This is the life

Can you believe we had this much fun all before 10 am?

































Just another day in the life of baby Brooks.

"Thank You" isn't enough

Zach and I are fortunate enough to have many people in our lives who have helped us get where we are today. We have our parents, our grandparents, our relatives, our friends, our coworkers, our doctors, our neighbors, and even random strangers. Everyone has in some way shape or form molded us into who we are today and they continue to mold us...some need more molding than others :) Without them, who knows where we would be or what we would be doing. I have many people to thank and I try to thank them as often as possible, I want them to know how much their time and energy is appreciated. But someone who I don't thank often enough is my hubby Zach.

Sometimes I get so caught up in the things I'm going through, to even realize what he has been sacrificing. It's so easy for me to dismiss his sacrifices by easily saying "Well did you get 8 full hours of sleep?" or "How many dirty diapers did you change today?" But as I was leisurely sitting at the park this morning with my little boy, watching other moms pack up their kids for daycare, I realized how selfish I have been. Without Zach making us the "big bucks," I would never have that time in the morning, or afternoon, or evening.

I would be working during the day, finishing school at night, and dreaming of the day that I got to actually see my son. But instead, while Zach lives in North Carolina, finishing up his selfless 4 year term for the US Marines, at the same time supporting my entire family, I get to enjoy watching my son crawl across the room with his crocodile in his mouth


Or get so excited on our trips to the zoo





Or go on morning walks just he and I


Or see how he interacts with the ones who love him so much




Or get to live in such a nice, safe place that we enjoy



Or even watch him throw a temper tantrum



So the next time I catch myself starting to complain, I will remember that Zach doesn't even have the opportunity to complain because he is sacrificing for our family and for our country. Thanks so much babe for everything you've done and everything I know you'll continue to do. Brooks and I are so thankful to have you and cannot wait to have you here with us!

Mini Vaca

This past weekend Zach and I were lucky enough to enjoy a weekend to ourselves in South Carolina thanks to Zach's mom and dad! Zach's mom Jan actually got us the trip for Christmas last year and she also came to Columbus to watch Brooks for a day, and then Zach's dad Bob finished off watching Brooks the following three days. We are so thankful to them because we really enjoyed our weekend getaway!

I flew into Jacksonville, North Carolina and Zach and I made the trip together to Kiawah Island, SC (about a 5-6 hour drive).







We stayed 2 nights in a scenic villa in Kiawah. The first night we just went to the beach and spent time together and the second night we went to a BBQ restaurant on a golf course. In the little pond we saw probably 3 or 4 big sized alligators and two little baby ones. I didn't get a great picture but you can kind of see them in the distance.









Before the vacation was over, we stayed ANOTHER night in Charleston. I'm obsessed with Charleston, it's so beautiful. And Zach likes it because of the history. Last year we went on a rated R ghost walk through Charleston that was pretty funny, but this year we just walked the streets together. We went to the straw markets of course, and a couple different restaurants. We went to the hotel pool, and a few bars. It was so weird to feel like we had no responsibilities. I was on a break from school and we had no baby to take care of.







Zach got this nasty meal in Charleston that was like a pot that you would find at the end of a rainbow filled with soup and seafood instead of gold. There were so many different types of seafood all still in the shells floating in there. He even had a toolbox of things to crack open all his food, I was disgusted. And he eventually became grossed out too, especially after half the food ended up in his lap. He put in so much work to get such small amounts of food, exactly why I do not like seafood...plus it tastes bad! But I actually tried some, that was a big step for me!





Boy did I miss my baby though. He's a man on the move these days. He can climb stairs, pull himself up on the couch, crib, or table, and walk around the room as long as he's holding onto something stable. I just put up some baby gates so he's somewhat tamed, but he does let them ruin his fun!





We're going to try to go to ComFest (Community Festival) this weekend in Columbus. We'll see what we can get into and I'll be sure to bring the camera! Enjoy your weekend.