When It Rains...It Pours.

  Well its raining here, again, like the third day in a row.  And I've been somewhat frustrated with having to stay indoors and look at the rain run down my windowpane.  On top of this 'cabin fever' I've been experiencing, my other half and I have had our first deployment argument.  It only took us 3 months to finally reach this point. 
  It came to me at a surprise, since lately all we have been doing is sending millions of 'I love you's' and 'miss you's', and talking  more intimately then usual. (It happens when you are apart for this long.)
But I must say that, it was me that initiated the argument, and it only boiled my blood more, when I couldn't actually 'Yell' at him, but had to send all of my frustrations to him in texts!  And, of course, it only added more fuel to the fire when the delayed texts were coming into my phone, and were beginning to make no sense at all.
   So that's when I decided to step away from the phone for a few minutes to collect my thoughts.  And I began looking through the computer for some much needed rainy day images.  And it had me thinking of a rainy day oil painting that use to hang in the hallway of my childhood home.  I don't have the picture of it, but I can remember the painting so vividly.  And I sat here for a few minutes trying to think of a way to ask my mother if I could have it.  But the painting has rain falling from the sky, and what I can remember a number of little girls dressed in pastel raincoats, and matching umbrellas.  And I do believe that they all had smiles on their faces.
    So with that image in my mind, I took a few breathes, and felt a calm flow through my veins.  And at that moment my phone rang.  Of course, it was the Mister.  Needless to say, he was a little flustered, and confused.  But what caught my ear, was that he was more worried about satisfying my feelings, and getting me into my 'happy place'.  Of course, I was already over what had worked me up, but just hearing his voice, and getting whatever off of my chest tranquilized my mood even more. 
   But, even more, his words..."Don't stop loving me" went through my heart like a dagger.  I had never heard him say this before.  It made me realize that, even though he is on the other side of the world, that he would think or even be concerned that I would just 'stop loving him' over something so minuscule, and no more than a miscommunication error.  And those words, alone, dropped the whole argument.  I was done.  Did I really want him thinking irrationally during this, already difficult separation?
   So, with a few I'm sorries and I love yous we ended the phone call.  And a few texts later, we are back to our lovey dovey communications.  And ironically the rain has stopped...but it doesn't look like it will be going away anytime soon.  But as long as my tiny dilemmas have some resolution...I'm good.  Now as I sit here typing, I look to my kitchen, and hope that this rainy, cloudy, windy day might blow some good fortune along my way.........Like maybe... Mary Poppins?  I can sure use a 'spoon full of sugar' right about now. <3

*!@# My Kids Say!

    On my sister's flight back to Texas, she texted me about a man she saw on one of her flights.  She said that the guy had a rat tail, but it was really bushy and looked more like a squirrel's tail.  Well this gave me a little chuckle.  So after I had a laugh the kids asked what was so funny.  So I let them know what my sister had texted me.  Gavin laughed, because he thinks anything my little sis says is sooo hilarious, but Adrianna just had a questioned look in her eye.  Then she replies...."Well...he probably eats too many nuts!" 
    She just knows how to brighten my day!! <3

Opening Day Bust!

    Well, so much for opening day!  Right now, I would be enjoying a much anticipated day at the ball fields with my little sluggers, but the weather just so happened to rain on my parade!!  We were up and at 'em at 7 AM.  And I was rushing them to get in all their gear.  I had even spent a day making Gavin's team poster for their opening day charades!  But now we are stuck in the house on another gloomy, rainy day.  After rushing the kids and getting them looking like the all stars they are, we received the call that opening day was cancelled until next weekend.  Of course this made the kids bummed, but that didn't stop me from taking these few pics for their daddy.  And of course my kids are still smiling.  So I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that the weather is better on Monday and Wednesday...so I can get some action shots of my Yankees!!

♥ Happy Friday ♥

    Well this is a little uncommon of me to post... but this jam had us running around and dancing all around the living room today.  I woke up a little late, and did not even remember to turn on the radio today.  But my daughter made it a priority to turn on her morning cartoons.  And low and behold, this song came on during the cartoon break.  We've heard it before, but we absolutely can't keep our feet still when we hear it!  And not to mention we love every single word in the song, and who doesn't love The Roots!!  Enjoy your weekend. <3

♥Just A Little Sick♥

     I always seemed to be in such a rush to move out of my childhood home, and run free in the field of flowers known as life.  But as I've grown into an adult and started a family of my own, I'm having some remorse of how quickly that time came to be.

     As a navy brat, I never really had just one childhood home.  My father's career choice had us moving to a new state and home about every 4 years.  But that really doesn't make it anymore or less of a home to me.  Because Home of course is where your family is.  Now, as a Navy wife, we find ourselves stationed at a duty station that is very familiar to me.  Because I spent a significant part of my life growing up here.  And yet, every now and then on my drive home from the gym, I find myself turning left on Inlet Avenue.  Just to take a drive down memory lane.  Of course my family is no longer living in this home, but I just like to see what the new homeowners have done with the place I use to call home.  And I'm shocked to know that they've turned a once nice red brick house into an odd white brick home.  (But that's just my opinion.)  And my kids, who are in the back seat just love to ask questions about my childhood, and they stare out the window as if passing by an exhibit in a museum.

     So here I sit, on this gloomy, cold, rainy day just reminiscing about past memories I shared with my brother and sisters.  Some good and some bad, but nonetheless great memories that I cherish everyday.  And I find myself homesick.  Yes, me, a wife, mother, adult and yet still very homesick.  What I would do  just to sit back and enjoy another warm meal made by my mother.  Or dance to a tejano tune with my father.  And yes maybe even share a few laughs with my sisters and brother, of whom I was so set on leaving behind as a free 18 year old 'TEENAGER'.  My father warned me of this feeling.  But of course, as a young teenager, I always brushed that aside and told him otherwise.  Ugh.  Tonta. 
     Knowing my feelings now makes me only want to give my children memorable moments to share as a family, so that one day they can feel the same way.  And of course they will always know that, although the road trip may be a little long, and stuffy it will always lead to the same place...HOME. <3

   
   

Ahhh...My Favorite Season Has Finally Arrived!

    Some of my all time favorite memories have included a ball and a bat...Thanks dad!

      And no, its not Spring!  It is BASEBALL season.  Baseball season was instilled in me as a little girl by my actively competitive ball playing father.  As a child I always was really tough, and always wanted to be better than the boys.  And for my first year of ball playing I was the only girl on my baseball team, and probably the only girl in the league.  And since then, I have loved the sport.

      Years later I continued to play the sport.  But by this time, society added an all girl sport of softball.  And, of course, that became my life.  One of my fondest memories was watching Team USA on TV with my father.  At that time, I had my heart set on one day playing on Team USA with my all time favorite softball player, Lisa Fernandez.  I practiced hard, and took the game seriously when all the other girls were just there to check out the boys on the baseball field next to us.

      During the off season of my junior year of high school, I met a boy that shared as much interest in the sport as I did.  In fact our first conversation was about baseball.  And we also just so happened to be pitchers for our high school teams.  As time went by, we attended each other's games, and always had constructive criticism to give one another.  Soon after that we were signing each other's initials and jersey numbers on each other's pitching hands.  And although my father never mentioned it to me...I'm pretty sure that he was beginning to see his slugger daughter slowly turning into something that every dad dreaded...a young woman.

 

      Eleven years later, me, along with that same baseball boy, are still together.  And we still share the same interest...playing ball. This will also be the 4th year our son is playing the sport.  As parents we never really pressure our children into playing a certain sport.  But, lets just say, we are so ecstatic with how he has grown to love the sport.  He is very much like his father.  He is only 8 years old, and yet he practices how he plays everyday.  He is the first kid at the field, and the last one off the field.  He hates when other kids goof around at practice, and he is the first one to give his younger sister pointers during her t-ball practice.  I only wish his father could be here to see how much difference a year makes.  It seems like only yesterday he was rolling around the dirt field after his father's Navy Hospital championship game.  And I always thought he liked being at the field because of the running around, and snack eating.  But I'm beginning to believe that he was silently watching what joy it brought his father.  And then I think of myself as a child again.  And the feeling I got when my father's face lit up as I rounded third to get home.  I guess it does run in the blood. <3

   

♥Little Update♥

   Just wanted to pop in to say that we are currently enjoying a great visit with my sister.  She came to visit us all the way from Texas, and we are out enjoying the sun while it lasts.  I will be back when I find a free minute to update the blog soon!! <3

Week'End' Literature

    Read this book you must! (in my Yoda voice)  Well as usual we ended our weekend with some great books.  And We finally finished our 'Strange Case of the Origami Yoda'.  It was a great read for my little boy.  And at the end of the book are directions on how to fold your own Yoda.  It took me a while to make it...but with a few tweaks, this is how he came out!

I had to do all the folding, because Gavin was LOST.  But he colored and decorated him.

All in all, a great read for any little boy, or any Yoda fans.

Now if only I can keep him from sneaking it to school!<3

Tomorrow we will begin a new book I picked up at Barnes and Nobles this weekend.  And we will be reading it as a family.

Since my boy says he's not interested in 'FAIRY TALES'...I thought that this would change his mind!  Can't wait. <3

♥Happy Friday!♥

    I love Fridays!! Who doesn't?  But Fridays, for me, allow me to scratch threw another week on the calendar!  And to be honest, these weeks have been going by rather fast.  And looking at the calendar today makes me happy, because my little sister will be visiting in 8 days.  We can't wait!  But for now I'm tagging along a song that both my son and I love.  He is a big Linkin Park fan, and this is the song that I have on the ipod that I usually save for my last mile in the gym.  It gives me the little adrenaline rush I need to finish my mileage off strong.  This weekend we plan on seeing a free movie on the base for our ship's families.  And possibly a surprise stop at the bowling alley Sunday.  Have a great weekend. <3

Thrifty Thursday Finds

     Okay.  I have found that I am turning in to my mother more and more each day.  I have become obsessed with DIY projects, and also very obsessed with Thrift Stores!!  Although my husband, would not like to join me on these escapades...I'm totally planning on bringing him on these trips with me when he returns.  I think as I've grown, that my taste in decor has changed.  I'm totally in love with shabby chic/country cottage right now.  And I will never pass up a perfectly priced antique.  On these days I wish my mother was here to join me.  ( I MISS TEXAS.)  I made a few trips to some local thrift stores just to see what I could find.  Although I didn't see any big ticket items...I did pick up a few things.  And Adrianna found some items as well.

I'm in love with these jars I got for $3.00 together.  I've been seeing them in many of my favorite home magazines.  And I've been trying to add plenty to organize our pantry and make things a little more accessible for my little monsters.  I will be adding chalk board labels when I receive them in the mail!

Adrianna has been growing A LOT!  And I've been noticing that she is too tall for her old baby doll stroller.  So I was surprised when she found this doll stroller at the thrift store for only $3.00.  And it was just the right size for her tall frame, now she doesn't need to hunch over like Quasimodo when she is taking out her dolls for a walk.  But I think she enjoyed taking 'Papi' for a walk more.

And she also couldn't pass up this Barbie cruiser for $.99.  She said she needed a vehicle for her boys (who don't like to ride in her hot pink barbie convertible)!

All in all, an okay day at the thrift store.

Still on my List:

• entry bench (for shoes)
• antique dresser (in need of makeover)
• cubbies (for everyday organization)
• Old frames/mirrors
• and more jars (for my kitchen)

Wednesday Wish list!!

   So as you know, by my recent post, I'm in love with decor!!  And I'm currently racking up the new items I will add for my master bedroom makeover.  I'm taking it slow, because my husband isn't due to be back for a while...and also because all the things I want are a little costly.  So on my budget, I tend to by a little at a time, then I'll put it all together in the end.  But the color choice I have picked might be a little irritating to my husband.  But, lets face it, he'll be soooo in love with me when he returns, that I highly doubt he'll nag me for my color choice!!  We've got dark wood furniture.  And right now my bedding is a sage green.  It is looking a little too dark.  So I'm definitely in love with a touch of pink!  And these rooms have me making my lists and preparations.

I will not be using a lot of pink, but I thought this room looked quite heavenly.

(Country Living)

(UrbanOutfitters)

This duvet cover by Urban Outfitters is on my list.  With all the dark furniture.  I thought that this would lighten up the feeling.  I think that this blush color will give my room a little bit more of a romantic, cozy feel.  I just hope hubby doesn't think its too much.

(Love of Family & Home)

    Also, earlier this week, I won this beautiful pillow.  It will fit perfectly with my new theme.  These pillows are wonderful.  They are done by a mother/daughter duo.  They just opened up their Etsy store, and I was the lucky one to win this for their first contest.  Feel free to stop by their blog, they have a lot of beautiful ideas for any home. http://loveoffamilyandhome.blogspot.com/2011/02/new-items-in-etsy-shop-giveaway.html  The link for their shop is on their blog page.

And I've also decided that I will add white to the bedroom, with some great accessories.  Currently I'm painting old picture frames, and canvases to match.

(Target Pillow: LOVE)

Painted canvas done by me. (11 & 34 are our numbers).

And I found these frames at Michael's Arts and Crafts for $.50 each...what a steal!

Can't wait to get this room done!! Stay tuned for more finds for my bedroom makeover. <3