Wonder and Amazement

Childrens Museam:

We took Joseph on his first of many visits to the childrens museam.

After seeing the giant water clock we had to see the trains first... "choo choo" he kept saying over and over. Decided we're definitely going to have to buy him one, especially to go around the christmas tree this year. He's complete obsessed.

After that we visited the carasol..

He loved the museam and I'm sure as he grows he's going to love it even more!

Wonder Lab:

We visited Wonder lab in Bloomington for Brie's 2nd birthday party. It's sort of like a mini children's museam... Here's some of my favorites from the day.

As I suspected, he loved banging on the drum and making as much noise as he possibly could.. just look at that cheesy smile!

Not a baby anymore...

Well it happened. And I'm sure that it's going to happen many more times in my lifetime and his, but he's not a baby anymore. Hard to believe how fast the past 2 years have gone. 2 years ago I was a scared 22yr old afraid that I was going to completely mess up my life and this litte person's who I was bringing into the world... but I guess I haven't... He's happy and thriving. And already giving me a run for my money.

Diego cake for our animal themed party!

Our present to the big boy... he gets to mow the grass now.


Happy birthday to my doodle bug... I'm so happy that I have you in my life!

My Water Bug

Water. It's one of the purest things on earth... That brings the simplest fun. We bought a pool this past weekend. Just something small to set up in our modest backyard to cool on in for these excrutiatingly hot summer days. I think it's safe to say... Joe loves it.

I look at these pictures again and I can hear his belly laugh. Maybe you can too? Another well spent $20.

Let Freedom Ring

July 4th

What a great weekend! Spent the 2nd (saturday) at my parents. Good food, cold drinks, boating, and great friends and family.

This weekend was the 1 year anniversary of my being a nurse. Just another day that reminded me to take a step back and thank god for everything I have in my life and see how far we have come. I, as a woman, had the opportunity to get a good education and provide for my family because of all of those that have come before me. I was reminded that I had this right to choose my destiny and my future because someone decided that it was there choice to serve our country and fight for our freedoms. I will eventually marry a soldier. Who everyday, but especially these patriotic holidays, I am so proud of. I pray to god that my soldier does not have to lose his life for my freedom, but I thank god for those men and women who have made the choice, as he has, to do what it takes, even if that is to make the greatest sacrifice for all of us. Thank you to all of our men and women in the armed forces! We raise our flags, wear our goofy glasses, and salute you!

"I thank god for my life
And for the stars and stripes
May freedom forever fly, let it ring.
Salute the ones who died
The ones that give their lives so we don`t have to sacrifice
All the things we love"

-Zac Brown Band

What It Means to be a Father

Father's Day 2011

It's pretty amazing that a 2ft spit-fire of a little boy can make a whole day mean something so much more.

Joseph made Eric a father. A daddy. He looks up to him with big blue eyes and loves him so much it makes me melt. Fatherhood has changed Eric... I watch him love on that little boy and it makes me love him more.



Joseph made my dad a papaw. It's probably the coolest thing I've ever experienced. It's hard to explain, those who know my dad probably understand it best. Growing up my dad was stern and gruff, but soft and gentle with me at the same time. He put on this fascade that he was a tough guy and that he had a "I don't give a shit what you think attitude." But... wow... it's astounding how that little boy changed things. I knew my dad was loving and caring, but watching him play with my son makes me well up with even more love for him than ever.

I love all the fathers in my life... my own and my son's.

"Any man can be a Father but it takes someone special to be a dad." -- Anne Geddes

Better late than never... Easter

I know that Easter was a few months ago, but I thought I would share some photos from Joe's first easter egg hunt considering he was too little last year to really get it... But this year...

I was afraid he wasn't going to understand what his mission was... but surprisingly he is a natural easter egg hunter... and scored big!

Insomnia makes you think

I hate working nights. Here I sit at 3AM awake. Joseph is soundly sleeping with drool pooling around his mouth... I just checked on him. So is Eric. Amazingly they sleep about the same way... all over the place... drool and all. Speaking of Eric....


We had our 6yr anniversary last week. Anniversaries of any sort whether of a relationship, marriage, birth, or disaster tend to make to think about how you got to where you are... to think about the start. It seems like it was so long ago almost like a lifetime ago. It's almost like I don't remember my life before him. Weird. 6yrs ago I was getting ready to graduate high school... start my "college life", which really turned out to be so much different than I ever expected... He was working at Marsh. He was my project, something I never saw lasting.





We've been on and off and on again, but there's always been something there. This deep connection that I could never explain. We've always wanted the same things.... nice house, nice things, a family... but have had very different ways to achieve it. According to everyone else and me most of the time, he's gone about it in all the wrong ways. Took every wrong turn... the bad boy so to speak and me... well... we could not be anymore different in that respect. I wanted to do everything right... an aspiration that was totally unrealistic and unreasonable. I went to college like I was supposed to. Made big "plans" like I was supposed to.





Then... came Joseph.


Something I was not supposed to do. I was not supposed to have a baby with the bad boy before I was married... before I finished school... He is the best "wrong decision" I've ever made. Eric joined the guard to try and be a responsible father... eventually ended up paying for his way through CDL school... I finished school and started my career as a nurse... That brings us to now... 6 years, a baby, many jobs, many fights later... still in love and more committed to work through life together. Amazing. Never thought I'd be sitting here saying this. Ever. Guess sometimes bad judgements end up working out....

House to Home

So a lot of changes have happened in the last 6 weeks. I started my new job at Community South, which I love. I love the girls there and I love love love the commute of only a short 30 minutes. Compared to 1hr+ to north. I miss my girls at North and it's really been more of an adjustment for me in the way things are done. We do a lot of things the same way, but a lot of things we don't. Seeing as how North, a long 4 yrs ago, was my first hospital job, it's the only way I know how to do things. Bless the girls at South for helping me adjust and understanding my learning curve. I really do love it there though and see myself liking it for a long time to come.

Eric also got a full time job driving a semi truck. I'm so happy and proud of him. Finally providing for our family the way I've always wanted him to, but I guess there's always a price. He's been gone for weeks. He was home last weekend, his first trip home in three weeks. He'll be gone for another 3. It's been a tough adjustment. For all of us. It's temporary. It's temporary. I keep repeating it in my head. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I'm SO happy he's got a job. I'm SO happy he likes what he's doing. I know he hates hates hates being away from us and it's gotta be tough on him as well. I know it is. But for so long I've been the one taking care of our family and the one thing I always had to lean back on was coming home to him and him being here to take care of Joseph. Now, I'm relying more on my parents than I ever have because he's gone and I work nights, which is a fact of life that is not going to change anytime soon. I enjoy that niht pay too much and am so not ready to give that up. Really we can't afford to give that up. I don't know, it'll only be 6mos to a year of him being over the road, but it's going to be a long haul. Excuse the pun. :-)

Now off of the not so glamous part of my life to the most exciting part, my house. We moved about 2 months ago and I'm enjoying being an adult. So far. It's finally starting to look like a home, instead of a stark white cold house.

Kitchen - love love love my lime green curtain :-)

Living room

Our bathroom (1st floor)

Joe's froggy bathroom

Still working on getting the finishing touches on Joe's room, our bedroom, as well as the office. It's a slow, but worthwhile process. It was amazing the difference some curtains made. So much more warm. Can't wait until we buy our own house and I can actually paint. Funny story. I've had MANY apartments before this house, but the one apartment I had that was my very own (no roommate) I decided i was going to paint... much against eric's opinion. We painted... and then when I moved out we had to paint it back... much with eric's grumblings. It took a hell of a lot longer than I ever thought it would.... This time, I'm listening to Eric. We're not painting. Although I think it would really add something... damn him. :-)

All in all, we're happy. Together or not. It's finally working.

"When it's just me and you
Who knows what we could do
If we can just make it through
The toughest part of the day"

Joe's Big Beach Adventure

We finally did it! Got a vacation! We left early on Thursday morning... after I'd worked all night Wednesday night. I bet you can guess just about how excited I was to be in the car (my car... my four door sedan)... with 4 adults and a 2yr old. 12hrs and 4 dramamine later... we arrived in the Isle of Palms, SC (just outside of Charleston, SC) around 11pm and even thought it was dark I could hear the ocean from our oceanfront porch. That has got to be one of the best sounds in the world. Friday we ventured to Target to get a few necessities... sand pales, shovels, and sandals for joseph... then headed to the beach :-)

Which Joe loved more than anything... but who could blame a kid for loving the beach. He ran and ran and ran... then dug in the sand then ran some more. The only thing he loved more than the sand was the ocean. Everytime the waves would come up over his feet he would giggle. It made me want to pack everything I just unpacked and move to the beach so that I could watch him do that every day.

Saturday rolled around and so did the event we all made the 12hr trip for... the wedding. My cousin Eric's.

I think it's safe to say we'll be back. Maybe one day permanantly ;-)

Shaving already?

Joe walked in on papaw in the bathroom this afternoon... he was shaving. Joe just stood and watched him shave. Papaw picked up the shaving cream and started putting some on Joe's face.



Joseph walked out of the bathroom licking his lips making this face like..."ew that's gross" and walked proudly up to my mom as to say look what papaw did.

Then back over to me and said "Cheese!"

Once papaw was done shaving he helped joe "shave" the shave cream off. It was cute Joe kept touching dad's face (who's had a beard allllll winter) like where did it go? I love watching them together...