New Beginnings

I can't believe it's already January! The new year always means a chance to start fresh and lots of changes and this year is no exception. In just a few short days My baby boy will be one year old and I simply can't wrap my head around it. 

We had a wonderful holiday season and I have been soaking up every moment with my sweet little boy because my days as a stay at home mama are numbered. 

By the grace of God I have found a full time banking job and will be going back to work in the next few weeks. I am experiencing so many emotions when it comes to this and although I was thrilled to be offered the position I wanted, my heart is also breaking at the thought of placing my baby in daycare. 

I may have cried the other night when I actually sat down and realized I will only see him for about 2 hours each day during the week. I don't know how I'm going to handle it but please pray I find the strength. ♥

Right now I'm in the process of trying to find great and affordable child care and its proving to be more difficult than I initially thought. Some places want over $900 per month. Its literally insane. 

I'm just trying to navigate through these feelings and situation because its all new to me. I remember so many times over the last year seeing friends who had babies have to leave them and go back to work, and how incredibly lucky I felt to be able to stay home with my son. The last year has truly been a gift and one that I will cherish all the rest of my days. 

However, each chapter in our lives must come to an end and sadly this one is ending. Although I'd love to stay home with my son longer, its for the best for me to work. So now I will be starting a new adventure and I hope its a good one! :)

{Ringing in the New Year with my little family}

I can't wait to see what this year brings for my family and I  am choosing to see the blessings even when its hard. I hope you're all having a wonderful 2014 so far. ♥

Love/Do Not Love (Christmas Edition)

Today I'm sharing my Love/Do not love list {Christmas Edition} and linking up over at Chambanachik. 

Here's my list.

Love:

-This little guy. I am so excited to experience Bubby's first christmas with him and make it truly wonderful. 

-Our Christmas tree. To me the tree is so much more than a place to put presents on Christmas morning. It's a tradition and there is something so beautiful about it. As a child I used to bring my favorite stuffed animals and lay under our tree, mesmerized by all the twinkly lights and pretty ornaments. These days I love seeing the wonder on my son's face when he stares at our tree. ♥

-Decorating our house. This year is the first time we have an actual house, not a tiny 600 square foot apartment. That means lights, tiny christmas trees and candy canes out front. It was a fun thing for our family to do together and something I will look forward to every year. :) 

-Holiday flavored coffee creamer. Peppermint mocha has to be my favorite flavor, and in the early mornings after waking up several times a night with my son, coffee is a gift from God! 

-Visiting Santa. Since it's Bubby's first Christmas of course I was looking forward to this. He was a little scared to sit on Santa's lap all by himself so Dad had to hold him and just stand next to Santa. Luckily we still got a big smile from him and have a cute picture as a keepsake. 

-The holiday spirit. Not everyone, but most people are a little bit kinder this time of year and that just warms my heart. A little kindness can go a long way! 

-Online shopping. Living far away from my family means online shopping is a lifesaver. This year I started my shopping in beginning of November so I could make sure to get everything delivered on time. I also got lots of deals including free shipping. Although it's not as fun as picking out gifts in person and wrapping them it still makes me happy to be able to get my family a few things. 

-Christmas movies. I love watching Christmas movies this time of year. Some of my favorites are It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street (the original), Holiday Inn, Home Alone, The Grinch, The Holiday, and The Family Stone. 

Do Not Love:

-Being far away from my family. I don't like this any time of year but Christmas is when it makes my heart hurt the most. I wish there was a way we could afford to spend Christmas together, but moving and readjusting all our bills just made it impossible this year. 

-This incredibly warm Florida weather. It has been in the 80's this past week and I absolutely hate it. One thing I loved about winter in VA was that it was actually cold and sometimes snowed. I am definitely missing that this year. 

-Not knowing anyone. This may make me seem like a loser, but oh well. I have not made a single friend here in Florida. Not a one. Since I'm currently a sahm its been pretty difficult to meet anyone. We don't live on base and for some reason all our neighbors are older and retired. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't lonely and wishing for a little companionship other than my husband and son. 

-Stressing about money. When you live on one income its always a challenge to try and stay on budget but this can be especially hard during the holidays. Between the holiday meals, buying gifts, decorations and just doing family things together it can all add up. I wish there was a way to make it a little less expensive! 

Well that's my list! What are you loving/not loving this holiday season? 

Halloween Decorations Sneak Peek

Happy Monday everyone! :) Today has already been a busy day for me here and I am so excited to get started on my fall crafting/Halloween decorations this year! Since it's officially fall and near the end of the month I figured it's time for me to start getting our apartment all decked out.

Being that we live in a smaller place, I don't have too many decorations yet but I started collecting some last year and have gotten a few new things so far this fall. One of the best places you can hit up for inexpensive fall/Halloween decor is the dollar store...No lie! I was skeptical at first but when I stopped by the local Dollar Tree I found so much great stuff!

I couldn't pass up these adorable hanging signs. I also got some fake spiderweb & a felt black spiderweb for a centerpiece on one of our tables. I still have to play around with how I want it to look, but I have some ideas rolling around in my head! :)

I also got these great little headstones to put out and I know I will find someplace to put this creepy crow. ;)

Hello Creepy Crow...

One of my favorite Halloween decorations is actually a sign I found at Michael's last year. It's just too cute!

I can't wait to figure out where I want everything to go and to make a few more things that I have found online as well. If my husband ever made an appearance on my blog he would tell you that I love Halloween probably more than most people, (it's my favorite holiday!) so I'm sure you can imagine how fun this is for me! :)

My mom always made Halloween very special at our house and that's a tradition I want to carry on with my own family. Are any of you decorating for Halloween this year? If so & you are looking for some cheap & easy craft ideas check out The 36th Avenue! That site is amazing & I have been perusing it daily in search of new ideas!

Anyway lovelies, I am off for a craft/shopping date with Brittany from Tales of a Sailor's Soulmate aka my real life bloggy buddy! ♥ Hope you all have a lovely Monday!! xoxo!

Family

"Family means putting your arms around each other and being there." 

Since I kind of slacked off in the blogging department over the last few months I never did get around to sharing photos of my trip home for Christmas while my husband was deployed. I recently learned how to make photo collages & wanted to share this one of my beautiful nieces & sisters. 

It's still so odd to me that I live 2,700 miles away and can't see them more than once or twice a year. We are all very close and when I lived in California we were always together. ♥ 

I miss them all dearly & hubby & I are hoping, praying, & keeping our fingers crossed for San Diego orders next year if hubby's pts gets approved.

 Please say a prayer for us so we can be close to home & our wonderful families. We miss them all so much!

Are you lucky enough to live close to family?

Goodbye

There is so much meaning behind those words. Leaving something in the past and moving ahead towards your future, bright and uncertain. The New Year always brings about a sense of nostalgia for the year that has passed, remembering your tragedies & triumphs as you hope for a better year to come. This year you can bet I was happy, no ecstatic even, to kiss 2011 goodbye & welcome 2012 with open arms.

Over the last year I have learned a lot about myself & life, but mostly I've learned that you can't control everything. You can try, but you will always fail. One person can change your life in the most inexplicable ways & it's really all up to fate. I guess what I'm trying to say is that 2011 was a tough year. The toughest year of my life so far, but I'm sure there will be more exhausting days to come & more tears than I'd like to cry.

But if I have learned one thing from 2011 it would have to be resilience. To pick myself up again & again after falling flat on my face. When my husband deployed in March I thought there was no way we could possibly make it through another whole year apart after we just got reacquainted. We had our share of fights, ups & downs & there were times when I think we both felt like giving up, but neither of us did.

There is no way I WILL EVER forget 2011, because it was the year I grew up. The year I officially became an adult & took care of myself. When most people went home for this deployment I stuck it out here by myself. I had some amazing friends of course, and my loving family back home but the one person I really wanted couldn't be here...And being here without him was the most heartbreaking thing I've ever experienced.

I am so thankful to God for making me get out of bed everyday & keep going. To find the strength to get up & go to a job everyday that I hate, because as my husband says, "Everyone has to pay their dues." For keeping me sane, (ok, most of the time) & for reminding me to just breath. To take things one day at a time. To Forgive, to love & to let go of the things I simply can't change. If I didn't have my heavenly father watching out for me, guiding me through these trials, there is no way I'd still be standing. He loves me even though I'll never deserve it, & makes me want to be a better person.

With all that being said, I bid farewell to 2011 and hope that 2012 is a year of happiness, love and peace for myself & all the ones I love. You only live once, so remember not to waste a second of it. ♥

Thanksgiving Recap & an Update

Hello Lovelies! I don't know how many of you still even read my blog considering how sporadic my posts have been, but I figured an update was in store. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with family and friends, not to mention plenty of good food. :)

I had a fabulous thanksgiving myself and successfully cooked my very first turkey!! I was so incredibly proud of how beautifully it turned out, and how delicious and juicy it was!  

I spent the day over at my deployment buddy Brittany's house and we both helped in making the entire dinner. She made some fabulous home made pumpkin pie, and I ended up eating dinner and dessert twice that day! Shhhhh don't tell! 

This is a glimpse of our feast. Homemade mashed potatoes and gravy made from the drippings, green bean casserole, stuffing, cranberry sauce and some regular and King's Hawaiian sweet rolls. Oh and of course my beautiful turkey seasoned to perfection with delicious rosemary, garlic, onion, butter and salt & pepper. Yum!

I still can't believe how fast the month of November has flown by, and I am so anxious for December to finally arrive! I haven't mentioned it on my blog but I am going home for Christmas to see my friends and family. I couldn't be more excited! The one thing that could make it even more special is if my husband were gonna be home to go too. 

It has been over 8 months since I've seen his face or kissed his lips, and I'll admit lately it has been getting to me that we wont be able to spend Christmas together again this year, (last year he had duty xmas day). This lifestyle has challenged me more in the last two years than any of my previous life experiences and continues to push my ideas of pain and suffering. 

Homecoming is still a while away but I am trying to keep my head up and a smile on my face. After all, what else can I do? Although it has been the biggest challenge to be without the other half of my heart for the greater part of the last two years, I keep telling myself that God has a plan. I know that although there are trials there is still plenty to be thankful for. And I am so grateful that although we're apart I still have the man I love and my family & friends.

Well lovelies it's time for bed and I have an early day at work tomorrow, but I promise to try and make more time for my blog. It's something I really miss.

Until next time-

Our Halloween Night

{Goodbye October!}

I can't believe October has already come and gone. It seems like the month literally flew by! It's been a bittersweet month for me, because for some reason Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. As a child I couldn't wait to get dressed up in the fabulous costumes my mother would make my sisters and I. Some of my fondest memories are of those Halloween nights. 

Not much has changed since then, except now that I'm an adult I pass out the candy instead of trick or treating but I still love to get dressed up. Usually I go all out and spend between $50-$80 on a costume and accessories since there was always a party to go to back home or something spooky to do. This year I intended on being a little more frugal and opted to not buy a costume. That was until Halloween came and I all of a sudden had the urge to dress up. {Great idea waiting til the last minute, don't ya think?}

So after work I rushed over to Wal-Mart and found some adorable kitty ears, glow bracelets and some candy for the trick or treaters. I was so proud of myself for only spending $12! For the rest of my costume I wore a black skirt, tights and a long sleeve black tee. I did my makeup to match my ears and voila. This kitty was ready to play! ;)

After I was dressed and ready I headed over to my deployment buddy Brittany's house. {Yes we are both Britt's so don't mess with us! haha} We made dinner, handed out candy and watched spooky shows like "Ghost Adventurers," all night. It was low key and relaxing and I loved seeing all the kids in their costumes! Even though I'm no where near ready for kids it made me look forward to having them in the future. 

Here is a photo of Britt and I dressed up...I was a naughty kitty and she was a sophisticated kitty! 

Brittany even got her dogs dressed up, {much to their dismay} and it was the cutest thing. Lady Puggle was a naughty pumpkin and Roland was a naughty hot dog. :0) Aren't they cute? 

We also had a Halloween gift exchange at work and I got my coworker these awesome goodies. I was so happy that she loved everything! ♥

All in all this has been such a wonderful past few days! My hubby was sweet enough to send me flowers on Sunday since he wasn't able to be home to spend Halloween with me. It really touched my heart that he bothered to do something sweet like that, he knows how much I love Halloween and I couldn't stop smiling all weekend!

I hope everyone else had a Happy & Safe Halloween! Now we're headed straight for November and I am so glad the Holidays will be here soon because that means we are getting closer and closer to the end of this deployment!!! I can't wait until next year to finally have my hubby home safe and sound. ♥ Here's hoping these next few months fly by!

Lazy (Labor) Day

Yesterday started off really, really bad. I'm not gonna get into details but I was pretty depressed and actually managed to stay in bed until 4:30 in the afternoon. I finally got up, only cause I needed to shower and was starving and then proceeded to eat wendy's for dinner and watch netflix all night. I started to feel a little better, but today I am kicking myself in the butt for not running all my errands and doing my chores yesterday so I could enjoy my day off today.

However, I can say that I really needed a day where I could just lay around and sleep all day. I am always going, going, going, and am usually exhausted. I needed to recharge my batteries and just THINK about a lot of things going on in my life. It was nice to have a day where I could just stay in bed and be comfy. That's usually what I feel like doing every week day, but instead I have to get up early and go to work at a job I hate.

Le sighhhhh...anyway, I am excited for fall and have decided to do a countdown until I go to home to California in December. As of now its a little more than three months away, and I'm praying it goes by fast! I can't wait to see everyone and just enjoy some time with the family and my besties back home. ♥ I hope you all have a Happy Tuesday! Hooray for short weeks! ;)

Happy Mother's Day!

 To all the fabulous and loving mama's out there, this day is for you! I hope you're all having a wonderful day and are able to spend it with your families. :) 

And especially to my own Mama who has worked so hard to raise 4 daughters all on her own, I hope you are feeling loved and happy today! I know we didn't always make it easy on you, but I hope you know how much we love and appreciate all that you have done and continue to do. We love you Mom!

I wish I was home to spend the day with you...♥Happy Mother's Day!! ♥ 

Happy St. Patty's Day!!!

 Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone!!! :) I wish I didn't have to work today but since I am stuck inside a bank on this wonderful day, I hope you all enjoy it for me. Yesterday I went shopping with my friend Megan for some St. Patty's day decor and we spent the evening decorating her house for the get together she's hosting tomorrow night after we all get off work. This is what I picked up...

I got 2 cups (1 for me and 1 for the hunny of course!), some shamrock beads, a light up pen, a light up shamrock to wear on my shirt today and of course a fatty light up ring! I'm gonna be all decked out for work! 

 I especially love the ring! ;)

They want us all to dress up and wear green... so it's gonna  be fun to see what everyone is wearing! :) We're also having a potluck so I am looking forward to all the yummy food I'm gonna get to eat for lunch...Mmmmmm! ♥

I have always loved St. Patty's Day mostly because my Mom always made all of the holidays so much fun when we were growing up. For every Holiday she would get each one of my sisters and I a few presents and make a special dinner. Of course we would always eat corned beef and cabbage on St. Patty's Day and I still love it to this day. :) So thanks Mom for passing on some of our family traditions and helping me to learn to love Holidays as much as you always have. ♥

Unfortunately I'll be at work until 7 pm due to our monthly meeting, (why they decided to hold it on a holiday is beyond me) but after that the Mr. and I are headed to Megan's house to have a few drinks and enjoy the rest of our night. What do you all have planned for today? Do your family and friends celebrate St. Patty's Day?