Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year bloggy friends!

I fully admit I have been about the worst blogger ever but did want to say hello to everyone and let you know I am sincerely wishing you all the best over the holiday season.

Things here are going well.  I am two semesters into nursing school now with two to go.  Kaia is growing by leaps and bounds intellectually and she is so full of energy!

Another great year is coming to a close and I am thankful for the many blessings we have been given.

Busy, Busy

As I am sure we are all, despite the summer season.

The last two weeks was long hours of work.  Though I am off again now and delighted to be so.  I also had to take my first, and hopefully only, defensive driver's course.  For shame, I know.  People, do not speed, these painful classes are not worth the time you save.  Also, really, we live in a scary world.  Ignore people with road rage.  Do not get involved with such drama.  Let them win.  They could just be that crazy person who seriously will follow you to your destination and run you over in the parking lot or take out the gun in his gun rack to shoot you. 

So, wonderful, wonderful Kat over at Tenaciously Yours gifted me, through a giveaway, one of the greatest gifts ever!  It's a cookbook titled "Nigella Kitchen; Recipes From the Heart of the Home"  I've just finished flipping through it all.  I've been so inspired!  Even by the dishes I know aren't probably up my alley.  It all just looks delicious.  And, my thought was of Julie & Julia.  I want to do something similar with this cookbook.  I want to cook my way through it.  I'm sure, unlike Julie, I will skip a few recipes here and there, and I have no delusions that I will get through it in 365 days but . . . I really do want to get through it, to cook more, have more variety here at the house, less of the plain salads, sandwhiches, burgers, spaghetti, that I am always fixing for myself and my poor family.  Variety is the spice of life, so I hear, no?  I have other cookbooks I should probably work my way through too, but this one has such a delightful looking variety, and it was such a generous gift I think I will have to start here.  I'll let you know how it goes.  Keep your fingers crossed I actually follow through . . .

Now off to catch up on what I've been missing out in your lives the past couple of weeks!

5K Saturday & Sick Baby

Yesterday morning was wonderful!  Kaia, Todd, and I ran a 5K for wounded warriors.  I was soooo proud of our community yesterday.  My gym and another organization paid to put everything together, including snacks and t-shirts after and wonderful volunteers worked the race for free so that all proceeds went to the wounded warrior project.  Over 1000 racers came out and there were some genorous donors.  I believe they said over $70K was raised!  Yay!

But then yesterday evening my poor angel spiked a temp.  She hit up to 102 and was understandably upset and uncomfortable and had a hard time sleeping.  Baby tylenol was super helpful and baby's feeling a bit better this morning but were still not there yet.  Keep fingers crossed for her to feel better soon please!

Hope you all are having a great weekend!

Vacation

Hi everyone!  Sorry I've been gone again for so long without a peep.  I realized I didn't mention the fam and I were headed on a little vacay.

We are back now.  It was quite lovely acutely, minus me getting sick anyway.  We picked up my stepson, Aidan, on the way, visited a dear old friend and her family in NY, visited my alma mater, and finished off in the great city of DC. 

We were in DC on Memorial Day which is a special day for us so we went to Arlington Cemetery.  It was my second time there and it's just such an amazing place.  It was Todd's first visit though and I think he was impressed too.  We planned on doing a bit more site seeing but with heat warnings and a precious baby we didn't stay out too long this time.  But . . . there will definitely be a next time!

Oh, and ladies, please, if you ever, ever go to DC for any reason, you MUST hit up the infamous Georgetown Cupcakes (or some of you may know them as DC Cupcakes from the TLC show) they really are the best cupcakes I've ever had in my life!  We bought a dozen and there wasn't a bad one in the bunch.  I think my very favorite was the german chocolate.

What did you do for Memorial Day weekend?  Anything special?  Off to check your blogs now!

Schedules

So, I've come to determine that I function best on a schedule.  In fact, the crazier, the better.  Don't get me wrong, when I'm in the middle of the crazy schedule I wonder what in the world I'm thinking and wishing for nothing more than a long vacatio on a sandy beach, still, genearlly, I am more uncomfortable with down time.

The past semester was definitely crazy.  I was up early every morning for a long day of classes and/or clinicals.  I came home to Mommy Kaia alone while Todd was deployed and we were up late most nights.  But, I knew what I was doing, or at least what I should be doing, every minute of everyday.   I even had to stop blogging (writing and reading) because there was simply no time.

Now, the freedom will be my undoing.  I have the summer off.  At least for now, I'm not even doing a part-time job (other than being a Mommy and wife of course :)  The result?  I seem to get nothing done in a day.

So, now I am attempting to get the blog going again - at least a few days a week over the summer.  And I am back to studying for my personal trainer's certificate.  My goal is to get certified sooner rather than later and (cross fingers) hopefully, get hired on somewhere (please let it be my gym!) a few hours a week.

Wish this feeling lazy mommy luck.

What are your thoughts on schedules?

Hope you all are off to a wonderful start to the week!

I'm Baaaaack!

At least a few times a week durig the summer anyways ;)

How are you ladies?!  How I have dearly missed you!

A lot has happened since my last post.  The love of my life has returned from the great, far away, beyond.  Kaia and I could not be more delighted.

I finished up my first semester back . . . on the dean's list.  Yay!

And Kaia . . . boy has she grown!  Probably the biggest milestones to catch you up on are:

1)  She has cut two bottom teeth
2)  She crawls crazy fast. all. over
3)  She pulls herself up and takes a few steps around furniture
4)  Her new favorite is loving on Daddy
5)  And being kissed all over by random strangers' puppies
6)  She holds her own sippy and can pick up her own food to feed herself
7)  But, she's off the chart skinny now and hates eating most of the time (any and all advice on this one welcome)

So, there's a good run-down from here.  Enough about us.  I want to hear about you!

Bloggy Fail

Hi everyone!  Thank you for visiting again though I fear I dont deserve it.  I apologize for not visiting and commenting like I would like.  I think I have to accept bloggy defeat for the time being.  I just cant keep up with all that's going on right now.  I will still try and swing by to visit you whenever I can.  And, if all goes well, hopefully, I'll get back with some regularity over the summer.

Now, before I go, shout outs of thanks and lots of love to: Susan, Liz, Devan, Jessica, Colleen, Kelly, Melissa, Selby, Ameena, Elizabeth, Mamabear, Courtney, Alicia, Anne, Anastasia, Kat, Libby, Sara, and Mandi words cannot express how blessed I feel to have met you, even if most of you only through blogging.  You are some fabulous women.  Thank you for putting up with me, for commenting, and helping me get through some pretty tough, lonesome days.  I've really enjoyed getting to know you.  Thank you for uplifting words, awesome recipes, great advice, and Sara, thank you for helping me figure out the cat on Skype!  Again, you all really are the best!  Hugs!   (If I missed anyone, I am so sorry, I promise I love you just as much!)