Christmas

This Christmas was a little different as Andy was deployed this year during the holiday season. During this deployment December 25th was the day I was dreading as the kiddos start counting down the days till next Christmas staring the 26th of December. It was extra hard for Claire as she fully didn't grasp why Andy couldn't JUST come home for Christmas. So, I knew I needed to do something to make this magical and fun! I booked us a trip to our favorite and RELAXING resort in Florida leaving Christmas afternoon.

I took the kiddos there Labor Day weekend alone with the kiddos and we fell in love with the place. You can park your car and not get in it again until your ready to check out! 

The resort had a shuttle that drives you around, too many pools to count, beaches, movie theater on site, trails, tree houses, too many restaurants to pick from, and to top it off a zip line across a bay! 

Another moment I was dreading was making cookies from scratch.. Boy I HATE baking!! I love to cook, just not bake! It was a success though!!

Tearing into gifts!

Stopping to enjoy the bubble wrap..

Then it's all over and were (I'm) left with this!!

We had a good turkey meal. Claire loved helping carve the turkey!! (She also enjoyed snacking on it while she helped!)

Packed up the car that afternoon and checked into paradise!

Our room over looked the cute village!

Taking a break on the beach for a quick photo!

Jumping the waves!

On the resort site their was an American Girl store. Claire was in heaven!!! The lady who worked there couldn't have been nicer! EVERYDAY when we went in their the lady would gather doll clothes that matched Claire's outfit!! Claire was in heaven!

I brought the kiddos bikes then our condo came with a couple of bikes! Everyday we were out biking on the resorts amazing trails. I had to drag the kiddos off of their bikes as I was tired before them!

If we weren't biking we were at the play ground, in the hot tub, or in the amazing pool! 

A trip to España!!

Andy has been deployed to Spain for the past six months. Spain is his home base and off of that hex stays busy traveling to check on other battalion det sites.  We were thrilled though when we heard his home port was Rota where we use to live and only dreamed that I would go there for a visit!

After receiving the news that certain locations were allowed to take leave we thought, let's make this happen and meet up half way through deployment in Spain!!

I then called my mom and without hesitation she said she would come and watch the kiddos for a week so I could go. Words can't/ couldn't explain my level of happiness as I now had something soooo exciting to look forward too!!

Before I knew it the long wait of my departure date was here and I was off for a week in Spain!!

Andy was able to take a much needed week off and had everything perfect. Including a huge arrangement of flowers waiting for me!! (He's only bought flowers a hand full of times since we've been married, so when he does its really special!) 

We spent one night in Malaga enjoying the city, beaches, restaurant's, and a hike to a castle that over looked the city.

Another day we went over to Cadiz.

In Cadiz they have a huge seafood market, which we loved while living there!

One of the nights we went and met up with a group of friends that still live there!! Beyond fun..!!!

And the wine... Soooooo good!!

We stayed a few nights with our good friends the Andros family. It was so fun to catch up with them and be silly with they're sweet little girls. We love the navy life, however moving away from people that you want to stay neighbors with forever is sooooooo hard!

An afternoon we spent in cute Puerto Cherry and walked the beach the rest of the afternoon!

At the end of a meal in Spain (most Europe) they provide you with a shot of alcohol. One just sits there, sips it, & enjoys the flavor. 

And what's a trip back to Spain without some sangria!

The week couldn't have been more perfect. Andy and I are beyond appreciative  to have a week together and break up a six month deployment separation. We realized Spain is still beyond perfect and we want to live there forever!

Tiger Cub's

Drew is participating for the first time in Boy Scouts. I don't know why, but I've always been skeptical of Boy Scouts!! We decided to give it a try though as their mission and projects are amazing! I couldn't be more impressed with Drew's troop here in Gulfport!! The two dads that run it are SO fun and have it together. 

This past Sunday we went to a local pizza shop and learned how to make homemade pizza!! 

It's really nice, there is another little girl Abby, who's Claire's age and also goes to all the events (those two participate in everything and anything the boys are doing!) 

Making the dough 

Smoothing the dough out

Putting on all of the fixings

Waiting patiently for the pizza's to come out of the oven 

And enjoying their final product! 

Halloween

Last weekend it was Halloween Balooza on base!! We had three Halloween parties to go to and were only out of our costumes to sleep!! Cade and Lucy (their cousins) joined us for our party weekend!

The base put on a huge Halloween party across the street from us on the lake!

Right across from our house is the lake. On the lake is an "island" with a bridge to get across and the kiddos LOVED it there!! 

All weekend we drank out of Halloween plastic wine cups! This photo cracks me up!

Every superhero drives a dirt bike.. 

On Halloween we went down to the neighbors and all went trick or treating together! The guys took the kiddos around the hood and is chicks passed out candy in the drive! We had a great Halloween!!

Our newest addition..

Brooke is obsessed with the dishwasher and will coming running if she sees me open it!! 

This is the best baby doll Claire could have asked for:) 

Andy has been asking me for a dog since we started dating, and I've always turned the idea down! I'm a dog person, however never felt the timing was right.

About a year ago I started to become more open to the idea as the kiddos were at great ages to help out and for a dog to join our active lifestyle!

In June I took the kiddos to the local farmers market and met a girl with a four month old golden retriever puppy. I instantly fell in love with the puppy and her wonderful old soul. The owner of the dog gave me the breeders information and Andy and I agreed if they had another set of puppies we would get one!! So, I called the breeder and told her if she had another set we would be interested! Not even three weeks went by and the breeder called saying they were expecting puppies!!! 

At the end of August eight puppies arrived!! Four boys and four girls:) We always knew we wanted a girl and at the end of Sept we went and picked ours out.  

We were so excited to bring our new puppy Brooke home, just a short week after that.

Brooke has been an amazing addition to our family and I swear she smiles while she sleeps! Both Drew and Claire are all over their dog duties and the only problem we've had is giving Brooke a break so she can sleep!!!

Labor Day In Florida!

This past weekend we counted down one month since Andy has been away, packed the car, and headed to Destin, Florida!!  We were all pumped as the kiddos and I have taken on a small deployment project of MOVING this month OURSELVES!!!  So a much needed relaxing vacation was needed for all of us.

We were beyond excited to be staying at the Sandeston Beach Resort, as one of our friends here had gotten married there and other friends from here had vacationed there!!  MapQuest said it would take three hours with traffic it took close to five and the kiddos did beyond amazing in the car!  

We ended up in a studio apartment that over looked the golf course and had a mini kitchen.  It couldn't have been more perfect!

Just a walk away was the "downtown" for the resort.  There were several band stages with different live music (the kiddos were watching the band get set up) tons of kiddo activities, shops, and every authentic restaurant you could think of!!!  We didn't start our car once while on vacation:)

In the middle of it all was a bay area with a board walk around it and the kiddos loved feeding all of the fish!

Across the bay area was a zip line for kiddos to go on.  This truly is the BEST place!!!

One of the restaurants we ate at over looking the water.  All of the restaurants take such great pride and have great ambiance and many of them have live music.

In the middle of the restaurants was a park.  The kiddos loved playing on it in the dark.  I don't think we were home before 9:30 one night!  (which is rare for me to keep the kiddos out that late!)

This is how we rolled to the beach daily.  I had a system down and the best part was that Drew and Claire LOVED to pull the wagon!!  

Ready to catch a wave!

I know I keep writing this, we were all in heaven the entire vacation and having SO much fun!

They are both at such great ages and enjoy the water so much.

Taking a break from the waves with a strawberry (virgin) daiquiri! 

This vacation was exactly what we all needed and we can't wait to go back with Andy!!!