Just a few

Here are just a few of the pictures that I took of the boat leaving the other day. I will post the rest later. I got some really cute ones of all of the kids watching it go by.

Show us where you live!

It's Friday! I know I haven't been blogging this past week. Sorry. Justin was only home for about a week and a half and now he's out to Sea again. I wanted to spend as much time as I could with him while he was here and the fact that we both got sick didn't help anything!

Head on over to Kelly's Blog to see who else is showing of their kid(s) rooms today!

Remember- We live in Military Base Housing. We make due with what we are given. My house might not be the most amazing space in the world but for us, it is perfect. I do not paint walls for the fact that I would have to take the time to get them all back to white before we leave and sometimes when you are only given a months noticed that you are moving painting is not something you want to do.

This is Landon's Room

When Landon was really little I knew I wanted to do a Bug theme in his room. We had bought a really cute duvet cover and I wanted everything else to match it. For the LIFE of me I couldn't find anything. So I gave up. When we moved to Connecticut I decided to try again. We got Landon a bigger bed (Full) so using the old duvet cover (that was a twin) was out of the question. I was online looking at all of the different kids bedding that comes in a full and I found this! AND IT WAS ON SALE!!!!! So The hungry caterpillar bedroom was born.

The Leaf we got at Ikea. The big 4ft caterpillar I got in NYC at F.A.O Schwartz. I love that his headboard is a book shelf. It makes bedtime reading a lot easier.

Hundley sleeps in there every night so I guess it's his room to.

His sheets are my favorite part of his bedding. I know I'm crazy for giving my 4 year old white sheets. Lol.

Even his curtains match! I love that he has curtains mostly because the sun comes up right into his windows. He knows how to pull them back once he's awake.

The View from his room. His room is on the 3rd story of our house so he gets a nice view of the "valley".

Koda the dinosaur. He got this for Christmas and he just loves it! He plays with it almost every morning.

His chart. I love that the apple fits his room theme but I love that he's getting more responsible and knows he needs to do all of these things before bed.

Landon's closet. It's a huge walk-in. I took the door off and hung the cool green thing (lol) that I got from Ikea. He loves that most of his toys are in there and I like that it doesn't seem like a closet since it has a window and everything in it.

See! Nice window in his CLOSET!

His dresser is also in his closet. It's out of the way and easy to get to.

His Sailor duck he got while we lived in New York.

I had to get the whole set when I bought his furniture since I want him to have it for a long time.

Here it is open. I'm picky of when he gets to watch movies in his room. But I like that when he wakes up in the morning he will turn one on and play for a little bit before wanting to go downstairs.

I'm still sick so I don't have the time and/or energy to get on here and post. I will be back soon I swear!

Friend Makin' Monday

Good morning! It's friend makin' Monday again! Head on over to Kaseys blog to join in on the fun!

Today's task: Copy and paste these questions to your blog and give them your own answers.

You wouldn't be caught dead where?: A strip-club. I just couldn't do it.

Do you have any hidden talents?: I can crack my toes by flipping up onto the backs of them. Justin freaks out every time.

Name two things you consider yourself to be very good at: Loving and cooking/baking.

Name two things you consider yourself to be very bad at: Being patient and letting go.

Have you ever won a trophy?: Yep a few. I played soccer for a few years and we won every year and I also danced competitively and our squad was pretty good.

Name one thing not many people know about you: I'm always sick but i'm too much of a chicken to figure out why. I know a few things that add to it but not the whole reason.

Name your earliest memory: Sitting on my sisters back pulling her hair. It was the first time I remember fighting back when she was mean to me.

What was your favorite musical group in jr. high?: Honestly....Oasis. My love for them started in the 6th grade.

What was something the worst roommate you ever had did?: Justin is the only person I have ever lived with. He once pinned me down and spit on my forehead. Does that count?

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?: A Police Officer.

What was your worst dating experience?: I've only dated Justin. Ummmm but when we were 16 we were going to a drive-in movie and we ran out of gas. I was pissed. He ran to the gas station and got gas. I laughed about it later but I wasn't happy at the time. We still had fun at the movie though.

If you were about to die what would your last meal be?: Wow. Pork chops in mushroom soup.

Who is the most important person in you life?: Justin. Without him I wouldn't have Landon and the amazing life I have.

If your house was on fire what 3 things would you grab on your way out?: If I knew The boys and the animals were out safe.....My purse (it has my camera with my memory card in it), My wedding album and my jewelry box (it has every piece of jewelry I own in it).

Feeling a little crafty

Last week while I was cleaning out my laundry room I noticed that I still had all of my maps and such from my trip to Bahrain. I knew while I was over there that I wanted to make a shadow box to go downstairs next to the one that I made for our first eagles game. So I grabbed everything and sat down to get it done.

All of my stuff laid out getting ready to start.

Right before I glued everything down.

Adding the sand that I made Justin put in a ziplock bag for me the last day we were there.

Adding the BD (Bahrain coins).

Finished. I went back and added the movie stub from the movie we went to while we were there. I like the finished product.

I want to make one for every big trip we take but for the life of me I can't find good cheap shadow boxes like these. I guess I will just have to keep looking.

He's home-ish

The Sub came home today. I'm glad that they weren't gone long this time, as the next one will be a little longer. I like it when they work up to the longer ones. Briana, the kids and I all went to watch them come in. It was really foggy today so it got pushed back a few hours and when we got to Avery Point it was still pretty hard to see, so we still had no idea if they were going to be able to make it in. Sure enough out of the fog we saw them coming.

The top two picture are from Avery Point.
The middle two were going under the bridge.
The last two were while we were driving down the road snapping pictures. Lol.


Justin was able to come top-side for a little bit to say hi (he has duty tonight). Landon was so happy that he was home. He hung onto him like he hadn't seen him in months.

While we were standing there Michael's little boy thought that Justin was HIS daddy (they have the same-ish build so it wasn't too far fetched they also all look about the same in the blue coveralls). He grabbed onto Justin's legs and bawled. He didn't understand why he was holding Landon and not him. It was really the cutest thing I have ever seen.



Justin will be home bright and early tomorrow morning. So he's taking me out for a late Mother's Day breakfast. I'm so excited to have him home. No matter the amount of time he's gone I always miss him so much.

Thursday Review

So a lot of these movies are just now coming out on DVD but a couple have been out for a little while. Most of these we have watched on vacation within the past few months so I haven't seen them in a little while.

Four Christmases

We were surprised at how much we liked this movie. It was really funny.

If you haven't seen it. It's about a couple who always go away for the holidays so they don't have to spend it with their families. When their flight is delayed and their families find out about it, they are stuck trying to visit everyone in their families in one day.

Marley & Me

Really cute movie. My only thing negative I would have to say about it is that it doesn't really have a climax. You just sit and watch (which isn't a bad thing) and the movie just gos.

If you haven't seen it. It's about a family and their dog who they claim is "The worlds worst dog".

You laugh you cry and you have a great time watching.

Benjamin Button

We really liked this movie a lot! It was very long so get ready for that. It gets a little slow in parts but it never gets boring. I would recommend everyone watching this one.

If you haven't seen it. It's about a man who is born old (around 80-something) and as he grows older he gets younger. It has a really great story line.

Seven Pounds

Great movie. We really got into it. I don't really have much more to say then that.

If you haven't seen it. It's about a man who is doing extremely nice things for people. At first you have no idea why or what exactly he is doing for them, but it slowly starts to unfold.

Bedtime Stories

Kid pick. It was really cute and funny. Landon loved it because the action always changed (because of the stories). The kids are great in this movie and everyone loved Bugsy.

If you haven't seen it. It's about a man who is watching his niece and nephew. Every night he tells them a story and it comes true (part of it anyway). But the kids control the stories....not him.

Yes Man

Good movie. It was funny. It was just another "classic" Jim Carrey movie. He's the funny guy.

If you haven't seen it. It's about a man who has to say yes to everything. He gets in some crazy situations and once again has to say yes to whatever is asked of him.

No books to review today. I have taken a short break for the "Chronicles of Narnia" to read "My sisters keeper" before it comes out in movie form.

Rain or shine?

The weather has been so odd here the past few weeks. Yesterday I stood out on my back patio and looked to the left, all I saw was the sun shining and blue skies...then I looked to the right, it was all grey and nasty. I could actually see the storm coming in. Sure enough, 20 minutes later lighting was cracking and thunder was booming. Me being the great mother I am decided that I needed to check the mail. Landon really wanted to come with me so I made him get all of his gear on and out the door we went (i couldn't see the lighting so I figured it was fine). We had a ton of fun running and laughing while trying to get to the mail box as quick as we could.

Standing on the walk-way getting ready to run for it. Yes he is wearing shorts....and they had monkeys on them.

I love him. Also I love all of his rain gear! As soon as he grows out of it I will be getting him more.

Landon's plants as of yesterday. They are HUGE at some point we are going to have to replant them outside.

TATT. Pork chops in Mushroom soup!

Happy Tuesday! Click on the button to head on over to Andrea's blog to see who is joining in!

Today I have the recipe for Pork chops in Mushroom soup for you.

This is a recipe that I grew up eatting. I have always loved it. We don't have an exact recipe because my family kinda made it their own.

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Also just so you know I HATE MUSHROOMS but you can't taste them in the soup, It just gives it a little extra flavor.

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Ingredients

Boneless pork chops (4)

a cup or two of flour

Seasoning salt (I use Johnny's but anything would work)

Pepper

Lots of butter (salted)

Can of mushroom soup

Milk

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Cooked white rice (at the end)

(This is the seasoning salt we use. They don't have it on the East Coast so my parents buy the massive jug and send it to us every few years.)

Directions

1. Put flour and seasoning salt (a few shakes, also add pepper to taste) in large ziplock bag. Run pork chops under water to make sure you have no unwanted bones. Toss each pork chop to coat in flour mix.

2. Put a lot of butter (so the pan is coated) in the pan. Brown pork chops on both sides on med. heat. Make sure both sides are nice and brown.

3. After they are nice and brown, add mushroom soup and one can of milk (I like to mix the milk and soup in a different bowl first). And make sure you don't take the extra butter out of the pan it makes the sauce have a better taste.
4. Bring soup to a slow boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer on low for about 1-1 1/2 hours. Make sure you turn the pork chops a few times while they are cooking (just not too many times. I normally flip them every 20-25 min)
5. Serve over hot white rice.

The gravy is the best part!

Landon's plate.

My bowl.

You can also do this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cream of chicken soup. All of the directions are the same. But I wouldn't cook it for quite so long. Maybe 45 min to a hour.

I hope you enjoy!

Interview with Landon

I thought this would be fun. I asked Landon and bunch of questions and let him answer them any way he wanted.

1. What is something mom always says to you? Pick up your toys.

2. What makes mom happy? That I do what you ask right now.

3. What makes mom sad? When you ask me to do that one thing and I don't do it.

4. How does your mom make you laugh? By making my favorite funny face

5. What was your mom like as a child? You just wanted to be big.

6. How old is your mom? Maybe like 9 (sure I can handle that)

7. How tall is your mom? Very tall..like this!

8. What is her favorite thing to watch on TV? Sometimes you like to watch cartoons with me

9. What does your mom do when you're not around? Just stuff that you can do by yourself

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? For going to church

11. What is your mom really good at? Counting and ABC's

12. What is your mom not very good at? At trying to turn a fork into a stone (no idea where this came from)

13. What does your mom do for her job? To keep me safe (Got a little teary here)

14. What is your mom's favorite food? Toast

15. What makes you proud of your mom? When you fix the printer (aim high)

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? Maybe like The Little Mermaid

17. What do you and your mom do together? Do art & crafts

18. How are you and your mom the same? When I grow big we are the same

19. How are you and your mom different? When I'm little I'm different

20. How do you know your mom loves you? when you hug me I know you love me

21. What does your mom like most about your dad? When he comes home from work

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go? The museum

I was laughing so hard when he was answering. Can you tell we are working on cleaning up the house and keeping our bedrooms tidy? Hahaha.

Happy Mother's Day

Being a Mother is the greatest gift in the world. When I got pregnant I didn't think it was true, so I lived in denial for a few months. I didn't think I would be a good mom, I didn't even like to babysit! But when I had him it was love. I never knew I could love someone I just met so deeply (Corny but true). Now four years later I still wonder how deep my love can run. It never ends.

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Justin and I have a good partnership when it comes to parenting. We think a lot alike so we never fight over how to take care of a situation. I thank God everyday for the family he has given me. On this day my husband is not home, he is somewhere under the Sea. But I will take the day to remember how blessed I truly am to be a mother.

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Here are a few pictures from the last few days that remind me of how precious life is.

Landon and Hundley fell asleep on the couch together. I had no idea Landon was even tired. I was on the phone with my sister Kat and she ordered me to get off the phone and take pictures. So I did.

Landon's plants are growing. They are even bigger this morning so I will have to take a picture at some point.

He still runs to check them every morning. He's having a problem with not touching so we are working on that. But it's so fun to watch him be so excited because HE planted them. He says that Daddy will be very excited to see them when he gets home, and I'm sure that he will.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and a Happy Mothers Day.

Quality

I used to always think that I could and wanted to be friends with everyone. I wanted everyone to like me and I didn't care if I honestly didn't like someone, I would still be friends with them. Not necessarily acting like we were best friends, just never telling them what they did that I didn't like.

Over the past few months I have taken a turn on my outlook. It's an old saying but it's true "It's not quantity it's quality". Who cares if I don't have 15 friends who are really half friends at that. Having 5 really great friends here who I know I can trust with my life is more then I can ask for. I love my friends and I can be honest with them when they do something that bothers me. Most of them know not to ask me my opinion if they don't want my 100% honest answer. But I still find it hard to let go of those friendships that I know are no good for me. Maybe I just slowly stop talking to them or maybe we even have a huge falling out. Either way I feel refreshed. I'm happy with who I am and where I am in my life.

Being a navy wife can be a lot like being in the 9th grade and I'm over it. I'm not out to make anyone happy but me and my little family. My friends love me for who I am and that's good enough for me.

Show us where you live Friday! Living rooms!

It's Friday again! Head on over to Kelly's (click the button) to see who else is showing their house. This week everyone is showing off their living rooms! Once again we don't really pick our houses so it's not the most amazing thing you have ever seen!

This is Moxee. She doesn't like the camera when the dog is anywhere near her. Sorry I tried.

Part of my living room. Like the AC unit? I guess New England doesn't believe in Central air.

Living room. I love our couches. We bought them when we lived in South Carolina and I think they will be with us for a very long time. If anything gets on them Huggie's wipes takes it off (even black shoe-shine!). I think the coffee table is my absolute favorite...it's padded! So it was great having a toddler. He would fall and hit and I never had to worry about a cracked head.

These are the pictures Justin brought home from Deployment. I took two from each place and framed them. I love it!

And these are our homecoming pictures. I like to change the pictures in these frames every three months or so...But I can't seem to bring myself to take those out.

I like our lamps. I could do without the tables but for some reason my husband loves them. We keep our dogs toys under there and I swear he makes more of a mess with his toys then Landon does. I'm framing all of Justin's awards he's gotten this past year and I need to hang them but I never have the time!

Looking into the living room from the main hallway.


Kitchen to the left hallway and stairways to the right.

My husband's baby. Also his chair. When he's home I have to push it back into it's spot every morning.

We love watching movies. Can you tell?

Our basket-O-shoes. We always go outside so we have most of our shoes in the second floor. The green bowl has random outside things for Landon (hats, gloves, scarf and socks).

My chair. Justin and I fight over this spot when we are watching movies. It was in our bedroom for a while but after the x-mas tree moved we needed something to fill the spot.

This is the doors out to the backyard. I like that they bring in so much light during the day.

Living rooms from the past!

South Carolina
Long but not very wide. I could move the furniture anyway I wanted and it would fit, which was nice. This was taken just a few weeks after we bought the couches.
Tiny TV. I'm so glad we got rid of that entertainment center we had way too much crap on it.

New York

This living room was so small we could only put the furniture one way. Back behind is my chair, our old computer desk and the door to the backyard.

There is that entertainment center again!
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Random side note. I've been looking at all the great things lately on Rue la la (it's a members only kinda site thing...lol. They have certain boutiques that are only open for 2 days with REALLY great sales!) . Go here if you want to check it out! http://www.ruelala.com/invite/krowan01 They have the best stuff!