Fill in the blank Friday!

Happy Friday, y'all! I plan to spend the weekend using "y'all" after every sentence seeing as how I am missing the south a little more each day. Sweet tea, southern twangs and southern charm! Oh, and Publix! Gosh, I miss that place.

Anyway, back on track! On this beautiful Friday morning, I am linking up with Lauren at The Little Things We Do. This is my first time linking up with her, so here it goes!

1.  Right now the weather where I live is   Bi-Polar! Yesterday was a high of 80, I don't even know what today is trying to be but tomorrow is only a high of 60! Fall is definitely in the air, though. The big oak tree outside my back door has several red leaves on it. I'm very excited to experience my first "real" Fall!

2.  The best piece of advice I've been given is Dance like nobody is watching. I say it all the time, but you really have to live your life like no one is watching and enjoy the amazing, little moments. This morning, Aydan and I danced around our living room to Gangnam Style on the Today Show and had the best time!

3.  My most favorite person in all the world is  my crazy husband. He makes me laugh like no other and I truly believe that is so important and in that same respect, I think Aydan falls into this category because he truly reminds me so much of Bryan. 

4. If I were to have a "mission statement" for my life, it would be  Living life one day at a time, each day filled with love and family. Remembering that family is more than blood relatives and lots of what you make it. Laughing each day and remembering to stare fear in the face and give it a big smile. 

5. My most favorite item in my closet is  I just got a new, really light, super soft hoodie from Old Navy. I never find anything in there that I like for me, their stuff usually fits me way wrong but I love this new item! Go ahead and call the fashion police, but I love hoodies.

6. The best cure for a bad day is  I agree with Lauren, coffee! I usually start my day with two cups!

7.  Today is  Aydan's 23-monthiversary! For the last almost two years, I have counted each month that has gone by and I have a feeling that will end soon, I don't do well with big numbers. Haha! In one month, my monster will be TWO. I can't even wrap my head around that. 

There's a party to plan!

So, I swore to myself that I was not going to go "all out" and spend one million dollars on Aydan's birthday this year and I was just going to have a simple get together. Well, of course, I lied.

Aydan will be having an "Up" themed birthday party, but I'm not really into all the gimmicky, "look at me, I'm Disney!" stuff, so I'm trying to be very creative. I am in love with the movie and think it is one of Pixar's greatest yet!

Here are a few of the amazing treasures I have found via Etsy, of course!

I think these gorgeous prints by Colorpanda will look great at the party and eventually in Aydan's room!

I found this banner in my mailbox today and I fell in love, the picture does not do it justice! Earmark does not skimp on the details and the packaging was to die for!

Finally, these gorgeous pieces of jewelry have a story that I will explain soon! In the meantime check out JTSky.

I am also planning on DIY'ing Ellie Badges, which I am super excited about and cannot wait to share with y'all! 

Never Forget.

“Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children. “

- President George W. Bush, November 11, 2001

I have heard many people say that we need to move on from this day and stop "dwelling" on it. To that I say a big "F you." The family members that go on every day without their loved ones, have not forgotten and neither will I. I am grateful to every one of my American brothers and sisters who have laid their lives on the line following those horrific events, on that day and for the last 11 years following it. Those American Heroes will forever overpower any terrorist. Thank you. 

Let's be honest...

A couple weeks ago I updated my blog with the news that I enlisted in the U.S. Army. I made this decision for many reasons and felt that it was a great move for me and my family.

The truth is, I'm scared to death. Not scared of drill sergeants screaming in my face or doing 5,000 push-ups a day, but terrified of putting my role as mommy on hold for the time I am at training. How will I ever be okay spending 9 weeks away from my baby boy? How can a "good mom" possibly do such a thing?

I know that I need to continue my education in order to ever get anywhere in this world and that's the main reason I chose the Army. I've seen student loans literally ruin people's lives for years and that's not something I wanted to get into. I also wanted to have the means to put money away for my children to go to school one day and not worry about where the money is going to come from. But for the last two years, I have woken up every single day to Aydan'a sweet smile. Now I'm supposed to wake up to a drill sergeant in a goofy hat?

I don't regret my decision, I think I just wish that I had done this sooner. The six months (2 months at BCT and 4 months of AIT) are going to be the hardest six months of my life and as much as I have been trying to mentally prepare myself, I don't feel prepared at all. I have nightmares about the moment I will have to kiss my baby goodbye. I question myself every day. I'm pretty sure I'm crazy. What milestones am I going to miss? My mind is going absolutely bizerk.

What makes matters worse, is that when people find out about my decision to enlist, the look on there face is as if they think I'm absolutely bonkers. Or maybe that's just my crazy mind putting thoughts in my head again.

Obviously I could ramble on and on all day, this is literally how my brain seems to work these days. It kind of sucks.

MIA Mater

I'm sad to say that Mater has gone to "The Box." Therefore I haven't received a single Mater picture.

Sad. So sad.

Show & Tell Monday

For the first time, I am linking up with Becky at From Mrs. to Momma! You should link up too!

1. Tell us what you are looking forward to this fall?

• More than anything, I am looking forward to actually experiencing Fall! I've always lived way down south where the leaves barely change color, so it will quite interesting to see what Fall is really all about. Oh, and Football, lots and lots of Football!

2. Show us your fall style.

Comfy. Casual. Cute.

3. Tell us your favorite things to do in the fall. If you have children, activities to do with the kids?

• Carve pumpkins, sip warm drinks and really spend time with my family enjoying the beautiful outdoors! I'm so excited! Aydan is at a great age to really start enjoying the festivities!

4. Show us your favorite fall beverage.

5. Tell us, how you will be participating in halloween this year. Plans? Costume ideas? 

• We will likely be at Disney World this Halloween! Aydan and his younger buddy will be dressing up as Russell and Mr. Fredricksen from Disney/Pixar's UP! " "Russell's" momma and I are going crazy with crafts and making these costumes absolutely awesome! 

Liebster Blog Award, Again!

So, after I was recently nominated for the Liebster Blog Award, I found out that I was nominated again! Sweet Molly at Carry Your Heart With Me nominated me and I am now doubly honored to receive this award. Since I already nominated my 11 people and asked them my questions, I thought it would just be fun to answer Molly's questions! 

1. How did you meet your husband/fiance? ( I just really love Sarah's answer to this question so I wanted to hear it again) 

• Bryan and I met while I was in High School and he was attending a local college studying Computer Animation in Orlando, Florida. My friend's brother was friends with him and introduced us. Obviously, my mother was not to keen on me dating someone five years my senior, but I couldn't helping myself, I was quite smitten! We dated quietly for a while until I finally turned 18 and graduated high school and let the whole world know where my heart was. When he left for Basic in 2008, I was a coward and told him I think we should take a break and focus on other things. Truly, I was terrified of my heart hurting every day he was gone and missing him so much. Once I realized how silly my heart was making me, I wrote him a heartfelt letter, sent it to Fort Benning, GA and begged him to take me back (classy, right?). Six months later, he put a ring on it and I'm so glad he did, because there is no one else I'd rather wake up to every morning!

2. What is the best way you have found to pass the time while they are gone? 

• I tend to go on organizing/cleaning sprees while Bryan is away. Though, lately I have taken to a few Pinterest craft projects and I'm really having a great time doing them!

3. What is a base/post you've loved/hated? 

• We've only lived at two (Fort Stewart and Fort Drum) but we've visited several. Each post has a special place in my heart for different reasons. Fort Gordon always gives me butterflies because that is where Bryan and I really began this Army life. He was there for 18 weeks during AIT and I really got a feel for the Army and I was so proud of him. Stewart is where we bought our first home, had our first baby, fell in love with our first baby and where Bryan really began his Army career, I had a job that I adored in the heart of Savannah and a great extended family that we miss more and more each day, I could cry just thinking about that place! That said, we are settling in quite nicely at Fort Drum and I love the charming views, looking into the distance and seeing mountains (or are they hills?) and swooning over the adorable wildlife. 

4. What is your favorite military tradition? i.e balls, promotion ceremonies, etc

• I LOVE cadences! Nothing makes my heart quite as happy as hearing a company of soldiers calling cadence in unison. Bryan's 1SGT at Fort Stewart had an amazing voice and is by far, the best "cadence caller" I've heard to date. My Favorite is "Yellow Ribbon," always ahs been and likely always will be.

5. What is your favorite book you've recently read? 

• I recently started reading the second book in The Hunger Games series, I know I'm late to the party but so far, The Girl Who Caught Fire has me very intrigued. I'm super bummed we have to wait another year for the movie!

6. Did (Will) you have a military wedding? 

• Not really. Bryan wore his Class A's and we ran away to the beach with a JOP and said "I Do!" It was small and perfect, I wouldn't have had it any other way.

7. What do you think about ACU purses? Look here for examples if you don't know what I am talking about? 

• I hate them. I don't think my husband's job should ever define me, I do not define myself as an Army Wife in the sense that I need to brag about it via ACU purses or tacky bumper stickers on my car. I am Bryan's wife and I don't feel like strangers walking down the street need to know my affiliation with the military.

8. Do you have pets? 

• We have one cat, that said, I'm not a big cat person. However, she is a very sweet kitty and makes my son and husband very happy!

9. What area would you like to be stationed? 

• We have declared our "dream post" to be Fort Campbell. We love the south and would be quite content to never leave the East coast. Being away from the south does some crazy stuff to your head! But we have always said if given the chance to go to Germany or Italy, we'd pack our house up in a heartbeat!

10. What posts are you trying to avoid like the plague? 

• Polk, Irwin, basically the ones in the middle of nowhere. Ha!

11. How desperate do you have to be to brave the commissary on pay day? 

• There has to be a hurricane headed my way at warped speed and my pantry has to be totally bare. I hate the commissary on pay day! Everyone is like vultures fighting over the freshest road kill, it's so sad! Finding a rocket ship cart is like finding a needle in a hay stack and even though they clearly say "DO NOT REMOVE FROM STORE" on them, everyone does and leaves them all over the HUGE parking lot. It's rude, people, R-U-D-E! Yeah, so even the thought of it makes me angry. 

**BTW, Molly, I totally LOVED your military themed questions, if you couldn't tell by my long, drawn-out answers!