Happy Anniversary!

It's funny, just a few weeks ago I was driving the old southern maryland commute to go see my husband.  You know, the awful 270, 495 traffic ride!  A ride that I can pretty much do with my eyes closed at this point.  This was a ride that I once took to meet my future husband, a ride I took to see my boyfriend, a ride I took to pick my fiancé up from a year long deployment, a ride I took to interview for a new job, a ride that I took as a newly wed filled with all my loot to move in, a ride that we took with a new baby after visiting Grammy and Poppy for the weekend.

As I was driving, all of these memories came flooding back to me and I was reminded of how grateful I am for each memory.  This was our first home together and the place we started our journey as a couple and then parents.  Here we are, 2 years later, and look at the adventure God has brought us so far!  Phew, I cannot believe all the changes we have experienced in just 2 short years of marriage, but I wouldn't change a thing!  Never in my life did I think we would be where we are right now, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!  I am so looking forward to what the future holds and thankful I get to share it with my handsome husband!

Happy Anniversary husband of mine!  Another wonderful year in the books!  

Back on the East Coast

Phew, it's been quite some time since I have written on here! Life just gets so busy sometimes and time goes by so quickly! I'm sure you all can relate! This boy of mine is keeping me on my toes at all times of the day. Gone are the days of sitting Micah down and knowing he will not move!  What a joy it is to watch him grow and explore life!

Micah and I are now on the east coast for a while spending time with friends and family! We had a LONG trip home, but it is so good to be here.  I think everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong. And of course it was my first time flying home with a baby.  We counted that we spent a total of 17 hours in the airport/airplane.  Did I mention that my flight was supposed to be a direct flight to NJ totaling 9 hours and 38 minutes!  Flight delayed, lavatory issues, re routed to Ohio, more lavatory issues, waiting on the taxi way, more waiting, and finally feet on the ground! I felt like I lived on the other side of the world after that trip! So happy to see my sister and law and best friend there waiting for us at the airport, I even had tears in my eyes!

Since getting home we have been busy busy spending time with everyone.  I love seeing the joy that Micah brings to all of my family.  They all love him so much, this time with him means more to me then I'm sure they realize.

We miss daddy a lot, not sure when we will be seeing him again, but I know Micah and I are both looking forward to that!  We are taking lots and lots of pictures, so he won't miss out on anything!  

Currently, we are in North Carolina on our way to the beach for a Bergstrom family vacation!  3 wild boys and 7 adults, should make for a fun and memorable week at the beach!  Oh yeah, and my best friend is home from Africa with her sweet little boy and will be at the beach the same time, God's timing is so perfect!!!

Here are some pictures of our time back on the easy coast so far.  Fireworks, Fourth of July, park fun, cousin time, and just hanging out...we have been busy!

Happy Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day, yes I did use the word happy.  We have spent some time reading about the true meaning of memorial day and what it is all about.  The history of the day is very insightful.  This is a day to remember those who have lost their lives while fighting for our freedom.  So why do we use the word happy for such a somber day?  To me, we should celebrate the lives of these great people who laid down their own lives, so that we can be here today.  These were not just any ordinary people, they were soldiers, true American heroes.  The sacrifices they made for our freedom are beyond words, I cannot even imagine what it must have been like.  So thank you to all those who made the ultimate sacrifice, I am eternally grateful for your act of service.

It was interesting to read that the flags are raised and then ceremoniously lowered to the half-staff position until 12 noon.  This is to represent those who lost their life while serving our country.  Then they are raised to the top to represent the brave men and women who are still fighting for our freedom today.  They will pick up where they left off and continue to fight for justice.  I never knew this, but am glad I did a little research.  What a special day to celebrate!  It is so much more then cookouts, family, friends, fireworks, and American Flags.  Had people not fought for us, we would not be here today to do all of the things that we enjoy so much.  The day means so much more when you actually know what it is all about, pretty cool huh?  I hope you took some time today to remember those that lost their life while fighting for yours.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Zero-and-a-half

I cannot believe that it has been 6 months since Micah was born!  Phew, time has flown by.  In the past 6 months, our world has completely changed.  Not only did we welcome a sweet little boy into our family, but we also left our comfortable life in Maryland and moved as far away as we possibly could (while still living in the United States).  I can't wait to share all of this with Micah one day when he is old enough to understand.

Micah is turning into this little boy right before my eyes.  I was just looking at pictures and thinking to myself, was he really that small?  My cuddly little boy has turned into this roly poly little guy who has to grab everything and put it in his mouth!  And according to all of our friends here, Micah is crawling. It is his own makeshift version of crawling, but he gets where he needs to go.  He is up on all fours, moves his feet and then face plants and repeats the process until he reaches that tasty flip flop or tv cord : )

Ahhhh the memorable moment of this weekend.  Yesterday, we thought it would be nice to venture to the beach for a few hours in the morning.  On the way there, we heard some noises coming from the back seat, do you catch my drift?  Sam said maybe we should swing by the house and change his diaper before we head to the beach.  My response was nah, he will be okay.  Well, boy was I ever wrong!  This boy was covered in head to toe with green goodness!  I mean everywhere!  Car seat, arms, legs, hands, face, pacifier, and probably even his mouth!  We went through an entire thing of wipes before we even stepped foot on the beach.  Needless to say, mom and dad got a good laugh!  It is time's like these that I will never forget and will be sharing with Micah at his 16th birthday!  Lesson learned:  keep an extra pacifier in the car and an extra set of wipes.  That way you can always call for back up!

Happy 6 months Micah Robert, thank you for always keeping Mommy and Daddy on your toes!

Then

And look at me now!

Mommy and Micah

Blessed!

Mother's Day is just about wrapping up here in Hawaii and what a wonderful day it was!  Although according to my husband, every day is mother's day in our house (awwww, isn't he sweet?).  Was hoping for a relaxing day at the beach, but figures, the one real rainy, dreary day of the year happened today!  A little rain didn't stop us from enjoying our day!  We spent the morning at church and then ventured up to the North Shore seeking waves, turtles, and some yummy food.  We saw some ehh waves, but we did see one large turtle lounging on the beach!!  Enjoyed some tasty coffee and ended the day with some garlic shrimp at one of the famous shrimp shacks in Hawaii.

On a daily basis I am reminded how blessed I am to be a mommy to Micah.  Yes, it is a lot of work and means lots of sacrificing, but it is so rewarding!  I wouldn't have it any other way!  It is hard to imagine our lives without this little guy!  The smile he gives you when he spots you from across the room just melts my heart.  And that giggle that belts out of his little mouth when you tickle him, you can't help but laugh right back.  Or when he puts his arms out and reaches for you, it gets me every time.  Don't get me wrong, he is a little stinker sometimes too, but even still I am over flowing with love for him.  He is our big bundle of joy and I thank God for him every single day.  

This little boy is growing up right before my eyes and I am trying to soak in every minute of every day with him.  I have made a point to enjoy every moment with Micah, whether it be rocking him to sleep, playing on the floor, walking around the neighborhood, riding in the car, changing diapers, and even waking up in the middle of the night.  I am blessed to share in each and every one of these memories with Micah because one day, they will be distant memories, ones that I will cherish forever.

People always said that being a mom will change your world forever.  I believed it, but didn't know how much it would change my world.  The minute I laid eyes on my handsome son, my world had forever changed.  It is no longer about yourself, but about making a life for your son.  I am so thankful that God chose me to be his mommy, what a ride it has been already!

Stressful, yes....hard-work, yes....confusing, yes...challenging, yes....but at the end of the day, the good always outweighs the bad.  And I am so thankful for all the mommies I have around me that offer their support, encouragement, advice, and lending hands.  Your help means more to me then you will ever know!

Check out this huge turtle we saw at the beach today!

My wonderful family!

Here you are guys, a little wave action!

This is the life

I love this little boy so much!

Hanging out at dinner 

Romy's Shrimp Shack (rustic, but quite tasty) It is a must to do when visiting the North Shore

A Girl's Best Friend

As Mother's Day is quickly approaching, I figure this post is much needed.  My husband has been out of town all week on travel for work, so it has been me, Micah, and the 2 dogs all week!  It has been a fairly quiet week, some time with friends here and there, but nothing beats the company of my husband.  Things always feel a tad bit off when he is away!  I very quickly realized all that he takes care of around the house and stuff that I know absolutely nothing about.  I actually created a mental list of stuff I needed to find out from him for when he is actual gone for a significant amount of time and I can't always call him up with my silly questions!

Anyways, the week is coming to an end and we all survived!  The dogs have managed to learn how to walk with the stroller after being run over a few dozen times.  A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!

As I was playing around on pinterest tonight I came across this quote that said, "A daughter is just a little girl who grows up to be your best friend."  I couldn't say it any better!  I am pretty sure I have called my mom every day this week just to chat.  Most of the time I did not really have anything important to discuss, but just felt like talking!  I know it makes my dad crazy, but there is just something about a girl talking to her mom!  Thanks mom for helping me out this week, you truly are the best!

It seems like the older I get, the more I appreciate my mom.  Not that I did not appreciate her before, but I just learn more and more of what she does for me as I get older, especially now that I have a child of my own.  After having Micah, I now can see a glimpse of how much you love me and all that you have done for me over the years that I never even thought about.  Thank you for all that you do for me and for supporting me in everything I do.  Thank you for scaring away the boogie monster time after time and thank you for kissing all my boo boos.  Thank you for always listening to me when I need it and thank you for always saying the right thing when I need it the most.  Thank you for reading to me and tucking me in every night.  Thank you for giving up sleep to cuddle with your sweet baby girl in the middle of the night.  Thank you for showing me the meaning of love and sacrifice.  Thank you for your encouragement and letting me make mistakes along the way.  Thank you for putting up with me.  Thank you for being my number one fan at all of my games over the years.  Thank you for praying for me and always reminding me of what is really important in life.  Thank you for sharing in the good and the bad and whatever life brings us.  Thank you for laughing with me and even crying with me over the years.  Thank you for believing in me.  Thank you for your friendship and your unconditional love.  Thank you for making your children a priority and investing so much in each of our lives.  Thank you for being the perfect role model, I pray that I can be the same kind of mom to little Micah.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for EVERYTHING!!!  Thank you for being my mom, I am so blessed to call you that!

So many wonderful wonderful memories over the past 25 years and so many more to come!  Happy Mother's Day to the best mom a girl could ask for!!!