the old familiar tug

Why am I always backward looking, wondering what it might be like to have my children grow up where I did? You would think being a prior military family that I would be used to this life by now. Maybe I am. There's something about getting to move every year or so that is attractive to me. Still, home is always calling out to us and when I saw this picture from this past weekend, I felt the old familiar tug to pack up this house and go on home. When I think about what's important in life, so many faces enter my mind. Among these-

These four people, my grandparents, come to mind.

I miss these moments all the time. My step-dad and his pickin' buddies had a gig playing a little bluegrass and much of my family showed up to listen. 

Nothin' big. Just having a good time.

All these small moments are big in my mind, though. How few of them I've had over the last five years!

 (Photos by Becky!)

Are you away from "home", too? What do you miss most?

Let Me Tell Ya Bout My Best Friend

This summer has been relatively busy for us and I wouldn't have it any other way. It takes my mind off of how lonely I get here in Jacksonville. It's the largest city in our nation, but it just makes me feel incredibly isolated. How strange. Our house is mere feet away from the next, but I spend my days feeling as if everyone is so far away. I'm often longing for a cup of coffee with a girlfriend. Perhaps a workout partner. I had both last week and it left me with a sweet taste of home.

My bestie arrived to save me from the vacation hangover I was having.

We traversed beaches-

Shopped.

Chatted.

Got deep over some Chili's margaritas.

And we made some funny memories in the rain. 

Then it was over. I missed her as soon as I dropped her off at the airport. Life is better lived with friends, y'all. I miss all of my people back in Tennessee!

I'd recommend it to a friend.

(I suppose it's time to wrap up the story of our travels to New England. This is the final installment, but if you need to catch up, click here and then here.)

My days in Vermont were spent largely without my husband as he was busy attending meetings. I lived it up, though. My youngest and I went hiking a lot and he fell asleep wrapped up against Mama at every chance he got. I was so happy to breathe in the fresh mountain air, gaze down at my baby, and remember all that is good in this world.

I visited the state house...

 

On sunny days, people gathered in the grassy area relaxing in the rare sunlight. Folks from all walks of life could be found there- some taking their first steps, others sprawled out from a long morning at work. It reminded me of a common area that could be found on any college campus. I got the feeling there was plenty to do, but everyone was focused on not doing it. Instead, brief moments to pause and appreciate the day were had out in front of the state's capital.

At night, when J was relieved of his requirements at Norwich, we searched for activities to fill our time. One of my favorite evenings, we came across a vineyard in the Vermont countryside. We enjoyed some wine tasting and the first peeks at sunlight we had seen for the whole trip!

We also enjoyed evening dinners when Baby A let us eat in peace.

There were several good restaurant options in the city. Many of them focused on locally grown, organic produce. We didn't really have a bad meal the whole time we were there. Expensive meals, on the other hand, is another story!

The little, tiny towns that are dispersed throughout VT are precious.

 

But perhaps my favorite place we visited was Stowe. Captain J got the day off after graduation and the sun was shining. We set off to explore and it turned out to be my favorite day of the entire visit. We definitely did the tourist thing. On our way to Stowe, we stopped in Waterbury for the Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory. We got to see the graveyard where all the old flavors go to die. Of course, we enjoyed some ice cream outside, too.

 Then we got in the car again to visit the Von Trapp Family Lodge.

 

It was lovely. In case you aren't familiar, this is the location where the family depicted in The Sound of Music lived after leaving Austria . There's a lot more history involved with this family that is quite interesting, too. Anyway, we walked around the grounds, enjoying the amazing views.

Then we enjoyed a glass of wine celebrating this graduate:

I had such a great time. The graduation ceremony went smoothly. The baby was an angel for hours. It was ideal! I'm so proud of my husband and all of his accomplishments. Congrats, babe!

Have you been to Vermont? I'd totally recommend it to a friend!

Vermont Part Two

(Want to catch up on our recent trip to VT? Start here.)

As I was saying, Vermont was a breath of fresh air. We pushed the pedal to the metal and got to the university in plenty of time for J to get signed in. The light drizzle of rain didn't damper our spirits. It felt wonderful to be traveling again and I couldn't help but notice how easy it was to breathe there. The heat wasn't making me want to hide indoors; the air was cool and damp. It rained and rained. The first day, I was determined to still get out and explore. My first stop was a cemetery in Barre, VT.

Hope Cemetery is situated in the granite capital of the world. Architecturally speaking, it was interesting. Many of the memorials were shaped into favorite activities or hobbies of the deceased.

Creepy or Sweet?

I might have enjoyed looking around a bit more if construction wasn't going on or if I could have gotten out and walked around more. Still, I checked that stop off my Vermont To Do List and was on my way.

Next stop? Walmart. I needed a raincoat, umbrella, and a stroller.

Later, Baby A and I set out on foot to explore Montpelier, VT. We were staying in the capital city and there was much to do within walking distance. We paused at a picturesque church to snap a photo to send to Daddy who was, sadly, attending meetings and presentations all day. 

I did some window shopping and then returned to the hotel for a nap. A NAP! It was amazing. Relaxing. Perfect.

We went out to dinner that night and my youngest fell asleep in my arms. It was nice to enjoy farm fresh food at a restaurant with adult conversation, wine, and zero talk about babies. This ole housewife doesn't get out much...but when I do get this taste of sweet freedom, it is savored.

I'll write more later...

That time we went to Vermont

Leaving Florida

The day we left for Vermont was full of tears and much anxiety. I hated driving away from my eldest and I dreaded stepping foot on a plane with my youngest. Nobody likes a baby on a plane- nobody. Oh, that's right! I forgot to mention that when we made it to Tennessee via car we thought there is no way not ever are we driving eighteen more hours in a car with a baby. No way. No how. 

Leaving Tennessee for the airport

Anyway, we purchased a flight and didn't look back. Even when Baby A was screaming at the top of his lungs for the first twenty minutes of flight number one- We were still glad we were flying. He calmed down and slept through the rest of the flight, through the rush to get to the next gate, and all through the next flight as well. I experienced the eye rolls and rude remarks from strangers and didn't bat an eye because there were the nice ones, too. Those people who stopped to say nice things about the screaming baby on the plane. The people who offered smiles instead of glares. I also witnessed Karma at its finest, too. Our tickets weren't beside each other for any of the flights so we had to ask the people beside us if they cared to move. One lady told us she actually did care. We ended up moving entirely, bags and all. A couple minutes later, a voice came over the PA system announcing that a flight had been cancelled that might affect some of the people on the plane. Sure enough, the woman who refused to move started pitching a fit because she wanted off the plane we were on due to her connecting flight being cancelled! I'm not gonna say I was happy but I did appreciate the moment. In retrospect, I should have stayed beside her and awkwardly taken out my boob to feed our son. I wonder if that would have been a better scenario for her. Or maybe, when he started crying, I could have passed him over her lap to hand him off to my dear husband for help and then repeat that cycle a couple of times. Perhaps I could have jiggled Baby A on my lap, vibrating her seat while his screams vibrated her ear drums. I just don't understand why she thought that would be better. In the south we say, "Bless her heart" to that.

We flew into Burlington, Vermont in the early evening on Monday. We had to drive straight to Norwich so Captain J could check in for registration. Despite the light rain, there was a relaxing quality to the drive. Greenery surrounded us and roads wound through quaint little towns that one could hold their breath through. It felt so good to be there, boots on the ground.

(To be continued)

6 Months

Dear Baby A,

Happy Six Months, my love. We are starting to see your personality develop a little more and I love it. You are giggly and happy most of the time. You are also increasingly hard to hold. You buck and sway until I put you down on your own to explore. If I am holding you, forget about trying to sit down! It ain't happenin'.

We started feeding you solids recently. Let it be recorded- your first food was carrots. You've since tried avocado and pumpkin, too. I find that when we give you solids, you sleep better. I fully support this change. I truly can't believe you're already half a year old. You are growing so fast! In no time, you'll be playing alongside your brother and I'll be left wondering where my babies have gone.
Your stats this month prove you're still your father's son. Tall and skinny! You weigh 16 pounds and are measuring in at 26.5 inches long. People tell me you're half my size and it certainly does feel like it when I'm lugging you around. You'll be as big as your older brother in no time at all. I'm trying to hold on to your babyness as much as I can.
I wish I could bottle up your laugh and keep it in my pocket. I'd play it whenever I'm feeling down. It's the most beautiful sound I've ever heard. I love you so so much, my boy.

Love,
Mama

Vermont Bound

(Shirt & Shorts: Target, Red Eel skin purse: thrifted)

(*That photo has nothing to do with this post, I just wore that recently and wanted to share)

(**I know. I'm in desperate need of an eyebrow waxing.)

Hey y'all. It has been awhile since I just sat down and wrote without some topic in mind. The kids are both sleeping (seriously just as I wrote that, Baby A started crying! Hold please...)

...and I'm back. I gave in again. For the past few months we've been half-heartedly trying to get rid of the swaddle that he is increasingly addicted to. Yes, my child is 6 months old and still needs his swaddle. I think I need it more than him. Two days ago, I was gung-ho about getting rid of it for good. The first day went fairly well. I didn't wrap him for his naps. He did okay falling to sleep on his own and slept for about an hour each time. Then we decided to just go cold turkey with it and not give it to him that night either. He fell asleep, but the first hour he woke up at least ten times, cried briefly, and then fell back asleep. But at the end of that hour, his flailing hands startled him so much that he was screaming his terrified, overly tired cry and nothing would settle him. I searched for his favorite swaddle fresh from the dryer and didn't look back. He slept all night for the first time in a long time.

I know we swaddled K forever, but if I remember correctly, his arms weren't the problem. I think he liked having them out of the swaddle, he just wanted something snug around his torso. Baby A sleeps by our bed and he can't really roll over in the co-sleeper so it's not a safety issue so I suppose it's fine for now. I mean, he won't use a swaddle forever, right?

Anyway, we're off on another adventure for the next week or so. Captain J, Baby A, and I are traveling (via car- blah) to Vermont for the week to watch him graduate with his MBA! I'm so proud. K will be staying with his Lolly and Pop in Tennessee, though. I'm nervous to leave him for so long. He has never been without both of us at the same time. We've also never left him for this long, either. He'll be in good hands though and I think it will be good for him. I know it will be good for us. That little toddler tornado has been a handful lately. I hope I don't miss him too much. No doubt I'll miss him blowing me kisses and randomly hugging me throughout the day- little sweetie.

That reminds me. I should be packing.

Have a great weekend, friends!

Pinned It, Tried It, Liked It

Shield your eyes, my friends. If you're a chocolate addict like I am, you're not going to want to see this....or you're really really going to want to see this. It's one or the other. I stumbled across this easy homemade brownie recipe and I had all the ingredients here at the house. Not good for my figure, but man! Good for the soul.

Source: fakeitfrugal.blogspot.com via Mrs. on Pinterest

Perchance this will balance it all out?

Source: womenshealthmag.com via Mrs. on Pinterest

I love Jill...and this ab routine is different than the run of the mill ones you see all over pinterest. I like it.

Here's another terrible for you recipe that I found on Pinterest. These are so tasty. In the post she says they come out thin like the square break-away cookies you find at the grocery store, but that wasn't at all true for my batch. It probably has a lot to do with me not having a fancy schmancy mixer and having to do it by hand. That's probably why I never bake. Anyway, this was my first successful made-from-scratch cookie.

Here's the pin:

Source: crazyforcrust.com via Mrs. on Pinterest

That's all I've got for you today. Have you tried any good pins lately? Do tell.

Challenge Recap

It was so fun to begin this journey with the gals in the Spring Challenge 5k. It inspired me to run and before I knew it, I was attempting to run 100 miles in May. What started out as a virtual training accountability measure became a lifestyle change for me. Running is a part of my every week now and I've fallen in love with the high it gives me.

I completed the 5k on June 1st with my little family. We ended up walking to get sushi and walking back home. We took it easy because I had just finished up my goal of running 100 miles in a month and I was experiencing some tendinitis pains toward the end. I'm proud of what I've accomplished over the last few weeks and am looking forward to making and achieving more fitness goals in the coming months. My latest challenge I'm partaking in is this-

 I've got some fun things going on over the next few weeks so hopefully I'll be able to stick with this despite traveling and such. I will say- those sit-ups are already hard! I can't imagine day thirty at this point. We'll see how it goes. I'm anxious to see how my bod will change this month.

Who wants to attempt this with me?