Shock.

Wow. I am in a little bit of shock over last night's Bachelor episode! For the most part i have been pretty good at predicting how things would go, who he would send home, etc. Last night...i was soooo wrong and in shock at the end! I really, truly thought it would come down to Jillian and Melissa in the end. Jillian is such a sweetheart~she's gorgeous, fun, outgoing, comes from a great family and so much more. Anyway....here are my thoughts on each date......

*Jillian's date with him could have been so romantic. It seemed like they had fun but deep down i think i kind of sensed that maybe something wasn't quite right. All the "friend" talk sent up a little red flag but i still didn't see that ending coming. She looked AMAZING at the rose ceremony and it broke my heart to see the hurt in her eyes.

*Molly's date was good. The bungee jumping was CRAZY.....i really don't think i could do that but it seemed like they had a good time doing it! And her list of questions was fun but i still just don't see it with them. Hubby hasn't really been consistently watching and even he looked up from the laptop during Jason and Molly's dinner and commented on how it just seemed like there was awkward friction there. When she was trying to tell him how she felt it seemed to me like she was trying to convince herself as much as him. Anybody else feel that way??

*And then there is Melissa. Their date was great as always. The chemistry between them is easy....its just there and i never feel like either of them is having to force it or work at it. I was glad to see them atleast talk about the parent subject again....thats such a tough one but i agree with Jason that he's not marrying a girl's parents and truly there's nothing they could say or do to change how he feels about Melissa. I'm definitely hoping it will be Melissa in the end!

Now....lets get to the really good stuff. The first shocker was him choosing Molly over Jillian. Even after the dates i felt like there was just more there with Jill than with Molly so i really didn't see that one coming. And then there was the previews of the finale. The whole Deanna thing is just getting irritating.....but i'm ready to see what in the world she is doing there. She didn't seem very emotional so i'm still holding out hope that she isn't there trying to win him back...we'll see. But what about the previews for the after the final rose??!! Isn't that usually taped live?? And what is "so emotionally hurtful" that they have to keep it as private and intimate as possible?? Did the happy couple already split? But that has happened before and they didn't make all that fuss about it. Any ideas?? What do you ladies think is going on here??? This 2 week wait is going to just about kill me but the Women Tell All should be fun next week!! Can't wait to hear all of your thoughts on last night!!

This + This

Roses randomly received days before V day

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the cutest gift from Colby

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the love of these two little men

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the best hubby a girl could ask for

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A VERY HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!

May each of you have a day full of love and everything special in your lives today! Let today be the beginning of a year full of cherishing the ones you love and thanking God for all the love in your life!! Happy Valentines Day!

Aubrey Needs

Saw this on facebook this morning and got a good laugh so i thought i'd share it with all of you! So the directions are simple....google "your name needs" and see what comes up!! Ha! Too funny. Or maybe i'm just easily amused but anyway...here is what aubrey needs!

*Aubrey needs to knock it off!*
how in the world did they guess?? And no i will not share what it is that i need to knock off but
it just might have to do with a little reality tv addiction.....

*Aubrey needs help*
ha! in oh so many ways!

*Aubrey needs to stop referring to herself as pretty in every single episode.....*
they must be confused....this yoga pant, t shirt, pony tail wearing chica is hardly over using the
term pretty when referring to herself!

So go check out just what it is you need!! ;) And laugh....alot...cause it just feels good to!!

Hometown Dates

Well well...last nights episode surely did not disappoint! Have i mentioned lately that i love this show?!? Cause i do! And this is where is starts to get hard. Why? Well because, you all know i love Mel! But early on i was really really liking Jillian and after last night i'm torn. I really like both of them. So whichever one of them he chooses I will be soooo happy for but my heart will break for the other one! But anyway....my thoughts on each of the dates!

Jillian~ Loved her family and loved their story of sticking together when the going gets tough. I think she has a true understanding of "for better or worse" and is really committed to finding the one! Her family was a hoot and hands down i think he got along with her family the best! If his decision was based solely on family than ladies, there would be no question about who his lucky lady is in the end! My favorite from Jill's family was the Canadian boxers...sooo funny!

Molly~ Like i said last week there is just something missing there. Its actually starting to drive me NUTS cause i can't quite put my finger on it. And i still felt that way last night. Her family was nice. Her mom seems like alot of fun.....quirky but fun! The hat thing was kind of awkward but not as bad as it could have been! The picture thing was funny......we all learned art is not his strong point but he did alot better than i could have! I was cracking up and i love that he just goes with the flow and has fun doing it! I think Molly gets her lack of emotion from her dad for sure! And maybe thats part of what is missing there....uugghh...i just don't know. I want to like the two of them together but i just don't see it. I love Molly but just don't think she's the one for Jason.

Naomi~ Oh my. Where to even start?! The hula hoop thing was hilarious. Loved that but then it all went down hill from there! Dead dove. Need i say more??? STRANGE. Awkward. Was that woman serious?!? Her Mom was a little out there and again i have to say that i love Jason's facial expressions...much like me...he cannot hide what he is thinking! The time he spent talking to her Mom was probably the most awkward moment of this entire show. And then could her mom and dad be any more opposite? The conversations there were polar opposites. The whole date was just awkward. And last but not least...

Melissa~ My heart was breaking for her. Thats a tough one! Jason is certainly old fashioned in that he will have a really hard time proposing without meeting her parents. But i do think that the time spent with her friends was about the next best thing. I think that he atleast got a window into who she is so it wasn't a total loss. Her friends all seemed really sweet and he seemed to get along well with all of them! I still really like her and feel like when it comes down to it he will pick whoever he is in love with. And if thats Mel than he will still choose her. And i hope it is Mel, but we will see! And i have to say that the tooth fairy box with the money's was tooooo cute! And i think it really showed how much she cares for not just Jason, but for Ty as well!

All in all i think it was a great episode! I was not at all surprised by his choice to say goodbye to Naomi. She is super sweet but i don't think she completely grasped what a life with him would mean and i think he was right to want to not "clip her wings" as he put it.

New Zealand for the overnight dates.....should be fun! And i have to admit that all this time i've been secretly hoping that Deanna was coming back like as a friend to him (yes i know its a stretch but darn it i didn't want to think any less of her) but after last nights previews i do not think that is the case. If she is coming back to try to win him back i'm going to lose all respect for her. She knows how much emotion is involved at this point in the process and to jump into the mix at this point is just wrong! Dang! Is it monday yet?? I've got to know what this is all about!

I really don't know how next week will go......if i had to choose who the final two will be i think i would say Melissa and Jillian but i'm not 100% confident with that! What about you?? Who do you think it will be and why?? Can't wait to see who's right!!

25 Random Things

So i have been tagged several times on facebook and have seen a couple of bloggy friends do this meme on their blogs so i caved and gave it a try! It has been more difficult than i imagined it would be to come up with 25 random things about me ~ i really don't give myself that much thought very often i suppose. Anyhow~here it goes~ 25 random things about yours truly!

*1. I *heart* willow tree angels and figurines!

*2. I'm slightly ocd - my hubby may disagree w/ the slightly part....

*3. I'm a BIG time smell person - my first instinct when i pick something up is to smell it

*4. I LOVE circle e candles - L.O.V.E. them!

*5. I have, in recent years, become chronically indecisive. I can't stand this about myself but haven't the slightest idea how to change it.

*6. I grew up in the country and one of the biggest things i learned is that country life is not for me!

*7. I don't iron clothes. EVER. When i try it makes more wrinkles. God is so good to me~there is a wrinkle release cycle on our dryer.

*8. I love music~country, alternative, hip hop, oldies, praise and worship~it just has a special way of lifting my spirits

*9. I have incredibly THICK hair. Even hair stylists tell me i have too much. I pretty much have a hate relationship w/ my hair.

*10. I don't do ocean swimming. NO WAY! There is too many things in there that can hurt you and i am convinced its not meant to be swam in.

*11. I have a cricket phobia - think heart racing, beads of sweat, tears - yeah. that kind of phobia. I want to ask God what a cricket's purpose is.

*12. I don't eat meat off the bone. My husband doesn't get it but there is just something bothersome about it for me. I just can't make myself do it.

*13. Driving in tunnels and flying on airplanes = nightmares for me. Not even quite sure what it is about either of them that freaks me out. It just does.

*14. I'm a reality tv slut and not a bit ashamed of it! I love it! And i'm gonna throw a shout out to my girl Erin~she gets it! ;)

*15. I'm a control freak. this is a bad thing. A bad bad thing indeed.

*16. I love to read. My two all time favorite authors are Nicholas Sparks and Karen Kingsbury. I've yet to find a book by either of them that has disappointed.

*17. When i drive by street lights they often go out. Its spooky and strange.

*18. I have just a tiny little addiction to pogo! Yes i have the membership and yes i realize i'm a nerd!

*19. I love word finds but can't stand crossword puzzles. Crossword puzzles are like torture for me.

*20. I'm an air force brat and swore i would never marry a man in the military! Ha! I'm pretty sure God got a good chuckle in on my wedding day! =)

*21. I played tennis and was on on dance team in high school. Please don't ask me to dance or pick up a racket now. It would either be scary or fantastic entertainment at my expense!!

*22. My first job was at Chick fil a! Heavenly i tell ya~amazing food fo' free!

*23. I rarely stay awake during a movie and it drives me CRAZY! I usually end up taking several days to watch a whole movie....soooo annoying!

*24. In high school, me and a girlfriend once stayed up ALL night watching Grease over and over and memorizing all the words to each song. Hey~didn't i already tell you what a nerd i am!

*25. I broke my jaw my senior year of high school in a fence jumping incident gone wrong. I have some pretty rad hardware holding it all together now and its only a matter of time before arthritis sets in. Something to look forward to huh?!

So there ya have it! Way more random junk about me than you probably ever really wanted to know! But i'm dying to know....did anything really surprise you?? make you laugh?? Please do share.....i'd love to know which one of these factoids stood out the most to you!!

Are You Up for a Challenge?!?

My amazingly wonderful friend, Erin, over at Bringing Up Burns has cooked up a challenge that i believe so many of us can benefit from!! Its called Date your Mate! Doesn't that name even sound fun?!? This couldn't come at a better time for me! With our 5th anniversary coming this year, I wish i could say that things are just as spicy and fun as they were in the beginning, but that just isn't the case. Somewhere between diapers, cleaning, 3 big moves, and deployments, the romance and "dating" in our relationship has been pushed to the bottom of the priority list. But not for long! Go on over and read all about the challenge here and join in the fun! While it won't always to be easy to "fit" something else in, i have no doubt it will be totally worth it!!

One Month

Today marks one month since we met the movers at the door of our new home! I can't quite decide if it has flown by or crawled. And i'm sure that makes absolutely no sense to anybody but me but it does make sense to me in a weird sort of way. Its been a hard month of trials and challenges but a month of triumphs and joy in watching my little family pull together and be everything a family should be. A month of watching my hubby take on new responsibilities and step further out of his comfort zone than i've ever seen and do a fabulous job at it! Proud doesn't even begin to describe how i feel. He is amazing! A month of heartache as i have watched my first born struggle to adjust and to make friends and to catch up in school. I have prayed more for that little boy the last month than i have his entire life put together and those prayers have so graciously been answered. I have watched "my baby" overcome and grow in so many ways through the trials he has faced and he is doing so very well. It is an ongoing process but his faith is growing as he watches answers to prayer unfold. What an amazing blessing this is as a mommy~to watch God work in your child's life and to watch his faith grow! And while Brayden hasn't struggled in the ways that the rest of us have he has been right there all along bringing more joy and laughter to our family than you can imagine! While things haven't happened the way i had envisioned, God is good. Above all else He has provided and i know without a doubt that He has been and will continue to be right here with us through it all. I am so blessed and so very grateful. Tonight as i take time to reflect on the last month, my heart is overflowing with love for my Savior and all He has done for me. I'm so undeserving and yet His love for me is so great! And now i will leave you with a verse that has spoken to me so much lately......

John 16:33

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

These words have brought me so much comfort this last month! Take heart...He has overcome the world. What an awesome God we serve!!

Sleepless in Pensacola....

....and there ain't nothin' romantic about it!!! ha! Hubby started working an extremely awkward shift this week so he doesn't get home until about 1:30am. I'm refusing to complain about this one bit because after so many deployments i'm beyond thankful that he comes home at all! However, it doesn't mean i like it! I don't sleep well when he isn't home. Why is it that every little noise is SOOOO much louder when he's not there??? So last night i watched my dvr'ed Biggest Loser (oh my goodness is anyone else watching this??), read some of my book and finally started to get sleepy around 11:15 so i turned of the lamp and layed there. And layed there. Again, why is it that i couldn't keep my eyes open when i was distracted but turn the light off and lay there trying to go to sleep and it ain't happenin'?!? Finally i remember looking at the clock and it said 11:43 and then i wake up to Colby in our room scared because "something was pulling him in his bed". What? It was 12. Awesome 17 minute nap that was. Off to pray with Colby and try to get him settled again. Back in bed at 12:20 to start the whole laying there trying to get to sleep again routine. 1:15am and the Hubs walks in the door. Alarm system (which is great most of the time but not last night!) does its thing and it goes a little something like this....BEEP BEEP BEEP FRONT DOOR. Like really loud. Normally not an issue because i close the laundry room door before going to bed so that it won't wake the boys. Forgot to close the door. Brayden wakes up calling for Daddy. Wonderful. Go get Brayden settled back down while hubby is getting ready for bed. 1:30 i finally fall back into bed and have hubs check to make sure alarm is set for 5:45. It was close to 2 before i fell asleep. I am SOOO TIRED! But excited because i think we are going to Lowe's when hubby wakes up to get mulch and stuff for the front landscaping that looks so pitiful!! Here's to getting a good night's sleep tonight!!

ps...i totally look that awesome when i'm laying in bed sleepless! yeah..i really do! ;)

Who will it be?!?

Well ladies! The Bachelor last night was a bit different without all of the drama and such but different in a good kind of way! I can easily say this is the first season that while i do have a favorite and i really hope it is her in the end, the other girls are great and i won't be completely disappointed if he chooses any of them!

I don't think it is any secret at this point that my favorite is Mel! I just think she is so stinkin' sweet and real and their connection is amazing. Its not just attraction and its not just friendship but seems to be such a great balance of the two. I love that he changed the date so that he could be home to put Ty to bed! It really says alot about his priorities and I love it. And I love that Melissa was so ok with it and had a great time just being real! And then there was the previews for next week.....my heart broke! Not meeting her parents is a pretty big deal but at the same time i really hope it doesn't change things. *sigh* I *heart* Jason and Mel together!!

Naomi's date was great and they really seemed to grow closer but i really really don't think she is ready for everything a marriage to Jason would mean. She is such a sweetheart but I think he has very valid concerns there. And the previews of next week...ummmm....strange. Looking forward to seeing what that was all about!

Molly and him seem to continue to grow closer and i do see a definite attraction there without a doubt! It just seems to me like there is something missing and i can't even explain myself further. She is adorable, sweet, fun, outgoing, laid back....I have nothing bad to say about her. I just can't quite figure out what it is that isn't there.

And then there is Jillian. I really really liked Jillian for him early on. But it seems lately that she is really struggling with her feelings and the whole process on the show, which is understandable, but it is affecting the growth of their relationship. And i do question if she is really ready for what his life holds. She is very mature...that certainly isn't the issue but I just don't know that she is ready to jump into being a wife and step mommy. I think she is very ready for marriage but I don't know that she is ready for the slightly less than glamorous life that comes along with mommyhood sometimes. We shall see!

And last but certainly not least, Stephanie. What an amazing woman she is! I have absolutely nothing negative to say about her. She is giving, kind, loving, and truly beautiful on the inside and out but it just wasn't there. That was a pretty emotional rose ceremony and understandably so! I don't think any of them are going to be any easier! He has 4 great girls. He's got a tough decision on his hands but if anybody can handle the situation with poise and sensitivity he certainly can!

If i had to guess based on what i saw last night than my guess would be Naomi will go home next week but who knows! I am trying so hard to keep in mind that abc is only showing us what they want to and so you never know! Its down to the nitty gritty and i'm lovin' it! Can't wait to see the hometown dates next week!!

So weigh in everyone! Who is your favorite?? Who do you want it to be in the end?? Can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts this week!

**ps...I am loving how great the remaining girls all get along this season! It really seems like they are all friends and truly care about each other even though they are all falling for the same guy! Its refreshing after all the drama this season!!

Happy Rainy Day

Just a quick peek into another sunny florida day.....

Ha! Or not! It's raining and dreary and yucky outside. (and yes i realize that landscaping looks horrible-its an upcoming project) I'm beginning to wonder how in the world i learned to function when this was my everyday for months on end in Washington. I'm tired and then add this weather into the mix and i'm just not motivated at all. I went grocery shopping this morning and it took everything in me to make myself do it. Seriously. I even sat in the car in the parking lot for a few minutes contemplating just going back home. haha....that's pretty bad! And then here is the best part of my day thus far~ picture this...I'm sitting here reading blogs and listening to the rain hit the pavement. Hubby and Brayden are snoring in Brayden's room down the hall. (hubby starts a new work schedule today so he is trying to get a lil sleep before his late night) I am fighting the urge to go lay down on the couch and find some sappy lifetime movie to get lost in, knowing that i will end up asleep. And then i decide that i am not giving into this unmotivation....i am going to sweat some calories away with the wii fit. Off i go to get it all set up and i realize that the controller i need is no where to be found. Hahaha!!! Of course this would happen! I've looked everywhere. I must wait till Colby gets home from school to find out where he might have hidden it. And perhaps my biggest achievement of the whole day is that i am choosing to find this hilarious when i would usually be frustrated. Rainy weather~you will not get me down today! Missing wii controller~ you're not gettin' to me either! I'm choosing to be happy and to not let these circumstances get to me. This is a semi New Years resolution if you want to call it that. This is something that doesn't come easy for me. I very easily get sucked into circumstances and let them rule my emotions. But not for long.....i've made it my goal to be more intentionally aware of this and to deny circumstance that power! I've got a long way to go and it is far from easy, but today is a small victory for me~on a day that i would have typically thrown in the towel and said forget it i am refusing to do that! So here's to a happy rest of this rainy day!

And lets not forget what's on tonight!! I've got a hot date with the Bachelor tonight! Do you??