Patrick's Big 31!!!

So yesterday the husband turned 31!  He said it didn’t really feel any different than 30.  I still think he woke up just as cute as he did he day before, so I don’t see what the big deal is =)  

(This coming from the one who will be turning 30 in 3 more months.  It’s all about attitude…I love looking at people in magazines and saying to myself “Wow, she’s 26, I am waaay younger looking that her” LOL)

I knew there was no way I could top last year’s concert in the back yard.  Awesome band (www.confluxband.com) set up in the back yard, about 40 people, four wheelers, kegs, tons of food, bonfire, beer pong, flip cup, kids games, and riding through the corn field was a little over the top.  We would be soooo arrested in this neighborhood for doing just one of those above mentioned items…so what in the heck was  I going to do?!  Doctor put a big “declined” stamp on my original travel plans to San Diego, so we are literally stuck in the desert!

When in doubt, go shopping!!!  There are some awesome outlets down the hill, and in pulling a double duty the place is huge so I figured all of that walking might help the baby along (as in GET OUT).  No suck luck as of yet though…

So we spend about 5 hours shop hopping, and still didn’t hit all of the stores.  He got new shoes, pants, polos, dress shirts, socks, coffee press, external hard drive, and I just know I’m forgetting something.  Of course Just ice got a pair of shoes and I got some jeans to look forward to fitting back into soon =)

So now we are hungry and tired (mostly me hungry, go figure) so we head to Rancho Mirage to PF Changs.  Yummmm!!! We haven’t been to one of those since I was pregnant with Justice, and it was just as good as I remembered.  Even Justice couldn’t stop eating the chicken.  

 Me at 38 weeks

Outside of Changs

Loving her food

We are stuffed!

Of course since there was a Yardhouse next door, we had to stop in there so Patrick could get a beer.  It was quite amusing… I’m blowing up his spot but it took about an hour to down half a yard.  In his defense, we had just stuffed our faces at Chang’s so I guess that plays a factor.  I am under strict direction from Jonathan to “bring my big purse” if we go back so I can smuggle out a glass.  I might need to buy a bigger purse…

Patrick's half yard of beer

Justice is cheering Patrick on to "chug" LOLOL!!! 

All in all it was a lovely day spent with the family, and I couldn’t have asked for better in the present situation.  Happy birthday to my sweetie!!!   

Thankful Thursday

I figured I’d follow up my “Terrible Tuesday” with a “Thankful Thursday”.  After all, no matter how entertaining it may have been for you to read, and healthy for me to vent, positive things are always better than negative ones.

#1 – I am thankful for my family.  That means my immediate family, my extended family, my in-laws, cousins near and far, and those friends that are too close to my heart not to be called family.  No, I don’t call or write enough, and life gets me busy, but know that I’m thinking of you often, even when you don’t hear from me.

#2 – I am thankful for my wonderful daughter.  Yesterday was her first dentist appointment, and she went off without me like a big girl before I even knew she was gone, getting her x-rays and cleaning done, and not a single complaint. I’m in the chair next to her getting my own teeth cleaned, and just amazed that she has no fear!

#3 – I am thankful for the friends I have made in such a short amount of time here at 29 Palms.  I know in the military lifestyle that you make friends fast, yet it is still a wonder to me at times how it happens that way.  I am thankful for myself and on Justice’s behalf that we both have some girls (and one cute lil guy) to hang out with.  

#4 – I am thankful for having a healthy pregnancy and so far healthy baby.  And I’m thankful it’s a girl (just don’t let Patrick know that, he was secretly hoping for a boy!)

There are a bunch of little things I am thankful for as well that I could list off one by one, but my “loaner latop” is a lil older and it doesn’t register all of the keystrokes all of the time, so it is quite a pain, yet I am thankful for it and for my stepmother for letting me borrow it while my dad fixes my Mac.  Just remember that no matter how bad you think you have it, someone out there has it worse. 

Ding Dang Darned Day

Yup, that about sums up the day.  Let me start with yesterday, when I fell on the pavement using only my knee to break my fall, leaving a huge scrape that still burns like fire.  Thanks to the pain, I finally fell asleep around 5am, waking up at 7:30… so this is where we start.

In the wee hours of the morning I realize that today is the day… my brother in law is leaving once again on deployment, and it breaks my heart.  His wife is my ultimate military spouse hero, and their two girls are amazing.  This is a family full of love, tenderness, compassion, and it’s out there for the whole world to see.  14 years of marriage and you’d think they were still newlyweds.  My sister in law remains so strong in his absence and is the photograph next to the word “support” in the dictionary.

It’s hard for people not in a military family to understand deployment.  This is the job that all service members signed up to do. They didn’t sign up to be a mechanic, a driver, an admin guy, a cook, etc.  They signed up to fight for our country’s freedom, and that job takes them to war.  When they are not deployed, their job is to get ready to deploy. That is it!!!  As my mom always asks “Does he have to go?” the answer is always “yes!!!” It may suck, and it might not be understood by all, but to a marine/soldier/seaman/airman…this is what they do.  Everything else is just prep work.  It is their job to fight, it is our job to love them.  Funny how something that sounds so simple is the most complicated thing in the world.

So, as I am sitting in the waiting room at the Doctors this morning, I start to tear up with a trifecta of sadness.  70% for my brother/sister/family who are having to say their goodbyes now, 20% for me thinking that that is going to be me in two more months, and 10% pregnant hormones.  Yup, I’ll pull that card. 

Sucking it up and dealing with it, moving on about my day…. I return home from my five hour trip looking forward to the deliciousness of the pot roast that I put in the crock pot that morning, only to find that I forgot to plug the darned thing in!!! I even turned the crockpot on high real quick and googled how long meat could stay at room temperature without being a danger (yes I was that upset/determined) and I was well past the two hour limit. Darnit!!!! This is just my luck!  Grabbing the crockpot to toss the entire thing, I burnt my fingers!!  How did it get so hot in 5 minutes?  So I resign myself to spaghetti, quick and easy, right?! The water started to boil and I grabbed the box of noodles to dump them in, and half of them dump out onto the floor.  At this point I just don’t care any longer.  Yup, I picked those bad boys off y kitchen floor, threw them in the pot, and walked away.  I’m going to go finish creating this dinner and sit still somewhere before I can mess up anything else. 

Thanks for letting me vent, and if nothing else, I hope I accomplished something today by putting a smile on someone else’s face.