Another Day Another Country!

My friend Mariana had the day off so we decided to go to Strasbourg France. It is a charming little place but it was cloudy so the pictures don't do it justice.

Mariana was Jack's pretend mommy today

Mariana and Mom eating French pastries!

Of course it started raining and I didn't have an umbrella so I had to buy one from the street! lol

Funny Boy!!!

Switzerland

We spent the day in Zurich, the largest city in Switzerland and, as everything else in Europe it was beautiful :) We couldn't have asked for better weather. We walked around the city and hung out by the lake. It was actually a relaxing day which is unusual for us cause we always try to see all that we can but the lake was so nice we couldn't leave

This is the largest clock face in northern Europe. It moves a foot for each minute

I love how you can see the see the Swiss Alps

Jack got his first knife today! I figured there is not better place to buy a swiss army knife.

This is pretty cool

Jack, being hot blooded like his mom, loved hanging out naked on the bus! He gets that from his dad :)

A Day in Holland

This weekend we took a short trip to Holland to see the tulips. We had such a great time and everything was so beautiful. We went to a windmill park, and cheese farm where we saw them make cheese and a place where they make clogs, which they actually wear there, I could never wear them cause they were so uncomfortable. I couldn't believe all the tulips everywhere. Our tour guide said that Holland supplies all of Europe with their tulips. I didn't hear him say anything about the states but i know i have driven all over the states and i have never seen fields like this.

One of the thousands of tulip fields

I was waiting in line behind 5 people then i was next so i got to step in a little room where the doors were and when i saw this i HAD to go get my camera. I had to wait behind 3 more people but it was totally worth it cause it cracked me up the rest of the day!

Of course you have to have yummy dessert

The parade was so amazing! All of the floats were made of fresh flowers and plants. I couldn't believe how real everything looked with all the different shades of flowers

Jack got his first taste of dirt! I was so busy trying to get pictures of it that he ate a good amount! lol

Some of the beautiful flowers in the garden

I was kind of nervous about this trip cause we left Friday night and rode a bus all night and got there in the am and spent the day then rode a bus all night and didn't get home until 4am. I was afraid Jack would scream the whole time and everyone would be miserable and then, cause it's such a small place, i would run in to them all the time and I would be "THAT GIRL" who brought her screaming kid that ruined their Holland trip! Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. He was sooo good. Sat. morning when i was getting off the bus i had a diaper in my hand and a lady said "I didn't even know there was a baby on the bus" then when we were getting off the bus to come home the tour guide kept telling me that he was perfect! I'm so proud of my little traveler!

a little of this a little of that

Jack had a battle with his rocking chair the other day and the chair won!!! He is so tough though he just cried a sec and i think that was because it scared him

Our neighbor Madison loves to come over and play with Jack. She usually sings to him but the other day she was reading him a story. She is soo cute.

What a rough life!!!!

Military Wife

Lots of moving...
Moving...
Moving...
Moving far from home...
Moving two cars, three kids and one dog...all riding with HER of course.
Moving sofas to basements because they won't go in THIS house; Moving curtains that won't fit; Moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours.
Moving away from friends;
Moving toward new friends;
Moving her most important luggage: her trunk full of memories.

Often waiting...
Waiting...
Waiting...
Waiting for housing.
Waiting for orders.
Waiting for deployments.
Waiting for phone calls.
Waiting for reunions.
Waiting for the new curtains to arrive.
Waiting for him to come home,
For dinner...AGAIN!

They call her 'Military Dependent', but she knows better:
She is fiercely In-Dependent.

She can balance a check book;
Handle the yard work;
Fix a noisy toilet;
Bury the family pet...

She is intimately familiar with drywall anchors and toggle bolts.
She can file the taxes;
Sell a house;
Buy a car;
Or set up a move...
.....all with ONE Power of Attorney.

She welcomes neighbors that don't welcome her.
She reinvents her career with every PCS; Locates a house in the desert, The Arctic, Or the deep south.
And learns to call them all 'home'.
She MAKES them all home.

Military Wives are somewhat hasty...
They leap into:
Decorating,
Leadership,
Volunteering,
Career alternatives,
Churches,
And friendships.
They don't have 15 years to get to know people.
Their roots are short but flexible.
They plant annuals for themselves and perennials for those who come after them.

Military Wives quickly learn to value each other:
They connect over coffee,
Rely on the spouse network,
Accept offers of friendship and favors.
Record addresses in pencil...

Military Wives have a common bond:
The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands; his commitment is unique.
He doesn't have a 'JOB'
He has a 'MISSION' that he can't just decide to quit...
He's on-call for his country 24/7.
But for her, he's the most unreliable guy in town!
His language is foreign
TDY
PCS
OPR
SOS
ACC
BDU
ACU
BAR
CIB
TAD
And so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his.
She is the long- distance link to keep them informed; the glue that holds them together.

A Military Wife has her moments:
She wants to wring his neck;
Dye his uniform pink;
Refuse to move to Siberia;
But she pulls herself together.
Give her a few days,
A travel brochure,
A long hot bath,
A pledge to the flag,
A wedding picture,
And she goes.
She packs.
She moves.
She follows.

Why?
What for?
How come?
You may think it is because she has lost her mind.
But actually it is because she has lost her heart.
It was stolen from her by a man,
Who puts duty first,
Who longs to deploy,
Who salutes the flag,
And whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her Military Husband, She will remain his military wife.
And would have it no other way.

rollie pollie

So he has been rolling over for a while but I just got it on video this morning!

Mommy's New Hair Do!

Now I can't pull her hair out every time she leans over to talk to me. What's up with that!!

bring it on mommy!!!

After the Pediatrician told me to feed Jack cereal one of the mothers in my group was snotty and said "Well, he is so young he will just push it all out with his tongue cause it's the natural reflex at this age and he can't swallow it, but you can try" Tell me if you think he is ready to eat! :)

4 months old!!

My baby is 4m months old! I can't believe how fast he is growing and how time is flying, which I'm not complaining cause that means daddy will be home in no time. We had his well baby appointment today and he is 14 lbs 7 oz and 28 inches long. Everything looked good!

Jack and Ronan! His mommy and I like to think they are best friends! lol She was due one day after me but the boys ended up being 7 days apart. I met her in the pregnancy group when we were about 24 weeks. She is such a good friend and our boys love playing with each other. Usually they lay and stare at each other. We laugh cause Ronan still looks like a little peanut and Jack towers over him. lol