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.

Pumpkin Decorating: kid friendly

Ribbon: http://digthisdesign.net/seasonal-design/fall/decorating-your-front-entryway-for-fall/

Jewels: http://formulamom.com/friday-five-5-halloween-pumpkin-whole-pumpkin-decorating-ideas/

Paint: http://www.inlieuofpreschool.com/a-fun-and-easy-way-to-paint-pumpkins/

Initals: http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/0f/13/af/0f13afb92b7fe11e2201ed83b34ff3da.jpg

Buttons: http://www.thepartyanimal-blog.org/40-no-carve-pumpkin-ideas/

Meal Plan Monday - Nov 10

I really am trying to get back to meal planning and posting on here. I shop for two weeks and then pick up odds and ends once a week. Not sure I'll be doing hauls, but we will see.

Meals:
1. Chicken Nachos
2. Beans with Sausage over rice
3. Baked Tilapia
4. Spaghetti with meatballs
5. Chicken Pesto Pasta
6. Baked Chicken Breasts
7. Italian Dressing Steaks

As always, if there is any recipe you are interested, let me know and I can post it during the week!

Slovenia - from the eyes of kids

Fall Fest 2014 - Aviano AB, Italy

ThE last couple of years we have been attending the Fall Fest on base. They have food booths, game booths, informational booths, bouncy houses, etc. They also hand out candy from the different booths. They do haunted houses and  cutesy house for the younger crowd. They also have beer and other things. To me, it's overrated but since my girls don't get to participate much in the Trunk or Treat that I host (because I'm too busy organizing and maintaining it), we take them any way. It is held in a parking lot and is very small. We were only there for about an hour. We got some candy, did a walk through sensory house, played with the pumpkins in the patch, and checked out all the costumes... aka people watched. We did eat, and my husband grabbed a beer.

The girls were obsessed with the ghost decor and insisted on kissing them :)

We also got a decent family picture!

Here's a few pictures from the evening.

Spain - Madrid Day 1

Our first day in Madrid was spent walking around and seeing the old historic town. The square of Peutra del Sol is a pedestrian only square that is always busy. We started our walk here that day and we saw many different characters and actors that were impersonating. I don't know about you, but when we travel we love to look at these. We even pay them for their picture if they are worth it. Our walk also ended here and there were even more characters and impersonators. I tried to get as many pictures as I could, but I did miss several. This square was definitely a top favorite for Madrid. 

Fun Facts about Spain

I thought since we are visiting Spain I would schedule some posts. Here is the first of a few scheduled posts. This one is going to be some fun facts about Spain.

As a teacher, these would be the things I would teach the students about Spain for a country project.

The Spanish name for Spain is España.
The Spanish language is spoken in many areas of the world due to the early influence of the Spanish Empire.
Spain is located in Europe.
It is a developed country with a high quality of life.
The largest city and capital of Spain is Madrid.
The second largest city is Barcelona, which is located in Catalonia.
The population of Spain in 2012 was around 47 million.
The currency used in Spain is the Euro.
In Spain they drive on the right-hand side of the road.
 It is believed that modern humans first arrived in Spain around 32000 years ago.
Mount Teide is the highest mountain in Spain (3718 m, 12198 ft) and an active volcano.
The Pyrenees is a mountain range that divides Spain and France.
Spain includes a number of islands including Mallorca, Tenerife, Ibiza and Gran Canaria. Many can be found in the Canary Islands, an archipelago off the northwest coast of Africa.
The Spanish tourism industry is one of the largest in the world, bringing in billions of Euros into the Spanish economy.
Spain produces a large amount of renewable energy, including wind power and solar power.
Spain has a variety of foods and unique dishes such as paella (a type of rice dish) and tapas (a range of small snacks or appetizers).
Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Spain.
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games were held in Barcelona.
For more information, check out maps of Spain or take a closer look at the Spainish flag.

If you could visit Spain yourself, what would you want to see? What would be your must-see thing(s)?