Catching up!

Whew....this year is flying! I would have thought that I had more time to blog since I am not working a 9-5 job anymore. However, between getting ready for a baby, a dog, recent traveling, and Bill's work schedule, these past couple months have definitely been a blur!! I will do my best to sum up what we have been up to these past few months before it's too late and I don't remember anything at all!

August --

In the beginning of August, Bill and I received word that we would be undergoing an unexpected move in June/July of 2013 to Las Vegas, NV. This is a very atypical Marine Corps move as we will not be working with a Marine Corps base up there at all, but be affiliated with the Nellis Air Force Base. Bill will continue to be MAWTS -1 instructor pilot down here in Yuma during WTI, but will also be acting as a liaison with the Air Force coordinating conferences to edit/re-write military publications. As a result, this will require his presence in Las Vegas. Therefore, the next 2 years will require a lot of travel on his part between Las Vegas and Yuma.

At first, we were hesitant on this move, but because we probably wouldn't have had much of a choice in the matter anyway, we have decided to focus on some of the hidden positives that may be gained. For instance,  Las Vegas is a lot easier/cheaper to get to than Yuma for visits home and friends/family to visit us! Hint, Hint!! It's also a new place to live (I get bored of living in the same place at about the 2 - 3 year mark!!) with a lot more to do in regards to entertainment. Not to mention, there are a lot more local athletic events up that way such as triathlons and road races. Lastly, we plan to live on base and Air Force bases are known for their fantastic amenities such as family events, stellar gyms, pools, and commissary, so I am pretty excited about all that. It'll be nice to have everything really close by, especially with a new baby and a traveling husband :)

Also, in August, I was fortunate to travel back to Charlotte, NC for a much needed girl's weekend! I hadn't seen these girlfriends since December of 2010 and I can't tell you how fantastic it felt to be back!! You always know you have made some true friends when you can go back and it doesn't feel like any time has passed at all. We had a very relaxing few days by the pool and a fun dinner out to the Rusty Rudder. I was sad I couldn't partake in the champagne/beer drinking, but maybe next time :) I look forward to the next girl's weekend, hopefully I can coordinate that to take place in Las Vegas!!

Kait and I

Dinner at the Rusty Rudder!
Bridge, Michelle, Kait, Kelly, Me, and Jessie

September -

Shortly after my return trip from NC,  the fall WTI class was scheduled to kick off, which meant long hours for Bill most of September and October. Therefore, I decided that it was a good time to let him do his thing and travel back home to NY for a couple of weeks :) 

I was home from September 6th to September 18th, which was probably the most time I have spent home in the past 5 years. However, it was nice to have that time since I had a lot I wanted to fit in! For instance, my sister in law and nephew, Silas, were still in NY while my brother was deployed on the USS O'Kane. Therefore, it was nice to spend some more time with them in addition to my visit home in April. Again, they will be moving to Hawaii in early November when my brother returns, so it might be awhile before I get to see them again. However, having family in Hawaii is always a good excuse to make a trip out that way!!

Some fun pictures of my time with Silas:

Hanging at Home

Playground fun!

During the time that I was home, the annual Canal Town Day weekend was held, which I hadn't been home for in 10 years. My mom was in charge of all of the craft vendors, so I helped out with some of that and also enjoyed spending time with Silas at the parade, which he loved! He saluted every single military person that marched by. It was pretty cute! He also scored a HUGE Elmo balloon from a stranger.....

Waiting for the Parade to start

Silas also enjoyed a pony ride earlier in the day....

Lastly, during my time home, my mom threw a baby shower for me with the help of the lady neighbors. The shower turned out gorgeous with all of the hard work and creativity that was put forth. Not to mention, it was a beautiful day for an outside baby shower in September! That can always be a little sketchy, but the weather definitely held out and it was great to catch up with friends and family!! I feel lucky to have such great people to introduce Savannah to when she arrives!!

The Cake!

Candy Buffet

The Pappert gals and myself

My mom and I

The "Hood" Ladies:)

Andrea and Amy!

Aunt Tracy & Silas

Aunt Shari and Silas

Mandy and Laurie!

My cousins, Natalie and Alex!

Though I certainly enjoyed my time home, I was ready to make my way back to Yuma. I missed Bill and Boortz! That was the longest I had been away from Boortz since we got him back in May and he got a little ill in my absence, which made it difficult for Bill to concentrate on work. He is much better now and much bigger these days!!! 

Here are some updated pictures of our little buddy!!!

Bill and Boortz

Our Devil Dog!! Ooh Rah!!

He's also a baseball fan!

Boortz recently completed puppy obedience school with flying colors. He's a smart little thing, but he's also super stubborn!! Overall, we have really enjoyed having him around and really hope there are no jealousy issues when the baby arrives!


October --

October started off on a very positive note as Bill was finally promoted to Major!! Hooray!! We had received a call two years ago stating that he was on the promotion board and was selected. However, promotions are slow going these days so it took a little bit to get to his name on the list! Congrats, Bill!! I am so proud of you and all of your hard work!!

I was fortunately able to take a picture of this momentous milestone.....little did I know cameras were NOT allowed in the building...haha. I have made a mental note of that for next time:)

Major Wallace

Since WTI was still going strong, the promotion ceremony was relatively quick and he was off and running, just like the rest of the month....

Therefore, during this busy time, I had this urge to "de-clutter" before the baby and our move next summer. I went through stacks and stacks of papers that I had been hauling around with me since college and grad school and got rid of a lot! I also helped clear out Bill's man cave that he never really got to enjoy and make way for a nursery. Poor guy!! This was a lot of work, but I finally feel as though we might actually be ready for Savannah if she should make an early appearance! I really love how the nursery turned out. I really wanted to do a flamingo theme, which I think I was able to manage. However, it was difficult to think of creative ways to get the point across without doing too much to the walls since we won't be in this house for too much longer....most of our decor is portable!

Here is the final product!!

Also during the month of October,  I have joined a group called Stroller Strides. Basically, this is a mommy and me work out group. I have been able to meet some other first time pregnant mommies and some veteran mommies. I have really enjoyed getting to know these women and attending the outings. It has also been an educational experience as many have passed down some expert advice!! Though I am moving slower and slower these days, I look forward to sticking it out for as long as I can and resuming my participation once Savannah is here!!

November--

I can't believe it is already November!! As of today, I only have 26 days left....well, give or take!! So the count down is officially on.....Bill and I are both getting fairly excited as time draws near for Savannah's arrival date. We may both be a little nervous too, but it appears that Bill will get a fair amount of time off from work, which will be really really nice!!! At least we can help each other out. We have a couple of baby care classes to attend as well, which will hopefully give us some guidance! 

Hopefully, this last month doesn't get too uncomfortable...I am still weightlifting, walking a ton, and doing my stroller strides classes, but like I said I am getting slower and slower these days! Not to mention, I wake up every morning with a new ache or pain...haha. I am sure looking forward to all of that going away soon!!

Hopefully, by next post, our new addition will have arrived and I'll be better about posting:)