Alaskan Summer

If you're in Alaska, do yourself a favor...

Go order a nice, cold Alaskan Summer.



If not for you, do it for me.

And while you're at it, enjoy every single second of the cool(er), refreshing air while you sip on it. It's so much cleaner up there than here in the lower 48.

Will you do that for me? I know it's a lot to ask.

Thanks,

Mrs. K

Hey, You!

Hey, you...

Yeah, you in your tiny shorts with the long, tan, strong legs running around effortlessly in the Georgia heat.

I don't like you. Not today.

I'm jealous of your swinging ponytail and glistening forehead. You act like running is a breeze while I sit over here from the confines of my house, afraid to step foot outside. Because when I do, I breathe heavy, Baby K gets mad, and I question ever leaving that cool Alaskan air.

So, go away with your perfectly toned body and leave this pregnant girl in her own misery. Maybe we can be friends in two months, but today is not your day.

The End.

In my recent studies, I came across this verse from Ecclesiastes that seems very fitting today-

"The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and patience is better than pride." - Ecclesiastes 7:8

The end. Those can be bittersweet words, can't they? In movies, it's the point at which we finally feel that homeostasis returning to our bodies. The conflict has been resolved in some way and we can leave the movie in peace, knowing that all is right again in that little world. In our favorite books, we're often glad to know what happened finally, but regretful that the story is no longer engrossing us.

'The end' can be happy or sad, but it is inevitable.

I look forward to so many ends and other beginnings. The end of this move is in sight. Don't ask me how or why I can see the finish line, but I can. It looks relaxing there. The fact that once we arrive at Ft. Polk (find a doctor and find a house) I still won't have time to sit down and put my feet up- matters very little. We'll have a home again. The home that we'll bring our son home from the hospital to. The home he'll roll over for the first time. The end of our time here at Ft. Benning.

I'm excited.

I'm trying to have patience and enjoy every single day, but today was difficult for me. I won't go into detail about all my pregnancy ailments because I know I can get complainy. But being 31 weeks pregnant in 98 degree weather with no furniture to relax on isn't the only issue I've got going on. As I was laying in bed on the evil air mattress that has become my nemesis, I realized, "Mama K, while you were busy preparing to move and working on school work, you forgot about your other class." That's right. I signed up for three classes this summer, not two. A little word of advice: When an advisor tells you that you might not want to take on too much at first, LISTEN!

I got out of bed at 1am, hurried my pregnant self to Amazon.com, and frantically began my search for the books I would need for the additional class that starts in two weeks. After finding what I need and consequently spending a fortune to get the books here by Wednesday, you would think I would be able to rest. Not the case.

As you can plainly see, this end will be much better than the beginning. I'm keeping faith in that! The beginning started last Wednesday when all of our belongings were lovingly not so lovingly thrown into boxes and shipped to what will be our third home in the past year. Since then, I've endured a lot. No, really. :) Okay, maybe I just feel as if I've been through the ringer.

The end of this move looks exciting to me.

Who cares if everyone says our next post is the armpit of the Army? Not this girl. This girl is just thankful for ends and new beginnings.

Lord, grant me patience (but not too much) ;)

Mrs. K and the calculated escape plan

Psstt...

Is this thing on?

I feel disconnected from the blogging world. School, family, moving- these are all taking me away from you momentarily. Still, I enjoy having a place to share our lives with all of you. It allows me to revisit many of my fondest memories, especially when I have little recollection of them. I have a terrible memory in case you didn't know. Sometimes I like this about myself. For instance, I can watch a movie a handful of times and still not remember what happens in the end. It's great! It's new to me each time. Other times, this pesky memory problem isn't so enjoyable.

I think I'm talking writing too much.

I signed into Wordpress to tell you about this:



Whoa! That's one big belly. People keep telling me that it's only going to get bigger and that's something that scares me to hear.

How? How can it get any bigger?

I'm going to pop.

You should see me try to execute an escape- from- the- air- mattress plan. It ain't pretty. It usually involves a calculated roll with some preliminary swinging of the legs to roll me over. If all goes well, my knees end up on the floor while I use my hands to push me up. All the while, I'm breathing like I'm about 600 lbs. and just tried to hula hoop. My hair is usually a mess because I no longer care about brushing it. I'm just trying to get through the day (or the night, for that matter). When I finally make my way to a vertical position, I still have to cradle my huge belly as I high tail it to the bathroom because you know I have to pee every few minutes.

Long story short- I'm wondering how anyone can view pregnancy as an attractive time period in a woman's life. Sometimes I feel sorry for Captain J to have to wake up to such a hot mess every morning, but then I remember that he can be thanked for this huge protruding belly of mine and I get over that pretty quickly.

65 more days to go!

Innovative

I love my husband for many reasons.

One of them should be mentioned here now- He's innovative. Driven. Determined. Logistical.

You may be thinking, of course he is- He's a U.S. Army Officer. Mmmkay, scratch that. You probably weren't thinking that.

Anyway, the point is he provides for this little family in any way he can. This past week he has really stepped up to the plate in trying to make our home for the time being, a home. The other day he got this brilliant idea to make his own grill using materials around the house. I thought he was batty and was ready to simply check out some to-go menus when he proclaimed, "I'm going to pick up some steaks."

Oh, gracious.

I thought, "There's no tellin' what I'm going to have to eat tonight", but I said, "Okay, love you! I'm staying here" {in the air conditioning, thank you}.

By nightfall we had quite the feast.



We had steak, grilled onions and cucumbers, complete with a candlelit ambience. All eaten on paper plates and a large Army tote, it was perfect.

It doesn't take much to have a nice evening with my husband, though. We enjoyed the rare breeze that a June night in Georgia offered us by sitting in camping chairs outside, watching the dogs play, and talking while the food cooked. Pretty soon, quiet evenings such as this will cease to exist with the arrival of Baby K. Better enjoy it while we can!





It's days like these I like to store away in my memory forever.

Mind elsewhere

I could really use some of this:

Or one of these:

Or perhaps a porch with friends nearby:

All of which were provided at my third and final baby shower that my mother-in-law put together for Baby K and me. Oh, to be enjoying that day instead of writing papers and reading books (of the not so fun persuasion)! Yes, I'd much rather be lounging around the pool with a plate of good food instead of making plans to eat out...again. Having limited utinsels to cook with is troublesome. LA in ten days!

My mind is elsewhere. Where's yours?

tail, face, tail, face...

Some things in life just don't mix. Ketchup and chocolate, for instance. Both great. Not together.

I have discovered a few more things in life (over the last twenty four hours)
that shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence and I think they deserve a warning for all of you:

1. 3rd trimester and blow-up mattress. 'Nuff said.

2. Part- wolf dogs and no furniture.

Need an explanation? Well, let's just say that it's not even 9am and I'm completely tired of having a husky tail in my face, then a husky face, then a tail, then a face. If they don't quit pacing, I might go insane.

3. Cereal and zero eating utinsils to speak of. That's no good either.

That's all I've got for you today. I must retire to the library and study. I'm hoping to get ahead so that I won't be entirely stressed out during our drive to LA. Before we part, I would like to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my very first Army wife friend I made when I joined this military family journey. Nicole, I hope you have a fabulous day!