2011 in review.

January

Started 2011 in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Kyle had training in Biloxi and I decided to take this opportunity to show off the new baby Kyle and I had made the previously June. :)

Happy New Year!

We also took our 1st family trip to the beach. The same beach their daddy & I grew up on..

February

All four of us make it back to Deutschland in time for Valentine's Day. Happy 7 years together!

March

We break up with Windows and start going steady with Apple.. and purchase our first DSLR. :)

April

I jump into the world of photography.

May

Kyle's sister, Erin, takes a trip over the pond to come see us.

We go to Rome

and Amsterdam.

We also find out that Kyle will be deploying next month.

June

I kiss my husband goodbye until January.

A couple days after he arrives in Kosovo he gets word that our next duty station will be Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. 1 hour from our hometown! :D

July

I start my quest of a healthier lifestyle which results in a lose of 15 pounds.

August

I trash my dress

Kyle reenlists in a Black Hawk

Tyler breaks his arm in two places.

And we find out that Kyle made Staff sergeant! :D

September

Second doula baby

October

Nana comes to Germany for a second time, to help me out.

I become a certified doula.

November

Third doula baby

December

Second trip to the ER

and we become home owners!

Can't wait to see what 2012 has in store for us! :)

Things that make me happy.

Skype.

Cornstarch + water.

A good Yankee candle.

Planning the layout of our house in Florida.

My new Vera Bradley makeup case.

Looking at my biggest boy's pre-school picture throughout the day.

Being reminded every time I walk down my hall just how lucky and fortunate we have been living in Germany.

My new skin care products. I've been taking even better care of myself lately and it feels good!

The sight of grins and the sound of giggles.

New nail polish.

Tyler eating what I make for dinner.

Winter fashion.

My Christmas tree.

* And of course you for taking the time to read this. :)

oobleck.

A couple of weeks ago I received a book at a MOPS (Mothers of PreSchoolers) meeting. It's titled Momsense: A common-sense guide to confident mothering. Now, I'm usually pretty quick to say that I am not at all a book worm but ever since Kyle has been gone (well, even before then.. when I started taking anxiety medication) I have had difficulty falling to sleep at night. I feel exhausted come 4 in the afternoon but come 10:00 when it's show time- nothing! I close my eyes but feel my lids twitch with all the thoughts that begin to run around my head. I need to pay that bill. Did I check Tyler's backpack for homework? Whose birthday party am I going to this week? They just keep coming. So I thought I would try good ol' reading to see if it would ease me to sleep. It works! And I discovered that I actually love the book I received. Chapter after chapter I learn more about ways I can become a better mother. Isn't that what every mom wants after all? For me it comes down to getting off this damn computer. Once I am off I am good to go and am completely hands-on with the boys. Today Tyler and I made oobleck. Again. I kind of love it.. :)

Last night was the chapter on patience. I think I am going to read it again tonight. It's something I need to work on a lot. I remember being rushed as a little kid and I didn't like it but here I am as a mom doing it. The author talks about how she strived to go an entire day without saying "hurry up" and how much of a struggle it was. I can definitely relate. We live in a busy world where time never stops but toddlers do to smell flowers, pick their noses and touch everything. In the end I'm the only one to blame because I should allot more time, which is what I did this morning and I'm pleased to say we had a wonderful and relaxed morning. Granted I had to wake up two and a half hours before we were due to walk out the door but if that is what it takes then I will do it.

Stay tuned for more adventures. :)