Happy 1st Birthday, E!

At this exact moment 1 year ago, the greatest gift we have ever received was born. Our precious little girl, Emersyn Kay. We waited 8 longs years to finally have this moment and it was worth the wait. 

It is hard to believe that 1 year has passed since that life changing and amazing moment. She came into the world screaming and we instantly knew that she was going to be strong-willed and one of a kind. 

From day one she has had her daddy wrapped around her little fingers. There is nothing greater than watching your husband become a father.  

For me, in that moment, I knew that I could never love anyone as much as I love her. 

It really is hard to believe that she was ever this tiny. We were terrified new parents (just as I'm sure most are) and we were just amazed that we were responsible for this new life.  

Her personality is something that most people comment on. She has always been such a happy baby, she goes with the flow, and loves everyone that she comes in contact with. 

We have already taken her on so many different adventures and being able to experience all of these things as a family is priceless. 

We look at her everyday and realize just how lucky we are that we were chosen to be her parents. She has enriched our lives in more ways than we could have ever imagined. She has challenged us to be better people and better parents, even when we didn't think we needed to be. She has made us view life in a different way and we truly do not take anything for granted. Even the tough days with her are better than a good day without her. 

 Happy 1st Birthday, precious girl. We love you more than you will ever know. You are a gift and you have taught us so much in this year. Your smile, bright eyes, and laughter are something that we look forward to every single day. You are loved so much by all of your family, even though as you get older you'll think that we all are smothering you. ;) 

Thank you for being you and all we wish for you is to be happy and healthy. <3

You are our miracle and we can't wait to celebrate you this weekend with family and friends.

Weekending!

Happy Tuesday!!!

We are only a few days away from the start of September and you know what that means?! E's 1st birthday!! Holy cow! I've spent the last few days working on party things and prepping for family to arrive. It's such an exciting time. 

We had a pretty packed weekend as usual. It started out bright and early on Saturday morning with another race (I'm sure no one is surprised). We ran the Rock, Roll, and Run 5k in Bonner Springs. It was such a fun event with a great course! Nothing says fun like being serenaded by an Elvis impersonator at mile 2 haha. 

At the end of the event it was pretty cool to find out that Kyle and I both placed 2nd in our respective age groups! 

After the race we headed home, put E down for a nap, and got ready for the rest of the day. Later, we went to a birthday party for our friend's 2 boys and it was so much fun. All the kiddos played and it was so fun celebrating special birthdays. 

On Friday, I received tickets to a country throwback concert with Sammy Kershaw, Joe Diffie, and Montgomery Gentry for Saturday night. We, of course, had to go! It was E's first concert and our tickets were general admission so be brought a blanket and took up residence on the lawn.

I mean, how cute is she in her little headphones?! Kyle wore her in her ergo carrier and she was a happy camper. We didn't make it through the whole show because we were all tired but it was such a blast!

As soon as we got home which was around 9pm we all got settled and went to bed. 

We were up at 6am on Sunday for another race. We picked up my friend Lauren and as soon as we got on the road it started pouring. Not a light sprinkle at all. We really thought the event was going to get canceled. 

However, as soon as we saw this rainbow we knew it was going to happen. This race was benefiting cancer research, so for all of us it was special to participate. The start was delayed by 30 minutes but it finally kicked off around 8:30am. 

I've run this particular course before and I love it! It's not too hilly and it's self-contained so there is no traffic to worry about. Lauren and I ran together while Kyle ran ahead with E. It was great having someone to chat with! 

This event had almost 2,000 participants which was incredible! We enjoy a post race party that included cookies from Hardee's and ice cream from Sheridan's. 

The rest of the day was spent doing laundry, picking up a few groceries, and taking E for a walk in her new birthday ride!

:)

I hope you all had a great weekend!!!

Where Will We Go?

I've had quite a few people message me and ask me if we know what our next move will be after Kansas. As of right now we have no idea. As most who are affiliated with the military know nothing is ever truly set in stone. 

I thought I would break down exactly how this process works with the school that Kyle is attending. 

From now until June, Kyle is attending what is called the United State Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC). It is comprised of four different schools and Kyle is in the Command and General Staff Officer College (CGSOC). It is a 10 month long school that is designed to prepare the next group of field grade officers for pivotal leadership roles in their career. This is the ideal next step for a Captain who has been selected for promotion to Major. While Fort Leavenworth is the resident location there are also satellite locations as well.

In the early stages of this school soldiers have the opportunity to apply for what is called the School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS). This school is for those who want to be highly specialized strategic planners within the military. There are only 120 spots available. Why do I mention this? Because this school is exactly why we have no idea what our possible next step could be. Kyle is in the process of applying, and if he is selected we will stay in Kansas for another year meaning a Summer 2019 departure. 

Kyle has until September 6th to submit all of his documentation (which everything is submitted except for one document from his small group leader) and then he will go through an interview process. We won't find out if he has been selected until December 13th. Until then he will continue to receive emails from perspective units that might be a fit for him. He will also have the chance to meet with a variety of units that will come here for interviews as well as continue to talk to his branch manager.

We, of course, have our list of places that we would like to go and then there are those places that aren't ideal but would be good for him. At the end of the day I'll go anywhere as long as it's good for his career. I'm adaptable. 

Here are our top choices:

1. Fort Bragg, NC. 

Who wouldn't want to go back to the center of the Army universe?! ;) We spent the first 4 years of Kyle's career here and we absolutely loved it. I will be honest and say that we didn't make the most of our time here and we would do it differently if we are ever given the chance to go back. Kyle thrives on being in an Airborne unit (I will never understand someone who loves jumping out of a perfectly good plane haha) and he wants to get back into that type of unit. 

2. Fort Lewis, WA. 

Kyle did a lot of his ROTC training in College at Lewis (he attended Washington State University, Go Cougs!) and he loves the area. Beyond that he has a desire to work with the Corp that is there and it could greatly benefit his career. Plus, I have never been to this part of the country and it would be an awesome adventure. 

3. Fort Hood, TX.

This is one of the posts that is not ideal for us but we would make the most of it. The reason it is even remotely on the list is because it's a BIG post and job opportunities for Kyle are abundant. Would I mind moving back to Texas? No, but it wouldn't be my first choice. 

Of course, at the end of the day where we go is dependent on the needs of the Army and a wish list is just that. A wish haha. 

There is never a dull moment when it comes to this life! 

Let's Be Honest!

It's that time again!!! I really enjoy writing these posts, they are a mix of serious and silly honest thoughts. 

Let's Be Honest....I really wish people would stop telling us that we need to have another baby! No, we don't. We are perfectly happy with E and we just don't want to go down that road again. We are a one and done family. I'm not sure why everyone is so concerned about what we do, E isn't going to suffer, I can assure you that. 

Let's Be Honest....Games of Thrones is giving me a damn heart attack! Every episode really does get better than the last and I just can't handle much more haha. I will be significantly angry if we have to wait until 2019 for the final season. 

Let's Be Honest....I may not have really cared about the Eclipse but it was neat seeing the change outside. We were in a totality location but we had stormy weather that day but I still snapped a few photos. 

The photo on the left was taken at 1:07pm and the photo on the right was taken at 1:09pm.

Let's Be Honest....I went to the Spouses Club Super Signup yesterday and I really tried to go into with an open mind but it felt exactly how I knew it would, just really uncomfortable. A lot of friends were set up as vendors there and it was nice to see them and support their businesses. But alas, the spouses club is just not for me. 

Let's Be Honest....I'm not ashamed to admit that I am obsessed with the cinnamon rolls from Hearth Bread Co. in Weston haha! I may workout on a consistent basis but I do it partly so I can indulge in these. I typically go once a week and come home with several, they are so worth it.

Let's Be Honest....I am realizing just how nervous I am for a true winter this year. I mean this born and raised desert girl has never experienced significantly cold/snowy weather. We have lived in Nevada, North Carolina, Arizona, Texas, and Louisiana so this Kansas climate is new for us. I'm sure it will be quite the adventure!

Wishing everyone an awesome Wednesday! 

Double The Fun!

It's hard to believe that it's Monday again! I feel like the weekend just started. We had a pretty great weekend and to be honest I'm sad that it's over.

We started out the weekend on Friday with a surprise party at our neighbors house. Our friend, Sam, surprised his wife with a party full of family, friends, and good food. It was nice that it was next door so when E got fussy we put her to bed and brought the monitor over with us. 

We always received an awesome delivery. A new BOB stroller! Since we have significantly increased our running with E we knew that a new stroller was needed. She definitely seems content in it. 

We were up bright and early on Saturday morning for a Superhero 10k in town. I always look for races that benefit great causes and this was no different. The course was beautiful but quite hilly. It seemed that around every turn was another hill haha. It was so fun seeing people dressed in costumes and genuinely enjoying the morning.

Some friends of ours were there as well and took photos for us at the finish line.

I, of course, could not let us do a Superhero race without costumes. Kyle is so wonderful and pushes E when we do races and because of that I was able to PR my 10k time. 

After the races was over we headed towards home but we stopped at an event on post called PAIR Day. It brings together a variety of vendors and organizations that provide information/resources. We mainly went to grab a coupon for Kyle's new mess dress uniform. Believe me every little bit helps haha.

We decided to meet up with some friends for lunch at a local place called Grinders. If you are in the Leavenworth area, you MUST eat here! Not only is the food amazing but the staff is outstanding. The cook came out to address allergy concerns for one of our friends. It was awesome. 

We needed that good food fuel because we were running another race that night! We headed off to Kansas City to get ready for the Rock the Stockyards 5k in KC. It was held at a brewery there and it was such a cool atmosphere. They have music playing and everyone was so nice. The race started at 7:30pm and thankfully E was a champ!

The course was HILLY haha! The first half was entirely uphill but it made the back half so nice going downhill. They had music playing and people on the course giving high fives. You can't beat an atmosphere like that.

We finally made it home around 9:30, put E to bed, and decompressed.

Sunday was extremely low-key. It was mainly spent prepping for the week ahead and enjoying a quiet day at home.

I hope you all had a great weekend!

2017 Goals: Update

I haven't done a goals update since March and I thought it was time to check in.

Here is how things are going.

*Finances- This is probably the goal that I am the most proud of! Since we purchased my car brand new last March, my goal has always been to pay it off early. Kyle gives me full control of the finances so my focus was structuring our budget so that we could always make monthly principle payments on the loan. Now while this isn't always an option for most I was determined to make it happen. After a lot of hard work and determination, we successfully paid off my car on August 4th! A whopping 3 1/2 years early. Now we can focus on our one credit card, after that is paid off, hopefully by mid-2018 we will be 100% debt free! 

*Health- As most of you already know, I am an avid runner. One thing I haven't always enjoyed is other forms of working out. It was just never my thing. Using weights, machines, etc., just never interested me. I always got bored. However, that all changed when I started going to Stroller Strong Mom classes. When you have a baby going to regular gym classes isn't always an option because some don't have childcare and some are expensive. I love that I can take E with me (and there are usually fun things for the kids to do during and after class) and I can get a great workout in that includes running and circuit training. Beyond the workouts I am making great friends, which is an added bonus. I have definitely noticed a difference in how I look and feel. I have more energy and confidence. 

*Be More Present- I think this is one that most people struggle with and I'm no exception. I have tried to make it a point to disconnect for periods of time during the day. I don't have my phone in my hand when I am playing with E because that takes away from her. I do keep it close, mostly so I can take photos of something cute she does. I also put my phone away for at least an hour after E goes to bed so Kyle and I can have downtime. It's nice to just talk about our days and focus on spending that quality time together. While it won't always be perfect, but it's working right now. 

*Declutter- This goal has stalled for right now. Since we are mostly settled there isn't much that we need to get rid of at the moment. We do still have some boxes in the garage that need to be broken down and taken to the recycling center but otherwise this goal is on hold.

I really am proud with how these goals are going. I certainly hope to continue on this path and to end the year on a high note in these areas! 

Did you make goals for 2017? If so, how are they going?

Routine Is Necessary

There is always a period of transition that occurs during a PCS whether it's the last few days at an old duty station or the first few weeks at the new one. I'm all about being spontaneous but after a while I need structure. It always seem like the lack of a routine is the hardest part for us to deal with. 

Every time we have PCS'd Kyle has taken 30 days of leave. His leave typically begins once he signs out of the old duty station. I know people who will use some of that time at the old duty station but we prefer to save it for the new place. Thankfully, 10 days of that is non-chargeable leave (the Army is generous in giving soldiers 10 days of leave to look for housing). 

While it is amazing to have Kyle around and present during that time, it's also hard. I certainly don't take the time together for granted but not having a routine is rough. He will tell you the exact same thing, after a while we both are itching for him to go back to work. He misses the structure of work and I miss being able to get things done around the house and take care of errands when I need to. 

This transition has been significantly more difficult. Even though he signed into this unit back in June, his class did not officially begin until yesterday. So we have been together almost nonstop since the middle of May, that means he has been home for 90 days with a few days of in processing thrown in there. That's a lot! When he is home, neither of us have a desire to get things done around the house that need to get done. Instead, we would rather be out exploring and doing things. So, of course, some things suffer. 

We also know that too much time together has a tendency to lead to bickering. We both have very strong personalities and are stubborn so a seemingly small thing can turn into something big. It happens, but we did our best to avoid that. 

To keep from bickering about ridiculous things we had to make the effort to do things without each other. He would golf or go to a concert with friends and I would go get a pedicure or to playdates with E and friends. While spending time together isn't a bad thing, Kyle and I know each other well enough to know that after a while it's time for a little space to do our own thing. This is what almost 10 years of marriage has taught us. E is just like us and she notices when there are shifts from our standard routine, but she is still a ridiculously happy kiddo.

After roughly 90 days at home, he officially started class yesterday. Almost immediately we both had a huge sigh of relief as we settled back into a bit of normalcy. Yesterday was great because we both had things to focus on during the day but we came together as a family in the evening and it was wonderful. 

A routine for us is necessary, it keeps everything moving right along. 

Do you thrive on routine?