28 July 2010

GUEST BLOGGER: My Husband, TSgt Roe

Finally. 6 weeks in the Air Force's Non-Commissioned Officer Academy (NCOA) culminated with the usual fanfare at the Elmendorf Base Theater. I would say that finishing the Academy is bitter-sweet, but that would be a lie. It's just sweet. Never have I so desperately wanted to just get back to work than through the last 45 days.





The ceremony was simple: walk across the stage to the diploma-bearing Colonel, "shake-take-salute", then walk of the stage. My brand-new commander, Major Davis whom I hadn't met at this point, hopped up from his seat to introduce himself and congratulate me as I made my way back to my assigned seat. Then, we all sang the Air Force song, and went home...right? Not quite...





There was still the graduation dinner. A very formal affair, the graduation dinner consisted of speeches, awards, and of course, dinner. So, dressed in my semi-formal uniform, I picked up my lovely date, Krysta and we made our way to Anchorage's Dena'ina Center. And so, I spent the next 3 hours schmoozing my new commander (I'll need that later when I reapply for Officer training), eating steak that was passable, and wondering how in God's name the Academy staff decided who the award winners would be.







All-in-all, while the Academy is something I'm happy to be done with, graduation day was fun. And now, let the brain-dump begin! FLUUUSSSSHHHH!





As a treat for Krysta being so well-behaved, she got ice cream. Of course, it HAD to be pink!


26 July 2010

Days like this.

It's days like this that makes my world go 'round. Days like this where I'm absolutely tickled from my finger tips to the tips of my toes. Days like this where I feel like I'm the richest woman in the world. The richest in love, because I'm blessed with these two beautiful children. If my love for them is a string, it would wrap around the world more times than I can count. They've given more joy and happiness than I've ever thought possible.




















Everyday is a blessing. Watching their little bright eyes soaking up the world around them, I can't help but to wonder what's going through their minds. Oh how I would love to dive into their soul, to see wonder and beauty through their eyes. There's so much to learn through the innocence of childhood.





















As I'm photographing them, I start to daydream. Daydreaming about a few years into the future when William is three years old. He's laughing with a frog in his hand, chasing after his big sister, who is shrieking and yelling, "MOOOOOOOOM,TELL WILL TO LEAVE ME ALONE!" I daydream about William walking around with earthworms in his bucket and his pants falling down because his pockets are full of rocks. I daydream of Krysta laying in an open field of crisp green grass making flower wreaths for her hair, watching song birds and monarch butterflies soar across a bright blue sky full of white cotton balled clouds.

Our future looks bright and beautiful. Full of happiness.





















That's the key to life, you know. Happiness.

My mom once told me that all you need in life is your health and to be surrounded by people who love you. How simple is that? Very. If you want to be happy, just be.

It's what we all strive to do, whether we realize it or not. We're all on different roads of life. Seeking. Searching. Finding. Discovering.













Walk the path of your yellow brick road. And when you do, it will be lined with golden sunshine, boys and their frogs, girls and their flower wreaths, and so much joy- you'd thought you died of an overdose of pure sheer happiness.











"The best vitamin to be a happy person is B1." Author Unknown
So go out and get your daily dose!

17 July 2010

A 48 hour Saturday

I love it when Fridays feel like Saturdays. It sets the pace for a perfectly perfect long weekend. It’s totally a placebo effect of having two Saturdays in one, but I dig it.



I also love it when I get a major urge to clean. Yeah, I said the C word- CLEAN! And of course, it’s even better when the urge hits me on a Friday- for the reasons above.

Cleaning allows me to clear my head, to relieve stress, and most importantly, to allow a clean, healthy environment for my babes to play in. The freshness, the sparkle, the intoxicating lavender smell - it’s all good! Today I’m tackling the nasties- you know, the toilets, bathtubs, the litter box. We’re going to war and I’m armed with the best- Clorox, Magic Erasers, Febreze- I’m going in, in full force, swinging my arms with toilet wands and Murphy’s Oil, all in the name of Healthy Living. My latex gloves are strapped on, my war paint is applied, and I’m roaring my loudest battle cry- let’s do this thing! No dust bunny stands a chance against this “domestic homemaker”! When I’m done executing my plan of attack, my house will glisten and shine for the next 24 hours or less, then it’s back to square one, baby!



So, with that said, this marks the end of a long week and the beginning of relaxing weekend. And relaxing we will be!



I going to work on some Etsy items for the shop, www.littlefishboutique.etsy.com, possibly open up a second shop (Little Fish is looking a bit like a smorgasbord at the moment), and Ron is going to work on stripping and re-staining my sewing table- which, by the way, I can’t wait! I’m going to sew children’s clothing, work on my hair pieces, and I will paint my smaller oil paintings on that piece of beautiful wood!





I know what you’re thinking- too many hobbies- um, possibly. You just have to sample a bit of every piece to find the right flavor- after all, you CAN have your cake and eat it too. So what if I’m still sampling- I’ll find what works best for us…eventually.

As we're wrapping up another Fabulous Friday, I'm loving digging my nose in my baby's neck that smells like sweet lavender.





Enjoy your weekend, everyone!











Em