Our Random, Fun Life!

After two years as Girl Scout Daisies (Kindergarten and First Grade), it's time for our girls to become Brownies! For their Bridging requirements, they had to do complete two steps. The first requirement was for the Girls to 'Pass It On.' We decided to take this step into the modern era of computers and technology and share our love of Daisies with you through a blog. The second, in case you were wondering, was to 'Look Ahead.' After we finished our blog, the girls got a taste of some of the activities they will do as Girl Scout Brownies over the next two years. During their time as Daisies, the girls worked on their Petals, Leaves, Journeys, and Fun Patches. Some girls were with us for two years and some just three months. They met every other week to do crafts, play games, work on service projects and so much more. It has been a fun adventure as you will see from their varied answers. Just like we had flower friends that we followed during Daisies, like Rosie

It has been so long since I've written anything, but something inspired me to write tonight. I was in my bed, about to go to sleep and I felt compelled to just write. We sometimes wonder why God puts the people in our lives that he does. But, I have realized that those people really are here for a real purpose. This past week has not been the easiest, to say the least, but God has put certain people in my life for a specific reason. My mom is there to unconditionally take my side and say she's going to kick the butt of anyone who does me wrong, my friends are there to allow me to vent and pump me up, and my husband is there to offer me a shoulder to cry on when life gets too tough. I would be nowhere without my family. But when I speak of my family, it doesn't just include those I am related to by blood. My family extends beyond my immediate family. My sister once said of me that my family is the most important thing to me and I am extremely loyal. I can't argue wit

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