Traveling Family!

Joe and I just got home a couple weeks ago from a much needed vacation. We (without the kids) went to Florida for a week. We had so much fun...I forgot what it was like to have no kids. I missed them like crazy, but loved spending time alone with Joe again. My Mom and Dad took care of the kids and they loved it too. Next year we are planning a cruise with my sister and her husband...once again NO KIDS! So excited! I am currently arguing with Joe on how long we should cruise though...he wants to go on a 9 night cruise and I am okay with just a 5 night. If we were to go for 9 nights that would mean we would need more money and would have to be without the kids for at least 11 days. If we were to go on a 5 or 6 night cruise it will still be a 8 or 9 day vacation...which I think is still really long! I have realized lately that I am a big homebody. I am perfectly content staying in my house. If I do leave my house I hardly leave base. If I ever get to a base that is actually nice and has stuff to do on it, I'll never leave!



This weekend we are planning on going down to Texas once again for a training for Joe. He is deploying in about 3 weeks. We decided to drive so we could spend the driving time together and so that we could see Angie ( Joe's sister) again. We wish we lived closer to them. She is trying to talk us into moving near her...not like we could if we wanted to anyways! The military sort of owns us right now!.... Which is fine with me for now...without the military we would be paying for so much more. Yeah our actual paychecks arent great, but we have housing, cheap food, life/health insurance, and so many more benefits that we wouldnt have otherwise. Lately Joe has been talking about possibly separating from the military once his schooling is finished, but the more we think about it the more scary is seems to be out. We both hate deployments just b/c we miss out on family time. Joe misses out so much more though. This time Lauren is going to understand more that here daddy is gone and it is going to be more tough. Nolan is still carefree and could really care less as long has his needs are taken care of. I am so blessed to have a husband that is willing to support his family no matter what it takes. I am happy that he doesnt keep skipping around from job to job. He did some when we first got married, but that is normal when you have no education. I think it is so hard on families when their parents continue to change jobs and seem to have no stability. I know if Joe were to do that then I would feel so unstable. He does a good job though!






The kids are doing lots of fun things. Lauren is mimmicking everything we (Joe and I) do. She just tried to hit me (I think she was playing...she didnt like somthing that I told her) but she was trying to hit me and hit her arm on the desk...of course she cried and did I show her any remorse...None whatsoever! Call me mean, but she was trying to hit me! Some consequences follow immediately after an act its great! Nolan is a full time crawler now. He likes my plants which sucks! Lauren showed very little if any interest in my plants...I'll post the pic of little Noli yesterday when he dumped my plan. He's such a doll though....I love my little man! Lauren has been dressing herself for the last couple weeks. She is pretty funny...I will give her something and she will say " No, it doesnt match!" She is pretty good at matching things too! She hates me to do her hair, but if I dont, she looks horrid! It's summer again so she has been able to play with her next door buddy more. She and Jordyn are best buddies....they get along most of the time too...of course the occasional fight over dress up shoes and purses does happen, but they're pretty good! Nolan has been working on saying "Dada" He smiles everytime I try to teach him, and I can see his little lips attempt it, but nothing near it comes out! The other night I was holding him trying to put him to sleep and he would make a humming noise, and then I would make it back and then he would make it back....then I doubled it up and so did he...it was so stinkin cute! I enjoyed Lauren when she was a baby, but having him reminds me of why I want more kids. Joe says only one more, but God will be the judge of that! If it were up to me I wouldnt want to be pregnant again, but the babies are so much fun, which makes it all well worth the 9 months of hell! Okay the entire 9 months really isnt hell either...just the last 8-10 weeks!


It took Joe a long time to get used to having a boy, but I know he loves Nolan just as much as Lauren now....I think he always loved him, but he had a hard time excepting that he wasn't a girl. Joe wanted all girls...and I was okay with that, but now I dont care if we have another boy....Nolan is so special! I would love another little girl too though....so we'll have to see!


Well today is Joe's 27th birthday (he's an old fart!) Not quite actually! He is at work all day today, but has tomorrow off so we will probably celebrate as a family tonight and spend the day together tomorrow. I love spending time with the family...it is probably my most favorite thing to do. Lauren has been begging me to make Daddy's birthday cake so I better get so I can help her with that.