Movin' House

"The only thing that does not change is change itself." Whenever I get nervous about a new change in my life, I remember that motto. I have been gearing up for this move to Arizona for a while now and have honestly had plenty of time to process it. I have been fortunate because many military families have to move at the drop of a hat, or even have their orders changed at the last minute. I have known where we were moving, known approximately when, and known we would be living on base. But I did not know how the whole "living on base" thing worked. We filled out our application and submitted it as soon as we had orders. We were immediately number 3 or 4 on the housing wait list, and I think this was partially due to having an early summer move date, and partially because the base is tiny. I was worried that we would arrive and still not have a house. Would we stay in a hotel? Have to rent until something became available? What about all our stuff? I didn't want that to happen so I have had my fingers crossed that our number would move up.

I was also concerned about the housing itself. They are townhomes and I have always lived in a single family dwelling. We sometimes (well always) tend to be loud and noisy between kids, dogs, and me fussing at kids and dogs. I have been spoiled by our spacious home and yard here in North Carolina and am reluctant to give it up. I spent hours Googling the base and housing. I found floor plans and pictures and saw that we qualified for a 3 bedroom home, anywhere from 1,400-1,600 square feet. I knew we would have to downsize so we had a yard sale to reduce the amount of furniture and toys we would be moving. Additionally, thanks to a very informative Facebook group, I found out that there will not be room in the back yard for our trampoline. It looks like we will have to save it for our next move. The kids will be disappointed but I am hopeful the pools on base will make up for it.

A couple of days ago, James was on duty and called to let me know we received a housing offer via email. He had called the housing manager back and was told there were about 5 different homes available but we could have our pick between the two largest if we wanted. She sent James a map and he circled the homes and sent it to me along with the floor plans. I was so happy and surprised! I didn't know I could choose! We ended up choosing the larger house, which is 1,900 square feet, with three bedrooms plus a bonus room. It is on the end of the street and has a large grassy area behind it so the kids will have more room to play and I will have somewhere to walk the dogs. The bonus room is my favorite part though- Brady can have a space to play his video games and we will have room for a sleeper sofa for guests (if anyone will fly all the way out there to see us!) Needless to say, I feel very fortunate and knowing my new address will make the transition a lot easier on me.

Now we just have to do a few repairs on our NC house to get it ready for the renters. Next week we are getting the roof redone (ah, the joys of homeownership) and having yet another yard sale! The amount of "stuff" we have never ceases to amaze me!

Today I am waiting on my new washer and dryer, as our 14 year old washer finally kicked the bucket. Happy tax refund to me! We have a weekend of soccer and wine tasting ahead of us. I hope everyone has a joyous fun-filled weekend!

Orders

I'm no stranger to moving. In fact, sometimes I can't believe how many times I've moved. I was born in Georgia, then moved to North Carolina, Indiana, Pennsylvania, back to North Carolina, Vermont, and then back to North Carolina. One thing is for sure- I'm a Carolina girl and I love it here.
I have been with my husband for 11 years, and for 7 of those he has been stationed at Cherry Point, NC. We only moved once, and that was to Vermont for him to complete his college degree. If it were up to me we would stay right here in North Carolina forever. Unfortunately, it is not up to me, it is up to the United States Marine Corps. And they say it's time for us to move. I started thinking about where I wanted move about a year ago. I was dead set on moving to Beaufort, South Carolina, because it was closest to home. My husband has a job that is only at a limited number of bases around the country, so our options were pretty limited. If Beaufort didn't happen though, I was down with pretty much anything except for Okinawa.

It's a bit hard to explain and I hope I'm explaining it correctly, but for career reasons, it was looking most likely that we would be moving to Yuma, AZ. James is now an officer, but he does the same job he did as an enlisted marine. He has a lot of experience in his field and was chosen to be a MAWTS (Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron) instructor at the tactical air operations center in Yuma. Since becoming a marine, he has spent 2 months every fall in Yuma at WTI (Weapons and Tactics Instruction) so he is familiar with the area and how things work out there. Around the time he was offered the position, Cherry Point asked him to stay an extra year. That was tempting, but he ultimately chose the Yuma position because it was a rare opportunity.

We spent months pretty much knowing we would be moving to Yuma but never had official orders until last week. I had done tons of research on the area and already knew where I wanted to live and where I wanted Brady to go to school. The second orders were in hand, I fired off housing and school applications. As of right now it is looking likely that Brady will get a spot at the school (it's a charter school and kids are accepted based on a lottery system). We are also number 3 on the wait list for base housing. James was in Yuma the past two weeks and he took some pictures of the pools on base (with some seriously sweet water slides), the housing, the playgrounds, etc. I have been in contact with some ladies who live there and it seems to be a very tight group. James will be traveling more than ever and it is important that the kids and I feel safe and comfortable. I feel confident we've made the right housing and school decisions. Being secure in those decisions has definitely lessened my anxiety over moving.

Moving to the west coast (not to mention the desert) is a bit scary to me. I envision scorpions, cacti, endless dry desert and unbearable heat. I am trying to remain positive though and want my family to have a really great experience. Here are some interesting things I have discovered about the area:

- Yuma is literally right on the Mexican border. It is also just minutes from California.
- It is the hottest, sunniest city in the country and averages 3 inches of rain per year.
- It is the iceberg lettuce capital of the country and very rich in agriculture.
- It attracts a huge number of snowbirds from up north and Canada every winter.
- The Colorado River runs through Yuma (I was so happy to see this because I am so used to being surrounded by water.)
- There are tons of things to do nearby. Some places I plan to visit are San Diego, Lego land, Disneyland, Phoenix, Las Vegas and of course the Grand Canyon!

While I am dreading the cross-country trip, we plan on doing some sight-seeing along the way. I'm not sure where I want to go, but we are thinking about visiting family in Georgia, stopping in New Orleans and maybe San Antonio.

Unfortunately, we won't be able to my family as often as I would like, but our three years there are sure to fly by. And who knows, we could end up right back at Cherry Point! One thing is for sure, it will be our biggest, most exciting adventure yet.

Guess Who's Back?

Me! So many things have been going on since my last post, I haven't had much time to write. I believe I left off before Cecilia's 2nd Birthday. She had a wonderful Mermaid party and had a fantastic time with family and friends. Since she turned 2, she has really developed a personality. She is girly, prissy, clingy, and dramatic. She's pretty much a mini-me. I am impressed by how much she talks and how well she keeps up with her big brother. At her well check she was in the 11th height percentile and the 89th for weight. Like I said, my mini-me. She wears 3T clothing and enjoys Sofia the First, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Doc McStuffins, coloring, reading, being held, and of course, her Baby. Unfortunately, shortly after her party, my computer crashed and I decided to hold off until after the holidays to purchase a new one. All of my pictures are on it and I have yet to figure out how to retrieve them. If I ever get them, I will share some of the highlights from her party.

On December 17, my mom had reconstructive surgery on her hand and wrist. She was unable to do anything, so I did my best to be her right "hand." That involved me doing all of the cooking, cleaning, prepping, organizing and undertaking ALL of the holiday festivities. I did not mind doing this at all, but of course around this time I hurt my neck. I had a pinched nerve and it hurt like crazy. It actually still hurts a little but it really caused me problems over Christmas. We managed to have a wonderful Christmas despite my and my mom's injuries. The food was incredible! I made beef Wellington for Christmas dinner and we had all kinds of sides and snacks. The kids had fun with our elf, Mr. Bigsby and we really enjoyed James' work party and Christmas Eve with our friends. All in all, the holidays were a success.

My New Year's resolution was, as usual, to do better with my nutrition and fitness. I joined a Challenge Group with some of my friends and re-started Focus T25, this time following the nutrition guide that came with the program. The group ended today and since January 5 I managed to lose 8-10 pounds (it fluctuates every day), tone up quite a bit, and get back into shape. I also officially started my Beachbody business and have a couple of clients. I look forward to expanding my client base and helping others with their fitness goals.

Since I am recapping the past couple of months, I will share a devastating event that happened. My dad passed away. James was not home (of course) and since he was gone my sister decided to spend the night, as she often does when he is away. We cooked and visited with my mom and then went to bed. I woke up in the middle of the night and checked the house (I always make rounds when I wake up). I noticed my phone on the couch and it was blinking. I saw that I had many missed calls from my aunt and uncle in Georgia. I immediately knew it was my dad. He hasn't been well in a couple of years from various medical issues. I burst into tears and woke my sister. She had to call my uncle back because I just couldn't do it. He confirmed our worst fear. The next day we made arrangements to travel to Georgia. I tried to mentally prepare myself for the things I would be responsible for taking care of. I have never buried someone so close to me, much less handle all the aspects of closing out a loved one's life. Thank God for my uncle who really stepped up and took care of the hard stuff. I will be forever grateful to him. I loved my daddy more than words can express and will never ever forget him or the good times we shared. I am heartbroken that he never met Cecilia, but I am thankful we were able to share pictures and text. These past two years we were closer than ever and I am so happy that his last text to me was "I love you so much it hurts." I will always remember that.

In other news...we still don't have official orders to Yuma, AZ. I am getting anxious as I am ready to put in Brady's school application and secure on-base housing. We are 99% sure we are going in June (you can never be 100% sure in the military). As I type, James is driving his vehicle across the country where he will leave it so we will only have one vehicle to drive when we move. He is fortunate to have a very good friend with an extra Mustang he can borrow until we move. We are also fortunate to have renters lined up for our NC house. I am equally excited and nervous about moving. I will miss my family so much but I am also ready to meet new friends, explore different parts of the country, and start a new chapter in our lives.

It seems like every winter we get a week of snow. This year's storm occurred last week. It was snowy, icy, and cold! The kids enjoyed playing outside and watching the snow fall. Brady was out of school for about a week and a half. The kids were absolutely stir crazy and I was questioning my sanity. During one of these crazy snow days I decided I could not wait for warm weather and sunshine. I went online, did a little research, and rented a beach cottage in Ocracoke. I am so looking forward to a week of peace, quiet, sun, sand and the beach. Ocracoke is my favorite place on earth and I want my kids to experience the magic of the island before we move away.

I think I've hit all the highlights (and low points) of the past few months. I hope to figure out this new computer and add some pictures in the next post. Here's to a new month, warmer weather, birthday party planning and a beginning a new exercise program!

Happy Fall Y'all!

Since the beginning of the school year, our days and weekends have been jam packed with activities. We have had soccer, bake sales, the Barnyard Blast, the Fall Festival, field trips to the farm and the Peter Pan play, a school spaghetti dinner, book fair and more. Three months ago, I thought we would never fall into our new routine, but we are really thriving. I think our new routine has been good for all of us. I love being involved with his school and have already met a few new mom friends. Brady is doing an amazing job. He can read beginner books and is already learning about anatomy, plant life cycles, and math. He’s made tons of friends and loves his school. 

In the middle of all this, we celebrated Halloween. Fall is my favorite season and I always enjoy planning costumes and decorating the house. This year, James finished up a two month school and returned home just in time for Halloween. Since he would be joining us this year I decided we would do a family costume. So we went as characters from the Wizard of Oz. We had a fantastic time and of course got lots of candy.

Speaking of James, he was in Yuma, AZ completing the WTI (Weapons and Tactics Instructor) course. It was a big deal that he was selected to go to the course in the first place. You have to be a Captain, but they waived that requirement so he could go. He is now qualified to be an instructor there, and he was chosen to take over the position of the current instructor. This means we will be moving west to sunny Yuma sometime in the near future. I’ve been busy planning and researching neighborhoods and schools. He will return to Yuma for two months this coming spring, so that will give him an opportunity to scope things out.

We attended the Marine Corps ball last weekend. I haven’t been in a few years so it was nice to get all dressed up with my Marine and have an evening out. He surprised me by reserving a room at a bed and breakfast that we stayed at many years ago. I love downtown New Bern and the historic buildings and there was something so romantic about the whole evening. Of course I was up at 6:00 AM and ready to get home to my babies. The day of the ball, my mom surprised Brady with a trampoline at her house. It was given to her by a neighbor whose kids had outgrown it. We just needed a new mat and a few replacement springs and Brady was the happiest kid on earth. A trampoline is a perfect outlet for kids with extra energy. And the nets that are now required make it much safer and less stressful!

Brady had another big surprise last weekend. He went to his first sleepover! His best friend is my cousins son, Sam. Sam and Brady are the same age and attended preschool together. They go to different elementary schools, but we still try to get together often. I was nervous about the sleepover, and I honestly didn’t sleep a wink that night. But of course, he had a blast and everything was fine.

As fall is coming to a close, I find it hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner. It will be our last Christmas at home for a while and I plan on making it the best ever. We took down the Halloween decorations yesterday and I am gearing up for Cecilia’s big 2^nd birthday party Saturday. After that, Christmas decorations will be going up and we will eat, drink, and be merry with friends and family until the new year. 

My Beachbody Journey: The Beginning

 In February 2014, I decided I needed to make a change. I was still hanging on to weight I had gained while pregnant with my second child. I was tired, cranky and unhappy with myself. After my first pregnancy, the weight literally fell right off. I didn’t understand why I didn’t lose the weight this time. I decided it wasn’t going to happen unless I did something about it.

I had recently become friends with one of James’ high school friends on Facebook. She kept posting status updates about a new program created by Beachbody. Despite the fact that I thought “Beachbody” was a cheesy name for a company, I was intrigued by the program. It was called the 21 Day Fix and it was aimed at portion control along with 30 minutes of exercise per day. The challenge pack included DVD’s with seven, thirty-minute workouts, portion control containers, a nutrition guide, and a one-month supply of Shakeology. Shakeology is a formula comprised of whole foods and nutrients. I ordered the chocolate flavor and let me tell you. Blended with almond milk, ice and a little banana, it tasted just like a milkshake! I was hooked. I had a shake for breakfast, completed my workout of the day, and used the handy containers to measure my food.

The 21 Day Fix doesn’t mean you’re “fixed” in 21 days. Studies have shown that it takes 21 days to make or break a habit. After the 21 days, a habit of healthy eating and exercise is established. I agree with the concept, and by the end of the three weeks I had a new routine. I did the Fix for 2 cycles, and grew tired of doing the same workouts over and over. I was looking through our DVD collection one day and realized we had P90X. All I knew about P90X was that my husband did it when we lived in Vermont. I recalled hearing him jumping around and grunting in our basement, then emerging tired and dripping in sweat. This probably wasn’t going to be for me, but I decided to give it a shot. The first day was all push-ups and pull-ups, neither of which I could do. But I carried on, even if it meant doing push-ups on my knees. The other workouts in the program were a more for me and I enjoyed Tony Horton’s humor. Alas, finishing the program just wasn’t meant to be. I had my tonsillectomy in June and after the month it took to recover, I was back at square one: weak and inactive.

To get back in the game, I began the 21 Day Fix yet again. I just wasn’t seeing the additional weight loss results I wanted. My coach suggested Shaun T’s Focus T25. It was the program that started her journey and she got incredible results. I set a little money aside for a couple of paychecks and finally ordered it.

I am currently on week three of T25 and I LOVE it. It is very challenging, but at the end of the 25 minutes you are exhausted, yet energized, and dripping in sweat. That’s the kind of workout I need. In the three weeks since starting, I have lost 2 pounds and feel so much stronger and more motivated.

I must mention, a huge part of being successful is staying accountable and motivated. I do this by being part of Beachbody challenge groups on Facebook. I have met many wonderful people who are also on their fitness journeys. We share recipes, discuss workouts, and are a basis of support for each other. When someone doesn’t feel like working out, had a bad day, or ate too many cookies, we are there to set that person back on track and offer an ear to listen. It is truly an amazing support system. At the urging of my coach, I finally felt ready to sign up to be a Beachbody Coach. I am part of a great team of coaches and I look forward to embarking on the next level of my fitness journey.

Homemade Healthy Granola

Recently I have stumbled across many recipes I wanted to recreate, but have been unable to find the ingredients to do so. Here in New Bern, NC, our shopping is limited to Food Lion, Piggly Wiggly, and the over-priced Harris Teeter. I would have to travel almost 2 hours to shop at Whole Foods, so I decided to place an order through my trusty Amazon Prime. I ordered some bulk items and some obscure items that I have wanted to experiment with. One of the items I received was a big bag of hemp hearts. I have been reading about the health benefits of these little gems, but didn't really know how to incorporate them into a recipe. So I decided I would make a granola. I browsed Pinterest and other websites and pieced together a recipe that suited my taste. This recipe was inspired by http://ohlardy.com/granola-our-breakfast-cereal/.  It is really good, easy, inexpensive to make, and yields a lot!

Ingredients:

3 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup coconut flakes

1 cup cashews, chopped

1/2 cup hemp hearts

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup pure honey

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup dried reduced sugar cranberries (Crasins) 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Mix together the oats, coconut, nuts, hemp hearts, salt, cinnamon, honey, dried fruit and coconut oil in a large bowl.

Spread the granola evenly on a baking sheet.

Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, for 40 minutes.

Let cool.

A few notes:

Unsweetened coconut flakes would be healthier, however I could only find sweetened at my grocery store.

Any type of nuts could be used. I used cashews because it’s what I had the most of on hand.

Instead of hemp hearts, you could use your choice of seeds.

Any type of dried fruits could be used.  I have been on a dried cranberry kick lately.

I have been enjoying this granola by the handful for a snack, or with almond milk for breakfast.

On another note, I am in the process of completing my package to become a Beachbody Coach! I'm very excited, so please stay tuned for more healthy recipes! 

Cecilia's First Days

With her second birthday approaching and having recently read about a friends experience with her newborns being in the NICU, I have been thinking about my Cecilia’s first few days. It was a very emotional experience for me and I tried to shut it out of my mind and never think about it. To this day (until now, I guess) only a handful of people knew that this even occurred. But it happened, and I have come to realize that other families may be comforted knowing that others have been in the same boat.

I gave birth on Thanksgiving, after being induced the previous day. It was a miserable labor and delivery and I once again hemorrhaged, had my placenta manually removed, and narrowly missed ending up in the ICU myself. By Friday I was beyond ready to go home. Cecilia seemed perfect, but I thought she was very lethargic. I don’t think she woke up (except for feedings) the first 24 hours of her life. I was concerned but the doctors told me it was because I had an epidural and it made her drowsy. I had to stay until Saturday to have my blood counts monitored but when it was time to go I was up bright and early with my bags packed. Cecilia was in the nursery for her final examination and I kept requesting that she be returned to my room. I hadn't seen her all morning. The nurses kept stalling and telling me she had to be checked by the doctor. I was getting impatient and called for 3 hours. When a pediatrician finally came in, he didn't look right. I knew something was wrong and grabbed James’ hand. The doctor informed us that he and three of his colleagues believed our baby had a heart condition, known as aortic coarctation (CoA), which is basically a kink in the aorta. He said if she didn't get to a cardiologist soon, she might not have much time. He went  on to explain the condition, but all I could hear was “heart surgery” and “not much time.” I kept thinking about how lethargic she seemed. I later understood that there are some criteria they look at to diagnose the condition. One is the presence of a heart murmur and the other is differing blood pressure in the upper and lower portions of the body. Her pressure was very weak in her lower body. 

More information can be found at:

http://ask.healthline.com/health/coarctation-of-the-aorta#Overview1

Our beautiful baby girl! 

Ready to go home! 

So with that news, we were told she would be getting on a chopper and heading to Duke Children's Hospital for evaluation. I experienced a feeling of pain and sadness that I had never felt in my entire life. My brand new baby had to go on a helicopter with strangers, and face the possibility of heart surgery, or worse. I had to fill out forms allowing the flight nurses to intubate her during the flight if needed. She was hooked up to monitors, IV’s and placed in an incubator and wheeled off by the flight crew. I didn't know how I was supposed to handle a four hour drive to get to her. My mom had gone home to be with Brady and my dogs and I called her in complete panic. We raced home and got a couple of changes of clothes. I didn't even know where we would be staying. My mom took Brady to my cousin’s so she could go with us to Duke. I don’t remember the drive but I do remember stopping at a Bojangles to use the restroom. An elderly employee asked me why I looked so sad if I was about to have a baby (if you don’t know, you still look pregnant a few days after giving birth.) I broke down and cried to her and she promised she would pray for my baby. For some reason I will never forget that.

When we finally arrived, Cecilia had already been there a few hours. We had to scrub up and put on smocks before being allowed into the Intensive Care Nursery. It was strangely quiet in there. There were two rows of incubators, each occupied with tiny babies with so many tubes and monitors on their little bodies they were barely visible. Some were born as early as 25 weeks and some weighed less than 2 pounds. When I finally saw my baby she was covered in those tubes too but she was wide awake now. And she was angry. The flight nurse told me she “raised hell” the whole way there. I felt then that she might just be OK. While we waited for a doctor the nurses tried to find an outfit to fit “Ms. Fat and Sassy,” as they called her. We had to get special clothes because they had nothing for an almost 9 pound baby. I hadn't even thought to bring clothes for her, besides her coming home outfit! I felt better seeing her and knowing we were all together. If something happened she was at one of the best hospitals in the state. We found a room at a creepy sleep study hotel run by the hospital. We ordered pizza and I tried to rest (I was still weak and in pain and very emotional). I ignored all the texts and calls congratulating us on her birth. I just didn't know what to say.

The next day the doctors informed us that she did not appear to have CoA and only had a heart  murmur. They did several tests and echocardiograms and went over all of the results with us. She was going to be fine! She would, however, have to follow up with cardiologists at ECU for the next 6 months. We were overcome with relief. I think even James shed a tear of happiness. We could take her home the next day. While my excitement was through the roof, I was still very sad. I was sad for the small, sick, babies in that room. I was sad for their parents who had been visiting for months. I was sad for the families who lived out of town and couldn't visit often. I was sad that these babies would be here for many more days and weeks. To this day, I don't know what happened. I'm not sure how three pediatricians believed she had this heart condition and a couple of days later she did not. Maybe they were mistaken, or maybe the aorta "un-kinked" itself somehow. Maybe it was just a miracle. It was at that moment that I thanked God for blessing us with a healthy baby and reminding me, over that Thanksgiving weekend, that I have so much to be thankful for. 

I didn't take many pictures during her stay at Duke. 

One last bottle before heading home!

Reunited with big brother!