Blog Challenge:Day 1

Ok, during my routine blog jumping today, I found a fun blog challenge that I am going to attempt to take part of for 30 days.  Here is how my jumping went today: 

First, I went to Kathlyn's blog.  She linked to Amy, who then linked to Jessica who had the blog challenge!  So it's 30 days of pictures to post and/or stories to tell.  Some days I may post twice, some days I may *ahem* skip. 

Here's Day One: A photo of yourself and a description of how your day was

This is a picture of me and one of my 2 friends in Germany :)  It was taken on New Years Eve.

Today I woke up, or rather, I was woken up by my sweet Hubby at 7:45.  Sweet Baby Girl followed suit and re-woke me up at 8.  So I nursed Baby Girl (these days will be over so soon. sad face) and then went downstairs to feed her breakfast (yogurt, tahini, and squash).  Put Baby Girl in her pack n' play while the Hubs and I read our bibles and drank coffee and hot tea (coffee for me, tea for him).  Gave Baby Girl a bottle and put her down for nap #1.  Hubs took a shower while I picked up the living room. 

After his shower, Hubs started to pack because he went to the field for the week.  While he did that, I made a birthday sign for one of his army buddies whose birthday is today.  Who, by the way, is turning 23.  Yes, he is just a wee babe ;-)  He has a little flat screen in his bedroom and he told me and Hubs that he had it since High School.  Ummmm, flat screens didn't even exist when I was in High School! 

At 11:30 I woke up Baby Girl and fed her some lunch (cereal, squash, and some turkey sticks) and another bottle.  Then Hubs and I went over to army buddy's place to hang up birthday sign and drop off a chocolate cake I made last night.  He wasn't at home so we had to get creative.   Well, if you can call leaving it on the porch creative :)

Dropped Hubs off at work at 1pm and headed back home.  Flitted around the computer a bit while Baby Girl played in the floor.  At 2, I put her down for nap #2.  Then, I folded some laundry, watched some Friends that my mom sent me, and flitted around on the computer some more. 

Woke Baby Girl up at 4:15pm (that kid loves to sleep!).  She got a bottle and then played on the floor some more.  I played with her and also read a little bit.  Fed her dinner at 5 (cheese, apple puffs, banana).  Fixed myself some dinner while she was eating (chicken on the George and couscous).  Gave Baby Girl a bath and then went downstaits to watch some more Friends.  Gave Baby Girl her fourth and final bottle.

At 7, got a text from Hubby asking if I could come get him.  Bundled up Baby Girl and went and picked him up (which I was really excited about because I thought it meant he was spending the night at home.  Nope.  I was wrong).  He just had to run home and get something and then he took the car back. 

Nursed Baby Girl and put her to bed and now I'm doing this!  After this I will probably watch some more Friends, read some more and go to sleep.  :)

Ah, the life of a rock star.

I'll Tell You a Secret

I think I might make this a regular posting because I have lots and lots of secrets in me.  It's cathartic to get stuff inside of you out in the open.  And, kinda fun :)

Today, my secret is................................................... (duh duh dum)...........I don't like being an army wife.  Ok, ok, before people start hatin' on me, let me explain.  I dearly love my husband and I would follow him anywhere.  He followed God into the army and I am not going to argue or fight against that reasoning.  I am here and I am dealing with it, but I don't like it. 

I read army wife blogs and I really love reading them.  I love reading them second only to book blogs which says quite a lot since books=oxygen to me.  They write about their husbands, their children, their duty stations, deployments, moving, etc.  It is very interesting and even when I'm not an army wife anymore, I will probably still continue to read them.  The one thing I notice about all of them (at least all of the ones I read) is that they love love love being army wives.  Really???  I mean, really???  I can see being proud and going with the flow, but they genuinely seem to love the army life.  I wish I was there.  I am not and if I'm being honest, I don't see myself getting there until at least post-deployment...if then. 

The thing is,however, that I am an army wife right now. Right now, this very second, I am a wife to an active duty soldier in Germany.  SO, that leads me to believe that God must want me to be a happy army wife.  Except happy isn't the correct word.  Because I am happy.  I love my husband and my daughter and my home and even being in a foreign country isn't so bad now that I'm used to it.  Being happy is not the problem.  It's is more like the difference between surviving and thriving.  I can survive as an army wife.  I've certainly survived worse.  But, I am not thriving as an army wife.  I am biding my time.  I am looking forward to the day when Hubby can "quit" the army and we can have a "normal" life.  (And, yes, I know there is no such thing as a normal life...but you know what I mean, right?  A settled life, a life that involves home owning and getting to know your neighbors because they will be around for more than a year or two). 

This is a secret that goes unsaid most of the time because if you are in the army you are supposed to love it I guess.  You are supposed to smile and say "It's ok that I never see my husband.  It's ok that I feel like a single mother most weeks.  It's ok that I've left everything behind I love just so that I watch my husband work his tail off for no thank you.  It's ok that his job bleeds into our familiy like he's hemorrhaging."  Just keep smiling! Just keep smiling!  

Do army wives really love it?  Or do they just blog about their good days I wonder. I know everyone has bad days, but I am not having a bad day.  I have felt like this for months now.  I don't hate it, but I certainly don't want to do it for 20 years either!  I am not strong enough to be an army wife.  That is my conclusion.  I am too dependant on my man and too lonely without my family.  I know that's not really true because God put me here so I must be able to thrive somehow, some way. 

I hope y'all don't think I hate my life.  I really don't!!  I am not depressed or anything.  I am just trying to figure out why the army wives I see on the Internet seem to love the military life and I don't.  Maybe they have been in the military longer so they have come to terms with it.  I only have 2 real life army friends so I don't have much to compare.  And, it's an issue I don't see addressed openly anywhere. 

Ok, enough jibber jabber.  I've got a baby to feed.  Hope you have a blessed weekend!  Hubby is at work now, but I'm hoping he'll be home for dinner! 

A little sugar to start your day :)

This is a video of Baby Girl playing in the mirror.  It is one of her favorite things to do so I thought I better caputre it before it's to late!

This video is me, unsuccessfully, trying to get her say "Ba". I watched this video on our TV before I posted it and when in the video I say "Can you say Ba?" real life Baby Girl calls out "BA!!" Of course. They certainly don't perform on command :)

And, this is a picture of baby curls. Is there anything else sweeter?

Bucket List

I found another thing for my bucket list.  I wonder how do-able (is that a word?) one's bucket list is supposed to be.  I wonder if people put things they really want to do, but probably may never or if they put things they probably could do if they tried hard enough. 

Well, today, mine (hopefully) falls in the latter category.  I want to be a better housekeeper.  I have several things going against me in this goal.  Main one being my personality.  I am Type B (is there a Type B?  I only ever hear about Type A, but I assume there is a B as well?).  I am a laid back chica mostly.  There a few things that I'm particular about...but, you know what, not one thing is coming to mind!  Hmmmm...I bet my husband could tell you something I'm anal about, but I can't think of anything.  I'm anal about not pumping my own gas! :):) Jokes! Just jokes.

Yes....back to that which is against me in reaching my goal.  I did not have chores as a child.  I thank you, mama, for always taking care of me, but now I don't make my bed.  Or vacuum.  Or scrub floors.  I do, however, do the laundry!  I also wash dishes every day.  I guess everyone does, but man, never ending dishes! (It also needs to be said that I take good care of my daughter.  She is not as neglected as my bed)

Also, I am self-indulgent.  Oh yes, I do not have that problem some people have of "never sitting still".  I can sit still and read for 5 hours.  No problem.  I actually do feel guilty when I do that, but apparantly not guilty enough to get my bum off the couch. 

So, what's a girl to do?  This week I have made small strides.  One "area" at a time seems to be working for me.  A room is to big of a goal so I have been focusing on "areas".  Judge me if you will...but know that the Bible tells you not to judge anyone ;)  On Tuesday, I cleaned the toilets (BOTH of them).  Wednesday, I kicked some butt in the foyer and cleaned the floors and put everything away and cleaned the rest of the downstairs bathroom (it took me at least an hour).  Today I cleaned off our dining room table which was covered in Ka-Rap.  So far, this is the best method I've come up with for myself. 

However, I am hoping one day to be more like my Fancy Bestie who keeps a perfect home :) I don't know that I'll ever get there, but...maybe?  :)

Winter Mornings

This morning, I actually got out of bed before my daughter, which, let me tell you, is a shocker. I am so lazy that most mornings, I most definitely lay there and soak up as much sleep as possible even if it's not needed.  Seriously, sometimes I sleep for 10 hours.  But my husband is never here and I only have 2 friends, so what else am I gonnna do?

Anyway, back to this morning.  I went to brush my porcelain beauties and looked out the window and the world is covered in white.  Snow.  I thought maybe we were done with that business but I guess God has other plans.  Instead of groaning, I just enjoyed it.  It really so pretty with the snow and the "naked" trees.  If you are a Yahoo fan maybe you have seen that picture of the robin in the snow on the "Most Emailed Photos" tab.  (I just love that tab by the way).  I saw that this morning! Except it wasn't a robin, it was this pretty black bird with a white belly. 

Lately, I have not taken the time to enjoy life.  I have been stressed or self-indulgent.  I have been lonely and too worried to notice what's outside my window.  My daughter can always make me laugh and mostly cheer me up, but other than her, I have not noticed God's blessings around me.  (For the record, my husband can also cheer me up, but he's never here).  Now I am not going to go so far as to say snow is a blessing, but beautiful quiet mornings are a gift and  a blessing. 

So, maybe today YOU can take the time to "smell the roses" and find an unexpected/unusual blessing and tell me about it!  I would love to hear about your blessings! :)