Weekend fun...

Our little family has been pretty busy lately. This was Josh's first weekend back working...although basically its just a ton of in processing.

Last Saturday though, we took a family day since it was my birthday. Since we don't have any family pictures done at all...and really haven't taken a lot since our wedding...it was the perfect opportunity to go and get some done!

Anistyn was hilarious through the whole thing...striking a pose before the photographer could even ask her to. I think we have a little model on our hands! We got some amazing shots of her...as well as all of us! The girl that took the photos already put them up on facebook, so I thought I would go ahead and share some.

                                          
                                                            This one is my favorite!!

                                              
                                                 I can't get enough of those eyes!

We went to this really cool place to take the photos. Its called the Savannah Rapids Pavillion. Just a little outdoor family place...with a playground, running trails that run all the way to downtown Augusta, and the Savannah river runs through there. So, after the shoot, we went down by the river where Josh tried to teach Anistyn to skip rocks. I got in on the fun too. Yesterday my arm was sore from all the throwing...I'm such a wimp! We did have a competition to see who could make a rock skip multiple times...and I have to give that award to Josh.

Afterwards we got to come home and after dinner we ate some birthday cake that Josh made for me. Great birthday with my favorite people!

Baby blog...

Thats right...I'll be keeping track of my pregnancy in a baby blog! You can keep track of it as well HERE!

BIG news!

Now, what could possibly be so important that I just HAD to write a whole other blog post for? It would have to be something exciting. Something amazing. Well...yes and yes. Here it is...

WE'RE PREGNANT!!!

It was VERY soon and although we figured it would happen soon...I was not expecting it NOW!

Last Wednesday I was on the phone with a friend and we were gabbing about all that girly ovulation stuff. She told me to just go ahead and take a test...I laughed and said "No way!" After a little more bugging though...I caved! I went ahead and took a test...and was I surprised!

The test had a faint...but visible second line! My camera is not wanting to work...but I googled it and found a picture of what it looked like!

It looked just like this...where you can barely see it...but its there! I was shaking and kept asking myself "Is it?? Is it??!!! Naturally, my next notion was to tell Josh. I wanted to tell him in a cute way...but come on. I have a big mouth! And with him being on leave...he was quick to keep asking "Hey...what are you doing??"

So I finally went up and said "I need to show you something...." and whipped out the test. He was shocked too, but we had a great moment of being shocked and laughing together...because the hugs and kisses came!

I immediately wanted to go to the store to get a digital test, so we did. But when I came home and took it, it said I wasn't pregnant. So I was very confused and unsure. I'm not very good at waiting...so I went ahead and marched up to the family clinic where I got a blood test done. I mean...I HAD to know! They took my bloodwork and told me they would call in two hours for the results. Those were VERY long hours! I kept watching the clock and was getting ready to call them, when they finally called announcing that I WAS pregnant! So once again...Josh and I had another round of excited hugs!

I have to go to the doctor on Tuesday to get my prenatal vitamins and talk about the pregnancy. I am so excited for all of this. So far, I feel great! I don't feel pregnant at all, aside from one nap I've had to have. I've been googling and if my calculations are right...I'm 5 weeks pregnant. And yes...Josh has only been home for 3 weeks, but did you know they start counting pregnancy from the date of your last period? Weird...I don't remember that! But hey...I'll take the extra weeks!

While waiting on the next blog...I figured I would answer these questions that my sister in law sent me from her blog! 

1.) What is your favorite childhood memory? It would definitely have to be my summers spent at my Papa Joe's and Mama Barbara's. Luckily, Fort Gordon is not far at all from their house so I still get to go there a reminisce. Although my Papa Joe is now gone...it will always be a place I treasure.

 2.) If you could have any job, what would it be, and why? Don't laugh...but I would absolutely love to be a broadway star. Hey, it said ANY, right?

 3.) What is your favorite sport? Football!!! Roll tide!!

 4.) Have you ever done something "dangerous" - and how do you define that? Hmm...I would say....yes. But, alas, nothing exciting and often dumb.

 5.) What is your favorite holiday? Christmas! Although it sure has come early this year it seems!

 6.) When is your average bedtime? Oh it just depends. Right now its almost midnight...and Josh and I are both up playing on our computers...

 7.) What is your favorite song (right now)? Oh...I couldn't pick just one!

 8.) In one word, describe yourself. Wow...just one, huh? I really like Bethany's answer. "Real". Although...I won't steal it! I'll say "Blunt"...haha.

New beginnings....

Oh, we've been such busy people this past month and I have LOTS to update everyone on!

So...once again, I will start from the beginning, and I will also have to split this into two separate blogs!

Josh FINALLY came home on Friday, October 22nd! My grandmother took Anistyn for the weekend so we that we could have some time to ourselves! I was so extremely excited to see him! I took that whole day to clean and primp myself. Hey, we might be married...but you STILL wanna look good for your man, right? 

We spent Saturday furniture shopping and looking at things to decorate our house with eventually. We even wandered into Petsmart because we had been thinking of getting a dog...which we DID!

The next week, Josh brough a puppy home for us, which he had gotten from a friend in Rome. We named him Saban...perfect name for this Alabama fan! However, the next day...Saban got really sick. He wouldn't touch food...or water. He looked like he could go at any moment. We took him to the Pet ER, where it was announced  that he had parvo. For those of you who don't know what parvo is, its basically a disease that eats away at the organs and intestines and can easily kill an animal. Its prevented with their routine shots...but Saban had not had his. We had already made him an appointment for Monday...but he already had it.

The doctor told us that they could admit Saban for....1200 dollars for the FIRST night...then 400 dollars per day after that...and he would need to be there for a minimum of 5 days! Josh and I just looked at each other with these "uuuhhh..." looks. Finally, I asked the vet if there was a plan b! Thankfully there was. We could take Saban and all of his medication home and administer them ourselves. It would still mean only a 50/50 chance...but he would have had that in the hospital as well.

So for the next week, we had to give Saban an IV 2 times a day, along with other shots. For an animal lover...it was so sad to have to do this to the poor baby. Once you stuck him with the IV, you had to let it drain into his system, which caused his shoulders to swell with the fluid. Once it was done, there were two or three other shots to give him, plus oral medicine. He was a fighter though and he made it through! He is now one happy, healthy puppy...and an instant part of our family!

We've enjoyed having Josh home and getting back into our family routine. He's been on leave, so its been great to have him actually be able to relax....as much as he can! He's such a hard worker, and after not getting much of a break these past 2 years, it took him awhile to actually be ABLE to relax! But, thats just something I love about him. Definitely not a slacker! And hey...our house is coming together thanks to him!

We're getting ready for the holidays and excited to spend time with our families! Now...read on to the next blog post for more news!

A little of this, a little of that.

Well, these have just been a couple of busy busy weeks! We are doing a pretty good job of settling into our new home...and loving it! After a few mishaps, our things from California FINALLY came yesterday!! Woohoo! There's only one thing thats different this time...I have to unpack by myself...haha! Today was busy since I've been sick and been needing to deal with that over the unpacking...so tomorrow will be my first full fledged day of getting everything in order! So...this is what it looks like as of now:

Yikes! And that is just the living/dining room! It does look like things have been ripped out of boxes...and that's because, well, they have. The movers were supposed to be here around 2 and silly me thought they actually would be! I know, what was this silly military wife thinking?? So, they arrived instead at 6. My grandmother thankfully was there to help with Anistyn while I helped the movers. Once the movers left, she had dinner ready for us. Problem...no silverware! I had had plastic silverware that I kept washing, but since I figured I would have had plenty of things unpacked by dinnertime, I threw them away! So...I had to go on a hunt for silverware. Only, I STILL couldn't find them...so I had to ask our nice neighbor for some to borrow! I finally found the silverware today...in a duffel bad, buried in a box! 

Thankfully, the unpacking messes do not overwhelm me, and I really don't mind doing it all. There's something about knowing that Josh will be home soon...and wanting to get our house in order for him...I just love that! Of course, while unpacking, I have realized that there are two people in this house who have an abundance of knick knacks...and neither of them are me! Haha.


This week at Anistyn's school they are promoting reading, so they have had a theme each day. Monday was "Hats off to reading" so everyone got to wear a hat.    Tuesdays theme was "Team up to read" so the kids got to dress in their favorite jerseys. Wednesday was "Reading in never tacky" so the kids wore....tacky clothes! This was Anistyn's selection for tacky day.

It is a little tacky...but I think she still just looks cute!


We can "officially" start a countdown on Josh coming home! I didn't want to do a countdown before because it was far off and I wanted to make it go by as fast as possible! But now that its only a month away...I think I can make it that far! Josh has been doing great in his class and I am so proud of him for getting soldier of the month!! He worked so hard at it! 


Everything seems to falling into place perfectly. I've been going through all the boxes of things that have been stored up for months. Getting out our pictures, his clothes, different things...the timing couldn't be better. As I'm putting away this or that...I feel like I'm making the way for our family to be back together again. And I sure will be glad to see him in person instead of like this!

Lovely skype photos!

A year already...

Has it really already been a year?

I went back down memory lane for a bit just looking at our wedding pictures. I couldn't help but remember exactly how I felt then and smile. The butterflies, the excitement, the wonder of what was to come. And so madly in love with this man. A year later...and I still feel that way. 

Now...I know, I know...a year isn't a lifetime. But to me, its a milestone. The first year is a growing year. Its the year when you start learning to live with your spouse...even if you really only got to live with them for 7 months out of that year. You learn if he drinks milk out of the carton and grosses you out (he doesn't!). You learn who the "ocd" cleaner is (neither...haha). You learn that she likes it when you make coffee first thing in the morning (he caught on quick:)) You also learn that neither of you are morning people. Whether its learning something that is deep and secretive, or just learning what kind of toothpaste you both like....its learning. Learning how to share your life with the person who will be your partner throughout your life. THAT makes it a milestone.

Today of course...we are not able to celebrate together. Josh is still training in Texas while I'm here in Augusta. I had strict instructions to NOT leave the house though. Of course, this on the day when Anistyn had early release from school! That afternoon though, the doorbell rang and the nice FedEx lady handed me these...in a box of course.

 
I just adore him. If all of our other year together are anything like this first one...I'll be one happy old lady one day. Bumps will come. Disagreements will occur. Sometimes, we won't see eye to eye on everything. We're human...and we're two different people. But I believe this first year...this learning year...was a great way to start things off on the right track. 

As for Josh...there are no words to describe what he is to me. I simply adore him. As a husband, a father, as a man. I believe in him and respect him. He's my very best friend....and I can't wait to see what the future brings for us and our family!