Living Our Love Song -- Song Link Up

This week for the What's your song link up host by the ever so lovely Amber of the amazing blog Goodnight Moon (Head on over and check it out and link up your song)... anyways... this week for the link up I chose "Living Our Love Song" by Jason Michael Carroll. This has been one of my favorite songs basically since it came out and this week it seemed like a perfect match because my husband and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary... the words really speak to my soul. Check it out...

Dear Migraine

Oh mannn... I have had a killer migraine for the last 2 days... the kind that is so bad it makes you vomit from the pain. It has been terrible.. I am FINALLY starting to feel back to my normal self a little bit but I am still not 100% that's for sure. Our family has spent a lot of time sick, in the drs office, and just plain miserable this week!! Kaylee had shots, then two days later had to be rushed to the ER because of a bad reaction or the shots.... we tried to get a dr's appt first but of course the military medical center (which I won't name) never ever has any openings unless I wait weeks and months... which is frustrating since tricare requires us to go there!! So my husband and I took her to the er and had to wait forever... while we were waiting for her turn.. Kaylee made friends with a nice air force lady and decided to put on everyone's hats...

When they finally saw her they couldn't really tell her what was wrong but luckily the nasty rash she had went away a few days later... although she has picked up her first little cool season bug... her and I both have a little cold so she spent a lot of time snuggled on me like this..

My poor little chicky is so sweet even when she feels miserable. I just love her and watching her grow and change and learn. It's so fun! Her fav snack lately is graham crackers too!

Also wanted to share this fun pic of my latest bargain purchases at Jo-Ann's!

I so cannot wait to start putting some projects together with this fun stuff! 

God Gave Me You -- What's Your Song Link-Up

This is going to seem totally obvious but lately more than ever I have been reminded by home completely much I adore my husband. The other day I was laying in bed thinking about the things he does that show me he loves me. I came up with a few, silly, but true things....

He gives me all the pillows if I really want them. This might seem silly but you see we have 7 pillows on our bed... and 9 times out of 10... I wake up with 6 of them... and him with 1... I am always really uncomfortable because of my Fibro and my back and all that good stuff (and now because I'm pregnant) and he will give me every single pillow if I ask... but I try to spare him 1 ;] haha

He basically lets me do whatever I want for dinner (especially lately while I am so 24-hours-a-day-sick morning sick and basically can't eat anything I cook because the process of cooking makes me want to hurl). He will take me somewhere else to get me whatever it is I want to eat... and the other night waited in two separate drive thrus with me for 45 mins to get sweet tea from one place and dinner from another. You see.... he hates being in the car... sooo this is a big deal!

He works really hard to make our house the best HOME that he can. You see... he usually honestly stresses me out when he starts all his big house projects... You know the Excedrin commercial? With the power washer and the wife? Yeah I often think that's my life haha BUT you see what he really is doing? Is trying to offer myself and our children what we both never had.. and for that I will love him forever.

He rubs my back all the time even when he really just wants to play video games or sleep he always does his best to make sure I am comfortable. And I love that about him.

I could go on forever but those are some of the really big ones... silly and yet totally perfect an honest... that and he is the BEST daddy ever. Kaylee gets SO excited when he walks through the door and they have a special time together every single night. (Our three year wedding anniversary is next week too!!)

So with that being said... for this week's What's Your Song Link-Up I chose God Gave Me You by Blake Shelton. This is one of my favoriate songs right now and I turn it up really loud in the car and sing my heart out to it while thinking about my mister man... cheesy I know... This Link up is hosted by one of my fav bloggers and sewing inspiration Amber which you can check out over at Goodnight Moon. She is hilarious and so fun to follow so don't miss her posts! Plus... she always has the BEST giveaways! Right now she is giving away a free copy of Spooky Buddies head here to enter the giveaway! I seriously Hope I win because Kaylee is DYING to see this and gets SO excited every time the commercial comes on!!!

Learning to just be..... ME... and a wordless wednesday

Lately I have been finding excuses for why I CAN'T blog...

it's really kind of been ridiculous but I talk it into my head..

I have this thing engraved that if I am going to blog it has to be about something worth while

something with meaning

something people will want to read...

so.....

I just don't blog..

unless I feel like I have something worth while

and then I had an epiphany

okay really it's just what I should have realized all along anyways and in my head sometimes did

but of course let the fear of being boring get in the way...

this blog is about ME..

it's about my family..

my life...

the things I do

the things I enjoy doing

the things I don't enjoy doing

the things that make me smile

or frown

or even growl

I don't need to be "interesting"

I don't need to have a big special topic

or an awesome giveaway

or a sweet tutorial

or some great read..

I just need to be...

ME

And I need to be okay with being just ME.

I am a Christian

I am a wife (to a sailor)

I am a mom

I am a stay at home mom

I am a student

I work part time for all kinds of randomness

and I am happy to be all of those things.

Will my posts always be interesting? 

probably not...

but I am pretty sure I will make some sweet bloggy friends anyway!

So here's to being me..

and rocking it in all places...

real life and bloggy <3


oh and I leave you with this..
Wordless Wednesday..
cause I really don't think this cutie needs words

Help!!! Experienced sewers... and What's your Song Link Up

Okay this post has the possibility to go in all sorts of RANDOM directions... so bare with me okay!

I am impatiently waiting on the arrival of MY very own beautiful brand new sewing machine sometime today. I am SO excited because this has been a year in the making of FINALLY starting to sew. If you remember about 10 months ago I started talking about wanted to sew and then went to a craft thing at church where I made this pillow case dress of an organization that brings them to Africa and Haiti and all kinds of other places.

I was so excited and had so much fun doing this that I KNEW it was meant to be for me and sewing. THere are just SO many fun creations and endless possibilities and I love crafting plus it's something that can be for ME time but I can make things for my house and my family etc. So I am STOKED!!

I've had all these ideas of all these things I want to do and then yesterday I sorta started to panic hahaha I am so ridiculous! but... I started to freak out like... there is no one here to show me what to do... what kind of projects do I start with? What type of tools are the important ones?! I know I'm nuts... turning something that should be fun and relaxing into such a big deal haha... BUT I have since calmed down and am just going to go with the slow but I am seriously interested to hear what you guys think are the MUST HAVE tools and the best projects for beginningers.

And next up... here is my song link up... I happen to LOVE Christy Nockels and ALL of her songs... if you haven't heard her music before you really need to listen to it... the other day on the way to pick up my love the radio stations were all blah to me so I flipped on this CD turned the music up loud and my mini and I rocked out with dancing, hand banging, and singing to this song... and it was so fun watching her get her groove on and worship God with me in the back seat!!



So there you have it.. I have another post in mind that will probably be up VERY soon but for now I need to go get a butt ton of homework done because I have been laying low thats to the insane 24HOURSICKNESS I have thanks to little baby 2 growing in my belly... no I don't refer to it as morning sickness because I am literally sick 24 hours a day nonstop! Anyways... I have been out of it and am behind on hw and cant get started on crafting goodness until I am more caught up!

September 11, 2011.... 10 years later...

It's interesting thinking back 10 years... most times we have no clue what we were doing on this exact day ten years ago... but 10 years after 9-11... SO many people know EXACTLY where they were on that Tuesday morning when the whole world changed..

I was in the 7th grade on the west coast just waking up for school after the first plane hit.. I got up and sat in my parents bed while glued to the TV when all of a sudden we saw the second plane come in... it was then that I knew this was no accident and someone meant harm on our country... the rest of the days following were such a blur and I was constantly glued to the screen... even at a mere 12 years old I ached for those who were lost, those who lost their loved ones, the brave heroes who went into that building willing to risk their lives to save just one more life, the kids who would never meet their parents, and a country in a state of shock and in mourning. I didn't know then what exactly the day meant and what it would entail for this country... but I knew that we were forever changed.

Ten years later... now a 22 year old adult, mother, and wife to a sailor in the United States Navy I understand more than ever what this day did to our country... I will never forget that September day ten years ago... and I hope that no one else does either... we lost over 3000 people that day... and over 4000 in the years of war that were declared on that day... my heart is forever with those we have lost and their families. God bless and be with you all.

I was going to write a longer post... but as I started looking at pictures... and listening to videos and watching the live stream this morning from ground zero... it seemed that words don't do justice on this day... the pictures and videos speak for themselves... Just looking at these brings tears to my eyes and a knot in my stomach...

AND THE WINNER IS.....

The winner of the Faith Deployed... Again giveaway is.... 

JEN 

from Jen and Her Marine

Congrats Jen! It's a GREAT read and I know you will love it!
Shoot me an email with your address so I can get this book in the mail for you!

Comfort Food... Last Chance on the Giveaway... and 6 places

Hey guys!

Thank you sooo much for all the warm wishes on baby number 2! I am really excited, but it hasn't COMPLETELY hit me yet.. I feel like I should be looking up names... figuring out baby themes... and all that good stuff.... BUT I haven't had my dr official appt yet sooo I think after that when I get an official due date it will really hit me! Plus right now I am soo sick and just trying to stay on top of house and school work and love on my little Kaylee as much as possible!

With that being said... tonight for dinner I am making the ULTIMATE comfort food meal... well one of them... there are a few meals that are my ultimate comfort food AND remind me so much of my childhood! Tonight we are having Chicken and rice or chicken and rice casserole to some people... so delicious, so easy, and so heart warming... I have been missing my family a lot lately and this def makes me feel a little more at home... another fav is meatloaf and mashed potatoes... I think I will be making that next week!!! haha

What is your ultimate comfort food?? Does it make you feel at home? Tell me about it!!

Also don't forget to go here and get in on the Faith Deployed... Again giveaway!!! There are ONLY 3 people in the give away and it ends TONIGHT at midnight... so jump on board!

I'm sure that this could be 6 places I want to go or 6 places I've been, but I think I am going to do 6 of my favorite places...

These are in no particular order..

 Estes Park, Co is a place with some of my GREATEST memories from family vacations growing up. It reminds me of so many amazing experiences, moments, time with God, time with family, and LOVE. I pray all the time that one day I am able to take my family here to experience this amazing place. There is truly NOTHING like it. Right in the middle of the rocky mountains there is an amazing little city called Estes Park that has a Y camp right outside of the city we always stayed there and would drive into the city a few times during our stay... seriously.... words don't describe this amazing place but I get all warm and tingly just thinking about it!!!

 I didn't put any place in particular as I haven't spent a ton of time in Iowa but over all CALL ME CRAZY but I just LOVE it... It is so down home, relaxed, family oriented, hanging out on the farm and I honestly... LOVE it! I could totally have a billion kids and run a farm LOL

 I think it's safe to say that the twin cities are one of my all time favorite places in this world. My fam moved here almost 2 years ago and I lived there with them for the winter while the hubs was  in training and deployed and it honestly is the best place ever. It's the greatest place to raise kids! I honestly hope that when we "retire" aka get out of the military... this is where we end up!

 Having been raised in San Diego I think I honestly always and really still  do took the beauty for granted. If you are looking for a great vacay place... SD is def the place to go! Def gorgeous and has some amazing stuff to explore!

 Portland will always have a special place in my heart. There is something about the Pacific Northwest that I just adore! I was planning on moving away and going to a little bible college here before I met my sailor man.. God works in crazy ways that's for sure! I adore this city and all the surrounding things like Multnomah Falls, Mt St Helens, and the Columbia River.

Like I said... the Pacific Northwest has a special place in my heart. Seattle is such a fun city with so much spunk! I love downtown with pike's market and puget sound and I love that not far is the wildlife and things like Green River and Mt Rainier.


What are your favorite places?

Big news and 7 wants.... and a give away reminder!

GUESS WHAT BLOGGY WORLD...

I have a biiiiiig announcement! In the last 24 hours I have taken three test.... all popping up with 2 little pink lines meaning.... we're having a baby! I am so excited to bring my family from 3 to 4 and make my sweet Kay a big sister... I know she will be the greatest at it! That being said... we still have to go to the doctor for all the officials but with how sick and yet sooo excited I have been feeling there was no way I could keep it a secret!! Sooo bring on baby 2!

7 wants...  in no particular order

1... after this INSANE week of tropical storm rains, thunder, tornado warnings, winds I am sooooooo ready and WANT this all to stop... ESP the rain! It has been raining every freakin day since Monday and it's crazy the amount of flooding, damage, fallen trees we have around... we haven't had any fall in our yard yet and I really want to keep it that way!!

2... for power to get restored for all my friends and family in San Diego and for everyone to be safe and SMART while it is out!!

3... for this morning sickness that is KICKING MY BUTT to ease up just a little bit... it's sooo early and already has me soooo on my butt! wooohooo... wayy worse than with Kaylee!

4.... my sewing machine so I can FINALLY learn! Anyways... I am getting that very soon when I get my refund from school!! woohoo finally

5... a deep freezer to do some serious freezer cooking!! but this is far off hahaa...


6... more free time to craft and DIY it up!... but lets be honest... with homework... and now another baby coming... there isn't much free time in my future haha

7.... to join an awesome bible study and make lots of new friends and baby friends for Kaylee!

8 fears.... a lake in my backyard...and don't forget about the giveaway!!!

Just a reminder to get yourself all signed up for my giveaway of a copy of Faith Deployed...Again here.

I'm not going to lie... I know I'm not a popular blogger in the blogging world, but...... this give away reminded me how much of a big loser I really am... hahaha.... 2 people signed up since Sunday but you know what... life goes on! I didn't start a blog to be a popular blogger I started it to document my families ups and downs and changes...

It's been pouring rain for the last 2 days... so much so that our backyard is flooded like this...

I am calling it Lake Allen to go with Casa De Allen... I am just wondering what it will end up like at the end of the week because we are expecting rain all week!!!

8 fears.... in no particular order...

Snakes... I am absolutely terrified of snakes.... as a child (okay sometimes even as an adult shh) I would have nightmares of snakes attacking me or sleeping in my bed. And when I was a kid one time... my grandparents were watching one of those shows on at night about like cops or animal stories on discovery or something and the guy went in the bathroom and a snake came up out of his toilet!!!!!!!! I couldn't pee without staring over my shoulder for years.... sometimes still.... again shh... haha it's kind of ridic... even just looking at pics... I cringe

Sea animals... I love being in the water but I cannot think about any sort of creepy animals.. the moment I do... or worse I see one... I am out.. .I don't know what it is but I totally freak

spiders.... I am become more afraid of them in my old age and not so much seeing and killing them but more that someone in my house... esp my baby will be bitten by one and it will be a bad one and will cause serious problems! scary!

kidnappers,robbers,rapist,bad people -- yeah I literally would lay awake tossing and turning in my misery as I thought I heard or saw someone as a kid and even as I got older because my my parents watching like america's most wanted or even just a tv show about bad people... I watched criminal minds a lot with my fam while I was living in MN and when I came out here alone to house hunt I literally was such a mess and so anxious to be alone in a hotel in a town I didn't know... it was insane so now... I try not to watch that stuff.

I don't know the name to put on this but I think the best way would be being judged... I am always so weird about what people will think of me... what I am wearing what I am saying what I am doing all that stuff... LUCKILY for me... since becoming a Christian I am learning more and more to lean on God and know that he is what truly matters and as long as I am pleasing to him people WILL think I am awkward and weird but who cares because I'm a daughter of the king!

Not being able to have anymore babies... I am totally scared that because of the episode I had with ovarian cysts or whatever other terrible stuff could happen or even simply that my husband won't want more that I may not be able to have more kids... I want babies... it goes down to the very heart of me!

car crashes... oh my goodness I am TERRIFIED of car crashes... small big you name it I am sooo scared. I drive extra cautious and espcially in the rain I am super careful and it REALLY upsets me when other people have zero cares or cautions about driving in bath weather and are willing to put others at risk...

raw meat.... okay its not really a FEAR but oh my word does it gross me out... esp the fatty stuff. blahhh just thinking about it makes me want to throw up.. I think I waste more meat than necessary trying to get the nasty parts off... I also waste a lot of papertowels from washing my hands so much while cooking with it...