Fearfully and Wonderfully Made....

El Paso - day four

DAY FOUR

So, we had an early breakfast and packed the car to head to New Mexico and visit Carlsbad Caverns National Park.  We drove and drove while Brandt slept and slept.  It was perfect symbiosis.  We had the chance to just be two married people having a talk in the car...and enjoying each other's company.  It was bliss.  Not to mention the scenic drive as pictured below.

We drove right by Guadalupe Mountains National Park...you actually drive through the park on the way to Carlsbad.  It was truly breathtaking.  We stopped by on the way back through to go "home," but the hikes were hours long and I had had enough baby carrying for the day.  hehe

Then, we got to the caverns.  We decided to forego the hike from the natural entrance that would have taken us an hour and a half.  *shudder*  We happily climbed onto the elevator and made the descent down.  haha

We were greatly rewarded....just look at these pictures.

Words could never do this place justice.  Seriously.  It is so humbling and amazing.  Truly God's marvelous work.  When you walk in, the room is enormous....I would guess the ceiling is about 500 feet above.  And you walk the lighted, railed path for a mile and a half through the cave.  It is unbelievable.  The beauty and intricacies are breathtaking.

I carried this little dude in a baby carrier the entire time and I got my workout!  It was pretty chilly down there, so I was glad to have dressed him in long sleeves and pants.  His little hands were so cold by the time we were done.  He just rode along quietly.  Until he discovered his echo.  And not just any echo...the echo of a HUGE room inside of a mountain.  Luckily, we were just about done because we had to walk quickly out to keep him from disturbing all the other sightseeers.  hehe

I am so glad that we made the trip, even though the drive was long.  It was well worth it.  A memory I will never forget.  :)

We headed back to El Paso and had to run Andy's little treat he took with him back to McGregor.  *grins*

Then, we just ate at Chili's because we were exhausted.  I did have a delicious pomegranate margarita...but, stopped at one or else I would have fallen asleep sitting at the dinner table.  haha  Then, we went back to the hotel to crash.  We were thoroughly wore out. 

It was a wonderful day!!  I am so glad that I got to visit one of my first National Parks out of Florida with my sweet hubby.  He did a great job planning our little day trip and we enjoyed every minute of it.

Happy day everyone!

faithfulness friday

Today I am thankful for these two boys!

They bring so much laughter and sunshine into our home.  And the bond that they already share is remarkable.

Brandt just loves his big brother – he constantly belly laughs at the silly faces he makes.
And Layne, he loves his little brother just as much…making silly faces just to get him giggling.

Brandt now crawls into their room when Layne is playing in there just to see what he is doing and to keep him company.
And Layne, he hands Brandt a toy to play with as soon as he sits up beside him.

This picture isn’t the best, it is out of focus and blurry!  However, it best displays the relationship that these two boys share.  The love each other fiercely.

I am so thankful that I am able to stay at home with my babies and watch them grow and develop.  Most of all, I am thankful that they are with each other to foster these wonderful relationships.  I am thankful that they have each other and can share their lives together as they grow and learn.

I am blessed.  And so are they. 

Something about that brotherly bond is truly phenomenal to watch.

My cup runneth over!

Happy Friday, be thankful for what He has given you!

and he's off...

My life is officially in watchdog status.  You see, this sweet little dude of mine started really crawling last night. 

He previously was army crawling, so it took him a while to get from point A to mischievous point B.  However, he got up on all four's last night and greeted me when I walked out of the bathroom with a big, huge toothless grin.

I had to video this, so Andy could see.  And I thought I would share it with you... Please disregard my ridiculously squeaky high voice loudly cheering in the background.  ha!  Oh and Bayleigh's wild skirt and tights, she was trying on her costume for her school play. 

 

*sigh*  Is he not the cutest baby ever?!?!

Seriously, it is going by way to fast for this mama's heart. 

Daddy, he is making you proud back at home.  We love you!

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone.  I am off to bed to get some rest for chasing down an 8 month old from eating Lego's and licking Thomas trains.

we interupt...

I am going to take a break from the El Paso blogging.  Typepad hates me.  Seriously.  It is taking hours to upload pictures.  So....I am going to blog something else and resume our trip photo's tomorrow.  Hopefully.  If typepad will get off its high horse and upload a freaking picture in a timely fashion.  hahaha  *end of rant*

My grandparents stopped by for a brief visit last week.  They were vacationing in Destin and decided to drive this way due to yucky weather. 

I haven't seen them in a long time.  I think I was pregnant with Layne the last time I saw them???  I am really not sure. 

They weren't able to stay long, but it was a wonderful visit.  The kids had so much fun showing them around our house.  :)

And Layne?  He charmed my grandpa.  He hugged his leg and chatted his ear off like they were life-long friends.  That boy sure has a way with people.  And sadly, he is just like his father.  A charmer.... You know the type?!  *wink*

It was great to see them and I am so glad that they met Brandt and saw our home. 

I just wish that we had more time to spend together.  It is never quite long enough and the time between goes far too long.  The older I get, the more I cherish the time I get to spend with my family.  In the busyness of life, it seems like we let the mundane tie us down and we forget about enjoying the people that God has put in our lives....family, friends, etc.  I gotta do more reaching out...

Thanks for visiting Grandpa and Grandma, we loved having you!  And yes, the kids are still talking about the peppermints.  hehe

Have a blessed Tuesday everyone!

El Paso - day three

DAY THREE

So, I am back with some more pictures about our trip to El Paso last month.  :)  We had such a good time and it is so great to relive it all again.  I am contemplating making a little mini book with these pictures.  It would be good to relive it on paper too and journal out some of my thoughts and feelings along the way.

Moving on...*grins*

We decided to eat some breakfast and then head out for a drive along Highway 28 into New Mexico.  I would be able to cross another state off of my list of places to visit.

Along our drive, we noticed tons and tons of pecan groves.  And virtually no water.  We had no clue that New Mexico was such a large producer of pecans.  How they grow these things is beyond me.  It is so dry!!  I mean, even the Rio Grande is dry here.  The first picture is a picture from a bridge that is supposed to cross the waters of the Rio Grande.  Except there there is no water.  I mean, completely dry.  We could have probably drove across it.  It was truly amazing!

  

We drove and drove and came upon St. Claire Winery.  And since it was about lunch time, we decided to go on in.  :)  We split a wine sampler, a cheese tray, and some bread.  Oh my, I was in heaven.  There were some amazing wines and we enjoyed tasting them out of tiny little wine glasses.  My favorites were the Mimosa (already premixed in the bottle), a mimbres red, and a Riesling!  Yummmmmmmyyy.  It was hard to share some of those wines!  It was nice to have a fairly light lunch...

sidenote: I wanted to take those itty bitty wine glasses home in my suitcase

 

We then drove into Las Cruces, New Mexico and headed back to our hotel.  It was a scenic drive on the way there, but we took the main interstate on the way back. 

When we got back to the hotel, we all crashed!  Ahhhhh family nap times are the best.  :)

Brandt woke up and decided that today was a good day to start saying "dadadada."  It could not have come at a better time and Andy was thrilled and touched that he started doing this now.  Just for him before he left.  It was a reassurance to us both that we are all going to be okay!  :)

After we woke up, we decided to have our leftovers from our Cattleman's Ranch dinner!  There wasn't too much left, but we snacked on it and decided to head out for a scenic overlook drive in the Franklin Mountains before the sun went down.

We then went back to the hotel and Andy went and got some appetizers and dessert for us to enjoy for dinner.  hehe  We had some tasty onion rings and then shared a couple of desserts - including a white chocolate creme brulee that was awesome.

We partook in some March Madness and called it a night.  We knew we were going to get up early for a big trip the next morning....

It was a great day - wine tasting + dessert for dinner + sharing it all with my hubby = PERFECTION!

Be back tomorrow with our big adventure to Carlsbad Caverns National Park...

faithfulness friday!

Wanted to take a break from my regularly scheduled blog posting to bring you a new feature here on the ole blog.  :)

Every Friday, I am going to post a picture and some words full of faith on my blog.  I want to keep focused on the good in my life!  Although I am going through a tough time with this deployment, I have so much to be thankful for.  I am blessed beyond measure and need to focus on His wonderful blessings in my life.

Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness in our lives.  We had two beautiful children and were in a really bad place in our lives.  Yet, you brought us this sweet, miracle baby.  He brings so much joy to my life and helps lift the sad fog of missing my husband.  He smiles at me at just the right time and loves to giggle and laugh.

Thank you for giving us Brandt Peyton before we knew we needed him in our lives.  You are so faithful to us.

Have a wonderful Friday everyone...

El Paso - day two

DAY TWO

Day two was busy!  We decided to head out after a yummy breakfast and drive along the US/Mexico border for a bit (mostly to let Brandt catch a nap).  We really wanted to find a park where we could get some good pictures of the Bridge of the America's. 

So, we ended up at Chamizal National Memorial.  We had a nice time just walking the trail and chatting with each other.  We quickly learned that you have to consume LARGE quantities of water to stay hydrated.  And you have to wear protective covering and eye wear because the sun is soooo unforgiving.  I swear there was not a cloud in the sky the entire time we were there.  It was unbelievable.

Then, we headed out to visit the UTEP campus!  Well, mainly just the stadium.  LOL  We are huge college football fanatics, so it was fun to see the stadium and get out and walk around it.  It's pretty impressive, as is the entire atmosphere and terrain.  We parked and walked across the street to visit...and no, we did NOT get a parking ticket.  haha  All you UFer's know this is a major feat.  teehee

We made our way to Target.  *ahem*  SOMEONE forgot all of his civilian shorts and jeans.  That same someone brought a little pressie that we had to later return to post.  haha

We had lunch at Avila's and it was amazing.  You would think it would be easy to find Mexican food being on the border and all.  But, you just don't know where to go to get good food and good service.  It's like Mexican food overload.  Seriously!  I was afraid we may have crossed the border at some of those locations.  *shudder*

Then, we returned to the hotel to get a little nap in before our big dinner excursion!

However, this little dude had other ideas.

We decided to head out to Cattleman's Steakhouse that night for dinner.  Andy had been planning this since we found out about leave.  Don't come between my man and his steak.  Especially after a month of eating chow hall food and MRE's.  *chuckles*

It was quite a way's out, but sooo worth it.  The scenery was breathtaking...we had to stop on the side of the road to get a picture of where we were driving.

Wow, it was so pretty!  And the view at the restaurant wasn't that much different.  We were there right when the sun started going down and it was so amazing to watch the sun disappear right along the horizon of the flat dessert terrain.

While we enjoying some appetizers and *cough* adult cocktails, we got to see quite a sight!  Outside the big picture display window in the dining room, we got to see wild coyotes!  They were fed some scraps and came right up to the window to feed.  And fight...you could see them bare their teeth at each other!

We had delicious steak that was well worth the cost of our meal.  Everything was served family style and it was down right delicious!  They trim their own steaks right there at the ranch - it is unbelievable. 

We had such a wonderful time eating dinner without being interrupted by *talking* children.  hehe  Brandt just sat there and enjoyed the view...and got the giggles when his daddy played with him.

We had an amazing first full day together.  Laughing and holding hands...and just being.  We rode in the car in the peace and assurance of knowing we were together and right where we were meant to be. 

My cup runneth over!

Be back tomorrow with day three...

El Paso - day one

I am finally back.  It seems as if I have been in a funk lately.  Funk = zero creativity and inspiration (for anything!).

I started hitting the gym last week and that has helped tremendously.  And having some girl time with some friends and Zac Efron always helps too!  *wink*

So, I wanted to come and blog about my fabulous trip to El Paso, TX to visit Andy about a  month ago.  :) Fabulous because of him, not the location.  hehe

Beware of picture overload!  I am going to do one day at a time because there are some days that are loaded with pictures and I don't want to overwhelm the ole blog.  :)

DAY ONE

We boarded the plane in Tallahassee at 8:50 and had a *very* short layover in Atlanta before boarding our plane to El Paso.  Brandt was amazing on the plane....smiled and grinned and fell asleep for the long second leg flight!

We got our rental car, our 2 pieces of luggage, stroller, car seat, and diaper bag and headed to check into our hotel. My baggage cart looked like an episode of the Beverly Hillbillies gone wrong.  HA!

I headed to eat at a Jack in the Box for novelties sake and was left unimpressed.  It was quite underwhelming.

I was hoping for a nap, but the time change thwarted those plans.  Brandt decided to play a bit on the comfy bed while I unpacked and tried to get regrouped.

We went and picked up Daddy around 6:00 pm at Fort Bliss and had lots of hugs, kisses, and tears.  Andy was mesmerized by how big Brandt had grown in the month that he had been gone.

We made our way back to the hotel and relaxed for a bit before trying to find dinner.  Operative word: TRY.  We didn't really know the area, so we drove and drove trying to find a decent place to eat.  It was already late there, 8:30 or so, and I was starving.  We ended up at Rudy's BBQ!  It was one of the best meals we had there.  Andy was in hog heaven (literally!).  You buy food by the pound and it's ala carte.  Goodness it was amazing.  I can still taste the brisket now.  :)

Exhaustion set in and we headed back to call it a night!  We were all getting delirious from the days travels, the heat, and the altitude.

It was so sweet to be reunited.  It always amazes me how life goes right back to normal when you are together again.  Our hands fit perfectly inside of each others, we laughed at each others silly antics in the same way, and we completed each others sentences at just the right time. 

I think only military families understand the excitement that reunion brings!  It's a feeling like none other - the feelings of joy and nervousness, love and fear, happiness - all at the same time.  The anticipation of being together again makes you giddy for days as you prepare - to the point that you can't even think straight.

The first day was wonderful!  Travelling, time changes, late dinners, and all!

Be back with day two tomorrow....

right now..

I am back from my somewhat unintentional hiatus!  After returning from El Paso, we have had so much busyness in our lives!  The few times I have come to update my blog, I either fall asleep sitting up at the computer or typepad is being ornery and wouldn't load pictures.  And what is a blog post without pictures, you know?!?!  *grins*

I am trying to settle my brain down.  So, I am going to keep it simple today.

Right now, I am...

* nursing a sweet baby boy back to health from a horrible ear infection that has resisted all medications we have tried

* working on PL feverishly

* wondering who to call to come fix my kitchen sink if my neighbor can't get it for me

* encouraging my oldest while she takes her FCAT for the next two weeks

* being a "mean ole mommy" to my middle who has hit a very whiny phase

* listening to silence as the baby naps and Layne plays outside (that was so short lived it was over before I could hit publish..haha)

* cherishing any email I get from Andy

* looking forward to having lunch with a friend and her family - read: 9 children between the two us!  BEWARE TALLAHASSEE RESTUARANTS haha

* celebrating with Bayleigh that she got into the school of her choice for middle school - a fabulous math and science magnet program

* hoping to get back to the gym next week

* enjoying watching Bayleigh play softball

* contemplating the next care package for Andy

* wondering if I will talk to an adult today - HAHA  :)  besides the guy I called to come treat our house for pests!  *rolls eyes*

* thankful for awesome friends

* blessed that my relationship has grown so much with my Mom

* glad to shut the door on an old hurt

* ready for whatever life (or this deployment) throws my way

 

And since no post is complete without a little eye candy, here are the kids on Easter!

 

Enjoy your day!

XO

this boy!

He is such a sweetheart, I'll tell you what!  There are times when I just can't enough of his snuggles and love.  :)

But....he knows it!!!  teehee

Whenever he gets in trouble for something, he responds with "You're so pretty Mommy and I love you."  All in one long run on sentence.  And me?  How you can stay mad at that?  *shakes head*  He's got me!

He has such a funny personality and a great sense of humor.  At least once a day, we are laughing so hard we can't stand up over something he has said or done.

Today?  Today it was the underwear on backwards, with permawedge.  And he just played his little heart out in the backyard in his wedged up undies only...no shoes, no shirt - apparently, no problem!

His new thing is to sing Adele at the top of his lungs in the car.  It is hysterical.  Problem is, he has no idea what the words are...so what we hear is...."BOOMMA HAS IT....OOOOOOOOO"  "BOOMMA HAS IT....OOOOOO"  Oh my word, it is soooo funny.  And oh so cute at the same time.  He must ask me to play that song about 100 times on our 15 minute car ride to school.

I love that boy!  He melts my heart and makes me burst with joy.

Just look at how  he's hugging my neck in that picture.  I can't get enough!  And neither can he. 

Well, except when he's upset at his session in time out.  He declares..."I don't like you, but I love you Mommy."  *sigh*  I understand buddy, I really do.

I love you Layne...you make this house a much brighter place to live.

XO