A little privacy please?

I couldn't imagine how dull my life would be without this little girl in it!

 And I'll tell you why. 

No one can come up with an excuse quicker then her. 

Me: " Sophia why is your sissy crying?" 

Sophia: " Because she is a baby!"

And no one can make me laugh without even trying.

Me: " here is you juice baby"

Sophia: " thanks mom!".....I said thanks mom!....MOM I SAID THANKS SO YOU HAVE TO SAY YOUR WELCOME! Where is your manners mom?"

And she is most amazing big sister!

Sophia: " Mom when are you gonna grow another baby in your belly?

Me: " Well I don't know honey, it's not really that easy!"

 Sophia :" Because I REALLY want another baby and

 maybe we can have a girl like Lucy. Maybe we can even name her Lucy. She will be so cute mom! Can we go pick her up at the hospital again?"

And no one is sweeter and can melt my heart into pieces like this girl!

Sophia: " Mom can I snuggle "witch" you before bed. I love to snuggle so much!"

And how many three year olds do you know that enjoy a little reading material while they take care of business in the bathroom?????

She is so unique and special!

If I had just ONE ounce of her energy, I could give up caffeine for ever!! 

She has NO off switch and if I didn't know any better I would think she eats energizer battieries for breakfast!

But life wouldn't be the same without her. 

No matter how much heartache this little girl is up against, you would never know it!

She dances her way through life with a smile on her face!

I love you baby girl!

Keep smiling and continue to be the wild and crazy YOU!

People dig it :)

Celebrating Freedom

Celebrating the 4th of July on a Marine Corp base brings the idea of " Patriotism" to a whole new level. 

Every year they have a huge concert in the field followed by the most breathtaking fireworks I have ever seen.   The field is lined with bounce houses and snack shops all of which are free. We have made it an annual tradition to attend and by the grace of God, our hero was with us again this year. I remember looking over at him halfway through the fireworks and he mouthed to me " I love you" and I prayed right then for time to stop. I wanted to stay in that moment forever. Sophia was snuggled so perfectly into his lap and smiling from ear to ear as she pointed out every pink firework. Lucy was nestled into my lap and laughing with every BOOM of the fireworks. I hope I never forget how I felt at that moment. Truly blessed.

Grilled Kabobs and a summer Shandy!

Waiting for the Fireworks.

The girls with their Hero!

*Love*

snuggling!

Love them.

Lulu bug and I at the Fireworks.

Thank you for all that you do baby!

Happy 4th of July from the Kish's.

Saying grace

I had asked my daughter to say Grace at dinner just like every other night and usually its a few quick words and onto eating. But tonight, my sweet girl apparently had so much to pray for. Her heart was exploding with worry and she was in the mood to talk to God tonight. Bless her sweet, precious heart. I will never forget this amazing moment.

Weekend at the lodge :)

On our way!

The best advice I received before my hubby returned home for R and R was " Go on vacation and get out of the house so it takes the pressure off of housework and daily routines" So we did just that. Now as tempting as Fiji sounded ( husband's idea) it just wasn't practical. Not only the price tag on a trip like that but also traveling out of country with two small children by myself was out of the question. So we settled for a more family friendly location at the " Great Wolf Lodge." We have taken Sophia several times and she falls more in love with it every time. But this was Lulu's first time. And I think it's safe to say that the Kish family loves their water slides!

Our handsome driver.

Lulu and ALL her babies!

Daddy had her set up with all the latest electronics! 

The kid's bunk beds.

Photo op in the lobby.

She loves her sissy.

Daddy on the top bunk with Sophie.

Thumbs up for the top bunk!


Shortly after these picture were taken, Adam and I  raced each other to the water  slides. We were more excited then the kids. I honestly don't remember who beat who ( it was me) but the point is we had the best time. We were all able to let loose and JUST BREATHE for the first time in 6 long months. We were all finally together again and we didn't have a care in the world. It was honestly a surreal moment. And another major bonus was the Adult beverage/snack bar. Momma had a margarita in her hand and a smile on her face!

Sophie and her build a pet.

Story time in the lobby.

On our balcony before bedtime.

Her picture on a cookie!

Her personalized cookie.


So although Fiji would have been nice, I wouldn't have changed a thing.  As always we had a blast at the Lodge and Sophia is already planning our next trip back :)

Comfort food :)

Back  to watching movies alone. So tonight I invited Breyers to join me! Don't judge!!!

Filling in the gaps....

Walking into the airport.

Obviously I have been on a 2 week hiatus from not only my housecleaning, grocery shopping and workout schedule but also I have neglected my blog. Now if my absence upset my four followers then I apologize but my Marine was home for 15 short days and we were busy falling in love all over again. But I am here to fill you in on possibly the most exciting, exhausting, and emotional 2 weeks of my life. 

waiting patiently 

This was the girls on June 30th at Wilmington airport waiting for daddy to arrive after being gone 6 long months. Describing this feeling in words is almost impossible. But I can try :) Ok so for the ladies, imagine being 9 months pregnant in the middle of summer. Your feet are swollen, your exhausted, you can't sleep, your back hurts, and you are OVER IT. Your just waiting and praying for that day to hurry when you no longer have to worry about the complications that could occur during labor. So you wait and wait an wait for the baby to come and in the meantime your anxiety level is sky high. Well that's what it felt like. I knew the moment was coming and all my worries and fears would soon be laid to rest. The aches and pains and exhaustion that I have accumulated throughout the past 6 months would finally disappear. Even if only for two weeks. And that's how it felt. The anxiety of the moment I would see him was even more intense then the last days of pregnancy. To see his face and hug him and know that he was safe in my arms was all I continued to pray for. 

The look of pure excitement


And finally the moment arrived. Now I wish I could say that I seen  him  walking down the terminal and he dropped his bags and we went running in slow motion towards each other until finally we embraced each other and spun around in circles. But this isn't the movies this is real life. Lucy was crying, Sophie was running in circles around the chair and a perfect stranger was standing next to me talking to me about god knows what. Then finally God had answered my silent prayer and I seen a shadow from the corner of my eye. Before I had the chance to glance over, I heard Sophia say "DAD!" and I felt a gust of wind as she bolted past me and into the arms of her daddy.
Our Hero was home!

Reunited :)

Kisses for the hero.

Lucy was a little shy at first.

She wouldn't let him put her down.

Keeping her eye on daddy.

I was there to but this is the only way to get a pic :)

The brownies we made Daddy.

The surprise from daddy! A huge blowup water slide.

Finally, wine night with my man!

Pizza night!

Now I will stop here to be polite to you but this was only the first day! I have fourteen more days that I cant wait to share. To be continued........

Back to reality.

R and R. Rest and relaxation. In other words, best two weeks of my life. Sadly, it ends today. We were blessed enough to have a break from the reality of this awful year long deployment. But I could never have prepared myself for how hard it would be to say goodbye the second time around. If anybody ever tells you " every deployment gets easier" then they are sadly mistaken. It's never easy to send your husband, daddy, and protector of this house off to sleep in the desert alone for months at a time. As much as my heart was hurting, I couldn't imagine what his must have  felt like. He was walking away from two beautiful little girls who don't stop growing just because he is gone. He had to walk away knowing that next time he sees Sophia she will be a "pre-schooler."  He had no choice put to strap up his boots and walk away from his home and his family for the remanding 6 months and head to a land of hatred. I walked away with our babies and came back to our house. I was able to drive thru dunkin donuts and eat breakfast with the girls. I was able to come home and lay in bed and watch TV. All things that we take for granted. Although I still had to send the love of my life off to war, I would not have had the strength and courage to leave my family. And that is why he is my hero. Watching such a strong man have a rare moment of weakness, is something that pulls at my heartstrings. Watching him bit his lower lip and fight back tears as he kisses his girls goodbye was more then I could take. Knowing that he is starting a week long journey of traveling and sleeping on the ground in random countries is horrifying to me. It amazes me the things he can do. I try to put myself in his boots but I cant possibly imagine the things he does. I love that man.

Saying goodbye to Sophia... 

saying goodbye to Lulu...

Until next time baby....

So here I am. Back to my reality.

Dear Lord,

Give me the greatness of heart to see the difference between duty and his love for me. Give me understanding that I may know, when duty calls him he must go. Give me a task to do each day, to fill the time when he's away. And Lord, when he's in a foreign land, keep him safe in your loving hand. And Lord, when duty is in the field, please protect him and be his shield. And Lord, when deployment is so long, please stay with me and keep me strong. Amen.