Lately...

If you know anything about me, you know how much I struggle with the displacement we experience as a military family.  Frankly, the military can make me crazy.  CRAZY.  When I first heard that Bryon was about to spend a week in Shreveport, I immediately became jealous of the warmer (albeit more humid!) weather he'd be enjoying.  I laugh even writing this.  Jealous?  Of Shreveport?  I couldn't possibly count the times I cursed that place while we were there.  Nonetheless, I found myself becoming jealous of the fact that he was going back.  It's the place we both settled into our jobs.  It's the place we became parents.  It's the place we brought Maksim home for the very first time and settled into our new normal.  It's the place I became a stay-at-home-mom.  It's the place Maksim took his first steps, learned to swim, played out in the backyard with Kira for hours on end, celebrated his first birthday and learned he was going to be a big brother.  It feels a little bit like Louisiana was the real beginning of "us."

Truth be told, Louisiana isn't at the top of my list of places we've lived - not by a long shot.  However, I've come to feel that I'd really be ok with returning to any of the places we've been stationed.  In all reality, from Texas to Louisiana to Florida to New Hampshire...there's a little bit of home in each of those places.  And, for me, returning to something "known" and "comfortable" is a heck of a lot more welcoming than the dreaded unknown of a new place.  Relocating should be exciting and full of opportunity and adventure.  And, believe me, there was once a time where moving was all about those things.  But, after 33 years and 10 states to call home (2 of which I've lived in twice and 1 of which I've lived in 3 different times...that's essentially 13 states in 33 years AND doesn't account for the multiple residences I've lived at within those states!), I'm feeling like I've earned the right to say, "I'm done!".  It's no wonder that I'm at a loss for any feeling of "roots" in my life.  Moving: I long to be finished with this chapter - at least for a substantial period of time.  I want to unpack the moving boxes and throw them away because I don't intend to use them again!  I want to paint my house, hang pictures on the walls and enjoy furniture that intentionally fits into select rooms.  I want to buy a home without resale being the #1 factor for the purchase.  I want to mark my kids' heights on a door frame instead of a piece of 2x4 that's mobile.  I want traditions that stay within the walls of my house and the constraints of my "home" city/state.  I want the mundane routine of things/people/places I know (and honestly, the majority of me always has).  But doesn't everyone?  I guess I can sum it all up with:

"Y'all, this move has been HARD."

On the upside, the vast network of connections we make as a result of our military experience is undeniable.  When else would Bryon have been able to spend a week in Louisiana and come home with a fresh loaf of made-from-scratch honey wheat bread from my sweet friend?  It's things like that which kind of make up for all the rest of it.  At least in the short term.  And the fact that I can call a handful of people I've met along the way LIFELONG friends?  Relationships I'd have otherwise never stumbled upon?  Well, that helps make up for it in the long run.

Halloween Craftin' and Pumpkin Patchin'

We've had a Fall filled with Halloween crafts.  That's right.  Us.  Crafty.  Believe it.

Daddy proved his skills with an x-acto knife and some empty water jugs to make Maksim's Halloween skeleton.  His favorite part?  Riding in the car with his new, spooky friend.

Word on the street was that Maksim was very concerned about the lack of a 5-point harness for his friend.  Skeletons gotta buckle up for safety, too!

We attended our small town's Cider Festival, but I'm out of photos from the event.  Live music, pumpkin decorating, face painting, hay rides and pressing our own cider.  The pumpkins made their way home, but the cider disappeared before the day was over.

Guess who received flowers?  That'd be me.  Rare occurrence.

Our neighboring small town hosts a Pumpkin Festival every year.  We were sure to check it out, as locals raved about it.  All in all, it was pretty fair-like.  Mostly deep fried foods (seriously, everything), vendor booths and kids' rides/games.  Maks chose to save his Halloween money for his costume and buying a pumpkin, so we skipped out on the rides.  However, Daddy was quick to offer up his own "fun money" and teach the boys to aim and shoot.  No surprise there.

Maksim

Deklan

Our little library is quaint, in the middle of "the village," and keeps us occupied with fun events.  No-carve pumpkin decorating was a hit.  We walked away with a blood thirsty bat, a bejeweled beauty, a melted Crayola mess and a spooky spider webbed gourd.

No mess pumpkin decorating FTW!

BUT...What's Fall without a trip to the Pumpkin Patch?  Before Bryon boarded a plane for Louisiana for a week, we loaded up the car and drove down to Massachusetts to visit Parlee Farms.

Another rare occurrence.  Family photo.  NEED. TO. BOOK. FAMILY. PHOTOS. STAT!

Each boy got to pick his perfect pumpkin.  For Maksim, that meant the BIGGEST pumpkin we'd allow.  On the other hand, we needed to direct Deklan away from the tiny, cream colored pumpkins towards something we could actually carve.  The selected pumpkins will stay safely hidden at home until Bryon returns next weekend for carving.  If not for hiding them, I'm sure the poor gourds wouldn't last a week in my children's' not-so-gentle care.  In the meantime, wish me luck flying solo for a week with my own 2 pumpkins - 3 if you count Kira.

New England Fall

"Fall is my favorite."
"Nothing beats a New England Fall."
"You're going to LOVE it."
"I'm so jealous."
...

I could go on and on about all of the wonderful things I've been told about Fall in New England, but I'll just post some photos of our adventures instead.

Our favorite tree outside of our weekday morning stop at Hampshire Hills Sports & Fitness Club.

The cool, crisp air has been a welcome change from the heat of Florida, but I'm still desperately missing my Sunshine State roots.  No better way to take my mind off what I'm missing than to fully submerse myself in what's right outside of my new front door.  Welcome to my (current) world.

We've been experiencing quite a drought up here, and the leaves have been slow to change color.  But the temps have started to decline and I knew I wanted to make a drive up to the White Mountains before things turned wintry in the higher elevations.

I've really wanted to do a 3.5 hour scenic drive with multiple stops around the White Mountains during leaf season, but seeing as it's a 2 hour drive just to get up there, that's too much car time in 1 day for our boys.  So, we decided to hit the highlights that would be most interesting as a family for a quick day trip.

Franconia Notch State Park.  The Flume.  This beauty is a natural gorge that extends 800 feet at the base of Mount Liberty.  As we're in the Granite State, walls of granite rose around us between 70-90 feet as we made our way through the 12-20' wide paths.  Narrow width paths surrounded by endless granite walls didn't make for optimal photo taking at the most breathtaking points of The Flume, though.  Oh well, the experience is typically more exciting than a photo anyhow!

We hiked a relatively easy 2 mile loop that didn't disappoint with views of streams, waterfalls, lakes, historic bridges and plenty of fall leaves.

Pemigewasset River Bridge, 1886.

New England Fall

A short drive took us to Cannon Mountain.  However, when Bryon went to purchase our aerial tram tickets the vendor told us that it was single digit temperatures at the summit and ZERO visibility.  He recommended that we come back in a few hours, if possible.

3 hours (and full bellies) later, we hopped on the gondola and made our way to the summit.  I was expecting views of the mountains with green, yellow, orange and red covered hills.  A sighting of Canada off in the distance (not kidding!).  I got all of that...

On our way up...

...What I wasn't expecting was we neared the final stretch was frost covered treetops.  FROST (not kidding, again)!

Perfect mix of seasons.

Holding on to Autumn AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.  I feel ya.

Summit surprise.

Immediately after stepping off the gondola.  50 degree swing.  Freezing my face off.

Winter phobias aside, it was surreal  Quite like we'd walked into Narnia.  Bitter-cold and windy (it's definitely time for us to invest in some top quality cold weather gear)...but absolutely stunning.  The gentleman operating the tram on the way down said that he's worked there for 10 years and today was the best view he's ever seen.  I'll take it!

We may just have to head back for skiing in the Winter!

I'd anticipated on driving to some more waterfalls and trails, but the 3 hour lunch layover changed the itinerary.  With the days getting shorter, we had just enough time to drive home for the boys' usual bedtime.  Maybe the weather will cooperate and allow us to visit one more Saturday before winter arrives.  Hey, a girl can dream.

Learning to keep his hands in his pockets for warmth.

Never too cold for a smile from this one.

Portland

4 years ago we were exploring Portland, OR with a newborn.  Who knew we'd be exploring Portland of the opposite coast with two toddlers come October 2016?!

We had such a great experience in Ogunquit last weekend that we decided to make back-to-back weekend trips to Maine so that we could check out Portland.  The drive was a bit further, but still completely do-able as a day trip from our house in Southern NH.

As soon as the kids woke up in the morning, we hit the road.  Less than 2 hours later we'd arrived in Portland.  We parked the car near the shipping docks and Bryon ran off in search of breakfast (at a place I'd already picked out) while I took Maksim and Deklan to purchase some ferry tickets.

Bryon's destination?  Portland's renowned Holy Donut.  Bryon and the boys LOVE donuts.  And these donuts are made with fresh, local ingredients that surprisingly aren't all that bad for you (considering they're donuts).  The secret ingredient?  Fresh Maine (mashed) potatoes!

Potato donuts!

Bryon selected 6 different flavors - Chai Glazed, Maple Bacon, Sea Salt, Cinnamon Sugar, Chocolate Cake and Ginger.  I can't really remember much about them - except for the fact that I was able to eat exactly 1/2 of ONE donut before the remainder were entirely inhaled by the rest of my crew.  Breakfast of champions!

2.0 seconds before those donuts were annihilated.

We ate our breakfast while aboard a mail ferry.  For a small fare, we were able to cruise around Casco Bay via a courier fleet that hops around five of the islands delivering postal services to locals who reside on them.  We were happy to have avoided to typical touristy boat tours and enjoyed the nearly 3 hour scenic tour of such unique coastal communities!

Once back ashore we quickly grabbed lunch.  Unfortunately, EVERYBODY was out and about and the restaurants we'd intended on scoping out had nearly 2 hour wait times!  We caught a bite at a local brewery and made it back to the docks in time for another afternoon ferry.

I'm on a boat!

After a short 15-minute ride across the bay, we arrived at Peaks Island.  Can you believe that local children on the island (which has residents year round, in contrast to some of the neighboring islands which are strictly seasonal due to utility hookups) arrive at 6am each morning to catch a ferry across the bay in order to hop on a school bus and attend school in Portland?  Anyhow, we rented a golf cart and spent the remainder of the afternoon driving around the small island, stacking rocks along the shore, watching sailboats passing by, catching glimpses of lighthouses in the distance and playing on short stretches of sandy beach.  Bryon and I both agreed that we will be looking into a VRBO on one of the islands come next summer!

Watch out, world!  I wouldn't trust any of these 3.

Stacking rocks.

Mr. Stitches and I hanging back on the hillside.

Upon landing back in Portland, we grabbed some food and drinks at Novare Res.  This was the perfect end (nightcap for Bryon) to our trip.  It was a welcoming beer garden with long beechwood tables set up both indoors and out.  We grabbed a spot outside and the boys ran around playing with about 6 other children while adults conversed, drank and played lawn games.  The boys had a blast and fit in just as well as the rest of the adult crowd!  With more than 300 beers to choose from, Bryon was quite pleased with our final stop, too!

Wanted a "pony" just like his big brother.

Maine definitely hasn't disappointed me thus far.  Although this is likely to be the end of our Maine adventures for this season, I'm excited to plan a trip to Bar Harbor come warmer weather in 2017!

Exploring the Maine-land

I've wanted to take a trip to Maine ever since my mom would read "Blueberries for Sal" to me as a little girl.  I just never realized I'd live THIS. FAR. NORTH.  Who knew the Maine/New Hampshire border was just an hour away?

It's not exactly blueberry picking season anymore, but there's still plenty else to do in Maine.  I planned a day trip to Ogunquit, ME & Portsmouth, NH - and am so glad I did.

Ogunquit, ME

Ogunquit means "beautiful place by the sea" and it couldn't ring more true.  Although it's still taking me some time to understand the point of going to a beach that isn't sandy, sunny and WARM...well, Ogunquit makes this trend a little bit easier to comprehend.  Plus, we landed some mid-70's sunshine.  Win!

Marginal Way

This little town seemed quiet and quaint, but as the morning hours neared noon it was bustling with people.  Tourists out to see the sights, locals chatting at corner coffee shops, artists sketching along the seashore, runners making their way up/down the coastline trails - so picturesque.  We walked Marginal Way and I was absolutely blown away with the views.  The trail itself wasn't long; 1.25 miles in it's entirety.  However, we spent our whole morning strolling along the pavement, climbing down the rocky hillside and gazing out into the horizon.  Unequivocal coastal New England.

The world is your oyster, buddy. 

Skipping rocks. 

As the saying goes...Maine is all about the 3 L's - lobster, lighthouses and LL Bean (that's actually 4 L's for anybody who's counting).  Believe it or not, I'd never had a lobster roll - and neither had Bryon.  When in Maine...  For now I'll just say it was worth a try.  And I'll probably be a good sport and try it one more place in the Northeast before I give my final verdict.

For all those wondering - yes, Bryon is wearing pants.

Next stop was the beach.  It was a quick stop, too.  Actually, I was the only person who got out of the car.  Beautiful beach, but the weather was just too cool and windy.  Everybody relaxing in the sand was wearing hoodies and sitting in lawn chairs!  That'll take some getting used to.  The salty air was nice and there's just something so satisfying about being on the water - I'd have brought a good book and parked it for the afternoon if I didn't have my littles in tow.  But the truth is, my boys wouldn't quite understand a trip to the beach without board shorts & boogie boards!  We'll try it again in the peak of next summer's heat!

There's something about this kid and sailboats.

On the lookout.

A short drive to Portsmouth and we were back to playing tourists.  Maksim and Deklan spent a good hour riding their bikes around Prescott Park.  We made our way through the massive flower gardens and just wasted time.  Then we were off to watch the tugboats and grab an afternoon snack & flight of sampler beers at a local brewery.  Bonus: we were back home by dinnertime.

Northeast or Southeast, you can't keep these kids from the salty shores.

BUT...what's a day of adventure without a trip to the ER?  Seriously, we made it 4.5 years into parenthood with 2 rambunctious boys before our first stitches episode.  Deklan was running around the kitchen table and took a corner a bit too tightly, clipping it just above his brow line.

Assessing the situation. 

All smiles at triage.

Relaxing.

Dek was such a trooper.  He cried a bit when he hit his head, but it was a blunt force cut that folded back upon itself, so the bleeding was pretty minor for a head wound.  He calmly ate the dinner we'd been preparing before we all loaded up in the car to head to the hospital.  Bryon was going to take Deklan singlehandedly (I'm ok with most things, but when it comes to my own children my stomach is a bit less cast-iron), but Maksim was surprisingly concerned about the wellbeing of his little brother.  In all honestly, I'm grateful that this happened on a Saturday evening when Bryon was in town.  I'd rather not have tackled the ER with both children solo.  So, we all went.  I had Maksim step out of the room when they came in to numb and stitch the wound.  Partly for Maksim's best interest, partly for Deklan's best interest, and partly for mine.  Maks doesn't have any negative association with hospitals to date (actually, he has no association whatsoever).  Deklan would fare much better with the sting of the lidocaine if he didn't see me unable to console him throughout the discomfort.  And me?  Well, I volunTOLD Bryon for the job.  From what I hear, after the initial shot, it was smooth sailing for Deklan.  The detour made for a long night, but 2 hours and 4 stitches later everybody was tucked in bed and fast asleep.

Bruiser.

I vote for a quiet day at home tomorrow!  Or at the very least, a day with NO RUNNING IN THE HOUSE!  Will they ever learn?!

First month as a family of 4

I'm still playing catch-up with this blog.  I have a feeling I am playing catch-up in all aspects of my life right now.  So, please bear with me!  Let's rewind to February.

Deklan's first month with our family took off from the get-go.  Our first outing was when he was only a day and a half old!  (I told you there was zero recovery necessary following this delivery!)  We all ventured to Maks' Music Together class and spent 45 minutes singing and dancing.  Maks was sure to check on his baby brother multiple times throughout the session.  Deklan had other plans - like sleeping.

zzz...

At just 6 days old, Deklan had his very first visitors - Bryon's Uncle Clayton and Aunt DeEtte.  He stayed awake along enough to say hello, take a few photos and go for a walk along Bayshore Linear Park.  Actually, he fell asleep after only walking half a block; he just couldn't resist the comfort of Uncle Clayton's arms!

For a solid ten days, Maks was thrilled to have his daddy around to take part in his daily adventures.  I'd live for days with Dada too, if this is how they always looked...

A red velvet crinkle cookie pit stop is NOT what I had in mind when I asked them to pick up bagels from Panera for breakfast.

To celebrate being an entire week old, Deklan ventured out with Maks to see the MacDill Fire Station. 

"Red Truck.  Whoo-whoo!"

Still smiling after having sat in the driver's seat!

"Fire trucks make me sleepy."

Here's Maks and his Daddy soaking up the final days of paternity leave.

Bryon has taught Maks to call for the fish.  "Here, fishy-fishy!"

10 days came and went extremely quickly.  Little Mr. woke up and started searching the house for his Dada.  He wasn't happy about the whole "Daddy had to go back to work" excuse.

Front porch swingin'.

At two weeks old, we headed down to Apollo Beach to help celebrate Clayton's birthday.  Maks spent the entire day running up and down the dock, helping daddy fish and playing with relatives.  After a 5 hour nap, Deklan decided it was time to wake up and briefly introduce himself to the birthday party guests before dozing off again.  He got more than his share of kisses and snuggles.

2nd cousins having fun in the hammock.

The man of the day.  Happy Birthday, Clayton!

Thanks to Naomi for taking some photos!  I rarely am in photos because I'm the one taking them!  I love this one!

I was lucky enough to have my own relatives in town visiting during February as well!  After having spent some time in Fort Meyers, my Aunt Barb and Uncle Norm traveled a couple hours north and rented a beachfront condo in St. Petersburg for a few more weeks.  Over the course of their stay all 3 of my cousins also came to visit.  Although they visited at different times, I was fortunate enough to see each and every one of them!

Best seat on the beach.

Maks was thrilled after his first day with Aunt Barb.  In fact, she made such a lasting impression that "Baab" is the very first name he's said (aside from Mama and Dada).  I can't blame him either...play in the sand, splash in the waves, take a dip in the pool, eat yummy treats (he even had his very first ice cream cone!), REPEAT...she always ensured he was having a great time!  Actually, driving home at the end of each day was traumatic for him.  And the first thing he said in the morning when I would get him out of bed was, "Baab?!?"

"Ready?  Go!"

The rest of the month was spent settling into our new normal.  Brotherly love is already developing.  Cases in point - 

A changing pad hug and kiss for Deklan.  2 boys under 2 years old - both with dry diapers.  WIN!

A lazy day with all 3 of my "kids"!  (Don't worry.  They made room for Kira shortly after this photo was taken.)

And the kisses continue...

By the time Deklan was 3 weeks old, he had also been to one of the country's top rated beaches.  Siesta Key was gorgeous.  It was wonderful to get out of Tampa and explore another nearby gem.

1 sweetly sleeping on the beach while the other splashes in the Gulf.

It's hard to believe that in a year there will be a 3rd little man running alongside these two!

Finding a happy medium between sleep and play for both boys has been my greatest struggle.  I'm kind of a stickler for getting adequate nap time in each and every day.  And, as I've stated before, Deklan sleeps A LOT...

Therefore, I've made the executive decision to allow Maks to ride his bike in the house while we're stuck inside...

Although we still venture to the park whenever we get the chance!

Playtime at the park for Maksim.  Naptime in the sun for Deklan.  Ocean view for Mama.

"Impossible is nothing."  -Muhammad Ali

Here's Deklan celebrating his 1 month birthday - with an 11 hour night of sleep and one of his daytime naps lasting 5 hours!

"See ya in March!"