"See you later"

I'm not very good with "goodbye".

This last week has certainly been a whirlwind of insanity, to say the least. As I write this, I am already in California.

The last three years have been a real time of growth for me personally, as well as for our little (growing) family. Little did we know that being sent to Altus would be a blessing in disguise. Sure we went kicking and screaming. I mean, don't most people? But, We found a fabulous support system there. Wonderful friends and a really great community that will both be missed. Am I excited to be closer to our families and in a big city again? You bet! But I also know you'll never forget those who touched your lives while you were there.

Madilyn and I both were very blessed with such a great group of girlfriends. I mean, who would have thought we'd all have babies at the same time and we'd all have girls? Then, to make it better, who would have thought we would all "mesh" so well? Madilyn is still talking about Maddy, Bella, and Eva. I know that even at just two years old, they made a difference in her life too.

I know this post is all over the place. I guess I'm not very good at keeping my thoughts together today. Just wanted to thank you girls for everything and wish you the best. I certainly hope our paths will cross again someday.  So, as I was once told.....in the military it is never "goodbye" but always "see you later". You never know where you'll end up next.

We all had a great time in our final days. Here is a short video of the girls laughing and playing together (as always!) the day before we left.



And here is one of us mamas (we're missing Tara, she had already left for her summer vacation).

She's a big girl!

Ah, potty training....... :)

I really had some mixed feeling about how this was going to go. In fact, with how little she's been interested in using the potty, I thought she might just end up having her little sister train her.....

BUT, last Saturday she decided she was interested in the potty again, and we ran with it. I'm so happy to say that it has been almost 2 weeks since she was in a diaper (other than for sleep)!!!!! I'm so proud of her :)

The only down side was being woken up 4 times last night by a little girl who needed to go potty. Guess it's time to start limiting the fluids in the evenings and pushing them in the morning.

Yay Madilyn!

Almost....

Almost halfway done with this pregnancy already! It sure felt like my pregnancy with Madilyn didn't go nearly as fast!

We had our big ultrasound today and there was no denying it, baby #2 is a GIRL. Madilyn is going to have a little sister!!!!!

Unfortunately, while baby kept showing us her gender, she appears to want to stay in hiding until D day, since she would not give us ANY profile pictures. So, no ultrasound pics this time. Everything looks great and she was very active in there....just a little camera shy :)

And in the spirit of updating, here's how I'm looking these days.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's day to Matt and all of the other Dads out there! You are loved and appreciated!

Today it was Matt's request to go hiking. He's been asking us for a while now and something would always come up. So, today was the day. We went out near the wildlife refuge and had a wonderful time. The scenery was beautiful and Madilyn even got to see a few buffalo up close. I will admit, they're a little intimidating in such close proximity!

After our hike we had lunch and naps. Then we spend the rest of the afternoon and early evening hanging out and the pool and grilled up dinner. I think Matt had a great day and I know we did too :)

Splashing Through Summer

First, let me just say, how is June already more than half over???? This summer is going by SO fast! Slow down summer!!!

Tonight we had a fun time hanging out at the toddler pool on base with Madilyn's great girlfriends Madeline and Eva. She was so excited to hit the pool and after arrived and I told her the girls were going to be there....she couldn't get to the pool fast enough. These girls really are just the best of friends. Julie got a few great pics and even a video, so of course I have to share!

Impromptu Play Date

Yesterday evening, we had the pleasure of watching Isabella for a bit while Natalie was busy. She came just in time for dinner and fun!

The girls were too cute encouraging one another to eat all their food. After dinner we washed them up and set them free. Boy did they ever have fun! They spent forever chasing one another around the house screaming with delight. Then they'd change directions of one another. As they'd bump into each other they'd pause and say, "huuuuuuuuug" and give each other a hug before continuing to play chase. So adorable!!!!!

I didn't catch too many pics but here are a few.

We sure are blessed to have such great girlfriends out here.

Summertime Playdates

Now that the warm weather is officially upon us, we had some of our girlfriends over for a toddler sized "pool party". I filled up the blow up pool out back, set up the new pirate ship water play table, and pulled the other outdoor toys around to make a fun play area for all the girls. While they played, splashed, and giggled away, us mommies got to hang by the water and chat :)

After pool time we took the party inside for some mac n cheese, Sonoma Chicken Salad, fresh fruit salad, and brownies!

Here are a few outtakes of the girls eating up.

Thanks again for coming Julie and Natalie! Hope to do it again before the move. We're going to miss you!!!

Welcome to the second trimester!

PHEW!

I am SO glad to be out of the first trimester. The nausea, the cramps, the fatigue..... I'm not missing it a bit!

About 2 weeks ago we got our doppler in the mail. (For those who may know, this little device lets us listen to the baby's heartbeat at home). Ever since then, Madilyn has been obsessed with "seeing the baby". She'll bring the doppler to me and say "mom, I see baby, see baby please?". It's really cute! She also likes to give my tummy kisses and say hello to baby.

So far this pregnancy has been much easier than Madilyn's and the time has gone by so much faster! I can't believe that in 26 weeks we'll have another little one at home. Crazy!!!

Here's a recent picture of how I'm looking these days :)

Going Green

Well, with orders to Los Angeles now in hand, we have started making preparations for the move. One of the biggest steps we've made was to get rid of the suburban. We knew there was no way it was going to pass California emissions and well, with a commute ahead for Matt, the MPG just didn't add up. So, as of Thursday night, we're officially 2010 Prius owners.

I have to admit that while I still love the 4runner, this new car is pretty fun. It's super quiet, and sometimes even hard to tell if it's even running! The car senses the "key" in your pocket and unlocks the door for you as you approach. It syncs in with the bluetooth on my iphone and right away starts playing my itunes list as I'm driving along. It even has voice activated navigation. Hungry? Just hit the button on the steering wheel and tell the car "I'm hungry" and what do you know, a list of nearby restaurants appears on the screen. Select whatever suits your fancy and it gives you step by step instructions to get there. I think this is another feature that is going to come in handy in such a large and unfamiliar city!

Oh, and did I mention it gets 50 miles per gallon??? Yep, we're hooked.

Visiting Mimi and Pop Pop

After we spent a little over a week in Phoenix, we boarded a flight to Jacksonville, FL. This was the first time Madilyn or I have ever been out that way. Like a true seasoned traveler, she handled it all wonderfully. She was an angel on both flights, and for the most part, was very well behaved during our time there. She fought her naps a bit, but what kid wants to nap when there's so much fun to be had???

Mimi and Pop Pop hosted a family gathering for many people to meet Madi for the first time. The show was scheduled to start around 230, but Madilyn didn't wake up from her nap for a solid hour after that! Despite her room being near all the action and the doorbell ringing, she was OUT! Once she finally woke up she was sure to charm everyone.

Playing in the backyard shortly after our arrival. She loves to play outside!

The pretend deer outside. She didn't know what sound a deer makes so she kept going over to it and saying, "baaaaaa" :)

Little family shot on our way to the beach after dinner one evening in St. Augustine.

Playing in the water with Daddy.

Madilyn, Pop Pop, and Mimi.