2012 in review

I cannot believe it's the last day of 2012. What a year this has been!

In January, we welcomed our beautiful baby boy into the world. I can honestly say that our lives were changed forever that day. He is the most amazing thing to ever happen to us and we couldn't have been blessed with a more perfect baby.

Z and I also said goodbye, yet again, as he went back to Afghanistan to finish his tour. This was the hardest goodbye by far.

I celebrated my 25th birthday in February and moved back to New York to await Z's return from deployment.

In March, he was home, for good. Words cannot describe the feeling I had that day. Relief, happiness, and being whole again. Knowing there wouldn't be a goodbye for awhile was the biggest weight off of our shoulders. Our family could finally be together again :)

We also had visitors to New York and celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary! Although most of our first year of marriage was spent physically apart, we managed to grow closer and develop a stronger bond than ever before.

In April, Z received an entire month off to relax after deployment and we took full advantage of it. We celebrated Easter with our families in Ohio, took a trip to our Alma Mater, Miami University, and took Bubba's first plane ride to Chicago.

In May, we attended Z's military ball and celebrated my 1st Mother's Day! My parents also came to visit that month and we explored good ole upstate New York.

June was spent playing at the beach, catching rays, and cooking out. We traveled back to Ohio at the end of the month to prepare for 4th of July celebrations. I was able to visit with my closest friends from high school and college and had a great time catching up with all of them.

We had Nolan baptized in July, and also celebrated his first Independence Day. Towards the end of the month, we flew down to Texas for the first time to visit Z's family.

In September, two of my friends (who also happen to be the best photographers in the area) made mine and Z's wedding dream come true when they shot a "Wedmock" for us. You can read more about that here :)

My parents visited us again in October and we took full advantage of fall in upstate New York. We took a nature hike, attended a German beer festival, and checked tasks off our fall bucket list.

Bubba dressed up as a zebra and Bam Bam and experienced his first Halloween.

In November, we headed home again to spend Thanksgiving with our family, and would only be back in New York a short two weeks before heading back to Ohio in December for Christmas.

We celebrated Bubba's birthday early with our New York friends and flew to Texas again to see Z's family.

We've had so much fun celebrating Bubba's first Christmas with our loved ones. It's an amazing feeling to know that no matter what, in the end, family will always be there for you.

The friends I've had since high school and college, they will always be there too. We may have changed, taken different paths in life, or be in different places now, but we all still have one thing in common; our love for each other and our friendship.

This year has been so amazing. 2011 was a really hard year with Z being gone and the hellish pregnancy I endured. To have the end results turn out so wonderfully, Z returning home safely and a healthy baby boy being born, has made me appreciate them and my life with them that much more.

Blogging has truly helped me grow as a person, mother, and wife. I have created an archive for Bubba to read one day and see what his mommy was like and how he was growing up.

I cherish every single day I spend with my boys and my family. We may not be rich, and we may not have it all together at times, but together we have it all.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year and 2013 to come! XOXO

After 7 months apart...

...my heart was whole again. I cannot believe it's December 30th; one year ago today, I was anxiously awaiting a car service to pick me up from my parents house and drive me to the airport. I was waiting to get through security, sit at the gate, and wait.

Wait for what?

This. This moment right here.



After 7 months apart, my heart would be whole again for two whole weeks. Z was home from Afghanistan a short 14 days and during that time, we would be welcoming our baby boy, and making up for 7 months of lost time together.

Today, we celebrate those feelings, the first kiss, the first hug. We celebrate our love, we celebrate a safe return, and we celebrate family.

High Five For Friday

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and is enjoying the holiday season!

This week, I was extra blessed to spend Christmas with my family from all over the U.S. We went down to Texas for a few days to see my in-laws, visited with my cousins from Chicago, and had the entire family together for Christmas Eve. Considering there are upwards 40 people on my dad's side, I'd say that's pretty impressive!

So of course, it was hard to pick 5 things that made my week extra special. But here were a few :) 

Linking up with Lauren for H54F!

1// baby boy on his 1st Christmas morning... he was still a little too young to understand but I cannot wait for next year and the years to come!

2// Z was in Afghanistan last year and Bubba was in the belly... this year, we celebrated as a family. 

3// cool huh? he's stuck in a snow globe!

4// my girl cousins (on my dad's side). we are all extremely close and have since added 2 more (in-laws) that I cannot wait to grow closer with! 

5// nothing like pictures in front of the Christmas light glow :) 

Hope you all have a great weekend and a Happy New Year! 

The Polar Express

The Polar Express is such a magical book and movie, and this year for Christmas, we got to see it come to life!

The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad transforms into The Polar Express; complete with elves, hot chocolate, cookies, and of course, SANTA! 

We sang Christmas carols, traveled to the North Pole, picked up Santa and Mrs. Claus, and received our own silver bell.

Bubba was still a little too small to understand what was going on, but his eyes lit up when we reached the North Pole and saw the lights, elves dancing, and even The Grinch!

Can't wait to take Bubba back in a few years :) 

A hurting heart....

Do you know what it's like to be in a room full of people and feel like everyone is whispering about you? 

I do.

Not that this scenario has ever happened in a literal sense, but I've heard it all:

"You're engaged after knowing each other for three months?"

"You only dated for how long before you got married?"

"You were only married for how long before you got pregnant?"

"He's in the Army?"

"Didn't you know what you were getting into?" 

"I don't feel bad for you, you were asking for this when you married a soldier."

"Your life is too much; you just want attention." 

"You just married someone to get married."

"You don't deserve special treatment."

"You're not strong enough."

"You're a terrible mother and had no business having children."

Yes; all extremely hurtful words. I've heard this and much, much more from "friends", "family", and "colleagues." Even writing this brings tears to my eyes to relive these moments in my life.

I've been told these things to my face, overheard them, and read them on Facebook.

And my question, is why?

Who are you to judge me and my life? 

Who are you to make me feel so insignificant? 

Who are you to think you're better than me? 

Who are you to say such mean and hurtful things? 

Just when I think I've figured out the people I want and who deserve to be in my life, it's as though God reminds me that they're always going to be out there, with something to say. 

My challenge? How I react. 

I can choose tears (which I usually do) because it's painful.

I can use my voice (which I can guarantee isn't very nice when I'm being attacked).

I can use my words, to embarrass others as they've embarrassed me.

But better yet, I can use it as motivation to be kind. 

Kill them with kindness. 

Put on a smile.

Pay it forward.

Spread love in a world of hate. 

Pray for them.

Never, ever, stoop to their level. 

I'm better than that; I was raised better than that, and it's a shame some people weren't. 

Use this as a little reminder that we never know what someone else is going through, what's happened in their life, or what challenges they're working to overcome. 

Although it's the holidays, I've been reminded of these rash type of people all too much lately. I've been struggling with how to deal with them and this is the conclusion I've come to...

Be kind. Because in the end, Karma will be a bigger b*tch than I could ever be.