The Taste of Snow

If you follow me on Twitter, you already know how delighted I was when I was asked to do a review on a book for young people. While nonfiction and adult fiction have corners of my heart, books written for younger audiences delight me. I couldn't wait to start reading this book. I think it's because I'm a child at heart. I know I shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but look how fun this cover is!

 

And the inside is gorgeous.

 

Just sayin'.

The Taste of Snow was written by Stephen V. Masse. It tells the tale of an Austrian girl who comes across a "magic" candy cane. Over the next couple of days, Nichole Kinders doesn't place much faith in the sweet, minty treat. She actually begins to look at it as completely worthless and wants to return it to the man who gave it to her. The story takes place during the magical season of Christmas (my favorite!), but not everything that happens to Nichole is good. In fact, a lot of bad things happened to her but in the end, the spirit of Christmas shines through and it turns out to be a time she won't soon forget.

From snow storms to fires,

this book isn't lacking in the action department.

I enjoyed reading the book. There were times when I smiled thinking of the connection Nichole had with her sister because it seemed a lot like the one I had with mine growing up. I would recommend this book as a gift for a young person, for sure!

Read more about the author and the real life girls who inspired this story here.

 

(Note: I was compensated for this review, but all opinions are my own as always and may differ from yours.)

on leaving my babe

Last night was one of those awful evenings you hope you won't have to repeat anytime soon. Nothing major- just a whole bunch of little things adding up to create a big, suffocating mess. And I'm now sitting here wondering if it's over or if today is a repeat of yesterday. Not the best way to start the day! But I'm hopeful that today will be different. You know what always makes ME feel better? Looking at cute babies! It just so happens that two of the people I follow just had three little bundles of joy- all pretty little girls! If you'd like- go congratulate, Jenn for the birth of her daughter and Bex for the birth of her twin girls! Precious babes.

I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the fact that I'm going to be away from my little one for a weekend. In two short weeks, I'll be on a plane to Tennessee to celebrate my grandparents' anniversary and a friend's birthday. I can't wait...I think. It's just every time I start to imagine not waking up to his sweet talking in the morning or the way he hugs me when he's really tired, I start to feel panic in my heart. As much as I need a break from mothering 24/7 from time to time, I still feel like this break is too long and too soon. An eight month old needs his mama, doesn't he? I hope he doesn't miss me. The weekend will be jam-packed, though so hopefully I won't have time to dwell on it too much.

But I just know he's going to be looking so cute when I get dropped off at the airport- still in his jammies- looking like this:

And then I'll embarrass myself crying the whole flight home. It won't be the first time I've cried on a flight.

Moms, have you ever left your babies overnight? Am I over-reacting?

P.S.- Thanks to everyone who linked up yesterday. It was fun going around to all the different blogs and checking out your artwork! I hope to see you again next Wednesday.


P.P.S.- Tomorrow I'll have a book review for ya that would make an awesome gift for an 8-14 year old girl, just FYI.

SOMEthing's Drawn

When I jumped on the Draw Something bandwagon, my heart smiled. Basically, it is because I'm the bomb-diggity at some Pictionary. It's not my drawing skills per se, it's really about finding the perfect partner- One who knows you and how you think. I distinctly remember one time that I partnered up with LFaye at a weekend getaway with girlfriends for an intense game of Pictionary. For the majority of my allotted time, I drew the rope/wire/thing-a-ma-bobs that hold together a hot air balloon. The word?

"Harness"

Just at the end, I realized my folly and quickly started drawing a mountain climber. With mere seconds to go, my brilliant partner shouted out the correct answer for the win. It was amazing- one of those epic flow moments where everything is right with the world. But I digress.

I love looking at everyone's drawings, both awesome and awful- and I'm hoping this is right up your alley, too. Without further nonsense, I present to you:

<a href="http://www.mrskandcaptainj.net" target="_blank"><img src=" http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r5/ksmoore21/somethingsdrawn.jpg " alt="MrsKandCaptainJ" width="225" height="225" /></a>

A new link up! I would love it if you'd link up with me here on Wednesdays and share your drawings from the week. Feel free to post the good, the bad, and the ugly.

And now for my best work:

Can you guess what they are? Of course you can 'cuz they're bloody brilliant.

Kidding.

Here's one that was a big fat fail on my part: 

I just completely discarded the first attempt. I mean, what is that? I have lips, you'd think I'd be able to accurately draw them a little better than that. The second time? I knew my limit- Just cheat and spell it out for her, Mrs. K. My weakness is lips apparently. The word was "snog".

On that note-- wanna play with me? My name is KSJD22. Look me up.

If you'd like to link up your awesome/awful drawings from the week, please grab the button above and tell your fellow drawing friends.

XOXO,

Mrs. K

you can't make this stuff up

I woke up with so many good intentions. I would clean the kitchen. I would make baby food. I'd have dinner cooking by the time J arrived home. I'd do this. I'd do that. I. would. shine.

What I didn't account for is my lack of coffee to get me through these things. It has been my drug of choice since giving birth to Baby K. I didn't get to have it when he was still taking up residency in my ginormous middle so when he came out I was already addicted to the idea of coffee anyway. Couple that with a colicky, screaming little one and lack of sleep and you can imagine why I'm borderline psychotic without at least one cup of coffee.

I bee bop into the kitchen after passionately kissing my uniformed other half as he makes his way to his truck to head off to work. Instead of jump starting my day with a freshly brewed k-cup, I approached the Keurig only to find this:

 

I did what any respectable blogger would do- I ran for a camera. There was no shriek. There was no whining. There was only the initial- oh.emm.gee am I really supposed to drink coffee out of this thing ever again?

Next, I did what any respectable mid (to late ahem) twenties gal would do when she has a problem- I texted my mother. She gets these sort of texts often, folks. MOM! What do I do if Baby K's eye is twitching? MOM! It's raining and the power went out. MOM! Can you believe the nerve of that guy on #SweetHomeAlabama? You get the picture. Anyway, she agreed that while yes it was very gross and she should probably go check her Keurig when she gets home- she also couldn't do much about it from 13 hours away. Le sigh.

I must tackle this problem head on.

I venture upstairs to the dusty bookshelf of my brain and vaguely remember someone saying that coffee pots are cleaned with white vinegar. Hmm. Let's try that.

You must know by now that I've disposed of this creature outside.

So, I just dump whatever is left from the white vinegar bottle. Please don't ever just turn up a bottle like that. Google it. Pinterest it. Look up how many cups you need, for crying out loud.

It's almost five o'clock- I've been running hot water through this machine all day long and I can't have a good cup of coffee to save my life. It all tastes like vinegar to me. And that's not the only problem. The house? Disaster area. 

I'm wondering if this awful taste clogging up my buds is in my head or if it's a real legit problem. I'm thinking I might try it out on my husband when he gets home. "Hey, honey, do you need a cup of coffee? Let me get that for you. You've worked hard." It's the only way I'll ever know if coffee is ruined for me forever.

Thinking about facing another day without coffee gives me the heebie jeebies almost as much as the creature captured above. Someone hold me.

(P.S.- Do you play Draw Something? If so, come back on Wednesday for a new link up I've started to share your best and worst work of the week. We'll have fun. And we won't laugh at you- we'll laugh with you!)

the mandatory blogger Hunger Games post

As of late, motivation is nowhere to be found. I blame Army life. When my husband goes away to be in the field for a few weeks, I dip into this mindset of 'why would I clean the house if I'm going to be the only one who sees it?' Furthermore, when I'm playing the single parent role, the last thing I want to do when the baby drifts off to sleep is work out.

No, no. I want wine and STAT. I want a bubble bath or a bed. A book or a hammock. Chocolate. Something, anything besides a workout.

I envy those women who can look at a photo of someone else and think, "Yeah I want to look like that! I'll go run five miles." Me? I'm more like, "I'll never look like that-woe is me- where are the cookies?" Still there are others who will focus on a photo of themselves at their heaviest and opt to steer clear of that as well. This technique might be a little more fitting for me, but I still have my doubts. When the tough gets goin', chocolate had better be in sight. That's just how I roll.

Maybe I'll go pin a bunch of things on Pinterest and promise I'll do all the exercises tomorrow.

Wanna follow me? I promise there will be lots of food and fitness things on there that we'll never try in a million years! But I'll let you in on a little secret:

When I do workout, I train hard:

Source: laurenconrad.com via Mrs. on Pinterest

No lie. Last time I exercised, I pretended I was Katniss Everdeen. I quickly contemplated learning proper hiding techniques instead, though. I cannot stand to have someone chasing me so I know I would not make it. It's weird that I've thought of this, isn't it? Who saw the movie this past weekend? Was it good?

On the topic of The Hunger Games-

I came across this girl's blog a few weeks ago and automatically loved her for this post. I bet she would have been fun to go to the premier with- y'all know how I love a good dress-up-ridiculously-and-go-see-a-movie night.
Well, I better go. I've heard tell that a certain Captain J is coming home sometime tonight. I'm excited. I better go whip this house into a home or he might trade me in.
Love to my followers.
~Mrs. K

Project 365- Week 12

I had to fight the urge to not write "Welcome" just now. It's one of my over-used words on this here website. And now I'm talking typing like a cowboy. I'll just stop. Here are some photos of our last week (I didn't start to get creative until Thursday)! I'll let you guess what happened!

Enjoy and be sure to link up your photos with Laura at Between The Lines.

Thursday:

Friday:

Saturday:

Safe and Sound

Last week, I wrote about one of my "best experiences from childhood" because Becca started a writing prompt that she named Sensational Stories Saturday. I'm all about some alliteration, especially s(es) so of course I wanted to play along! ;) Today, I thought I might not go as far back because some of my very best experiences have been growing in different ways as an adult.

In many ways, I was a child myself. Fresh out of TTU, my experiences were limited to getting my heart broken or inadvertently breaking someone else's. Sure, that pain is rough- the kind that gnaws at your heart, leaving big gaping holes that feel as though they'll never be re-patched. Still, they don't really touch the feeling of watching someone you're irrevocably in love with head off to war.

But that was months ago. This day would be different. This day, I would see him again.

What if it's awkward? Who gets to hug him first- his mom or me? What if I cry again? What if I don't look how he remembers me? Will people clap and stare, adding to the awkwardness? If his flight doesn't arrive on time, I'll die.

I got to his parents' house so that we could ride to the airport together. His mom was still busying herself with last minute preparations for her oldest son who would grace us with his presence for two uninterrupted, glorious weeks before he would have to hop on a red eye flight back to Iraq. I don't want to think about that.

I don't want to think about anything. Thinking doesn't pass time. It slows it down.

We went to the grocery store. I vaguely remember her asking me about cheese, but I couldn't think of cheese at a time like this. I was going to be sick. Sick physically. A little sick mentally. Sick of wondering how this would all play out. I think she recognized my inability to think of little else than her son that I'd soon be seeing for the first time in eight excruciating months.

The airport seemed too slow.

The clocks, the people.

Nothing was making this any easier.

I wore the wrong thing. I look ridiculous. What do I say?

"Hi" doesn't seem sufficient.

Then, a text- "we're pulling into the gate."

My heart.

Minutes later, my love was walking down the walkway of McGhee Tyson Airport fully outfitted in his ACUs and I was no longer worried about what we would say. 

He's here.

He's here.

Safe and sound.

the one where I update you on Baby K

Is this thing on?

Blogging is such a labor of love, isn't it? We sometimes carefully craft our words, very specifically place our photos, or carelessly vent our frustrations of the day. All of these things take time, but each post resides above another one and another one that collectively make up months or years of that blogger's life. For me, blogging helps me remember those things I truly want to savor. Imagine my panic when the blog stops working properly! I start to get all shaky, breaking out in sweats, and regretting ever giving up the pen and paper and publishing here instead. You might think this is silly.

But me? I don't. I've always treasured my journals- paper and otherwise.

I don't like placing faith in the Internet for safekeeping of my thoughts. I got really worried when I kept hearing people having problems viewing my other site, commenting, et cetera. I was having problems, too. It said "error" quite a bit and I was tired of having a panic attack thinking all my content was finally erased. I'm only being slightly facetious right now.

I had to do something about it.

So, here I am! New URL, same me. Maybe you're new here? If so, welcome! I'm so glad to have you. Please introduce yourself so I can keep up with you, too. If you're not so new, I'm happy that you chose to follow me through the changes. My online pals mean a great deal to this isolated Army wife!

I'm still working out the kinks here, but I'm hoping this is a positive switch! If you've linked to my blog on your page, you'll have to update the URL. Likewise, if my button resided on your page, I've got a new one for you.

<a href="http://www.mrskandcaptainj.net" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff412/mrsalanaleanne/mrsk200x200.jpg" alt="MrsKandCaptainJ" width="125" height="125" /></a>

I suppose I'm back to the regularly scheduled blogging!

Tomorrow is Baby K's check up to make sure he's on track with his weight gain. Not familiar with what's going on? Read about it here. I'll update you soon.

Thanks for following :)

My Mom Bod

Hi, I'm Mrs. K and I have a problem. It's not really a visible one, but it's a hurdle nonetheless. It's one that effects my husband and me. He tells me I'm beautiful- I think he's lying. I try to get dressed in the morning and I end up completely frustrated because I feel confident in nothing. Nothing.

I've always had issues with self esteem. It may be lingering doubt from being wronged in past relationships, but I'll go ahead and take full credit for it. I look in the mirror and I pick out what's wrong with the picture. Perhaps this is why a lot of the research I did as an undergrad gravitated around body image and then later, exercise motivation. I've been searching for awhile.

I was terrified to get pregnant. I wanted a baby so badly, but I thought I'd much rather go through adoption than put my body through the stress of carrying a child. I just knew I'd gain 2,000 lbs and never lose it again. I was worried about stretch marks. Above all else, I was worried about how I would feel afterward. Would I ever be confident?

Women tend to be a little harder on themselves than men, I think. Even more so, we're more critical of ourselves than other women. It's nearly impossible for me to snap a picture of myself and think- that's a good picture of me! But when my friends take photos of themselves and they think it's terrible, I usually think it's a perfectly good picture and wonder what it is they're seeing.

In the last couple of weeks, I've made it a mission of mine to conquer this irrational belief I hold- the one that tells me that I'm not attractive- that I'm ugly even.

It has been seven months since I gave birth. It's true I have lost most of the weight I gained during my pregnancy. I am back in my regular clothes, although they just don't fit like they used to. I'm working on that. I could pick out a gazillion things I don't love about my body, but I'm not going to do that. I'm going to focus on the good.

What do I love about my Mom Bod?

• I love the extra junk in the trunk that I've obtained. My rear was rather flat before.
• I love that God allowed me the ability to provide nutrients for my son for 5.5 months of his life. A woman's body is an amazing thing, isn't it?
• I'm proud that I lathered up in cocoa butter at every opportunity as I think it helped me walk away from my pregnancy with zero stretch marks!
• Most of all, I carried the sweetest most precious person in all the world inside me for nine months. I will never take that lightly. I can't believe God has blessed me in this way.

And when the creeping doubt seeps in? I'll go workout. I'll stare in the eyes of my son and know it was all worth it. I'll recognize that it's a journey toward a happier me- not a destination. I'll look at the pictures below and not cringe thinking how far I have to go.

But rejoice because my son came from this!

P.S. When does that line (the Linea Nigra) go away?

P.P.S. Don't ever get your belly button pierced if you plan on getting pregnant. I took my navel ring out 7 months before I even got pregnant in preparation for baby. As you can see, that didn't really work out. It looks slightly funky.

Err, wait. I wasn't going to point out flaws, was I?

I love my mom body, I love my mom body, I love my mom body.

Whew. I feel better.

Link up with Amber if you wish to celebrate your Mom Bod, too!

Miscellany Monday

Why, hello Monday. You're lookin' a lot like Saturday and Sunday to me. It's another day of laundry and baby- watching that just makes me want to say, "I can't wait to blog about today!" Did you detect any sarcasm? You'll have to excuse me. My husband is working a lot more than usual and so I'm in a funk. I do like havin' him around, ya know?

Anyway, I wanted to link up with Carissa today for a Miscellany Monday post-

Because it's just one of those days where there are several things on my brain. I'm taking the moment to blog this morning because I was basically a rockstar in the house today. The kitchen was clean, the diapers were drying, and I made baby food all before 8am this morning. This is my pat on the back for it. I get that, right?

*Louisiana is in bloom! There are lovely flowers galore, muggy weather, and pollen up to my eyeballs. Sometimes, I can sneak out on the porch before a rain and relax on the hammock under a blanket (if it's not too hot). I love those little moments.

 

*I'm accepting Sponsors for the month of April or you can get a deal for three months in advance. The details of my reach can be found by clicking on the image below. Please message me with any questions. I'd love to have you!

 

*I miss my husband. And really? He's not gone that much. It could be so much worse. I guess I've gotten used to his relaxed hours when there's not a rotation here to train. When he does work it's just that much more annoying when he's not here. Boo! I hope he knows how much he's appreciated here at home. And now all you milspouse people who have husbands deployed right now are welcome to throw virtual rocks and tomatoes if you wish. I know, I shouldn't complain.

*Last week, I went to PWOC on post as I usually do. I'm happy to report- that for the first time EVER- Baby K made it in watchcare the entire time. Every single time he has gone before, they've paged me to come get him because they cannot get him calmed down. When I walked in this time, he was smiling, SMILING! I was shocked and so proud. I think he stayed so long because God needed me to hear what we were talking about in our small study group. We were discussing contentment and if you've followed my blog for any significant amount of time, you know that I struggle with being content not making any money for our family. I sometimes feel that if I'm not actually working then I'm not contributing. Lately, when I look in my son's eyes and see how happy he is, I know that I'm actually doing a lot more than I think. God has placed me in this role right now and I will be content with it! I'm so grateful.

I think that's enough randomness for the day on my part. Anything random you'd like to share? I'm all ears.

XOXO,

Mrs. K

It's a meme happy Sunday

In honor of yesterday's holiday, today is your lucky day- you get two posts in one from yours truly! Thrilling, I know! I'm linking up with Laura for Project 365 and with Family and Life in Las Vegas for Sweat to Street Sundays. If you are looking for my weekly pictures, they'll be at the bottom part of the post. If you're here to check out what I've been wearing lately, well you've come to the right place. Either way, welcome!

This is my first time participating in Sweat to Street. Honestly, it inspired me to get up and start working out one day. Isn't it weird how websites like Pinterest and other blogs can become my motivation? Why can't I just intrinsically yearn for a happy, healthy me? Oh well. I take the motivation where I can get it.

I don't often put much thought into what I work out in. It's usually just what I can grab out of the drawer that
doesn't have baby puke on it
doesn't smell horrible. I snapped a photo of my typical running outfit. T-shirt and shorts for this Louisiana gal. I love these shorts, though. I swiped them up at Goodwill for a couple bucks with my military discount. Score.



I also found an alternative where I'm not limping after every run now. My new shoe inserts make for a very happy Mrs. K. Also, what's a run without some Jungle Love on the ipod? Ha! On a related note- workout song suggestions?

For my street wear-

Ok, let me just stop right there. I'll be honest- the only places I go are chapel and Walmart. Seriously, y'all. I try to dress up every other day for my hubby even when we're not doing a darn thing, but that doesn't always work out. I put on this outfit for -oh-about an hour and then SOMEbody got some formula on it that had already been digested. Yeah.



I just have to keep reminding myself that feeling pretty for at least an hour is totally worth it in the end. It's just enough to remind me that I'm not in my rocker yet. Besides, getting thoughtfully dressed for the day always makes me feel better!

And now, for a photo dump of my last week:

 

I just realized that a few of these are out of order. I can barely keep my house in order, please forgive?

Have a very happy Sunday... God bless you!

Sensational Stories Saturday

Welcome to Sensational Stories Saturday. Becca started this recently when she was inspired by another blog she frequents. I'm excited to be participating for the first tme! These stories will fall under the category of "best experiences from childhood" and will be mostly true due to my memory sometimes failing me ;) I hope you enjoy. It's fun to remember...

“Can you believe it?” shouted my peers, “A real writing contest for us!” Quietly reserved as usual, I could even feel my cheeks start to get warm, my heart feeling like a butterfly was let loose inside my young frame. My words could be chosen to be in a book! No one knew it, but I had plenty to say.

The poetry floated freely from my brain to the wide ruled notebook paper that day. I already had something in mind that I wanted to write out. Later, the teacher read our poems quietly at her desk.

I wonder why she isn’t smiling? What if she’s reading mine?

There. There’s a smile. She must be enjoying that one. Could I approach her desk without her knowing what I’m searching for?

I just wanted to see my name on that paper.

Off went all the poetry submitted by the brave students of our classroom. Off went all the work of fellow poets from most of the Southeast.

I didn’t have a chance.

A letter arrived.

Was there an elephant sitting on me? I was sure there was. Inside the envelope, a note told me my work was chosen to be published in Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans. I must have been the proudest eight year old in three counties.

Oh, happy day.

A Day At the Park

I know, I know. It's annoying when people have two posts in one day for those of you who read five hundred blogs a day. Sorry, my people. But I just wanted to remember the beautiful day we had yesterday before it slips from my mind. I've got a pretty quick turn around here ;)

 We took K Baby to the park to swing for the first time yesterday. I was upset to discover that the park here doesn't have the baby swings, but it was better the way it happened anyway. I got to hold my little boy as we glided through the air on the bigger swings while Daddy recorded the events on the iphone. I loved hearing K's excited giggle and looking back at the video now it's so precious seeing his smiling face. My teething, crazy baby got a well deserved reprieve from the pain of growing all those teeth!

Days like yesterday are so precious to me.

I know I'm biased, but don't you think he's starting to look a little more like me? Must be the weight gain. Ha!

Love him to the moon and back. Captain J, too.

Psalm 103:17- "But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children."

Funnies

That awkward moment when my 17 year old brother discovers that Santa (accidently) brought him boxers that say, "My bone glows"

Couldn't.stop.laughing.

Got an old photo you want to link up today? Head over to Monica's Notebook to play along!

Purge, Purge, Purge

My husband told me recently, "You're really good at pointing out what you're not good at."

He then went on to challenge me to write about something I AM good at for a change. What came to mind first?

Double-Tasking.

or triple, quadroople even. I'm fantastic at this especially when it comes to getting things done around the house. It's a blessing and a curse really.

Laundry needs done? No prob. Let me just clean the shower after I switch loads, match some socks here, clean the table there, back and forth, back and forth, I'm a woman on a mission. It must drive my Type A Army Officer Husband batty. He has a task to do- he gets it done. He focuses and he accomplishes and then moves on to the next thing. Me? I'm all over the place.

Our differences come to roaring head when we move. Please feel my pain when I tell you that my husband and I are averaging moving once a year since we've been married. We've no plans to break the cycle either with our upcoming (departure from the Army) move in less than a year to God knows where. This means that we've had our fair share of box unpacking as of late.

I can't stand to not have the house unpacked. Captain J doesn't mind in the slightest. He unpacks the t.v., gets it set up, and calls it a day. The next day, he'll unpack one box then break for an hour.

Imagine my despair when I discovered this about him. But, but honey there's so much to dooooo!

It was infinitely more terrible when I was nesting with sweet Baby K baking away inside me. My double tasking little heart just cannot understand why he's a one focused task (box) kind of person. I want to take out the wine holder from the box and lovingly place it in the kitchen. Then, if I so deem fitting, I'll grab my house shoes peeking out from another box and take them to the closet. I do what I want, people. In my head, there's order in this way of operating. In Captain J's view? He doesn't see it that way.

As I hinted before, the last move was the worst. I just could not go another day without putting Baby K's room together. Afterall, he was going to be here ANY second (wishful thinking on my part). After nearly two months of this extremely pregnant body sleeping on an air mattress on the floor, I gained renewed energy and suddenly wanted to make this place feel like home. There was no time for rest. Poor J.

At any given moment, you might have found me shouting, "Why are the books still stacked up in boxes?! SERENITY NOW!"

It was bad.

But I think I'm giving Captain J a little taste of my unrest. Today he came home to books of boxes in the hallway, empty boxes strewn throughout the house, and clothes/various items all over the place. Yes, it's Spring Cleaning time and my motto is Purge, Purge, Purge. With thoughts of clean and simplified living in mind, I'm tolerating the temporary mess. I wonder what J thinks about it. ;)

Captain J:1

Mrs. K: 1

The game continues.

Heart Like Mine

These are the days that I will remember

When my name's called on a roll



He'll meet me with two long stem glasses

Make a toast to me coming home



'Cause I heard Jesus he drank wine

And I bet we'd get along just fine



He could calm a storm and heal the blind

And I bet he'd understand a heart like mine.

(I'm uninspired to write today so I'll let Miranda Lambert do the talkin' for me. Isn't it fun to reminisce? The above photos were taken in Alaska and New Zealand. I'm getting the itch to travel again. That being said, feel free to send some money to my PayPal account to fund my next adventure. Thanks in advance! ;) )

Project 365- Week 10

Linking up with Laura for Project 365:


Sunday, March 4, 2012: Little Miss Starved-For-Attention under the hammock



Monday, March 5, 2012: Did I mention we are gardeners now? Well, now I have! K and I took a walk to the back part of the property to where our garden is located. The dirt was in desparate need of hose shower.



Tuesday, March 6, 2012: On my drive to PWOC, I day dreamed about a prior life when I owned one of these sweet vans, played guitar impeccably, and bathed in creeks while traveling around- a drifter, I was.

 Wednesday, March 7, 2012 I forgot to take the pens out of my husband's uniform. Fail! Good thing he's in the field a lot and no one will notice the ink dots sprinkled throughout- if only my dryer was so lucky.



Thursday, March 8, 2012 This little one decided to roll all over the house. Anytime he needed to get anywhere? He rolled. And rolled and rolled. I gave him an early bath and put this boy to bed! What will I do when he starts crawling?

 Friday, March 9, 2012 Before meeting up with a coffee group, K, J and I went out to breakfast. Captain J snapped this photo of me and little bit.



Saturday, March 10, 2012: SOMEbody turned 7 months old on this day.

Seven Months

Dear Baby K,

This is my favorite age so far! You are so much fun! You smile and giggle all throughout the day now. Tummy troubles no more, my boy. I'm so happy that you're happy. When you wake us in the morning, it's typically with your talking-

"YaYaYaYaYa"

or

"DaDaDaDaDa"

Neither of which are "MaMaMaMaMa", but I'm going to let that slide. I love scooping you out of your crib just after you've let out the biggest stretch complete with funny facials that surely make you feel rejuvenated. I think you get it from me.



You reach for me now, too which makes me feel like the luckiest woman in all the world. I adore the connection we have. You must know at just seven months old that you are my world!

You're rolling over, sitting up, passing toys back and forth between your hands, holding your own bottle, and beginning to use a sippy cup. You've handled solids wonderfully, too. You don't turn down food, that's for sure. We had a short bout with a refusal to eat avocados, but it was quickly remedied. Thus far, you've eaten avocados, sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, and bananas.

As of late, I've caught some glimpses of how hard my job is going to be when you're mobile! I keep putting you on the floor and when I re-enter the room, you're on the other side. Rolling is an adventure for you, I think.



You're becoming much more wiggly during changing time. You get really frustrated when I take your arms to put them in the sleeve holes. You love to have your hands in your mouth (and anything and everything else you can manage to fit in there).

I'm not even going to comment on your sleeping lately for fear I'll jinx it.

Moving on...

I just hope you know how loved you are. You ought to! I tell you a million times a day. I can't get enough of your mischevious little smile, your infectious laugh, and the way you only want me to hold you at night before bed. I'm so glad you're in my life.

We started making it a point to pray with you this month. I don't know why it never crossed our minds before. Your dad used to sneak into your room after you had fallen asleep and pray over you (which I suspect he still does) but now before bed, we have a family prayer. I hope we make it a point to pray with you all throughout your life. I can't ask for God's protection over you enough.

Could you stay this age a little while longer?

Every day is cherished.

Love you!!

~Mom

Aging Well

Listen. I'm not gettin' any younger.

Every time I snap a photo of myself I'm somewhat appalled by my face the lines on my face. They're crinkly laugh lines, stress scars, or something. I'm not a day over 22, though. I swear it.

Ok, I'm 26. I should have taken the time when I was younger to wash my face at night and moisturize it like a boss. But I didn't. Luckily, I have good genes, though.

 This is my grandmother (Baby K's great-grandmother) holding my nephew Aiden a few years ago. Isn't she beautiful? I once asked her what the secret was to staying so youthful looking and my grandfather replied, "Moisturizer!" She didn't even have to say anything. He knew. I guess she has made it a point to take care of her skin from the beginning of their marriage.

Well, I haven't been so diligent. In fact, I only washed my face in the shower before. If I did put on makeup, I never took it off properly. Bad girl!

But then I got a facial the other day and someone put a little makeup on me and I realized- it's not too late!

I looked and felt pretty good afterward. My skin didn't feel as old. Maybe I could keep this up.

I'm happy to report that I've been washing my face in the morning and at night, moisturizing and using Mary Kay-



For seven whole days. Who am I right now? ;)

What anti-aging/take care of your skin routine do you have? Any products I should know about? Help a girl out !