2013 in Review

What a crazy quick year 2013 was for the W Family! Here's a 12 month recap:

1. In January, I wrote this post marking the beginning of my journey toward fitness. It's funny how I say my goals are to get fit and not get pregnant "especially the latter." Oh, how comical. After having Baby A I weighed 132. By the end of the year, I'm holding steady at about 118! I'm proud of my progress.

2. February brought a new move onto the horizon. The boys and I settled into life in sunny Florida and J finished up training for his new job out of state.

3. In March, we got crafty with a toddler activity board!

4. Then we took a few trips south in April. We left Jacksonville for Orlando and Sarasota and made precious memories with our kiddos.

5. In May, I set my sights on a goal of running 100 miles in a month. I hit my goal AND broke a new personal record. In addition to that, my family came in from TN to see my cousin get married. We had a good time showing my sister and bro-in-law around our new home in Florida.

6. June was so much fun, too. My husband graduated with his MBA from Norwich University in Vermont. It was my first time visiting the state and I fell in love! Then my pal came to Florida to visit us.

7. Still plugging away at getting fit, I created the Burpee Sprint Challenge in July. Then something Amazing happened at the end of the month! J secured an interview within his company for a job in East Tennessee and we soon heard back that we were moving HOME!

8. August was obviously crazy. We packed up our house in a weekend and I drove with two under two the full 8 or more hours home. We celebrated K's second birthday and Baby A turned 8 months old.

9. Thrilled to be home, we set out to hike the cumberland trail with the boys when we weren't busy shopping for a house in September. I also set and achieved a goal of running 50 miles that month.

10. In October, we finally moved into our new house!

11. November, my birthday month, was pretty uneventful. We celebrated our first Thanksgiving in TN in over five years or so, though.

12. December has been insane, too. Lots of new developments. Baby A turned 1! We found out our family is growing again!


We are looking forward to the new year. I'm still formulating goals in my head, but I'll be sure to share those with you when I get a chance. Thank you all so much for reading and supporting me in 2013. See ya next year ;)

The Frye Boot Meltdown of 2013

I was having an emotional day anyway. It was our only day as a family of four to enjoy the Christmas season and Captain J was standing in front of me suggesting we spend it in the car as we took the kids to drop them off at his parents' house, in the crowds as HE last minute shopped, and in the hustle and bustle of people while I just wanted to hang out with my little family that will soon be growing to five. He talked me into it, though with promises of food and a date day. Off we went.

We arrived, kid-free, in Knoxville's busiest shopping area. Ok, I'm just guessing here. It always feels like everyone and their brother is there. Anyway, we start making a little progress and J says, "Why don't we go look for you some boots? Where do they sell Frye boots?" I directed him to the parking lot of Belk and we walked inside. When in the shoe department, I lifted the heel of my beloved boots off the plastic display to view the price fully expecting to see around $200-250. What I saw instead made me sit the pair quickly down as if they were hot to the touch. $385. Whew. I always have had expensive taste. I started shopping around to find a brand that I liked that wasn't as expensive. I found a lovely pair of tall, tan boots that were at a much more affordable price. I liked them a lot. J kept saying, "You should at least try on the Frye boots and see if there's a difference." I put them on and you know what? There totally was a difference. Still, I couldn't bring myself to pay that much. I was still rockin' my favorite boots from Tarjay that I have had for 5 years now that costs me all of $11.99.
Captain J began saying, "You should just get the Frye boots. It's Christmas. YOU DESERVE IT!" That last sentence is what got me. I totally DON'T deserve four hundred dollar boots. Nothing I've done this year or ever would make me deserve such a treat. I quickly told the salesperson that I was still trying to decide and had him put away both pairs of shoes. Captain J looked at me like I was nuts (I get that a lot) as we walked back out to the car. Once inside, he said, "Why don't you want the pair of boots?" That's when I started crying. OVER BOOTS.

People often belittle my mission with my children. Opinions are offered when they're not asked for and every word gets written down in my brain. Some believe because I don't have a job that pays that I'm not living up to potential. It's laughable to me, but some of those same individuals believe that I'm also not working hard daily. Most of these people have no idea. These messages are reverberated in families, circles of friends, media, and our society as a whole. It's difficult to ignore. I soak these words up, keep them in my brain when I shouldn't. Furthermore- Mom to mom, stay at home mothers and working mothers, we attack each other. We argue saying I do this, I do that. We assert that our own way is always harder. These messages we send each other don't build us up. They break both of us down. Honestly, it gets in my head. Makes me question myself. Makes me start to believe that I'm not doing anything with my life or my childrens' except surviving. That's the real root of why I was crying.
I don't need four hundred dollar boots. That's for certain. I also don't need the other deliciously lovely boots that were only one hundred bucks. What I also don't need is a bunch of people in my life who are of the opinion that my job staying home with these two precious boys isn't a noteworthy dedication of my time. When these messages and thoughts creep in, I tend to get busy with a personal goal of mine. I take it out in my writing or in my quest for education. It makes me feel a little better. Sometimes, though...when hormones are surging through my pregnant body and I start thinking unclearly, I break down over a silly (albeit super cute) pair of tall tan riding boots.

Pregnancy: It's not for the faint of heart.

Pregnancy Fitness & Soft Body Woes

You know what's hard? Getting fat after I've worked diligently all year to be comfortable and proud of my body. I look down and I don't see a hard body that has been eating better and lifting weights and running. I see a soft body, as if I've never ran a day in my life. It's difficult to go through pregnancy after pregnancy with low self-esteem. My face breaks out. I have odd discoloration on my skin. My belly is expanding so early as it always does. I look like I'm carrying a couple extra cheeseburgers, not a life and I'm only roughly six or seven weeks along. I feel so thankful to be able to carry our children when I know so many cannot, but still the thoughts creep in. I suppose the only way to keep them at bay is to continue training and that's what I've been doing. I'm dedicated to staying active and healthy as long as I can.

When I found out I was pregnant, I was keeping up with a pretty rigorous routine and I committed to sticking with it until the doctors told me otherwise-

I started focusing on my legs and backside with this workout. Try it!

Then Annalise posted the Air Force BMT Fitness Standards so I tried to see where I was at with that. I think I'll keep working on this. I'd like to improve and get to the highest level. Something to work toward anyway.

But despite staying motivated, I'm getting slower. Running seems to take twice the effort these days. Perhaps it's in my head, but I've almost added a whole minute to my normal mile.

What did you do to stay active during a pregnancy?

Christmas List

My man always waits until the last minute to go Christmas shopping. Not me. I like to buy in advance so I'm not stressed out by the time the big day rolls around. I almost always have a few that I need to pick up a few days before Christmas, though. It never fails. I'm not where I'd like to be on our list, but hopefully we'll get there. As usual, I thought I'd make it easier on J when he goes out shopping. Not that he's not good at choosing gifts for me- he is. BUT...I am diggin' these:

Do you shop well under pressure? I don't. Yesterday, I was feeling the stress of SEVEN DAYS and I wandered around aimlessly after the two gifts I went after were nowhere to be found. I was power walking through our tiny little mall like no one's business, but I wasn't getting anywhere. Sigh.

Tis the Season.

Foot Down. Kind Of.

The first thing you should know is never start a home DIY project with your type A Army Officer husband. He will make you ill. He will make you want to pull all your hair out. I don't know why I decided that this was the project I needed to put my foot down on, but it was. The annoying thing about being a follower is that there are times when you're done with doing things someone else's way and people look at you all crazy-like when you stand up and start asserting YOUR WAY. It all started Saturday with an easy albeit tedious job of ripping down old wallpaper. He got to the bottom layer which wasn't coming off all that great and it was covered in POODLES. I'll let that image sink in for a moment... And he just decides well, this isn't going to work. It can't be done. We were going to paint and he starts telling me that we would have to buy all new sheet rock and yada yada yada. I was like, oh...bummer. Off to Lowe's he goes and when he returns he has wood plank thingys in his hands. He wants to cover my delightful blue boys' bathroom in paneling!? I wasn't picturing it. I couldn't wrap my head around where the wood and tile would meet. I was thinking it was going to stick off the wall so much that it would look ridiculous and I didn't think he was thinking ahead. Plus, hello? THIS was turning into a fiasco. We've gotta go buy a table saw now. The expenses (right before Christmas) were piling up.

I went to bed that night thinking 'ehh, he can do whatever he wants', but when I woke up the next morning my feelings started to shift. I got up early with the baby, as I always do, while my dear husband rested his darling little head on his pillow until 11am. I can't tell you how much it made me mad. First of all, he promised we would go to church because he knew I really really wanted to continue our search in finding a church home here. Well, he didn't get up and in hindsight I should have just gone without him because I sat around for much of the morning trying to clean the kitchen but mostly just stewing about how nice it must be to be a man and get to sleep in whenever you dang well please. AHEM. Anyway, I used this time wisely, of course. I accessed Mr. Google and searched for what to do if you had a wallpaper issue such as ours where the wall hadn't been primed beforehand. All these solutions popped up and so I went to the bathroom and started trying to rip it down and what do you know? It was coming off. Slowly but surely. Then I realized- aha! It's not that it can't be done. It's that he doesn't want to do it. I felt lied to. That made me mad since I was up and at em and he was still in bed so I just decided I was doing it myself. I went to Lowes and got some supplies I would need and came home to get back to work. J was up shortly after, annoyed with me that I was overriding his idea.

"I don't care", I told him. "I'm not asking anything from you. I'll do it myself." Flashbacks of my college career floated through my mind. I used to despise group projects because I rarely trusted anyone to delegate and accomplish the task at hand so I eagerly would volunteer for most of the work. I thought for just a second that maybe I was being unreasonable, but nah...

I went out for a run to clear my head. Finally, he was awake so I was handing all kid responsibilities over. Running helps to lift my mental fogs. When I came back, I was like just do it. Do whatever you want. I don't care one way or the other. I know my husband. He's a control freak, yes but he's also good at being in control. He successfully managed an entire volatile area of Iraq for a year- he is capable of good decisions. I had warned him about rushing to failure and I knew he had thought a lot about this project so if that's what he wanted to do then well go for it. I was tired. I'd been up since 6am.

So, we're going for it. His way, of course. I don't mind. It might actually look good after we paint. I would never tell him that, though. Ha! I see it now- the crazy, pregnancy hormones. They're surging through me. I was being crazy. I was mad. I was sad. I was indifferent. Then, I was those things all over again. I fear it might be a long nine months for my dear husband, but -ya know- he asked for it!

Do you and your spouse have similar or opposite leadership styles?

Thoughts on Baby #3 and Friday Link Love

Thank you all so much for the congrats and in case you haven't heard:

We are expecting! I tend to tell people when these things come about because I'm just so excited and because, well, I'm a writer. I need to write. I need to document. My feelings get all sorted out this way. While this was such a beautiful surprise for us, it's also a little scary. I wonder what the transition from two to three will be like! We'll be outnumbered after all. It was a surprise, but we do want a big family and so this is just perfect for us. We know these years will be precious and fleeting and perhaps a bit crazy, but we are thrilled to have this blessing and a new adventure as a family of five. I'm newly pregnant so of course I would appreciate your prayers for a healthy baby. I won't be going to the doc until after Christmas because the schedule was just too crazy, but I'll know more then. I wanted to share our news on social media because I knew if anything happened to this precious life I wouldn't grieve silently. I'd have to write about it. We are hoping and praying that this little one grows to a healthy, happy babe in about 8 months. Thank you for your support and love! Also:

It's time again for...

1. It's nearly Christmas and I still haven't done my annual (virtual) Christmas List! My husband really depends on that, but I just haven't had time. I thought I'd throw this in the ring, though. I want P90X3! Get ripped in 30 minutes? Surely I can do that ;) Anyway, here's my favorite Beachbody lady, fellow blogger, Alana!
2. Also in the spirit of Christmas, my favorite web designer posted a Joy To The World free printable! It's pretty. I'd print it if we had any colored ink left. Ink cartridge is on my list of "crap to get".
3. If you don't make any other cookie this holiday season, make this one! My mom makes the best thumbprint cookie EVER. Not an exaggeration. You will definitely want to hop in that kitchen ;)

Anyway, what else did I miss on the world wide web today? Send me the good things you've found!

12 Months

Dear Baby A,

My sweet Christmas baby, Happy Birthday! I can't believe you're already one. You were born just yesterday, I'd swear it. I look back on that day as one of my happiest. You added so much love and joy to our hearts when you came into the world. You've continued to do so over the last year. Your smile is contagious, your laugh precious. You mean the world to me!

You're crawling and cruising, but not yet walking without helping hands. You're also not saying a darn word. No "mama" "dada" or "chocolate." I like to think that you are taking after me, that you think before you talk. You clap and giggle and make the sweetest sounds I've ever heard. You know what else warms my heart? Your brother will play with you more and more and you look up at him with adoring eyes, seeking his approval. I hope you two will be the best of friends.
I love you very much and I look forward to many more birthdays to come. Happy 12 months, my dear second born! You stay mama's little man as long as you want, ok? I love having you by my side.

Love,
Mama

All I Need To Know

All day, words and thoughts float through my mind, much like you. Perhaps not like you, though, I have the urge to get them out in writing. I want to somehow capture my day to day in a poetic way. One that forgives the messy stories of diapers and snotty noses and highlights the excitement of finding Alf the Elf each morning or the twinkle in their eyes when we all clap and sing songs together in the afternoon. It's not that I want to perfectly crop out all that is unfavorable about my day. It's that I want to shine light on all the amazing parts of my days that I collect while staying home with our sweet boys. I am constantly thinking, "Oh, I should write that down" when my toddler says something funny, but it rarely happens and then the memory is replaced with appointments to make and booboos to kiss. The business of Mom is such a rewarding one. At night when we say our prayers and I turn out the lights, I can hear "Yove you" and it's all I need to know at the end of the day.

Baby Power!

It must be Monday because the house is a mess and the piles of laundry are endless. It must be Monday because while potty training today someone missed the toilet and someone else crawled through it. It must be Monday because instead of quietly coloring the letter "B", someone ate the crayons. That someone never eats anything. You know what else makes me sure that it's Monday? When I asked him why he did that he shouted, "Baby Power!" I capitulate. I'll try again tomorrow. The Baby Power is strong in this one. 

These boys. They're funny, but THEY ARE crazy. And they make me crazy. Especially on Mondays.

Anyway, obviously I can't stay to chat, but since I sold out of every single item I posted last week I thought I'd throw some more of my things up for sale. Let me know if you're interested in any of these. You pay shipping.

XOXO,

Link Love

Happy Friday to you all! It's arguably the best day of the week so I thought I'd just push it up even higher, next to Saturday and Sunday by providing you with a little recap of sorts in the blogging world. I follow a lot of blogs and I enjoy sharing some link love so... from here on out (or until I don't feel like it anymore) I'll be featuring some cool things I've found on the world wide web. I'm excited about this! There's so much creativity, inspiration, and posts that make my soul smile scattered throughout my blog roll. Too good not to share. 

1.) First up- Huge Auburn fan shares what it's like to be so passionate about a team. Read about how her family celebrated that crazy, awesome win last Saturday!

2.) Parmesan Cheese Bread- need I say more?

3.) Got a 6 year old boy on your Christmas list? I found this list by Amber and thought it was helpful!

you'll want to click on the photo to move on to her blog in a new window. She's also got stocking stuffer ideas!

4.) And lastly, Chambanchik has some great giveaways going on right now! You'll want to check those out.

December Goals

I made some blanket type goals for 2013- the kind those in the psychology world know to be Crappy Goals (ok, I made that up). I wanted to get fit. I wanted to read more. I wanted to write more. There were others, but as I typed out just what I wanted to accomplish this year, it was only half-heartedly that I did so. Goals should be measurable and specific, something all of these lacked. When I saw Laura write out her goals for this month alone, I started thinking- Why wait until New Years to get crackin' on the things I want in my life? Here's what I'm working on this month:

1. 10,000 words on novel- I have begun writing the next great fiction novel. Get excited, folks! Seriously, though...I want to reach at least 10,000 words making the total word count around 13,000 by the end of the month.
2. Drink 3 camelbaks of water daily (at least!)
3. Workout 4x (at least) per week
4. Bring Christmas Cheer to our neighbors (deliver cookies, write a sweet note, caroling) (bahaha on that last one). What an odd practice caroling is...so I'm totally kidding with that one. I can't carry a tune in a bucket.
5. Start and Finish homemade gift for my sweet Cray K. I look forward to showing you all this one!

What are your goals for the last month of 2013?

Camping Themed Party {with bonus Christmas Craft!}

I'm not much of a party person, but I wanted to acknowledge and celebrate my youngest on his very first birthday. I thought about simply buying a cake and calling it a day, but instead I did a little crafting and created a space and some snacks that were fit for a day of camping!

I started off the throwing-together-of-the-birthday-extravaganza at Goodwill. Love that place. I found the plaid there in the form of a fitted bed sheet. I proceeded to rip and cut it up until I had a table runner, ornaments, and specialized decor for the food and drinks. The sheet was half off, too. Score.
I also found the large plaid bow on the top of the tree and two plaid table napkins there for half its price as well.

The Menu:
Live Bait (Tackle box full of gummy worms)
Bird Food (Chex mix)
Tall Trees (Pirouline Cookie Sticks)
Bacon Ranch Turkey Sandwiches
Mud Cups (No bake cookies)
Meats, Cheeses, and Crackers
Hot Chocolate
and of course- water, wine, beer, and cake- because you can't celebrate birthdays without those.

My son shares his birthday with his YaYa. How special!

As I mentioned before, much of the decorating was done courtesy of Goodwill. The rest was derived from around the house and the great outdoors. I walked the length of the back yard in search of fresh greens, pine cones, and branches to fill the space. I found a lovely branch with pine needles still attached to hang over the table. The other branches I used to display photos of the boy in celebration! I tied scraps of the sheet fabric sporadically on them and added bobber ornaments that I made by using a hot glue gun to adhere an ornament hook to it.

That's not the craft I wanted to show you, though...

How To Make Country Christmas Filler Ornaments For Your Holiday Decor

You'll need:
*hot glue gun with hot glue sticks (duh)
*Styrofoam balls
*burlap ribbon
*plaid fabric (don't purchase fabric, y'all- seriously. Go to Goodwill and look for large sized Men's plaid shirts or maybe you'll get lucky like I did and find a whole sheet!)

Directions:
*Cut fabric in one inch wide strips that will wrap around the entirety of the ball
*Glue the beginning of the strip to the ball and the end of the strip over that
(Note: Don't make it much longer because you'll start to have ends showing all over the place. Not good, my friends.)
*Cover the ball completely
*Knot burlap at the top in a bow or tie like fashion and glue it down (don't burn yourself) (And if you do, don't start aggressively whistling Good King Wenceslas because you will soon question your sanity)
*Finally, loop a Christmas hook through the burlap and you've got mass Christmas decor for cheap!

Merry Almost Christmas (21 Days!)
and a very, very happy birthday to two of my favorite people. You both mean the world to me. Love ya!