Our Random, Fun Life!

I started this as a Facebook post, but then it got long so I changed it up to be a blog post. I apologize for the length, but there are many things I want to say and would never be able to get them out of my mouth. As those who know me the best know, conveying my thoughts and feelings in spoken word is not my strong suit, hence my writing it down to tell you. Please know that I probably will not be able to say any of these things to you in person as I will get choked up immediately upon opening my mouth, but will stick to the standards of "congratulations," "very exciting day for you all," and "I'm super happy for you!" Please know that there is so much more behind the typical catch phrases. First and foremost, to the United States Military Academy at West Point Class of 2015, CONGRATULATIONS!!! Congratulations on graduating and on commissioning as 2LTs in the US Army! We are so extremely excited to celebrate with you this Saturday as you receive you...

Well, we are at it again! Two years ago, dad had Gretchen and me sign up for the Across the Bay 10K with him. Last year, together with family and friends, I ran the 10K one month out from the day of my dad's passing. This year, I am proud to say that mom, Payton, Gretchen, Ben, Josh, Ashley, and I (with Austin on my back) are running it. The race is November 8, so we have plenty of time to train and raise funds. Last year I worked to raise funds for the American Cancer Society (a great organization to donate to). This year, I am working to raise funds for the scholarship fund we started in my dad's memory. The goal is to get the scholarship fund up to $50,000 (the endowment level) so that we can begin awarding scholarships. The race has changed the way that they are doing their fundraising (you can only raise funds for 3 organizations) so I decided to do a personal donation page through my blog.  I don't run because I particularly like running; I run because of my da...

It has been a long time since I have written a blog post, but today I felt compelled to share a little of my story. I wrote a blog a while back ( Time for a Change ... ). In that blog, I wrote about my decision to make a lifestyle change. In that blog, I stated that I wasn't advocating a product. Needless to say, my mindset has changed a little. I will say this though, at the end of the day, while AdvoCare spurred my lifestyle change and has helped me out tremendously along the way, there have been other programs and people who have helped to keep me accountable, including the workouts posted on a community workout page that I can do from my home, a fabulous Team BeachBody coach Shanda Bandi, and, of course, my family and friends. I chose AdvoCare and I continue to choose it, but I'm forever grateful for all the help and encouragement along the way. 2014 was a tough year. We found out on December 30, 2013 that my dad had Stage 4 Esophageal Cancer. The feelings and emotions ...

There are those times when you are talking with a friend and you get home, and an idea for a blog just instantly pops into your head. This is one such occasion, and I thank my friend for being able to joke with me about Army life. As my friends and family know, I am incredibly proud to be an Army spouse. But, as many of you Army/military spouses know, there are those times when those slight nuances can just get to you. All you can do is laugh, because otherwise, you may go crazy! I wanted to share a little insight into those things that can just make you go crazy if you don't just have a good laugh about them. As you read these, please do so with laughter in mind. I don't lose any sleep at night over these and hopefully you don't either. 1. The dang velcro issue! Have you ever just thrown everything in the washer together because you are exhausted at the end of the day only to find that your delicates are securely velcroed to your spouse's uniform? I cannot tell...

Back on July 8, I wrote about how it was time for a change . Adam and I are now 11 days in to the program and it is going great! So far, I have lost 10 pounds! But more so than that, I've lost 3 inches from my chest, 2.5 inches at my waist, 2.5 inches from my hips, and 2 inches from my thigh. I can also do 5 more push ups in 24 seconds! Adam has also had really great results which is awesome given his work schedule. I'm still adjusting and figuring things out along the way. For example, I know now that I need to drink the Spark drink first thing in the morning. I typically only drink a can of Dr. Pepper at lunchtime every day as a pick me up, so I thought that I should do the same with the Spark. As it turns out, Spark has more caffeine in it than Dr. Pepper so I was wired well into the night. I've since learned that I need to drink my Spark early. I'm also learning which Spark drinks are okay for me. I am an occasional heartburn sufferer  depending on what I eat, a...

It's time for a change, and I'm finally ready to make that change. Time for a change in attitude and time for a change in habits. I try to eat healthy and get a workout in on a daily basis, but for the past couple of months, I've been on a downward spiral. I haven't completely felt like myself for the past few months, and I think that's why I've been doing poorly with food and exercise. It started out simple enough; I'd just grab a bag of chips to go with the salsa that we had leftover from our meal. Or I would buy a tub of ice cream, "for the kids." If you know our family, then you know that we don't normally have junk food around the house. I don't buy chips or cookies. They are a special occasion treat. Our fridge is usually stocked with fruits and veggies, not cheese and dips. And then there's the exercise. I was doing pretty good with working out, either at the gym or at home. I would try to get a workout in at least 4 times ...

My daughter turned 4 years old today! It's hard to believe that so much time has passed. It's true what they say, time flies when you're having fun. All ready for school on her 4th Birthday! When I look back over the 4 years though, and even the 9 months prior, there are definitely things that people don't tell you. Either that, or you just don't really listen. Here's what I have learned as a parent....and am still learning! 1. At some point, you will physically hurt your child. This will NOT be on purpose. If it is on purpose, then please seek some help. My first experience with this was cutting my brand-new baby girl's fingernails for the first time ever. I cut her finger, she started crying, I started crying, she started bleeding, I started crying more. The bleeding stopped and she stopped crying, but I was distraught and called my husband in tears that I had cut our baby and that I was a terrible mom. I eventually gathered myself and finished cut...