Moving with the Navy

While at my mom's retirement party in San Diego, I had someone ask, "So how much do you hate all the moving?" I was surprised at first at how she asked the question, but I do know that those not in the military life wonder about that part. So I got to thinking...what do I really think of all of the moving?

You know, I never thought I would say this, but I really don't mind it at all. I have actually enjoyed living in 3 cities over the past 7 years. Honestly! :) First there was Virginia Beach...

then Oahu ...

We lived right up the street from this!

and now Phoenix.

At each spot we added to our family.

Maxim and Chloe

In Kapolei, HI we added Dylan to make a family of 3! :)

Then in Phoenix we added Ava to make us a family of 4!

Not only has our family grown, but I think I've also grown to be a more open and easy-going person because things just change. It's easier to roll with it than to fight the inevitable.

Now Virginia was a bit challenging for me because I had left the bubble of San Diego. Beyond college at U of A, I hadn't lived anywhere else. Let's just say that Virginia Beach was an awakening period for me. Not only in the culture of people, but also what it is truly like to be a part of the Navy. Now I have always resisted the term "Navy Wife" because I felt that I was more than that, but there is definitly a learning and growing period. It took me a little while to figure out how to mix me with the Navy, but I think I've done a good job at it. :)

Lastly, I have met the most wonderful people throughout my travels. Let me just share a few. :)
Virgina...

Jen!

Challey!

Theme parties!!

I don't have any pics from work, but love you ladies!!

Hawaii...

Some of the Waikele ladies!

Wendy and Brandi!
We didn't realize the stranger took a full body shot. :)

Gina & Michael

Arizona...

Some of the moms from our playgroup! Can you tell it is Halloween? :)

Old college friends! Ava is 4 days old!

The kiddos have made friends too!

Moving can be challenging, but the focus should be on all the great things you get to see and do! We have another 1.5 years here then off to new adventures!

Back to Our Routine

Hey folks! It's been a few days since I last posted, but it has been a bit busy. It always takes a while to get back into the groove after being gone. We had such a good time seeing all the grandparents, but we were all ready to get home and get back to our schedule. Ava has always been an awesome sleeper! This includes naps and nighttime, even though she still gets up once to eat at night, however, she had some issues over the weekend. I worried that this week was going to be painful getting our routines back in check. Great news...the kids slid right back in as if we hadn't left! This shows they were ready to be home. :) Now I just have to get the house organized. : /

Yesterday I did a little laundry. I focused more on Ava's morning nap and grocery shopping. It took a bit of time to plan my shopping trip in the morning because I took a week off. :) Well, I spent $46 on over $90 worth of groceries! I then went to Target to pick up the kiddos pictures and pick up a few more items. In total, I got all of this FREE!

The kiddos took pictures the Friday before we left. They were Ava's 6 month shots and I was hoping I could get at least one good one of the two of them together. This is harder than it may sound. :) I chose Target because I like their picture samples, it was 5 minutes from my house and they have a 50% military discount!!! The photographer got Dylan to smile which is a challenge at this stage. :) There are quite a few pics, but I had to share them!

This was a last minute idea by Dylan and I love it!

We originally scheduled the pics for Monday of that week and Ava wasn't crawling then. We cancelled for a super fun playdate. By Friday, when we took the pics, she was crawling and was all over the place!!! We couldn't keep her still! I wonder what Monday's pics would've looked like. :)

Now...today's focus is laundry and working out. So far so good. Ava and I headed to the gym where I got in a really good workout. I ran for 25 min. which ended up being just under 2.5 miles. I got off the treadmill with a bit of a headache which told me I needed to chug that water!! Then I did a series of upper body strength training exercises. Instead of being all planned out, I went with what I felt like doing and got a great workout in. My trusty watch told me I worked out for 55 min. and burned 480 cal. :) When I went to pick up Ava she was sleeping. Good and bad. Good because she was happy and bad because I didn't know if she would sleep anymore when we got home. Hmmm....

It is time to go get the boy! I'm crossing my fingers for a good day. He is transitioning to the 2.5 year old room and it is a slow-going process. I left him with, "Be brave today." Poor child will be hearing my voice in his head his whole life. :)

Have a great Wednesday!

Next up...Anaheim!

After spending a fun-filled week with family and friends in San Diego, we drove up to Anaheim Hills this afternoon for a long weekend with Randy's parents.
Now...you may be wondering what we did this week in SD to make it so fun. Well, a lot of hanging around with the kiddos, trips to Target and Golden Spoon frozen yogurt. :) I could honestly go to Target and eat frozen yogurt everyday and be quite happy. Last I shared, we spent a great Monday with our friends from Hawaii! After that SD became cold and rainy which sucked all the energy right out of me. I also didn't pack clothes for that kind of weather and had to root around in my mom's closet for warm sweaters. We went from 102 degrees in Phoenix to about 60 degrees and rainy in SD. Even though I was cold, I have to say I'm ready for Phoenix to welcome that kind of weather. Go away heat!!

We ventured to my mom's school, even though she retired last week, to watch them receive an award. Out of 10,000 elementary schools in CA, my mom's school won the top Presidental Fitness Award. They were given $10,000 to go towards equipment and fitness programs. Schools need this so much!

Of course mom wanted us to come to show off the fam. Not really me as much as the kids. :)

Yes, Dylan is wearing the jacket to his Halloween costume...the pilot jacket. :)

Friday was party day! First, I took the kiddos to a friends' house for a playdate. I've known mom and dad, Kristin and Brian, since high school and our kids are about the same age. Dylan was the only boy this time, but he always loves being around girls. This may not be so cute when he is older. ;) It took him awhile to warm up, but we all had a great time!

It's time to sing!

I love this table! It is the brainchild of dad, Brian, and his dad, Grandpa. It holds butcher paper! I'm going to task Randy and his dad to make one for us!

After naptime we all got ready to celebrate my mom's retirement! Her friends and my dad planned a party at our next door neighbors' house.

We have been good friends with the neighbors for as long as I can remember. When the dads replaced the fence many years ago, they added a door to connect the backyards. :) We had such a good time eating good food, drinking cocktails (not as much for me) and chatting with close friends. I don't know if Dylan was the healthiest of eaters that night. I kept seeing him swipe candy corns and potato chips. :) I was the youngest by far, but I have known most of the families for a very long time.

The kiddos were a hit! Typically at a party like this, I would be running around tending to kids the whole time. What was so nice about this party is that everyone wanted to play with Dylan and/or hold Ava. Wonderful!

Pa!

This meant that I got to eat and even have multiple conversations. I usually take more pictures, but I think I was just enjoying the freedom. :) Randy also flew into SD and was able to join the party. Dylan was so excited to see him! Then, my little ham of a Dylan decided to welcome everyone at the party during "speech time". He was up on the bank overlooking the party when he raised his hand and said hi to the whole crowd. Of course everyone laughed and thought he was so cute because most have grandchildren of their own . :) Ava was put to bed a tad bit late and Randy happily set up shop on the couch while she slept. Dylan and I spent a bit longer at the party until he started showing signs of giving in. He actually told me he was ready for bed. Amazing! He fell asleep before I was done reading him his book which was around 9pm. I'm usually a stickler on bedtimes, but Dylan is a social butterfly and I knew he wasn't going to go to bed with a party going on next door. :) Now that most of my family was comfy, I returned to the party once again to just enjoy myself. By this point there were few families left, but ones I really enjoy. Next thing I knew it was 10:30pm, which is way past my bedtime! :)

This morning Pa made waffles

then we played a little more,

cleaned up the clutter and headed to Oma and Opa's house. It should be a fun weekend! Randy and I even get to go out without kids! That is always the best part of a grandparent visit. I think by the time we get home I'm going to feel like we've been gone forever!

Two days down...

It's been a fun trip so far. The San Diego Zoo was a BIG hit! Dylan loves the animals and Ava just hangs out. :)

We met our Hawaii friends at 10am

then off we went to oooo and aaahhh at all of the animals.  One of the main reasons for my coming out here this week was because my teaching partner and good friend, Wendy, from Hawaii was making a visit with her family. It's hard seeing friends living so far away now so I had to take advantage of this opportunity. We were barely into our animal viewing when Dylan had already worked Grammy into carrying him. :)

This was a viewing hold. :)

Despite Dylan's love of animals, I think this helicopter may have been his favorite!

The weather was perfect so the animals were out doing their thing. Ava didn't nap as well as I had hoped so by lunchtime, she had something to say about it. Everyone took their turn holding her

and she finally gave in for a nap as we climbed the HUGE hill back to the front of the zoo. If you've been there, you know what I'm talking about. :) My hammies are actually sore from pushing the stroller up the incline. Great workout!

We weren't even out of the parking lot and the kids were already asleep. To prolong this nap as much as possible and consume our caffeine for the afternoon, Mom and I hit Starbucks. Yummy! I love Fall at Starbucks because it is Pumpkin Spice Latte season.

Our fun continued into dinnertime because our friends came over for dinner. Wendy has 2 boys (K & 2nd grades) who did a great job playing with Dylan. Wendy and I got to chat it up while the boys ran around and her hubs supervised. :) Hawaiian treats were also brought and I think I'm most excited for the sushi rice flavoring. I'm sure most of you may not understand how good this rice is, but it was my favorite part of a bento (box lunch). I can't wait to get home and make it!  Visiting with my friends made me miss Hawaii! Randy and I are hoping to return in a future move. Crossing my fingers!

With yesterday being so much fun, we were all exhausted today! I thought we would get out of the house today and I guess you can say we did, but it was only for about an hour to Target. Ava took a morning nap that lasted almost 3 hours! Great for the morning, but made the afternoon nap a challenge. Dylan tried to avoid his nap, but I told him he couldn't play his new Candy Land  game unless he slept first. :) While he slept, Mom and I went through her closet and got rid of a bunch of clothes!

I LOVE doing this type of stuff! She needed some serious organization! Clothes were today, shoes will be tomorrow.

After nap Dylan had only one thing on his mind...

It was fun teaching him how to play his first game!

Hopefully tonight I can catch up on my sleep. I'm nursing a glass of wine right now to help with the relaxation process. :)

We made it to San Diego!

It has been such a busy last couple of days! It always comes in waves doesn't it?

This morning the kiddos and I drove out to San Diego without the hubby. This is the first time I have attempted this long of a drive on my own and I have to admit...I was a little nervous. Everything went great! I think we did so much traveling over the summer that we have broken them in. :) It was quite hectic getting everyone and everything in the car by Ava's nap...10am. You'd think that waking up at 7am would give plenty of time, but it is amazing how fast that little clock moves! By the time I was pulling out of the garage at 10:04am, Ava was sleeping, Dylan was watching Star Wars on the dvd player (best travel accessory!!)

and I had the Garmin all set for the trip. Now, we are staying at my parents' house, where I grew up, so I don't need the GPS. I use the Garmin for the ETA and I try to take down minutes throughout the drive. Remember that competitive quality I mentioned previously? :) One reason I like to "earn" minutes is because we use SOOO many when stopping with kids!

Dylan fell asleep within the first 20 minutes so the drive was so peaceful for the first hour. Our first stop was Dateland, AZ. If you haven't done this drive (Phx to SD) before, then you will have probably never heard of the place.

Dylan, who is now daytime potty trained, wears a pull-up on these trips. Apparently he did an independent pee before we left b/c his pull-up was all askew. So...when he had to go in the car, he ended up with a dry pull-up and wet shorts and shirt. Lovely! Ava greeted our stop with some infant grunting of her own so this was a full service stop. :) Dylan is scared of the hand air dryers

so every time someone used it during our 10min. bathroom trip, he would remind me in a very loud voice. Then Ava decided she felt the same way with a little cry of her own.

Back on the road. Now, here's the question...stop in Yuma (45min away) for lunch then drive a little more than 2 hours or stop in El Centro (1.5hrs away) and be that much closer. I was going for El Centro until I decided I needed caffeine badly! I now regret that decision. I decided on In-n-Out, which is always a great choice for food, but too crowded for this type of trip.  I did an end run on a man to snag a table. I felt I deserved it since I had the two kids without help. :)

Our stop was 1 hour! Yikes! I had gained a total of 15min. of time before we stopped...then I lost an hour. :( Overall we did pretty well back on the road except Ava didn't like the mountains coming in to SD. Poor ears! I told her to suck her thumb, but she's not listening to my suggestions at this age. ;) We pulled into the driveway at 3:45pm. Not bad for two stops with kiddos. We all survived and were happy. Successful one parent trip!!

They are now sleeping; storing up energy for the zoo tomorrow!

A good friend of mine from Hawaii is in town with her family. They will be our zoo buddies tomorrow! Can't wait...it is going to be so much fun!

What happened to the plan?

How is Wednesday treating everyone? We're trudging along over here. :) I am a planner and I kept trying to plan out my day. The problem was, I kept changing my mind! This means I ran out of time to get that much accomplished. First the focus was the gym then I started second guessing myself as to when to go because of Ava's nap. Then I decided I'd hit the commissary because Ava would sleep in the bjorn while I shopped. That sounded good until I briefly forgot that I needed to buy Dylan pull-ups today (he only uses them when he sleeps) and started planning for the gym again. Ava started showing signs of getting tired so then I was going to stay home so I threw a load of laundry in. Then...I remember Dylan's pull-ups. Yikes!!! I have to go to the store! So after spending an hour going back and forth, we're off to the store. My most exciting purchase of the day was free razors and refill blades! They weren't even disposable razors! There was a coupon online recently for $5 off and the commissary had them on sale for $5. SCORE!!!

I don't know why it won't turn!

Ava let me take a quick shower as she sat screaming at the shower. At that point I remembered I needed to run to Joann's for some tulle. I swear my brain hasn't been holding information very well lately.  The kiddos are getting pictures taken on Friday and I decided that Ava would look cute in a tutu. Anyway, by the time we get there Ava is asleep. The carrier is so heavy, but my plan is to run in real quick and I don't want to wake her. So...I carry her in the carrier. Two ladies walk in right before me and take the last free cart! Now if they hadn't see me hefting Ava, I wouldn't mind so much, but they looked right at me! I had to go inside and find someone who worked there to help me move the motorized scooter out of the way. Throughout all of that, Ava was still asleep. Whew! Now I have 15-20 min. max to get the tulle before having to pick up Dylan from school. I think everyone decided to get fabric cut at that exact same time! I had to leave my stuff on the counter without getting anything. :( I do realize that if I had planned a bit better, I would have given myself more time and probably had been able to start the project. Oh well. I tried to talk Dylan into going back after school, but his reply, "Do that later Mommy!"

Dylan gets 30 min. of playtime before nap and I thought this was so funny. Ava wants to play with him so badly, but he doesn't want her to touch anything!

Throughout the day and during naptime, I have been "sampling" the cookie dough I made yesterday. I think I've eaten more dough than anything else today! Thankfully when Dylan got up he asked to finish the cookies!

This is mixing it up yesterday



Can you guess who placed the dough?



Yummy!

Now the kiddos are playing together, the house smells like snickerdoodles and I'm drinking my 2nd cup of coffee.

Not bad for a day of running around!