Christmas

Oh my!!! Christmas is right around the corner! Halloween hasn't even come yet and they (stores) are already putting out their Christmas stuff... eggnog, gingerbread latte creamers, lights, cards, and I know the toys are about to come out in mass quantities :-/

It all kinda scares me and makes me realize that I have NO idea what I am getting or doing for my kids/husband/family and friends... 

What to do, What to do???  

This is sad because usually by now Big and I have all our Christmas shopping done (due to deployments and wanting him to be apart of the decisions) but not one stick of it is done! We have discussed a budget and how we are going to STICK to it this year! So I guess that is a start!!! 

What are your plans for Christmas this year? Any special items on the list? What about traditions? 

We always love getting live Christmas trees! When I was younger my Mom and Dad always played music to let us know we could come out of our rooms... LOVE me some Manhiem Steamrollers

Rocket Balloons!!!

Who knew $2.00 could buy hours and hours of fun! This is all Little has been playing with since we bought them...

LOTS of FUN!!!

Guest blog

Today I have the honor of being a guest blogger for a dear friend and FANTASTIC blogger! So you guys have to go check it out over at Goodnight Moon
She has had guest bloggers all week and you should check out their post too!!!

Finding the PERFECT one...

I am sooo excited! Big told me the other day that he signed us up for the USMC Birthday Ball!!! WAHOOO!

(I am really looking forward to this one because the last two I have been to have been kinda blah! And I dont mean that disrespectfully but my first ever ball was when I was 8 1/2 months pregnant with Little and the other one was a bit awkward... See Big just got back from deployment and we just got put back with his battalion so I didn't know anybody!!! I also learned a very VERY important lesson at both of those balls, wear COMFORTABLE shoes and I am going to this year!!! And then I am going to dance with my husband (my feet hurt so bad the last time that I could barely stand)!!! )

Anyway, I cant wait to go dress shopping! I am really looking for something simple and classic! I think that is going to be easier said than done, everything that I have looked at so far is very flashy... lots of sparkle! Not me at all...

Buying a new dress means I really need to get my butt in gear and start my workouts again! I have been such a slacker lately! Time to get back to work, I have a goal but I am not going to share that one yet, soon though!

Not the same

So yesterday (I think it was yesterday) I wrote about our weekend adventure! However, I left one thing out...

I will NEVER be able to look at a Marine Corps Commissary or Exchange the same again, EVER!!! We stayed at the NAS Oceana and it was amazing! Great hotel, close to the beach, and really cool jets flying over all the time! Strange how I find comfort in that sort of stuff now???  Loud jets, artillery, machine gun fire, etc.  Anyway, we had to go pick up a few things at the NEX, and as Little would say "holy moly", it was gigantic with so much to choose from! I didn't even go on the clothing side of the store because I knew I would be crushed... I can never find anything at our exchange! It was kinda like shopping at Macy's after you have shopped at Target!!! Don't get me wrong I LOVE Target but there is a difference!!! And don't even get me started on the commissary! It was TWICE the size of our commissary! I just wanted to keep walking around and around, but Big wouldn't let me! He only has so much patience for shopping :)! I should have never gone in there, then I would have never known a difference even existed!

Oh well!

Thank You

I would just like to say Thank You to all of my followers!!! I appreciate all of you taking the time out of your day to read my not very interesting ramblings!!!

I tend to write things more like I am writing in a journal and I am know I dont spend as much time on it as I should but I am working on that!

I really appreciate your time!

Love
A

Spinning

It's been awhile and I can explain... well not really because a lot of it is personal but I will try!!!

You know that feeling you would get as a kid when you would just let yourself go and spin, spin, spin? Well, that is how it has been for me for the past few months and I cant seem to STOP it! And by the way when I was a kid spinning like that made me sick! (the kind of sick that turns you GREEN)

I feel off balance and dizzy!

How to explain...

Well I will start with how much post-deployment SUCKS for us and I cant seem to figure out why?!?!  It is by far the most difficult time for my family, don't get me wrong deployment is hard but trying to get adjusted back to a whole family after always throws us a few curve balls! (Like bean me in the back kind of curve balls)!

BUT and this is a big but, we as a family and team will make it and be better from it! We do not walk alone in this and I know God has his arms wrapped around us!

And going through all of these hard times makes me thank God I am married to this wonderful man, who will forever be my HERO and BEST friend!!!

I also wonder how many other mil families have a hard time adjusting and what they do to get back into the swing of things. Have any of you guys experienced a hard time and what helped you?

The spinning will stop eventually and we will be back to our "normal"!