Mother's Day Weekend

Sometimes, in the midst of what feels like the busiest season of your life, a breath of fresh air blows through and you can breathe again. That's what last weekend was for me. The Captain was off on a Big, Fancy Civilian Business Trip to Florida the week prior and I was finishing up my last week of classes for the spring semester. Stresses were high. In between all the working, there were hearing appointments to attend and life to be participated in. We planned on celebrating his arrival back in town and my (hopeful) success in excelling in my classes by getting away for a little R & R, as much of that as you can have with two toddlers anyway. We ended up in a place that has shaped my family in more ways than one. My papaw was able to buy back his family farm after his family lost it many years ago. It means so much to him and has been a blessing to me, as well. It's a little oasis near the Tennessee/Georgia line called Ducktown, TN and you won't find Internet or Cell Service there even if you try.

It was perfect.

A weekend to celebrate my boys and the fact that I get to be their mother-

Completely unplugged from the world-

Unless we ventured into Blue Ridge, GA-

For the most part, we walked around the property-

Hiking-

Looking at the chickens-

and relaxing in the fresh air.

I'll cherish that weekend as long as I'm living. It's times like those that keep me going. I didn't fret about looking up signs to teach every time I talked. I didn't worry about tests or papers or appointments. I didn't use the t.v. to passify my toddler. I was just there with my favorites and it reminded me of what a happy life I have. Thanks be to God.

It was a very happy Mother's Day. I hope yours was just as sweet.

Wanderlust

I felt in my heart that our adventures were over when we left the Army. No more moving around from place to place. No more immediate friendships formed simply because of similar circumstance. It's all sinking in on this cold, dreary Monday as I look outside my house at the temperature: 17 degrees. That's probably pretty warm to most of you across the country. To me, it's just a nuisance. It's cold yet there's no blanketing snow covering a picture perfect backyard. It's just biting and depressing. It makes me miss Alaska and her snow covered mountains year-round. Only yesterday was I missing the sunny warmth of our home in Florida. I suppose the grass is always greener. I don't want to move away, especially as we get ready to welcome another baby into our lives, but I do miss that sense of adventure that the Captain and I used to have. For fun, we packed up the car for days of hiking, fishing, and hunting in the Alaskan wilderness. We drove 6+ hours just to get to the next big town and explore what it had to offer. We went swimming in 20 below zero temps. We picked fresh blueberries in Denali National Park. We gazed at the Northern Lights and wondered how we could be so lucky to get to experience something so amazing. Our adventures there were endless.

I'm suffering from wanderlust as we go into the new year. Our plans for travel have fallen through. We had to cancel a trip to Puerto Rico over Christmas. Then, we wanted to take a trip to celebrate our anniversary, but with buying the house recently the funds just aren't there. So this is what you're left with- a blogger who can't seem to drag herself out of the past. Those adventures are done for now. They'll have to wait. Reality calls....

but hey! At least it's naptime ;)

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 ;)

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)

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!

Ask Mrs. K

Top of the mornin' to ya! I noticed I've got some new faces around here--welcome! I thought I'd let you all get to know me a little more by answering some questions I've been asked in the blogging world recently. Also, I love to follow back so let me know if you've followed and I haven't returned the favor, ok? I appreciate each of you! Thanks for providing the following questions, Lisa (and thanks for the blog award, too!).

1. First three movies in your Netflix queue?
Um, err...what's Netflix? Kidding. But honestly, I haven't watched a movie in I don't know how long. Every time I think I might want to, I think of five billion other things I should be doing instead. I need a chill pill.

2. Where is your dream vacation?
I've always wanted to go to Italy. I'd love to rent a villa in the countryside, throw open the windows and feel the breeze on my face. I'd sip on wine, nibble on bread and cheese, and fantasize about moving there.

3. How long have you been blogging?
I've been blogging in some capacity for years. As far as this blog (on blogger) goes, it has almost been a year.

4. Sweat pants, yoga pants or something else?
I'm for the pants that are going to make my butt look a little bit bigger and not so flat. Those pants are my friend.

5. Do you prefer road trips or all-inclusive vacations?
My younger, carefree self would say "road trips, for sure!" Now that I'm a parent, I think the latter might be a heck of a lot easier.

6. What TV show is your guilty pleasure?
The Bachelor. What's their record on successful relationships now? 2 out of 8,000? I'm so excited to watch the upcoming finale of Sean's season.

7. Home cooked meals or take-out?
Both have their place in my heart.

8. If you could time travel, where and when would you go?
I think I'd go back to Christ's death and resurrection. I'd want to carry that memory with me so as never to forget the sacrifice that was made for me.

9. What is your favorite Disney movie?
I always loved The Little Mermaid the best.

10. Do you write blog posts ahead of time?
Sometimes

11. What do you like most about your significant other?
I love his loyalty to our family. I enjoy watching him with our sons and knowing I can trust him wholeheartedly.

Now, it's your turn! What burning question have you always wanted to ask me? Leave it in the comment section and I'll address it next time around. I hope each of you have a great weekend!

All About Us

(I hope you're not terribly tired of these link-ups I keep doing. The questions have been so good lately and, well, my brain needs something that I don't have to think much about. I blame Baby A or Baby K or the fact that all my brain cells keep going to sewing cloth diapers for the former and a Halloween costume for the latter all without any proper patterns. In short, I've got problems! )

 

1. Tell us how you met your love and what attracted you most to him.

You're not going to believe this. Okay, maybe you will but we were set up. His mother and my sister worked together and I suppose simultaneously decided that we were pathetic all by ourselves so we needed each other. Kidding. But I was like...who does this? I don't NEED a guy. I don't NEED you to set me up with a stranger, much less one that is heading off to a war zone. Still, I went on this date against everything I knew and when I got home I told my mom I was going to marry him, something I certainly had never said about anyone else before. She knew I was serious. A couple days later we were on the beach. A week after that I was in Alaska, a place I said I'd never set foot, cherishing our last few weeks together before he headed off toward Iraq. The rest is history! I think I was attracted most to his outlook in life and his confidence in himself.

2. Show us the very first picture you guys ever took together.

3. Tell us some of your favorite memories that you two had together.

How bout I just show you? That's more fun...

Hiking in Tennessee over R&R

Boating in New Zealand after deployment #1

Getting married!

Hanging out in the Hot Springs at 20 Below

Out-fishing him one fine day at the Chena River in Alaska

Camping and Hiking in Denali National Park

Exploring Kona, Hawaii

Haines, AK

Roadtrippin' in California

Grand Canyon

Finding out we were pregnant with this little cutie and every seemingly mundane moment after! Our children have given us a whole new kind of adventure together and although it's much different, we're having the time of our lives.

4. Tell us your favorite qualities of this man. What makes him the one?

As I said before, I like his confidence. I like his cooking ability. I like the way he looks in uniform. I love the way he loves our sons. He is a good husband and a wonderful father to our boys. He's funny. He's my best friend, even when he's driving me crazy. I can trust him completely and that makes all the difference in the world.

5. Tell us what your date nights typically look like.

Well, as you can imagine, date nights have changed. We used to live! it! up! We would go out for an appetizer and drinks at one location, move to another for dinner, and still another for dessert. Our dates were often out of town! We'd make the 6 hour drive to Anchorage for the weekend and go snowshoeing at out favorite locations. We'd ski. We'd hit up the jazz bar. We had some great dates! Now, we're lucky to get the kid in bed in time and rent a movie on Netflix to watch together. I have faith that when we move this will all change and we'll find a reliable babysitter that can give us more time alone together. That's important to me.