Project 52 Starts in 2 Weeks

Life as you know, gets kinda busy.
Our own personal life, with a changing schedule and multiple jobs, seems to get busier every day! Luckily we have great family and friends that allow us the time to make sure that Jonathan and I have time for ourselves, so this upcoming year we want to challenge ourselves either further!


We are going to take on Project 52......


What is project 52 you ask, well here you go!! I follow a blog called Simply Modern Mom and she started this project, it's basically one date night a week, no kiddos, either at home or out. Sounds simple right but we all know how other things creep into our schedule, until there isn't any time left to have a date night, so this is what we are going to do to combat that. We are going to try to keep them at home, after Jocelyn goes down for the night and see how creative we can get. The main points will be creative, cheap and spending quality time together. Now the best way to do it, is to set aside the same day every week to do dates, but most of the couples I know are military, cops or firefighters so that's not possible, but what is possible is to look at a months schedule ahead of time and choose your date nights early. Fill in your calender with your spouse before any other commitments. We are going to try to do some out of the house dates at least once a month and we are also going to alternate back and forth on who is in charge of the dates.


Whoever plans the date will blog about the date and whoever is "taken" on the date will give critiques. I hope that you will post and comment about what your date was for that week so that we can all share ideas and come up with interesting and fun way "date" your spouse.


So if you want to join in, just print out the pledge here and fill it out and put it somewhere where it will be a contast reminder to each of you. Fill in the criteria that works for YOU and your family. You may even decide to swap babysitting days with another couple that plans on doing this so that babysitting will be free. We hope that this will be a fun experiment and i know that I have tons of creative friends so I completely plan on stealing ideas :)

November Wrap up!

I don't think that November could have held more important stuff for us this year. It was filled with lots of important occasions and most of all, amazing memories!

First of all, Jonathan finally graduated from the Corpus Christi Police Academy in the beginning of November and is now officially a police officer, so all you speeders out there, watch out! He told me that I don't even get a break :)

Next, we had the big 30 for me! I celebrated the evening with a group of close friends at a new place in town called Tipsy Canvas. If you look at the pictures, I would say that we had a pretty great time and I know for sure there was lots of laughter!

Our next big event was the first birthday of Miss Jocelyn! We had about 15 one year olds and their moms over to the house to take lots of pictures (more to come later), watched her pick cautiously at her cake and enjoy time with her friends! I can't believe that she is already ONE! Time is just flying by and she is becoming her own little person and it is so fun to watch!

And then there was Thanksgiving. Jonathan worked until 7am that morning, so most of the day was spent with Jocelyn and I playing outside and letting daddy sleep. But our good friends the Wilders let us join in their amazing feast and even put up with Jocelyn walking around from person to person sharing her toys :) Part 2 was with Regina's in laws who shared with us some great company and fantastic food and also let Jocelyn walk around person to person seeing what was on their plate! We have so much to be thankful for this holiday season, it is quite amazing!

What?? Dad ate the last pie of pie???


Okay he was just joking :)

Happy Holidays everyone!

Happy Veterans Day

Happy Veterans Day and a large Thank You to all those who are currently serving our country, to all those who have served in the past and especially to those that gave the ultimate sacrifice for us.
I also want to take this time to extend a thank you all those who often are never thanked but need to be recognized on this day as well, that is the military families! It's the spouse that solely takes on the day to day adventures of running a home, working and keeping themselves and their spouse in good spirits. It is the spouses that are left behind to become "single parents" while their significant other is fighing for our country. It is the parents of the veteran that give unconditional support and often put aside their life to help you with your own, so that you can serve your country. It is also the friends and neighbors that see someone in need, and set aside the needs of their own family for the evening, to help yours.
This year I got to refresh my memory first hand on being in the military full time again, and I know that I could not have done it without a supportive family and friends. Everytime I felt like I didn't know what I was going to do, someone stepped up to help me out. A special thanks to my husband and mom that made sure that my little girl was always filled with love and happiness even when I could not be with her
So thank you again to all the veterans and their families!

A Weekend Getaway!

This past weekend was a dream!!! I knew that we were headed out of town to spend some time together to celebrate our anniversary! This was Jonathan's year to plan out and decide what we were going to do so he made it all a surprise and boy did he do good! It started off with knowing that my in-laws were coming into town to watch Jocelyn and my mom (amazingly) helping me clean, prep Jocelyn's food, and just get everything ready for visitors so I wouldn't be stressed out! (BIG THANKS!) So Friday evening Grandma, Grandpa and Uncles Tylar and Micah arrived and spoiled Jocelyn immediately, which she just soaked up! We grabbed a quick dinner and a tiny shopping spree and Jonathan told me my one clue ... "everything that I thought I knew about this weekend, wasn't true!" Hmmmm ok!
So Saturday morning rolled around and off we went to head off for "San Antonio" but first we had to stop by Regina's to pick up my gift. I let Jonathan know that I knew my gift was as big as half the size of the trunk, because he put all our luggage on the right side and left the left side open! He laughed at my detective skills! So we get to Regina's and he wouldn't let me go inside to say hi". I'm sitting in the car waiting and their garage door opens. Yay, I get to say good morning to Owen and Regina, but wait.... why do they have luggage..... oh no way.... you guys are coming with us !!! So part 1 of the surprise was two great friends traveling with us to some unknown destination!
In the car, I get my next surprise, an envelope. In it are 4 tickets and some event info. We are headed to the Gruene Music, Wine and Art Festival for the weekend!!! Let me let you in on a little secret... I have been wanting to go to Gruene since I moved to Corpus in 2004, I wanted to enjoy the town and most importantly take a little spin on the dance floor, so this was a perfect weekend that was put together by my husband with a little (maybe alotta) help from Regina! We stayed at a quaint little B&B that was right next to a Piano Bar (another one of my favorites, come on, who doesn't love to do a little group karaoke!)
The weekend was filled with walking, wine tasting, looking at arts and crafts, playing with puppies, talking, enjoying the country shops, eating, taking a spin on the Gruene dance hall floor, laughing, scooping up an older gentleman whose knee gave out while Owen (the paramedic) walked by obliviously (love ya Owen), and an amazing Saturday night dinner on the back patio of The Gristmill restaurant. The weekend was amazing and went by all too fast, but it was a great celebration of the past three years that we have been married and I couldn't have asked for more (cheesy right?) Thanks honey!


The Festival Begins

Our new running shoes

Taking a spin at the Gruene Dance Hall

Taking a break!

Stealing a Kiss

And a snuggle

Our Anniversary Photo with surprise guests!!

Showing off in Galveston, Sorry for the delay

This past weekend (this post was written a while ago!), the family took a little road trip. Well we kinda did, but we all took it at different times to end up at the same place. Let me explain... I had to work this weekend in Galveston, Tx. So, Jonathan's family decided to take some vacation time and join us. Jonathan's plan was to drive up with Jocelyn after work on Friday. Come to find out, that Semper Gumby doesn't just apply to the Coast Guard, it also applies to your local police department :)

Jonathan ended up having to do a ride-along from 5pm to 3am, so plan A went out the window. So onto plan B... we bought Jonathan a one way ticket to Houston and his family would come and get Jonathan and Jocelyn at the airport. Hmmmmm.... waking up a baby at 5am to get on a plane, when shes normally sleeping, while my husband would be running on 2 hours of sleep himself.... Nope that work either

Plan C! Jocelyn and I started the drive to Houston and met Grandma, Uncle Tyler and Uncle Micah at a rest stop and Jocelyn's vacation began :) She went home with my in laws and everyone was so excited to see her that I think it was just a grand ole time. The drove down to Galveston Friday night, and I got to have dinner with her and my co-workers (who fought over who was going to hold her next, and who she was going to sit by) and she had another sleep over with grandma and grandpa until the next day.

Saturday morning came too soon for Jonathan and I... as he was on his way to the airport, courtesy of a loving Grami, I was on my way to work, to start what was promising to be a very long day! The day went by fast, Jonathan got in safely and got to love on his baby girl for the rest of the morning. We met at local resturant, where Jocelyn was walking all over everything, making people coo at her everywhere she went. Her newest thing, is to play peek-a-boo between either Jonathan or my legs. If someone is looking at her, she goes around to the other side of the leg until they make eye contact again and then she hides and goes in between our legs, etc.... makes for an interesting leg workout that is for sure.

All of us were able to spend Saturday evening together and met up again on Sunday. Hit the beach for awhile, beautiful day and lots of sunshine, but the pool was Jocelyn's favorite that is for sure. Jocelyn even made her first pool friend, who couldn't stop sitting by her side! His mom said that he also walked at 9 months, so I asked "When did he slow down?" she replied "Good luck :)"

So the vacation was a blast, of course I wish that it was minus the work part, but all in all, it was great seeing the in laws and watching Jocelyn spend time with them as well!

3/4 of a year

Wow I can't believe that my little girl is already 9 months old, she just makes me laugh and smile when I see here, and she has got so much determination that nothing can stop her from doing what she wants. In the first video, you can see her take a few of her steps, not her best walking but its what we could get on tape :)
In the second video she is trying to take her stuffed bear on a ride with the bumble bee, but she just can't seem to hold onto her and the bumble bee, but she never gets mad or frustrated... just determined... I like it!!!

My whirlwind life....

Okay so I will admit that I have been a little remiss in catching up with my blog but I feel as though I haven't been able to catch my breath since May. That's when I first got recalled, and then sent home and then had to try to figure out all the details that went with that. And then in July I got recalled again, but they worked with me this time. They offered me a little bit more flexible hours, working in Corpus Christi and I wouldn't be sent to New Orleans. Not really an option to say no (with a deal like that) so I have been doing that as well as keeping up with my Bay Area Fellowship job as well. Needless to say it has been tough, but I got a great support system down here.

So as you may or may not have know, my mom came to help me out with Jocelyn in May when I first got recalled and realized that she just couldn't leave when we got back to Corpus Christi, so she has been down here, watching Jocelyn, ever since. So knowing that even though I may have long hours, Jocelyn is being taken care of during the day, is a HUGE peace of mind. She has even joined up with my moms group and goes to playdates and workouts with them so Jocelyn can still see her friends :)

With all that going on, we have also found a little time to do some updating to the house, we have removed all trace of wallpaper in the kitchen and bathroom, and texturized and painted both, as well as the dining room. Yes they are all still works in projects but little by little I will get them done! (Pictures to post soon)

We have also done a trip here and there, the most recent being to Houston to visit Jonathan's family to celebrate their 35th Wedding Anniversary. The first party was cancelled due to my deployment, but the second party went off without a hitch and it was a great celebration of a wonderful marriage. Jocelyn also got a chance to see some of her extended family, so it was really fun to be able to see how much they doted on her and how much she instantly loved them!

Jonathan also celebrated his 28th birthday last weekend, and even though my plans fell through since I had to work a crazy Coast Guard weekend on his birthday, I did plan a Man Birthday with all his guys friends, consisting of going to the gun show and seeing the movie Expendables! He said he had a great time with all the guys so I guess that is all that you can ask for :) Oh but he did get his favorite dinner and his own personal homemade cheesecake :)

So I apologize for not catching everyone up sooner, and I will try to do better for you guys :) Love you all