Blogging is hard work

I have no excuse for why I have been absent.  At first it was the stress of moving then it was getting settled in, and then finally it was finishing up my school work.  Since I have been done with school for a few months I really am out of excuses as to why I don't blog like I used to.   Moving and settling into a new home is hard work.  I have done this multiple times but last years move took a lot out of me.   I/we were so settled in New Jersey that moving back to the Midwest was rough, really rough.   I have gotten into a routine and finally started to make friends but geez it is rough.   I feel like nothing will ever compare to the great group of friends I had in NJ but I realize that I need to accept this and move on and stop living int the past.  The few friends I have made here are great and I can't complain at all.  
On the bright side the girls are adjusting well.  The first couple months were hard but now they both have an abundance of friends and most days the girls are in and out of the house with all their friends.
Emily got accepted to the PreK program here so she will be going everyday for a few hours.  She is very excited and so am I!
Jason got promoted and we are anxiously awaiting the official promotion message so he can finally put on his Chief Anchors.  It has been a long time coming and I could not be more proud and happy for him.  This promotion is the stepping stone he needs to continue down his career path and his career goals.
We've had a busy year and went on our first official family vacation to Walt Disney World.  It was amazing and we can't wait to go back!  I miss it.  It's just such a fun and happy place.   With Jason promoting we will be moving again next summer so we are going to try to get somewhere warm again!
I will try to update the blog more and hopefully I can keep my promise.

St. Louis here we come!

It's official! We got our orders and we will be moving to St. Louis, MO. this Summer.  We are all very excited and anxious to get this move over with.  This will be our first move with Abby in school and Emily's first move ever!  I am worried about the girls adjusting and making friends but I know Abby will be just fine. She has such a big heart and a great personality.  This move is bittersweet for me. I've made such great friends here that it is going to be very hard for me to leave.  I know that I have made friends that I will have for life and that is the silver lining.  I have personally been struggling with the news of our impending move since we found out.  I am so happy that we got our #1 pick and we will be closer to family but a part of me is so very sad to leave NJ.  We have made a great life here with great friends.  Right now NJ feels like home but I know home is where ever we all our together.  From the reaction of family and friends I think we will have a lot more visitors than we did  here!

Beast of the East!

As I was looking back through old blog posts I realized I never posted about the 10K Mud Run I took part in on September 10th.  I was part of a team of 5 Coast Guard Wives.  We made our own shirts and had a blast running the race. It was a 6.2 mile race with obstacles and water hazards and of course mud! It was literally the most fun I have had in a very long time. I was so worried about not being able to run it but I was fine. In fact when I got the end of the race I told Jason I was fine and I was ready to go again. I would do that race again in a heartbeat.  So glad I got to do it with an awesome group of Coast Guard wives! I think the highlight of the race for me was climbing this huge hill of mud and I had to use a rope to pull myself up the hill. I got to the top and felt absolutely empowered!  I raised my hands above my head and I hear my teammates cheering me on. It was an awesome feeling.  I was so happy I made it to the top of that hill and that I didn't tumble down it like I had just seen another girl do right before I made my ascent!   The second best part was crossing that finish line and seeing Jason and the girls waiting there for me.  One of the Best times ever!  I think I may have caught the race bug!

October

The girls and I have been on our own for a few weeks now.  Jason got selected to go to California and he will be arriving home in a few days.  He pretty much missed the whole month of October. We've been very lucky in our 4 years here in that Jason very rarely gets selected to go places, not from his lack of trying though. The first week was a bit rough on my but after that first week we got into a groove and things got a bit easier.
 The girls really kept me busy though!   Abby with soccer, girl scouts and her social calendar and Emily kept me busy just being Emily!

The good news is we have officially potty trained Emily.  No more diapers! WOO HOO!   She has been doing great and thankfully has gotten the hang of it rather quickly.   On a funny side note about Potty training, I do think Emily is going to be that kid that has to go check out the bathroom wherever we may be.  Every place we go to she has to go. I know I shouldn't complain and I'm really not. I'm thankful she tells me she has to go!

Autumn has arrived!

Fall is always a busy time of year for us.  Back to school, soccer, Jason is busy with his end of year things for work. It all works out to many busy days and weekends.  Thankfully Jason found it in his heart to volunteer to coach Soccer this year and we are so grateful!  He is proving to be quite the coach and the kids love him.  We are 2-0 but whose counting and the kids are learning every week and showing off their new skills.

We had a great game last Saturday and we have practice tonight. Abby is also starting Girl Scout's today too. It's going to be another busy year for us.

It's that time of year for us to submit our picks to the Detailer.  We are keeping our fingers crossed that we actually get a something on our list this year.  Here are a few pictures from the soccer game this weekend.  Go Hornets!

First Day of School

Today was Abby's first day of school. She is officially a 2nd grader!  I personally have a hard time wrapping my head around this. I remember bringing her home from the hospital like yesterday but I guess as a Mom that is a memory I will always have with me.  Yesterday we went up to her school and met the teacher and she got to see who was in her class.  Thankfully she knew a few of the kids so that put her at ease.  She was excited and ready to go back but this morning a case of the nerves set in.  Once we made it out to the bus stop she was fine.  The bus arrived only a few minutes late which is great because last year it never showed up on the first day!  Hopefully this is a sign of how the year will go, smoothly!  

We had a busy summer and now our busy fall is starting. Jason is coaching Abby's soccer team this year and this Saturday I am competing with a group of Coast Guard Wives in the annual Beast of the East, Mud Run. It's a 10k ( 6.2 mile) running/obstacle course and yes there is mud.  I keep telling myself that my skin will look radiant after this!  

Here we go again!

After a long and much needed vacation and visit back to Omaha we are home. Jason is back at work, the girls are at each others throats and summer is in full swing.  We've been taking advantage of the new pool in our neighborhood. We go a few times a week and both girls are really improving in their swimming abilities. Next week Abby will be attending vacation bible school each morning so it will just be Emily and myself in the morning.  I think Emily will really miss her big sister. 
Speaking of Emily we are still struggling with her weight. I'm back to being fully committed to this and am open to suggestions. If anyone has any thoughts, comments, I am ready and willing to listen.  I need my little girl to gain a few pounds so the doctor's will leave us alone!

Here is a picture of the girls enjoying their summer of fun.  What could be funnier than bubble wrap?!  Nothing I tell you!

Magic 8 ball anyone??

I am ready for a trip out of Jersey and I know Jason is too.  We need to get away from his work, his work  and his work.  Sometimes I  wonder if we made the wrong decision staying here for another year and today I can reply with absolute certainty that the answer to that question is YES!
 I will miss my dear friends and all the perks of living on a big base but I would give it all up in a second if I didn't have to see my husband try and do the right thing and get punished for it.  I guess that is life and what can you do?  You pick your self up, do a little self reflection and start again.  That is what he is doing and I think I will do the same.On that note,  my self reflection has led me to seriously think about resigning  my position as the Ombudsman because I can' t effectively aid these families anymore.
I wish we had a magic 8 ball that would have told us to , "GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN!"  Oh well, hindsight is 20/20 and all that. I'm full of cliches today aren't I?

Girly Girl time!

I really don't know what I would do if I had a boy!  I'm grateful I have girls who love to get dressed up in pretty clothes, wear make-up and put on masks.  They really are the best! Now I just need to go out and buy a cheap mask so they don't keep using up my expensive one.  I tried to trick Emily by not putting a large amount on her face but she kept looking in the mirror and pointing to her face and telling me that she needed "More!"  She is hilarious!

Always a battle

I've learned a lot in my short 33 years. One of the most important things is that  everyone has an opinion and that you can't make everyone like you or be happy with you.  You make choices that they don't agree with or understand or even try to understand and then they judge you for those choices.  I'm so very tired of having to justify myself and my family to others.  I'm happy, everyday I am happy and that is what matters.

Coast Guard Cutter Eagle

Last weekend we were lucky enough to get to go see the only Tall Ship in the Coast Guard fleet.  The Coast Guard Cutter Eagle. It was really a spectacular thing to see.  The boat is amazing! It is like stepping back in time. It boggles my mind to think that people used to sail like this all the time.  The boat was in Philly for a few days so we drove down to Penn's Landing and saw it.  Well worth the  17.00 parking fee!  We actually got a special tour because Jason let the officer of the day know he was active duty Coast Guard.  It was really neat to see where they slept and ate. Here are a few pictures from our trip to Philly! Enjoy!

Banana Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

These little bites are a tasty treat!  I had one warm out of the oven and I didn't even feel like it was diet food!  I have to give credit to Weight Watchers for the recipe, I did modify it a bit but it didn't effect it.  I used what I had on hand. I will definitely be making these again! I have a feeling they won't last long in our house.  Only 1 egg too which means Emily can have some too!

Nougat...Yum!

Like pretty much everyone else this year I jumped on the diet bandwagon on January 3rd. I joined Weight Watchers and I am making some great progress. I'm down almost 12lbs and I love it!  I'm averaging about 1.5 lbs a week and it's fine with me. After being so sick in November and December it is nice to be at the gym again and see the weight come off. This morning in fact I saw the scale hit it's lowest number in a very long time. Like a decade!  I'm not kidding.  It's a great feeling and I love that I'm healthier and I really only have less than 10 lbs to go till I'm at my goal weight.  On that note why is it that I'm craving chocolate?  Not just any chocolate either.. a very specific kind of chocolate.  See's Candies, chocolate assortment. And within that assortment there is a chocolate candy with sprinkles on it that I really want to sink my teeth into!   I haven't eaten See's candies since before I was married and Dad would bring home a box for us kids every Christmas. I have a great memory of my older brother and I sitting on the couch with the box of chocolates between us and we must have ate at least half the box. I never thought I would want nougat again after that but here I am thinking of nothing else!  I've even found myself trolling See's Website looking at the Chocolate Assortment boxes.  I think I need to go for a run tonight!

Abby's art and my flowers!

Happy Valentines Day, yes I know I'm over a week late and here are some pictures that Abby has done at school the last few months. Enjoy!

This, that and everything else!

Well a quick update on Emily. Her doctor's appointment didn't go as bad as I thought it would. The good news is she is back on the growth curve for height. Now we just have to get her weight back up.  It's a long process and I really do think that she is just going to be a petite girl. It's not like I'm the tallest person or Jason either!  Abby has been doing cheerleading for the last 2 months and she loves it.  She has become quite good at learing all the cheers and she really enjoys it.  I am amazed that she knows so many cheers and all the arm and leg movements that go with it. Abby has been doing some great art work at school too. I'm going to post a few of her pictures so you can all see what she has been up too.
 We had a bit of a disappointment last week.  Jason's career goal is to make Warrant Officer and we missed the alternate list by less than 3points!  It truly was a blow for him but he will try again next year!  I've tried to stay positive for him through this but it was really a disappointment. His scores went up almost 40 points from last year so we were shocked we didn't make it.  It doesn't help when everyone is telling him that he's a shoe in either.  You get that false sense of security.  I truly believe with all my heart that he is made to do this.  He loves his job, he has such knowledge and now all he needs is the promotion!  He amazes me with all he does and how he handles the stress of a job that doesn't always realize all he does.  I hope our prayers are answered next year and he is promoted.  We have one more year here in NJ to make it happen! Other than that things are going well.  We are all anxious for some warmer weather and what that brings but it seems Winter is not quite done with us yet!  We had snow Tuesday and it was quite frigid this morning.  I'm ready for Summer, the pool and our fire pit and s'mores!

Hungry anyone?

Just when I think we are doing so well she back slides.  I was so happy when she broke 20lbs but now we have been stuck at that weight for over 2 months.  I feel like she will never gain weight. It's so frustrating.  As a Mother I feel like a failure when she won't eat! I keep telling myself that she'll eat when she's hungry but I've been waiting for that day to come for over a year now. I look at her and the logical side of my brain knows that she is not malnourished.  She is active most of the day, minus nap time and is always up to something. It is so easy to say I'm not going to stress over her eating but it is easier said than done. Just this morning she had me reduced to tears because she didn't eat dinner last night (she did have a yogurt for an after dinner snack) and then I made her  breakfast and all she ate was one breakfast sausage.  I know she's hungry, you can't tell me she isn't! One sausage and a yogurt in 12 hours that's nothing. I guess I have to keep telling myself that she'll outgrow this and eventually she'll gain weight.  I'm hoping it  happens sooner rather than later. The one positive note is that her 12 month size pants are getting to short for her!

Blizzard of 2010!

Merry Christmas!  We had a great Christmas at the Smith house this year. We got to webcam on Christmas Eve with all of our family back home in Nebraska. That made it even more special to get to see everyone.  The girls really love the webcam. They do get a little crazy and it can be chaotic but it's nice that they get to see everyone. Gotta love technology! 

We had a huge snowstorm on the 26th.   Blizzard like conditions and about 19 inches of snow fell starting Sunday morning into the early morning hours of Monday.  We had big plans this weekbut they were not meant to be! We were supposed to go to NYC and see the tree with my parents but they never made it to us.  The airports were shut down and they couldn't get a flight out to Philly till late in the week.  I spent all day in bed Monday crying my eyes out but I'm starting to bounce back.  I had my little self pity party but it's time to buck up now.  The girls took it really well too.  Abby was pretty upset on Monday but she is back to her old self again.  We are all looking forward to them coming in the near future.Thankfully we can webcam anytime we want!   Hopefully mother nature will cooperate this time! Overall we had a nice Christmas and we are looking forward to the New Year. 

Happy Birthday to Emily

Emily turned 2 this week!  I personally can't believe how fast the time has flown.  It seems like yesterday that our little family of 3 became a family of 4.  She is truly a blessing.  Emily has quite the personality for such a little girl.  Tonight we had some friends over for cake and ice cream and she decided to show our friends a little bit of her attitude that I am always telling them about.  Emily was running down the hallway and she looked over her shoulder back at our friend and she stuck her tongue out at him!  That's my kid! TROUBLE!  I think the terrible 2's have arrived.  Wish me luck.  

Overall she had a great birthday.  She loved opening up her gifts. In fact today the day after her birthday she kept bringing me Christmas presents that were under the tree to open.  I keep having to explain to her that her birthday is over and she has to wait till Christmas to open more gifts.  Emily's response to this is, "NO!"  That's her new favorite word by the way.   My good friend Carol made Emily's birthday cake this year and it was wonderful.  Emily has a very deep love of Elmo and Carol graciously offered to make Emily an Elmo cake.  Emily loved it and it came out beautifully! 

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Ahh, December!  I love it!  It really is my favorite month. I love the change in the weather, getting ready for Christmas, my birthday and Emily's birthday.The music!  Oh how I love Christmas music! It just never gets old for me.  I've alway's loved Christmastime. I think it has to do with my birthday being 5 days before Christmas and now I love it even more because Emily is also a December baby!  I have so many fond memories of Christmas as a child and an adult.  I remember going to Christmas Eve mass and racing home to wait for everyone to arrive to eat dinner and then open presents! Grandma Jo sitting with us kids in the living room chanting, "Presents, presents, we want presents!"  Those are great memories that I still cherish to this day!
 The food is always delicious at my parents house and I do miss that since I've moved away.  Nothing like Orsi pizza!  We haven't been home for the last 2 Christmases but we do our best here in NJ to make the best of it.  We put our tree up last weekend and it has been quite wonderful watching my girls explore and touch the tree. Abby is still enchanted with the ornaments and the ribbon that goes around the tree and of course all the gifts underneath it! It  is really fun to watch Emily explore the tree this year.  Last year she had just turned 1 and she really wasn't into to much trouble but this year she is certainly up to no good!  I look over and I catch her standing as close as she can to the tree and she is touching and looking carefully at every ornament she can!  She brings me ornaments she has taken off the tree and I help her put them back on!  Today I walked into the living room and noticed she had unraveled some of the ribbon off the lower portion of the tree. No big deal though, we just fixed it. I think this will be a great Christmas. We have been blessed this year and I hope and pray this trend continues.  Merry Christmas!

Milestone time!

It only took us just shy of 24 months but Emily has finally made it to 20 lbs!  The irony of the whole thing is I have been very stressed about her eating the last few days but that little stinker showed me!  We weighed her 2 days in a row and she is at 20lb so we finally got to turn her car seat around.  She was very excited to ride in the car today.  Her little head was on a swivel and she was reaching around trying to grab the shade on the window.  I think Emily is really going to enjoy her new view of the world! We have been waiting and waiting for months now but she was just so slow to gain weight that we never thought this day would come.  I'm hoping this trend continues and she keeps on gaining weight!