Favorites List

1. This is my favorite job that I've ever had. (Teaching preschool at Mount Vernon CDC is a VERY close second). But seriously. I remember saying out loud while teaching third grade "I just want to work as a technology facilitator at ONE elementary school, PART TIME. Is that too much to ask?" I guess not. Thanks God. I really, really appreciate it.

I also realized that this is the first time since graduating college that I have returned to the same school to do the same job. Moving states, moving grade levels, moving schools....It's kind of nice to feel like I know what I'm doing for once.

2. My favorite distraction right now is sitting very still feeling this baby move. It is just the neatest/weirdest thing and I can't get enough of it. Keep moving little buddy!

3. Fall is my favorite season to decorate for. And since Pinterest is my other favorite distraction right now, I'm full of fun ideas. I'm working on a new wreath right now.

And all that has been enough to keep me pretty busy. That and savoring the last bit of alone time I'll have with Adam for the next 18+ years.

16 Weeks Pic at Jeff and Stacy's wedding. (Even though I'm almost 19!)
Sorry for the bad hotel lighting.

Guess What?

This.is.happening.

We happen to be pretty excited about it. And ready to share it with all of you!
I'm 14 weeks and 1 day, finally in the second trimester. We were on edge for a little bit there due to a miscarriage I had last year right after Adam deployed and a subchorionic hemorrhage this time. After an ER visit and 6 weeks of "wait and see" we got the all clear.  Whew. Ever since then we've pretty much been on Cloud 9.

And then I made Adam take these pictures with me. Thank goodness for self-timer and a tripod. He likes to pretend that things are annoying and gets all impatient (especially when I need to get the PERFECT picture), but deep down I know he likes it. He's so funny. And during the whole picture taking extravaganza he kept calling the pregnancy test "the pee stick". Good luck Baby. You're going to need it.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

We spent a beautiful day in Wilmington:

Then Adam got to spend 5 weeks in the desert living in one of these:

This girl stopped by for our annual visit, just as smiley as ever:

I went crazy with my garden, and it's grown so well!

We celebrated Independence with Dan and Katy. Their baby boy Jack is finally here. Ginger is growing. And the boys are back in the same state at the same time for the first time in what feels like years. 

(And I was the total nerd at the fireworks display with her tripod set up for great pictures.)

And now we're off to PA for a week at White Sulphur Springs. Looking forward to good times, seeing good friends, good time in the Word, and the mountains.

It's been a little wet around here lately....

Thank goodness too, because I really needed some help getting some new plants established. I wouldn't mind a sunny weekend though, pretty please?

Oh, Oswald...

"God does not give us overcoming life; He gives us life as we overcome."


"Buck up, take your disinclination by the throat, throw it overboard, and walk out into the thing!" 


-Oswald Chambers

Hawaii 2012

After the long deployment, Adam and I took a trip to Hawaii. It was our first ever real vacation, just the two of us, that didn't include a cross-country move.

We took a helicopter tour of the island since, obviously, that's what you do when you are a helicopter pilot on vacation. Doors off. Which is fine by me because riding in helicopters is Awesome.

I got the classic rainbow over Honolulu shot from our balcony after some light rain.
I don't think I could ever get tired of seeing rainbows.

A half-day was spent at Pearl Harbor and the Pacific Aviation Museum. The video at the beginning of the tour makes me cry. And makes me feel REALLY bad for the guy who said the airplanes on the radar were probably our own and not to worry about it. Talk about an epic FAIL. But the memorial is beautiful and a wonderful tribute to that day.

Can you believe how much oil still leaks from the Arizona?

I made Adam take me to Leonard's Bakery for some malasadas after seeing the commercial 10 times. They're basically Portuguese donuts, and I'm pretty obsessed with donuts. From any country.

We saw the Worts! (Minus Josh. And Peter didn't quite make it into the picture. Don't worry Josh, we'll bug the heck out of you when you move back here. You'll be thankful for those four years of peace:) )

We also enjoyed the beach, a luau, and walking around in the gorgeous weather. By the end of the trip we were pretty convinced this wouldn't be the last time we were in Hawaii.

We had a great time exploring Oahu and a great time reconnecting after a long deployment. I'm ready to go back!

Project MCP: March Challenges

This month, Project MCP changed their assignments from monthly to weekly. I had way more fun having several challenges to think about and look for opportunities to take pictures. I love having more reasons to turn on my camera and snap pictures. I probably took 50 just for this project alone. I participated in three of the assignments and here are my final submissions below:

• Challenge #1 – Take a picture from a high vantage point, from above your subject

• Challenge #2 – Capture a photo using natural light.

• Challenge #3 -  Express the following word in a photo: Transition

March was busy with visiting family, Adam's brother coming to visit us, celebrating 6 years (6!) of marriage, and welcoming Spring to our front and back yards (and sinus cavities). Vegetables are started, a new grill is put together, and  well, I've got a lot of yellow to clean up from all this crazy pollen. Looking forward to enjoying this warmer weather with the hubs this year. And to April photo challenges!