It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to

Looking back, as many have or are doing right now i Can't help but notice all the relationships that I do not have anymore.  Odd opening line, I know but I'm not exactly "on" right now.  Any how I always wanted to be the girl with the life long friend.  My mom always told me that one day my sister and I wold be best friends, which I always found odd due to the fact that she didn't have a sister.....iso how wold she know?  Well, still waiting to catch the best friend sister train, actually not waiting anymore my ticket has been blown away with the last eff you I received from her.  So back to my friends, it's surprising to me to see so many of my x's (best friends, that is) that are so happily moving on.....how dare they?  Don't they Know that I wanted to be invited to their wedding, that I wanted to be the one to be welcoming a quick weekend get away, or a relaxing night at Targèt? Or that given the opportunity I would be their shoulder to cry on, or given the opportunity I would do ANYTHING they needed? Hump.....so what gives....what is it that I do or don't do?  I understand that we all learn and grow and sometimes that means apart, it just feels like I'm always growing apart never together.

Pitty party done, thanks for coming.

8 is Great!

My Baby Boy just recently turned 8.  This birthday was particularly hard for me to swallow.  In our church children get Baptized at the age of 8, this is considered the age of "accountability'.  This generated a whole lot of thinking in me, like soul searching type of thinking.  I feel like we are n the "big leagues" now, like now I really need to step up my game and practice what I preach, not to say that I was completely do as I say, not as I do but I would certainly agree that I could do better.  I think as parents we always feel that we could do better.

Yesterday Baby Boy was Baptized and Confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  It feels so wonderful to say that.  His Great Grandfather baptized him, this too was very special to me.  The service played out perfectly.  My brother was the pianist, my mother gave the opening prayer, my grandmother gave a talk on Baptism, Sister Bean ( a Missionary for our church) gave the talk on the Holy Ghost and Sister Longhurst (another Missionary for our church) gave the closing prayer.  We sang Teach Me to Walk in the Light and Families Can be Together Forever.  It was Perfect!

After we all came to the house and were joined by our neighbors for an afternoon-turned-evening of family fun!  Cafe Rio style dinner was served, cupcakes we had and presents were opened.  The night was wrapped up with a round of good ole' Texas Hold 'em & I won the pot - 100% beginner's luck!  It was Great!

xoxo

It's the Little Things

I like nice people.  It's sad that when people are nice, kind, selfless and so on that this comes as a pleasant surprise.  On Friday my Chicken Nugget woke up with a nasty cough that quickly turned into a watery eyes, stuffy nose cold.  Perfect excuse to stay inside and cuddle - except that I had a million and one errands to run, which quickly got cut to one errand - grocery shopping.  I figured i'd start off with that  nights dinner and work my way through my list just in case Chicken Nugget needed to get home.  Thankfully we made it through the list and in line where we found a school dad, yes dad not mom.  This guy is pretty awesome!  We use to help out in our kids' Kindergarten class together, he does Mr. Mom perfectly cooks, cleans, unclogs the sink, and helps his daughter in her craft room!  Anyhow back the grocery store line.......he offered to unload my groceries!  I thought this was fantastic, I was more than able, yet he saw that Nugget was sick (I was holding her and she was half asleep) he had his own groceries and little boy to take care of yet he was willing to help me.  It's the little things!  I thanked him and told him I appreciated the offer but that i could do it.  Well the checker ended up running around and helping me anyway.  That little gesture made my day, I felt all Pay-it-forward ish.  And so i did, I let the oblivious driver cut me off without honking - I know, I know just call me mother Theresa....wait no I'd prefer Princess Di.

I originally started this post a few months ago, about 2 I think??  Anyhow shortly after the grocery store incident the kids and I were on our way to meet grandma to go to the snow.  How awesome that it was Spring Break and we were headed to the snow.....only in Cali can you go to the snow and the beach for Spring Break.  Okay back on track, I stopped at Starbucks and the person in front of me PAID for my drink, and it gets better I decided to splurge and order a Venti instead of my usual Grande!!!!  I in turn paid for the car behind, and hopefully she continued to trend.  That gesture, the giving and receiving was wonderful and a great teaching opportunity for my Baby Boy. 

xoxo pay it forward

because starting on January 1st would be so cliche

I feel like i'm going to explode!  I feel like, in a way I have no right to feel like I'm going to explode - I've got it easy right?  I have a roof over my head, two amazing and healthy children, my husband has a job and there are a million other blessings I have in my life to count, yet I feel like I'm going to explode.  I feel like I have no one to completely explode to (and the one that I can be uncensored with is off limits) because in one way or another I will offend everyone that I could potential explode on.....O well, I guess.

I've contemplated what I want my blog to be about and honestly, not that I'm some super interesting person that others would find great interest in but I do not like the idea of having my business on the net.  I do not like the idea simply because I'm not a very controlled person, I'm an open book and while "real" bloggers are able to strictly not talk about their marriages, or finances or what ever else should be of limits I'm not sure that I will have that type of filter.  However I've been having this nagging feeling of writing, of having a release, of getting my trials my triumphs my life on paper - err - on record.

2011 Reflection.

Started off the year celebrating my 28th Birthday.  We, the kids my mom and my brothers went to Grandpas to celebrate.  Shortly there after the party planning began for my Girl!  First birthdays are always fantastic!  My baby Boy turned 7 and daddy came home from a year deployment to Afghanistan - not all quite in that order.  Shortly there after the prep for Embassy Duty began but was short lived as Mike was dropped from school due to an injury.  Bittersweet - I was really really looking forward to living and getting to experience a new country and culture.  Then Summer came, long fabulous days of friends and growing babies all hanging out on the front lawn.  And a week long trip to the Utah mountains.  Summer turned out to be pretty great or so i thought......little did i know i would eventually find out that my world was being turned upside down. I still haven't decided if ignorance is bliss.  The school year started and my Boy played his first season of Baseball, and we made some new great friends.  All in all this has been another great year.  I look forward to next year, I look forward to growing and moving on.  I look forward to the challenges and blessings that will come.  It's gonna be a good year, I wont have it any other way.

Yay... i made it back safely!  To my "pathetic excuse for a blog" blog.  I've had so many catchy one liners and cute lil' stories that I imagined telling, and of course, here I am and......NOTHING.  I got nothing (insert sad face here)

So, because I really don't have any incredible intelect intellect to share I needed some type of "starting point" to begin this "pathetic excuse of a blog" blog, drum roll please, I HAVE FOUND A STARTING POINT!!!!  Umm about a week ago-ish my hubby, who's in beautiful Afghanistan, called me at 1 in the morning to let me know that we had been accepted to MSG Duty.  Now for all you hundreds of millions that are reading this ( hi jenn) basically that means that by summers end we will be moving...not only will we be moving, but it will be outside in the country's boarders - Yes ladies and gents we will be moving out of the country.  I laughed, I cried, and currently i'm crapping my pants with the million hundred thousand five billion and six* (* a collin-ism) questions that I have.  This is what we talked about, this is what we've been wanting, this is no longer a fantasy.

For now all I know is 

• The schooling is 8 weeks long (there is a possibility that this roller coaster of emotions is in vain IF the hubs doesn't pass, but we will have our fingers crossed and our arms folded)  
• We do get to make suggestions, as to where we would like to go.  
• We will have two different stations over three years.  
• When we return Collin will be 10 and Cambria will be 4 - HOLY SMOKES!!!
• Pretty sure I know a little more...just cant think of anything right now

While I am very scared, I look forward to all of the amazing experiences that this new chapter will bring.  I'm excited that Collin will no doubt grow up to remember what lies ahead.  And I will do my very best to give Cambria special memories of her own.  And of course I'm excited to experience all the new memories that the hubs and i will share.

So, there you have it - my blog now has a beginning, now please just help me remember that it is in fact "Just Another Day in Paradise"

525,600 Minutes

So the day has come and gone and i or shall i say we survived. Just barely, i'm still fighting the urge to crawl under a rock and sleep for the next year, however i have a sweet little boy and baby girl in the making both of which prevent me from doing such a thing. Thank the Lord for them both.

it's no secret that our relationship has been less then perfect or even desirable, up to this point. But somehow (lots of tears, fights, counseling and more tears) we have made it to this point. the point where I can say that I am oddly thankful for all that we have been through. The point where, when asked, was it worth it? I can without a doubt say YES! It's been quite a rocky road, but i know now how much i am loved and how much i truly am in love with my husband. Neither on of us are perfect and we will always have something to work on, but I'm so excited and look forward to having him by my side to work together.

I am blessed. It occurred to me that today, right now, i am living the life that i have always wanted, and it is all because of my husband. I have a huge house over my head, a truck - that i picked out, I'm some what a stay at home mom to our amazing son and in two months a beautiful daughter. Life is good.

so with all of that said thank you Mike. thank you for all that we have and thank you for loving me, and making me feel loved.

xoxo-Ambre

Diary?

So i've been wanting to do this whole blog thing for a while now.....a long while, but now that i'm doing it i've got not too much to say. Not to mention isn't this a "diary"....I've always thought of it that way - so really i'm writing my business for all to read???? Umm ya.....not too sure if i like that? O well I'll do my best to be honest, no matter how brutal it my be.

xoxo - Ambre