Thursday, January 15, 2015

Husband Leaving Again

I've come to realize our life is really boring. We are stuck on such a routine, and I really have no idea if it is a good thing or not.

We wake up and get A to school. Then I will do my mommy thing - errands, meetings, working out, paperwork, housework, etc. By the time school pick up comes around, I go and pick up A. We come home and do our evening routine. They watch a movie and play while I cook and clean. My husband comes home, then we eat dinner and do our bed time routine. This is what our weekdays consist of.

I really don't know if this is a good thing or not. I don't go to base much since I live 30 minutes away. When E and I go out there, it is at least a half of a day worth of errands. I only do it when I have to. Of course living in Italy, there is the language barrier. We don't have other Americans in our town. The closest ones are in about 15 minutes from us. Needless to say, I don't socialize much.

I have taken on a new volunteer role. I am now a Key Spouse for our squadron here. I really enjoyed helping and supporting others in england. I was definitely happy when they asked me to do the same here. I was, of course, more than willing. With that, I have more meetings and socializing but still only a couple of times a month.

Thee is no drama in our life. No unexpected stress and anxiety from people. We really have great friends in our lives. There are never any conflicts or tension between us. It's crazy because I really pushed myself away when I got here from socializing too much and causing the pain I felt I endured in England from people who I actually cared about and considered to be great friends. This is definitely a great thing, but it also makes life boring.

We are in a point in our lives where we are strong and extremely independent. I think most military families who move away from family can understand this. After having the girls, we focused more on our time with them and as a family then having friends and a support system. People don't understand that when we say we have never been away from the girls that we mean it. A stayed with my family once when we went home for about 3-4 hours while Mr. Man and I went to dinner and the casino. When I went into labor for E, A stayed with some of our good friends until E was born. Then Mr. Man went and got her. Ever since, they have been with us. Except, of course, for A starting school last year.

Our weekends are focused around the famlily. We travel, take them to play areas or toy stores, the zoo, science museums, etc. We have fun. We do things we want to do as adults, but we also involve our girls.

Life right now is simply in amazing. Everyone is happy and healthy, and we have no complaints.

It's amazing to see how your life evolves as you grow, mature, and bring new family members in. 10 Years ago when we started this journey, I never would have thought this is where it would lead us.

With that said, Mr. Man is gearing up to leave us for a couple of months again. Over the summer he left and was gone for 3 months. He is actually doing the same TDY, but he will be only gone for 2 months. He was tasked for this last minute due to some other people being removed from the roster. At first I took it hard. Anyone who knows me knows that I have always been supported of my husband's career and his duties, but this time it was different. Yes, I was and am supportive of his duties. But this time around, the reason for him being tasked for this TDY was because of two individuals and their irresponsible decisions. I was bitter and angry for a few days before I finally accepted it and found peace. I've never been one to be upset when he has had to leave. I have never cried when he has left or moped around. That was never me. The hardest part about this one is that 1. he isn't making money from it. What he is getting is barely enough to cover his expenses there. But 2. These peoples actions are also being paid by my husband and our family, which is why is was bitter. I have finally found peace though, and even thouh is still disagree with the individual's actions, I have accepted the new adventure we have been presented with.

I thought a nice just written from the heart blog was long overdue. I really have neglected just writing. Writing has always been a therapy session for me.... but I never really feel like I need it any more, which is a good thing I think. Any way, life is good. Despite the minor bumps, we are enjoying and loving everything about ourselves, our family, our life, and how we are growing.

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Christmas 2014

We hope everyone had a Merry christmas. We had a very casual and relaxed Christmas day!

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Verona Zoo

Villach, Austria 2014

Recipe: Fruit Salad

The girls love their fruit. If I allowed them to only eat fruit for every meal, they would never object. I found this quick (but healthy) way to make a fruit salad when our favorite fruits aren't in season by using frozen fruits.

Ingredients:
1 small box of instant pudding mix of your choice
4 bags of frozen fruit

I generally use vanilla or cheesecake pudding mix. For the frozen fruits, I generally do 2 bags of mixed berries (the girls' favorite), 1 bag of peaches, and 1 bag of mango. We've done lots of varieties and do I change it up often.

All you do is put the frozen fruit in a bowl. Sprinkle to pudding mix over the top. Cover and place in the refrigerator until thawed.

I generally make let it thaw over night. As the fruits thaw, the juices run causing the pudding and fruit to mix. Before you serve, be sure to mix together until well combined. The pudding and juices make a nice sauce for the fruit.

My girls go through this so fast. I have to portion size for them or they would eat it in one sitting. Most of the time I can get 3-4 days out of it by doing that. Keep refrigerated and covered to hold freshness.

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Stocking Stuffer Ideas

Do you have a hard time trying to figure out what to put in your children's stockings? If so, here's some stocking stuffer ideas for preschooler and toddler. These are some of the things the girls will also be getting.