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:) 

                           

July 2012

I've been lagging a bit on my posts....

July encompassed a lot, so I will try my best to put it all in order!!

Over the week of the Fourth of July holiday, Bill and I traveled to Texas in order to squeak in a quick visit to Bill's family. We had a fantastic time relaxing on the ranch and catching up with Bill's parents as well as CJ, Amber, and our nephews; Luke and David. We also got to see Matt and Beth and our nephew, Josh, and niece, Lily, as they drove up for two of the days that we were in town. It was great to see everyone and it always amazes me to see how big all of the kids get. We don't get to see any of them very often, so every time we do, they have each hit a huge new milestone in their development! It's fun to watch them all grow!!

Also during the time that we were in Texas, we got to spend a lot of time by the pool and on the golf course. Let's just say, I have some serious work to do on my golf game in order to fit in with the Wallace family!! However, they were very patient with me and even had me attend a golf lesson, which was extremely helpful. I hope that golf is something that Bill and I can get into together as it is something that I think we both could play for a very long time.

We also brought Boortz along for the ride.  I think he definitely got spoiled as I now think he wishes he was a farm dog :) He loved socializing with Bill's parent's dogs and having wide open spaces to run and play. Right now, the heat is a killer in Arizona and only allows for an early morning and late evening walks as the pavement is just too hot for his little paws during the day.  It'll be nice once the temperatures ease off down here.

I didn't take nearly enough pictures of this trip, but here are the few that were captured....

Boortz did excellent in the airplane. I, however, did not. We left super early in the morning to try our attempt at avoiding the heat, but it still got very warm the later it got and the closer we got to Texas. I guess mixing extreme temperatures and being pregnant don't bode well when flying in small airplanes!! As a result, we took two days on the return trip home and it was MUCH more pleasant!! 

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Bill and I with Amber, CJ, and our nephews!

As always, we had a fantastic time visiting with everyone and appreciated all of the hospitality we were given during our stay! We look forward to our next visit to Texas! 

Once we returned to Yuma, I had my big ultrasound appointment the very next day, which was a day that I think both Bill and I had been anxiously anticipating. As it turns out, everything seems to be on par and we are having a GIRL!! As mentioned before, this will be an interesting experience as both Bill and I grew up with all brothers:) However, we are pretty excited for her arrival and already have a nursery theme to go with, which will consist of bright pinks and greens and include flamingos in the mix. We also have a definite name picked out! 

Here are some of her first photos!

She's already practicing her flip turns to be a future swimmer:)

As with all new parents, Bill and I are very curious as to know what traits Baby Wallace will exhibit, especially since Bill and I share completely opposite features!!

Baby Wallace continues to grow everyday and is kicking up a storm (again, a future swimmer!?). According to my most recent email from the Bump.com, she is now the size of a grapefruit. We are at 23 weeks and counting. I am not too uncomfortable yet and can still move around a good bit. Thus, I am still able to attend my body tone classes on base, swim, run, and spin. The only thing I am really missing is competition! I would really like to be able to sign up for a race, especially since by the time I have this baby it will have been over a year since my last race event!! I guess this should only inspire me to get back into race shape faster once she is born.... 

Jumping to a completely different subject.....Bill celebrated his 33rd Birthday mid July! Of course he was out of town for this momentous day, BUUUT this is nothing new...haha. I still have yet to see the man on his birthday. I keep saying one of these years, but I am beginning to think that I should just designate July 19th as a travel day for him. However, Boortz and I celebrated in his honor:) Boortz may have been an unwilling participant....

And lastly, but certainly not least, we topped off July with a week long trip up to Southwest Colorado where we explored Cortez, Ridgway, Ouray, and Telluride. This was a fabulous trip as it allowed us to view some different scenery as well as escape to some cooler temperatures! This was an adventurous trip as well since we camped for a good portion of it. Here are some of our favorite moments:

Our first stop was Cortez, CO. Here, we visited and camped at the Mesa Verde National Park. This park had some special meaning to Bill as the last deployment he was a part of was a MEU and the ship he was on was named the Mesa Verde,  after this park. This particular park featured old Pueblo Indian dwellings and some scenic overlooks. Here is Boortz and I at one of these overlooks, which overlooked the Mancos Valley. 

Following our tour of Cortez, CO, Bill and I made our way up to Ridgway State Park. As you can see, they offered some spectacular campsites. Here is ours. It was nice and secluded. However, the catch was that you had to cross a bridge and haul all of your gear up to the site. This was no easy feat for Bill as it was raining when we arrived and he had to deal with a dog and pregnant wife. haha.  He was a good sport though!! 

As mentioned before, we unfortunately did experience quite a bit of rain during the time that we were in Ridgway. The positive aspect was that Bill and I finally got to see some rain as it NEVER rains in Yuma. Also, we got to play some much awaited Scrabble and Yahtzee. The downside was that we had a very dirty dog to take care of!!

Bill and Boortz hanging out at the campfire. We were able to cook all of the campfire favorites, which included hotdogs, S'mores, and popcorn!!

We were also able to take a day trip down to Ouray, CO. Ouray is about 30 minutes to the southeast of Ridgway and considered to be the Switzerland of America. We hiked the Ice Park Loop Trail and got to take in some of the gorgeous mountain scenery!

Ice Park Loop Trail

Overall, we camped in Ridgway for 3 nights and would highly recommend this State Park to anyone that is in the area or just passing through. Following our time here, Bill and I took a scenic route down The Last Dollar Road to Telluride. The views were amazing and we got to pass the Heath Candy Bar Ranch. Ralph Lauren's Ranch was also supposedly down this way, but I think we took a wrong turn and missed it!

Finally, no more camping!! Instead, during our time in Telluride, we stayed at the Hotel Telluride, which was quaint, pleasant, and very pet friendly. As much as I love camping, I have to admit sleeping on the ground wasn't the most comfortable thing to be doing while several months pregnant. We stayed two nights here and it was the perfect way to wrap up our camping excursion!

Telluride! We spent a lot of our time here walking Boortz and visiting the downtown area. We also got to take advantage of the Gondola that takes you up to the Mountain Village. 

Family Photo!

I have to say, that I think that our time in Telluride was an essential way to wind down and truly feel relaxed! This was a great town. I can't imagine how packed this place must become in the winter during their peak season! 

Once we left Telluride and got back on the road to Yuma, we had two more stops to make.....

Bill and I stopped at the Four Corners, which signifies the point at which Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico all meet! This is literally in the middle of nowhere, but it would be a shame not to stop and visit!!

Lastly, we also made a quick stop in Winslow, Arizona since we were passing through!!

Bill and I look forward to more camping trips in the future! This wasn't the usual type of vacation we have taken in the past. However, as a kid I grew up camping quite a bit and I think that it would be fun to take more trips like this, especially as our family grows!

I think that covers everything for July! We look forward to the future months as we creep toward December!!

June 2012

June has been a pretty low key month, which made way for some true relaxation.  Bill was able to step away from work quite a bit and with me not working we were able to spend the most time together we ever have (or so it felt like). We enjoyed just being home with one another. However, it was almost weird to see him so much, but in a good way of course:) As of now, Bill will have additional time off next month as well, which we also plan on taking advantage of. We will do a little bit of traveling before the pace of the rest of the year picks up with Bill being assigned the Division Head of the Huey Shop and Baby Wallace on the way!

Anyway, in our time home together this past month, Bill and I took the opportunity to get to know our new pup, Boortz, a little better as well as work with him on all that "puppy stuff". Overall, he has come a really long way and I think he finally feels like "part of the pack". He follows me around EVERYWHERE during the day, but its been nice having the company and I just can't resist his little face!

In other progression, we have him almost potty trained -- he still has an accident here and there, but I think he has done really well (Thank Goodness for tiles floors!!) We have also been able to teach him some basic commands such as "sit, down, shake, speak, and up".  However, We really need to teach him some of the more important commands soon such as "stay, leave it, drop it, and heel", but I think that will happen when we take him to obedience school! In the meantime, we have been taking him to some local "puppy parties" to help him get socialized with other people and dogs.

Unfortunately, Arizona is ranked number one in the nation for the Parvo Virus (which is the number one killer of puppies under a year old) and it is not recommended that you take your dog outside or on walks until about 16 weeks of age. This little piece of information we did not know until right before we brought him home, so it has been interesting trying to entertain a puppy indoors and around our tiny patch of grass that we call our yard!! Fortunately, he is almost complete with his vaccines and will be on his way soon! Thank goodness for those puppy parties -- they have been a big help and it has been fun to watch his development at these parties since his first night. The first night we took him, he was very timid and tried to find anyone that would pick him up and help him escape from all the chaos, but as we have continued to take him he has gained a bit more confidence in addition to size!!

Here are some of our favorite "Boortz" moments....


Boortz loves spending time with Dad!!

Boortz riding shotgun with Mom on his way to his Vet appointment......

                                        

Boortz cooling off from the Arizona heat in his new kiddie pool....

Boortz playing in the courtyard......

Boortz all bathed and groomed....He cleans up nicely doesn't he?!

We have really enjoyed having Boortz around and become part of the family.  He just adds so much and we look forward to taking him on some of our planned adventures in July and many more!!

In addition to Boortz, Baby Wallace (yeah, don't worry, we haven't forgotten about the baby with all the puppy love going on!!) seems to be doing well. We are rounding out the 17th week and everything seems to be progressing nicely so far (we really look forward to finding out the sex of the baby on July 9th!!). I feel fortunate that I have had a mild first trimester compared to some. However, I didn't go without some of the classic symptoms here and there, which included quite a bit of fatigue for me. As we get further into the second trimester, I am glad to report that I am finally feeling more like myself these days and have picked back up on my working out regiment, which has included some running, spinning,  a little bit of swimming, and some of the fitness classes on base. It feels really good to finally get back into it and I am going to try to hold on as long as I can since I feel as though I lost a lot of time this Spring with the various interruptions that we encountered, so it is great to know my motivation and energy are finally returning to a normal and consistent level!! It probably helps with it being Olympic season and all too, watching the games always gets me motivated!

Anyway, that is all I have time for right now, but I look forward to the next update:)

                   

The Wallace Expansion!

It is hard to know where to begin! Bill and I had a very eventful past month with lots of adventure and positive changes, so I will start with our most exciting news....

In case you haven't already heard, Bill and I are expecting our first child December 3rd 2012! We have just recently made the official announcement to all friends and family and are extremely grateful for all of the well wishes and support we have received! We are super excited for this new chapter in our lives and look forward to this transition as we go from a couple to a family. However, I would be lying if I said we weren't just a little scared as well ;) At this time, we have no preference for gender other than just a happy/healthy baby, but I do think it would be kind of fun to see Bill with a girl considering he grew up with all brothers! I guess, I could say the same about myself as well! We will just have to wait until July 9th (The big ultrasound appointment) to find out!!

Here is our first ultrasound at 9 weeks:

Baby Wallace

My fancy announcement ( I thought this was kind of creative if I do say so myself!! Thanks Amber for capturing the moment!!) :

Surf City, NC

As we await the arrival of Baby Wallace, Bill and I have decided that we are going to practice our parenting skills by obtaining a puppy. Haha, just kidding. We had actually been planning on getting a puppy for quite some time and since I have just recently resigned from my job, we felt that this was the perfect time as we would be able to spend the time required to make and train a good puppy. With that being said, we have gotten a Golden Doodle, which is a mix between a Golden Retriever and Poodle. We saw one of these on the beach a couple of years ago and ever since have been waiting for the right time to get one. Therefore, we introduce to you; Mr. Boortz Wallace also known as "Bo" for short. Bill picked out this name after one of his favorite radio talk show hosts Neal Boortz. 

Boortz

He loves to play!

He also loves to sleep on his back!! (WEIRD)

Prior to getting Boortz,  as mentioned above, I did resign from my job at the beginning of May. It was a very difficult decision as I really enjoyed my position as a Rehabilitation Counselor with the State of Arizona. However, Bill and I decided that at this time in our lives, it would be best if I stopped working. This will allow a lot more flexibility in both of our lives as Bill often travels. Not to mention, this will allow us to have some quality time together before Baby Wallace arrives and for me to take good care of Boortz. With that being said, shortly after I resigned, Bill had assigned fleet support in NC and a work conference up in Washington DC, which I got to accompany him to, which was nice for a change!

During the time that Bill was doing his portion of fleet support up in Jacksonville, I took this time to revisit my old stomping grounds. I can't tell you how great it felt to be back in NC (I sure have missed that place!!), back at the beach, and in the company of good friends! My friend, Amber, graciously hosted me for three days and during this time we hit up her community pool, downtown Wilmington, the beach, and did plenty of walking!! It was great to visit with Amber and it makes me grateful to have a friend that I can pick up with right where we left off no matter how far away I am or how long I have been gone! Thanks again for having me!!:) Here are some of my favorite photos from our visit!! 

Pool Day!!!

Downtown Wilmington for some Front Street Brewery

Amber, Theresa, and I at the beach! 

Following my visit with Amber and Bill's completion of his work duties, Bill and I drove up to Washington, DC for what was called the OAG Conference. Basically, this conference was held to commemorate 100 years of Marine Aviation. There were several active duty military and retirees attending this event. During the week, this conference was like any other with Bill attending classes during the day. Fortunately, another Huey pilot that was attending from MAWTS brought his girlfriend, Kari, so she and I got to explore DC together.

We visited the White House:

Kari and I

The Lincoln Memorial:

The Korean War Memorial:

And many many others!!!....

Even though the guys were busy during the day with their classes, they were given some time off to explore the city with Kari and I as well. Also, there were special events held in the evening such as the Sunset Parade. This event was held at the Marine Corps Memorial and was a beautiful performance as they had the band and Silent Drill Team participate. 

Sunset Parade Performance

Bill and I

Another event that was held in addition to the classes was the Gala. The Gala was again held to commemorate 100 years of Aviation in the Marine Corps. This was a pretty fancy event and a lot of important people were there so-to-speak. In addition, the ceremony included all of the Marine Corps Traditions, a concert by the band, reflection of the past 100 years of aviation, guest speakers, and an awards ceremony. It was neat to be part of such a profound event!

Though it was great to be back on the East Coast for a short while, I was excited to get back to Arizona as my cousin, Kari, and her boyfriend, Aaron, were planning on making a visit out to Yuma to see us! They came over Memorial Day weekend and we sure did pack a lot into their visit! For instance, we took them to tour the Yuma Territorial Prison (you can't come to Yuma and NOT see it, come on now!). We also spent a lot of time pool side as the weather was perfect (it was actually under 100 degrees for the most part). Last but not least, we also did quite a bit of hiking! We took them out to Picacho Peak State Park, which overlooks the Colorado River and we also took a day trip and flew up to Sedona where we hiked the Devil's Bridge Trail and grabbed some lunch. 

Unfortunately, I didn't get too many pictures from the pool or Picacho State Park Hike, but here are some of my favorite photos from the Devil's Bridge Hike:

Aaron, Kari, Bill, and Myself

On top of Devil's Bridge

Bill and I standing in/on a vortex?? haha. 

We really enjoyed Kari and Aaron's visit and look forward to another visit with them whether it's us traveling to NY or them coming back out to AZ! Either way, we look forward to future visits with family and hope that they had just as good of a time as we did!!

As we wrapped up the month of May, we both feel grateful for the opportunities and blessings we have been given and pray that everything continues to go smoothly as we progress toward December!! We have a busy couple of months ahead of us that will keep us occupied for sure, but will continue to keep everyone updated on our progress!!