Happy 4th of July

I'm happy to say that the month of June is entirely covered with stickers on our countdown. Who's more excited, me or Caden?! Time is actually passing quickly, and before we know it, we'll be in Iowa. We arrive July 14th and stay through Aug 25th, so mark your calendar.

This past month, my Stroller Warriors Running Club did some unique activities. We conducted a Marine Corps PFT just for kicks, to not only gauge our level of fitness, but also so we could tell our husbands we could be Marines. (Ha...yeah right.) The test consisted of a 3-mile run, flexed-arm hang, and crunches for 2 minutes. I rated first class (even with the stroller) at 267/300, but want to improve. Ironically, I was more nervous about calling out Cadence on the warm up than the actual test itself. I'm a terrible singer, so the girls were cracking up. I made them repeat motivating stuff like "Stephanie is cool" and "Air Force is not."

We decorated green shirts and enjoyed being Marine-esque for an hour. And that was plenty!


This is hard. Whose dumb idea was this PFT? (Oh wait...it was mine.)


I also invited the club to my house for a water fun filled playgroup. Sixteen women and 24 children...wow. But our house is set up well for entertaining and they played hard. Very few squabbles, just a few falls due to slippery floors. I've never seen such a spread of food either. Moms that run can put down some food, that's for sure.



My kitchen floor was a water-soaked danger zone.


I've been gearing up my running again because official marathon training starts on the 12th. It will be so helpful to be in Iowa so I can get up early and beat the heat. It's been a struggle to fit workouts in around sweltering North Carolina summer. We hibernate a lot of afternoons with heat index at 100+.

Ran 6 miles on Topsail Beach on Father's Day. Running in sand is no joke. Gotta give 'em credit...those Baywatch lifeguards were actually working pretty hard.


Caden keeps me hopping as usual. He loves playing in the master bedroom and pretends the bed is a boat. He likes to go fishing from his boat. He often informs me of what we are doing for the day, such as going to the train station, flying on an airplane to see Grandma, calling Daddy, etc. Typical (un)feasible activities.

My bedroom is the new party zone


We've been working through some typical 3-year-old issues. Usually any argument relates to snacks or Cole. He's taken to just scaling the pantry shelves and snatching treats. One day, I caught him in his room, in the dark, eating Oreos. He hid them behind his back and said, "I love you Mommy." That sly little sneak. At the time I was furious but it's humorous looking back.

His antics crack me up. Naked in the rain, umbrella and all.


And Cole's antics are just as humorous. This is reminiscent of a Marine at the Birthday Ball, enjoying a nice cigar.


Caden adores the beach and I'm getting more relaxed and adept at making it a stress free experience. I used to get really nervous...just something about that open water and riptides. But he never goes in far. He really enjoys the water, but generally only shallow water. He has anxiety about deep water (hmmm, sounds like his mother). Last month, we drove an hour to Kinston so the boys could play at the Pepsi Splashpad. What a fantastic idea...every town needs one of these. The padded floor, shaded picnic tables, and fun water features makes this activity a parents' dream. And it only cost us ONE DOLLAR. Bonus. Caden ran and ran for 3 hours with his buddy Ethan, and Cole enjoyed exploring as well. Cole was sort of fearless, actually. He'd crawl right into the water and sit there.

Fireman Cade


Fearless

This rocks

He couldn't get enough


Wait...he could. I'm tired Mommy.

He looks like he's trying to imitate a gremlin or something.

My eyes!


Ethan and Cade, best buds

Snuggle time

Those are mine

I think we've held up well the past 6 weeks, but regardless, I need occasional downtime. So, I've been taking the boys to an in-home daycare once a week. I'm granted 16 free childcare hours a month while Brian is gone and the one morning a week is a welcome break. Unfortunately, Caden is scarred from the drop-off daycare at Hadnot Point. Every time I change clothes, either into running gear or something casual, he assumes he's going to daycare. I have no idea why, since I have only taken him TWICE in 8 months. It's not like this is a regular occurrence! And half the time, it's the first thing he asks me when he wakes up in morning. "I go run for you? I'm not going to daycare?" He literally breaks into a frenzy any time we're even remotely near the daycare on base. He has always had anxiety over me leaving him, but this has taken it to a new level.

There's just no reason to stress him out further than he already is with Brian gone. So we tried the in-home daycare on base and he's really enjoying it. Every so often he still tears up when I leave, but he's fine otherwise. Kristi is fantastic and I feel totally fine leaving them with her. Plus, he has fun with her older children. Cole has started showing glimpses of separation anxiety but does okay also once I'm out the door.

I've been using my time to go on 30-mile bike rides with my new cycling partner Jenn. We're a good match in every way...she's a blast. I look forward to the rides and the trips to the Commissary solo. It's rejuvenating. The only part I don't like is that my BBFF (Biking Best Friend Forever) is "Medusa" and whenever I'm with her, I see snakes. Thanks a lot, Jenn. I LOATHE SNAKES.

Almost as much as I loathe dogs. Okay, I don't loathe dogs. But these aren't mine! They're the neighbors', and Caden loves them.


Those silly neighbor dogs...and silly Caden.


Tupperware party, anyone?

Caden, leave that poor lizard alone.

Mom, I'm going to drop him off on the corner. See ya, Cole.

Never mind...I will just leave. Anyone wanna give me a ride?

Brown eyes, blue eyes

Caden and Ethan on the prowl

Father's Day was actually quite pleasant, even despite Brian's absence. We Webcammed that morning and Caden got to show Brian his gift...a helicopter picture. Brian typically tries to call us once a day on Webcam, usually between 3 and 4 in the afternoon before he heads to bed. We also saw Dad while he opened his gift. Over the years, technology has really helped our family feel closer despite the miles that separate us.

Happy Father's Day!


Happy Father's Day to you too, Papa!

We mailed this photo to Brian and both Papa's

As you can see from the photo above, little Cole is really growing up FAST. He can stand by himself for about 10 seconds but then gets a huge grin on his face and plops down on the ground. He crawls a million miles an hour and pulls himself up everywhere. He ends up whining a lot because he hits his head on things frequently...toys, walls, ledges, etc. I wonder how many brain cells we've already compromised.

I'm thrilled that he might be walking before 1, but Caden is not particularly amused by Cole's new found freedom. As I mentioned earlier, arguments generally relate to snacks or COLE. I'm dismayed to see the sibling rivalry develop early. Caden is just annoyed that Cole is always up in his business. He pushes Cole away, slaps his bottom, bumps him with toys, or tells me to take him away. Cole adores Caden so it's hard to avoid these encounters. Cole also adores Caden's toys, especially whatever Caden has in his hand at any given second. That's the main source of our problems. New challenges.

Standing solo before 11 months...way to go bud!


He thinks standing is funny rather than functional. So no steps yet.

Let's do it again!

TWO monkeys


Cole really enjoys wrestling. He likes to throw himself onto me, or throw himself down onto pillows or matresses. He drags a remote control around the house a lot. Strange favorite toy. He hasn't really had a first word yet...he just babbles ma ma, sometimes da da, and ba. I'm not sure what ba is. Caden used to call his pacifier "ba." And boy does Cole love his paci too. He also loves Caden's frog...so I recently bought him his own version, bear. He has 5 teeth, almost 7, and will celebrate his first birthday in 3 weeks. WOW. Where did time go, seriously...?!?!

One of his wrestling moves


His favorite play area, the entertainment center.

Our neighborhood dock, a favorite past time

Caden loves our 10-minute walks to do the dock. He fishes with a reed.

A "Monsters Inc" movie date for neighbor Connor and Caden


Glass...a new concept


Heading out on the town


We recently had some friends visit from Quantico. Caryn and her son Brayden stayed with us for 2 nights before her family moves next week. We hit up the beach and the aquarium, and got in some coveted girl time after the kids went to bed. Nothing beats a glass of wine and a good movie with a best friend! We broke up frequent toy arguments between Caden and Brayden but other than that, no lasting damage. Maybe the next time, they'll be buds again. Caryn and I, on the other hand, are closer than ever. We sure do miss having them around, and wish them all the best on their new adventure at Stewart AFB in NY.

Five busy boys


Me and my sand bug


Look at him standing!


Both my sand bugs


Me, Caryn, and Joelle (Jo just PCSed here from Quantico...thrilled to have her!!!)

Caden LOVED the Aquarium. "Mommy, the sharks have sharp teeth. Take a picture!"


So do alligators. Yikes.


A little garage play time with Brayden and his cousins

Caryn was his new best friend

We hope you have a wonderful holiday. We will be spending ours here at Lejeune, attending a potluck with fellow deployed families and fireworks aftewards. I'm a broken record, but keep our military in mind (and our policemen, firefighters, teachers, etc) as you celebrate this holiday that epitomizes our freedom, and what they stand for. Love ya and miss ya, Brian. Happy 4th.

The countdown is on

12 days down...2 million to go. Okay, 2 million is an exaggeration. But, pretty close.

Brian departed on his deployment this past month. I find that denial can be bliss, because it wasn't until very recently that the reality hit me.

Our biggest concern is the impact on the boys. Cole obviously does not understand, but we knew this would be very difficult for Caden. The night Brian left, we both layed with him and read him a book about Daddy going on deployment. He balked when we showed him the book (I mean, there's no trucks or helicopters so what is the point) but once we started reading it, he listened intently. When we got to the end, he climbed into my lap and said, "I love you Mommy." He had accepted it, and much like how I deal with these departure's, he pulled away from Brian. It was sad but at the same time, very empowering. It's amazing what a 3-year-old grasps, and how understanding and accepting he was.

Special play time with Daddy before he left


Get him, Luke!


Snuggle bug


Crashing the Mommy and Me party


On your marks...get set...


...GO! That's probably the first time I ever made it out of the blocks first.


However, appearances can be decieving and he has unconsciously internalized it. Ever since we first told him Brian was leaving, he has been waking up at night, having uncharacteristic potty accidents, and does not like it when I leave his sight. He actually had a meltdown when I left him with his best friend Connor last week, and he's NEVER done that.

Other than these small issues, he's happy-go-lucky Caden. He loves the countdown I made him. Every morning,he excitedly picks out a new sticker and count down 1 more day. (This also gave me an ideal excuse to buy a ton of awesome new stickers, and I love me some stickers. ;) He knows exactly where we live in relation to Daddy's location and likes to talk about how Daddy is flying on helicopters and "getting bad guys." Brian also helped by recording some songs and 6 of his favorites books on CD, so Caden can still have Daddy for bed time occasionally. What a fantastic Dad!

Our last couple weeks together got complicated with some illnesses. Caden and Cole caught pink eye, and then Cole followed that up with an ear infection. Now Caden has a runny nose this morning. What has happened to my healthy boys?! So instead of doing fun activities and making neat memories, we stuck around the house. Bummer.

It didn't slow them down too much though. Cole learned how to pull himself up and cruise along furniture while my Mom was here. He even discovered stairs and crawls over door frames. Oh my. I am so busy. He's 10 months old and weighs 23 1/2 pounds. This kid needs to learn how to walk soon because my arms hurt.

A new play toy...stairs.


Mom and I were chatting and then we realized Cole was standing!


Eggs?! Ew.


Nice face, Cade.


Grandma thought Cade could use a pet. Too bad I killed Archie in 6 days. We now have Archie #2.

Brian is doing great. It was a drawn-out process to get there and he had a few (avoidable) obstacles along the way. For example, somehow my genius husband left his laptop on an airplane in Philadelphia. He fell asleep and was disoriented when he woke up upon landing. Apparently he's the luckiest person on the planet though because a flight attendant secured it in lost and found. He had to make a 2-hour drive back to the airport but well worth it to have it back! We were so relieved, but I asked him to reattach his head because he might need it the next few months.

Deployments require them to work long hours, every day. So he's already swamped with work. I cannot divulge specific details, but they have been conducting gear turnover and are en route to their final destination. He's been phenomenal about calling me, and even writes me about once a day too. It makes my days complete.

When people tell Brian they are praying for him, he responds that he wants prayers for his team to do their job well, and that his teammates get home safely. Selfless as always...but if you want to pray for Brian's safety as well, I certainly won't mind!

How am I doing? Well, like I said above, I'm BUSY. As if worrying about Brian isn't enough, being a single parent is tough. We're slowly adjusting, although I have not figured out how to have energy at the end of the night to do "me" stuff. I think I need to take up coffee drinking. I did recently start reading again. That passion went by the wayside when the kids came along, but I'm bringing it back. I'm currently reading Born to Run and it's fantastic.

Let's be honest though...no revived hobby will truly fill the void. I'm miss him dearly, already. I wish I could get the denial stage back.

We made the most of our days before he left. Mom flew in to spend some time with us, but also to give me and Brian some QT to ourselves. We saw Ironman 2 and also went on a kayaking date and had a blast! More than one kind of blast, actually...we managed to use the kayak as a battering ram, right through the back window of the XTerra. Let's pretend that didn't happen though. (I will just note that it was a Stephanie "I told you so" moment. Oh Brian...I still love you.)

Picnic on shore


Our goal was to see alligators...but no luck. Maybe next time.


Date night


And while we're discussing holes, let's talk about the brand new hole I put in the Accord. Have any of you ever hit a parked car? Or better yet, your OWN parked car?!

I recently prepped the car and posted it for sale. I don't need 2 vehicles sitting around for months on end, and I need something bigger anyway. So, I parked it at the end of our driveway with a nifty "For Sale" sign. That's a strange spot to park it, but a pretty good idea in my mind. It's highly visible to the road. Therefore, free advertising!

We had plans to hit the beach and it's always quite an ordeal to get everything packed. Running late as usual, I hastily hopped into the XTerra and backed out...right into my lovely, clean Accord. So my savvy free advertising just cost me a NOT FREE new bumper.

I jumped out in a daze and gazed at the hole for 30 seconds, debating what to do and spouting cuss words under my breath. And then I got back in the XTerra and drove off. Okay, there was some crying and phone calls in there, but really, what can you do? Sh*t happens. We're human and we make mistakes. That was a pretty dumb mistake that will cost me several hundred dollars...but still. As my wise parents advised, it could have been worse. So if any of you have done a bonehead move like this, I'd love to hear it. Partially for the humor of it, but also to make me feel better!

Enough about holes...let's talk about something happier! We celebrated Mother's Day and Father's Day in one month. I received a front yard makeover! Brian and I used some of his block leave to finish this project. We make a good team and it was a vast improvement. No more Mondo Grass! We celebrated Father's Day a couple weeks later and we gave Brian received a silver St. Michael cross to wear around his neck. We blessed it with Holy Water before he left and offered up Brian's deployment to St. Michael's protection. Brian loves it, and so do I. It's a sign of our faith that things will be okay.

The before photo


And after...I feel like I'm on HGTV!


Mother's Day


Early Father's Day


There's no question about it, the last 24 hours is awkward and painful. The day is filled with dread and part of you just wants it over with so you can move on. But another part of you wants to hold on and make the most of every last second, painting images in your mind and trying to make it last forever.

So, here we go. The countdown begins, one sticker at a time!

I wish we had been able to do more with Mom while she was here but a lot of time was spent at the house and hanging with Brian. We did take her to the beach twice and she absolutely loves the water and picking up shells. We also went shopping a lot, which is one of our favorite past times. And she couldn't get enough of the boys and is so efficient with the housework too. Every time I'm with her, I am humbled by how awesome she is. I tell myself, I want to be a Mom like that! She just laughs when I tell her that and says that I am. Thanks for being there for us Mom, and Dad, thanks for letting her. We wish you could have been there too.

Cade ran for her at the airport...what a greeting!


Down at the dock


There's no ice cream truck in Iowa!


Mom almost crashed more than Cade.


Grandma always brings presents!


Beach picnic


He is trying to steal her sunglasses


Cole looks thrilled.


Mom got to see me do my half marathon while she was in town. How did it go? Eh. It went. I totally missed my goal time and didn't feel well. I over-trained and had to take 2 recovery weeks right before the race. I woke up race day with one eye sealed shut...perhaps a lingering case of pink eye from the boys?! Great. The weather was blistering hot and humid. And it's hard to be competitive when there's only 200 of you out there running 13.1.

But excuses and whining aside, my family was there to cheer me on, and so were my Stroller Warriors! Four of them jumped on the track and made me sprint the last 200 to the finish. It warmed my heart, figuratively and literally! Mom drove to 6 locations to cheer me on. I finished in a mediocre 1:57, which just incites me train better and smarter next time. Lesson learned; always follow a training plan. But all in all, I actually still enjoyed the race quite a bit, thanks to my adoring fans!

This is mile 6, before I realized my body wasn't in the mood to run.


No, that's not a fanny pack...it's a water belt.


13 members competed...go Stroller Warriors!


I also ran a 5K this past weekend pushing the double. It was an even smaller race of 60 people. We finished 2nd out of the girls and my friends overheard some guys arguing that I had an unfair advantage. Apparently the 90 pound stroller was pulling me along. WHAT?! I got a good laugh out of that one. I ran 8:11 splits and felt fabulous. Maybe my legs are back!



My mother-in-law Pam celebrated her 60th birthday on May 25th. Shannon coordinated a fun surprise and Pam's sisters visited for the weekend. Can't wait to see some photos of the look on her face!

Speaking of 60, Grandma and Grandpa Goettsch are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary soon. Unfortunately, Grandpa has not been feeling well. He recently had surgery to fix some hernia's and he's fighting off infection right now at the hospital. This is the first major medical problem Grandpa has ever had. Please pray for him.

Happy Memorial Day! We have spent some time at the beach and enjoyed the nice weather.

Sugar cookie with a beard


Flying his first kite


But in between all the holiday weekend festivities, be sure to extend thank yous and prayers for all the brave men and women that gave all for our country. They have more than earned our time and respect. Love you too Brian...you're our hero.