2012? Oh, we live there!!

Who knew we would ever reach the year two thousand and twelve? It's hard enough to believe this little family survived 2011...maybe we'll just sleep the entire next year to make up for everything that's happened.

Things like Papa being gone for three freaking months to Ranger School, kicking butt as always.

Things like having a little boy running around trying to taste and tear apart and throw everything not nailed into the ground.

Things like taking command of a troop and FRG with no prior training.

Things like...the list can go on and on.

Seriously, though, this past year has been terrifyingly awesome. (I think I can add the word awesome into that phrase because I am now looking back on all that's happened.) It has been a year that has thrown us for more loops than we could have imagined, given us more hurdles and mountains that seemed way too high, and caused us quite a few opportunities to cry and wish this all on someone else- ok, that may have just been me.

I must say that looking back, I have learned more things I wish I had done differently but do not regret one minute of it. As a family and as individuals we were tested and grew as a result. I praise God that it is over, and (not so) anxiously wait to see what he has in store for us next year.

Eric, Aidan and I have been doing splendidly this past month. Since our change of command (out of leadership) mid December, we have taken the opportunity to relish not fearing a phone call demanding Papa to go into work as well as just relax and rest with one another. That time has been sorely missed these past three months of command. Christmas was wonderful; we've had two already, and a third to celebrate this coming weekend. Gosh do I love December. Birthdays and many Christmas celebrations!! Aidan is our official present unwrapper; he also attempts to be the official wrapping paper dispenser as well. Yuck. I look forward to the day when "no" literally means "no" to him.

Attached is our Christmas letter that we mailed out amidst the chaos of life. It's an extremely brief summary of our year- if I was to tell you all about it, we'd be here till 2013. At least.

2011 was a year that had many ups and downs, highs and lows. I look forward to seeing what more 2012 has to offer.

Happy New Year everyone! Oh, and rather than just looking forward to next year, I recommend looking back on this past year. Have you grown? Did you learn something? Are you thankful for something or better yet someone? What changed? Every year brings about some kind of change or difference. Don't forget where you were so as not to forget who you truly have become.




On a serious note, though, does anyone know how to convince your child not to eat or pull apart or throw anything and everything??

Grumpypants to Gratefulpants

The past few weeks leading up to the Thanksgiving weekend was quite a trial for me.

I had chosen to be closed minded and place my focus solely on the negative aspects in life. On top of that, I got so down and frustrated with the world's choice to mostly ignore and forget about Thanksgiving and go straight to Christmas. The only positive thing about Thanksgiving seemed to be the extra days off of work, the fantastic food, the great shopping deals. The meaning of the holiday seemed forgotten. Obscure.

Eric and I have followed a tradition begun by his parents; prior to Thanksgiving breakfast, each of us at the table present five items we are thankful for. Normally I spend the days before the meal thinking of what I am thankful for- sure, I was thankful for the children the Lord has blessed us with, an amazing and supportive husband- but what else? Why can't I see what else the Lord has blessed me with?

By the time family arrived and I had begun preparing breakfast for the next day, I finally started to recognize what my heart refused to see. I allowed everything seemingly going wrong in my world- being so sick with this pregnancy, struggling to handle Aidan's sudden surge of energy and stubbornness, depression at Thanksgiving being demoted, wishing for more time with my ever busy husband, etc. Once I recognized and submitted my failure to see God rather than the world, I suddenly saw just how much my family and I have been blessed.

Praise the Lord for his goodness and mercy; praise the Lord for loving someone as misguided and unfocused as me.


To sum everything up, the food was quite yummy, the family time unforgettable, the shopping good, and the time to be reminded of just how good my God is was priceless.

Oh, and of course a few pictures. Of course, I was too busy, sick or exhausted to do much as this growing baby is taking up just about all of my energy and health, so my mom was good enough to take some pictures. Here are just a few:

A tasty view of a Thanksgiving dinner plate at the Southern Ruff house

Our sleepy, full and quite content little family

What woman couldn't be thankful for what she has so clearly been blessed with?

Smileytimes!!

Yep, I've definitely got my thankful pants on.

One Year!!

As of 8:24 this morning, my baby turned one year old.

Say WHaaaaaaat????

Where in the world has this past year gone?

It has been ahhhmazing to say the least. This little boy has wedged his way so deep into our hearts. He is so precious to us and a never ending source for laughter and joy. Some frustration and ringing ears too, but of course we dont talk about that :)

Along the way, Eric and I have learned some life lessons that Aidan has so graciously taught us. A few of them are:

It is very possible to have poop the colors of the rainbow.

It doesn't matter what it is, it can (and will) go into "the ole piehole."

A baby can be stronger than you. (Have you seen the preview for that tv show "Up All Night" ? Every time we see previews of it, we say "hey! That is so true!")

Unrolling toilet paper is fun. Rerolling it is not.

Dropping plates on the floor is not cool. And they are always drooped at the quietest time in the restaraunt so they are heard EVERYWHERE.

No matter where you are, there is always time to add a new toy to the collection.

Baby sizes are not actually for the actual age baby is. (For example- Aidan is currently in 24 month clothing. So not 24 months old.)

House cleaning can in fact be done in less than an hour...during nap time.

Electronics are the most fun toys to throw across the room.

Joy and love grows continually, and never fades no matter how frustrating the situation.

Aidan, you truly are one of the best things to ever happen in our life. It is impossible to imagine life without you. You have filled a void we never knew we had, and continually praise God for blessing us with what we did not know we needed.

From birth to a year old to the day I die, I will always be thankful for you.

Hey Ya'll!

I know, I know, this post has been a long time coming. Upon Eric's return, Aidan and I have been so greedy that we didn't want to share any of our time with anybody. Whenever Daddy had to leave us, we just moped all day long, wishing he would come back soon.

Not really.

Ok, well, maybe a little moping.

Anyway, there have been a ton of changes and surprises since Eric's homecoming, and while I wish I had taken the time to continually blog about it, I kinda just revelled in it all. Sometimes I panicked and stressed, but overall, it was glorious.

Upon return from our cruise, I got pretty serious about getting involved with our particular troop's FRG (family readiness group). Very simply put, its the social aspect of the troop where the families have opportunities to connect. I started to get involved as just a member, but Eric and I found out some verrrrryyyyy interesting news. He was to become COMMANDER of his troop.

This does not happen. Not to a 1st lieutenant. Ok, so it happens extremely rarely.

The troop's current commander was leaving, and until they found a replacement, Eric was next in line to take over. So this is step up for him, but not necessarily permament. He does not get a raise (bummer) or a new rank. Just a whole lot more work and responsibility (boo).

As the commander's wife, I am leader of the FRG. Tada! So after not being involved at all, and just beginning to be involved, I am now steering this thing. Oy vey. Anyway, I have been super busy trying to learn the ins and outs of the troop, the frg, who is who, who does what, and all that fun stuff.It's been tough, it's been stressful, it's been terrifying. Beyond all that, though, I'm excited to get my hands dirty and be so involved with this. I get to plan events- thanks God! :)

Speaking of events, this morning was Eric's change of command ceremony. Even though the command is temporary, they had a whole ceremony and reception shindig which was again, terrifying but a blast. I don't know when I've been prouder - watching my husband step up and take command of over 100 troops is truly incredible. I truly believes he deserves this, can do this job well, and glorify God in this whole thing. As well as glorify the 82nd Airborne. But God first of course :)

Anyway, pictures were taken of the event, but we do not yet have them all. We hosted a small reception afterwards to the guests and troops- I had a blast doing it. Just some fruits and veggies and a cupcake cake (which, by the way, is my new favorite thing) with some drinks. Yum. I will post those pictures soon for you all to enjoy with some explanations. Promise.

Uh, will someone hold me to that promise, please?

Canada, Eh?

After eating and sleeping lots upon his return from Ranger school, I quickly learned what my husband really really wanted: a cruise sans baby. We have missed every anniversary since being married, and have been apart almost as much as together this past year. With a baby added into the mix, we have sorely missed some husband wife lovin time. And so that is what we did. Within days of planning, we had booked a cruise, dropped the munchkin off in Philadelphia, and boarded a pretty big ship to head north.

It was a truly amazing time. I don't think we knew just how much we had missed one another. I have been blessed with truly one of the best guys out there, and this past week was such a reminder to me. My joy and love for Eric has grown more and more since we've been married, and this cruise has only served to deepen my relationship with him. Forgive the deluge of pictures, but here are a few favorites. I'm sure more will be on facebook soon.

We were excited to say goodbye to noisy New York City...

And hello to breakfast with a view.

There were lots of fun times on board- playing pingpong, sleeping late, listening to comedians late into the night, having your choice of musicians in various rooms, dancing at 1 am, eating every hour on the hour, going down the (freezing cold!) waterslide, watching for dolphins and whales, on and on. We even played bingo and won! Thanks to my lucky hubby :)

We explored two cities in Canada, and greatly enjoyed them. We walked all around the towns exploring the architecture, history, food and beer of the place. We left each place quite satisfied :)

It really was an amazing time on and off the ship. It was much needed for Eric and I, and a memory that won't soon be forgotten. And of course we're already wishing we could do another one, like, tomorrow!

Oh, and in case you were wondering, we didn't have ALL fun times on our vacation. There were some serious thinking moments :)

Aidan seemed to have a good time too. He even learned how to write and leave us a message upon our return! Thankfully, he came home sooner than his Poppi's original plans.

A True Classic

Nifty Fifties. A place that will always be near and dear to our hearts, and make us always walk out regretting whatever we just ate. And yet, Eric and I continually go back every chance we get.

Once Eric finished Ranger School and knew we would be heading up to Philly, he knew we needed another Fifties vist, baby in tow. I mean, come on, why not introduce Aidan to one of the greatest, nosiest, greasiest places in the world? No, he did not have a milkshake. He can have one when he's older. A lot older.

Aidan was a bit unsure of all the hype this restaraut was bringing, but he soon found out just how great this place is.

A very happy and full family of fatties.

Isn't he the Cutest??

Then vote for him!!!

I was bored one night, and was reading through some old emails and saw an advertisement for a cute baby picture contest. Aidan is a cutie, and so I entered him. He is in the running!

The voting is for this week only- it ends the 7th. I have included the link to vote at the bottom of the page. You can vote once a day, every day this week. Will you help us win this?


http://photos.parents.com/category/vote/photo/1000925

Thursday Can't Come Soon Enough...

Because I'll finally be able to see my husband after being apart for so long!

This is the scene I look at every time I cook, wash dishes, prepare my or Aidan's dinner, do pretty much anything in the kitchen. The word RANGER along with the plastic soldiers is a mental reminder to pray for my husband as he continuously battles day in and day out, hour after hour, to complete this training course to get a Ranger tab.

It was a volunteer course; one Eric did not have to do. It's not exactly something you eagerly sign up for. It is at least two months of hardcore training, sleepless nights, little food, physical and mental challenges that you can't even dream of. To complete Ranger School and get that Ranger tab is an honor. It's an honor Eric has wanted for an extremely long time.

Ranger School is split up into 3 phases- two take place in Georgia and are comparative to a desert and then mountain phase. The third is in the swamps of Florida. Little to no sleep is gotten each night, and the men are continuously battling the temptation to just give up and drop. If a soldier does not complete the phase to his instructor's expectations, he must do it again. And again. And again. Some men are there for months just trying to complete.

Eric has determination. He has drive. He has strength and focus. So do so many other good soldiers we know that weren't able to pass each phase the first time through. And yet, those little Ranger soldiers were a reminder to pray that Eric would keep going and push through every step of the way. I had faith that with God's goodness, Eric would pass through and be home with us as soon as he possibly could.

Praise the Lord, I can take down those little soldiers because I am driving to Georgia on Thursday to see my husband and attend his graduation on Friday. During the ceremony, I get to walk up to him and pin on his tab that he worked so hard for and totally deserves. It's been a long two months, but my man is coming home :)

Watch Out, World!

Yes, it is true- our son is officially dangerous!

He has been trying to walk the past two weeks or so, but no cigar. However, within the past two days he has been on fire. I have noticed that if he spies something or is really on a mission to get somewhere, he crawls. Walking, however, seems to be quite fun in his mind. In mine, well, let's just say I panic every time because he sways a bit too much for my comfort.

I caught this tonight while he was playing before going to bed, but it is a rather short trip for his normal walks. He has walked the length of the kitchen before spying something and dropping to his tush to get there faster. Today the toy of choice was one of my spatulas, if anyone is interested :)

When he sees the camera, walking is no longer foremost on his mind. I will continue to try and get a longer trip out of him though so you can all see just how big my little man is getting!

Behold! A New Post!

Yes, I am in fact alive. Thank you all for being so concerned ;)

Forgive me for being remiss in keeping this blog updated; last week our church had VBS and I was busy keeping track of 6th graders. Not an easy feat, I assure you. It was a week of fun, laughter, frustration, awareness, and all around gratitude for the opportunity to participate. A post will come later once I upload pictures and whatnot.

In the meantime, Aidan and I have been keeping busy making a mess of our house, trying to stay cool,learning what does and does not belong in our mouths, and discovering all the fun ways tupperware can entertain us for hours on end. There are a lot of ways, I promise!

While I go join my son in the tupperware fun and moan about the mess I have to clean up tonight, I leave with some photos sure to bring a smile on your face.

Oh, and an update on Eric: He remains in Florida, and I have heard nothing from him since arriving there. The humidity is high, and I'm thinking spirits are low as they have been at this craziness for quite awhile now. Prayers are again appreciated, and letters too! I will hopefully be hearing from him the on the 1st for news of pass or fail so that Aidan and I can head down south to see that handsome husband of mine. It's been far too long. Please continue to pray for me as I work to stay strong for this family, continually reminding Aidan of his papa and how much he is loved.

And now, for some joy:

Aidan stayed in the nursery during VBS, and while all other kids played and yelled and screamed bloody murder, my son found a little time to take a nap :)

We're attempting to learn the use of silverware. So far, I think the consensus is that hands are much more useful at putting foods in or around our mouths. It may be hard to believe, but most of the food did in fact end up in Aidan's mouth!

Busted

Remember when I mentioned toilet paper as being one of Aidan's new favorite things?

Consider yourself caught, little man!

I Consider Her Blessed

It has been a long nine and a half months, and we have been remiss in not including our dear friends and family in this beautiful path we have been set upon. our small family of two was joined by one of the sweetest, most precious little boys anyone could ever imagine. Aidan has made such an impact on us, I can't imagine life without him.

I pray that with the beginning of this blog, our loved ones can be included in some of the most memorable times of our lives. we may be far apart by distance, but our hearts and prayers are much closer than you may think.

Regardless of the sleepless nights, the frustrating days, the ringing ears, and even the seemingly unending and oh so generous gifts of poop, pee and drool, i find myself one of the most blessed mothers on Earth. Here are just a few reasons I love being Aidan's Mama- for some of you, you may be able to smile and know exactly what I'm talking about:

When I say no, Aidan gives me the most innocent, sweet smile he can muster, melting my heart and resolve.
Upon greeting someone in the store, he emits the highest pitch squeal and brightest smile possible.
Raising one eyebrow will forever bring a smile to my face, and nervousness for teenagedom.
Eating includes becoming squirrel like- so much so that upon smiling at me, some of that hoarded food has no where to go but back out.
My little boy doesn't just sleep- he does it all out by flaying arms and legs as thought reaching for the stars.
Before he could successfully crawl, he traveled by "army crawl." Every once in awhile he reverts back to it for old times sake.
The passi is spit out as soon as food or drink is presented to him.
No matter what, his eyes light up and his smile brightens as though I was the greatest person in the room. No matter wat I do, I know I'll always have one fan.
His hair is so fine it sticks out every which way, mad scientist style.
He is fearless- no matter how hard he falls, he gets back up and continues exploring.

What food group does toilet paper fall under? It is definitely Aidan's new favorite food.

When done eating or drinking, Aidan smacks his lips and waits for me to laugh. Without fail, we both know it will happen.
We have regular dance parties, usually started by him.

The list can go on and on: My days are ever brighter and better because of this little boy. I consider myself extremely blessed with two amazing men in my life, and due to one being away right now I look to my baby as the current man in my life. The days I have on this earth are numbered; I pray that I live them all to the fullest and brightest. As I live them, I love the opportunity that I have been given to be Aidan's mother, and I look forward to loving and cherishing him more and more.