's another picture of him because he's just so dang cute:

This boy has taught me more patience than anything else in my life. (Including waiting for him to be born...) After many months of "being mean" (ei: hitting, biting, yelling, head butting...) we finally found the only solution to be able to reason with him. We tried yelling, time outs, counting to 3, spanking, pretty much everything. The only thing that has worked to make Calvin calm down or not flip out in the first place, is to be calm with him, talk with him, cuddle him, and love him. I've done the "no yelling" thing before but it only lasted about a week, and I have no excuse (even though I was pregnant with Ellie, Mike was gone, and we were moving to a new state...). 

I love this boy with my whole entire heart (like I love Mike and Ellie) and would never want anyone else to be my baby boy. 

Cutting my running time in HALF!

OK! This post is for people who need some motivation, because my run times will motivate even a turtle.

Mike made me start running a couple months ago. I HATE running. So he only makes me run half miles instead of whole miles. I wasn't going to post my times because it's so incredibly embarrassing but I think it will make a lot of people say, "Hey, I can do better than that!" SOOOO... Here you go. Keep in mind this is a half mile, people. 0.5 Miles!

Day one: 10 minutes 22 seconds.
Then I didn't run for like 2 months because I thought I was going to die.
Day two: 5 minutes and 11 seconds. Yep, I literally cut it in half!

Awesome! I figured that was good enough so now I don't have to run ever again. Just kidding. But I felt like I could keep going except my lungs were killing me! Time to get back in shape.

Anyone can walk faster than my first day. So, lets get our butts off these blogs and go for a jog! (OK, I really like it when people read my blog, so tell your friends about it :))

Gratitude: Day 7: Fall

I can't tell you how excited I am for the first day of fall (which is sunday, in case you were wondering). I love fall! I love the changing leaves. I love the weather. I love sitting outside until dark watching the kids play. I love night games. I love high school football games. I love sweatshirts and sweatpants. I love camping. I love the food associated with fall. I love hot chocolate for those extra cold nights. Anything pumpkin is my favorite! Chili. Crunching leaves. School supplies (yes, I know it's weird, but my mom taught kindergarten and first grade, so she rubbed off on me.) I love the colors, and just really the overall feel and aroma of fall. I have even considered naming one of my daughters Autumn, but I doubt my husband would go for that...

Gratitude: Day 6: Washing Machines

I HATE doing laundry. Not because it's hard, but because I hate folding it and putting it away... But I can't imagine having to wash my laundry on a washboard. I can't imagine anyone liking laundry in the old days.

My grandma told me that her mom spent A LOT of time doing laundry.

That's why I'm grateful for washing machines.

Recipe: White Chicken Chili

This recipe is so incredibly easy, and BONUS! everybody loves it!

Of course it's in a crockpot, because I love crockpot meals, they are soooo simple. Just toss everything in together and let it cook!

Here's what you need:

2 Chicken Breasts (still frozen) cubed
1 packet of Ranch dressing seasoning
1 can of corn (undrained)
1 can of Rotel tomatoes with green chills
1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 pkg of cream cheese (8 oz, cubed)
1 t chili powder
1 t cumin
1 dash of garlic powder

Cook on high for 4 hours. You wont be sorry. I promise. This is now my hubs fave. Also- If you are feeding more than 4, you might want to double it. I bet it's better the second day, but it's gone, so I wont know until next time. Which might be tomorrow :)

Recipe: Chili (perfectly sweet with the right amount of spice)

I made chili for the first time tonight. I also winged it. I saw what could have been a delicious recipe and totally changed it... and it made it freaking AWESOME! So since I was just dumping things into my crockpot... let me try to remember what went in :)

1 can of Hunt's Tomato sauce
1 can of Hunt's diced tomato sauce for chili (it really says that on the can)
1 can of corn undrained
1 can of kidney bean drained
1 can of black beans drained and rinsed
4 stalks of celery chopped
1/2 of a white onion chopped
3 green onions chopped
1 1/2 t of chili powder
1 1/2 t of cumin
1 t onion powder
1 C brown sugar
1 bag of sausage crumbles

I mixed the tomato sauces and brown sugar right into the crockpot before I added everything else. Then I mixed all the ingredients together and cooked it on high for 4 hours. It fed a lot of people. I'd say serves 8... because most people will go back for seconds and thirds. :)

Happy Cooking!!

Gratitude: day5: Eleanor

The REAL day 5 :)

Tonight it's just me and Ellie, and I wanted to open up on a more personal note and tell you all a story.

This is my sweet Ellie girl.

When I thought I was pregnant with Ellie, I was in denial. I had a 6 month old, how could I possibly be pregnant again. I hated the thought of it so much that I didn't take a pregnancy test for almost 5 weeks after I thought it was a possibility. I was feeling sick, and having headaches. I never have headaches unless I'm pregnant or nursing, and I hadn't been nursing Calvin for 2 months.

I took the test and of course it was positive. I was at my brother in laws house when I took it, because my sister in law, Kristel, had just found out she was pregnant. I went into our room and just cried. I was so sad. How could I rob Calvin of his childhood? How was I supposed to take care of Calvin alone while I was pregnant and Mike was at OTS?

Mike, on the other hand, was SO excited! He wanted our kids super close. (While I was in labor with Ellie he was already talking about getting pregnant again.) He was reassuring me that everything was going to be perfect and that I would do great.

I never really changed my mind about being pregnant. I hated it. I also didn't change my mind about wanting another baby, even after we found out it was a girl. (I wanted another boy.) This bad attitude actually continued all the way into my labor. My mom and Mike were telling me how great of a mother I was going to be to two kids, and how exciting it was that I was literally having a baby any second (I was pushing...) and they were sooo excited. I told them that I didn't want to talk about it, and they should stop talking about having plural children... Then she was born. No turning back now. I loved her. Not the "Holy crap! It's my first baby" kind of love. But a gentle "She's so beautiful" kind of love. (Still struggling with the fact of explaining this "thing" to Calvin.)

We brought her home and she cried. A LOT. ALL THE TIME. Calvin never cried. Calvin didn't like that she took his mommy away. I had no idea how to handle it, so I cried. A LOT. I literally would lock myself in the closet and cry. How was I supposed to help her feel better? Well we tried everything. Finally, the thing that worked was that I had to stop eating dairy. Yes, my favorite food group. It was worth it. I finally got some sleep.

I went home for a month when Ellie was a month old. My sister McKenna helped me get Ellie on a normal sleeping schedule so that I could function and still be able to take care of Calvin. (My sister is so great, by the way. She was a lifesaver the entire month I was there.)

When I got back to Texas, life was hard again. I got mastitis and was really sick for about a week. (I thought that continuing to nurse Ellie was going to kill me.) I cried again, a lot. (Poor Mike. He's such a trooper.) Finally I realized that I had post-partum depression, bad. I know a lot of women get this, and it is a real thing. It's hard to admit that you have it, and if you do have it, please get help. It's worth it. (I have never been happier, I love Zoloft!)

Now that I am taking medicine, I can clean my house, take care of two kids, leave the house looking halfway decent, and even find time for things that I LIKE doing... and remember what I like doing. It's been a long time since I have been able to actually focus enough to get any of those things done. When I say a long time, I mean 5 years. My entire marriage I have had some degree of depression. (Thanks again, Mike, for hanging in there with me. Love you babe!, even though you don't read my blog...)

So back to being grateful for Ellie. She sleeps by me to make the nights a little easier on both of us. (Mike sleeps on the couch. Thanks for giving up your spot in bed babe. Believe it or not you're benefitting from it too :)) Every time I climb in to bed and look at her sweet face, all I can think about is how perfect she is. She is the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. She has the sweetest smile, and she flashes it at us all the time! She loves Calvin the most; he makes her laugh and she loves to watch him play. Calvin loves giving Ellie lots of kisses and says "HI ELLIE!" throughout the day. It's adorable and makes my heart happy :).

Anyway, Ellie is such a blessing in our lives and I can't imagine not having her in our family. She's perfect for us, and I love her so much. I love thinking about how we will be best friends when she's older, (much older, past the teenage stage.) I love thinking about how she is going to be such a great big sister (this is not a pregnancy announcement, I hope.) I love looking at how beautiful she is. I could stare at her all day. She has the chunkiest legs. She has the craziest hair. She has the best smile. She has the cutest laugh and best voice. I wouldn't want her any other way. I'm so lucky to be her mom. And I didn't rob Calvin of his childhood. I made it better. He loves being a big brother.

Which brings me to another point. I have a lot of feelings such as regret and guilt. I don't ever want Ellie to know this story. I don't want her to ever know that I didn't want her, or that I didn't know what to do with her. I don't want her to know that in the beginning I was only breastfeeding so that I could lose the baby weight quickly. How selfish could I really be? (I was so selfish, I hate to admit it.) I feel so guilty every day that I didn't try harder to change my attitude. I regret ever having those feelings toward something that a lot of people can't have. I'm so grateful that I can have children, and get pregnant, and raise my children.

I am so blessed.

Gratitude: day 4: Honest old lady

As you may or may not have noticed... I accidentally wrote day 5 yesterday... but it was day 3. I guess that is what you get for writing so late at night.

Anyway, today I am grateful for the old lady in the sandwich shop that told me I was a great mother and my son is such a good little boy. She said she enjoyed watching me play with him and was glad that I let him wander around a little bit, because he is a good boy.

It got me thinking. Moms these days don't really let their children roam. He's 20 months old, and there is no way he is going to sit still. Little boys aren't made for that. They need adventure.

My dad actually told me this same thing a few weeks ago. He likes that I let Calvin have a little slack. I used to think that maybe I should try to make him sit in his high chair or stroller everywhere we go, but now that two people have told me the same thing, I feel good about the way I'm parenting him while we are out in public. There is a place and a time for sitting still and being quiet. That place is church.

I'm glad this beautiful lady told me this, because it's just what I needed to hear.

Dolla dolla bill ya'll

Today Mike had his Dollar Ride. Who the heck knows why it's called that... but it was his first flight in a T-6 Texan. AAANNNNDDD he puked! Yep! He puked! :) I am sure air sickness is normal for pilots pulling that many G's and doing maneuvers like the AF does, but I just have to point that out because we went on a flight once with my brother in law, Jake, and I puked and Mike still talks about it to this very day. Payback time, times 5 because I'm actually posting it on my blog.

Anyway, it was really cool because I got to take the kids to go watch him and take some pictures. Calvin of course LOVED it because he loves anything with planes and thinks they say "Wow, cool!" Plus he got to watch his daddy, who is his best friend.

I will add pictures here later.

I was such a proud wifey! Proud in a good way :) I decided it was in need of celebration so I made Mike a steak dinner topped with mushrooms, peppers, and onions. He loved it, so did Calvin.

Gratitude: Day 5: My dad

These are in no specific order, but he is DEFINITELY one of my top 10. Instead of writing this as a blog post, I'd like to write him a letter instead, because I know he is reading this :)

Dear Papanwa, (nickname I called him in high school, it means dad)

I'm so grateful to have you as my dad. I wish I knew how to express this in words, as much as my heart feels. You've always dropped everything if any of your daughters was in need. You've always been there for me through the tough times. I knew you were there even if we in an argument. I knew I could count on you for anything. 

I now know that I can come to you for advice as I'm getting "older" and starting my family. I know that I can call anytime and that you'll answer, even if you're running on the treadmill. I know that you've done everything that you can to raise your daughters and make sure that we've been taken care of. 

I'm overly grateful for our cross-country road trip from Utah to New Jersey. (even though I had to be dropped off in St Louis because of the snow storm) I loved hearing all of your life story, and I still love it. 

I love our talks about gospel principles. I love that you support all the decisions I make. I'm grateful for that. 

I'm grateful for how hard you work. And I'm grateful that you have let all of us come back home after we've moved out. 

I'm grateful for the love that you have for my kids, and for the way that you treat them. I'm grateful that you have such a close relationship to Calvin, and I know that he's grateful for it too. He loves you so much. He loves seeing and talking to you. 

I'm grateful for all the times you've already come to visit us in Texas, and that you came to babysit Calvin while I was in labor with Ellie. I'm grateful that you helped me get my house in order when she came home from the hospital. 

I'm grateful for all that you do for me, and I know that you pray for me and that you are proud of me. 

I love you, Dad. 

Thanks. 

Love, Jules

P.S. Thanks for following my blog.

Recipe: Amish Friendship Bread (Instant)

We've all wanted to know the recipe to Amish Friendship Bread without having to let it ferment for 10 days, because when we want it, we want it now. SOOO, after trying a few recipes out that I saw on Pinterest, here it is!

CINNAMON BREAD

(makes 2 loaves)

Batter:

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 cups buttermilk or 2 cups milk plus 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

Cinnamon/sugar mixture:

2/3 cups sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon 

Cream together butter, 2 cups of sugar, and eggs.  Add milk, flour, and baking soda.  Put 1/2 of batter (or a little less) into greased loaf pans (1/4 in each pan).  Mix in separate bowl the 2/3 c sugar and cinnamon.  Sprinkle 3/4 of cinnamon mixture on top of the 1/2 batter in each pan.  Add remaining batter to pans; sprinkle with last of cinnamon topping.  Swirl with a knife.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 min.  or until toothpick tester come clean.  

Cool in pan for 20 minutes before removing from pan.

I have also made this bread in muffin tins which made it a little easier to freeze and take out as needed.

ENJOY!!!

I actually use three small loaf pans. I seriously love this stuff. I could eat it everyday, and my house would also always smell amazing if I did that :)

Happy Baking!

Gratitude: day 2: History: I will never forget.

I'm grateful for history. I love studying it. I love teaching it, or my perspective of it. Today I want to tell you about my 9/11 experience.

I was in middle school and I remember my parents sitting on their bed watching the news that morning. We were watching the Breaking News about the first one when the second one hit. This is quite a big deal for my family because my dad worked in New York at this time. Luckily he was home safe and sound with us, but I could tell that he was heartbroken as he watched this happen, because he lost friends that day. We watched in disbelief as they tried to decide if this was a terrorist attack or an accident. It was time for me to go to the bus stop.

When I got to the bus stop I told my friends about it. They thought I was joking. (I joked a lot, but never about things this serious). When we got to school a lot of the TVs were on in the classrooms but the principal, Mr Goldhart, asked the teachers to keep them off. Luckily most of mine did not listen because this was just insane. We continued to watch all day long. And again all night long. 

I was confused. Why would anyone want to attack America? What had we done to them? Was this a real attack? Was there going to be a war in our country? I wasn't scared, but I was definitely confused.

I'm not grateful that this happened, but I am grateful for being able to watch this unfold. I am grateful that America came together. I am grateful that I could see the good in people after what had happened. I'm grateful that we fought back and took a stand. I'm grateful to have experiences that I can tell my children about. I am grateful for the post that my friend put on facebook today when she was trying to teach her children about it, "September 11th is a hard thing to explain well to little kids. It's interesting to figure out what we want him to know about that time. Certainly bravery, unity, and preservation of our way of life...here's to passing down sadness apart from hate and fear to the next generation!" 

This thought made me think about how I want to teach my children not to hate what happened, or fear what happened, but that it is sad that it happened. And I am still sad that it happened. I think about all the kids who lost their parents. I think about all the wives who lost their husbands. I just can't imagine what they went through and must be living through year after year on this day. I hope they are doing well. 

My little sister has such a big heart. She really felt the need to do something for all of these little children. She did a teddy bear drive and collected over 100 teddy bears for these children. With my mom's help, they found out where to send them and sent them to New York. Though it may not have been much, at least those kids know that some people loved them. 

I'm grateful that I have had the opportunity to see the twin towers before they went down, and right after they went down. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to go back to New York and see the new memorial that is so amazing. 

I will never forget.

Feeling Rotten

I just got off the phone with my Grandma. I haven't talked to her over the phone in years. We normally just send a quick email back and forth. I finally called her on her birthday this year, but she couldn't talk. She has had laringitis for a few weeks and so she called me back today and we chatted for about 20 minutes. It was so lovely and made me so happy. I love talking to my Grandma and hearing her stories. We have so much in common.

Today she told me about her husband being in the Army and living in Alaska. She loved it but they were cold and hungry. They made $120 a month. She worked until she got pregnant and was so sick she couldn't even get out of bed. (Luckily the rest of her pregnancies weren't that bad.) She said they didn't have much, so they were literally living on love, and she felt like it was a 9 month honeymoon. She had to borrow money from her dad to fly to Alaska to live with my grandpa.

She talked about how they got out of the army as soon as they could transferred to the Air Force where they were able to move back to Michigan. They lived with her in-laws and she didn't like it. She said it was no way to live. She wanted so badly to be able to stay at home with the kids, but she had to work.

She told me about moving to Montana and how that was the best choice for them at that time.

Then she heard Ellie start talking and she wished so badly that she could hold her in her arms. I couldn't believe that I never took my baby up to see her while I had flight benefits. (I worked at SkyWest Airlines) I felt so badly that I didn't make a trip up there even for just a day. Now my kids will probably never meet her and that breaks my heart. (Mike has never met her either.) I would give anything to be able to take them up to Montana so that she can give them hugs and kisses. She knows their names and knows so much about them (thanks to my dad:))

We started talking about how they only had cloth diapers and they couldn't bleach them because it was bad for baby bums. And how she would have given anything for disposable diapers back then. She told me to never go to cloth diapers because its not worth it. (That made me chuckle). She told me how her mom was such a hard worker. She worked from sun up until sun down. She scrubbed their clothes on a washboard and cooked in the kitchen all day. Grandma said that her mom was always tired.

I hope that I can continue these fun conversations with my grandma soon. (We had to stop talking because her voice was cracking again)

I miss her and love her very much. I can't believe I haven't made more of an effort to keep her in my life.

Exciting News: Ellie

So, my baby (Eleanor) is 5 months old (+ a week or so) and she sat up today! For about a minute. But that's a big deal. Her brother (Calvin) sat up the day he turned 6 months. So we are pretty excited.

Also, she is almost crawling. Calvin crawled at 9 months, so we weren't expecting this to happen so fast... But she gets on all fours and lunges forward and rocks back and forth and she moved her hands forward last night. So we're thinking she'll be crawling in the next couple weeks. CRAZY!

Gratitude: Day 1 Mike

I decided to kind of start a gratitude journal. I love counting my blessing out loud to see how much I really have to be grateful for. So I would like to do one year of Gratitude.

Today I want to share what I am most grateful for in my life. It's hard to write just about one thing because it ties so many things all together, but I am most grateful for my husband, Michael.

He is such a great husband and dad. He is a hard worker, and he is very smart. It's so nice to have a priesthood holder in our home. He does everything he can to make sure that our family is taken care of. He has served a mission and is now serving our country. I couldn't be more proud of his career choice. (Plus its pretty cool that he will be flying fighter jets, lets be honest here) He works hard so that I can stay at home with the kids. (This is another blessing that I will go into more detail on later.)

He is always so willing to help anyone in need. I love that he supports me in whatever I choose to do.

And he loves our kids so much. He wont put Calvin to bed most nights because it breaks his heart :) It melts my heart every time he plays with the kids (which is multiple times a day).

I just love him with my whole heart, and I'm so glad that I married someone who I can trust and count on. I'm so grateful that our love has grown so strong over the past year as we have moved away from our family and been apart from each other so often.

Out Of Order

I guess I'm going to post about last weekend instead of keeping everything organized and in order. I don't want to forget the joy that I had.

The weekend started on Friday night. I got to go on a date with my hubby and some friends. It started with Blizzards at Dairy Queen and ended at The Plex, a family fun center and arcade. We raced go-carts and played in the arcade. It was a blast.

On Friday night my dad called and said he was going to visit my sister in Dallas to help her with some computer problems she was having in her classroom. My mom was coming to help decorate her classroom. I LOVE decorating so I had to find a way down there. Luckily a friend was going on Saturday at noon, and he had enough room for me and the kids. I was sooo excited! Calvin was excited to see his Gapa.

We got there and I seriously had such a fantastic weekend. I could never be a teacher (especially of high school kids) but I love grading papers and decorating classrooms. So I helped my sister out a little. She had a rough weekend because everything was going wrong and it really was just one thing after another. I felt so bad that I couldn't do more, but she kept her cool, at least until we left on sunday night.

On Sunday, we went to church and Calvin folded his arms during the sacrament. That's a long time for my little 19 month old to be quiet and sit still! I was one proud momma. Then he kept giving Ellie kisses which was  even more precious.

We topped church off with  trip to Costa Vida. I've been really craving it since I moved here and they have one in Colleyville! Then we went to my sister's classroom to finish up a few things. The poor kids hadn't had a single nap all day but were still little angels. We got home and put the kids down and I took a nap too while Kristen tried to get more things done. Then we left. I was so sad to be driving away, but I am going back in a couple weeks, so I am excited!

I love having family so close, and parents that are willing to drop anything to come to their daughter's rescue. I am truly blessed. I love watching my family play with my kids. They love each other so much and my kids LOVE my sister and parents. Ellie just cuddles right up to my sister every time she's in her arms. Calvin loves to play hide n seek with my dad and read books with my mom. I can't get enough family time, ever. I love being together with my favorite people. Can't wait until I get to go back!

Product Review: Planters NUT-rition Peanut Butter

If you love peanut butter as much as I do, then this is your next favorite thing. I've tasted the Cherry Chocolate and the Cinnamon Raisin. Both of them are delicious, but the Cherry Chocolate is definitely my favorite. You can't go wrong with this stuff. I like to cut up a banana and eat this peanut butter with it. It's also great on PB&J, or just by the spoonful. What's also great about it is that Calvin loves it too. Now, it's got about the same amount of calories as normal peanut butter and it's not really all that much better for you, but it does provide a tiny boost of energy when you need it. I give this peanut butter two thumbs up. Happy shopping :)

Recipe: Hawaiian Wedding Cake

OK, I made this after seeing it on Facebook and it is SOOO good! and the guys liked it too :) (When I refer to the guys, it's my husband's flight study buddies, and they are usually single, so they come over so that I will make them dinner :)) Anyway, it's really easy, and you probably have the basic stuff already so you'll only need to buy a couple things. I left the nuts out this time, but I might add them next time. Happy baking!

HAWAIIAN WEDDING CAKE
So moist, and as Hawaiian as your creative juices will allow.

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup coconut
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple with juice

Mix all ingredients and pour into greased 13 x 9” pan.
Bake at 350 F degrees for 40-45 minutes. Cool.

HAWAIIAN WEDDING CAKE FROSTING:
1 (8 oz.) pkg cream cheese
1 1/2 cup powdered (icing) sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla

Blend well. Frost cooled cake. Garnish with chopped nuts, coconut or chopped fruit, if desired.

Commentary suggestions:
1 tsp coconut extract in the cake
1/2 tsp coconut extract in the frosting.

Becoming and AF wife and loving it.

I have to say, becoming an AF wife was a lot easier than I anticipated, and I love it a lot more than I thought I would. Moving away from my family was kind of an exciting adventure, but lets be honest, I relied on my family way too much and so I was scared. I was excited to start just being our little family unit and learning to rely on each other more, but my mom is my very best friend, and I miss her everyday. Luckily for me she can come visit often.

Anyway, coming to Texas for pilot training gave us instant friends. I became friends with a lot of wives who are all going through the same thing as me. It's like I've made best friends for life, and everyone is so willing to help. Two girls who didn't even know me came and helped me unpack. People were offering to babysit all the time. People brought us dinner after Ellie was born, a lot of meals. Everyone was SO generous and the only way to pay them back is to pay it forward.

Being in the Air Force has given me an opportunity to serve people. I have been given so many more opportunities that I feel I wouldn't have had otherwise. (And equally as great, I am getting blessings for it :))

I also want to include a little paragraph about how being a member of the LDS church has also made this move SO much easier. Everyone there welcomed us with open arms. Meals, places to stay while our apartment was getting ready, a baby shower, love, support, and friendship. We honestly couldn't be more blessed than to be in this ward. We have never felt so loved by people who don't know us, and so accepted. The church outside of Utah is so different. They become your family when your family is not around.

I really am so grateful for all the blessings we have and for the friendships that we have made. I know these people will be my lifelong friends. I am grateful for the opportunities to serve and for the unity that my husband and I have formed. Our marriage is so much stronger. I am so grateful for my kids. I love them to pieces. I honestly don't feel like I could be happier right now. (unless we were debt free :))

Recipe: Buttermilk Syrup

If you make this syrup right now, you wont be sorry. I seriously LOVE it! I could probably eat it every day. My sister (Kristen) made it for me when she came to visit for Ellie's blessing, and now I make it all the time.

Update: I made a spice cake tonight and used this as the frosting. I poked holes in the cake right after it came out and poured it on warm. SOOOO GOOD!!! New fave.

Where I left off last.

I left off when we were in Alabama. Calvin, Debbie, and I were coming home and Mike had to stay a few extra days and go to Ohio for a physical.

The day after we got home the packers came and moved all of mine and Mike's stuff out of my parent's house. About a 4 days later Mike came home and packed us all up to move to Texas. It took us 3 days to drive here from Utah because Calvin was so little and I was 8 months pregnant. We had to stop A LOT.

But now we're here and we LOVE it! I couldn't be happier. We have a lot of friends and our ward is really great too!

I will go into more detail about everything in later random posts.

Luckily my parents have been able to fly out about once a month or so to visit us, and my sister came out here after Ellie was born, AND my other sister JUST moved to Grapevine which is two hours south. I'm so excited to have family so close! It's such a blessing.

Recipes- Sweet Pork Burritos

This is, by far, my most favorite go-to recipe. The best part is that taste, but the second best part is that it's a crock pot recipe so it's SO easy.

You need:
Pork Roast
1 jar of taco sauce
1/2 bag of brown sugar
Tortillas

toppings for your burritos. I like to use:
Rice
Cheese
Avocado
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Salsa

First put your roast in the crock pot and cover it with water. Cook on high for 4 hours.
after that is done, drain the water. You'll mix the brown sugar and taco sauce in a bowl, and dump it over the roast. If you can shred it, start shredding. If not, don't worry. It'll cook for 2 more hours and be shreddable by then.

Shred your pork and then it's ready to eat!

How I build my burrito:
Warm Tortilla
Pork
Rice
Cheese
Lettuce
Tomatoes
then I roll it up
I put the salsa and avocado on the outside.

Eat up. Your taste buds wont know what hit them!
If you make this recipe, comment and let me know how you like it, or if my instructions aren't clear enough.

The beginning

Time to start from the beginning.

Mike and I had talked about him joining the military and decided that the Air Force was the most "family friendly" branch. He also really has wanted to be a pilot his entire life, but the you have a better chance of becoming a NFL athlete than a pilot in the AF. I've also kind of felt like I would be a military wife, and I feel very excited and patriotic about it. We had been married for 2 years and Mike was done with school, so we decided to start the process.

It took almost two years to get accepted. By that time we had Calvin. In fact, it was just 3 days after we brought Calvin home from the hospital that we got word that Mike had gotten a pilot slot. Can you say MAJOR blessings being poured down upon us?? But we just had our first baby and I was getting scared of being alone. I wasn't sure how I felt about it anymore. But I knew it was Mike's dream job so I kept that to myself.

So this was all in January, and he wasn't leaving for Officer Training School (OTS) until October. So he quit his job in May to be a stay at home dad, while I continued to work at SkyWest until he left. I loved this set up because Mike brought Calvin in to see me at work all the time, and I also still got to talk to adults.

Mike left in October and was set to be gone until February. 15 weeks was a long time for a little boy to be away from his daddy and best friend. But Mike actually got two weeks off for Christmas! So that was awesome. We celebrated Calvin's first birthday while Mike was home so that he wouldn't miss it. I also forgot to mention that I moved in with my parents while Mike was gone. They took great care of me. I also forgot to mention that I was super pregnant! I was due at the end of March.

In February, Calvin, Mike's mom, and I flew to Alabama for Mike's OTS graduation. We were there for a week. That was seriously a blast. It also helped Debbie, Mike's mom, feel a lot more comfortable with her son being in the military. We also had our first military ball. It was on Valentine's day and it was super formal. So the week before we left my mom and I set out to find a formal dress that my pregnant body could fit it. It was rough, but $200 later we came out of the mall with exactly what I was looking for.

This post is getting super long, so let's take a break and take a look at one of my favorite recipes.

Product Review- Tommee Tippee Sippy Cup

I want to start with a product review, because I don't want to forget how much a love it!

I've FINALLY taken bottles away from Calvin for good. Calvin is my spunky one year old. We tried about ten different sippy cups and finally found that DOESN'T LEAK! That's right, it doesn't leak at all. I tried getting it to leak, but it wont. We went with the sports drink version of the sippy cup and it's working really well. It's also a plus that Calvin can drink out of it because there are a few out there that are hard for a one year old to figure out.

If you are in the market for a sippy cup, you need to try the Tommee Tippee brand. I give it 5 stars so far. These can be found in a two-pack for around $7 at Target, Babies R Us, and TJ Maxx. Or if you want to pay $17 you can buy them on Amazon. Happy Shopping!

My First Post!

I decided to start a blog about being in the Air Force as a spouse, mostly to keep family updated on our day to day fun, but also so other military wives know that they are not alone in their struggles. I hope, that through my blog, I can help others like reading other blogs has helped me.

There are so many things that I would like to write about that I need to organize my thoughts more thoroughly, and do it in a timeline fashion. I'm excited to get started, and start from the beginning.

I'm a newbie at writing and blogging, so hang in there with me.