2013 Goals; Let's do this!!

Another fabulous year is upon us!! And, I do mean FAB-U-LOUS!!

We've got some BIG Goals for us, me. Here's a few...

Personal Goals:

Read daily; 29 (or more) books for 2013. 29 represents the age I will be turning in 2013. And, since, I'm 'tuning out' in the evenings, meaning NO TV. I will be making it a habit to Read. This is pretty major, since I've got a bunch of books already downloaded to the kindle fire and some have been started but not finished (deployed faith, allison sweeney's the mommy diet, positive discipline, jennifer hudson's i got this)!! See what I mean, all started and randomly read. I've updated my Reading Pinterest board with books of interest from parenting to reading. I'm pretty excited!! Want ideas or have suggestions, check out my board: 2013 readings

Write daily:
I am participating in {run the the finish} One Word Challenge, my 2013 word is FOCUS!! I created my FOCUS {2013 Word} Pinterest board earlier this morning, new year's eve wake-up, when a little special someone was having trouble sleeping. This not only applies to my fitness goal, it applies to all aspects of life. It's been a struggle for the last four months of 2012, there have been days where deployment got the best of me. Well, that's going to change. Back to being positive, daily. We all got our moments, I know. This allow goes hand in hand with the daily gratitude challenge. Basically, journaling more often, daily.

Fitness Daily: Get back on it! I'll be starting Les Mills Combat, Turbofire, and mixing in crossfit! Running into 2013; 13 half-marathons in 2013. Also, the girls will participate in kids runs, not only virtual but live too. Serious Strength training; kettlebells, weights, and other challenges. Complete the Garage Gym; organize and add the treadmill, along with a few awesome surprises.

Family Goals:

Learn Spanish:
Learn, teach, reconnect, adapt the language into everyday routine. The girls need to have this apart of their life, NOW. Most importantly, because they have mexican blood and family that speak it and don't return the conversation. It's my ultimate goal, to have our family learn.

Hike:
Yes, We have explored several new areas since moving here but there are SEVERAL more, 29+. Including, countless state parks. 2013 will have us loving the great outdoor even more!! More Hiking. More Expeditions. More Green Amazing Views!! Even camping.

Read Daily: This is an activity my husband did before bedtime. And, I didn't want to take that from him. However, I want to incorporate it as a family routine this year. Especially, since Ailea is showing lots of interest in learning how to read. Leanna is all over reading and I am loving it. A new book, every 2 weeks to a month for their growing collection, maybe a 29 collection like mine.

Daughter/Mother Dates: This has happened only a few times since deployment started, 4 months ago. I am making it a once a month event to spend one-on-one time with each girl; a movie, a craft outside the house, a walk, a bike ride, roller skating, shopping for something special. NO errands.

So, there you have it...I think I'm all about the significance of numbers +. This year is the number 29. Next year, the BIG 3-0! There's always the [+] to add even more. I love it!

home sweet home

Just like that....a week has pretty much flown by on our Texas {winter} vacation.

It's been crazy with some breathing time in between. We've had visitors at my moms nearly everyday we have been there. We've spent time with cousins {nieces & nephew}. We've had a full house most of the time, with plenty of crying and laughing. We've traveled from the city to the country (I'm currently posting this from the backseat, as my father-in-law is driving to the country). We've had lots of family time. We've enjoyed every.single.second of it.

I love watching and listening to my girls interact with my family. I love chatting with my nieces and nephew, they grown so fast, so precious. I love chatting {and getting after them) with my sisters and brothers. I love chatting with my mom {real time} about this or that.

I get sad looking around and not seeing my dad around. Not seeing him interact with his grandkids, making them laugh, showing them his latest tools or different things he's made or rebuilt. I miss having him around, I miss his talks about life. I miss hearing his advice and how to appreciate this life & make things happen. I miss him so much. Sometimes, it doesn't feel like home. January 3, 2013 marks 2 years since he passed away. It's going to sting, especially since we are home. Home is where the heart is...and he is living in my heart. There hasn't been a day that I haven't though about him.

Coffee Chat

G'Morning y'all!

It's Monday and my booty was up EARLY, 5am, for no particular reason.

I did my usual thing, turned on keurig for my first cup of coffee....oh yeah!!

And, here's what.....I'm on recovery mode after working 4 days straight!
Whewww!! Working Retail is ROUGH!
My 'stay at home mama' status has been changed, seasonally. Maybe, I don't know. What I do know, is that working has changed my perspective on a few major things.

One. My girls are on my mind every single second. Normal. I miss them. And, even though they are kept safe and entertained with my friends. I'm thankful for these friends, they take in my 3 girls and all their craziness. I still miss them. They know mama is at work and that I will be back. I originally, wanted a job I keep myself busy...to push myself in an area that is hard to get to. Retail wasn't really that part of the idea but it is what it is. My husband is proud that I managed to work things out and get outside the house into the "work world" and take time for "myself". I'd much rather be running for "me time"....y'all know that.

Two. Personality at work. I go from friendly to not so friendly. Im not talking about being a rude cashier. Just not starting a happy conversation and getting straight to their total cost. It's the holiday season, some people are happy and others feel obligated to have to buy gifts for their loved ones. And, thats sad. They tell me they only come in once a year. I see all kinds of people. I've seen people spend over $100 on items, and drop them off directly into the toys for tots donation box. Pretty amazing to witness that. I see lots of children come through, the happiness in their faces. I shopping for Christmas is exciting for some and a hassle for others. And, that's sad. I hope they find their holiday cheer.

Three. The number of gifts can't buy happiness. True happiness is spending time with your loved ones. And, coming home from the craziness into my normal craziness is something special. Don't get me wrong, I've taken advantage of a few deals while at work. But I'm definitely not going overboard. The ultimate gift for Christmas 2012 is being in TEXAS with family. They are more excited about that than gifts. They've mentioned it often and I'm overwhelmed for them too. They KNOW what having a family feels like, even miles away. They know what family is. And, that's important for me.

Four. Workouts & running has suffered. And, as much as I stress and beat myself up. I'm okay with it. Sorta kinda. My balance is hurting and I pick myself up and get back at it. And, that's major in my book.

Five. Deployment. What deployment!? I've been so busy to not think much about it. Bonus! Another plus, not being online as often, so I see "LESS" of the dramatic misery posts. Wouldn't that be something, if all those spouses also got jobs to keep distracted....yeah, right. Just a thought...a lot of them don't challenge themselves with something, like work, school, hobbies,....enough to do for themselves. Even without a job, I strived to keep myself moving.

Alrightyyy, time to get moving, time to gear up for a RUN with the double jogger. Lets see how long baby girls keep happy while Mama Runs.

Whoops, it's only 6:30...girls have to get up first. Leanna has to head off to school first. I'm ahead of myself.
I'm READY.

Have a super fabulous day y'all.

Say What? One Month Gone!!

We got through the FIRST month y'all!! 

GIRLS: It wasn't horrible (yeah right, it was a f*^&^*% MESS), there were lots of tantrums, from each of us, along the way. They fought me constantly, broke me into little pieces. I cried, and got over it. Sorta. I felt powerless some days but had to keep on keepin' on. It's that shitty part of NOT having your other half to help relieve you from all the drama. I mean, SERIOUSLY, some days I don't know how the hell I got through it all. They broke down, I broke down for an entire week. It was just emotional but it's DONE. 

MARRIAGE: I'm thankful that we have been able to "chat/communicate" every single day since he left. One of the perks to being married to an IT. I 'tried' to keep my bitchin' to a limit, i REALLY did. I knew he was having a tough time too. He wasn't home to help  enjoy his girls/family. And, A LOT happened with family, that made it harder. It's been an emotional time, and I'm sure he kept busy, just like I have to keep distracted. He started to workout too, YAY!! I'm EXCITED, and totally support him from a far!! We also, celebrated 8 YEARS OF MARRIAGE!! Oh, and his 30th Birthday. September is a BIG DEAL and it's the second year we didn't get to celebrate em' together. That's alright, 2013 will be BIGGER!! 

FITNESS: I lost 6.4lbs!! WhOoOooHoOoOOo!! No excuses folks, if you want to slim down, you gotta to put work into it!! Walk, Jog, Run, Lift, Run after 3 kids....all that good stuff, BE ACTIVE!!

Oh, and watching what you eat can help in the weight loss. I'm NO role model in that area though, I had my fair shares of fast food fixes. Yea, I did!! I'm aiming to reach the rest of my goal before heading home for Winter Break! Aghh!!  I'm on WEEK 5 of Les Mills Pump and see some slimming. I was SO happy to have started on the day they left!! I also started bootcamps back up, come if you haven't!! And, I started Moms Run This Town Morning Meetups, it's a fabulous group of ladies! Yaaaaayyy!!! 

PROJECTS: Ooohhh, I crossed A LOT off my LIST!! From organizing to creating to clearing out. It was BUSAAAYYYYY!! I refer to them as DEPLOYMENT DISTRACTIONS and the biggest one happened this past weekend; WE HAVE A GARAGE!! A functional garage, Mama's home gym, I've escaped a few times since then. There's still some work to do, like clearing out a few boxes of toys (mostly stuffed animals). Agh!! I REALLY need to buckle down on my other BIG projects, like sanding and painting!!! 

SCHOOL: Leanna started on Wednesday September 5 and loves being able to walk to/from school. And, Ailea cried every.single.day which only reminded me to search for a preschool. She started on Thursday Sept. 20 at a Lutheran Church School. She goes on Tuesdays and Thursdays Morning, She LOVES it!! It's been BUSY on those morning with an earlier wake up, since she starts at 8:10 and Leanna is walking to be at the gate by 9:00! I've enjoyed my one-on-one time with my baby girl, Serena!! Today, we took Bonita for a walk, it's going to be a regular thing for us, as long as the weather is nice, not rainy. Wet Dog, Gross!! 

I went to the local campus to take their "placement" test for math/reading. Boo!! I need to spend the next couple of week, studying/reviewing, in order to re-test. Hopefully, I get some higher scores!! This is the sucky part, all I need is these final credits to receive my AA!! So close, SO close!!  

OTHER RANDOMS; Social Chair Committee for the FRG, I started getting busy with brainstorming ideas for upcoming events, recently the Fall Festival. We've got a good group of ladies eager to volunteer and a fabulous few behind the scenes with planning. I'M EXCITED!!! 

All these little events are going to make the deployment fly by!!

Worldless Wednesday

Here's to another school year; First Grader!!

Week One Down!

"As long as we love him and miss him, Daddy will always be home."

We killed that week, literaalllyyyy. It flew by and I kept us pretty bussayyyy!! I mean, I could pass out right now from exhaustion. What's the reason you stay busy? I'll admit, it keeps me distracted from missing my man. Keeps me a little sane, especially when I start my day with a workout. I try to remain as positive as I can, it's not always easy. So, getting a routine going, is my way. And, it works pretty well with the girls, most days. They sure do have their shares of tantrums, and craziness. I go from; I got this to go find your daddy!! Hah!  I catch a breather when they are napping or asleep for the day. 
There's never a dull moment with these Luna's!

*Deployment Distractions; Special Projects, Organizing, Crafts. I've got a list full of them.

Highlights of the week;

Monday; Started Les Mills Pump, a 13 week Beachbody Program that includes a bar and weights, Mama Lifts. I actually went 10 weeks during the last deployment and loved the results.
We meet up with friends at Waterfront Park in the morning
We made our First visit to Kitsap Play w/Friends.  

[Waterfront Fun]

[Play Kitsap]

Tuesday; Bootcamp Meetup at the Lake. The girls played w/friends. And, I continued to play catch up w/Laaundryyy!! It's never-ending with 3 girls!

[Smiling before Bootcamp Begins]

Wednesday; Laundryyyy Morning! Afternoon Park Playdate. Evening Run at the Track with the girls, Mama got 2 Miles in. It was crazy challenging but it sure did wear the girls out. I want to make it a regular evening routine or every few days but it's just a little too crazyyyy!! I'll stick to my morning routine, once Leanna gets back into her school schedule.

[I didn't expect it to be busayyyy]

[They did alright, those crazy 3]

Thursday; Errands. Ice Cream Social, Leanna met her teacher at her new school. I also FINALLY bought the latest Trey Songz Album, it's been on play every time we've left the house now. I can't get enough of him and loved listening it to/from Tacoma. We went to a  Birthday Party. Deployment Distraction; Made Successful Homemade Laundry Detergent. Amazing Stuff

[Ice Cream Social at School]

[Smiling after a Fun Time]

Homemade Laundry Soap

Click on link for the how-to

Smells Amazing!!

Friday; Bootcamp Meetup at Jackson Park. Hello Kitty Event at NEX. Subway. Deployment Distraction; Cleared Crazy Kitchen Counter!! Girls Night In; Battleship & Vegan Burgers.

[Ready for another Bootcamp!!]

[Big Deal, it's cleared!!]

[Superbaby!]

[Leanna's Banana Creation]

the added sprinkles of salt was not tasty.

Saturday;  Decided to weigh-in I was 2.9 lbs down since Monday's weigh-in!! Felt great!!
Spur of the Moment Hair Cut. Last Minute Birthday Food Items.

[Mama got her hair did. Way too much product but it was fun]

Sunday; Leanna's 6th Birthday Party! This was crazy hectic. And, I'm glad I had a REST DAY from my workouts. I had to make sure I had everything packed to take to the park off base. And, with the girls going every which way, I felt overwhelmed but I got it done. Had a blast at the park. Ate entirely too much pizza! 

[Smiling Girls!]

[Little Pony Party Balloons!]

[Birthday Party Fun]

SO, what does week 2 look like for you?

Have a Fabulous Week Y'all!!

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Wednesday Y'all!!

Hello Again, Deployment!

We sure picked a good one, really, we did!!

The carrier is back out to sea for a back2back deployment. Sure, he only did 4 1/2 months during their last deployment. And, returned home in March. Here we are,.....roughly 4-5 months later, but that also included going underway for 2 weeks in April and then 5 weeks in June/July. A surprise, to say the least. Not really. Watch the news. It's kind of a big deal.


So, I have this husband...he's been in 11 years now...he's an amazing father and a damn good sailor.....I got no complaints. Well, he did leave CLEAN laundry behind for me to put away...

Yeahhh, I was upset that he was leaving.
Yeahhh, I was annoyed almost daily.
Yeahhh, I struggled to stay strong.
Yeahhh, I bitched.
Yeahhh, I had more proud moments because he is a Sailor.
Yeahhh, I realized, several times, that's what happens in the Navy.
Yeahhh, I was secretly excited because I was ready to take my waistline back.
Yeahhh, I was happ when we ate junk food too.
Yeahhh, I still wanted him to be home with his family.
Yeahhh, I cried and felt overwhelmed, still am/do.
Yeahhh, life goes on.

With all that, I still tried to remain positive, I've never really gone through a FULL deployment with SO many kids. It was kind of overwhelming the last deployment; 3 kids, new state, new home, new EVERYTHING!! I survived, I adjusted, I fell in love with everything there was about this place, Washington! I still love it, almost 10 months later. There is SO much to keep us entertained with, SO much. Indoors/Outdoors. I have 3 very active girls, 3 girls who enjoy the outdoors, who love to socialize. It's always been that way, it's important.

We've met some GREAT people/kids, friends.
I'm back on the fitness journey with different challenges and routines, even got the bootcamp back up. Who doesn't love a group of people wanting the same thing, plus it gets you out of the house. FUN!
I've made lists for craft projects; lots to choose from. Let the creativeness begin.
I've got a list of make-overs, organization projects, I will NEVER be bored.

I'm still going to hate to wash dishes, everyday.
I'm still going to feel overwhelmed.
I'm still gonna be annoyed when the holidays roll around.
I'm still going to be sad, that's he's not here with us.
I'm still going to keep on keepin' on.

It's not the end of the world, although, at some instances it sure does feel like it. 
I'm definitely looking forward to homecoming, the girls will all be SO different but one this is certain, they will embrace their daddy with open arms, as if he wasn't gone for so long. 
They love that man, and I am beyond words to how much that means to me.
Because, I love him just as much. We are just so lucky to have him, even if he isn't physically here. We are lucky.

Every day he's gone is just one day closer to him coming home