D. Day!

Again .. once again ... we packed his bags and dropped him off.

This is twice in a year and although I think it will get easier. It does not.. and it only does not because of our growing family.

As a mom and wife I find being a Military Wife rewarding and a life of learning to be independent. That means although it is not easy .. I HAVE to make it work and well... I always do make it work because my family needs me to.

I am thankful this go around to have an amazing support system and a close friend who has a husband gone with mine.

So lets recap...
6:00am comes early  Mike was getting ready and I on the other hand had heavy eyes and a heavy heart. We got May ready and headed on base to get Mike checked in...

the day was spent with a breakfast, church , Revenge (the show) and grocery shopping. Thank you Lauren for helping us today! I know we have a long road ahead of us but I know with our friendship we will concur this Deployment!

All Ready!

The bags are packed... 

Maternity Leave has started and we are just waiting for my MOM to arrive! 

Mike keeps checking up every now and than to make sure that I am relaxing. I promise I am as I clear out the DVR!

We are officially 39 weeks and have Lambeau's stuff in order for his friends that will help us when we go into labor and our bags are waiting right by the door! .. OH I know you see some ABU...Mike's bags are in order as well because he could be called in at any moment to fly out for an exercise! I am a little worried about him leaving for the exercise but not to much being that I have my system in order for who to call and ect. We will be glad when little Mayana is HERE!!!

Happy Birthday To Me!

Birthday Week! I never imagined that I would turn 26 years old.. and have all that I have been blessed with... an amazing job, family, support system, husband, living in Florida, owning a house, owning a car!!! Hey... its the small things.. at 20 I was just living with my parents, partying and working... to party. I never lived a crazy life.. just a life that tend to get out of focused. Today I am truly BLESSED and feeling old.. although I know its just the start of all the amazing things God has in store for me and my family. We started off the week with dinner with friends and a parade for our local pirate festival. I came home to amazing flowers and melted chocolates from my in laws (YES I ATE THE MELTED CHOCOLATES). The next day my co-workers showered me with gifts and lunch. I was all smiles... May 31st was the last day of work for me.. Maternity Leave here I come.. I was proud to say that I worked as far as I did.. working with kids and being overly prego.. makes things harder and days longer... but it was all worth it that Mayana and I made it! :) That night dinner plans by Mike at Fridays and I came home to a card that made me cry.. and a foot bath. Amen for that foot bath. We finished my Birthday Week on Saturday as we geared up for a Mexican Fiesta hosted by my friends Lucy and John. All the ladies made the treats and they provided the TACOS!!! The men played poker and us ladies played Loteria! Having friends that become your family help you as your away from your family on days like your birthday!

Walk It OUT!!!

I truly have never done a Relay for Life event.. so this was my first! 

I was signed up on my Roller Derby Team and My Early Childhood Team.

Walking was an option but at a very slow pace. After a long day of work I headed home, changed, picked up Mike and we got ready to WALK IT OUT with Lucy. 

Lucy's dad is a Cancer Survivor and I am as well so we walked proud and with meaning!!! Until we saw FOOD and Cups with BLING! ;)

Vacation Re-Cap!

After two long weeks on the road and traveling! We managed to hit 30 weeks and feel overly relaxed.

We had boxes filled with stuff to put away and a baby room to get started. So with that ... we traveled 19 hours back to FLORIDA! We did not drive straight to Florida we STOPPED at my favorite little stop of all time! Bowling Green, KY. We always  try to spend out last night on vacation together in a nice room with nice take out dinner that we bring back because of Lambeau! We relax as a family and recenter before we get back to our REAL LIFE jobs and ect. So with that being said VACATION 2013' was truly accomplished! 

Now this is what was left at the door for us! Thank god for my mom's work and their shipping help we were able to get everything home with room for Lambeau in my tiny PT!

Michigan Baby Shower #5 !

Having a baby shower in my family is like INVITING the world. Well it is mostly because in a town like Holland where you have lived there forever... you know the world!

This shower was truly a blessing and filled with love and tons of people who I have grown up around. 

My mom was overly excited and with the help of the rest of her family (cousins, aunts, uncles) it truly was amazing! 

Now let me tell you getting it all home after two big vacation showers.. was the worst! I have never packed so many boxes to send home for one little girl! So spoiled and she is yet to be born!

Happy Father's Day// Change!

 

I am sneaking this post in a little out of order because yesterday was Father's Day! I find it very hard to deal with Father's Day... Shortly after my dad's passing away I was forced to wait tables on a Father's day...*sigh*/ the image of all those happy dad's with their kids brought back flashbacks of being with my dad and reminded me of what I was missing out on at the moment. Which made for a horrible moment and a few tears while waiting on tables of FAMILIES!

Yesterday, I noticed Facebook post with pictures and ect. I liked each and every post to show respect for the people who have their father. I on the other hand.. thought about a few moments with my dad and than looked over to my husband and realized that from this day forward it was probably up to me in order to make HIS FATHERS DAY.. the best day every. So I find myself making change for this day. I am thankful to have had my dad and for him to be the most amazing dad in the world. I am thankful that I am still able to see him in pictures and feel him around me during certain moments in my life. It truly is never easy to lose the first man of your dreams... your dad! It truly is harder to be miles and miles away from his final resting place. 

WISCONSIN in April!

In between all the showers Mike and I packed our bags and Lambeau and headed to WISCONSIN! 

So excited for a vacation away from Florida and our crazy busy lives. 

At about 27 weeks prego we drove 19 hours and cruised right into Mike's childhood home. 

He was overly excited because it was going to be his 26th birthday and our 5 year anniversary! He was also in the one place were he feels most comfortable! 

HOME! 

We had an awesome surprise!!! 

SNOW! It had truly been since the blizzard of 2008 that we have seen snow! 

 

 So as you can imagine! Our friends back in Florida called us tourist.. 

A few days later we were able to take a mini stop to the JELLY BELLY factory! We had a shopping day with Mike's parents and this was one of my favorite stops! So much candy and FUN! 

 April 3rd. Mike turned 26 years old and the only thing his little heart desired was a mini date to Green Bay! We met one of our favorite aunts LORI for lunch at Lambeau Field!

and well I could not let it be his birthday and not do what I wanted to do.. so we stopped at the chocolate store and the teacher store!!! Bless his heart for listening to be drool over teacher supplies and candy!

Later that night the whole family got together for pizza for Mike and his brother's birthday! :) Who does not love SNOW-COASTER PIZZAS and Cake!!

Let's face it a vacation to Wisconsin would totally not be complete without a cook out in the cold! So after a few days of hanging out we were able to grill out!

Nearing the end of our Wisconsin vacation we stopped into grandma's with Jerry's Doughnuts to say Good-Bye to our family and thank them for all they have provided us with during the vacation!

We geared up and hit the road for MICHIGAN!