the hennesseys

Thirsties

2011-06-02T22:02:00.002-05:00

There is a first time for everything and this is the first time I am trying to win a blog giveaway. But, I reaaaalllly love cloth diapers and I reaaalllly love Thirsties. Right now we use Thirsties cover with prefolds and a booster for S's nighttime diaper. Thirsties is having a giveaway today for 2 Duo Fab Fitted diapers.

You can read about it here: http://www.thirstiesbaby.com/blog/thirsties-thursday-giveaway-1/#comment-506.

recent snapsots

2011-05-18T23:23:00.003-05:00

so tired after the sam's club run

hey mom, i can get out of the bumbo!

and the fun continues

rawr

7 months of baby love

2011-04-30T00:39:00.003-05:00

Heartmelter

You can see one of his two teeth if you look closely...

Stories

2011-04-13T20:47:00.005-05:00

First Foods

from Seth's Perspective

Sweet Potato: No thank you
Watermelon: Nope
Mango: Eh, maybe
Hummus loaded with garlic: LOVE

Music in the Car

Seth's (very clear) Conversation to Mommy

Seth: Mommy, I do not want want to listen to Veggie Tales. PLEASE put on my Opera CD.

(Mommy puts on Opera CD)

Seth: Thank you Mommy. I am so happy now.

Mommy: I need to get some more opera CDs...

How to Help Someone Change a Tire

with a baby wrapped to your chest

1. Attract attention to get someone else to help lift the tire

2. Provide baby wipes to clean up the above person

3. Convince myself I was actually useful

Six months!

2011-03-30T00:52:00.000-05:00

(Supposed to post the 23rd)

Can't believe my baby is six months old. (Ha ha, I know every momma says that!) Seth is so much fun. He is a very active baby and definitely a talker and flirt. He is rolling over these days and likes to be up and looking around. He is working very hard at sitting up on his own. He is a big boy wearing 12mo clothes (and some 18mo). I do not currently have his stats since we haven't been to his check up yet and no, he does not sleep through the night, so please don't bother asking. He is a night owl like his momma. :) He LOVES:

doggies

cuddling

opera

his brand new (to us) exersaucer

his Ergo carrier

walks in the Bob

the beach

Seth rediscovered his tongue the day we took these pictures. So funny.

Outfit worn for his Grandad

Cleaning Up, Bit by Bit

2011-03-28T13:38:00.003-05:00

We have been working on cleaning up and simplifying our products. We are taking baby steps. Confession: I have to admit that I am not the most environmentally-minded individual, but I do value lessening waste, being a good steward, reducing toxins exposed to our family, being frugal, and simplicity.

Laundry:

Before Seth came I simplified our laundry system. Now, I was obsessed with laundry products. Very few things made me happier than an amazing smelling laundry detergent. I also had 4+ different detergents and each had its valuable use, and poor hubby never knew which end was up in the laundry system. After some mourning (I know, I know, silly...) I finished up the remaining products of Heather's-very-complex-laundry system and switched to a natural laundry detergent that we can get at Sam's, Rockin' Green laundry detergent for Seth's diapers and clothes, Bac Out for stains, and fragrance free dryer sheets. That's it. We buy in bulk to save money and make less shopping trips. I do have some remaining Delicare and Bounce sheets we are slowly going through until they are used up and then there is no going back.

Perks:

I feel better about what is being used on our clothes.
Ethan no longer yells, "WHAT DO I USE?!"
I appreciate the freed up space in our laundry closet.
The laundry products are working GREAT.

Baby:

We use cloth diapers, cloth wipes, and I make my own diaper wipe spray using this recipe:

2 Tbs baby wash
2 Tbs of olive oil
2 drops of tea tree oil
2 C water

I shake it up and pour into a spritz bottle. I save the leftover in the fridge in a mason jar.

And in the name of full disclosure, I do keep a package of disposables for those times I don't get to the laundry and for emergency back ups in the car.

Skin Care:

Now we are working on our skin care products. So far we have switched Seth's shampoo/wash to Burt's Bees fragrance free and his lotion to California baby fragrance free. Yes, I miss the yummy baby smelling stuff. I got over it knowing that there is less "stuff" going into his system.

The first step in my plan of cleaning up my and Ethan's skin care products has been changing my face cleanser to the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM). I read up about it here and here. I have been using it for about a month and LOVE it. I have oily skin. With regular face cleansers I would always have an abundance of oil and then these crazy dry patches after I washed my face. What gives? My skin is pretty clear, but not balanced. Then it got worse after childbirth. Those dry patches became perpetually dry, flaky, and red and the rest of my face greasy oily. Gross. Until now. The first day of using the OCM, my skin improved dramatically. The dry, red patches started disappearing and are now gone. Also, my skin feels moisturized, not oily. Also, I don't have to use the oil everyday and my skin it still not greasy (after I place a hot washcloth on my face for a few seconds in the morning).

I use 3 parts Castor oil to 7 parts Extra Virgin Olive Oil with one drop of lavender oil to make me happy. For balanced skin use 2:8 and dry skin 1:9. Poke around on the links above and you will find different alternatives to oil and the "directions." At night I was using a bit of coconut oil to moisturize my dry patches but they are now gone and well, it's Florida in March and I don't need to add too much moisture to my skin anymore, thank you Humidity. During the day I am still using my Aveeno moisturizer with SPF 30.

Those are a few steps we have made and I have some more goals charted out. I will let you know how they work!

Bathtime Got More Fun

2011-03-24T00:23:00.001-05:00

While NanaPam and Peppy were here, Seth discovered playing at bathtime. He loves splashing and playing with his rubber ducky. So much fun! I love this picture and in my head Ernie is serenading, "Rubber Ducky you're the one..."

Arkansas, cont'd

2011-03-22T00:46:00.001-05:00

More Photos by Josh

Arkansas,cont'd

2011-03-21T00:39:00.001-05:00

Photos by my brother

Arkansas

2011-03-20T00:28:00.003-05:00

Ethan, Seth, and I met up with my folks to visit my extended family. It was such a blessing visiting family I unfortunately rarely get to see. The family pics are divided between my and my parent's camera, but here are a few I have.

cousin caleb

aunt mary and uncle don

seth meeting his great meema

seth with great meema and great grandpa

and great grandma!

NanaPam and Peppy Visit Florida

2011-03-20T00:00:00.002-05:00

Ahh...a little me time. The boys are asleep and I am relaxed and happy after some vitamin D exposure (yay Florida). So, a little time to catch up here.

We were so happy that Ethan's parents got to come down for a visit! They provided some babysitting, err, bonding time, while I taught and had Pensacola rehearsals. We walked the boardwalk "trail" at Turkey Creek and showed them Okaloosa Island. It was wonderful having them and we were sad to say good-bye.

meh. tummy time.

2011-02-07T11:49:00.002-06:00

I'm the Weirdo Now

2011-02-04T23:13:00.002-06:00

My friend just had her baby and seeing FB pictures of her sweet boy has put me in a nostalgic mood. (Erin, seeing pictures of your babe has made me want to have another baby, for the first time since giving birth. Good job. I however, am not ready to be pregnant again...the hormones have not erased the memories of all the barfing.)

Before I had a baby, I thought it so weird when parents said they "fell in love" with their children. I am highly emotional and love romance, but really? in love with your kids? I knew you love your kids but never understood the "falling in" slightly romantical part. I thought you all were weird.

One night, Seth was several weeks old, I was exhausted, sweaty, and stinky (I had crazy night sweats in the beginning of motherhood. Oh, the glamor.) It was about 3:30AM and I woke up STARVING! I didn't think anything could beat pregnancy cravings in the middle of the night. Then I started breastfeeding. I stumbled to the kitchen incredibly grumpy because I would much rather be sleeping than trying to find something to eat. Then, Seth realized my presence had left the bed and started crying. Ugh. No, please, not now. Just sleep baby, sleep! I stuffed who knows what in my mouth and I ran back to the room, not necessarily in a joyful manner. In fact, I was downright frustrated and really didn't want to be a mommy in that moment.

I looked at Seth and he saw me.

He smiled.

My heart melted. I then realized that I too had fallen in love with my baby. Weird.

It's weird because I can't explain it, though I have never claimed to be a philosophical one or a good writer. It is not how I love Jesus. It is not how I fell in love with my husband. It is not like loving my sibling as a kid because I have to. It could all be hormonal, but I just know that I had fallen in love my baby somehow and I'm the weirdo now.

It also makes me think with a little more depth on the words from John, "God gave his one and only Son..." and "To those who believe...he [God] gave the right to become children of God." Again, I'm not philosophical nor a skilled writer so I'm not going to delve into to theology right here right now, but the concept of God giving up his son and me being a child of God just hit a little more home tonight.

Oh, and congratulations Erin and Ryan! He is beautiful.

My Baby is 4 Months Old!

2011-01-25T22:13:00.004-06:00

Developmental milestones around his 4mo bday:

discovering his feet...oh so cute.
raspberries. drool is now projectile and somehow also oh so cute.
grabbing and/or slapping the dishes on the table. sunday mama didn't keep up and ketchup went everywhere...not so cute.

New Year(s) Newsletter

2011-01-14T17:42:00.005-06:00

Welcome to those of you who come by direction of our New Year's photo card! We have neglected sending out a newsletter the last two years, so I am going to try to recap here.

2009-2010

We said goodbye to Tydnall AFB in February '09 and headed West, about 2 hours. We are now at Eglin AFB, still on the Gulf Coast, and Ethan is an Air Force Engineer. We took another step into American adulthood and bought a house! We have loved our little 3 bedroom home. We are still only walking distance away from one of the Bays, but we miss our "private" marina and community at Tyndall. Now let's fast forward...

September 23, 2010, we welcomed Seth into our lives! He was born 9lbs and 22inches long. The labor went very well (see post) and we have loved having him in our life. No, he doesn't sleep through the night but we get enough zzzz's here and there and are functional and very happy. He is a sweet, happy little guy who will smile at basically anyone who waves or talks to him. He continues to be a big boy moving into twelve month clothes and at the top of the growth charts. He will be four months later this month. He smiles and talks all the times and loves playing with his toys. Mostly he loves cuddling with mommy and playing and reading with daddy. It is a very special time in our life and we are trying to savor it.

Sandra (Nana) was able to be here for a while to help with the baby. What a blessing! She helped Heather in her intense nesting mode before the birth and walked with her miles and miles and miles in almost 100 degree weather to spur on labor, then provided massages and encouragement during labor, and then was able to be a part of Seth's first couple of weeks of life. Ron (Grandad) came down for a week in October and Uncle Josh visited on his Fall break. Seth met Ethan's side of the family in New Hampshire for Thanksgiving. He spent more time with the Johnsons over Christmas in Virginia and Nana Pam and Peppy Paul are coming to visit us in Florida in March.

Ethan is in good health, praise the Lord. In September 2009 we switched our diet to the Maker's Diet/Clean Eating Diet. Ethan has been able to control his Crohn's through diet and thankfully has been off his (very toxic) medication. It was quite a big lifestyle change, and overwhelming at first, but worth it. We are now some of "those" people who read every label in the grocery store and have weird snack foods in the pantry. Veggie chips, goat cheese, and raw almonds anyone? Don't worry about visiting though, everyone who has eaten with us claim our meals are yummy. We eat real meat and Ethan still won't go near tofu.

With Ethan's work, he has spent a lot of time in Colorado. The diet is good for his body and Colorado is good for his soul. He got back into hiking and rock climbing during his travels. One of his TDYs happened to coincide with a big Hennessey reunion in August. Heather was unable to go since she was at the end of her pregnancy. It was one of the biggest Hennessey gatherings in years and naturally a good time. In October Ethan participated in his first Triathlon in Destin (see post). It was a positive experience and he plans on doing another one in the Spring.

Before the pregnancy Heather was volunteering at the Eglin Pet Welfare, where we adopted Caedmon. She loved working with her shelter pups, but once morning (err, all day) sickness set in, she stepped down. Heather is still teaching violin lessons, though she is keeping her studio small to balance with mommyhood. She continues to perform with the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra in Niceville and joined the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra in 2009. She took time off in the Fall, but started playing again in December.

We have been involved with the Contemporary Service of the Base Chapel. Both Ethan and Heather serve in the praise band, help with the leadership team, and facilitate a family small group at our home. We have found a very precious community at the Chapel after having spent a few years of feeling a little aimless.

Caedmon is doing well. He is starting to age which saddens us, but he is still full of personality. He has adjusted well to the baby. He was very protective of Seth the first week and now basically doesn't pay much attention to him. If Seth does start crying in another room, Caedmon will alert Heather. Caedmon is excellent about knowing whose toys are whose and that Seth's playmat is NOT a dog bed. Poor dog is still hopeful that everytime we say "food, eat, or hungry" to the baby we are actually talking to him. When it gets warmer (yes, it gets cold here!) we look forward to family trips to th dog park.

Feel free to keep visiting the blog. We try to keep it updated with pictures and events of our life for family and friends to see. It has been a little hit or miss recently, but we will try to post somewhat regularly. I look forward to seeing what God has in store for 2011!

Love,

Ethan, Heather, Seth, and Caedmon

Destin Triathlon

2010-11-04T20:45:00.005-05:00

October 9 Ethan participated in the Destin Triathlon with his co-worker, Erin. He did great and it was so much fun helping him with the training and cheer him on. I was actually really jealous I couldn't train with him. It is also such a testament of God's provision and protection for his health. Three years ago, we never would have considered Ethan racing in a Triathlon! So now we're looking at Mexico Beach in April and Ethan wants me to do it too. Thinking about it!

So early...

Waiting for Daddy to finish his swim

Survived the Gulf and headed to the transition area to get ready to bike

Almost to the finish line!

Baby products

2010-11-04T19:45:00.007-05:00

Well, in my vast experience of parenting I wanted to share our favorite baby things thus far:

Sleepy Wrap (sleepywrap.com): My SIL recommended this wrap to me and my friend Kristen got it for us. I am so glad. It took a little bit of practice to get used to, but we absolutely love it! Seth is wrapped up in it right now sleeping so I actually have TWO hands to type. It is my preferred way of grocery shopping (I tried the whole car seat carrier way once and hated it) and I can get some chores done with Seth all cozy and cuddly.

GroBaby (now GroVia, gro-via.com) cloth diapers: Again, another SIL recommendation. I love cloth diapers. I love these cloth diapers. Snap in, snap out, and oh so cute. Also a plus, CPFs work really well with the GroVia shells so you can get more for your money. We also used Kissaluvs with Prorap and Bumwhisper covers for the newborn phase but Seth is about outgrown them and we are switching to GroVia full time.

Babykicks diaper wipes: Cleans baby's bum really well. Throw them in with the CD wash.

The Bob Stroller: LOVE. If you lead a remotely active lifestyle, I recommend this stroller. It is pricey but we figured if we bought a travel system plus a jogging stroller the $ would come out the same and we just had more stuff. (I hate just having stuff...) I am not running yet, but we took it to Ethan's triathlon last month which included going on the beach and I took it to the dog park today. It was awesome.

Flannel wet pads: Having a baby? They pee and poop everywhere. Buy several of these and have one in each room.

Magic Stick: Smells wonderful. Works like magic. Natural and doesn't stain CDs like other diaper rash creams.

Madella pump: Comfortable and compacts well.

Diaper wipe potion: Here is the recipe I used from naturalbirthandbabycare.com and it is working out really well so far. I put it in a spray bottle and spray Seth's bum before wiping.

Baby Wash Recipe #2
2 TBSP Baby Wash
2 TBSP Olive Oil or 1 TBSP Calendula Oil
2 Drops Tea Tree Oil
2 Cups Water
Mix well in a spray bottle or your wipes box. Spritz on wipe before using if in spray bottle. Swish solution around over wipes if using a wipes box. Tea Tree Oil has lovely disinfectant properties along with its wonderful, clean smell.

Grandad and Nana

2010-11-03T17:54:00.003-05:00

Welcome Seth William

2010-10-20T11:46:00.007-05:00

This is a little late, but I'm just now getting accustomed (maybe...) to life with an infant. Seth William was born September 23 at 1:16 AM. He was 9 lbs and 22 inches long. We loooooove him.

Birth Story

Short version: Labor and delivery went well. I was able to go beginning to end unmedicated and we were blessed by the experience. Seth did give us a little drama towards the end but all went really well.

Long version: (may contain TMI...)

I was due Sep 10 and Sep 10 came and went. I was prepared to be late since most first babies are and my brother and I were 9 and 10 days late, respectively. Ethan and I really wanted a natural birth and took Bradley Method classes. As my inducement date approached I stressed, got grumpy, prayed, and released it to God. If it came down to inducement, it was in God's hands and I was going to surrender. I came to a point of peace about it all; I knew that he knew my heart and desires. SO...I was supposed to go into the hospital the evening of Wed, Sep 22 to prepare for inducement on the 23rd. Around 3:30AM on Wed I woke up with contractions. Now, when you start having contractions at night you are supposed to sleep and reserve your strength and energy. Nuh uh, I got out of bed and did everything I could think of to progress these contractions into legit labor, without waking the household. I walked around, did laundry, squatted, ate pineapple and some birthing brownies (Thanks, Sheridan!).

My contractions grew stronger and closer together throughout the morning. Labor at home went really well as long as Ethan or my mom was rubbing my lower back. That was the key to getting through it: massage lower back...for 18 hours. Ethan had a meeting at 8:00 and Mom took over the coaching. I called him around 10:00 since my contractions were about 5 minutes apart and getting closer and stronger. I knew it was for real at this point. We set up a labor station in our (newly decorated) bedroom with low lights and relaxing music, and someone massaging my lower back. I sat on my fitness ball and it was wonderful. (Home birth next time?) I really wanted to stay at home as long as possible since it was a) comfortable and b) if I wasn't 4 cm when I got to the hospital, they were still going to prepare to induce. I think around 1:30 or something Ethan said that we should really head to the hospital. I half-heartedly agreed and then as we got ready to go, I knew he was right! Thankfully we only live 15 minutes from the hospital.

Funny: While laboring at home, Caedmon stayed out of the way but kept a focused eye on me. As we tried to head out the door, I had a strong contraction in the hallway and Caedmon "guarded" me. He wouldn't move or let Mom or Ethan near me. I took the contraction on the floor hugging and petting him. When it was over I told him it was okay and thankfully he let me leave.

When we got settled into the hospital, I was 6 cm dilated and Seth was 100% effaced. We were all praising God and so thankful! The contractions kept on coming and someone kept rubbing my lower back. Usually Ethan rubbed my back and talked to me while my mom rubbed my feet. When transition hit, Mom moved to holding my hand and their words of encouragement were so helpful. The transition contractions were powerful and took over my whole body. Relaxation was difficult but Ethan helped me stay focused as Seth continued to move down. I was sooo relieved when the docs gave me the go for some practice pushes.

So I started pushing. And kept on pushing. For a long time. (I actually had no concept of time during it all and was shocked when the doctors commented it was after midnight.) One of the biggest blessings of the birth was our L&D nurse, Pam. She was a Godsend angel. Pam had worked in a birthing center for 20 years and was the perfect match for us. As prepared and educated Ethan and I were for an unmedicated birth, Pam got us through the pushing. Seth essentially got stuck and his heartrate indicated distress. My doctor's attendee was nervous the whole time but our doctor kept calm and Pam persistently worked with us. We went through at least six (maybe more?) pushing positions, some which Ethan and I had not studied or practiced

. The only one that allowed Seth to make progress was me pulling on a rope (made out of a bedsheet). It took four of us for me to push! A person holding each one of my legs back and someone pulling the other end of the rope, and of course me pushing. I didn't know exactly what was going on with Seth because my doc talked to Ethan so I wouldn't stress out. I knew that the mood of the room changed and I just kept pushing. My doc asked how tired I was. I was exhausted but didn't care. I told him I had fight left in me. The last few minutes were tense. Seth still hadn't fully crowned and the surgical OB (who thankfully we knew) came in. I just kept focused on my job. His heart rate plummeted to the 40s and everyone just watched and then I pushed...and Seth flew out. All 9 lbs of him. I had my eyes closed waiting to feel the "ring of fire" and then I heard a baby screaming. And there he was!!! We were all a little shocked but happy and relieved!

Our doctor did a delayed chord clamp and Ethan cut thechord. We have no pictures because of how suddenly Seth came out! The tech placed Seth on my chest for his initial examination and it was amazing. Seth was absolutely beautiful. He was screaming and kicking. He looked at me with dark intense eyes and he was soooo long. Definitely Ethan's son. :)

It was amazing. We are so happy we had an unmedicated birth and thankful for the medical staff who supported us. We are absolutely in love with our son, even if he is already a little procrastinator.

Baby's Room

2010-09-21T21:59:00.005-05:00

Diaper Changing station and Dresser

Complete with AF cloth diaper demo bear

I can't wait for Ethan to hang the mobile!

My Edelweiss music box from childhood

Baby, you can come now.

More Adventures w/Mom...Waiting for Baby

2010-09-19T21:53:00.002-05:00

Pineapple induces labor, right?

For Dad: Mum and I thought this was funny. Doggy bag bowtie!

More Adventures w/Mom...Waiting for Baby

2010-09-19T21:27:00.003-05:00

Sep 18, 2010 - Destiny by the Sea Area, Destin, FL. Mum and I hung out at the beach while Ethan did his triathalon training. It was hot and there was too much seaweed, but it was still beautiful. Love the Emerald Coast beaches. :)

More Adventures w/Mom...Waiting for Baby

2010-09-19T20:49:00.003-05:00

Sep 17 - 41 weeks. :) Ft. Walton Landing Park. It was sooo beautiful!

Walking...

2010-09-16T22:09:00.003-05:00

While waiting for this baby, Mum and I have been walking a lot. Caedmon is loooooving it and thankfully we have a beautiful 2.5 mile walk by the water near our house. Tonight Mum got some great pics of the sun setting.

More Decor Projects

2010-09-15T20:46:00.002-05:00

I got our wedding print in the mail. I opened it and cried. I framed it and cried again. I don't think it's just because I'm preggers... ;)

It is what you see when you walk into our bedroom and if the door is open when walking down the hall, so I may never close our bedroom door again. :)

This picture is really dark...I made this out of our old license plates and some twine. It is hanging on the "entry wall" in our office/guest room, which I decorated right before my mum got into town. I love it.

Master Bedroom

2010-09-11T19:58:00.007-05:00

After living in the house for a year and a half, I finally got bit by the decorating bug for our bedroom. It came with the pregnancy I think. I figure if I don't do it now, it sure won't happen after the baby comes! The room is finally a happy, relaxing place and not just that place to store clothes and sleep.

I finally framed a wedding picture after 4 1/2 years of marriage...I love it. This is directly right of the doorway.

Walk in further and look left: Bedding from Target for my birthday combined with our old bedskirt (that goes with our super warm down comforter that does NOT work in FL) and pillow shams from China from a dear friend. Love it all.

Look right: Love the old school mounted TV right? Ha ha...we have been meaning to get rid of it since we moved into the house, but then got a hand me down dvd player and every now and then, it's kinda nice to watch a movie in bed. Please imagine a wedding photo where the two strange kids' faces are...waiting for the print from Snapfish. :) Sconce from Ross clearance. Ross is my happy place.

Mirror thing from Ross that inspired this project. $8 curtains from Tuesday Morning and the a $15 rod from Ross. Tuesday Morning is my other happy place.

Except for the bedding, all stuff I already owned but relocated.

Happy.

I guess you normally don't post pictures of your bathroom, but it finally makes me happy with some added touches.

Finally repaired and found a place for my fan I got from Florence, Italy as a child.

Mum had a great idea for my little IKEA lamp that doesn't really go anywhere else.

Another Ross find above Ethan's vanity.

Thank you sooo much for some retail therapy at Ross, Target, Tuesday Morning and help from my Mum (I can't seem to commit to hang stuff on the walls unless she is here) and hubby (tall husbands who can handle a drill are awesome).

Labor Day Family Photos

2010-09-06T23:03:00.005-05:00

Pictures on the beach with the fam! :) 4 days until the due date!

Misc.

2010-09-06T22:39:00.004-05:00

I haven't blogged much this summer, but I will post a few pictures before the big birth announcement post. :)

Visits w.friends

Cute Puppy

Birthday Dinner at the Macaroni Grill...mmm...

Me at 36 weeks

Baby at 27 weeks

July Baby Shower

2010-09-06T22:23:00.003-05:00

My friend from the symphonies I play in threw me a baby shower in July. It was so sweet with a lovely bunch of ladies and I was very blessed. My mum was able to come down for the event which was very special. All the pictures were on her camera so I couldn't upload for a while.

Happy Independence Day!

2010-07-04T23:15:00.003-05:00

Our friends Rachel, Ben, and Davey took us to a "private" beach on Base tonight across the Bay from Destin. It was perfect to watch the Destin fireworks without the Destin chaos. In fact we really got see about 6 fireworks shows with the Destin show right in the middle. We ended up watching the end of the show in the car due to rain, but it was still a great night with friends and fireworks. :)

30 Weeks!

26 Weeks

2010-06-06T22:17:00.003-05:00

We went to the beach yesterday to hang out with friends and enjoy the gorgeousness before the oil hits our shores. So sad! Oil has been spotted just 16 miles downshore so it will be here all too soon. Well, here is the belly at 26 weeks!

Recital!

2010-05-24T10:10:00.003-05:00

This post should be titled, "I Need a New Camera..." It is literally falling apart, so I apologize for the blurriness. I joined in with three other area teachers for a spring recital and four of my students performed. They all played from memory and did a great job!

Aaron - Gavotte by Jean Becker

Jack - Minuet in G

Taylor - Happy Farmer

Alyssa - Minuet No. 2

Love.

2010-05-22T21:28:00.003-05:00

Today for the most part wasn't the best day for pregnancy. It included all day nauseousness, a dizzy spell, and some cramping. BUT, the sweetest thing happened tonight! I had been reading aloud to Ethan from our Bradley Method Book, A Husband Coached Childbirth, and the Little Guy was pretty much resting. After Ethan finished cleaning he laid on the couch with his head on my lap while we finished the reading. We joked about the baby kicking his ear and sure enough, as Ethan was talking to me, Little Guy woke up and kicked exactly where Ethan was. Ethan took over the reading to the baby could hear his voice and he just kept kicking and kicking exactly at Ethan's head.

Here is the 19 week ultrasound:

And my last baby bump pic taken after my friend's wedding in VA May 1st:

Pregnancy - Week 24

2010-05-21T22:12:00.002-05:00

I can't believe I am 6 months pregnant. Holy cow. I have been MIA from my blog due to my insane schedule recently and I felt like all I had to say was how much I was puking, or how bad I was cramping, or how long my dizzy spell was...Things are better now so, here are some updates:

We are having a boy! :) (And just one, even though there was talk of twins.)
I can eat limited dairy again and hard boiled eggs. Woohoo! If you cook an egg near me though, I still get sick. Ethan has it down. I can say, "Umm, honey?" while he is cooking his breakfast and immediately the window is opened and the vent is turned on full blast. Love you babe.
I haven't thrown up in 2 weeks. I can't tell you how happy I am about this.
I am still nauseous every morning. My doc says I'm just one of the lucky ones.
We are taking Bradley Method classes. I'm that pregnant woman always squatting and doing pelvic rocks. I love the focus on the husband as coach and nutrition. Um, but don't tell my instructor that I still sneak a half a soda in every now and then. (Shhhh....)
I'm beginning to work out again (slowly and lightly). I have some girlfriends here who have been lifting with me recently and Ethan has been walking me and the dog in the evenings. :)
It's nice to be a functional person again.
I love feeling (and seeing) my baby boy kick.
This may be stupid, but I love watching my belly button begin to pop out. It just makes me smile and giggle for some reason!

I do have some pictures of some visits and trips that I will hopefully post someday. :)

Granola

2010-05-21T21:55:00.002-05:00

Last September, Ethan and I embarked on a journey with the Maker's Diet and eating "clean" due to his health. I'm not a girl made to spend endless hours in the kitchen, but at this point I have committed to making bread about once a week. Ethan doesn't eat regular sugar or even cane sugar (and definitely not corn syrup) due to the higher sucrose levels so we use honey, maple syrup, or applesauce as our alternative sweeteners. Let me tell you, that is very difficult to find in the stores.

My new adventure is making granola! I had found that Back to Nature made a decently priced granola that fit the bill and every night Ethan eats yogurt (made this way shared by Jess @ This Blessed Life) with granola. But, it wasn't very nutritious and he goes through about a bag a week. I took this awesome, easy recipe from Kristen and modified it to give it a little more oomf for Ethan. Check it out at my recipe blog. It is yummy and substantial. The best thing is that combined with his goat milk, Ethan now has a cold cereal for breakfast for the first time since September.

Our favorite dessert/nightttime snack right now is the yogurt mixed with fresh mango (sometimes with some pineapple) and the granola. Yummmmy!

Week 17

2010-04-08T23:02:00.002-05:00

Pregnancy was super fun today because I started feeling the baby kick this afternoon. I kept feeling little kicks and bumps the rest of the afternoon and evening through my rehearsal/concert with Sinfonia. It got even better when I came home, the baby was still kicking, and Ethan felt it! I wasn't sure he would be able to feel it this early, so that was a huge unexpected blessing. I loved seeing the smile on Ethan's face and I love feeling the little kicks and bumps, though I have no idea how I'm actually going to fall asleep now. :) So precious.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T21:48:00.003-05:00

I Corinthians 15

1Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time...

It is such a blessing to spend Easter with dear brothers and sisters in Christ. This year Crystal, Tyler, and Lizzie came to visit for the weekend! We relaxed on the beach, enjoyed Whataburger, and had sweet fellowship over a delicious Easter meal after church! The weekend was all too short, but we take what we can get. I don't have the beach pics, just the Easter pics.

Easter dinner: Lamb chops (cooked by Ethan), veggies, mashed potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, and strawberries (for dessert). Mmmm...yummy!

Thank goodness it is finally April

2010-04-01T13:05:00.003-05:00

March is a long month when your husband participates in Mustache March and April can't come soon enough for us AF spouses who have endured that poky eyesore for the last 31 days. I don't mind a little scruffy and I love a goatee on my man, but I would be happy to never see a 'stache on him ever again... This year some of the guys pushed the regs and E's 'stache is really unkempt! Today I am a happy happy wife because Ethan shaved it all off at lunch. I gave him many good-bye kisses today. :)

(He better count his lucky stars for those chocolate brown eyes to woo me all month...)

Moms are the best.

2010-03-31T19:52:00.000-05:00

From our shopping outing over Spring break.

Home Improvements - "the" Heart

2010-03-31T19:23:00.004-05:00

See the cute flower bed in the front? It was a heart. Just really not my thing...

This picture just cracks me up...Thanks Mom!

A circle! My student's little brother came to the door last week and asked, quite distraught, "Where is the heart?!" He loved the heart. I felt bad!

I planted a few flowers but everything else is trimmed down or hasn't come back yet...

See that little leaf?

That is my hope of all hopes that my lantana will come back after all the un-Florida like frosts this winter...

Home Improvements - Painting!

2010-03-31T19:16:00.002-05:00

Used to be: Blue office (color was from the previous owner)

Now: beautiful barely green storage room. (Lamp is to show the color better...)

Soon to be: Nursery

Home Improvements - Painting!

2010-03-31T19:02:00.003-05:00

The Kitchen

Before:

Hello, I live in an animal cracker box.

Hello, whoah shiny brass...

After:

The new color

New hardware on the right...bad picture, but it is a subdued brushed look and I love them.

Home Improvements - Bathroom

2010-03-31T15:13:00.003-05:00

It's amazing how one extra decorative piece can make a girl so happy. Here is a Ross clearance find (I love Ross...) that completed the look in the hall bath.

Of course my dad said, "It's a New Orleans Saints picture!" I would have never thought of that...thanks Dad.

I love it because the tulips go with this little picture that I had with our towels.

Home Improvements - Living Room

2010-03-31T14:47:00.004-05:00

While my parents were here we did a few adjustments with the house. We shifted furniture around to make room for a nursery. I highly recommend having interchangeable furniture and decor when you are military or move around a lot. We moved the bookshelves from the once library/office to the living room. Mum helped me hang a lot of things that I had been collecting but too lost to put them on the walls. (I have commitment issues...) I love our living room, for the first time since we moved into the house. It is so cozy. I actually now will come in the room to relax and have down time. The decor is rustic (for my New Hampshire hubby) with contemporary touches (for me).

From the front door

Facing back to the door. I will get pictures in those frames one of these days! Perhaps new family pictures in the Fall?

Other side of the door

Standing from the recliner area.

It is dark because I wasn't about to block out the sun just for a picture.

To the right of the couch. I have been saving these pictures for a couple of years. I love them and mum helped me find the perfect little spot for them!

Our piano and now my teaching area.

I had stuff out because I was waiting for students to arrive at any second.

Welcome to Our Home!

2010-03-31T14:40:00.004-05:00

Your welcome is just a bit prettier now. My mum bought us this beautiful plant stand (we LOVE ridiculous deals at Tuesday Morning) and impatiens to bring a little spring to our entryway. I love it! Ethan is pressure washing the outside of the house so everything is bright and fresh. I smile when I walk up to our front porch now. :)

Random Surprise!

2010-03-29T19:32:00.004-05:00

Meet Amanda. She was my roommate freshman year at Cedarville. We had the best times and she was an awesome first roommate. She transferred at the end of the year to pursue a different academic major. I haven't seen her since our wedding and yesterday I get a message: "Hey, I'm coming to FL. Do you still live near Panama City?" So I got to spend the afternoon with my old roomie! It was such a blessing. We had lunch with Ethan, talked and caught up, and went for a walk along the bay near my house. As she said, when you have friends in Christ across the world, well, we're family. So true. Amanda, you bless my heart. It was awesome to see you today!

She took some belly pics for me and I don't look that much bigger, but here you go! 4 months.

Johnson Spring Break (Abbreviated)

2010-03-25T20:36:00.004-05:00

I love my family and I love that they all came down for Spring Break. My folks flew in from DC and my bro came in from Chicago. It wasn't quite warm enough here for a real Spring Break, but it was better than where they came from (especially Chicago).

Lots of Cities and Knights

Cold on the beach

Playing together at church.

Beach and Baby Bump

2010-03-17T21:57:00.003-05:00

Very beginning of the baby bump at 13 weeks last week. I'm shocked to be even bigger now. Ethan came home today, pointed to my tummy, and said, "Whoah, you're pregnant." :)

Thanks Josh for taking some pictures!

More photos of the family visit and home improvements coming soon.

Good Things

2010-03-01T20:49:00.001-06:00

Good thing No 1: Last week Ethan and I were able to escape to Orlando. Well, it was more of an escape for me since Ethan was there for a business conference, but we loved having some time together away from the house. Ethan has been absolutely amazing cooking dinner and cleaning house the last month, but with working full time, plus studying for his masters...there's only so much of him to go around! in that regard it was an escape for him too! I rested, practiced, read and Ethan would come back on his breaks. One day was warm and sunny so I spent some time reading by the pool and listening to Mahler. Lovely. I forgot my swimsuit so I was in my work out clothes and didn't care one bit. I think my favorite part of the trip was eating dinner at Boston Market and Chipotle with my hubby. My appetite had started coming back and I loved being in a city again with two of my fav restaurants to appease it. :) And just to enjoy dinner together was priceless.

To sum up: Quality time with hubby. No cooking. No cleaning. Less barfing. Good times.

Good thing No 2: Mahler 5 with PSO. Self explanatory.

Good thing No 3: MY FAMILY WILL ALL BE HERE SATURDAY! Bring on Spring Break!

Good thing No 4: As I mentioned in my last post, I will be 13 weeks Friday. :)

Weeks 11/12

2010-02-24T19:39:00.006-06:00

I think my all-day sickness is beginning to wane...I think...
My appetite has been coming back: I want more than granola bars and chicken nuggets. Welcome back veggies and other yumminess to my life!!!
Instead of barfing almost everyday I have graduated to barfing only occasionally. As a result I have gained 1 pound back of the several I lost over the past weeks.
My nausea is having more alleviating moments so I'm able to hydrate more easily.
I am praying that my 2nd trimester (starting Friday) brings further relief!
Just in time because I am rehearsing and performing Mahler 5 with PSO this week. :)

Our Baby. 10 weeks. :)

2010-02-21T20:46:00.000-06:00

Strawberry Crush

2010-02-06T19:53:00.002-06:00

Posted an amazing smoothie recipe on my recipe blog. We had it in smoothie form tonight and my popsicles are freezing currently. Mmmm...

Check it out: Attempting to Cook.

Preggers Observations

2010-02-04T18:22:00.005-06:00

I like my water room temperature. Now: must be as ice cold as possible. Colder, please?
Actually, I don't really like my food all that warm right now either.
I do not generally like fried food. Now: Grilled? Give me a break.
I love salad, eggs, and dairy products. Now: ...Barf
Now: I really like Burger King. ?!?! Like - whoah - I must have their chicken nuggets and french fries NOW.
Come to think of it, my diet this week has really consisted of chicken nuggets, bread sticks, and fruit. Mmmm...healthy...
Tuesday night I ordered 3 (yes, three) boxes of Papa John's breadsticks.
I started my prenatal yoga dvd last night because I've been too tired or nauseous to make it to the gym. The dvd was unfortunately a lame workout. Any moms out there have some good suggestions for at home work outs?
Everything smells bad...For example, Dove unscented soap smells reaaallllly bad...I'm not kidding...

Smoothie Popsicles!

2010-02-03T15:27:00.002-06:00

I've been having trouble with food aversions and keeping what I eat down. I ordered a blender and these popsicle molds from Amazon and I'm super excited about them! I've just been mixing fruit and juice (because dairy isn't an option right now) and the popsicles are great! I get some fruit and the cold feels great and I don't get nauseous.

These Orka molds are fantastic! They take just 4 hours to freeze and the molds peel right off.

Week 8

2010-01-29T16:45:00.002-06:00

Baby:

Our baby is the size of a gummy bear. I know it is the cutest little gummy bear ever.
Baby has webbed fingers and toes.
Baby's heart is beating and its little tail is almost gone.

Me:

Exhausted
Nauseous
Having food aversions
I am keeping my food down, well, most of the time
Happy. :)

Well...

2010-01-24T21:09:00.002-06:00

- Two weeks ago I was beyond exhausted...and hungry. I would come home from the gym, stuff my face, then sleep. It was weird.

- Last weekend I got nauseous...then sick...then the sick went away and I was just nauseous...all the time. Still nauseous...all the time. And WHOAH tired. All of a sudden the thought of eggs or cottage cheese (daily favs of mine...not together) make me want to puke. Normal lovely smells woke me up at night. That candle and the empty incense bottle that has been used up for months have been removed far far away. Turning pages in orchestra rehearsal simulates being on a ship in the open sea during a hurricane.

- I peed on a stick then had some blood drawn and it's official!

I think I married Spock...

2010-01-06T22:27:00.004-06:00

I miss Christmas

2010-01-06T21:57:00.003-06:00

My pilates mat!!!

Sunniva - the precious pup we fostered over Christmas. She got adopted last Saturday!!!

Mum and Dad Hennessey

Destin, FL. The water was gorgeous!

Anniversary flowers. :)

Dried Beans

2010-01-04T11:57:00.003-06:00

I had tried dried beans once before to save money, but it was a disaster so it wasn't worth it. Now, we are really limited as to what canned goods we can use because most have sugars or corn syrup in them and organic canned goods are rather expensive. I'm trying out a new chili recipe and I'm back to dried beans.

This link was REALLY helpful: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Vegetables/driedbeantip.htm

Someday I'll start posting some of our favorite and delicious Maker's Diet recipes and my alternative recipes. It's been a journey.

Christmastime in the Hennessey House

2009-12-23T23:17:00.003-06:00

Successes of the Day!

2009-12-23T23:07:00.004-06:00

I succeeded at making fudge. Last time I tried...well...disaster and tears were involved. (Holiday stress, I think?) This year I relaxed and made sure I had a back up plan for goodies for all those special people in our life here in Florida. Since the fudge worked out, I now have some Lindor dark chocolate truffles in my pantry for my occasional chocolate fix. We're talking a serious win-win situation. I better give this stuff away FAST or I will be in a complete sugar coma by Christmas...Mmmm...

Find the recipe here!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/aunt-teen s-creamy-chocolate-fudge/Detail.aspx

The Commissary was a mad house this afternoon, but there was glorious ray of sunshiny joy and many happy women around the sign advertising that the yummy smelling Glade holiday candles were on sale...for 29 cents!!! Oh happiness. My house is going to smell amazing over the next two days.

"Homemade" Yogurt

2009-12-15T18:45:00.003-06:00

Since we started the (modified) Maker's Diet, I'm always looking for sugar, vegetable oil, and preservative free recipes. My friend and fellow blogger, Jessica, posted a recipe for yogurt. We tried it tonight and LOVE it. I used Stonyfield plain yogurt, organic frozen raspberries, and raw honey. YUM! Check it out here: http://www.thisblessedlife.net/2009/12/yogurt-recipe-its-not-what-you-think.html. Thanks Jess!

Watching for Squirrels.

2009-12-12T19:50:00.001-06:00

Christmas Baking!

2009-12-12T19:35:00.003-06:00

I was able to join some of my Bible study girls for some Christmas cookie baking this evening! Good times.

For what else is going on, see "Up and Coming" and "Performance Schedule" on the right side bar of the blog. Our lives are full of studying and Christmas music. I'm loving all the performing, but can't say the same for Ethan and his studying. We can't wait for some R&R with the Hennesseys when they come down for Christmas.

Christmas Tree

2009-12-07T18:33:00.004-06:00

Hey, it's a $20 tree from Target, but we make the most of it!

Christmastime in the Hennessey House

2009-12-07T18:24:00.002-06:00

Stocking with the 2009 White House ornament. Thanks, Mum!

If you send us a Christmas card, it will go here!

Christmastime in the Hennessey House

2009-12-07T18:02:00.003-06:00

Kitchen and dining area:

Back door/Dining area. Mary Ellen and Arthur, I finally hung your beautiful picture!!!

I love these little shelves above the windows and pantry!

Centerpiece compilation

On top of the fridge

Beautiful night light I received at the ACS Screamin' Spouses gift exchange last year.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2009-12-05T16:20:00.003-06:00

The tree is up! The house is decorated and I LOVE it! And now on to my 7 December gigs!

Caedmon: Rearranged furniture FAIL

2009-11-30T22:34:00.001-06:00

The Gingerbread House

2009-11-28T22:24:00.005-06:00

Thanksgiving!

2009-11-28T22:15:00.004-06:00

Ethan and I headed up North and visited my folks for Thanksgiving. We had a lovely time hanging out with family for a few days. We saw some friends, watched UP and Star Trek, went Black Friday shopping, ate AMAZING food, played music, and made a gingerbread house. Oh, and I spent Wednesday in the ER with ulcers on my cornea...eww and gross...other than that, the trip was great!

Friends

2009-11-28T22:06:00.003-06:00

We had guests last week and we prepared our first formal dinner for guests in our new house. Mary Ellen and Arthur came down for the day and we had a lovely time catching up and eating some delicious game hens. Erin stayed a few days longer and we had a scrapbooking marathon!

Mini Fall Recital

2009-11-14T19:45:00.003-06:00

This morning, my three students put on a recital in my living room for their parents and Ethan. My hubby is amazing and helped me basically clear out and rearrange the living room and move our new Roland (see below) to make my living room look somewhat like a performance space. Taylor (6) played Andatino and Allegretto from Suzuki Book 1, Jack (7) played Two Grenediers and Theme from Witches' Dance from Suzuki Book 2, and Aaron (11) played Minuet by Beethoven and Minuet by Boccherini from Suzuki Book 2. Jack and Aaron ended the program with two American fiddles tunes, Ida Red and Devil's Dream. Then we had a brunch reception with muffins, fruit, and orange juice!

Oh, and this is our early Christmas present:

Hello Roland HP203. I love you.

He makes me smile

2009-11-05T00:47:00.002-06:00

Thanks for the pics, Kelly!

Anna - I love you! And your present!

2009-10-31T21:35:00.003-05:00

Anna, I just wanted to let you know how much I LOVE the purse you got me from your Asia travels. It is the perfect size and colors. Everytime I use it I think of you and your amazingness as a best friend. Then I miss you. But don't worry, I still use it and thinking of you and your sunshine in my life outweighs the sadness of being so far away. Love ya girl!

Spooktacular Concert with NFSO

2009-10-30T22:46:00.004-05:00

Cont'd...last one.

2009-10-26T22:49:00.003-05:00

I had to reserve one post to show how much I loved seeing Fall colors again. Everytime I saw red or orange, my heart just skipped a beat. Summer vacations may be the thing to do, but as long as we live in Florida, Fall vacations are in order.

Cont'd...

2009-10-26T20:17:00.007-05:00

Day 5 - Doug's wedding day!

Picnic lunch in the Cincy park where Megan and Nathan got engaged

Megan and Nathan

Doug's Wedding! The wedding site was gorgeous!

Doug was by far the happiest groom we had ever seen.

Doug and Sharon happily married. :)

Brent and Kim and my super cute hubby

Lawlor 36 Bros...

...and the girls who married them.

Welcome to the club Sharon!

Vacation!

2009-10-26T11:17:00.014-05:00

Ethan has been collecting leave days and our friend Doug was getting married. It was a recipe for a perfect road trip Autumn vacation to visit friends and have some time to be together. We loved it. The night before we left, Ethan said it felt like Christmas because that was his last break. I kept saying "Merry Christmas" after that, especially once we started seeing fall colors for the first time in three years and mountains. :)

Day 1 - Drove up to the paradise of Franklin, NC where we visited Dan and Kelly. Unfortunately the first part of vacation looked like this for Ethan...

Boo homework.

Day 2: Woke up to this view. Amazing.

We went up to Dry Falls with Kelly, we got the tour of Duotech Services, and then enjoyed an AMAZING dinner Dan cooked.

Sr Design Team reunited!

Day 3 - The drive up to Ohio through Tennessee and Kentucky was gorgeous! The colors in the mountains were so rich. We spent the evening catching up with the Price family over dinner and running to Trader Joe's. Oh how I miss Trader Joe's!

Day 4 - We met up with Brent and Kim and visited our alma mater Cedarville University. It was so good to be back on campus. We felt young and old all at the same time. It was a rainy miserable windy day. The perfect day the welcome us back to campus! All of you CU alums know what I mean! We visited the new impressive Bible building, drove my Ethan's and my first apartment, and visited with our professors.

DMC, my old home

For Panama City people

2009-10-16T23:58:00.003-05:00

Panama City Pops is performing at Arnold High School Oct 17, 7:30. For info: http://www.panamacitypops.org/schedule.htm

You know you're a military spouse when...

2009-10-15T23:10:00.002-05:00

...you get your military id out at the toll booth of the Mid Bay Bridge instead of $2.50. Whoops.

Home Improvements

2009-10-14T22:37:00.003-05:00

Mailbox.

Mom, I repotted my birthday hibiscus bush! The other day it had six blooms! I LOVE it!

FINALLY planted some flowers so the walk to the front porch is a little more cheery. I smile now when I pull into our driveway. Flowers make me happy.

Time for Fall

2009-10-12T18:13:00.005-05:00

So it's still 95 (+/-) degrees here, but dreaming about the Holidays with family put me into the Fall spirit. Then after I viewed Jess's blog, I couldn't wait any longer to decorate!!! After much nagging, err, politely asking, Ethan finally helped me retrieve my decorations from the attic and I put my few things up. I love how the mantel turned out and it makes me super happy every time I look at it. It will make me even happier when Ethan puts light bulbs back into the recess lighting fixtures. (Honey...hint hint...) Our candy corn disk will sadly hold a candle this year instead of candy corn due to our current Maker's Diet journey and I will scatter a few more gourds and silk leaves around for some finishing touches.

I made the bouquet out of my leftover materials from my wreath.

Happy Fall Season everyone!

This weekend the Lancasters came to visit one "last time" before they moved. We all went to college together and supported each other during our early (early) married days at Cedarville. Then we moved to Tyndall and then they ended up at Ft. Rucker. We've visited each other back and forth over the last 2(ish) years. I am going to Aaron's graduation Wednesday and then will say see ya later for a longer amount of time then we've known since 2005. Love you guys. (Grace, Caedmon loves you too even though he doesn't always show it.)

Thanksgiving 2007 at Tyndall

Sometimes I just have to get crafty

2009-10-09T21:15:00.007-05:00

As I mentioned, life is good right now, but I needed a break from the "normal." Between my concert schedule the last few weeks and constant cooking and grocery shopping (thanks to the Maker's Diet) I decided on a crafty project for my week "off" this week.

I wanted to make this:

But the crazy twiggy type wreathe cost more than I wanted to spend total. So I wandered around A.C. Moore in a blissful state and picked up these items:

After some playing....

Happy Fall!

(Now if only the heat index here would fall below 98 degrees again...)

Catch Up

2009-10-09T20:48:00.004-05:00

Life is really good right now. I haven't been blogging much because I have either been too tired or too busy. To sum up from the summer...

Ethan and I are finally healthy again. I had a four month battle with chronic fatigue thanks to some doctor prescribed vitamins I am NO LONGER taking and Ethan's body decided to stop digesting food again for a little while.
About five weeks ago, Ethan and I started our journey with the Maker's Diet. Let's just say, whoah, lifestyle change.
Ethan is studying for his masters in Electrical Engineering. He studies alllllll the time.
I am performing and teaching again! I have three precious (and dedicated and talented...) students and I had my first concert with Pensacola Symphony Orchestra last weekend. I am of course still playing with NFSO and will play some concerts with the Panama City Pops.

Other routine activities include:

Ethan playing AF intramural flag football
Ethan and I play with the worship band for the Base Chapel Contemporary service
I volunteer two days a week at the Eglin Petwelfare, attend a Women's Bible study, and take Pilates classes on Base
We are also regulars with Caedmon at the Niceville dog park, which we LOVE.

That's basically what life looks like for us right now here at Eglin. We've met some good people and we love our church. We have an awesome sense of community and involvement here which has been a huge blessing. We do miss a lot of things about Tyndall and we definitely miss the 325th, but God knows what he is doing with our lives.

One of my activities (guess which one!) resulted in me taking care of these cuties for an afternoon:

I hope to be back on the blog train a bit more. I always had things to talk about, but sometimes in life there is only so much you can handle.

Photos

2009-09-22T23:16:00.004-05:00

Here are a couple of professional pictures from Chris and Katie's wedding back in May. Except for the crazy part in my hair, I love them!
The photographer was Josh Ohms.

I feel like Clark Howard

2009-09-20T19:59:00.000-05:00

SCAM ALERT!

Hey friends - If you order flowers from ProFlowers.com, do NOT go for the shipping rebate. It is a scam by CMGfreeshipping.com. They will end up charging your credit card. Boo on both companies.

Good Day at the Dogpark

2009-09-15T19:25:00.004-05:00

Well...for Caedmon anyway. He was SOOOO happy and then after his bath he was extremely mopey. We had hardcore rain yesterday and the park was laden with mud puddles and Caedmon (who usually doesn't care for water) claimed one. By the time we left, the Caedmon sized mud puddle had no water left because his coat had absorbed it all. Nice.

Life has been busy and a lot has been happening. Though I keep forming great blogs in my head, by the end of the day, I'm just too tired or don't have time. So Dad, here's a new post for ya, but I can't promise how soon I will get a new post up!

Presents and Papa John's

2009-08-19T22:36:00.004-05:00

Wednesday was a good night. In extended birthday celebrations, I opened my presents from Ethan and we ordered Papa John's. (2nd night of not cooking for birthday week, oh yeah!)

Any Catan players out there, come on over!

Now 26!

2009-08-18T22:14:00.002-05:00

Thank you Mom and Dad for the Hibiscus bush! I absolutely can't wait for the orange flowers to bloom! I LOVE love love it!

Ethan and I went out to dinner and the staff sang Happy Birthday to me. Super cheesy, but I love that kind of stuff. :)

My girls in DC

2009-08-17T20:50:00.005-05:00

I loooooove my girls from college and four of us reunited from literally all over the world for a weekend in DC. I miss them soooo much and it was such a sweet weekend together.

The City

Washington Monument

Smithsonian Castle

9-11 Memorial at the Pentagon

The AF wife at the WWII Memorial

The Girls

Me, Anna, Sarah, and Sarah

The Sarahs

Anna

Love you girls!!!

August - Roadtrip(s), Intro

2009-08-15T22:52:00.008-05:00

Ethan had 3 weeks of training in Ohio, so as usual, I did not hang around the house by myself! 3 weeks was perfect timing for a road trip up the East Coast to the Midwest and back!

July 21 - Dropped Caedmon off in Ft. Rucker and stayed the night with Kristen and Aaron
July 22- Stop at Franklin, NC with Dan and Kelly. I fell IN LOVE with northern GA and western NC. Be still my heart.
July 23 - Rolled into Woodbridge, VA. Saw Rachel and moved in with my folks.
July 24-27 - Reunion with Anna and the Sarahs from CU.
July 28- 30 - Help little brother pack for college.
July 21-Aug 3 - Old fashioned Johnson road trip to Wheaton College via Cedar Point and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We left Josh at Wheaton...
Other - Visit with Rachel, Katie, Lou Ann, IBC folks, Christa, Mr. Summers, get instruments worked on, buy viola bow, go to the spa with Mom...
Aug 6- 9 - Drive back to NC then to AL then back to FL roughly 3,614 miles later... phew...

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July - Arkansas

2009-08-15T22:41:00.003-05:00

Spent 5 days in Arkansas with my mum to help out with Meemas post-hip surgery. I was thankfully able to spend time with both sets of grandparents and my cousin Caleb! It was a good and meaningful trip full of Sonic Happy Hour, learning family history, and eating home grown country veggies (mmm...mmmm....). Oh, and NOTHING compares to Grandad hand picked Arkansas peaches!

Summer Days

2009-08-15T22:29:00.003-05:00

Dear Dad,

I love that you read my blog. I also love that you remind me when I haven't updated in a while. I love how usually my last post is of my dog and you let me know how tired you are of looking at a picture of my dog. Here you go dad!

Love,
Darling Dotter

The summer has been two-fold: super fun travels and fatigue. For blogging purposes we are going to focus on the super fun travels! Woo!

June - Houston. Our buddy from college, Steve, got married. Congrats bro! It was a fantastic weekend hanging out with old and true friends. Brent and Kim - you know how much we love you. Nathan and Megan - So good to see you guys again. Steve - congrats and best wishes!

CU gang

Lawlor 36 bros.

Dog In the Window

2009-06-30T23:23:00.002-05:00

Good Friends

2009-06-10T23:02:00.002-05:00

Last weekend some of our dear Tyndall friends came for a visit. Tyler, Crystal, and baby Lizzie stayed the whole weekend and Eric, Kris, and Mac spent Saturday with us. We had another "family dinner" before they move to their next duty stations.
We love and miss you guys!

Kris, Eric, Mac

Crystal and Tyler

Tyler w/Lizzie

And us.

But...but....but...

2009-06-10T17:10:00.002-05:00

Ethan came home from work today and saw my application to volunteer at the Eglin AFB dog shelter. I was in the back and he comes to me and says, "First, I support you. Second, absolutely do not bring home any dogs!"

He knows me.

We'll see how I do...

Little Brother...not so little

2009-06-07T21:26:00.007-05:00

My brother, Josh, graduated from high school this weekend. I wasn't able to be there, but I wanted to pay a little tribute to him.

Josh - you are amazing and I am so proud of you. You have such a passion for God's work in people's life. I love that your hippie streak is even stronger than mine. Continue to hone your love and gift for music. Enjoy your studies at Wheaton. Love people and work hard.

Last weekend, my family with other families from church had a BBQ and Blessings for the graduates. Dad gave an inspirational charge for my brother. I stole some pictures from our good friends, Mr. and Mrs. D.

Mom, and I want to congratulate you on homeschooling 2 kids through high school graduation. Now that I am older and looking to having my own family, I realize more and more how AMAZING this is. You are an incredible steward to choose to stay at home and dedicate 16 years of your life to your children's education. Now Mom, CONGRATULATIONS! I'm so excited about this next season in your life!

March 2009

Chris and Katie say "I Do"

2009-06-07T20:46:00.005-05:00

Last weekend I flew to Albany to play for Chris and Katie's wedding. It was awesome seeing these guys finally tie the knot! Congrats you two.

I LOVE the pipe organ in the background.

David commissioned with Ethan from CU and it was awesome catching up.

Mr. & Mrs. Plume!

CU Alumni

Lovely!

I Love My Husband

2009-06-01T23:33:00.002-05:00

I had a kitchen mishap. Just a small fire involving the gas burner and a piece of wax paper. Ethan very calmly took care of it and I said, "Hey! 3 1/2 years of marriage and that was my first time setting the kitchen on fire!"

Ethan responds, "Let's refine your verbiage for situations like these. You should say, '...that was my last time setting the kitchen on fire...'"

Thanks Babe.