Leaving DC ~ North Carolina: Road Trip Days 1 & 2

June 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment

This past Saturday we packed up our Jeep and set sail for Washington state. As we leave DC, I realized how blessed I have been with some great friends and cool opportunities. About three years ago, I followed Sweets here. Let me back up for a minute, our first few dates I was kinda nervous and was also working 12 hour graveyard shifts. On one of said dates after I had just worked a shift, I had zoned out. Completely. Wasn’t paying attention. It was in this moment that he decided to tell me he was moving to DC. I think I mumbled something like, that’s nice. And that was it. A month later I was falling for him and he mentioned again something about DC. What? You’re moving to DC? 

Once I got over the shock – sadness set in. Before he left I decided to tell him I loved him. I told him he didn’t have to say it back and I would wait to say it again until he was ready to say it. Five minutes later I said it again. Oops. Sweets left for DC and the next day I got the most prefect love letter via email. He loved me. He asked me to come to DC. I packed what I could. What wouldn’t fit into my little car, I sold. I literally opened the doors of my apartment and let people take everything. The dogs and I set off driving across the country. DC was great and we settled in.

Flash forward a few years ~ I’m married and a mama. And we got military orders to the Seattle area. So the movers came last week and packed our things. We said good bye to Alexandria. Here is Ev hanging out before we left…

 

Photo 4 1

We were staying at Hotel Monaco for the last week. The movers packed all our things but we still had to be in DC for a few more days. It was such a great dog friendly hotel.

Photo 3 1

Photo 2 1

We drove towards North Carolina but it wasn’t too long before Ev got fussy. We stopped for a break a few times to feed the baby and let the dogs out. 

Photo 2 1
Photo 3 1
Photo 4 1
Photo 5 1
Finally asleep…
Photo 1 2

Sunday – It would be too easy to go straight to Washington state so we decided to go the long way and make a few stops. I’m wondering if we will change our minds half way through the trip and cut it short but for now we carry on. First up ~ The Biltmore Estate in North Carolina.
Photo 2 2

The property was huge. I think I heard them say the house was like 175,000 square feet. Sweets has nothing to worry about. I would never want a house this big. In fact I kinda like smaller spaces. It’s like I always say, the bigger the house the more expensive the housekeeper. We got tickets to view the Biltmore estate and take a Butlers tour. Being a huge Downton Abby fan I was super excited (BTW – when is season 4 gonna start???). Overall the Biltmore was not something that I would fly in to visit but in passing it was great to see. First stop was overall a success. 

Photo 5 2
Photo 4 2
Photo 3 2
Filed Under: Life, Military Wife, Travel Tagged With: , Leave a Comment

Bloglovin

June 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Filed Under: Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Graduation ~ 12 Years and $$,$$$ in loans

May 29, 2013 By 11 Comments

12 Years and $$,$$$ in loans.
~
Now you might be thinking, “Wow, 12 years!! She must be a ___ (pick one – MD, PHD, MBA, JD)”
~
Nope. Just BS. A four-year degree that took me 12 years to complete as an on-again off-again student. Why did it take so long? A combination of life situations, money and maybe a little fear. It would have been great to graduate high school and head off to a four-year university but I had to take a different route.
Grad3
My college journey actually started when I was 16. My dad enrolled me in a few college courses with him (yep I went to school with my dad…read: no college boys for me). After high school I continued at community college while working. At one time I had three jobs and full-time school. Then I enrolled at a local university. I was accepted but not yet cleared by the financial aid office. I was encouraged by the coordinator to just begin the classes and it would take a while to finish my aid package. Big mistake. I started the classes only to find out that I needed more money and subsequently could not attend the second semester. Upset with the coordinator recommending this, I wrote a complaint letter only to find out that he was now in charge of the whole program. I never received a response to the letter and the people in the office could not offer any help on how to continue my education.
Grad2
So back to community college I went. Trying to get the classes required for a degree at community college is like chasing the wind. There aren’t enough and the ones that are available have awful scheduling conflicts with the other classes and work. After a few years of working a couple jobs at once, I took a break from school to open an event design business. I love love love weddings and was blessed to be a part of a couple hundred during these years. The business was profitable for almost four years but then the economy grew rocky, I went through a relationship ending and my dad was diagnosed with his first cancer all the while my parents were raising five of my nieces and nephews. I moved home to help them out and my business took a backseat to life. After almost two years, when things were calming down for my parents, I moved out.
Grad15 copy
During life changes of any kind we question ourselves and evaluate what’s missing and re-set goals. Finishing school was a goal of mine. I started taking night classes and working again. I decided to make a bigger move – out of the suburbs. Growing up with my dad in the Navy, we visited San Diego a lot. The sun – the beach – and overall fun spirit of the city drew me in. I fell in love with San Diego the day I moved there and really thought I would live there for the rest of my life. But then I fell in love again (with Sweets) and traveled across the states to be with him in DC. I sought schools in DC and applied for a few. I got accepted to half but ended up deciding on California based Azusa Pacific University. The organizational leadership degree was offered online and a perfect fit for me. It was accelerated and I was all set to graduate in 15 months. Sweets proposed on New Years of 2010 and I began to plan a wedding in San Diego. I also took a full-time job working many nights and weekends in addition to the 9-5. But slowly I pressed on with my class work. In August 2011, I married my Sweets.
Grad8
At times I wanted to quit but Sweets wouldn’t let me (sorry for all the whining Honey). I left my job a few months after I found out I was pregnant. I wanted to focus on finishing classes before the baby arrived. But 3 weeks after I left some new opportunities came up that were too good to turn down. I kept working while chugging along in school. At nine months pregnant I had 15 units to complete to make it to graduation. I decided to complete these all in the spring semester to walk in the May ceremony. Obviously school doesn’t teach everything because this might not have been the smartest move. I had a baby at the end of January, never taking a maternity leave from my job (working from home though) and started classes the day Evan turned 3 weeks. I didn’t want to miss out on a single moment with my baby so I would work only after he fell asleep. Many nights I would be up till 3:00am finishing work. All in all it took me 28 months to complete the 15-month program.
Grad10
People graduate everyday and for them it’s easy but for me it was something I started and failed to complete so many times, I didn’t think I would ever finish. And that thought right there is the reason it took me 12 years. Finishing was incredibly important to me not only to check the box on a long-time goal but because I believe education changes lives. It’s not always the textbooks and class work or the math and science but it’s learning how to acquire knowledge. And yes, corny but true, knowledge is power.
I was the first in my family to graduate with a bachelor’s degree and would not have made it with out my dad and husband’s support. It’s my desire that Ev (and our future kids) and all my nieces and nephews continue their education well beyond a bachelor’s degree. Maybe the most important thing I learned is how much more there is to learn. In college or out of college, I want to be a student for life.
Grad11
“In order for our lives to go forward, in order to engage fully in life, we need to be willing and able to accept what is right in front of us. Whatever it is, the good, the bad, the thrilling, the heartbreaking, every emotion, occurrence, event, person, place or thing, you will experience them all… You accept influence and then you exert influence. You can’t make a cloudy day a sunny day, but can embrace it and decide it’s going to be a good day after all. If life gives you lemons, grab it by the horns and drive — and yes, I just mixed three metaphors. I was a C-student.” ~ Jane Lync

Grad1

Grad4

Grad5
Mom feeding Ev ~ Sweets got lucky with lots of baby sitters around.
Grad6
My favorite cap from the gal sitting in front of me. I didn’t realize decorating caps was in…Yep, I’m old.
Grad7
As I walked up to him on stage, I said, “How are you?” ~ He laughed and said good and that I was the first person after several hundred to ask him.
Grad9
My beautiful nieces…
Grad12
My sistas…Grad13
Grad14
My brother, his beautiful wife and my cute little nephew.
Filed Under: Family, Goals, Graduation, Life Tagged With: , 11 Comments

Ev’s First Plane Ride

May 27, 2013 By 2 Comments

Traveling with a baby is a completely new game. The plan was DC to California for Ev to meet the family and my graduation ceremony. Then fly to the Seattle area for two weeks of house hunting and Sweets to do a little work. It was difficult packing because of the climate changes in all the different areas we would be staying. I may have over-packed. We walked through the airport with a gaggle of luggage pieces and boarded our first flight as parents.

Photo 2 6

Ev was asleep while we checked in at DCA.

I had alway wondered why parents of small children were allowed to board first. Now I know. We checked the stroller and carseat right at the gate, found our seats and had to “set up camp” making sure toys, a burp rag and the nursing hooter-hider were within arms reach. Ev was getting cranky and I had been advised to hold off and feed him during take-off to help his ears adjust to the pressure. But a flight attendant could hear Ev was upset (we all could hear) and warned it would be 30 minutes at least till take-off (thanks Sequester). She suggested to “top him off”. So naturally when we were taking off he wasn’t interested in eating. The pacifier worked well though and his ears were fine. Once he had a full tummy he was really good and quite. He even got a few compliments from fellow fliers when we landed.

Photo 3 5

Photo 4 5

Photo 1 8

Photo 2 7

My parents picked us up at LAX. It was their first time meeting Ev. A huge heart melting moment seeing my parents hold our baby. They are such amazing grandparents to my nieces and nephews and finally it’s my turn to give them a grandbaby. Here’s a quick video clip of their first meet…
YouTube Preview Image

We stayed with my parents for most of the week. Talk about getting the guest room ready – My parents bought a new bed for the extra room – which my mom swears she was going to buy anyways but I know it was for us. They also bought a crib and borrowed everything else we would need from family and friends. It was so great to spend time with them. They got to know Ev and Sweets a little more. While we’ve been together for three years now, their time with Sweets has been very limited. In fact my sister teases that I just rented him for our wedding and special occasions. She has nicknamed him “The Rental”.

Filed Under: Baby, Travel Tagged With: , 2 Comments

Sleepy Boys

May 17, 2013 By 3 Comments

I mentioned a few weeks back about mom and baby yoga. It all started with prenatal yoga ~ extremely helpful for me for several reasons. First, it helped me bond with Ev before he officially arrived. Second, it was a great way to relieve stress and get a workout in. Third – and the reason I came back after I had Ev – was it allowed me to meet some other gals going through pregnancy. It’s so important to connect with other moms during this time. Several of us from prenatal yoga are together again in Itsy Bitsy Yoga with our little side kicks.

The first part of the class the moms do yoga with the babies. Then we go around the group and discuss new baby issues, questions or fun ideas. Everyone is in the same stage and we are able to make suggestions to help one another. I’ve learned so much from gals like why I’m getting baby carpel tunnel, teething helps like the soothing necklaces and they suggested the Rock and Play that has been a life saver for me on our trip. After discussion we do infant massage and then the moms do yoga on their own. Last week the baby yoga was very relaxing…a little too relaxing for these boys. They passed out while we were going around talking and slept till the end of class.

Ev at the beginning of class…

Photo 1 5

And then out like a light…

Photo 2 4

At least he wasn’t alone. All three boys passed out. Ev’s buddy Powen snoozing’…

Photo 3 4

And Tristen…(Me and Tristen’s mom were actually due on the same day – I think I delivered a week or so after her).

Photo 2 5

Ev looks so peaceful when he sleeps – melts my heart…

Photo 4 4

Poor guy I had to wake him up so we could leave…

Photo 1 6

I’m gonna miss this. I hope I find something like it where we are moving.

Filed Under: Baby, Pregnancy Tagged With: , , , , 3 Comments
«Older Posts