Today and Every Day, Give Thanks

Well, it's been a while since I last posted. A long while, actually, and for obvious reasons. For the past five weeks I've been attempting to acclimate myself to life as a mother of two, and you wouldn't believe how little time that leaves me for blogging (or for anything outside of diaper changing and baby feeding and laundry doing, for that matter). But you know what? I could not possibly be happier.

I've found myself with a bit of downtime today, and I thought - what better day to pick back up on my blog and make note of the many things I have to be thankful for today and every day.

I am abundantly thankful for my two beautiful, healthy children. They bring more joy to my life than I ever knew possible. I know now that I was made to be a mother and that these two babies were made just for me.

I am thankful for a loving, hardworking husband who provides for our family's every need and whose job allows me to stay home and raise our children. He is my best friend and my helpmate and I am proud to say that we will soon be celebrating three years of happy marriage.

I am thankful for a supportive family. Being a parent myself now, I am fully aware of how much love and sacrifice goes into having children and I will forever be grateful to my parents for theirs.

I am thankful for many friends, old and new. I am blessed to have old friends who feel like family and new friends who have helped ease the transition to a new lifestyle, as well as the ability to maintain relationships with each no matter how far apart we are.

I am thankful for members of the military who, on a daily basis, make sacrifices the rest of us could never begin to understand, and who don't always get to spend holidays like these with their families because they're busy serving our country and protecting our freedoms.

There's so many more things I could list, as I feel like there's a new blessing to count each day.
Thankfulness overwhelms me and I'm glad this day comes around once a year to remind us all how much there really is to be thankful for. I truly am blessed beyond measure and for that I give thanks. Today and every day.

D

So, as I predicted, I'm not good at this. I'm obviously far from making daily posts. But nevermind that, I'll get to them when I get to them, I suppose! Life before blogging.

Anyway, like I said, D is for dachshund. And that's because I currently feel like I've been quite neglectful of my two long little loves and I'm feeling a little guilty about it. Who knew how hard it would be to have dogs AND kids?! Now let's not go too far here and assume that they are in any way mistreated. I mean, they kind of have it pretty good, if you ask me. They have free reign of my house and my furniture, they nap all day, get tasty treats, and sleep in a very comfortable king sized, 200 thread count Egyptian Cotton sheeted bed at night. Sound rough? Hardly.

In fact, I just talked myself right out of my guilt. If I lived that comfortable a lifestyle with nothing to do and nowhere to be, I think I'd be alright.

In fact, as I write this, they lie curled up in their respective positions, just soaking in the day and its lack of responsibility. Ahh, to be a dachshund.

C

is for cake!

For about the past two weeks I have craved cake every day. I'm not exaggerating, EVERY day. Sometimes it comes in the morning. Like, the moment I wake up I think, hmm, it wouldn't be awful to eat a piece of cake for breakfast... Sometimes it's later in the day or maybe even just before bed. I don't really have any tendencies toward a certain kind, but I do want it to be warm and frosted.

Luckily, I had the self-control to not buy any cake mix during my last trip to the grocery store, and I'm much too exhausted to attempt anything homemade at this point, so I haven't exactly had easy access to any cake.

The funny thing is, even after all these cravings, the two times I have been presented with cake, it has absolutely repulsed me! Couldn't even take a bite! I didn't like the looks of it and certainly couldn't stand the smell.

So what does this mean? Do I want cake or not? Where are these cravings coming from and why do they plague me every day only to then torture me when I could give in?! I'll never understand the tricks pregnancy plays on my mind, but one thing's for sure... I'm certainly glad I haven't given into two weeks' worth of cake cravings! Cause S is for scale, and mine is screaming, "NO MORE!!"

B

is for Baby.

A baby that will soon be here. A baby whose room is fit for a princess and finally ready for her. A baby whose big brother has no idea what's in store but who will love her more than anything.

This is our Baby Kate and she will be here in ONE month. Ready or not. Physically, I've never been readier. Mentally, my mind is entirely blown at the idea of soon having 2 children. I'm not sure there is anything one can do to prepare for this either.

All I know, is she will have food to eat, a place to sleep, and will be showered with just about as much love as one little baby can handle ♥

A is for Army

I got an idea from my friend's blog to start my own "Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life" in which I write each day (or whenever I get around to it) about something in my life that begins with each letter of the alphabet. This serves as a way for me to look at some of the things going on in my life and gives me a jumping off point for ideas to write about/reflect on.

So let's just get this thing started, shall we?!

is for Army

I've loved the Army,and I've hated it. The Army has been good to us, and the Army has thrown many wrenches in our plans. The Army takes care of our family, and the Army puts pressure on us. The Army allows my husband to be home for many special occasions, and the Army demands that he be gone for countless others.

Overall, while I wouldn't say it's an easy lifestyle, it's been one that we've adjusted to quite well and that we've grown to love... which, as it turns out, is a very good thing because we've definitely decided to stay in. We've hemmed and hawed and pro'd and con'd and, in the end, we've decided that the best option for us at this point is to keep on keepin' on. This means we will continue to live at Fort Sill for at least another year, at which time Tyler will move on to his Captain's Career Course which will take us to Fort Lee, Virginia, and we will owe the Army at least one more year after that.

We both agree that this is the most practical solution for our growing family, and I'm excited to see where our decision may take us!

So Long, Summer!

The past three days in Oklahoma have been a beautiful, sunny 85ish degrees - absolutely perfect weather in the mornings, a bit warm in the afternoon but perfect in the shade, and a slight breeze that lets you know that Fall is in the air. To say that this makes me happy is a gigantic understatement. The thought of fall coming, to me, is like the thought of an upcoming birthday to a 5 year old. I'm practically giddy. I'm trying not to be too naive here, knowing that there is sure to be at least a few more days of fairly sweltering heat before the crisp fall weather sets in for good, but I have been given a preview of what's to come and I couldn't be happier. We've actually had our windows open for the past 3 days, and open windows just make me feel good. And as I move into the last 7 weeks (7 WEEKS!!) of this pregnancy - which, naturally, I assume will vary between highly uncomfortable and just plain miserable - I find comfort in knowing that I can enjoy (har har) them in what might be quite pleasant weather. It's one thing to be 8 1/2 months pregnant and uncomfortable. It's quite another to be 8 1/2 months pregnant, uncomfortable, and HOT. All of that said, I can't wait to head up to the attic (more like send my lovely husband up for me) to fetch all of the beautiful fall decorations that will grace my house for the next few months, catch as many high school football games as possible with my guys, and spend every possible moment outside, soaking up these gorgeous days. It is with great pleasure that I bid farewell to August and its miserable heat and welcome September with open arms!

Here's another precious little person who loves fall...


hard to believe how much he's grown since we took these pictures last year at the pumpkin patch!

Well, it's been a while since I posted, and I blame it on not having a moment to even breathe for the past few weeks. But finally, it's Wyatt's naptime on a Saturday and I can sit down for a few mintues and update! Here's one of the things we were up to recently...

Last Wednesday morning Tyler, Wyatt and I loaded up and headed to Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, TX for a marriage/family retreat hosted by his unit. We thought, if nothing else, that it would be a nice chance for us to spend some time together, three glorious days off work for Tyler and one for me, and an all expense paid trip to a place we probably wouldn't spend the money to come to otherwise (we're talking well over $200/night). And I don't think I get to do this very often, so I feel like I should probably sieze the opportunity to say "Thank You, Army!"


We weren't sure how interesting or helpful the marriage retreat itself would be, but we were actually pleasantly surprised. The classes that we went to were quite relevant and surprisingly funny. And just being able to get away from "real life" for a few days to do nothing but spend time with my two favorite boys was just what the doctor ordered. I mean, c'mon, who wouldn't want to hang out with these two cuties?!


I cannot express to you how much fun it is to watch Wyatt taking in all these new things. I know I'm just following him around beaming like an idiot, but it is really the most precious thing I've ever experienced. And it's things that I wouldn't normally even pay attention to that he is just profoundly excited by. Take for instance the bears that line the hallway on the hotel carpet... You and I would probably never even notice them. But Wyatt could spend hours in that hallway pointing to each little bear and squealing "pupppppyyyyyy!!!!" And it just melts my heart!


We all had a wonderful time, and ended our trip with Wyatt's very first visit to the Rainforest Cafe which he equal parts loved and hated. He was quite terrified when the lights would go down and all the monkeys would start moving and squacking and the big elephants nearby would bellow and swing their trunks.


But he was also very pleased with his light up cup and sweet balloon hat. Overall, a win!



With only two months left until Baby Kate arrives (!!!) I'm doing my very best to soak up every single second of precious Wyatt time I can, and, let me tell you, it is pure joy.

Wedding Gift Idea

I found this idea for a wedding gift - the framed wedding date - in my Southern Living magazine and immediately fell in love, as I am a sucker for personalized gifts.


However, the Southern Living version was $85 and I felt sure I could make my own version for a lot cheaper.

So my friend, Rebecca, and I went out around post and in Lawton and took pictures of some neat looking numbers, which was a little time consuming, but free, I had the pictures printed for about 20 cents a piece, and bought the frame at Hobby Lobby, regular $40, but I got it half off. So, I spent a total of about $21, and I think it turned out pretty good! I'll be giving it to some friends at their wedding next weekend, hope they like it!


What do you think?

Bye Bye Baby

Well, there are some big changes going on in the Moody house. It's nearly August and we are busily making way for Baby Kate (only 3 months to go, can you believe?!). Last weekend, Wyatt said goodbye to his baby furniture and welcomed his new "bigger boy" bed. I say that because it is still a crib - Mommy and Daddy were not quite ready for the freedom that comes with a "big boy" bed - so we decided to use the crib my sister in law used for her daughter. But it is a convertible crib and should we decide sometime in the near future that Wyatt is ready for a toddler bed, we now have that option. He was very happy to "help" his daddy assemble the crib (we only had to hunt down a few misplaced screws) and he wanted to test it out immediately!


And he LOVES it! I don't know what it is about that bed, but he practically begs to get in it at naptime and bedtime - a mother's dream, I tell you! And he's never slept better.


A new bed for Wyatt also meant good things for Mom and Dad. Since he gave up all his furniture to baby sister, and since the furniture that is currently in our bedroom just so happens to match his new crib, we decided we would pass our furniture onto Wyatt and buy ourselves a fancy new bedroom suite. And that we did. And here she is...


This, obviously, is the picture from the website, as we had to special order ours and it won't be delivered for two weeks, but you get the idea. It was a big purchase, probably the biggest we've made since we moved here, and it was sort of hard to hand over the cash to the lady at the store, but I'm certain we will be glad we did it. Stay tuned for pictures of the real deal.

When we first moved into this house, we had a collection of random furniture that we'd inherited over the years from parents and friends who didn't need it anymore and were gracious enough to pass it along to us. Each of those pieces has served its purpose well and we are very grateful to not have had to live in an empty house all this time. But little by little we are adding new pieces, ones that we've actually chosen and that (gasp!) match!! Our very first purchase was a coffee table and two end tables to replace the broken ones we started with. Then a TV stand that was tall enough to keep tiny little Wyatt prints off the screen (and that matched the coffee table!) Next a new couch and love seat set (SO comfy) and now a bedroom suite. It's all coming together and we feel like such grown ups now! And speaking of growing up...


My baby is hardly a baby anymore! Look at him - he looks like a real live BOY now! And you better believe he knows he's not a baby anymore. A high chair? Puh-lease! He wants to sit at the table with us. And how dare us think for a second he might still want to eat with his hands! He'll take a fork, thank you. And, whatever you do, please don't try to wipe his mouth when he's done eating. He can obviously do that himself.



I just can't get over how big he is and how smart! His favorite words this week are "doose" (juice - which he wants ALL the time), "nack" (didn't you know the 's' in snack is silent?), "duck" (several of which he got to see last night at Medicine Creek and he couldn't have been more excited), "kack" (what the ducks say), "wup" (up... not sure why the need for the extra letter), "down" (which he says when he wants to get down and often when he wants to get up), "puppy" (to include horses, cows, deer, squirrels, sheep, you name it), "mow" (the sound a "puppy" (kitty) makes), and "poo poo" (to inform me that there is, in fact, poo poo in his diaper - and he's always right).

We've come a long way from attempting to decipher his little infant cries to attempting to decipher his little toddler speak, and my, how time has flown. It's hard to believe we will soon be back to square one with a precious baby girl and that Wyatt will no longer be the baby, but the BIG boy - although he will always, always be my baby boy. This motherhood thing is so much better than anyone could have ever told me it would be, and it blesses me every day. I am learning so much from this special little boy, and it is all just so, so sweet.

Now What?

As you know, Tyler and I (and Wyatt) have been living this Army life for about two years now. We've loved it, we've hated it, and we've really, really hated it. But now, we've come almost full circle to loving it again. A few short months ago, we (mostly Tyler, but when a husband is miserable in his job, his wife feels the pain) were at the peak of our unhappiness with the military and couldn't think of anything better than the day some super important person would sign that piece of paper saying that we were no longer bound to this lifestyle. And July 7th marked the day that one year from now, we would be able to get that very paper signed. The way this all works is that one year prior to when your commitment to the Army is up, you are able to "drop your papers" as they say, basically stating that in one year we no longer want to be in the Army and the ball is set rolling on your honorable discharge.

Well, we had dropped our papers and started the countdown. We are now down to 10 months until the day we'd be able to leave Fort Sill (we could move home on terminal leave in May with the days that Tyler has saved up) but now we're not so sure.

Obviously, I would LOVE to be back in Texas, close to my family and the majority of my friends. But I have lots of friends here now, too, and will have many more wherever the Army may take us next. And while several aspects of this life aren't ideal, there's equally as many that are pretty terrific. We've heard horror stories of staying in and horror stories of getting out, we've envisioned scenarios of what our life may be like either way, we've weighed the pros and cons... and we have no clue what we want to do.

It's not like we have to know tomorrow, but if the next 10 months go by as quickly as the last, then we need to have some idea about what will happen next. And it's a really, really, REALLY tough decision.

Here's where we stand...

You can't beat the benefits - this includes the fact that our housing and utilities are paid for, the health insurance (it cost us exactly $0 to have Wyatt), I would never have to work a day in my life and could stay home and raise my children (the most ideal situation I can think of), and the rate at which Tyler would promote in the Army is much faster than that in the civilian world. So basically, a lot of it revolves around money, but in that we would be earning more than enough to live off of while the military pays the majority of our bills, we are all taken care of healthwise, and my kids aren't spending their entire childhood in daycare. Not to mention, we would see the country, maybe a few other parts of the world and meet lots of great people, as evidenced by how many truly wonderful friends I've made in two short years.

On the other hand, we would likely never again be as close to home as we are now, and the longer we stay in the more we risk deployment and separation. And we'd have to move our kids around a lot. There are surely a few other downfalls, but those are the two that would most affect our decision.

So what do we do?! Yeah, we don't know. We'll probably spend the next 10 months going back and forth, wondering what's best for our family, but how will we really know til we do it? And when I'm stuck by myself, mid-deployment, with two kids, will I be wishing we'd gotten out? Or when we move back to Texas to be close to home and we're living off of a teacher's and a cop's salaries wishing someone would help us pay our mortgage will I wish we'd stayed in?? I don't know. And everyone has a different story.

As of right now, our paperwork is turned in and the countdown is still ticking. But we can change our minds at any time. So here's to hoping we make the right decision, whatever that may be...

And just for grins, here's a couple pictures of Wyatt and his soon to be Jersey girl, whose parents just made the decision to get out of the Army and are headed back home as we speak!

"The Summer Night is Like a Perfection of Thought"

Well, we had our 2nd annual Lauman Ave. Fourth of July BBQ yesterday, which will also, sadly, be our last, as our core group will all be gone by next July. It's a very bittersweet thing because as much as we're all very excited to move on - The Cappellos, leaving the Army and moving back to Philly, the Whites, staying in the Army and heading out West to California, and the Moodys, also leaving the Army and moving back to the only place we'll ever call home, Texas - we're also very sad to say goodbye. We've had some great times over the past year and a half and the 4th of July has again proven to be one of the greatest celebration weekends of them all.



We do it up big on Lauman... more food than any one group of people should be able to eat in an evening, lots and lots of good, cold beer (this item being so important to some that they were willing to drive down to Texas to get "real" beer, as Oklahoma only sells a weaker version), a very competitive Washers tournament, lots of happy, messy, squealing babies, and some of the best conversation I think I'll ever have.




The Army is an amazing thing with its ability to bring together such a vastly diverse group of people who would likely never be friends otherwise and bond us in such a way that it feels like we've know each other for a hundred years. And this special bond we share will make it much harder when its time for us to part ways, but in the meantime, we've made some pretty priceless memories.




And as proud as I am to be an American with the freedom to celebrate this special holiday, I am that much prouder to be the wife of an American soldier with the privelege of sharing the celebration with so many others who have afforded a little bit of their freedom to secure yours and mine. God Bless America!


And just for the sake of summertime, I have to throw these in... it's just not a summer celebration without some good, juicy watermelon!

Baby Grows Up, Mommy Gets a Job

Lessons learned this week: (1)Babies grow up way, way, way too fast and (2)There is a reason I am a high school teacher instead of early childhood.

I've been knowing #1 for a while now, I suppose, but it hit me hard when Wyatt and I were walking out the door for our first day of "school"/work, him with his little puppy backpack and matching lunchkit, me running behind him snapping pictures. It's hard for me to believe that he is almost 16 months old - he shouldn't even be big enough to carry his own backpack - and there he goes wearing it proudly, toddling off to go meet his new school friends. While I love every second of watching him grow up and learn new things, and I couldn't be more proud of the little thing, some days I wish just a little that I could swaddle him up like I used to and rock him for more than 10 seconds before he's off and running. And yesterday I was just sending him off to daycare... heck, not even sending him off, I was going to be at the same place as him all day! But before I know it I'm gonna be packing up his car and watching him leave for college! Ok, ok let me not get carried away here... he's 15 months old. And it's daycare. And it was so, so, SO cute. See for yourself.






Now for lesson #2 - I have never in my life heard the words "I need to go potty" as many times as I did on Tuesday. I promise you I spent close to 85% of my day taking various children to the bathroom. A class full of potty trained or nearly potty trained children is a blessing and a curse. It is nice to have a break from diaper changing all day (although, there are still a few incidents and when they happen they're much, much worse than a baby's) but it's almost just as irritating to have to help kids pee all day. I think that most of them just like to go cause they get to wash their hands when they're finished which means they get to play with the soap. Also irritating/entertaining is that the great majority of them strip their pants and underwear completely off when they go to the bathroom and then run out half naked to tell us that they're done. WOW. Never a dull moment.

It also gets really old saying, "No, so-and-so, we don't take toys from our friends. Now give so-and-so the ball back and say you're sorry." Talk about a broken record! Thankfully, these kids are pretty darn cute and say and do lots of sweet stuff in between potty breaks.

All of this said, I think I will really enjoy my new job - it's a good break in our regular routine, gives Wyatt and I both something to do a couple times a week, and allows us to put a little extra cash in the bank. But it is also a wonderful reminder of why I became a high school teacher and not a kindergarten teacher. Not that high school students don't often act like 2 year olds, but at least they don't need help going to the bathroom and they can blow their own noses... most of them anyway.

Daddy Love

I am busily working on my Florida Vacation post, but it's gonna be a long one and, in the meantime, I thought it would be appropriate to take a minute on this beautiful Sunday morning to say Happy Father's Day to the two best Dad's I know - my sweet Dad and Tyler, who is celebrating his second Father's Day today!

My dad has been the best dad a girl could ask for and may even be guilty of spoiling me just a little :)



And now he is such a proud Grandpa who couldn't possibly love his three little grandsons more. And I think he's just a little excited about having his first grandDAUGHTER in a few months - wonder if she'll be spoiled, too?



Then there's Tyler... The proudest moment of his life was 15 months ago when he laid eyes on his first baby boy and he's been puffed up ever since.



He loves this little guy more than anything in the world and he shows it. He's become a wonderful diaper changer, breakfast maker, bubble blower, ball thrower, and all around great daddy. They make quite a team, those two.



So I want to wish a very Happy Father's Day to two of the most wonderful men in my life and I hope they know how much they are loved and appreciated every day! ♥

Pure Florida Bliss

Well, here we are, back in Lawton after a beautiful week in sunny Florida. While I hate to seem dissatisfied with where I live, I gotta say, after 7 days in Destin, Lawton is not exactly paradise. But I suppose that's what vacation is all about - taking a few days to escape from the norm, shucking all schedules and responsibilites (that's where the Grandparents come in), and then, just when you're growing quite accustomed to living on beach time, you find yourself strapped back in a car with 908 miles between you and the reality that awaits you in Southwest Oklahoma.

But let's not let reality get in the way here... this post is all about beaches and ocean and good times. (Here's a little preview.)



This week long trip to my happy place began with a very looong 14-hour road trip, whcih I thought would be more eventful than it was, but because I have been blessed with what must be the sweetest and most well-behaved toddler on the planet, it was cake. Save for the last 45 minutes of the trip in which all 3 of us passengers were in what you might call "Melt Down Mode," the trip was nothing like what I'd psyched myself up for. We headed out at 8 pm, Wyatt's bedtime, hoping for a full night's rest for him and that's exactly what we got.

Here's Wyatt all ready to go!


We made a 6am stop for a McDonald's breakfast, a 10am stop in Mobile, AL for a look around the children's science museum and lunch in a precious little downtown cafe,




and were in Destin by 1pm, exhausted and maybe slightly irritable, but who cares, we were there!

And this was Wyatt minutes after arriving at our condo...



And because I think pictures will do the week better justice than my words, the rest of this post will be just that, with picture descriptions as needed. Please enjoy, we certainly did :)

Our beautiful condo and the view from our 15th floor balcony...




My sister's 30th birthday celebration


Complete with all you can eat chicken spaghetti!


Sweet pajama-clad boys scoping out the beach before suiting up and heading down...


One happy little boy's first time in the sand :)


A family sandcastle building affair (yes, my swimsuit has a skirt, I'm the oldest 24 year old in the world)


There was snack sharin' on the beach


And snack sharin' in the condo


And lots more pure cuteness...






There was a trip to Johnny Rocket's, a delicious hamburger joint



and a trip to the mall (which had no maternity stores, so I left empty handed)


Wyatt tried his hand at boogie boarding (on land)



And the big boys went deep sea fishing








And then a little boy and a big boy went parasailing together!




And we took some beautiful family pictures - This is one great looking family, if I have to say so myself :)



Just looking through and posting the pictures makes me wish I was back there, but duty calls (that's right, I got a job - post coming!) It was a much needed, much enjoyed vacation for us all and until next year, we've got our sweet tans and some wonderful memories!