Lookee Here!

Lookee what I won!  My friend Marianne (the one who is coming to see me in February!) has a blog about their baby (Finn, the golden retriever) and has passed me the "Versatile Blogger" award!  I am honored to receive it!  Marianne and I met in grad school when we were hall directors together at the infamous Arizona State University and she was a reader in our wedding!

The award requires me to share seven things about myself, so here goes:
1. My kids crack me up.  Olivia insists on having all doors closed at all times.  No door shall remain open!  If a door is opened, it must be closed immediately!  This morning Wyatt told me that he wants to move back to Iowa NOW because it is way too hot here. When I reminded him that there is a lot of snow and ice in Iowa, he said "that's okay because I can make a hole in the ice and we can have a swimming pool.  But only for kids who are three, four, and five years old."

2. I am really, really, really afraid of driving over long bridges over water.  So living in DC was not a good choice for me.  My father-in-law used to take the "long" way and find a bridge to drive over (or under, through the water tunnel as is the case in DC sometimes) just to see me freak out!

3. That reminds me...I miss my father-in-law more than I ever thought, and think about him every day.  I especially hurt for my husband's loss and am so sad that my kids won't know their Papa!

4. Staying at home with my kids is waaaay better than I ever thought it would be. It is also way harder!  But they amaze me every day. I am so proud of the (usually) well-mannered little people they are becoming!

5. Being a military wife has been a huge blessing in my life.  It has forced me to become more flexible, adaptable, and patient - many things I still need to work on!  I love the friendships I have made, the places I have traveled, and most of all I am so proud of my husband and his service to our country!

6. I consider it a good day if I have not been pooped on, peed on, thrown up or spit-upped on.  However, I know that while the days may seem long, the years are definitely short and I am enjoying this crazy ride I am on called motherhood!

7.  I cannot wait to go to Taipei in a few weeks!!!! I am going with two friends on a girls' weekend and this will be my first weekend (first night, actually) away from Olivia ever.  I am super duper excited to get to travel and not have to plan around nap times and Mickey Mouse!!

And now, I am happy to pass the award on to my friend Nerissa, whose blog about her little ones never fails to bring a smile to my face.  She is full of great mommy ideas, fun family time, yummy recipes, and is the most thoughtful friend I have. She has sent us care packages for absolutely no reason since we first arrived on this island and they are always chock full of great surprises for me and the kids.  She just recently sent me a deployment care package and this is just one of the many reasons I love her!