Hello 2015

Wow, 2015, here you are. I feel like I have been looking to 2015 for awhile. Perhaps it is because this past year has been absolutely full of nonstop memories or maybe it is because this is the year I turn 40 (I know, what?!). It is truly hard to believe that only a year has passed since we last celebrated the coming of a new year. Before I sat down to write this post, I glanced at what I wrote last year.  I was ready for a fresh start, but I also braced myself for a year full of challenges. Let's just say that 2014 did not disappoint us in that category.

It is very strange to think that we started the year off skiing in the Austrian Alps, and spent the first half of the year traveling constantly. We definitely knew we were going to miss living in Europe, and we tried hard not to leave with any regrets. But despite the travel, life did not stop. School stayed busy for me, the Army worked Big R to death, and the boys kept things exciting all the time. Our biggest adventure by far though was our move back stateside. The transition felt like it lasted forever. If you have ever been fortunate enough to experience an overseas assignment, you know exactly what I mean. It. Never. Ends. The process for us began in late January when we found housing, and once Big R's orders were finally cut in late March, the planning, scheduling, and packing went into full swing. Our house was packed up mid-May right after we sent one of our cars back. In July, we received and unpacked all of our household goods, and things finally ended when we had both cars parked in the driveway in August. I'm exhausted just thinking about it, and I am so very happy that whole mess is now behind us.

We had a blast finishing our tour in Germany including a Mediterranean cruise and a final trip back to Sweden to visit with family. It was downright awesome. Getting back to the U.S. was bitter-sweet because even though we were sad to leave Europe, we got to see so much of our family over the summer and spending holidays with them was just that much easier. It's pretty amazing what a difference it can be to have your friends and family in similar time zones.

So, this next year...I'm not sure it'll be much calmer than the last. It certainly promises to be exciting. I'll be heading back to work (so crazy, right?). It's only an externship, but it's with an amazing legal environmental nonprofit in Nashville and I can't believe I'm getting the opportunity. Another research project is also on my agenda to keep me on schedule to receive my degree in May. Yep, I'll officially graduate in May, and I have no clue what I'm going to do with myself when that happens (maybe I'll actually start blogging again!). Big R will keep doing that thing that he does to make sure the Army is happy, and the boys will undoubtedly work very hard to test my sanity on a fairly consistent basis.

I am going to try harder to post stories about what's going on in our lives. There are too many things that happened over this past year that you never heard about. Great, amazing, and awesome stories. Sure I'm busy, we are all busy, right? Life is just flat out busy, but that's a good thing as far as I'm concerned. If it's life that keeps me from writing about life, I'm going to bask in the irony. But when life gives me a moment to share, I promise to do just that.

This next year promises to be an interesting one for our family. I'm both excited and anxious at the same time to see how it develops. So, hello 2015! It's so good to finally see you.

Happy New Year, Everyone! 

xoxoxoxo

Travel 'Must-Haves'

Along the wall in Dubrovonik, Croatia

I have been feeling rather nostalgic lately for travel, especially after looking at all the pictures from my friends' travels overseas. I was talking to a friend still stationed in Germany, and we got into a fun chat about all the places we have visited and the things we were sure to bring along every time. I thought it would be fun to respond to my nostalgia by putting together a list of those things we were sure to have with us on our adventures - a short list of 'must-haves', if you will.

Big R and I share a passion for travel. I am convinced it is something that drew us together. So our travels started long before we were living in Europe, but being there definitely upped the ante and solidified our must-haves list.

Arriving in Hallstat, Austria

First and foremost, we travel light. By light, I mean truly down to the minimums. We spent a week in Europe together with a small backpack each. True, it was May, but when we took a November trip to Normandy, the story was the same. Life is different when you travel - you wear less and your priorities are different on an hour to hour basis. I have to mention, too, adding kids to the mix was a huge game-changer and required us to add a few more items to that list of must-haves.  So, I added a couple items at the bottom that we make sure to bring along to keep our sanity in check while we travel with kids in tow.

1. Favorite Guidebook. Our favorite guidebook, hands down, is Rick Steves. Backdoor travel is our game, and he is the pro at every turn. There are many great guidebooks out there though, and to save money, I would always plan a visit to the library the week before our trip and grab the best guidebooks available for our destination. You can download guidebooks onto your kindle or Nook as well, but we found that it was better to have an actual book in hand to look at the maps and find resources quickly.

2. Reservations. This is a BIG one. By this, I don't mean a reservation for every meal or anything that ridiculous, but definitely have hotel reservations taken care of way before hand. We did this MONTHS in advance using our favorite online booking (e.g., booking.com, airbnb.com, tripadvisor, etc.). Not only is this the best way to ensure you don't blow your entire budget on accommodations, it relieves a ton of stress especially if you are traveling in a foreign location. We did our first backpacking trip to Europe without a single reservation and I immediately decided I was getting far too old for that kind of stress. It's not worth it. Just always be sure to know the cancellation policy, and pay a little extra for flexible fares. If you are traveling with babies, most hotels will have baby cots, and it's worth the extra cost for that as well!

Also, reservations are often needed for popular museums, political buildings, etc., so check ahead to be sure you don't miss out because you didn't know you needed a reservation months in advance. Lastly, many locations are great to see with a tour. We booked a bike tour of Rome and it was one of our favorite ways to see a city. Yep, RESERVATIONS are a must.

3. GPS / Directions. If we were renting a car or driving to our destination(s), we never left home without our GPS with addresses already pre-programmed in. We also brought maps when we could print them off because the GPS was notoriously wrong (e.g., our GPS kept wanting us to drive through the Alhambra to get to our hotel in Granada - clearly that was not going to work).

4. Small travel bag. We always made sure to bring along a bag for day trips. Whether it was a small backpack, messenger bag, or large purse, we always made sure to have one. That's where I kept our wallets, camera, snacks, guidebook, etc. I finally found the perfect bag that worked for us while we were living in Germany. I still use it all the time.

5. Two pair of shoes. Shoes are always a huge pain on vacations because they are awkward and bulky to pack. Despite that, I brought two pairs on every trip, and this is why: regardless of how comfortable your shoes are, if you wear them every day for 4 days of constant walking, you will get blisters no fail. I would plan my "outfits" to alternate with my shoes each day. This saved my feet every trip.

6. Sunglasses. NEVER leave home without them regardless of what time of year it is. We forgot them for a trip to Copenhagen because it was supposed to be cooler and it was overcast when we left Germany. That was a HUGE mistake. Nothing worse than a headache on your trip from squinting. Believe me, make sure to pack your sunglasses in that extra bag.

7. Cords for charging electronics / Adapter plugs for international travel. These are an easy thing to forget, and not having them can be a huge problem (especially if you have kids!). Be double sure to pack at least one cord and adapter plug every time you travel.

8. Water bottle. We take our camel back water bottles with us everywhere we go. My bag has a slot on the side to carry it, and it has saved us on numerous occasions. Tap water is safe to drink in most countries (although, double check that carefully before drinking it). My friends also use their Nalgene bottles to store things they don't want to have spill or break (i.e., peanut butter, granola bars, shampoos and soaps) - such a great idea!

The last few items are extensions to our list since we expanded our family. I can't encourage you enough to travel when you have kids. Do it. I agree, it's a lot of work, but it gets easier with each trip (here you can read a few pointers I have about traveling with kiddos).

9. Carseat / stroller / favorite child carrier. If we were renting a car at our destination, we always brought the carseats. We found out early on that renting a carseat through a rental car agency is painfully expensive, and you never know how safe or nice the carseats will be. It's a pain to lug them along, but there are ways you can carry them. (If you use a roller bag, here is a great device I discovered to help carry that carseat.) Also, several airlines (primarily in Europe) will let you check them for free or at least cheaper than it will cost to rent one at your destination. We were not big stroller users. It never worked well for us, so we never brought one on our trips. I can only recall one trip where I wished in hindsight we had brought it along because it was hot and the city would have been easy to navigate with a stroller. I have friends that never leave their stroller at home because their kids are well-behaved in them and they use them to visit museums. We felt the same way about our child carriers. For little r, it was my Moby. Super easy to pack in our bags, and he would sleep in that carrier instantly. We used it to carry him until he was 3! For baby c, it was always the Ergo. I still bring that everywhere we go.

The Moby was a comfy place for little r to sleep

baby c will let me take him anywhere in this carrier

10. iPad or other electronic device loaded up with your child's favorite shows and movies. I have absolutely no shame when it comes to traveling with kids and using an iPad to keep them quiet. We were able to enjoy many a meal in peace because of having it in tow. My day bag has a slot that fit our iPad perfectly, so we never left it behind. Our friends used it with headphones to keep their kids quiet in museums as well.

11. Favorite go-to snacks. There is nothing more impossible than trying to travel with a young child who is hungry. Bring a handful of their favorite snacks on every trip that won't make too huge a mess. Gummy Bears were always our go-to. Snack bars also work well. My friend brings peanut butter on her trips and a plastic knife so they could grab bread at a local store and keep the girls happy. Whatever works best, just be sure to bring it with you!

12. Blankets or lovelies for the kiddos. Both of my boys have blankees. As much as I never wanted to bring these around on the streets of Rome or walking the city wall in Dubrovnik, I refused to leave them behind. It was an instant way to keep them calm and help them feel secure in a scary place. We guarded them with our lives, but it was totally worth it to bring it along.

And finally, the most important thing to bring on every trip, adventure or vacation, is a good attitude especially if you are traveling with kids. Our best trips were always the ones where we were flexible and let things slide off our backs. We had our accommodations reserved in advance, we generally would know where we were going and what we wanted to see, but we felt out our moods, the weather, and the environment to find the best food and the greatest city walks.

Did I leave anything off? Definitely let me know if there's something you can't leave behind when you go on vacation, if it's not on our list!     

xoxoxoxo 

 
P.S. Those of you that know me, also know that I NEVER go on a trip without my travel yoga mat. Literally NEVER. 

Monster mom

Monster mom is here full on in our house. Our children can't hide, they are exposed at every second to the wrath of my craziness. Seriously, I do think my inner monster is alive and putting it back is going to take some serious work. I've been caught in that mommy moment lately where your skin tingles because you feel like you are literally on the edge pretty much all the time. I'd say I'm exhausted, but honestly, that's not it at all. I'm just done. D-O-N-E. Love being a mom, love every inch of my children's soft skin, the never-ending kisses, and the unconditional love. That has been answered full on with irrationality this past few weeks. Daddy has been training, and being alone with the boys has not been difficult in the "doing it all by myself" category. Instead, they miss him, and the attention they get when we are both here. That's something I never really saw coming. This isn't the cause of all my monstrous tendencies, though, of course. Life is far too exciting for it to be one simple thing causing the mayhem.

My morning madness has turned into overwhelming insanity these days. Thank you day light savings for throwing my children into a sleepless funk that provides me with an extra hour of screaming laughter. It's fantastic on so many levels. HA! Little r has decided that he wants my undivided attention and baby c is in his way. That translates into pure, unadulterated antagonization. Baby c never gets a break from his brother's torment no matter how often I pull them apart. The poor kid is one crying mess until we get in the car to take little r to school. My general response to is to send him to his room. Little r responds by slamming the door and having a meltdown. Oh, and baby c isn't purely innocent in this whole scheme, that I am fully aware, but good grief! I know there is a solution to this deep in my bag of tricks, but that bag is completely AWAL at the moment.

As a mom, do you ever feel like you have forgotten how to talk without yelling? That the room starts spinning and you can't see straight because the crying is like nails on chalkboard? Yep. That's me. The worst part is, I know this all stems from me. I know that my little men feed off of my emotions. They sense my stress, they know I miss their daddy as much as they do, and they know I have a lot of things on my list to get done. Children know these things. They know them better than we think they do. Little r continues to be an expert at finding my buttons. His brilliance in this department is almost uncanny. Push, push, push. It's like that game we played as a kid where someone sits on top of your chest while you are laying down and slowly taps on your chest bone. It doesn't hurt, no pain at all, but it drives you completely mad anyway.

I love being a mom. I'm just not super crazy about this part. This part right here that wipes the smile off your face at breakfast when the cereal starts hitting the floor to a giggling soundtrack, when you disappear for 5 seconds to feed the cats, get dressed or brush your hair only to turn around and find your 5 year old pulling your toddler around the house by his blanket screaming his ever loving head off. The tantrums that happen because you refuse to let your children eat halloween candy all day long (wow, I NEVER hated candy more than I do this year), and the guilt you feel as a mother when you realize your toddler hasn't had a vegetable in several days. It's kind of all that. I love being a mom, but this is the tough part. I really don't want them to grow up too fast. In so many ways I already miss the sweet little babies they were, but pushing past this one small phase would be fantastic.

We have moments of insanity...

Moments of pure adorable calm...

And moments like these that make it all worth it...

Yep, monster mom is here, and I'm ready to send her packing. In the meantime, if you see her, try not to judge too much if she's wearing the same thing you saw her in yesterday or if she has yogurt in her hair. We are taking things one moment at a time these days, and we will get through this with some part of our sanity intact.

xoxoxoxo

A fireman and a little jedi

I know, I know, the interwebs are oozing with cute kids in their Halloween costumes, and you are cringing that I'm adding yet one more... but hey, sometimes the cuteness overload is too much to keep to yourself, so I have to share. We are going all sorts of crazy this Halloween. One party and event after another, and this mama will do anything to keep her crazy bears occupied (although, I could really handle a lot less sugar in my little ones). One unexpected surprise though is that it was super warm here this weekend. I have a great costume for baby c, but he would have melted in it this weekend, so I turned him into a little jedi instead (I'm starting to realize this is my go-to costume - guess Big R is wearing off on me). Little r wants to save his costume for Halloween and opted to go as a fireman this weekend.

Introducing, my sweet fireman...

And the cutest little jedi you ever saw...

Halloween is not until next week, but this weekend was Fright on Franklin, which is insane! I've never seen anything like it (hey, maybe I'm a bit sheltered, but holy cow!). Franklin is a main street in downtown Clarksville, and they have this annual event where businesses rent tents ultimately to market themselves, but more to go super creative with costumes and hand out candy to little ones. The kids go crazy over it, and the decorations were too much fun. There must have been 200 tents EASY, and there were so many kids and families that there was a line to go from booth to booth. Little r thought it was all pretty cool, but he was shy as a mouse, and grew tired of waiting. On the way out, though, we stopped in to visit the haunted house, and he was so proud of himself for not getting scared. I'm pretty sure he ran through the entire thing pretending not to be afraid. The look on his face at the end was priceless.  Fright on Franklin, pretty darn freaking cool.

This scene went on forever! It was super impressive...

Our next soiree was a church event that the neighbors invited us to. The boys had such a great time. Pumpkin decorating, hot dog eating, costume competing, and (little r's favorite) hay riding - all things guaranteed to keep the wild ones happily occupied. Sometimes it's the simple things like great friends and good chili to put a huge smile on your face.

The hay ride was "so wild and crazy" according to little r. HA!

 I don't know, it's looking pretty chill to me...

While his brother was off riding on hay bales, my jedi was sensing the force...

...and chasing ice princesses... yes, that plural is intentional. There were several (can we say, Frozen implosion?), and he was chasing all of them...

Hope you didn't mind me adding more cuteness to the Halloween costume overload. These memories are too cute not to capture.

xoxoxoxo

Sometimes you just need to take a hike...

Good grief, has it really been a month since my last post?! I suppose it goes without saying that life has been a tad bit busy lately. The boys definitely absorb most of what I have every day, and what I might have left I very happily give to Big R when he gets home from work. Work in some school for me, an amazing amount of activities for little r, and chasing baby c from every corner of the house, and you have some pretty incredibly full lives.

Despite the awesomeness of where we are now, because I really do love our new house and neighborhood, little r's school, fast and reliable internet, being in the same time zone with my family and friends... I've been struggling just a little bit trying to find myself lately. We've been back in the states for how long now? We are well settled, life is very good, and Tennessee is being good to us in so many ways. So, why am I lost? Each time we move, which feels like it's far too often, it takes some time to adjust, and I feel like I'm still finding my way. Mostly though, I think I'm a bit home sick for Germany and our life there. Yes, yes, the travel was awesome, but I truly loved our day-to-day lives in Bavaria.

Two things I might actually miss the most about our day-to-day lives in Germany was our walks to and from school and my regular runs out on the trails. These are things I might never get to experience again. It wasn't just the walk, it was the people I walked with, the towns we lived in, and the folks we said "hello" to. I loved stopping at the local bakery along the way or grabbing an ice cream with little r on the way home on a sunny afternoon. The runs were incredible, and I felt fortunate every time I hit the trails. I stepped foot out my front door and within minutes I was on the trail often running with my closest friends. These are things I will hold onto forever, and I am surprised how big of a void I have without them.

To help adjust to our new life, I work hard to set up a routine. That always makes things easier for everyone, right? The "Y" here is my home away from home, primarily because it gives baby c a chance to play with some other kiddos and me some time to get exercise for my body AND a break for my mind. We had to change things up some today because baby c is fighting a nasty cold, so I didn't want him to be around other kids. Despite the congestion, he was fever free and feisty as ever, so an outing was a must. Fall is in full swing here and we are absorbing it like crazy. The weather is incredible, and Tennessee has some beautiful country. Lando is probably the most thrilled with the change in the seasons, and he's been antsy wanting to get out more.

So, I took my sweet old pup and my snuffly little boy off for a hike this morning. Little r had fun sharing his seat in the car with Lando on the way to school, and I very quickly reminded myself how close we live to the trails after all. It's not a few steps out my front door anymore, but the drive is easy (particularly since we are in the car anyhow). Being home with baby c means trail running is something I'll have to put aside for now, but a great hike is an amazing substitute especially on a beautiful morning like we had today.

Such a gorgeous morning for a hike

My snuggler loved it so much he fell asleep!

He's so beautiful, I could pinch myself sometimes...

Perhaps I have just stumbled on an important new addition to our routine at least until it gets too cold out. Everyone is always talking about how badly we need to discover Nashville. It's a great city with awesome night life. I have no doubt that the nightlife is great, and there is definitely something to be said about that. But what I think we might just being doing with our weekends from here on out is discovering Tennessee's back country.

I hope you all are enjoying the fall season and everything that comes with it! 

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo