Oh What a Week

OH What a week we have had! It has been crazy! Monday I ran errands most of the day trying to get ready for the husbands arrival coming up VERY soon and I was exhausted when I got home! Monday night Tyler woke up every 2 hours crying! His poor mouth was hurting. Poor fellow! I am so not a fan of this teething process nor am I fan of this missing sleep! My Dad got up with him some of the times and helped! He was just so pitiful!

Tuesday was a much better day! I had a hair appointment at 11 so my in-laws watched Tyler. I went back blond! Its Jon's favorite and I really like it as well! More upkeep but it also holds style much better with color in it! So for now I am loving the new color! Hope Jon likes it as well! We stayed at home that afternoon and I organized my Husbands suitcase again. I put the things I had forgot and they got shoved in other bags into his suitcase and pulled out clothes for him to change into the airport and for our overnight stay together! WHOO HOO!!! TIME WITH THE HUSBAND!!!!! Can you tell how excited I am! I also went through all of his gift bags so I could remember what all I had bought! BAD I KNOW! There is some good stuff in there! I also wrapped his part of his Father's Day and his Birthday present! He may or may not know about most of this stuff! I HATE surprises and I get so excited about what I by him that most of the time I end up telling him before he gets it! Poor guy! At least he gets the good gift, right? But I have done very good this time and I have some surprises and one major surprise! I have kept it a secret for months now! I am probably most excited about his Birthday present. Tuesday I also went through my clothes and separated out and sorted through so I would know what I had! I ALWAYS over pack! Always!!!! Tyler's clothes well they are uncontrollable! That child has the best wardrobe! Lets not even go there! He is defiantly a brand name baby and a huge boutique baby! I heart me some John-Johns! I can't help it! The kids swimsuit is also boutique and he has a towel to match that I monogrammed his name on! LOVE IT! PS LOVE Bailey Boys, Chez Ami, Kellys Kids, Vive Le Fete, Silly Goose, Mulberry Street, Le Top, Funtastia! too, and Pedipeds for shoes! I do not want to know what it will be like to have a little girl! It will be just sad in such a good way!

Wednesday, my Mom worked at home and we took it a little easier but washed clothes, fought naps, and then we went early to church so that I could help my Mother-in-law with church's children's program this Sunday! They are doing "Patch the Pirate" and it is going to be so cute! I have always loved helping her with musicals! We did a Christmas one together during Jon's last deployment and it was so precious! I can not wait to see the final production Sunday night! They will do great and be so adorable!

Thursday, morning we woke early to take my Mom to get her hidden wisdom tooth cut out! :( Tyler entertained everyone in her Oral Surgeons office! He was great as always! He got a little sleepy and I used the Iphone to play Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on really low volume and he sat and smiled away! Thank goodness for a Iphone and Itunes! Works all the time! Mickey is the only show he likes and he LOVES it! I am pretty sure he said mouse in the car yesterday! After her appointment we went and got her prescription and went home! She was very well drugged and needed sleep as did Tyler! So I put them both to bed! HA! Mom slept most of the day which helped. When my dad got home he babysat Tyler so that I could take my Mom to get her hair done. She had scheduled it way before her surgery and would never get another appointment before vacation so we went on! But we had fun talking with the ladies!

Friday, Mom was still home but feeling much better and not drugged! Tyler played then went down for a nap and I relaxed in the big tub! Much needed! Then Tyler and I went and met up with Jon's family for lunch. Tyler is really learning how to walk holding someones hands! He was moving! So cute on his tip toes! Then after lunch I helped my Mom clean out her closet! Man was this a job! But we got it done! She tried on clothes while I pulled out, separated, organized and placed back in! But She was good and got rid of 3 large trash bags worth of clothes! Now she can fit her clothes in her closet and it is nice and organized so she can find things! Bless her heart she had clothes she forgot she had bought! Then Dad came home and we went to eat at Olive Garden so Mom could have some pasta that was easy to chew and to our weekly Target run!

What a week! I also tanned, done Zumba, and whitened my teeth preparing for the hubs R&R!!! I can not wait to see my husband again even if it is only just for 15 days!

Today I am going to ABC to help my Mother-in-law with the dress rehearsal for the children's muscial! Then I am sure Mom and I will get into a little trouble! It is the weekend! :)

Grocery Cart Challenge

I am a day late! Its been a crazy week! Fridays are my normal Grocery Cart Challenge day! This week has been so busy and I have had some errands and projects to get done so I am going to list my easy to go to Chocolate Chip Cake recipe! I love this recipe and made it by accident not long after I got married and everyone loved it and it has just stuck with me! You can go to http://grocerycartchallenge.blogspot.com and get lots of other yummy recipes every Friday!

Chocolate Chip Cake Recipe

1 Box of Duncan Hines Butter Recipe Cake Mix

Oil

Eggs

Water

2 Bags of Milk Chocolate Chips

Chocolate Frosting (Optional)

Powdered Sugar (Optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix your cake recipe by following the box directions. I use my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer because I like how it mixes everything really nice and smooth. Then I mix in one bag of milk chocolate chips and pour in a well greased bundt pan. You can use any pan but it looks so much pretttier and you will have to flip this cake once it is baked. Once in pan pour the remaining bag over the top of the batter but do not stir in! The chips in the batter will sink to bottom and for a chocolate chip cookie topping and the ones you sprinkle over will sink into cake! It bakes for about 45 minutes. (You may use the baking time off your cake mix box.) When it cools flip the cake and for a nice rich tasting cake you may add chocolate frosting or my preferred way is to just sprinkle some powdered sugar and let it look pretty.

*I have tried over cake mixes and none of them taste as well as the Duncan Hines. The Butter Recipe is my favorite but when I have not had any in stock I have used plain yellow cake mix. Duncans are the softest and fluffiest! Betty Crockers does not even compare.

I hope you enjoy this as much as my family has!

Some of my Favorites Right Now

So I am in the mood to chat so I am going to list some of my favorites right now! Summer time is a whole new season which brings all kinds of new things to have and want! What are some of your favorites right now?

My first favorite is Vera Bradley! Actually it is a favorite all year long, every year! LOVE all of there stuff!

1) The Little Hip Bag. I love this because I can tuck it into my diaper bag really easy or I can wear it crossed over my body for comfort as well. And best thing is my Iphone fits inside! And how cute is the "Sittin in the Tree" pattern?

2) The New Flip Flops. They have a adorable flower on top and are very comfortable! I got them to go with my new adorable swimsuit!

3) The Vera Bradley Beach Towel! I splurged and bought the towel to match my shoes! I love it! It is nice a thick and soft and the pattern is so pretty! And of course I monogrammed my name on mine! Wouldn't need anyone trying to take it away from me! :)

My Next Favorite is T-Strap Sandals! I am a little obsessed with them! They are cute, stylish and perfect for toting a baby around in!

Next on the list I will add a little something for Tyler. I love the Swim ways Baby's Spring Float with Canopy! Tyler is adorable in it!!!

Okay so I have seen so many cute swimsuits out there this year but finding one to fit me and well lets just say some of the baby skin has decided to stay for now! So it must hide the muffin top and well Tyler left me some fab battle wounds, such as Stretch marks that scared because they split open! Yeah they are not pretty and the world does not want to see them! So I found this little Retro Number by La Blanca! LOVE La Blanca! Plus I got to get 2 sizes smaller in bottoms and a size smaller in the top, even though now I wish I had 2 sizes smaller in the top! I got it in black even though it came in some fun colors! Black is always slimming and it looks so cute with my cute Vera Flops and Towel!

Last I broke down several weeks ago and bought "The Bob" Stroller and just let me tell you I LOVE IT! I wish I had never bought a travel system now! If you know me you know I loved my travel system and had no complaints about it and I still don't and still use it shopping some. But this new stroller is like pushing air and you do not feel the child in hardly at all! I just love it! I can not wait for the Hubs to try it out next week! He is going to love taking Tyler out for runs in it!

Father's Day!

Happy First Father's Day Jonathan!

Father's Day!

Yesterday was Father's Day! We spent it with both of Tyler's Grandparents! We woke up and got ready and went to Jon's parents church. The Service was great and Tyler wore an outfit that was Jons when he was a little boy! He looked so sweet in it! He played and had a blast in the nursery. I still have a hard time leaving him but I am getting much better!!!! MUCH better! He feel asleep during the service and actually let them lay him down in a crib. WOW!!!! This is hard to accomplish! He was so sweet laying there asleep! I had to pull at the SLR and snap a few shots! HA! After church we went to the St. John's and had lunch as a family! Tyler is loving eating at the table and had some mashed potatos, peas and carrots! He loves his vegetables but he definetly has a sweet tooth! Then Tyler and Grandpa had some play time and went for a walk around the neighborhood! Grandpa likes "The Bob" as much as I do! After the walk Tyler played on the piano! This little boy really likes the piano and plays his heart out on it!

Later in the Afternoon we went back to my parents house and to see Pop Pop! We called Carrie, Anthony, & Ansleigh and the rest of us all joined in one room and gave Pop Pop his Father's

My Special Joy

A Grandfather is a special blessing

enriching the life of a grandchild

with unique and uncompariable joys.

Grandpa, you are my special joy.

I get a warm, safe, contented feeling

when I think of you.

With you, I feel no pressure to be

what someone else wants me to be;

you love me enough to let me be me.

You're never in a hurry;

you always take time to listen and help.

You are always there when I need you;

you are never to busy for talks, for walks.

I can count on your wisdom,

your life experience,

your understanding heart

to help me comprehend and get through

challenges you have already faced.

You are part parent, part teacher,

part best friend.

Your strength and your easy, calm confidence

is your legacy to me,

and I love you dearly.

Happy Father's Day Grandpa!

by Joanna Fuchs

I am blessed to say I have the most wonderful Father! He has always taken care of me and gone out of his way for us! I could never repay him! I love him very much! I am also blessed to have a wonderful Father-in-law! He has welcomed me from day one and makes sure he can do what he can to take care me and Tyler as well, especially while Jon is gone! Thank you both for being such great Father's and great role models!!!

To My Husband

I remember getting to call you on the phone to tell you that you were going to be a Father! You were so excited and so nervous! You knew the whole time in your heart you were going to have a little boy to follow in your footsteps. Your face at the Bass Pro Shop when I came to tell you I was in labor will be one I will never forget! You took care of me! You were so calm and so strong! You were so excited when Tyler was born! I loved that you went straight to the NICU with him to make sure everyone was taking care of him! You love for that little boy radiated from you! You were so tender and loving for him and such a encourager for him! You hung in right there with me trying to teach him how to eat! I loved you cheering him on every little CC. Then we get to leave the hospital and you take us to the airport and I knew you didn't want to leave us but you had to! I will never forget being on the phone with Mom and her telling me you had called to tell her that you had left your two babies at the airport! I cried like a baby! You from day one have been the best daddy for that sweet little boy! Even though you are gone right now that little boy loves you more than the world! He smiles everytime your name is mentioned and I can not wait for him to get to hug and kiss on you in just a few short days!! Our son thinks you are his HERO and will till he dies! He has the best daddy he could ever ask for!!!!

My Father is a Christian

My Father is a Christian;

He leads our household well;

With instruction from the Bible,

Right behavior he'll compel.

Yet he steers us with compassion;

His gentle love is true;

He conforms to our Lord Jesus,

So we know just what to do.

He teaches us with purpose,

Guides us in all Godly ways,
So we will take the right path,

And serve our Lord with Praise.

I'm glad you're a Christian, Dad;

You help me see things clearly.

I'll always look up to you,

And love you very deeply.

by Joanna Fuchs

Vacation Time Coming Soon

So I dream of every day going to the beach! Yes every single day! We are Vacation Fools all year long! That is one of the things that I miss the most about my hubby being gone! Of course HE is what I miss the most!!! Vacationing all the time is also one of the things I miss the most about being stationed in Fort Bragg, NC! Vacation Spots, especially beaches, were very short distances away so we went A LOT!!! Needless to say since the hubs is on his way soon to spend 15 days with us we are vacationing most of the time, just like the last deployment! I know some military spouses prefer to live there everyday life during that time, but we do not! We love to spend that time vacationing our hearts out! Then when he leaves we do not have to go back to day to day life without him again. It is hard enough the first time I personally do not want to do it again! Preferrably NOT EVER again but we are in the Army and will be for a long time still so it is part of the job! We deal with it and move on! I support my husband fully and I LOVE OUR life together as a family! It is our life! Being a soldier is what God has called my husband to do and I stand behind that decision as a thankful wife!

Okay so our first vacation spot will be Tybee Island, GA! I can not wait! We have never been there! We are also going to visit Savannah, GA some too! The Hubs and I have been to Savannah a couple of times but are not experts on that city and there are still millions of things we would like to see! But the best thing is none of my family has been to either city! We will all be little explorers and on a new adventure! So not normal for my family we go to the same vacation spot every single year on the same week of every year. It is just what we have always done and truly our hearts LOVE Pensacola Beach but we will go back another day! So Tybee Island Here We Come in two weeks!!!! Any Suggestions of things to do I would love to hear!

The Next stop on our Vacation is Myrtle Beach, SC. We have grown to love this place. Jon went to Myrtle Beach several times growing up but I had never been till we moved to Ft. Bragg. Actually we never adventured there until after his 1st deployment to Iraq. We drove in for a Strong Bonds Marriage Retreat on a long weekend and Jon had the next week off so we had decided to book a hotel for that week as my birthday present! The Retreat went great as did the week. We had so much fun and there was so much to do! We love to go to the outlets and putt putt and Jon loves to fish off the pier. So with the oil spill in the Gulf we changed our vacation spot to here! We are so looking forward to the time together relaxing, fishing, golfing, shopping, and spending time with our families. We have also decided that we are going to renew our Wedding vows on the beach since our 5 year anniversary was this year and we have been through so much together!

The Grocery Cart Challenge

The Ultimate Stuffed Mushroom

I got this recipe off of http://www.kraftrecipes.com ! I use this website often from my computer and the handy Iphone Application! I use it often at the grocery store! I made this last weekend and man oh man were they good!!! I really enjoyed them!

What you Need

20 Fresh Mushrooms

3 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp finely chopped Onions

2 Tbsp finely chopped red onions

12 Ritz crackers finely crushed, 1/2 cup

2 Tbsp Kraft grated parmesan

1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning

Make It

Turn oven on to 400 degrees. Remove stems of all mushrooms. Finely chop enough stems to equal 1/4 cup. Discard the rest of the stems or refrigerate for other use.

Melt butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Add chopped stems, onions and peppers; cook and stir until tender. Stir in cracker crumbs, cheese, and seasoning (I also added a little cheddar); spoon into mushroom caps. Place on baking sheet. (I topped off with Bacon Crumbles also.)

Bake 15 minutes or until heated through.

Substitutes

Reduced Fat Ritz crackers and parmesan cheese

Top photo courtesy of http://www.kraftrecipes.com/

Bottom two are taken by me

Life the past few days!

Our Weekend was kind of boring! Actually it was boring! HA! I had to spend the whole weekend packing and preparing for or trip to Alabama. Packing for a baby, my husband, and me wore me out! I also learned our car is so not big enough!!!! Jon was easy for the most part because he emailed me a list of everything he wanted me to bring home for him to have! Thanks Hubby!!! It makes packing very easy when you know exactly what to get out! Of course I added some things to make sure he had everything he needed! I am the worst OVERPACKER!!! I can't help it!!! I packed poor Tylers suitcase and and then started on mine! I hate packing for myself sometimes! I question everything I pack and of course I overpacked! The good thing is that for the last two weeks I had been making me a detailed list of everything that needed to be packed so late Sunday night I was going through it so that Monday morning I could get up before Tyler finish up and not have to worry about entertaining him and packing. That is too much for one mommy to do! I did pretty good this time I only left two things at home, well at least forgot at home! I left my Iphone plug and things we use to twist in the sand! We also left his walker and jumperoo because I could NOT squeeze them in!

Also Sunday Tyler went to our last FRG meeting for HHC-187th. Got a little bit information, talked with some friends, made some signs for the guys, and dealt with a cranky baby. After the meeting we had dinner with our friends Meredith, Peighton, and Henry! We always enjoy spending time with them and we will miss them over the next month!!!

Monday when we got to Bama we went to my in-laws to celebrate! Monday was there 30th Wedding Anniversary! I am so thankful to have such great in-laws that I love very much! I am proud that they have stuck together for 30 years through the good and bad! Most people now days never make it that far. I pray everyday that Jon and I still love each other as much as the love each other after 30 years! They have done so much for Jon and I and we could never repay them for it! I feel blessed to have such Godly examples in my life. They live there lives for God and give there marriage to him! That is how it is done folks, not always easy but how it is suppose to be done!

For there special surprise all the children minus Jon cooked them dinner. Ruthanne, Candace, and Tim worked hard on Chicken Cordon Bleu. I made homemade mashed potatos and Garlic Cheese Biscuits and Tim made pan fried Asparagus! We set the table really nice and made a great toast to family! What a great evening! It was so special to get to share it with them! For Dessert on my way home I had stopped at The Cheesecake Factory and picked up the 30th Anniversary Chocolate Cake cheescake!!! It was fabulous!!! After dinner and dessert everyone played with Tyler! He even got to spend some quality time with his Uncle Tim that he hardly ever gets to see! They played the piano together! I may have a musician on my hands! He loved it and was actually very good at it! HA!

The Food Spread/Table

This was the best cheesecake I have had EVER!!!

Tyler loves eating at the table now like a big boy!

Tyler LOVED his Mashed Potatoes! HA! We went straight to the tub after this!

After Dinner we also celebrated Father's Day with Bob while everyone except my poor hubby was there! We all decided to go in together and give him some things he needed. As a pastor he wears lots of dress shirts and wears them out fast so we got him one new pretty blue dress shirt, new suspenders and a gift card to go get some other things he needs! Happy Father's Day to the best Father-in-law a girl could ask for!!!!

Later that night I left and went to my parents house where I was greeted by both my parents who went straight to Tylers door! HAHA!!! He was knocked out a sleep so we got him out and took him straight to bed! Then the three of us proceeding to unloading my Jeep who did not have one square inch of free space in it! It took a while and now my bedroom back home is overflowing with stuff!