Father's Day 2013

Happy Father's Day!

Today is a bittersweet day for me. While I still have some wonderful men in my life, it is my first Father's Day without my dad. It's a little rough, and while I would love to brag about how awesome all these gentlemen are like I gloated about the ladies on Mother's Day, it would involve talking about my dad. Truthfully,I'm just not ready. It's one thing to talk about him with my family, a whole other thing to let it all out on the world wide web.
 So today I'm going to wish all you papa's a very happy Father's Day with a little extra love going out to my dad, Arnie (my step-dad), Roger (my father-in-law), and my brothers (all of 'em!) Steve, Dean, Jason, John, Josh, and Caleb. And of course, to my wonderful husband, and awesome dog-dad.
Nate's parents are here visiting. Dinner last night, and church this morning will round out our Father's Day weekend.
 And of course, no post would be complete without some pictures.

Image by a.photographer

Image by a.photographer

Image by a.photographer

What are your plans for Father's Day?

We Didn't Go Farrar

Over the weekend, Nate and I made an unexpected trip down to his parents.

I finished my new employee training Friday morning and stopped by work to find out that the event I was supposed to work Saturday was cancelled. So once Nate was done with work, off to Farrar we went! This weekend was a special one, not only did Nate and I finally get to meet our niece Grace, but we also made it to her baptism.

Yeah, I'm holding her. You really think I was going to give her up for some pictures? No way.

Please ignore my wrinkly pants.

I also didn't have my camera at first, so I didn't get any pictures of Grace with John and Alex, but I get a picture of her with the proud new godparents. 

And if I didn't get my fill of baby this time around, another niece should be making her appearance sometime in August. Don't expect anything from Nate and I in the near future.

Oh, and one of Julie's cats had kittens.

I'm in love!!
The only thing keeping one of them from coming home with me was the 2 pet limit on post. And Nate's allergy too, I guess.

I promise that mommy only looks annoyed with me, and wasn't actually mad.

Nate's parents are visiting us next weekend. It will be the third weekend in a row we'll see Roger and Julie. I think we're spoiling them. :)

Keeping It Clean

Nate and I have had an eventful few days. Friday, I had my first day of work and, well, it was work. But it felt great to walk away with that tip money again.

Saturday, Nate and I went to Lily, our niece's, 4th birthday party.

It was great to be able to do something with family, which is primarily why we asked to be stationed at Leonard Wood in the first place.

Monday, we got our new washer and dryer. Our old set was a casualty of the move, having been packed and re-packed at least 3 times. Lowe's took our old set, delivered, hooked up, and tested the new set. I love the set. I know I'm old when I get this excited over new appliances.

The laundry pile that was bigger than I am no longer exists. Other than Nate's pile of uniforms, we managed to get it all folded and put away as well.

My life is a sea of digital camouflage, green socks, and khaki shirts . My laundry piles consist of: whites, darks, colors, and Army.

And lastly, Candy Crush Saga is destroying my life. I got Nate hooked on it too. Seriously though, I want to kick whoever made this game.

Mother's Day 2013

First off, I want to wish a happy mother's day to all of you amazing moms out there. I'm not technically a mother myself yet, but I do love Tripp and Libby like they came from my uterus. They also act like I imagine my real children will act someday. They clearly got their personalities from Nate and I :)

But enough about my kids dogs, I'm going to brag a little about the incredible women in my life.

First off, there is my mom, Judy. This woman drives me up a wall and I love her all the more for it. My mom is my best friend. She has the biggest heart, and will bend over backwards to help out the people she loves most. I can't even begin to describe the amount of love and respect I have for my mom. Although we've had our moments (what mother and daughter haven't??) I am so grateful for everything she has given me and that she helped me grow into a type of woman I can be proud of.

Next, I have my sister, Carla. Don't think for one second that because of our 14 year age difference we don't fight like sisters. Because we totally do, which means that we love each other extra! My sister is a pretty incredible woman. She overcomes every obstacle she encounters and is still such an amazing mom to her boys. She has been and continues to be a wonderful role model for me.

Here's one of my absolute favorite pictures of my mom and Carla :)

Carla enjoys a Long Island Ice Tea... or three.

Third, Stacey, my sister-in-law. I love her. My brother could not have found a woman who fit into our weird family better than her. She is a rock and I think we'd all be a little lost without her. I know family is important to everyone, but she makes hers a priority, and I have so much respect for her. Plus, I've heard my brother snore, and anyone who can put up with that deserves a trophy or something. 

 Fourth, Julie, my mother-in-law. I am amazingly blessed. I LOVE my in-laws. First off, she had five kids. FIVE. I can't even imagine having one yet. She, along with the rest of Nate's family, have made me feel so loved and so much a part of their family. It's like I've been an Abernathy my whole life. She is just as much a mom to me as my actual mother.

And of course I have my sister-in-laws Sarah, Alex, and Sarah. (Yes, two Sarahs. Yes, it can get confusing.) I love that I have three more sisters that I get along with so well. I am so excited that Nate and I are so much closer to my family and his, and that I will be able to spend more time with these ladies and be able to brag about them a little more next year!

From left to right: myself, Sarah (Nate's sister), Sarah (Josh's wife), Julie, Alex (John's wife).  Front: Lily, my niece.