I'm SO Excited (and I just can't hide it!!!)

Woke up today with a smile on my face! :) It is 4 days, count 'em 4 days, until I get to be back home in NC with my hubby! Oh the wonderful feeling it will be to hold him kiss him and of course love all up on him after 28 days apart. Unfortunately a Do Not Disturb sign cannot be hung because we do have kidlets but we'll manage to work around that! ;)

As of today it is official, we will be spending the 4th of July in our Nation's Capital! D.C. here we come!!! I was seriously doing the happy dance after I booked our hotel room and got the dogs set up at their kennel! This is my all time favorite holiday (yes, even more than Christmas)! And to be in D.C. for it is a check off my "Bucket List". We both agreed to do so this year because next year there is a possibility that we will be stationed on the west coast. (Fingers crossed!) Unfortunately, Jacob will be spending it with his dad... :( I love that he gets to spend time with him but this is a holiday I have not had the opportunity to spend with him in two (now three) years. He has been spending the past two summers in Cali with both sides of his family...  

Today I get my Jakester back from his dad's parents. I missed my little boogerbutt!!! It's only been a week and I saw him for a few minutes on Thursday but even then it seems like he has grown up beyond recognition! 

Tomorrow the kiddos and I will be heading out to my Grandparents a few cities over to visit! It will be great catching up with them, having them see how big Jake has gotten and meet their new great-grandchild!

Monday mom wants to go get pictures taken with me, my little brother and my boys. Ugggg.... Picture days always seem to be like pulling teeth with my oldest and trying to get myself ready and the kids for this is always a "fun time". Anyone else ever have to threaten to take items away from their child if they don't behave for pictures? Hahaha! Let's hope the baby cooperates, can't exactly threaten to not give him the boob if he gets fussy. ;) After that I'll be meeting up with my girlfriend to hang out, have lunch and maybe walk around one of the "real" malls out here.

Tuesday will be a day for relaxing and enjoying the parents pool before having to leave the next day.

Wednesday.... We fly out with a layover in Vegas.... Yes Vegas! Think they'll let me play a few rounds of 21 with a baby in my arms and kid in tow? Yea, you're right, probably not... Damn... I miss playing that game! After that it is straight into Raleigh and then Home Sweet Home!

I am looking forward to getting home and taking the kiddos to the beach, mine and my friend Britni's! Oh how I love her son and daughter as though they are my own! I'm hoping that since I am now a SAHM I can do all the fun activities that I used to do with my mom and brothers during the summer when I was growing up. Beach, aquariums, water parks, theme parks, museums, movies, etc etc.... And then during the bad weather days (because it is NC and it rains there, like it is now, more often than SoCal) we'll do arts and crafts and play board games, build legos, battle each other at video games and so on. :)

July 2nd is the start of the Battle of the Blondes 30 day Shakeology weight loss competition! I've got my work out challenge pack heading to the house as we speak! I chose the vegan Tropical Strawberry Shakeology and have heard nothing but amazing reviews on that and the fitness program that I chose. Shaun T be nice to me please! ;) My GF Darby is our team leader and there is a private Facebook group that they have set up so we can add our before, during and after photos to and maintain accountability and motivation for it!!! I AM STOKED!!! I also found another spouse through the Kreative Blogger Award that is a former fitness coach and has a 3 1/2-4 month daughter and looks AMAZING! She shares all her work out plans, meal plans, and motivation for free now that she has her baby and is completing her law degree! So awesome!! I admire this lady! Mi Todo is her blog if you want to check it out too! You won't regret it! :)

Off to try and nap while the baby is still napping and before the older man-child gets picked up. Have a Fab weekend!

***Five Question Friday***

1. What do you keep a stock pile of?

 We really don't have a lot of room to "stock pile" but I always have many cleaning supplies on hand. (A must have for any mommy)

2. If Ben & Jerry asked you to invent an ice cream, what would it be?

 
Rocky Road without the Road.... ;) So, Chocolate with extra marshmallows!
3. How do you blow off steam?

 
By cleaning the house like crazy, going for a drive, or having a drink.

4. What would you do if you had an hour to yourself anywhere within a ten mile radius of your home...no kids, no hubby, just you?

 
Go down to the inlet and sit at my thinking spot and just relax.

5. When you were 16, what was your curfew in the summertime?

Usually 12pm or 1am. Depended on what time I got off of work. 

***Wordless Wednesday*** Wine Tasting

Rancho Cucamonga Winery: Oldest Winery in CA

My BFF's first time wine tasting

Yummy!

Steph sippin'

Drink it like a lady! ;)

And The Kreative Blogger Award Goes To.....

MEEEE!!! (Said in the Legally Blonde voice).  :) 

A big shout out thanks to my gal over at Complete Jensanity for putting me up to this awesomeness! She is a new Marine Wifey who has a background story that I can relate with in so many ways. She has a pair of kids (yes twins) that have kept this woman on her toes, and has motivated her to continue to excel in all that she has done and will ever do! So I mentioned she's a wife to a MARINE! And we all know what Marine's are right, HOTT! I know mine is, and I know her's is too from a post she made last month..... Don't come after me girl I'm just giving you a compliment, YOU DONE GOOD! :)) (Hopefully the grammar there doesn't sound like nails on a chalkboard for this amazing Junior High School teacher!) :) 

Rules were to acknowledge who graciously gave this award to me, Mrs. Jensanity as mentioned so sweetly above, answer the seven questions below and give 10 random-ass facts.... It's that moment when someone asks you about yourself and suddenly you don't know who the hell you are..... :) READY...... GO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Question and Answers:

What is my favorite song?
What a horrible question to ask…. And I hate it when it is presented. Out of the thousands of millions of songs out there I have to pick one?!?! Those that know me well know I have weeks (possibly a month) worth of stored music. Those that know me in person have seen my music collection…. Sigh…. I am and will always be a Third Eye Blind fan (no matter their political views)…. I’ll have to stick with Motorcycle Drive By for today’s mood. (because we all know music is dependent on what mood we're in).

What is my favorite dessert?
Baskin Robbins Chocolate Chip…. It is truly laced with the best drug in the world (that is my excuse for having to have it so much, especially when I was pregnant). It doesn’t help that I worked there when I was in HS either…

What do you do when you are upset?
Like Mrs. Jensanity I clean like a MoFo! My husband knows to stand clear when the kitchen and bathrooms suddenly smell of Lysol and bleach….. Funny thing is I had recently found out that my aunt on my dad’s side does the same thing!

Favorite pet?
I don’t think a person ever gets over their childhood pet…. I had a dog that I was raised with from birth until 9 or 10. He was bitten by another dog in the leg and a tumor formed…. He had to be put down. There’s a newspaper clipping of me and him playing tug-o-war that I keep on my fridge. His name was Sabre, half bulldog (mom) half St. Bernard (dad) and he was my big brother who I’ve been told could out drink any man in the bars! :)

White or Whole Wheat?
I’m a whole wheat kind of girl. (With the push from my dad and now husband).

What is your biggest fear?
My fear for me is drowning. Fear for my children is something terrible happening to them in any manner. I have woken up from dreams in tears and full of sweat over them being hurt or taken. Of course they are peacefully sleeping tucked away in their beds but it doesn’t make the dream feel any less unreal.

What is your attitude mostly?
I am quoting Jensanity here:  “Most would say pessimist.  I say realist based on the events of my life.” EXACTLY!!! My Husband tries so hard to have me be more optimistic….. And I love him for that, but in all honesty he helps level me out with my negativity. What can I say? I’ve overcome some great hurdles and then there are others that have steel enforced, mile high walls surrounding them.  

TEN LITTLE KNOWN FACTS

1. I’m always thinking something terrible is going to happen…. Don’t ask me why but I can look at an item or situation and see how it can play out into the worst case scenario…. Action/Horror movies tend to be less intense for me because of this. 

2. I can wake at the slightest sound or movement of our children, but when an earthquake occurs or high winds I can sleep right through it as though everything were peachy keen.

3. I have a foul mouth and a temper. I try to clean it up around the kiddos, FB and here but get me chatting with my buddies or even my hubby and you might want to plug your ears if you don’t want to hear it.

4. My past haunts me. There is no way to get rid of it, and it doesn’t come around daily as it use to, but the times that it does requires rum, some tunes off my special playlist and the hubby to curl up to after. Other days it simply requires a target, gun and full magazine/chamber. I have a deadly aim.

5. I am a jealous person…. Period. (It does help that my husband is too).  

6. I am capable of eating and entire large pizza on my own. I prefer the thin crust buffalo chicken from Dominos… (Another place I worked at when I was younger) lol

7. I grew up living in Sammy Hagar’s old house in Fontana CA. I have seen him in concert once, a few days before leaving for boot camp.

8. I grew up listening to Rock & Roll and Country (alternative, rap, hip/hop and everything else came during high school), going to the beach and river every summer, hitting up the mountains to ski and snowboard during the winter, playing out doors til the sun went down, making mud holes in the backyard for an obstacle course, riding dirt bikes and playing baseball.

9. I have traveled to many places in the past 4 years that I have always wanted to go to but never had the chance while living on the west coast. There are so many more places on the east coast and other countries that I hope to see one day. (View my bucketlist blog here).

10. I own a 1967 Chevelle…. She is a pain in my fucking ass, but I love her and want to make her look pretty. I am hoping she will be done by the time our oldest graduates from high school. 10 years is a good goal for a car to be completely restored right??? 

Well now the time has come to pick out a few of my fav blogs on here to present them with this fun award. Here we go:

Married to the Red, White & Blue

This chick has seen some crazy days being newly stationed in HI with her Marine hubby. But she manages to put a pretty smile on her face, travel the land and take some great pictures, put up with hotel living out of a suitcase with their two dogs until their base housing is able to be moved into, and lost her car due to a sleeping driver!!! I live vicariously through this lady and all her Hawaiian adventures! 

Air Force Wife Life

Here's a chick I found via a blog hop/blog star that is living the life with her family in Baharain.... Yes another place I am jealous of not being. She's a mommy to two gorgeous kids with another on the way, has a laid back sweet and loving attitude. Avid blogger, pinner, song writer, shopper and has begun to make some yummy meals for her beautiful Air Force family!  So much to read and enjoy here!

The Stay-at-Home-Mom Survival Guide

This page is written by another Marine Wife who has a wide variety of experience that has been my go-to page for finding new ideas for around the home and activities for the kiddos. 

Flip Flops and Combat Boots

This blog has great recipes, WINE, and everyday life happenings of a Marine Wife and her family. Love it all! <3 

There are so many more that I LOVE but baby needs to be changed. :) Such is the life of a mommy! You can also click on my profile and see all the blogs I follow and enjoy! <3 

Blog Star: Hi I'm Jenni

Hey there I'm Jen, Jenni, Jennifer, mommy, wifey, and babe (the last one is for the hubby's use only) :). I am 28 years old and I'm the wife of an active duty Marine and mother to 2 boys, 7yrs old and 2months old. I was a working mother until last month and am now a SAHM! This leap will be an interesting transition for me as I have worked for the past 13yrs. Yes I started working when I was 15 and haven't stopped, until now..... 

1. I enjoy food! Which is so hard because after having baby 2 months ago I am trying to lose weight... But food and I get along great and I am always up for trying something new at least once. 

2. Photography, or Artography as I have it on my label in my blog, has been a passion of mine since I was a little girl with my little wind up 35mm. (Yes I still have my first camera, duct taped and all).

3. Scrapbooking. This was my outlet for so long and over the years I just never could find enough time (this will hopefully not be an issue anymore)

4. DIY & Home Improvements: I was a single mother for a long time and had to learn how to do a lot on my own. With that came the love for HGTV and DIY..... Any of our future homes will never be the same. 

5. I am a born and raised Cali girl who has relocated to the east coast for 4 years now, 20 min from the warm Atlantic Ocean. If it weren't for hurricanes I'd want to move even closer to the beach. 

6. My worst fear in the world for myself: drowning. Yes I know how to swim, have been doing so 23 years and am damn good at it. I am a water hog too. 

7. I love star gazing. At one time I knew many of the constellations thanks to my dad, now I can only point out 9 or 10. 

8. My husband and I met online. Yes, online. (This was a shocker to my family). He emailed me one evening, I saw his smile in the little profile picture, opened it up and the rest is our future. I always giggle now at the match.com commercials. :) 

9. I'm a collector. Not a hoarder, a collector. :) I collect coins and paper money, antique books that range from 1700's to 1940's (mainly non fiction and mostly military related), and Precious Moments (though over the years I have had to sacrifice selling many of them off when I was a single mother).

10. I am a Veteran Marine. I did not get to serve my full contract though and that forever changed my direction in life. With that change I now have two beautiful little boys and a husband who I love dearly and loves me and helps me through my PTSD issues as much as he can. And when that doesn't work on those certain days I turn to rum. (don't judge).

Was looking at the list of blogs on the linky and came across a fellow military wife: Air Force. Wife. Life. :) 

She had this cute A-Z under hers that I thought would be fun to do too! 

Getting to Know Me from A-Z 

Age: 28
Bedtime: Whenever I'm tired
College: Ashford University
Dogs: Toby & Ava German Shepherds
Everyday Necessity: Coffee
From: Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Gold or Silver?: White Gold
Holiday: Independence Day
Ice Cream: Baskin Robbins chocolate chip
Job Title: Wife and Mommy (and we all know the dozens of subtitles that come from those two)
Karaoke Go-To Song: I Will Survive
Live: Crystal Coast NC
Movie: The Notebook, I cry every time
Night or Morning Person?: Vampire
Outdoors Lover?: Yes. As long as it is not cold.
Pet Peeves: Nail biting, ignorance, rudeness, bad drivers, unmade bed before going to sleep, dirty bathroom.
Quirks: None that I can think of...
Restaurant: In NC Chef's 105, in CA Ruth's Cris
Sports: Football and Baseball
Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago White Sox 
Urban or Rural?: Rural, grew up in the city, lived in the rural for a year and loved all that my oldest was able to do outdoors
Vacation: Home to Cali or home to Hubby's HT Chicago (he's a Cubs fan) DC, NY, NC mountains, wherever we choose to go
Weather: If there were a rural location that stayed 75-90 all year, I'd want our retirement home to be there.
Xtra Special Fact About You: If I see a lost dog I will take it in, try to find it's owner or find it a new home. (this is where my grandfather training movie star dogs and owning a kennel kicks in for me).
Yogurt (Fro-yo) Toppings: Blueberries
Zoo Animal: Zookeeper.... Hey they can be animals too! ;)

***Wordless Wednesday*** Cali Trip

 

  

***Motivation Monday*** Joining the Battle of the Blondes Beachbody Challenge.

So I haven't been keeping up as much as I should with my blogging.... I have a number of excuses though! Hahaha. Vacay, baby, summer break for the man-child. Keeping him entertained is a job all in itself. Right now he is resting from swimming in the grandparents pool, oh it feels good to be home! Buuuuut, I have been doing much better with working out. Being here at home with a place that has actual freaking sidewalks has given me the opportunity to walk more without having to take the baby offroading or load a vehicle to go to base to do so. Plus mom has a kick-ass ab exerciser in the back yard which means getting some sun, working out and being able to just jump in the pool and do laps when I get too hot! I am here for 16 more days and I plan on taking full advantage of it all. :) I weighed in this morning at 146lbs!!! Wahooo!!! That is 19lbs from  May 3rd to now G-O-N-E!!! Buh-bye! See ya later, don't want you back until the next baby comes along... hahaha. And 29lbs gone from April 5th, with him still in my belly. :))
Being back home has had it's disadvantages though..... In-n-Out and Legends are two of the fatty food places I have gone to, only once though!!! So far..... ;) Mom always has fresh fruits and veggies so those have been a constant snack the past couple of days that I have been here and so did my dads in NorCal. Being able to go out and about so much too and staying active has helped out too. There's just so much more to do here, especially since there are so many friends and family members within driving/walking distance! 

So here's my starting pic 5/3/12 and the pic I took early this morning 6/11/12 (before all the fat had time to wake up and make my belly completely droopy... lol)

While I am only 3lbs away from pre-baby weight I am still in dyer need of toning the belly!!!! (Obviously as seen above). :)  One of my friends from back home does shakeology, and it is safe to do while breastfeeding!! AWESOME!! They are having a competition to see who's team can lose the most weight! Competition???? Me? Hell YA!!!! I'm am extremely competitive, (thanks dad), and it is exactly what I needed to get my ass into gear to send the fat to it's grave! We'll be taking the Beachbody challenge, which includes the workout program of your choice, plus shakeology! Sign me up!!!

The first pic is of Darby (a mommy of two, wife to a Navy man, and friend that lived 3 houses down when we were growing up) she will be my coach. Go team Darby! The second pic is of Jillian, she is the coach of the competition, the team that will come in second place.... hahaha While it says Battle of the Blondes, team members do not have to be blonde to join. But at least I have my summer highlights.... ;) This is going to be intense! :)

***Wordless Wednesday*** Our Visit Back Home (So Far) :)

Mikey 1st Airplane Flight

My Boys

1st stop was In-N-Out

Dad and S.Mom and Mikey

My Youngest Brother's. So proud of both of them!

Me and my "little" brothers 17yrs old & 14yrs old

The fam!