Three months!

Our sweet little boy is three months old as of this week!

I can't believe it.  It has gone by so quickly, yet at the same time it seems as if he has been with us for such a long time!
Here are a few recent pictures of our sweet little man.  I got a new app on my phone that I am quite obsessed with.  You can take regular photos and change the effects on them.  I am not artistic at all, so this makes me feel like I am.  Humor me!
Ryker is growing like a weed and is quite chunky!  He is nearly 15lbs (according to our scale at home) and has almost grown out of every item of clothing that is 3 months or younger!
He is getting really good at holding his head up during tummy time

And he is becoming quite the chatter box!  He laughs  sometimes, but only for John or when he is looking at himself in the mirror!
It has cooled off quite a bit here.  I had no idea it actually got cold in Arizona!  It probably only lasts about a month or two, but it is nice to pull out the sweaters and Ryker could wear his new hat from Aunt Doodie!

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here and he is enjoying all of the lights everywhere!

Speaking of Christmas, we went to a Christmas party at a friend's house and take a wild guess at who got roped into playing Santa!  I think he actually enjoyed himself!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas.  We're looking forward to flying to Texas for Christmas and the New Year!

My Thankfulness Journey

Well "Thankful Thursday" only really lasted two weeks this month.  We have been traveling so much and it has been difficult to get to a computer, but I am still determined to write what I am thankful for each day of this month.  For the final day of November I am completing this series.
22. Facebook
OK, this sounds cheesy, but without it I would have a really hard time keeping up with my friends and family.  Sure I have people on my friends list that I probably wouldn't spend much time with in person but I am so grateful to be able to see what is going on in the lives of my close friends and family since I live so far from most of them
23. Extended family
I have a lot of cousins and I am thankful to be close to so many of them.  John is close to his extended family as well.  We were able to spend Thanksgiving in Las Vegas with John's family and we had a great time with so many family members!  I have to post this picture of my little man all dressed up on Thanksgiving. 

The cuteness is almost too much to take!
24. My car

I'm sorry I refer back to our time in Japan so much, but living overseas really makes you so thankful for some of the things we have in the US!  When we moved back to America we bought a new Honda Pilot.  I have never had a new car before and I am so grateful we were able to buy this one.  I absolutely LOVE it!!!
25. John having a job
After recent trips to large cities like Los Angeles, San Diego, and Las Vegas, I have become even more thankful that John has a job.  It seems as if you become more aware of how many people are homeless when you visit large cities.  There are so many people who are not as fortunate we are and have lost their jobs and homes.  His job isn't an easy one, but I don't think he is at risk of losing it any time soon!
26. Dates

It has been a while since John and I went on a date, but thanks to my cousin Cami for watching Ryker while we attended the Marine Corps ball, and John's parents for watching him while we were all in Vegas, my husband and I have had two evenings out by ourselves!  Dates are now much more meaningful since we do not have them often.  When Ryker gets a little older and we get to know more people around here, I hope to have nights out with my hubby more often!
27. Black Friday...or the lack thereof

I absolutely hate Black Friday.  There is nothing I could possibly want, or a bargain so great that I am willing to wake up at 2am and fight crowds for.  Thankfully stores are offering some great deals on their websites so I can shop from the comfort of my own home!  On the news this week, I saw stories of several people who were seriously injured during the Black Friday mayhem.  No thank you.
28. Healthcare
A great benefit of being a military family is not having to pay for healthcare.  After seeing the bill from the hospital when Ryker was born, I am so thankful we did not have to pay a cent!
29. Being an American
America can get a bad reputation sometimes, and of course there are so many problems our nation faces, but there is such pride we can have in being Americans.
I must share the blog address of a friend of mine.  She and her husband just welcomed their fourth child into their family...a little girl from China.  They will be on their way home soon with their sweet little girl.  Please pray for a smooth transition for all of the members of their family!
http://usmcfamilyoffive.blogspot.com/
30. Being blessed

I must say that I am flat out blessed.  Not lucky, not fortunate, but blessed.  I have to give thanks to God for all of the incredible blessings He has given me and my family.  Looking back at my life I have seen blessing after blessing and I know they are from God.
I hope all of you have taken the time to pause and reflect on all of this reasons you have to be thankful and I pray we remember them throughout the year!

Thankful Thursday...a little late

I am way behind on my weekly thankfulness journal!  We were traveling all week last week, so I didn't take the time to write anything down.  Thanksgiving is only a few days away, so I better get caught up!
Here we go!
15. I'm thankful I can stay at home with Ryker

I never thought I would be a stay at home mom.  I was on the path to being a career woman, and then I married a Marine!  We move every 3 years or so, making finding a job difficult.  I worked at our church in Okinawa dealing with all of the church finances, but when we moved to Arizona we decided that I would stay at home.  Besides, who would hire someone who was 7 months pregnant at that time?  If you would have asked me five years ago if I wanted to stay at home with my children I would have said no, but now I am so grateful that I have that opportunity.  I wouldn't have it any other way!
16. Ability to travel
John and I have always loved to travel, even if it was just for a short road trip.  We were not going to let having a baby stop us from continuing to travel (although it does slow us down quite a bit and we don't pack light!). 

John had to work in San Diego last week, so we took advantage of the long holiday weekend before he had to be at work there and visited friends and family in Los Angeles and San Diego. 
Ryker also met John's great uncle Bill Ryker who is 92 years old!

17. The ocean

I miss seeing the beautiful water that surrounds the island of Okinawa, so I was excited to head to the other side of the Pacific!  There is something so majestic about the ocean.  You can't help but stop and stare at the beauty of the water.  John wanted to capture the moment Ryker put his feet in the ocean for the first time. 

Needless to say, he hated it!  It was cold, so I don't blame him!  I hope he loves the water.  We plan on taking him to swimming lessons as soon as possible so he is not afraid to get in!
18. Chick-Fil-A
If you don't like Chick-fil-A then we cannot be friends anymore.  I grew up with this one of a kind fast food restaurant and I am so glad they have expanded and have stores all over the US so the rest of America can taste the goodness! 

During Ryker's first trip, he got to meet the Chick-fil-A cow!  He is destined to love going here!
19. Laughter

Ryker laughed for the first time today!  He giggled twice when I was singing to him.  I'm not sure if that is a good thing or bad thing because I thought I had a good voice, but it was adorable nonetheless!
Laughter makes everything better.  How could you possibly be upset about how your day has gone when you hear laughter?  Could you imagine how dull and angry this world would be without it?
20. Marines
Ok, I know I already wrote that I was thankful for the military in a previous post, but the Marines are special.

Last week we attended the annual Marine Corps Birthday Ball.  Every year, Marines all over the world celebrate the day (November 10, 1775) the Marine Corps was created.  Marines have such pride in who they are and what they do.  I am so proud to be a small part of it as a Marine wife!
21. Hair stylists
Alright, this sounds cheesy, but I am sure most of you ladies understand.  It is such a pain to find someone good to do you hair, and then in a few years one of you moves!  Finding a new hairdresser is worse than finding a new doctor!  Luckily I found a good one here and did the cliche new mom thing and cut my hair off! 

There is a lot less hair pulling in my house now!

Thankful Thursday

Week two of a month of remembering to be thankful for all that we have:
8: Weekends with John
John is currently an instructor at a weapons and tactics school.  When the school is in session the classes run for 7 weeks.  During those weeks he has to work Monday-Saturday.  When you have a baby a few days before the class starts, that adds to the chaos and stress!  The class ended last week, thank goodness, and I have my husband back for a short time!  We have only had one full weekend so far, but it was so nice to have John around and I know he was happy to have more time to spend with us!
9: SLEEP!

I knew that my sleep would forever change when I had children, but I had no clue what I was in for!  Last week, with the exception of a couple nights, Ryker started sleeping through the night!  Well, he is ranging from 5-7 hours in his longest stretch, but that is amazing compared to 2 hours at a time!  I feel like I can be a better mom when I have had just a little more sleep!
10: DVR
This is the first time we have had a DVR and are now hooked!  When we lived in Nevada, it was not an option with our cable service, most likely because we lived in the middle of nowhere!  Of course it was not offered when we moved to Japan, so we were excited to finally step into the modern world and experience having a DVR!  With crazy sleep schedules, we won't miss our favorite TV shows!  Hey, sometimes it is the little things you are really thankful for!
11: Living in America

Our time in Okinawa was, well...long.  Don't get me wrong, we experienced some amazing things while living there that would have never had an opportunity to experience had we not lived overseas, but we are happy to be back.  It is nice to be able to easily call family and have them call back without spending a small fortune.  It is especially nice not to have to travel 20+ hours to see our family and friends.
12: Time spent in Okinawa

As much as I complained about living there, I never thought that I would miss it when I left.  I really don't want to go back, but I believe John and I grew so much during our time there.  Although he was gone more than half of the time we lived there, our marriage grew stronger because we had to rely on each other.  We were also able to travel to some amazing places like Tokyo, Thailand, and we explored the beautiful island of Okinawa.

13: Friends
The lifestyle of a military family is one of constant change.  When you move far away, especially to the other side of the world, you find out who your real friends are.  I am so thankful for those amazing friends that have stuck by my side through the years.

I am also so grateful for the amazing friends I made in Okinawa.  There is something about that place that brings people together.  I had the pleasure of meeting some wonderful women that I will never forget and will always have a special place in my heart.  This picture is so special to me.  It was taken at my baby shower in Okinawa and it is the only one I have of some of my favorite girls all together!

14: This little guy

My nephew, Cade. 
Isn't he adorable?
In the last week I have heard that twice he has told his mom and then his grandma that he wanted to see me and Ryker!  It melts my heart!  It is hard not seeing him grow up, but we are so excited that he will get to meet his newest cousin next month!

Only two more weeks to go until Thanksgiving!  What are you thankful for?

Weekly Obsession

First of all, I have to mention that my sweet little man is two months old!  I can't believe it.  He is changing every day and it seems as if each week he does something new! 

He is smiling a lot.  This is the first real smiling picture I was able to catch with the camera! 
Ok, now back to the weekly obsession!

Have you heard of a website called Pinterest?
It is a virtual pinboard where you can find and organize things you find on the Internet.  It is a site that is hard to describe, you just have to use it a little to figure it out, but it is a lot of fun!

I have found some great recipes, great tips on cleaning, Do-it-yourself projects, crafts and all sorts of fun things!
For you iPhone users, the app is free and pretty easy to use.  Try it for yourself, but be sure you have a little time on your hands, it can be addicting!

Happy Halloween!

I have never been one to "celebrate Halloween", but I will take any excuse to dress up!  This year John was actually home, so we set up a few chairs outside in the driveway along with the rest of our neighbors and passed out candy.
Our little banana was a big hit!  Everyone loved seeing him all dressed up.

He wasn't exactly thrilled
But he eventually just passed out!

Last night we attended a late Halloween party and dressed as the Spartan Cheerleaders from SNL!

I tried my best to get John to do "The Perfect Cheer", but no luck! if I ever get him to, I'll be sure to sneak a video of it and show it to you!

Thankful Thursday

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and this is always a time for us to focus on the things in our lives that we are grateful for.  Every Thursday this month I intend on writing about seven things I am thankful for; one for every day of that week for thirty total things I am thankful for. So here is my list for week one:
1 and 2: These boys

I am so blessed to have a beautiful, healthy baby boy. 
I thank God every day for Ryker and I am so grateful that he is perfect in every way.  I think sometimes we take for granted the fact that our children are healthy.  So many parents are not so lucky.  Their children spend their lives in and out of hospitals, a scenario that some of us cannot even imagine.  Even though having a newborn baby can be exhausting and frustrating at times when you don't know what they need, I am truly grateful that my little boy is perfect.

That little boy's daddy is one of the best men I have ever known. 

I am thankful to have such a wonderful husband who works hard and really does everything in his power to make me happy.  Quite honestly, I couldn't ask for more, except maybe that his job didn't take him away from home so much.  You know we all have had that mental checklist of the qualities we hope for in our spouse, this guy has them all!
3: Our military service members
As a military wife, this one hits close to home.  You hear people always say "Support our Troops", and I sincerely hope they mean it.  These men and women literally sign up to sacrifice their lives for people they don't know and even people who do not believe in what they are doing.  I have such respect for what they do and the sacrifices they make.  I know so many military wives whose husbands have missed the birth of their babies, missed birthdays and anniversaries (mine included), and I even know a few who have made the ultimate sacrifice and gave their lives.  This is one of my very favorite photos.  It is the day John came home after being in Afghanistan for 7 months.  I will never forget this day!

This life is most certainly not an easy one for both the families and the military members alike, but their job is incredibly important and our world would be a much different and scarier place if it were not for them.
4. My parents

I wasn't exactly the easiest child to raise.  I know, I know, some of you are shocked, but it is true!  I am sure with a lot of prayer, my parents got through those tough teenage years and I am forever grateful for making me who I am!  I am blessed to have such wonderful parents and wish I could see them more.
5. My brothers

I love these boys.  I haven't lived at home in 11 or 12 years, so I had to watch them grow up to be amazing young men from afar.  Every time I go home to Texas, I have to be sure to see them and spend time with them.  I am so thankful that they are such great guys and I can be close to them even if we live far apart.
6. My in-laws

Some people may think I am crazy for putting this, but I have married into a good family.  I have heard some horror stories about crazy in-laws, so I am thankful I don't have any of those!  Even John's extended family is great and a lot of fun.  I am really lucky!
7. God
Yes, I know this should be number one, but without Him, none of these other things would be possible.  I am grateful for the tremendous amount of blessings He has given me!

Well there it is, week one!  I know these are the typical things people are thankful for, but they are the most important.  Next week I'll try to be a little less sappy!

Weekly Obsession

I am awake at all hours of the night thanks to this little guy (more on Halloween later):

and during that time I cruise the Internet (thank goodness for iPhones!) for new ideas for recipes, crafts, home projects and more.  I decided to go ahead and share the things I have encountered that I love!
I absolutely love my crock pot!  I have used it for years, but not as much as I have recently.  Of course being a mom of a newborn I have to find ways to make dinner as simple and quick as possible so my poor husband doesn't live off of peanut butter and jelly for the next few months!  I have scoured websites for the best recipes for meals from a slow cooker and I have found some great ones.
As some of you saw, last week my beloved kitchen appliance bit the dust...or the kitchen floor rather.
Dumb and dumber, better known as Zeke and Mischa, our two 80+ pound dogs pulled it off the counter.  Let me go ahead and say that they have never done this with anything I've had in the crock pot before.  This day, they were incredibly hyper because they had not had exercise in three days, and I left the house for the second time that day.  Factor in leftover pot roast still in the crock pot from the night before (hey, I've been a little busy), and it was a recipe for disaster.
This is what I came home to:

So if anyone knows of where I can find a good home for these lunatics, let me know!  I'm kidding (sort of).
Today, I bought a new, and of course better one and have already put it to good use!

I will have to add a second "obsession" to this blog post, but it goes along with the first.  The free "All Recipes" app for the iPhone is fantastic! 

There is a button called the "Dinner Spinner", where you can choose your type of meal (breakfast, dinner, appetizer, etc.), ingredients (chicken, fish, beans, chocolate), and finally cook time OR slow cooker!  Pick you three and click View Matches, and a large list of recipes comes up! Give it a try, like I said, the app is free!

Some of my favorite slow cooker recipes:
BBQ Hawaiian Chicken
http://sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com/2011/06/crock-pot-hawaiian-bbq-chicken.html

The world's easiest pot roast (I add carrots and potatoes)
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/awesome-slow-cooker-pot-roast/detail.aspx

My own recipe for pulled beef or pork:
One beef or pork roast (usually beef...I'm from Texas!) approx 2 lbs
One white onion cut into large chunks
Your favorite BBQ sauce (I either make my own, or use one bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's)
Place it all into the crock pot and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 6 (or until the meat easily falls apart)

My friend Brandy's Chicken Tacos:
-1/2 a packet of Taco Seasoning or you can use the whole packet (your preference.  I actually make my own taco seasoning because it has very little sodium)
-1 can of LOW SODIUM chicken broth
-1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes and liquid
-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
-Salt and Pepper
-1 avocado (optional)
-1/2 chopped sweet onion (optional)
-1/2 chopped or sliced red bell pepper (optional)
-Light sour cream
-Salsa
-Soft taco size tortillas or pitas

*In a large bowl or big measuring cup pour the chicken broth in and use a fork to whisk in the taco seasoning mixture.
*Spray the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
(I use those Crock Pot Insert Bags and it helps so much with clean up!)
*Open the diced tomato can and pour all contents over the bottom of the slow cooker.
*Lay the chicken breasts on top of the tomatoes and pour the broth/seasoning over that.
*Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours- chicken should fork apart easily. Just keep an eye on it towards the last hour or two and if it is too hot or cooking too fast then put your crock pot on warm.
*Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked chicken to a large bowl and use 2 forks to shred it up. I add some salt and pepper at this point as well.
*Use the slotted spoon to get all the diced tomatoes out of the slow cooker and add to the shredded chicken. Then use a tablespoon and add about 6-8 spoonfuls of the liquid from the slow cooker to the shredded chicken bowl and stir it all up! Top with red bell pepper, avocado, onion, light sour cream, and salsa, or your favorite toppings!  So yummy!!!