SO EXCITED!!!

yesterday I booked Jasons ticket to come home! thats right....Jason got a pass for Columbus weekend and gets to come HOME! Its going to be a short trip, and it was an expensive trip, but I didn't care what it cost, Jason got a pass and we were getting him home one way or another! And let me just tell you those 48 hours he's here will be AMAZING, to have him home and have our little family of 4 together again, oh.....I'm getting choked up just thinking about it! When I said good bye to Jason over labor day weekend we didn't think we would see each other again until December, so this came as quite the surprise, but a good surprise to say the least....so 12 days and counting and I CAN'T WAIT!

14 months!

Another month has gone by and I can't believe my Brielle is now 14 months old! Seriously.....STOP growing up, its going by way to fast! And of course with another month comes a lot more adventures with this little one. She sure does keep me on my toes!

She LOVES to be outside, play in the dirt and she's definitely not afraid to get dirty!

Girlfriends!

I just love these girls, we seriously have been through everything together, from college, to boyfriends, to weddings, and now kids! These girls have been a rock in my life and I can never thank them enough! We all got together last night for Becky's Birthday and had a blast! I love you girls and thanks for a great night!

Random Pics of My ADORABLE kids!

I have been terrible at taking pictures lately, so as I was going to update the blog I realized I don't have a whole lot...and the ones I do have I don't know why or when they were taken....so here you go....some pics of my adorable kids...I know they were taken after we went out to see Jason in July, and before I left to see him over labor day (how terrible am I!!!)

The hangers are back....if any of you remember a while back Daniel had this moment where he had to carry his hangers with him everywhere and he even slept with them...well, they are back! Its not as extreme as it was before, but if we are in a store and he see's a hanger he has to carry it around until we leave, and then once we get home he'll carry it around until he goes to bed.

now this is what I wish Brielle did more often.....he is the BEST sleeper EVER! I got pretty lucky with him!

Everynight before I go to bed I go and check on Daniel, and on this particular night if I remember right he was up talking and singing for hours, he just wasn't wanting to go to bed, and when I walked in he had all his stuffed animals surrounding him, I thought it was pretty cute.

update

I have had a lot of questions asking about Korea and if we know anything yet. And sadly we don't. We got all our paperwork in, and all our medical appointments taken care of, now its a waiting game. But thats the army for ya.....hurry up and WAIT! But we are still crossing our fingers that we will be able to join Jason in January, but I have also come to terms that we may not be able to. I just don't really want to set myself up for disappointment if we can't go. The only thing that is really holding us back is Daniels Medical Condition, because he needs special ed schooling as well as well as the specialist he see's twice a year. So right now we are just waiting and hoping Korea will have the doctors and schools we need for Daniel, and if so, we should be good to go. But either way, if we get to go or not, I'll be okay with the decision. Don't get me wrong, I will MISS Jason like crazy, I already do.....but I know all these sacrifices will be worth it, and our family will be taken care of!

What I'm looking forward to this FALL!

Its probably terrible that out of all things, I'm looking forward to some of my FAVORITE t.v. shows returning! But once I put the kids to bed, its nice to kick my feet up and just LOUNGE for a couple of hours and have some ME time and indulge in some nice entertainment....and REALLY....you can't tell me your not looking forward to SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE! I was simply jumping out of my skin when I heard it was on again this FALL!

A couple seasons ago I became addicted to this show it just draws me in! Now I never got to the point of some of these people on the show, but after Daniel I did battle my weight and became very depressed and was the heaviest I had ever been in my entire life.....I gained motivation from the show and major support from my hubby, and I finally lost all my weight and finally gained some confidence but just in time to find myself prego again, and then once again I had a hard time losing my baby weight with Brielle until I started watching the show again in January and decided to jump on the band wagon and get myself healthy again and once and for all lose this weight! And I'm proud to say I have lost all plus more of all my baby weight and ....even now I'm still watching and I still cry when I see those contestants walk on the scale and see those numbers going down, down and down! So needless to say I'm EXCITED for the new season this FALL!


Gossip Girl, what can I say, I watch purely for entertainment reasons! Its sad to say, but i'm addicted and going into Season 3 I'm dying to see what happens next, I mean honestly, there has been enough drama in the first 2 seasons that really what can they come up with next?? But i'm sure they won't fail me....and once again I'll be sitting on the edge of my seat to see what happens next!

The BEST weekend EVER!

Last night I got back from the best 4 days EVER! Jason got a pass for Labor Day weekend, and I took full advantage of it and flew out to GA to see him! My parents were kind enough to take the kids for me so I could have some much needed ALONE time with Jason! And lets just say, it was exactly what I needed! I took the midnight flight out Thursday so I would be there when he got off duty at 8 a.m on Friday....and we got all weekend to ourselves, we lounged, slept in, and got to dine without wrestling with 2 little ones (don't get me wrong, i love my kiddos...but it was nice to actually have a conversation with Dinner and to eat my food while it was still HOT!) and did I mention we SLEPT IN every morning....now there is something I have not been able to do in a long time....and well, neither has Jason, he's got us all beat, he's up at 4:10 every morning! We also shopped a bit, saw a few movies, sat in the hot tub, and then lounged some more! I had the best time ever and was just hoping it would never end, but of course the dreaded good bye came again....., it REALLY doesn't get any easier and giving him that last hug and kiss goodbye and then having to pull away is just like stabbing a knife in me over and over again! I'll just put it out there bluntly......IT SUCKS, and I probably cried the entire way to the airport but when I look at the bigger picture I know this is what is best for our family and our future....so I really have to focus on that and not the negative aspects of the Military Lifestyle! Because, they really do take care of you, and for the first time in our Marriage, we don't worry about money, or him losing his job, we have amazing medical coverage (for free!), and I get to stay home with my kiddos.....so I guess what I'm trying to say is the sacrifices will all be worth it! It just isn't fun right now! But now I'm just counting down the days till December when I get to see him again! But I love you Jason and thanks for the most amazing weekend ever! You really do know how to make me feel special and I am SUCH a lucky girl to have such an amazing husband!

So i admit.....I have been a terrible blogger lately, life has been so crazy, and overwhelming lately, that blogging is the furtherest thing from my mind. But I promise I'll get updated one of these days. But for now I'm heading out on the midnight flight to GA to see my HUBBY! I'm leaving the kids with my parents and taking off by myself to spend 4 glorious day ALONE with him! I seriously am jumping out of my skin right now I'm so excited! Don't get me wrong, it was amazing to see him in July, but we never really got to spend "quality" time together, that week in July was so busy with Graduation, kids, spending time doing Military stuff and me getting sick, Brielle getting sick, and the fact that Jason still had to report back at night.....so needless to say I'm pretty darn excited to get Jason all to myself this weekend! And sorry Mom I had to ruin our tradition and skip out on Swiss Days this year(its been a tradition of ours for probably 10 years or so)......But I REALLY need this time with Jason....So THANK YOU for understanding, and willing to take my kids so I can take this trip! But stay tuned for when I get back......I have A LOT of updates!

So....Fort Gordon here I come....to snatch my hubby away for 4 DAYS!

13 months

Actually....Brielle turned 13 months on the 15th...but hey better late than never. I know we always say this but seriously...where has time gone, my baby girl is now 13 months! She is walking, throwing mega tantrums, screaming all night, is a terrible eater and is a major drama queen.....what can I say, she is all GIRL! This little girl keeps me on my toes 24 hours a day and I think at least once a day I would like to rip my hair out, but even through all that I adore this little girl more than anything! I think I can finally say I know what its like to be a mom now, because lets face it, with Daniel I was spoiled rotten, he was the golden child, slept all night, is an excellent eater, never threw tantrums, never caused a scene when we went out, and well the list could go on, but even with all the differences of my two kids, I love that I love them both equally and adore them both and there little quirks. Despite losing my sanity some days, I would never change a thing. So Brielle, even though you are extremely stubborn, I love you so much and I love watching the little girl you are becoming!

overwhelmed is an understatement!

well.....a lot of you probably read on Facebook that we got our first assignment, and if you haven't heard, well........lets just say yesterday I got the shock of my life. We are going to Korea! All I can really say at this point is WOW.....we were totally not expecting this at all! Right now we still don't know the details or know the conditions of me and the kids coming out with him, we were told that we can come out, but there is a lot that needs to be done before that can happen, and well for the short version, we have to get pre-screened medically to make sure we are all healthy enough to live in Korea, as well as that they have housing for us, and they don't have an exact duty station for Jason yet, so with that comes the possiblitly that we won't be able to join him. So there are a lot of things still left in the dark for us, but one thing for sure is, Jason is headed to Korea in December with or without us! SCARY! So please pray and keep your fingers crossed for us that we will be able to join him! We have also heard alot from friends and family that they don't allow families in Korea, but a lot of that has changed and they are starting to let more and more families accompany there soldier on these tours. Which I hope is the case for us. SO with that, its a waiting game now and I am so anxious to find out what happens!

enjoying some time outside with the hose....I love how the simpliest things make these two happy. what more could you ask for...playing outside in the water, followed by a nice 2 hour nap! I just love summertime!

these two had so much fun spraying each other with the hose and I swear they each drank like a gallon of water!

For the 24th of July we decided to head on down to Bountiful for Handcart Days and join up with some friends for the parade....I was very hesitant about going, for any of you from the Bountiful area you know what I mean.....parade people are just CRAZY, and it can be complete chaos, plus the fact that is was like 100 degrees outside, but I decided to put that all aside and take the kids, because after all isn't that why we go to parades?? Well, I'm glad we went, the kids had a blast and even though it was completely crazy and crowded we had a lot of fun, and of course the company was great....Thanks Viv for convincing me to go, we had a blast with you guys! So of course...I again was terrible with taking pictures...but here are a few I did take...and of course I had to take a picture of the Army guys as they walked by....(can you tell I'm proud of my hubby??)

my attempt to get a pictures with the kids.....we take what we can get!


before I even pulled out of my parking spot...she was out like a light!

so after the parade I'm walking to my car with both kids...chairs, strollers, diaper bags, and whole bunch of other stuff and by myself may I add and I find this when I get to my car.....the car in front of me and behind me parked inches from my bumper....literally inches! Seriously people.....I was even parked by a driveway..so the person behind me was blocking half of someones driveway and blocked me in....I was just fuming....I had no idea what I was going to do...I couldn't even walk behind my car to get the stroller and all my other stuff in the trunk....so as I sat there pacing back and forth wondering what on earth I was going to do and how I was going to get my car out...and may I add that at this point I had 2 screaming kids, and of course me a 27 year adult throwing a tantrum because I just wanted to get home and feel the comfort of air conditioning! Honestly people....has all common sense gone out the door? But I think I was being watched over because just when I was about to call the police or Bountiful City to get these people parked behind me towed or something the "wonderful" people parked in front of me came strolling to there car....and of course they give me this dumb founded look like "what", seriously I wanted to strangle them. But I kept my cool, and handled it like an adult, although I really didn't want to, I kept my mouth shut and just preceded to get my kids in the car and shimmy my stroller in the trunk and then finally got on my way.....now that I look back I know its probably not that big of a deal, but after being in 100 degree weather for hours and sitting through a parade with a 3 year old and 1 year old and walking to and from the car with all our stuff by myself, I just was not in any mood to find myself stuck....and not being able to go home! But thankfully those "wonderful" people came that parked in front of me....because I don't know what would have happended if they didn't.......lets just say it wouldn't have been a pleasant sight.

Last weekend me and the kids met up with my good friend Viv and her cute little family up at Lagoon.....oh my gosh...we had a blast! I was shocked at how much fun we actually had....I was very skeptical about taking the kids, but once again to my surprise it was a great day and Daniel had a blast riding the rides! Thanks Van Leeuwens for a GREAT day!

yes.....it was a VERY HOT day! But they were almost perfect....I honestly couldn't ask for better kids! I'm probably a little bias on this...but I got pretty lucky with these two and how well behaved they are...and plus the fact that they are so stinkin cute! I just adore these 2!!

okay...funny story about this picture....so for most of the rides the parents can go and help there kids get on and off the ride and get them buckled in and such...well I decided I would help Daniel get in his little boat instead of the person working the ride....well, that was a mistake, as I was going to lift Daniel in the boat I lost my footing and ended up dropping Daniel in the water......ooops, so part of his body is in the water and his torso and up are hanging over the boat, needless to say I felt terrible! Yes, I know I deserve mom of the year award....but really, who drops there kid in the water??? I don't know if you can tell, but his shorts were soaked and luckily we had waterproof shoes on and lucky for me this boy loves water, so he really could cared less about it...he just wanted to ride the ride. What can I say he's a trooper!

and once again...asleep before we even left the parking lot!

and even after a long day at Lagoon and no nap.....still smiling!

Brielle turns 1!!!

July 15th my sweet Brielle turned 1! That day was special in so many ways.....she turned one and we got to see Jason for the first time in 10 weeks. Talk about the best present I could give my little girl....her daddy! But really.....I adore this little girl so much and even though one minute she can be happy, and laughing, then in the blink of an eye be a little drama queen screaming and throwing a tantrum, I love her more than anything and to think she is already one makes me sad.....honestly they grow up way to fast! But she has developed into this sweet little girl with such a personality, she knows exactly what she wants and she's not afraid to let you know either.....so to document some milestones for her, here is what Brielle is doing at one years old, and some other fun facts about my baby girl

-walking (about 10-12 steps at a time before she plops down)

-will wave bye bye
-she loves her binky and minky blanket, they go everywhere with us and she CAN'T sleep without them!

-will eat just about anything and everything (except baby food!)

-says ma ma, da da, na na, and while on our trip she would point to Jason and say Dad

-she loves to crawl up the stairs

-she has 6 teeth and 2 more just about to break through

-she screams when I try and do her hair, and will instantly rip out anything I try to put in it

-she is still quite the mama's girl ( i guess I shouldn't complain....its nice to feel loved! or at least I should enjoy it while it last!)

-she is still not sleeping through the night....I can't figure this one out...but she still wakes up 1-2 times a night.

-she has me wrapped around her little finger...she knows if she screams loud enough I'll give in, and if she pouts enough I'll let her have it, and if she gives me that puppy dog look I'll do just about anything for her.....so yes, I adore her and she is the princess in the house!

and with that here are her stats at one years old

-22 lbs 2 oz (75th percentile)

-31.2 inches....yes she is very tall....she is not even on the charts for her height!

she wasn't quite sure what to think of her cake....I thought she would tear right into it...but I was wrong...she would poke at it and then she finally just tipped it over. She really didn't want anything to do with it.

She still LOVES her binky.....simply a lifesaver! I don't know who its going to be harder on when we decide to give it up.....her or me!

oh and sorry about the poor selection of pictures.....but I told you....I have been terrible at taking pictures lately. Hopefully I can finally get with the program and start taking pictures of my kids again....

Happy Birthday Brielle! We love you so much and you are such a blessing in our family!

Jason Graduates from BCT

The day finally came and we finally got to fly down to Georgia for Jasons Graduation from BCT! It was honestly the best week of my life! I have to admit though I was scared out of my mind at first......traveling by myself to Atlanta with two kids, getting the rental car, driving down to Columbus, getting checked in the hotel...I had no idea how I was going to do, but all I knew is that either way it was going to happen. But to my surprise the trip went without a hitch and I have to say I love the Southern hospitality....I don't know what it is, but there is something about the south that people just know how to treat people and when they saw me coming with my stroller and two little ones, people were jumping through hoops for me to make sure I had everything I needed! The first couple of days I just spent hanging out in Columbus, trying to get to know the area, figure out how to get to Post and just familiarize myself with Columbus, but then Wednesday finally came and I got to see JASON! You know that feeling you got when you were getting married, or back when you were dating, that was exactly how I felt, I had butterflies, I was nervous, I was anxious....I mean you name it and I felt it. But Wednsday and Thursday were absolutely perfect, we got to spend the entire day together just hanging out, lounging and eating at all our favorite places, but sadly he still had to report back at night.....but hey after 10 weeks being apart getting to spend an entire day together was PERFECT! Then the weekend came and we didn't know at that point if we were going to get to see him again before we headed back to Utah, but we decided we would just follow Jason to Fort Gordon and cross our fingers that they would give him a weekend pass....and yes, our prayers were answered, Jason got the weekend off and I mean the whole weekend, he didn't have to report back at night....I got him all to myself Friday and Saturday night! But of course the weekend went by way to fast, and before we knew it Sunday came and we were getting ready to head back to Fort Gordon :( And I wish I could say that each time gets easier to say goodbye....but it doesn't, I think honestly I cried more this time than I did the first time. But at least now we can talk on the phone everynight.....and now I'm just praying that these next 22 weeks go by fast! So warning....I posted quite a few pictures, but even with all these I realized after we got home that I didn't take near the ammount of pictures I wanted too, I guess I was just so caught up in enjoying my time with Jason that I didn't always think to take out the camera.

Family Day....Jason is in the 2nd row


Jasons Company




Family Day

behind us is the building where Jason spent the last 10 weeks

Jason and his Battle buddy......they were basically glued at the hip to each other, they had to go everywhere with each other....

Jason is right behind his drill sgt....I had perfect seats, but of course the drill sgt had to stand right in front of him....go figure

jason, his battle buddy, and their drill sgts

us with Kary and Ryan......these 2 are amazing, they made the 10 hour drive from Virginia to see Jason and they were only here for like 10 hours! Thanks again for coming, we miss you already!

not quite sure what to think of those limes

please excuse the scary picture of me.....the dark circle, red eyes, and major lack of sleep! and yes it was all worth it to see my man!

PFC Carroll

My 2 favorite boys!

jason and his parents (thanks again for coming!)

on our way out to take Jason to Fort Gordon....sad day!