It's Official...

wE'rE hAviNg fUn iN tHe SuN!!

Monday Carter Edition #38~And we're off!

Monday Carter is, in a word, happy. She has had her favorite guy around for the last four days and that means out with the old and in with the new. As in out with the mom and in with the dad! It is, "Daddy look at this...Daddy can you play this....Daddy can you do this?!!" She may have said Mom once or twice in the last four days, but I'm pretty low on the totem pole right now!

My favorite memory since Nate's return was Thursday morning. Carter had made her way into our bed and had me snuggled almost off the edge when I felt her move. It woke me up and I turned over in time to see her cozy up to Nate's back. She then proceeded to plant little kisses on him until he woke up and she wrapped her tiny little arms around him. Talk about melt your heart!

So, there has been a whole lotta' Candy Land/Memory/Chutes and Ladders Playing going on. We've had trips to the park and to our favorite breakfast spot, and we busted out Nate's father's day gift...a new bike! Complete with a seat for C (thanks Barton's)...

Here is Carter, and her hair which sometimes has a mind of it's own!

We've had a few days at home and now we are off! Mixing a little business with pleasure we are heading down to San Diego with Nate. He is receiving Lasik surgery on his eyes and we're going to be receiving a little sand and sun too! Hope your week is off to a happy start...I know ours is!

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!