Orange Bump

At 15 weeks I'm looking a little less like a gummi bear and a little more like a baby (Mom and dad got a new picture of me because the Dr. was having a hard time finding my heartbeat and had to do an ultrasound. I was just playing hard to get cause' I wanted to meet my dad! It was his first time to see me!)...

I'm about the size of an orange...

And my mom's bump is...well...bumpin' (just ignore the fact that she's not wearing make-up and didn't fix her hair)...

And there you have it...a growth report from our little orange bump!

The missing piece of the puzzle

Having Nate come home is in a word, perfect. If I'm being honest I anticipate it from the moment he leaves, so his return also leaves me breathing a huge sigh of relief. We are together again, a family again, I have my best friend and love and Carter has her dad...happy are we this little family of three.

We had a very late night picking Nate up in Seattle this time. He didn't arrive until almost 10:30 plus the 2 hour drive home so we arrived here in the wee hours of the morning. But, it was really fun because thanks to new and improved "military benefits" we were able to go and meet him at his gate at the airport. It made for the perfect reunion...

Trying our best to be patient...

Watching his plane taxi in...

A couple of pretty happy people (and a pretty worn out dad after more than 24 hours of travel)...

Life is good...

This Magic Moment

Your lips...

Plus mine...

Equals...

Meet me tonight 10 o'clock sharp...

It's a date (magic moment guaranteed)!

Monday Carter Edition #37~This one's for you dad...

Before he left Nate and Carter were having a little bonding time while driving in the car. The song "Live Your Life" by TI and Rhianna came on and Nate was quite proud that Carter quickly picked up waving her hands in tha' air to the beat. The song has been a favorite of hers ever since. So, in honor of the fact that Nate will be home SO soon, this one's for you dad...

Dear Daddy,

You've never seen me as excited as I am right now! Everyday I give big "WOoHOo" when I count my chains and realize you are almost home! I can't wait to hug you SO tight! Hurry Home!!

XOXO Carter

5 Down 1 To Go! (Hopefully)

Ok, ok, so I'm just a little guilty of counting my chickens before they hatch, but we're almost there! Nate should be home in just a few short days and so the excitement around here begins to build (that also means I have to put away the mountain of laundry that has been living in my guest room, but I'm choosing to dwell on the positive here!)

I have been so thankful that while he has been gone for this "detachment" I have had some really great friends to hang out with and share in the loneliness that often comes with having your husband away. Speaking honestly I really don't know I would have gotten through without the dinners, outings, and encouragement I have had from these girls. So, being that all of our husbands are coming home this week we decided we should celebrate. Believe it or not there is actually a pretty fancy shmancy restaurant here in Oak Harbor that has fabulous food and an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere. I would have thought that too good to be true, being that the most exciting thing going for our other sit down dining venues is a CrApplebee's, but alas it is true. Fraser's (a gourmet hideaway) actually leaves you feeling like you have escaped into the city and I like that. They have little touches that make you feel special, like a homemade Parmesan "chip" on your Caesar Salad...


See special right?? Good thing, because these are some pretty special girls! Lara, Molly and Jamie...

And here I am with Whitney and Amy...

It may sound silly but it always feels like quite an accomplishment to put another one of these behind us. Way to go girls!

Hopefully Nate will be headed out one more time before we welcome our new little kiddo' into the world and head off for new adventures!

Cool Rider

She's a cool rider....

She's a cooooooooooool rider...

She's cool enough...

She can burn you through and through...

She's a C-O-O-L R-I-D-E-R!!!

Never a dull moment...

This afternoon I was chatting on the phone with Nate while putting my make up on because we needed to be out the door in about 30 minutes. Carter was keeping herself occupied, but unfortunately that can sometimes be a little risky. She suddenly appeared at the door of the bathroom with this puppy dog look on her face. "What's wrong?" I asked her. "I did it again," she said. "Did what again?" I asked. "What I did that day at the restaurant..." I instantly knew and went running for my cell phone, because what she "did again" was call 911!!!

See, my husband had this really great idea to get me a Blackberry (and it was a really great idea) except for one thing...when your phone is locked it is actually pretty darn easy to make a "emergency call". So, I'm immediately on the phone with a 911 operator, I explain what happens, we both have a good chuckle, end of story. WRONG. Fast forward 15 minutes and two very gung ho base police officers in the full fatigue get ups are knocking (rather emphatically) on my front door. I am still on the phone with Nate, I open the door and they look like they are ready to pounce. I explain again what happened and they insist they need to come in and look around to "make sure I am not in distress." Carter is playing quietly in her room and looks a little worried when she sees a couple of overly zealous GI Joe's (she had already asked me earlier if they were going to come and take her away!) When convinced that I am not harboring any criminals they turn things over to the other two guy's who had also arrived on scene (must have been a slow day at the office!) After taking down all my info. the ordeal was over.

Needless to say my Blackberry will be out of reach from now on. The End.