catching up

People! I've missed you!

My mom sent me a text last week that said, "I'm getting complaints from the public about updates to the blog." So this is for the public.

I don't really even know where to start after our little hiatus, so I'll start with pictures and then jump into the fun stuff like Jack's five month update and (finally!) a look at our house. Until then, here's a glimpse into the last two weeks:

+ Moving is messy. And those curtains? Blech. Those came down immediately.

+ Organized chaos.

+ So far, only a few things have been broken. And nothing that I'm too sad about.

+ Grandpa and Jack discuss the game plan for the day.

+ Bed buddy.

+ Jack's room is mostly done, with the exception of hanging pictures on the wall. Hooray for progress!

+ He requires a lot of stuff while sleeping.

+ Moose baby!

+ Taking a break from unpacking to go for a walk.

+ Waiting for Andrew's submarine to pull into port!

+ He gets more handsome by the minute, if you ask me.

+ Beautiful sunset.

+ Feet!

+ He's flexing his muscles.

+ Quesadilla from a food truck. It doesn't get any better.

+ Stroller nap.

+ Connecticut might be cold, but it sure is pretty.

+ Tummy time!

+ Is there anything snugglier than a baby in a towel? I submit that there is not.

+ Green or no green, I still want to pinch those cheeks.

Is the public satisfied now? I promise not to let so much time pass before sharing more pictures of that baby.

I don't want anyone to get the shakes.

four

I've declared this song our anthem for this season in our lives. Navy life is hard, no?

Yesterday was our anniversary. Four years. And at the exact moment when, four years ago, I was at the end of an aisle promising to love and cherish, I was driving along the sea to pick him up. With our sweet baby boy in the backseat, we were going to get Daddy. He had unexpectedly come home early from an underway. Best anniversary gift ever.

I've been in awe lately at the amount of life that's been lived since that early spring day in Chapel Hill when I noticed him for the first time. Since that spring day a year later when I promised to be his wife. And since that spring day a year after that, when we made it official.

The next year, we spent that same spring day wondering if the Navy was an option for us. The year after that, we were apart - he was in Rhode Island for OCS. And the next year, we celebrated at dinner the night before he left again, this time for training in Connecticut. We didn't order wine because there was a fresh new life growing inside me.

And now here we are. This early spring day doesn't feel much like spring up here. Boxes are all around me in our first home, our boy is sleeping in the next room and Andrew is back at work, hoping for an early release before the weekend.

See what I mean about the life that we've lived? And have you noticed how this time of year brings major life events for us? Go big or go home, I guess.

The honest truth is that this whole life of ours is quite heartbreakingly beautiful. When, four years ago, I promised to follow him, I didn't have this in mind. These long hours and separations and solo-parenting. That's not what I thought I'd be following him into. But He is good. And so is Andrew. So good. He is the best person I know. And that's not just mushy-gushy, obligatory anniversary speak. He is the most amazing person I could even dream up, for a hundred different reasons. Following him is so easy and so worth it, because I know his head and heart are in the right place. I feel so blessed in that way.

So while, in a lot of ways, this is the hardest life I could have imagined for us, I think it might also be the happiest. Ironic, right? Because of that, I'll continue to follow that man around. And every day I'll be thankful for it.

Happy Anniversary, my sweet adventurer. Thanks for choosing me to be a part of it all.

updates from among the boxes

+ We're all moved in! And by "moved in" I mean that our belongings are here and we sleep here. But we are by no means unpacked or settled, although we've made a LOT of progress.

+ We? Is there a mouse in my pocket? No. Andrew's parents have been here and have been AMAZING. Unpacking, fixing, setting up, cleaning, Jack-watching, painting and being excellent company for my boy and me. I maybe had an ugly cry after I dropped them off at the airport this afternoon.

+ Rudy likes it here. I'm starting to see pieces of his old personality and that makes me happy. We haven't gotten the back yard fenced in yet, but he spends a lot of time in the sunroom watching the squirrels run around.

+ Cute baby!

+ I miss my husband, dangit. He should be here, you know? Not because of the honey-do list, but because this is our first house and it's a special time for our little family and I wish he was here to smile at every once in a while. I'm ready for that boy to come home from wherever he is.

That's all for now. Let me get just a teensy bit more settled and then I'll put all kinds of pictures up for you. You can't stop me.