Well we have embarked on our adventure back to Kansas... please pray all goes smoothly with an almost 4 month old and a 4 year old dog.  We are crazy.. but it will totally be worth it once we get there!

I've had this quiz sitting on my to-do list a while now.  It's old, and it went around forever ago, but who said you can't join the party late?!



For the original template please visit here.



Epic failure... this post was supposed to go live the 14th of this month... as in 2 and a half weeks ago.  Obviously it didn't.  So I just disappeared and nobody knew what happened (unless you follow me on Instagram!)... good news folks.  We survived our one day shy of 2 week adventure back to the midwest.  I will have a giant wrap up post first thing next week.  Needless to say I am most definitely still recovering from all that traveling.

Happy weekend, and hope everyone had a fabulous Memorial Day!

Well we have embarked on our adventure back to Kansas... please pray all goes smoothly with an almost 4 month old and a 4 year old dog.  We ...

We are thanking our lucky stars that we get to spend another year in Tampa for Thanksgiving.  The holiday means so much more when you get to be with family... lucky for us we get to be with not only Rob's grandparents but his aunt and her family too!!

Tampa Thanksgiving 2012.

I'm going to soak up every last moment of the holiday this year because I am so incredibly thankful and grateful for all that I have been blessed with.  Let me just check off a few of the most important:

My husband.
Our dog.
The baby we can't wait to meet.

My parents.
My sister.
My in-laws.

My friends.

The God who created me.
The veterans who died for me.

I hope you get to spend the day with those that mean the most to you... because really that's all that matters.

All our love and well wishes.
Happy Thanksgiving!!

We are thanking our lucky stars that we get to spend another year in Tampa for Thanksgiving.  The holiday means so much more when you get to...

First trimester... done and done.

Thank the sweet Lord above.

Because if being pregnant meant nine months of THAT.  We'd be one and done.  I promise you that.

Within the last week or two I've started feeling normal.  Even almost not pregnant.  Minus the swollen ankles and firm belly of course.  I'm not AS tired and I feel a bit more normal... knock on wood.

This here blog has been silent though because I've been on a two week vacation to Kansas.  One of my favorite places in the world... (the others... the lake, my Grandparents farm and with my little family in Georgia).  Which has been two weeks of busy.  It started with my cousins bachelorette party.  Then went into lake time.  Then became a wedding frenzy as my cousin got married.  This last day today has just flown by and tomorrow bright and early I board a few planes, travel in a bus and arrive back right where these last two weeks started... home.

I'm ready.  It is funny how getting older changes how you feel about home.  I'll always have two homes.  The one with my parents... and then the one with my husband and boys.  Our little gang.  I miss that second one when I am at the first and vice versa.  I guess that is life... always changing.

Of course once I get home things don't calm down in the least little bit.  However we do have an appointment scheduled to find out what we are having... so... YOU tell ME.


Also, please know... every last one of those sweet congratulatory comments made. my. day.  I feel the love from you all.  Even when I've been so vacant recently.  So thank you, thank you, thank you.

Until next time my friends...

First trimester... done and done. Thank the sweet Lord above. Because if being pregnant meant nine months of THAT.  We'd be one and ...

It is just plain ridiculous how long it takes for me to feel recovered from vacation these days.  Am I getting old?  Life obviously didn't stop here in Georgia and as a result I came home to a whirlwind four day weekend.  Today though life will returned to a new normal.  Today was the first full day of a six week course Rob is taking here at Fort Gordon.  While he still gets to come home at night.. he leaves a lot earlier in the morning and works a lot later at night.  So let that fun begin...

SO how was Kansas?!

It was great!  A much needed escape from having responsibilities with keeping a house clean and taking care of both the dogs and husband.

It took me over two months to get home.  Originally I was supposed to go the first part of December.. then just after the new year.. and finally February.  Between Rob being up in the air about going and the holidays.. it just kept getting pushed back.  But I made it.. and I am so glad!

And I was busy.  A good kind of busy though...

There was.. tons of food outings.
Tattoos.

Definitely not the best picture.. but it shows that all 4 of us got them! (Kara. Upload Pictures. Kthanks.)

Three of us got matching elephant tattoos (if you know what this stands for.. you know me too well!) The other one got her own design for her first tattoo!!

Movies.
Laughs.
Christmas presents.
Going out with all of my friends (thanks to all those that came out.. you mean the world to me!)

Spending quality time with my family.
Taking pictures.

Just an example... we have CDs coming.. love these girls!

Running errands.
Shopping.

I returned home just in time for Valentine's Day!  Which was awesome this year.. Rob worked during the day but on his lunch break he surprised me with tickets to Brantley Gilbert and Kip Moore!  After work we took a road trip to Atlanta for some Texas Roadhouse (Augusta really needs to get on that.. sucks they don't have one!)

Just another perk to not having children... road trips on a whim!

Friday was the concert!  And the start of a 4 day weekend..


The concert was awesome to say the least.. and we had great seats.. Saturday there was a house warming party for one of Rob's co-workers.  The rest of the weekend was spent getting ready for this week.  The start of that class for Rob and a new adventure for me.

The adventure?  Making friends.

I'm already one lunch date in to it.  Got a few other opportunities planned this week.. and I'm excited!

How was your weekend?!

(Let me just take a second to brag about my 3 friends up there.. we've been friends since high school. They know me inside and out.  Know what to say, how I act when I've been drinking.. etc. And they still love me after all of that... I am so thankful to have these girls even though this military journey has taken me far away from them.)

It is just plain ridiculous how long it takes for me to feel recovered from vacation these days.  Am I getting old?  Life obviously didn...

Being a part of the military community is always an adventure.  The most obvious being where you've been.. where you will go.. where you call home.

It is almost always one of the first questions asked (usually right after.. "Do you have kids?").. where are you from?

While sitting at the Georgia DMV (they call it something ridiculous..) it dawned on me that in the three short years I've been doing this military spouse dance, I already can answer in so many ways.

I was born in Missouri.  Just across the Kansas/Missouri state line.  So according to my birth certificate.. I'm from Missouri.

I was raised in Kansas.  In two separate Kansas City suburbs.  Overland Park until I was 11.  Shawnee until I was 20.  I identify the most with Shawnee.. that's where my friends are from, my family still resides, my most vivid memories occur.  I graduated high school from there.. I met my husband there.. so according to Facebook.. I'm from Shawnee, Kansas.

I got married in Maryland.  We lived there for a year.. got married in 2010 in the most gorgeous courthouse ever.  So according to my marriage certificate.. I could call Maryland a "from".

I returned to Kansas while my husband was deployed.  So when Georgia people ask me where I am from I refer to our place in Olathe.  But there is only one year of memories from there.. but again.. I'm from Kansas.

I currently live in Georgia.  My husband is here.  My dogs are here.  My life is here.  According to my driver's license.. I'm a Georgia resident.

But I will ALWAYS be a Kansas princess.  A midwestern girl.  Kansas is where I'm from.  It is my home.. It is ingrained in me.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

So with that.. I'm off.. back to that glorious fly over state for a week of visiting with friends and family.  This trip has been planned, cancelled, re-planned and so therefore I am anxious to get back to my "from".

Credit for this post goes to the original blogger who posted the same "Where I'm From" post.. unfortunately I can't find it now.. so I can't direct you to a specific blog.

Being a part of the military community is always an adventure.  The most obvious being where you've been.. where you will go.. where you...

That was the quickest break. EVER.  Or at least it felt like it.  Monday I started session 1 of 4 left this year.  8 week sessions.  A week off for Spring Break.. a week off for Summer break and come September I will be a BA with a BA.  :D

So. Let's. Do. This.

This break was great though.  Halfway through December Rob started half days.  So he worked in the morning and then was home the rest of the time.  There was some fishing, some movies, dog wrestling time and in general just family time.  Which is priceless.

Besides our wonderful Christmas happenings there was also a 24 hour trip for me.  I accompanied my cousin to Myrtle Beach, SC to see her family that was in town from Virginia.  Although it was a quick one we had a great time at the aquarium.  Played a bunch of uno while drinking a bit.  Visited the ocean for some photos and then rolled back out.  Quick but perfect.  Just what the doctor ordered.  Plus it was great getting to spend time with some of my extended family so close to the holidays.

Jessica and I at the aquarium!

Myrtle Beach, SC.

Our New Year's was simplistic.  By simplistic I mean we watched a movie.  Then went to bed to watch the news.  The fireworks exploded in our neighborhood 3 minutes before midnight.. and that was the New Year.    We may be the oldest 22 year olds around... which I may or may not be complaining about.

How we roll around these parts.

Now the Christmas is all put away.  The house is cleaned from the holiday hooplah, finally (Next year our house will not be getting to the degree of mess it did this year. Awful, just awful.  Thank you notes are in the mail... and it is time to get back down to business.  School, look for a job, take care of these fur monsters and live life.

Hope everyone else is starting the year off with a more eventful bang!

That was the quickest break. EVER.  Or at least it felt like it.  Monday I started session 1 of 4 left this year.  8 week sessions.  A week ...

We've been back since late Saturday night.. but I am just now feeling like I am "recovered" from the whirlwind four day adventure.  It was awesome.  I am so thankful that we got to spend Thanksgiving with family.  Being in the military, it isn't always possible... and I am completely aware of that and grateful.

Wednesday night when Rob got off work at noon we rolled out... decided we would take the back roads until just crossing into Florida.  Which was a fun little adventure.  Some podunk little towns, old fashioned gas stations and tons of car passing later we made it to Florida and the interstate.  My cell phone battery was happy... my husband was happy for the three lanes of traffic!  However we did meet up with some crazy butt drivers that we were not too impressed with.  I mean, who are you trying to kill?  By 8 we were in Tampa!  Which is actually pretty early.. but when you are headed to a campground on an air force base, the nighttime routine is a smidge different.  As in they go to bed by 8!  It was dead.  Weird... we walked around for a bit which included walking the beach by moonlight.  I'm jealous of Rob's grandparents who get to be near that bit of gorgeous EVERYDAY.  By 10 we were exhausted and headed to our own little trailer they rented for the time we were there.

Traveling in style.. we lost the suction cups to the radar detector, so masking tape it was!

Thursday started off bright and early as Rob was off to golf with his grandpa and uncle and I was headed over to help as much as possible with the feast preparations.  Some mimosas, Puerto Rican music and talking later everyone was arriving for the festivities.  Considering the majority of the meal was cooked in a camper kitchen, we had a fabulous oversized meal of turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, deviled eggs and coleslaw.  I was impressed.. so was everyone else.. Rob's grandparents, uncle, neighbor friends and grandmother's nephew and girlfriend.  It was a party.  Drinking, dancing, talking.  Then the sun went down and it got chilly (hey Florida, you aren't supposed to get cold!  Or so this Kansas native thought...) and we moved the party indoors.  It was such a great relaxing day that I wouldn't trade for the world.

Rob's grandparents camper!

The view from in front of their camper.... the beach is right there at the end of the road.

The beach on Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving day sunset.  That's St. Petersburg in the distance.

Friday we started off early again as we were headed out to sight see.  Drove past some amazing houses including Jill Kelley's (as in the one in the current scandal!), drove through downtown, drove across the bay some.  Stopped for some awesome pictures.  Headed out to St. Petersburg where we ate lunch on the beach.  Which was great minus the crazy ocean birds trying to steal food like crazy!  Terrifying.  I was scared senseless seeing as how in Kansas you just have to worry about flies!  Still an experience.. especially when you can see the water.. stingrays swimming off the shore and the sun is shining.  After lunch we went to the pier.  Some shopping, more pictures and walking later we were headed back for a break at the campground.  Who knew sight seeing could be so exhausting?!  I napped.. some TV was watched then we got ready to head out to Tampa for the evening.  Wow, downtown Tampa sure delivered.  We were pointed to this cool little bar district (reminiscent of Westport if you are a KC friend of mine!) and there were TONS of people.  All kinds of people too... we went to a few bars. Finally ended up shutting one of the bars down. The bartender was so nice.. and she's an ex-military wife!  So since I was the DD I had someone to talk to that understood!  Was so fun.. finally headed home about 3.  Rob and his uncle had a great time drinking and I had a great time hanging out with them.  It was a late night though.. and ended just a little bit messy, so we were all ready for bed by the time we got back around 4.  Which hello, that's what time little retired military people get up!  What?!  Unheard of!

Where we stopped for pictures during the day.

The view from where we ate lunch at.

Picture time = OVER. :D

Before heading out to downtown Tampa.

Saturday we got up and cleaned and checked out of the camper.  Then went and got some lunch before heading out.  We had a very important stop to make in Macon as my husband was NEEDING to go to Bass Pro.  Or so you'd think there was a need the way he talked. ;) About 9 we left Macon, GA and we were home by 11.. completely exhausted.

Leaving MacDill Air Force Base.

But I love the fact that we got to spend Thanksgiving with family in Florida.  Although it was drastically different than the Thanksgiving I am used to in Western Kansas, it was fabulous.

Plus we had 4 almost 5 days off from the dogs. ;) Not that I am counting or anything!

Hope everyone had a fabulous holiday weekend as well!!!

We've been back since late Saturday night.. but I am just now feeling like I am "recovered" from the whirlwind four day advent...