It's been a while...

I have thought to myself a lot lately about blogging..

Then something else more important comes up! Gosh, I can't even think of a good recap because soooo much has happened in the course of the last few months!!

I post pretty often on FB just the usual simply put thoughts of something funny that kids do, Jak says, a Jily milestone, pics, family adventures, and other little tidbits. Maybe someday I will have more "extra" time, haha.. Not likely with 2 kiddos anytime soon ;0

To start: our fam is now in Washington State as Jak likes to call it. Since its no secret, josh is stationed on the USS Nimitz.. This was not only a huge change for us weather wise, as leaving Hawaii and its beautiful temperate climate was hard, but now our Oshy won't be with us near as much as before. Hey, at least we moved here during the summer right?!?! This is hard too because I had a tremendous support system in HI, making wonderful friends there that are missed so much, yet just a few years ago, I left Arkansas feeling the same...

The Lord has nothing short of blessed us here too though! We found a great church here immediately and knew some awesome families that were also transferred to this area! That has branched into meeting new families and with Jak heading into PreK and us finding a local MOPS and AWANAS, I'm sure we will establish strong roots here as well!

The best advise I was given by a sweet friend was, "Blossom where you are planted!" I was contemplating if the house we were moving to in Lake Stevens was right for us and how this house could be made into our home. So many transitions had hit us at once: new baby, moving, traveling in 2 separate directions all summer.. I'm very glad we had the opportunity to enjoy a cool cross country RV trip with the kids (4.5 and 9 months lol)!!!

Guess what? We are here, settling in, unpacking and about to hit the road running with a new schedule.. I love the area we are in more and more each day! My kids are healthy and happy and I have an amazing hubby that cherishes every moment he can spend with us! I feel like I let my fears and worries get the bet of me at some points when I shouldn't have. I definitely need to rely more on prayer and thanksgiving. I often wonder since I'm new to the military lifestyle, how these families make it look so easy? Knowing that every new experience is just one more temporary chapter... I can say though, it somehow makes us stronger and more appreciative!

Thank you God for our blessings!

Time flies...

Even if you're not always having fun like they say, ever notice the days just fly by? We have a specific routine we do nearly the same every weekday, and the weeks, months and years are going so quickly! It amazes me everyday I watch my little babies grow up and become their own little people!
Jakson is so inquisitive and wants to learn and know everything! I love it! He's so very much like me! The kid can crack jokes and be sarcastic yet funny at the same time! Jak wants to pick out his own matching clothes, race beating us to finish meals, know all about addition and what numbers show on the screen for the car radio then count to them, ask about when he was in Alabama (no idea why, but he was there in my tummy on a road trip to Florida), show people he talks to whatever it is he wants them to see as if everyone has FaceTime and has an uncanny knack for outsmarting you when you think you have given him intelligent answers! HA!
Jily is a cool little baby.. She is eating foods already, loves a little juice and screams when her milk isn't nearby just incase her tummy is ready for a fill! Her little, errr big round bottom can almost sit up, she mocks faces and noises, hopefully will start to enjoy the possiblity of movement on the floor because miss independent would love to be mobile, and keeps us on our toes because when you think she's content, well then she's spills her milk!!
Josh and I are getting excited about our move back to the mainland or homeland is what I've come to call it. Island living is nice, but being on a rock is a bit like being lost at sea! The awesome friends we have made here from Josh's command, MOPS, preschool, church and other activities definitely have made it fun, yet we are still glad our time is about done! On to the next adventure or chapter for the Js.. We are blessed to know people moving or are already close, to our next duty station, so I feel as if it's God's special icing he added to the cake! Disneyland, LegoLand, concerts, vacations, public transportation, more babies -- all on the agenda for WA!
I cannot say enough about how much my husband comforts everything crazy that happens. If I feel worrisome or doubtful, that man makes my fears just melt! What a wonderful man the Lord gifted us to be the spiritual leader and man of our house! There wil be more blogging in the near future.. The past month has been full of utter life chaos -- bad renter, doctors appointments, waiting on orders, you name it! Many good things have been happening too...
If He brings us to it, He will get us through it.. That's been my motto lately! I keep looking up when my head gets too full, then taking scriptures that apply and seeking answers through prayer! Lots of logistics to figure out as we prepare to set sail in the next couple months.. Looking forward to seeing everyone back home again, and miss Jilyann (Jak's name for his lil sis), who's nearly 6 months now will finally get to meet her fam!
Hope all is well and a Happy Easter was had by all! We celebrated the reason - Christ rising rather than the Bunny tradition, and made the fun activities much less important because we want our children to be enlightened by the truth. For it is that, and that alone that sets you free!
XOXO

Strength, yep we got lots!

These last few days, I've been thinking about just how "strong" our family is! That word can describe many different attributes.. For example, Jily is a strong baby. She's been rolling from side to side since she was 12 days old, grasping her own bottle since 6 weeks, holding her head up very well since birth, pulling up and standing with our assistance since 12 weeks. Jily is definitely like her father in physical strength because when I think of how strong Josh is, it's more in a tough guy sense. He can endure a lot like running and weight lifting that I could not or would not rather want to do haha! Don't get me wrong, he's also in every definition of strong emotionally and spiritually solid as well!
Then there's sweet little Jakson. He's "super tough and super strong" indeed too! He loves running and sports and playing for hours with no signs of fatigue one! He's also a very strong-willed child. Nos are still maybes and questions cannot have only one answer. Today I bet he asked about a Shirley Temple 20 times, as if it would speed up the delivery time when the answer was we will see about one with supper. Jak never forgets anything, especially what he is looking forward to. He's signed up to play T-Ball and it seems to be right up his alley because he loves both challenges and competition! I'm so very excited and proud to have a relentless child, even though some days are long and tiring lol!
Finally there's me! Whew, where shall we start?! Since I'm exhausted from a wonderful weekend and have another long week ahead, I'll just say I can just see how much I've grown over the years! I have learned so much from my past and love being a wife and mommy so much! They are hard jobs, but by staying strong, mainly in my Christin beliefs and starting each day anew, I feel refreshed and able to conquer any hurdles from both the past and by focusing on the present! I am so very grateful for our huge support unit!
I'd be silly to say we are strong alone bc we aren't! Through God and our cheerleaders, we keep pushing on! I love watching my children learn and grow! Jakson reminds me of a little lawyer to be.. He builds his case and presents it well... Amazing how great a 4 year old can communicate! Jily, well, she reminds me of a mini sumo wrestler ;D
Thank you Josh for everything you do! I don't think I say it often enough, but hopefully it always shows AND you see that I strive to continously be strong like you are for us, each day!

Changes...

I feel like mostly all that has changed in our lives are for the greater good! New baby, church home, living on base... It's funny how we evolve over the years and can look back at all the ways in which we too have adapted to the surroundings and life we create! I'm both nervous and excited to move off the island, the place we will have called home for the past couple of years! Here we have made amazing friends and stay active with wonderful daily activities from recreational activities to church program to MOPs and playgroups as well as Jakson's preschool activities! Planting new roots somewhere means you grow... Then become accustomed to the routines you create! I love how the military gives our family a sense of community though.. Wherever we go, we will have met people who were headed somewhere we may follow on our journey too!
Today my husband out of the blue says, "church -- that's what's made a difference!" Shocking sentence if you know my husband haha! Only because his witty humor would make you wonder if he's serious or not sometimes! Even I don't always know when he's serious or joking until I see his smile bc he can look so stern or goofy in a moment's notice when he's playing around! Truly church has been great for us in learning how to trust God and each other with our daily life, struggles, worries and changes. To spend that time together in His word listening to strong parables from the Bible gives our week a revitalization we couldn't create ourselves. I have noticed we talk more, not just about God, but about what's heavy on our hearts, our feelings, with our kids... We gain patience and are much slower to anger!
Our family may not have it all together, but together we have it all! I love that motto!! Life has it's ups and downs, moments of glory and times of sorrow.. No matter what changes life may bring, with the Lord, we can weather any storm!
I'm so proud of Josh, Jaks and Jily... Today I teared up several times, all for different reasons -- Jily's shots (oh I always cried with Jakson too), Jak's loving statement about taking needles for his sister and my husband telling a personal story to one of our best friends bc he was so animated about it! What a blessed life we have and you can bet I don't forget anymore to look up and say thanks for that love above that never changes even everything else does!!!

What a busy life for the Js!

Wow, I cannot believe how fast the days fly by! At least I can recount them and say they are almost always filled with fun and memories! Josh and I have the strongest marriage ever and each day it keeps getting better! The kids are growing up soooo fast! In a few days Jily bean will be 4 months and she's over 17 pounds already! She coos and smiles constantly now! Jaks is such a character! He makes us laugh constantly! He's witty, affectionate and overall a near perfect kid! I'm grateful for our awesome little family, and am so blessed with great family and friends in our life!
If I wasn't so tired these days, I'd write more often like I originally planned... By 6pm, I've been functioning 10-12 hours already, figuring out if not already cooking or helping hubby with dinner amongst our 544 other things to finish up with before getting the kiddos and ourselves to bed at a decent hour (thankfully the little ones are both good sleepers)!
What I can say is definitely true and I'm so proud to voice it.. We don't do drama! There's just no time for silliness, bitterness, ugliness, resentment, etc in our lives! Josh and I are surrounded by positive on purpose! One thing no one can nor will take away is our happiness - with each other, our children and those close to us! I guess I say this because in the past many have tried - and I'm sure others will too inevitably ... It's just a nice feeling knowing peace in our lives, the kind that can't be taken away by man nor materials!
Which leads me to sharing our next celebration... We just found out we are going stateside!! We are headed to Washington state this summer... Very exciting news that we can drive places to sightsee and visit loved ones again, plus most importantly it's a new adventure for our family to embrace together! I'd be lying if I said we won't miss paradise, especially all he amazing friends we have made here, but by trusting in the Lord to guide our path, this journey is sure to be a fun one!
Hopefully I can start writing while I feed Jily or pump bc that seems to be a convenient time to relax and reflect.. Other times I sit down and it's quiet, I'd prefer a nap or bed over exerting much energy haha!

Oh my, it doesn't look like blogging during the week is realistic for me. Maybe I can keep a running tally during the week of the topics I would like to write about on the weekends! By the time our day is done, I'm ready to relax by resting my mind and body. I used to find enjoyment in scrolling thru FB, maybe posting a thing or 2.. Not so much anymore, although I do try to put up a few pics from each day that I'd like to get in a habit of putting on here as well!!
We are all excited about Valentine's Day tomorrow and Jakson helped me make Mickey cookies for dessert! He's going to LOVE his presents!! Instead we found usable items like a sandwich decruster that makes heart shapes and a crayola designed plate with multiple, moveable trays and of course, for fun, a taking monkey and a tiny Madagascar candy dispenser similar to a PEZ! Jily is too young to know, but she got some girly girl stuff from a little boutique and is wearing the red ruffled bloomers tomorrow! Joshy got a bunch of thoughtful items from the grocery store from me (sounds silly, but the food he likes takes time to analyze) because we already did each others' presents a couple weeks ago - Maui Jim's - since we both had our eyes corrected and need to protect them with a nice pair of glasses! He'a whipping me up breakfast and I'm doing dinner!
See that us how our family operates - together! We share blessings and burdens with each other! The 14th of feb isn't that special to me anymore.. It's another day! That's bc I feel, give and receive LOVE everyday! Jakson is such an affectionate kid, my husband always shows us how much he cares about us and it's even evident with our daughter how much she thrives on being a part of what we do.. She smiles bigger than Christmas at Jaks, chills out with Josh while he reads and coos like crazy with me, as of to tell me like Jaks does all about her day!!
So I've just played out tomorrow.. It's honestly another day for us as a family, just with some extra attention to details by saying HVD! Oh and Jily and I are going to Jakson's preschool party and taking the cookie cake he picked out and chose decorations for.. Perhaps I can blog bloggy better tomorree!

Love like you do a baby.. Or in my case tonite, sleep like one first!,

Today was one of the best family days we have had in a long time!! Infact, I'll update this tomorrow with some great thoughts about today's church sermon and life in general! We also shared a fun time with some wonderful friends at a creative and inspiring birthday party for a sweet 3 year old boy! You know it's been a good day when I'm quiet haha... Boys even passed out earlier than usual... Yep that's a sure sign of exhaustion, momma in bed before midnite and baby girl falling asleep already! Prayers of peace and joy to ALL :)

Healthy choices...

You can ask a million different people exactly what does this mean - and probably get about a million different answers! For our family, we have made a conscious effort to eat greener AND leaner! It's even started a biggest loser competition between Josh and I, which is funny!! I guess I should have eaten my words right when I said after having Jily that I'd never weigh more than him again because guys seem to have no issues with getting trim fast.. Hey at least I still have breastfeeding to blame.. I need the extra fluff for our baby girl right?!
I love my children more than words can express, but I wonder how those moms with 2 or more kids get through the trip smoothly... A few weeks ago, after my Pearl Harbor Hickman MOPS meeting, I made the assumption I could just pop in and grab the few things on my list in 30 minutes or less.. HA! Joke was on me!! Jily's Britax carseat doesn't fit on buggies like the American ones do over the top and since she was asleep I figured by just bringing in the stroller that attaches to her carrier, then Jaks could help me by pushing one of the little carts, which he loves to do!! Let's just say about 15 minutes in, my daughter was screaming because she woke up "starving" and the cart my son was pushing had now blocked his sight since the baskets are 2 high, around 4 foot or so tall and with baskets only about as big as the carrying ones, only on wheels. Picture me now holding Jily, trying to keep a pacifier in her mouth and bounce her walking until we get to the checkout, steering the stroller and also guiding Jakson and his cart to not make other shoppers innocent injury victims of either or both objects... Yeah, not really the vision I had going in! Usually Josh and I tag team and shop together, so I realized that day this was my last attempt to shop alone with children for a while unless I absolutely HAD to! Kudos to all of you moms that do for not losing your sanity on Aisle 3!!!
So back to the topic.. shopping for MSG free and organic is getting much easier as more product selections are offered! The part that is requiring so much practice is reading labels, hence why the above was so hard and I was way too distracted and overwhelmed on my "quick trip" to do so... I didn't even finish my list that day because I am not yet good at knowing what has bad additives and such in it just by sight. One of our biggest practices is staying away from packaged food with a bunch of ingredients. Dyes are a big no-no as well as high fructose corn syrup. You may ask why does it matter... I'm convinced the foods without this stuff and a bunch of "crap" in it, to include a bunch of preservatives, just taste better. If any of that research is true too about children's behaviors and such being linked to not having a healthy diet, then why even test that theory? I wish my mom would have cared more about our nutrition starting when I was a child, and then instilled that mind frame of snacking wisely into me early on. Instead we ate out a lot and I loved junk food. Thankfully, she taught me great care for my teeth and body, but diet and exercise just weren't part of our daily routine. I think I left for college knowing how to make homemade spaghetti, Italian chicken and scrambled eggs. That changed when I was on my own in college and bought my first grill since eating out wasn't an option, nor was roman noodles and cereal very tasty everyday!
I don't know that I could ever be as dedicated as some of our friends though that are on a full out Paleo diet! Mainly because I hang on to that excuse that Jily still needs the dairy, carbs and sugar, but it's me that really likes them.. plus I always said I'd never prepare different kid and adult meals and Jakson loves his cheese and noodles! Maybe in 3 months I'll get stronger (or desperate to lose the baby weight)! If you haven't watched Food Inc and Forks Over Knives, please do! That really inspired us to get serious about these healthy living changes! We don't buy processed meats at all anymore, so we are eating lots of fish (wild caught NOT farm raised), and then grain fed aka organic meats. It is both sad and scary how commercialized the beef and chicken industry has become!! I don't want to be fighting heart disease and/or diabetes and/or obesity in 10 years when I could have made some pretty simple changes earlier in life. I want Jakson and Jilyann to develop good eating habits now too. I am so proud of Jak because he's always been a great eater. When his friends offer him candy, he asks first and often will say on his own I have to wait until I eat first. There are also many times for lunch and/or dinner he will ask for more. He loves broccoli, beans and all meats! That's why I wouldn't consider our changes extreme since we never have been a family that liked bad foods. We love fruits and veggies and no one is a picky eater! I hear a lot how big of a blessing that is that he's always eaten for us what we make, and he only doesn't like pickles, mushrooms and brussel sprouts. Infact, I made his baby food from 6 months on and then when he got to the meats, just blended up what I was eating, that usually consists of a full balanced meal. Josh bought a Baby Bullet to the same for Jily in quantities, that way we can store it too.
The misconception is it's so much more expensive to eat well... Here's how I look at: you get what you pay for! Just like everything else, when it's quality you spend a bit more. I think there are many ways to be wise about spending on groceries. Coupon clip, compare ounces and labels on other similar brands and meal plan -- these are all strategic ways to shop! Today, I had a few hours of mommy time thanks to my husband. That means I got to spend 2 hours doing the 3 things above instead of doubling that with a family trip or one with the kids. Take a guess how much a buggy full at the commissary was that filled up both freezers, our fridge and fruit basket on the counter?? Just 300$ and except for fresh needs, this will last us most of the month! It was nice shopping alone because I don't use my phone in the store and focus on just what we need, not the oreos calling my name outload, "Oh Jessica, you know how good I would taste dipped in your milk.." Somehow I even resisted Hershey's and bought some Ovaltine to combat the sweet urges and midnight cravings instead! Hopefully rice crackers will be just as good for dipping ;P Josh is down 15 and I'm only minus 6... I've got to get moving and fight off all the unhealthy urges to catch up, whatever it takes (praying he tapers off soon ;))!!!

How about those CDs?? Probably not what you're thinking...

I am not really sure what ultimately convinced us to want to start cloth diapering Jily, but apparently what people say is true - you will either love it or hate it! I think it also depends on your circumstances with childcare and your ability to schedule in the time it takes that helps it be a little easier... not to say it can't be done while working since many moms now work from home, plus also because I was one of those moms that breastfed with my first and went back to work full-time at 6 weeks! I just think cloth diapering Jak would have been much more difficult for his childcare providers than already having to keep up with the bottles and breastmilk I brought every day with him... I have heard how awful the CDCs here can be about expressed milk, so can you imagine asking them to "save" your diapers until the end of the day and change babies into another one?! Not to mention that so many people still respond negatively about how they believe it's unsanitary and complicated!
I agree that the way it was done 20 or 30 years ago would have been a headache. Pins to stick yourself and the kids with, ugly prefolds, bulky covers... Totally not fun!! Today though, there are different categories and tons of adorable designs! It truly takes trying an assortment of different kinds to figure out which ones are best suited for you and your baby! I just so happen to have a chunky baby girl, so the thickness doesn't bother me since the trim cuts don't seem to have enough coverage. I have had great luck with both cheaper and more expensive ones alike. I absolutely love Dearest Diapers online and Rana, the owner has given me solid, honest advice and assistance along the way. I was surprised too of learning how many friends that I have here that either did or do cd! How awesome it's been to borrow, buy and be given diapers for Jily! DD suggested not to buy a package of one brand, but rather buy and/or try a few of each kind and build a stash of our favorites!! That's what we've done..
Today I have been helping a close friend back home decide on a jump start to where she should begin. It's a hard position for me to be in because my thoughts are now that we have a "stash", our next little J could be completely built different and what worked for our daughter may not for him or her as well. But I'll go ahead and put what I've found so far on here about the ones I like and don't, plus a paragraph about how simplistic they are to care for!!
Our favorites on Jilyann are: Rumparoos, Flips, Grovia and SoftBums! The Smart Snugs, Sunbaby and Kawaiis are also good cheap pocket diapers that we've had no leaking problems with. I'm anxious to get my preorders of the new BumGenius and also the minky Itti Bittis!! There are only 2 that I don't use unless I'm running low or they are double stuffed for night: the fuzzibunz and G diapers. The fuzzibunz take me forever to stuff as opposed to all of Jily's other pockets since they are slim, and the G diapers are her only ones that all the smell doesn't completely come out of nor does the plastic liner look that clean to me (if you hear any secrets, please share!). If she poops too, I can't bring myself to put another insert in the shell no matter what shells they are either because she makes a mess nearly every time! I'm still pretty lost on understanding a benefit to cloth fitted ones even though I have 2 Thirsties, only because they require a cover and that's similar to the needs of a prefold, which I have never used, not even to stuff any diapers with yet. I do use all but 2 of everything Jily has on a regular basis though because with 30-40, that's enough to make it 2 to 3 days before washing. My retired ones are a huge purple foreign brand that came in a stack of 8 our wonderful friend Julianna made us a stellar deal on (then wouldn't take the money even), and a size 1 thirsty that was suppose to last up to 18 pounds and didn't fit right at 12, so I put away for either someone else to use or our next to come home from the hospital in cloth! I'm all about letting friends try some brands out we have before buying because I'm grateful we had gracious people that did the same for us! Big thank yous also to Stephanie and Charissa for stocking us up on supplies we wouldn't have probably tried otherwise!!
Now about care - don't listen when you hear it's gross or hard... Both are false in my opinion! It's never fun changing a poopy diaper, no matter who you are or if even they are just going in the garbage!! They make these wonderful things called liners now that sit on top of the inserts, so you just pull off and throw away or flush to help with those that can't get past number 2s! I have quite a lot of those myself (mainly because of the sweet friends I listed above), but honestly I'm saving them for when we take trips to the mainland, travel the islands, move or just are on the go if it's ever more than a couple of hours in the day. Fortunately we all are on a schedule, so I don't find myself inconvenienced yet by rinsing out the dirty ones if possible and/or throwing them in our wetbags. We are about to install a new diaper sprayer at home, and I bet that will be such a luxury!! There's a nice pail, compliments of my great inlaws too (who I forgot to mention provided us with our nice starter kit very graciously since yes the startup costs can get pricey) in our laundry room with a washable pail liner that all goes straight into the washing machine too (aka no stink lol). The first cycle is cold with no detergent and if possible set it to an extra rinse again. Then, you switch over to hot/cold and add in a cloth diaper safe detergent like Rocking Green or All Free and Clear (to avoid buildup and residue on diapers that effect absorbency) into the wash with that same extra rinse cycle. Anywhere from 1 to 2 tbsp of detergent is plenty because you don't want them scented, just clean. From what I've read, it's NEVER ok to add bleach or any stain removers either since they break down the materials in the fabrics. When you switch over to the dryer, it's important to put them on LOW heat to not ruin the PUL materials on the covers, making sure if you use velcro they are fastened in, and if some of the hemp or bamboo inserts don't dry then let them go for another half cycle or so (these are more expensive, but wonderful at soaking up wetness and much thinner than microfiber that I think is bulky for baby, hence they take a while longer).
Snap or hook and loop you may ask - I like both! Jily will eventually pull off velcro I'm sure (she already did that to the little Thirsty size 1 I retired), so the snaps are great. Josh prefers the snaps infact because to him it's easier, but for me when little bit is wiggly and I'm in a hurry, velcro just goes right on!!
The mister - what if your husband or other family isn't onboard? I think they will be shocked at just how easy this is! And might I add, HOW GREAT IT IS for baby's butt AND the environment... Research what's in disposables and that alone may make you and them cringe!! We went on a weekend retreat with the kids in mid-January and brought along our opened Huggies size 2s thinking that was the logical option staying in a hotel away from home.. NOPE! Josh made the remark repeatedly that he missed Jily's diapers and how gross the smell and texture of disposable are! While walking around Kailua with the kids last week infact, I bought my first Grovia shell in a retail store because they had a package of 50 diaper like inserts with it that are biodegradable and can be flushed (I cheated on Rana for the first time and hated it, but she doesn't carry these, I checked first ;0)!! I love this idea so much better than using disposables next time we go on vacation! My husband and I are tree huggers at heart though, so the concept wasn't ever anything I had to convince him to do. He wondered how much trouble it would be on me adding one more To Do onto our laundry list, but everytime one of my favorite of Jily's diapers is dirty, I am glad when it's time to do the prep work above so she can wear it again! I am like that about my favorite dresses and tops too, and don't get me started on Josh's board shorts that it seems I have to steal and take to the laundry because he wants to get the most use out of them (not as bad as it sounds considering he's in uniform at work until he gets home)!! I think if I wasn't quick about keeping our clothes clean, he would wash loads just to see them again hehe! Even Jakson likes to pick out Jily's giraffee diaper for the drawer, which is his favorite for us to put on her, or if that one has been worn he goes for another of the cute designs, especially for her bedtime after they have both been bathed and their nightly routines are complete! We have found that since CDing is already incorporated into our regular habits - anything else to us is strange!!
I'm sure there's lots more that I could write on the topic, and I do plan to share more as I learn more! The joke around here is after the kiddos are in bed, if I'm looking on the computer for a while, the silly comment now isn't about facebook, it's, "Honey, you know we don't need any of those cloth diapers you're looking at. Jily has enough." Dang, what can I say, he knows me well! It can definitely be addicting!! I like to watch youtube reviews and read about all the dozens of brands out there. I am looking forward to a cloth diapering book that's on it's way too! We all have some dork in us, and this is something I see myself always being a nerd about. Who blogs more about CDing than their intro or first post.... ME! Guess it's better to write about it for an hour tonite than to be salivating over the ones on my wish list...
I wanted to say too how much I love that Jily hasn't had one rash yet with CDs too.. Can't say the same for my little man because he had eczema as a baby, and still even has very sensitive skin, so the thought runs through my head occasionally if this would have helped him back then?! But he's a healthy and happy kid and I never even heard or knew of anyone that mentioned doing it. I think that's why Josh and I talk openly about it to friends and acquaintances that comment on our daughter's CDs. We are enjoying focusing so much on educating ourselves when it comes to our kids and all that's out there. We want to explore new routes and ideas, even if that means the road is less traveled sometimes.. CDing is a blast and we look forward to doing it until Jily is potty trained and with our next kid(s) too! :)

Jenesis, our beginning...

I wouldn't say our life is perfect, but we definitely have tons of things to be thankful for! I married my best friend of nearly a decade, and we just had our first daughter together in October of last year, Jilyann Grace. I have an adorable, outgoing 4 year old son from a previous marriage too, so we have the best of both worlds one could say! It's funny how many things I forgot in just the past few years, but it really does all come back to you and none the less, it is much easier the second round.

The hardest thing about marriage in general is compromise, yet we have learned to do that quite well. We balance each other out one would say very well. Josh is in the Navy, therefore he's the one who's always focused, on track and very goal oriented. I am a stay at home mom who can be described as creative, outgoing and abstract. Life for us is fun together! We enjoy raising our kids and doing things as a family, and that is the basis for most everything we do.

Our goals for 2012 are: to be debt free, continue eating healthy and organic foods, exercise and be in shape, and build quality family time into every single day! So far we are doing as Jakson says, "A great job"! It takes hard work and a routine, not to mention helping each other out along the way.

I hate to brag, although I can't not either... My husband is AMAZING!! I couldn't ask for a better partner in the fact that he wants to be here and do for us. Many women would love to have that, and trust me, I do appreciate him!! God's timing is immaculate because I look back through the years that have taken us both down long hard roads to get to where we are today, and we both can smile and say now it was worth it!

The things I look forward to sharing on here will be humorous and opinionated because that's how we want to share our experiences, lessons, parenting, marriage, projects, moves and all the other "stuff" that comes along with being a military family! I am glad you are taking the time to keep up with us, as we promise you an adventure... stay tuned!!!