Growing So Fast!

Our baby is growing so fast. He just turned 6 months old! He weighs 20.8 lbs and is 28" long! He has 2 teeth and is rolling all over the place. He loves his jumper and his saucer. He is eating solids and we have been give the o.k. to start finger foods and sippy cups more. He did great with his 4 shots. The last one got him, but he was quickly comforted by Dada. He has been repeating what sounds to us like " I love you." My parents got a kick out of it last night! He is such a joy. Now.. to work on sleeping. We got him to sleep through the night 2 days ago. The doctor says it is time to cry it out. :/

Radio Interview

“Walk To Afghanistan” to Support Military Families - 97.3 River Country

Here is a link to my radio interview from this morning! Come walk to Afghanistan with me!

Walk to Afghanistan With Me!

Journal Star : Fitness walk shows support for Marines

Marine Corps Ball

The Marine Corps Ball is a month early this year, due to the deployment. I ordered a dress, but decided on a dress from my closet. Good thing the other dress was a steal, and I can sell it on on E-bay. I am having a really hard time getting excited about the ball this year. I was suppose to be going to FL with my sisters and Mom to plan my sisters wedding. I had a ticket purchased and all. If the ball wasn't this weekend, I would have skipped out. Instead, I will be here sitting through briefs, I have heard a million times and doing our wills and family plan. Yes.. you can sense my excitement. I am excited for my first 2 full nights of sleep in the last 6 months! Sorry and thank you Michelle! I owe you!

I forced AJ away from his phone and computer today to join me on a walk. On our walk, we walked through a beautiful cemetery in town. We had our little burial conversation "just in case" very casually and went on. I know his wishes and we can cross that one off the list.

He has the week off, but he is so in Marine mode. I spent most of the day by myself with the baby. I will be getting out tomorrow to go do an interview at the local radio station for Walk to Afghanistan. I am so thankful I have my little projects to keep me busy. The start of the craziness is quickly approaching. I am filling up my calendar the first week with little friend get togethers. The only way I will stay sane.

G popped his first tooth today. I actually felt the 2nd before bed. We are trying something new by putting him down on his tummy. He took a 2.5 hour nap in his own BED on his TUMMY. So... we will give it a shot.

Exciting Stuff

Sorry for my lack of posts this week. This week has been crazy and full of excited things. In my previous post, I posted how I have a dream of working for military families. A few weeks ago, I sent my resume in to a company, Blue Star Families. It is an advocacy group for Military families by Military families. I was asked to be the United States Liaison/ Scheduler for the CEO of the company. She is in Germany with her family and Marine Corps husband. It is such an honor. It will just be an hour or so a week and I already have made great contacts. Who gets to call the Pentagon first thing Monday morning? I did! I also scheduled appointments for her with the Marine Corps commandants wife and many other excited people and groups. I was nervous about taking on something else, but I think in the long run this is what I need to be doing.

Working hard on kicking off the Peoria Walk to Afghanistan project. If you haven't signed up, please do. The kick off is October 1st. You do not need to live in Peoria to participate!

Hmm.. An Idea

Thanks all for the great comments on the vow renewal. I am excited! It is something nice to look forward to after the training begins. Which is coming fast! On the upside, AJ gets several days off the next few weeks. Poor guy was exhausted today after being up 24 hours, and getting constant phone calls about the ball. He is the ball coordinator this year again. It is much easier the 2nd time around, but he is still very busy. I am glad I will get another chance to enjoy a ball planned by him. (Last year I got the flu.) I ordered a dress, but after showing them both to AJ, I think I am going to go with one I ordered a few years ago. Simple black one shoulder. I am sort of in mourning this year anyway. He said I have worn red many years in a row. ( He has a better memory then me.) I still find myself looking and dress sites and wondering if I won't order one more. Yes, it will probably be red. I don't wear much other then black these days, to hide the left over baby weight. I thought I had another month to shed it. Bwahaha! It sure does still around longer the 3rd time around. Oh well. I will sure shed it once we start the Walk For Afghanistan. I have no excuse. The elliptical is in my room complete with TV.

I am getting really excited about this walk. I have a few interviews lined up next week to promote it. It is so fun to be doing this with some of the strongest women I know. It is so fun to see a vision come to life. Now... if you haven't signed up. Do it now! You do not need to live in Peoria to do this! Strap on your pedometer and get logging starting October 1st!

I always knew I wanted to do something to empower military spouses. I look back on how young and naive I was. I was a pretty mature 18 year old, and had goals and focus. But, I knew several wives who lacked all of that. I just think how wonderful it would be to have  a "retreat" weekend with people (yes I am dreaming) Dave Ramsey, Kerry and Chris Shook, and women who can empower the military spouse by showing them how to get going in careers that can be portable for the military lifestyle. Of course it would have to be in a fun location. I remember joking a few years ago with another military spouse, that when our husbands go away for their 2 weeks of training. The wives, should also go somewhere and be with other military wives. Hmm... where to start.

Anyway... done rambling. Hubby was in a cleaning mood today and the kitchen is clean and the laundry is done. I had a full work day today. So, I am looking forward to cuddle time with monkey and some relaxation time.

Vow Renewal!

Yeah! The invites came today! AJ didn't know I got "formal" invites and at first I think he thought I was nuts. But, after he read them, he thought it was nice.

I think I may have found a dress for me and think I will go with white oxfords for each of the boys. Not sure if I can get AJ to wear a uniform or not. I guess... I will take what I can get!

Now I need to decide something that we will "exchange" with the boys. I tried convincing AJ I needed a new ring. Yeah... that went over well. =)

Water Puppy

Miley thought she'd join the boys.

Letter To Employer

I know the deployment is approaching. In the back of my mind,  I wish I could make it disappear. We have had such a great few weeks. Today AJ had to bring his letter to bring to his civilian job that he would be activated for 13 months. * punch in the stomach * Yes. It is really coming. What is it about seeing it in writing?

Renewing our Vows

We are celebrating 15 years of marriage this April. Of course, AJ will be gone. I have convinced him to renew our vows and do a family blessing before he leaves. I have no idea where to start. White dress for me?? Do we exchange rings again? How will I incorporate the boys? Better get working! I do have invites ordered and the church locked on!

Dreaming

We have been busy just getting things done. The play system arrived yesterday, and AJ has started to assemble it. We have had a great few days together. We have our little Galena getaway planned, but I am dreaming of a Cancun vacation. Ahh... to have a weekend together there before he goes. A girl can dream...
This photo of Akumal Beach Resort is courtesy of TripAdvisor

What a week!

I have had the craziest work week. I took Monday to be home with AJ, but ended up working the rest of the week. I pulled a 12 hour day yesterday. Listed a house, wrote an offer, and negotiated both sides. But, it just didn't work out. But, I think I will have a successful open house this weekend and my new listing is adorable.

We are enjoying the puppy! She jumped in our tub with Graycen and Brayden tonight. It was hilarious. She was swimming!

Enjoyed a great lunch with one of my best friends this week. She is one of my only close Realtor friends. Amazing that when I am around other Marine wives, I don't get emotional. But, when I try to explain what I am going through to a civilian, the tears just started coming. I think I made her feel bad, and not sure where those tears came from. I know they are deep down inside. Their timing just always seems to amaze me.

This weekend, we have football both days and I have an open house. Looking forward to enjoying some more fall weather!

AJ's Weekend Wrap Up

AJ and I had a faboulous couple of days. Getting stuff done around the house, eating way to much, and just spending time together. I always hate to see him to go back to work Wednesday night. He is very ready to be a Marine full time. This back and forth stuff, is no fun. Especially, when he works most of the day on Marine Corps stuff. He only has a few more weeks and he will be doing the Marine Corps thing full time. It will be so nice to have him home weekends and evenings. Although, I am not going to lie having him home during the day is wonderful.

We are preparing for our vow renewal and family blessing in November. We will hit 15 years this year, and we thought after 5 deployments, it might be a nice little touch. Invitations are ordered and now I work on what everyone will wear and what I want the ceremony to include. The boys will be a huge part of it. Now.. if we could just get Father to o.k. our furry children too.

Miley is doing wonderful. AJ is such a sucker of her. He won't let her stay in the kennel for long. I caught him rocking Graycen and Miley today at the same time. Duke is liking her a lot better. I have caught them running around the yard and playing.

AJ got lots done. The shed is up and we had a tree cut down. It was dying and I thought it better to do it now, then have it fall and have to worry bout it while he is gone. (I'll just keep writing the checks.)

Busy work day for me tomorrow. Hoping to sell a house, list a house, and get a price change! Graycen started at his sitter last week and we are so blessed. She is a doll. It is nice to know I have one whole office day. Although I will be working a 12 hour day tomorrow, with a short lunch break with one of my best friends.

Kids are in bed and it is time for Mama to relax a bit.

Quote Board

I saw this idea on a blog awhile back. The point is to pick quotes that relate to what is going on and display them on the board. A journal is then kept as a remembrance. I thought it would be a great addition to my blog.

I love Nicholas Sparks. I believe he really gets the heart and soul. I thought it expresses what we are feeling as we continue our small separations before the deployment. 

I made this board out of a cheap photo frame and chalkboard contact paper. I also found a fun chalkboard pen on Amazon! I hung it with 3m strips. I am obsessed with them! No holes and they are strong!

September 11th

It is amazing to me that it has been 10 years since that dreadful day. I was teaching a classroom of 1st graders that day, and we were completely sheltered from what was going on around us. At the time, we didn't have Internet in the classroom and we turned our cell phones off in the classroom. I am not even sure we used text messaging at that time. I remember knowing that my life would never be the same. Little did I know that less then 2 years later, AJ would be activated and start a series of deployments. I never imagined 10 years later, 2 kids more, we would yet again be facing a deployment.

Brayden and I were discussing 9/11 yesterday. He was born a 1.5 years after the attacks, during the start of the Iraqi War. Explaining to him and making him understand the connection to AJ having to leave, still seems like a very difficult concept for him to understand. Heck, I don't understand it all sometimes. He seems to really be struggling with AJ leaving. I am working on a calendar for him to see what days AJ will physically be here with us. Poor guy thought AJ left again for the year during this small time away for drill. Breaks my heart, that he is constanlty trying to get a handle on it, and know his whole world is changing.

Fly your flags proudly today. Remember those who died and those who continue to put their lives on the line everyday. So thankful for my husband, and his selflessness.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

I came across this photo tonight. This was our Flat Daddy. We will be pulling him out for another tour with us. The Flat Daddy program is awesome! They will send military families, a Flat Daddy for FREE! You can go to this site to donate or to read more about getting your own Flat Daddy! My boys were so little. *sigh*

New Name

I decided that the name of our blog just didn't fit what I was going through. Last deployment I had a blog with the name Beyond the Cammies, and I felt it appropriate to continue using that name. You can still see the old blog under my favorite blog list or by clicking here. I also now have a .com address. You can see the blog by going to www.beyondthecammies.com .

Long Day

Just came from a long day talking about deployment readiness and planning. Talking about it all, is just so draining. My position as Key Volunteer has been eliminated, and I still am trying to find my place in the Marine Corps. I don't agree with the way the Marine Corps has restructured and think they are doing the families a disservice, by not having more localized Family Readiness Officers. (Hint... they should hire me.) I won't lie. It is my dream job. I love Marine families. I know Marine families. Frustrating that what I used to do to support them, has been taken away. Heck, I did a full time job, while having another full time job, and raising two boys. Oh well. Who am I? Just a Marine wife... trying to figure it all out.

Our New Baby

Yes. I have lost my mind. When are oldest dog almost was put down a few weeks ago, I started looking at puppies. He seems to be doing better, but I still had the puppy itch. I figured I wasn't sleeping,  so why not? She had to be blonde and I was not adding an ounce of testosterone to the family.
Deep down, I wanted AJ to meet her and experience her with the boys. Again... what if. He told her, he thought our family was complete until we got her. She was our missing piece. She is a sweetheart and taking crate training and potty training well. She sleeps in my bed. But have to admit I like it. Especially when AJ is gone. Here are pics of our baby girl. Miley Grace. (Grace added by AJ) .

Walk to Afghanistan

Here is my deployment project. I hope to see you all sign up! Online registration will hopefully be up today.

Deployment Program

Well.. it's 12 noon and I still sit here in my p.js. Got involved in working on a deployment project that will be launching in a few weeks. Stay tuned for more information. If you can walk, run, bike, or move in general... you can participate!

We are enjoying the fall like weather here in Central IL! Here is to the sunshine and windows open!

Do you have a product that would be wonderful for military families? I would love to create a partnership with you! Visit my Sponsors page for more details!

September Gift

Once again we have been blessed by our Angel. We received this sweet sweet note and a gift card to Wal-mart/ Sam's. I need to make a large Sam's run! AJ was just beyond words. I felt a little guilty opening it before he got home. But... I saw the envelope and couldn't wait! We also got a refund for taxes we had been overpaying. Yeah! Time to buy the shed and swing set before AJ leaves. After Baby G feel in love with my Mom's swing set.. AJ is adamant that he has a swing before he deploys!

Brayden had his first tackle games. Although he only played a few minutes. He was so stinkin cute!

Roller Coaster

If any of you have ever been through a deployment, you know that at a drop of a hat... something will make you tear up. I have been doing really well. Enjoying my time with AJ, trying not to focus on the next year. Yesterday made it all a bit more real when are local paper published an article of the deployment. Maybe I was in real denial until then? Anyway... I got online today to get Mr. G some winter clothes. All of a sudden we are going from 100+ to a high of 68 this week. I came across this.

Yep.. that got me going today. Of course I had to order it.

Boys are enjoying school. They both have their first real games this weekend. I had a great work week and have really expanded my Thirty-One business. Signing 2 consultants this weekend and holding an open house. I also got a ton of orders this week. The most exciting part is I partnered up with a decorating/organizing blog, A Thoughtful Place. I have a direct link on her site, and she is doing a feature piece and a giveaway with me. EXCITING! Check out her blog. She has some great ideas!