WiNtEr VaCaTiOn

Well winter has hit Michigan!  We have SNOW!!! I didn’t think we would actually have a white CHRISTmas this year…. But we did. It snowed Christmas eve and then the day after Christmas. The girls have had so much fun playing outside and sledding in the backyard.

(insert cool winter pictures here, if I had been a good mom and taken some)

 

It has also been nice to have my hubby home on LEAVE for the last 3 days!  I ACTUALLY have enjoyed having him home. For any of my “followers” that are military may know and understand, you get so used to your marine being GONE. Either on workups, deployments or in and I & I duty, they are gone A LOT for meetings and classes.  So in the 17 + years he has been in the Marine Corps, I have really gotten used to him being GONE and doing things on my own.  Taking care of our girls and the home and all that is included in that. This duty has been so different.  This duty has been more of the REAL WORLD than I care to be a part of.  I have always enjoyed living on a base.  Living in a neighborhood of military families. I don’t really like living in the REAL WORLD.  Honestly I would give up living in our OWN home to live on a base again.  This duty has been a little difficult on my hubby too, I think.  It definitely is NOT like a regular unit. 

Anyways, back to my hubby being on LEAVE. He decided to take leave and enjoy some time OFF while our girls were on Christmas break.  He was on duty the week before Christmas and then started leave the day after Christmas. He doesn’t have to go back until the 7^th of January.  He has helped with the girls, cooked meals and we have been able to enjoy some good quality family time together.  I am lucky to have such amazing kids and a wonderful husband.  I hope that I can enjoy ALL of the vacation and not go CRAZY having everyone home ALL THE TIME!  You know how it is with family???

As 2012 comes to a close, I am looking forward to 2013 and excited to see what it holds for our family.  We have BIG plans for 2013 and NO it DOESN’T include a baby. L

Happy New Year

I have tried to think of some really “COOL” way to end 2011…. Some fun post of all the great things we did this year.  I can’t really come with anything.  So here is a little WHAT WE DID IN 2011…

This year was full of lots of changes… My hubby was gone for 5 weeks in Germany early in the year.  When he returned we got orders to Hawaii… as we prepared for that move and all it entailed, our orders were changed to MICHIGAN!  My hubby’s new “duty” would be InI in Battle Creek, MI.  No more military housing for us. No more commissary shopping for me. No safety of a military base. For the 1^st time we would be living “Out in town” in the “real world”. WEIRD!

We said good to 29 Palms and all our friends… including saying goodbye to our daddy (my hubby) in April… as me and the girls moved to my parents house to live, while my hubby left for Michigan to TRY to purchase a home for us.  That process took 4 months THANK YOU BofA (YOU STINK!) In August me and the girls packed up, with my brother (who was wonderful enough to drive back with us, thank goodness he was there!) and we hit the road to Michigan.  We drove through Utah (got stuck there for 3 days thanks to some necessary repairs to my expedition) and then onto Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and FINALLY Michigan.  The trip took longer than expected, but we finally made it to our new “home”.  And ever since the end of August we have encountered Hot HUMID weather, nasty rainstorms and WIND, our first snowstorm that knocked out power for 24 hours and FREEZING temperatures. We also had our 1^st visitors, my parents came in Oct. for Kelsee’s baptism.

The girls LOVE their schools and have met LOTS of friends.  Delaney & I love have LOTS of fun being home… watching tv shows, playing puzzles, coloring, playdough and more. My hubby is busy as always, LOTS of meetings and has started college classes this year.  He has taken 2 English classes and got B’s in both. (that is pretty good for someone that graduated 20 years ago LOL)

We are still TRYING to make this our HOME.  We have already has many repairs to this WONDERFUL home and still need to make some changes and get a bit more furniture (since we have doubled our sq. footage here.  I miss my family back in CA and UT and hope to be able to head back that way SOON for a visit.

We spent our 1st Thanksgiving (my birthday) and CHRISTmas without any family. We haven't done that for 4 years. It is taking some getting used to being out here... so far away from it all.

Well, that about sums up 2011…. All in all it was a crap year. I am so glad it is JUST ABOUT over!  Bring on 2012…. Sure hope you are better than 2011.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!