She who is responsible...

Some times someone does something that is so unexpected its impact reaches the deepest depths...my wife did that. I will admit, these past 5 months at TBS have been pretty hard both professionally and personally..but I think our family has definitely strengthened its bonds which will help in the trying times that are sure to come with the state of world as it is. You all know that I don't post very often, I leave most of that to Kelly who rocks it for both of us. But the events that transpired last night compelled me to get on and recognize she who is responsible. One of our favorite wedding gifts was a nightly devotional titled Night Lights by Dr. James Dobson and his wife Shirley that we received from our marriage mentors. It is something that has brought us closer as a couple and brings light to issues and topics that we probably wouldn't talk about normally. And through these hard times it has been a blessing for us to take a few minutes at the end of the day, read it together, and share with one another on the topic at hand. It has become a powerful tool for our marriage. So anyways, a couple weeks ago the topic was romance and being romantic. After taking an inventory we found that I have mad skills at be romantic but Kel could use a little boost...which came as a surprise to both of us. Well, she took this heart and hit one out of the park last night. The demanding schedule of TBS has taken its toll on our "mommy and daddy" time, simple date nights to dinner and movie have been few and far between. My wife shoulders a very heavy load...being a Marine is hard...being a Marine wife is harder. We look forward to the weekends and I expected a typical Friday night of getting the babe down around 8pm and hanging with the wifey on the couch till we fell asleep...but no no the boss had plans of her own. We put the little one down and she told me to watch tv in the bedroom and not to come out until she said so. So I said "Yes Ma'am" and marched my behind right into the bedroom, I was pretty excited, I didn't know what to expect. I thought maybe she cooked something special for dinner and she didn't want me to see...but when she came to get me it was so much more. She told me to come out and as I stepped through the door I was meet with by wife who had changed into a stunning brown dress, a candle lit dinner complete with fresh flowers and wine, our favorite CD playing in the background and the opportunity to be able to sit and enjoy one another, one on one, husband and wife. This touched me deeply because I know the trials and tribulations, and if you have read her past post, all the challenges she is facing right now...yet she took time to think of me and produce a memory that I will remember forever. It was the best night we have had since we began this journey. And I tell this story, yes to brag about my wife, but also to tell a story about caring and true romance. Babe, you showed that book who was boss. I am a grateful husband today, and my heart has been filled.



On another note, we found out on Friday that we will be stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, NC. This is a good thing because we wanted to stay on the East Coast. I will get my reporting date on Monday, but at least we know where we will be for the next couple of years.

Are You Serious?

Before Mackenzie and I moved out to Virginia I remember thinking about how I was going to get certain things done without any help from family/friends/daycare. Simple things like going to the dentist or doctor. Most have normal business hours and wouldn't understand if I wanted to make an appointment for 9:00pm, which happens to be the time my husband will be arriving home tonight (he left for work around4:30 this morning). I don't need full-time daycare, I don't even need part-time daycare, I just need someone to watch my kid for a couple hours....someone I trust.

I must have been complaining about this issue enough that Nathan found a child care center that offers hourly and daily rates. First, I was impressed that he found a joint like that and second, I was excited about the idea of doing something by myself (not that I don't love the kid). I went to check the place out today and my dream of going to the dentist came crashing down. The place sucked, it wasn't terrible until I saw the lady working in the toddler room without any of her front teeth. Of course it would be the room that my child would be in. We left and ditched the packet of information. I better figure something out or I might end up missing a few of my own teeth.

I had the chance to have dinner Tuesday night with some good friends. We hadn't seen each other in months and it was great catching up. Mandy lives in DC so there isn't any excuse for not seeing her more often and Jilly lives in Chicago. I drove home that night thinking about my friends that I don't get to see very often (that's pretty much all of them) and realized how much I miss them! Remember back in high school when you would hang out with your girlfriends at least four times a week? I believe it should still be that way, especially since adulthood and motherhood bring on so many more stressors. What were we stressed about back in high school? If we needed each other then, we REALLY need each other now. I miss you girls!

Home Sweet Home

Home, it was just what I needed.

I've been in a bit of a slump here in stay-at-home-mom/military wifeville. The newness of this town is gone, Nathan has been working (really) long hours and I know we'll be making another move within the next few months. No one said this lifestyle was going to be easy and I'm quickly learning why the divorce rate is so high in the military. I'm kidding, I'm kidding, at least about us. The divorce rate in the military is quite high, there is no way a weak marriage could survive something like this. I've learned to cherish the time we do get to spend together as a family. We try not to be lazy on the weekends, which is why we decided to pack up and head home for Labor Day. I love being at home, everything seems so much better. We were able to see family and friends and celebrate Mackenzie's first birthday. Mackenzie had a great time climbing up the stairs at Grandma and Grandpa LaVine's house, chasing the cat, and running around on the golf course. She also loved the extra attention from family members. I left Ft. Wayne feeling refreshed and energized, I'm hoping it lasts for more than a couple days.

I love this picture

Lakeside


Mackenzie wasn't into having her picture taken, she wanted to run around
and play in the water

This girl loved her cake!





This clearly isn't a good picture, but I find it interesting to look at everyone's face.


Refreshed after a 3 hour nap


Walking with dad

My dad, love him

Happy Birthday Mackenzie

I can't believe that it was almost a year ago that I was laying in the hospital holding our brand new daughter. Nathan was currently working for the YMCA, taking a full load of classes at IPFW, volunteering with Big Brothers, Big Sisters and Special Olympics. I don't know how we survived those first few months, it was such a busy time. This year has gone by so fast and brought so many changes.

Mackenzie is turning into quite the big girl. I find myself saying things like, "I'm going to go check on the baby." or "Where is the baby?", when in reality she is no longer a baby. A few of her recent accomplishments include shaking her head no right before she drops food onto the ground or feeds the dog. This girl loves to be outside and has learned that when Cappy sits at the door, she gets to go along for the ride. It's to the point that when I tell her it's time to take Cappy out, she runs to the door, picks up her leash and pretends to hook it up. She doesn't have a lot to say in terms of real words, other than ball. EVERYTHING is a ball and it sounds kind of like baaal. She is kind of picky about adding the l sound, sometimes you get it and sometimes you don't. Mackenzie is definitely keeping us entertained, humbled, and on our toes.

Nathan was assigned his job last week and he is going to be............an Air Traffic Controller. He starts school in Pensacola, FL on October 1st. He will be there for a total of 16 weeks, we're not sure where Mac and I will be going. We'll keep you updated as we figure things out.

Saturday Night

Saturday night, around 9:15 Mackenzie and I were involved in a car accident. No one was injured, thank God! We were stopped at a red light when we were rear ended by a Ford F250. What followed was pure chaos. My first instinct was to call 911 so that if Mackenzie was hurt help would be there soon. Since I am not all that familiar with street names around this particular area, it was difficult explaining where we were. The driver, Mr. White, was no help at all. My mind was clouded and all I could do was listen to her cry. She looked okay-no bumps, no blood. The 911 operated had instructed me not to remove MC from her car seat, in case there were any neck/head injuries. At this point I was frantic, my cell phone was almost dead and I couldn't get a hold of Nathan. Luckily, an off-duty paramedic, Chris, had witnessed the accident and stopped to help. Chris checked out Mackenzie and believed that she was okay. He suggested that I still have her checked out at the hospital. We were greeted by a State Trooper, EMS and fire engine. Mr. White had still not spoken any words to me and looking back, I am glad he hadn't. Mackenzie and her car seat were removed from the vehicle and into the EMS. The two paramedics were awesome, she had stopped crying at this point and was now playing with a roll of sticky tape. They attempted to tape her head to the seat, but she continued to rip it off. They obviously had no idea who they were dealing with, haha! I gave the Trooper my information and overheard Chris, my friendly, off-duty paramedic, tell the Trooper that he smelled alcohol on Mr. White. WHAT???? I had no time to process, the EMS was waiting on me to take MC to the hospital.

Nathan met Mac and I at the hospital. The moment I saw him I broke down in tears. Mac was putting on a show for the crowd that had gathered around and I was reminded just how precious this little girl is to our family. She has become our everything and for a split second that was jeopardized by an individual that chose to drink and drive.

I later found out that Mr. White hit us traveling at 40-45 mph. He failed his sobriety test and refused to take a breathalyzer at the scene. He was arrested and charged with a DUI. I was surprised to see that Mr. White is the same age as us, he looked so much older that night. Could that be from heavy drinking? This sounds terrible, but I'm going to say it anyway- I hope that Mr. White sat in jail Saturday night terrified that he may have seriously hurt a baby, my baby.

Due to the fact that Mackenzie and I had to go to the hospital Nathan had to notify his chain of command. I was surprised and thankful for the amount of support we received from his fellow Marines. One of them even came to the hospital at 11:00 to give us a ride home, thanks! It feels good knowing we have people to rely when both sides of the family are so far away.

Check Her Out

Mackenzie has moved from taking a few steps to several. Nathan took this video of her last night. She is holding a photo album that has pictures of her when she was first born, she loves looking at them. Sometimes the room will get very quiet (as a mother, you learn this usually isn't a good thing) and I will find her looking at those pictures.

The second video demonstrates her ability to balance and crawl away from dad. It's hard not to laugh when she falls, she usually jumps right back up. Notice her little butt hanging out of the dress, good thing 10 month old girls still wear onsies!

Picnik

My cousin, Krista, told me about this website called Picnik. It is a photo editing browser that has some of the cutest tools. I was able to play around a bit while Mackenzie took her nap. Here is what I came up with, enjoy! The last picture is my favorite.

By the way, Nathan and I are leaving for a weekend getaway tomorrow morning, hope everyone has a safe, sun-filled Fourth of July!