One decade

10 anniversaries 

9 road trips

8 loved ones passed away

7 years of parenting 

6 months of Navy deployment

5 jobs

4 degrees

3 kids

2 career changes

1 happy life 

There are a lot more numbers of hobbies, friendships, vacations, and experiences in general we've gone through together but it's interesting to see a short list of what has been 10 very full years of living.

It hasn't always been easy, but it's never been hard.  There have been a few tears but a lot more laughter.  We've learned a lot about each other, raising kids, and handling what comes our way. 

Philip is exactly what I wanted and needed in a husband and father and I feel luckier every day that my prayers were answered and I am getting to share this adventure him. ❤️

'Merica

Philip participated in Annie's school Veteran's Day Program & she couldn't have been prouder.

Additionally in the month of November we elected a new president in what ended up being a shocking win.  These two got a front row seat watching the actual voting process - & they had the stickers to prove it.

Some of our choices won that day, some did not but what a privilege to be able to put our 2 cents in because of the people like Philip who were willing to serve. 

God Bless the USA.

34

So I had a birthday...

 

I am now 34 which I look every minute of and more in the above picture because it was the end of a busy week and not even actually my birthday but we get excited about cake, I mean, birthdays so we partied as soon as Philip arrived.

Confession: I'm not sure where I thought I'd be at 34 years ago (and probably I didn't think specifically about 34 because it's not really a landmark birthday) but I'm so pleased with where God has put me and the sweet people who have helped me get there and are beside me now.

"Suprise!" or more like "AHHHH!"

This weekend wrapped up the Goodman family birthdays for 2013.  Mom and Cassey have their birthdays in January, Jenny and I have ours in February, and today is Dad's.  To celebrate we all went home and Mom had a surprise party for Dad on Saturday.

Wyatt, Willow, and Annie always enjoy getting together and playing.  It was a late night on Friday and one that did not end up with very good sleep for everyone so come party time Saturday evening this is kind of what we were dealing with...

A little deliriousness and a lot of silliness.  This girl just wanted a cappuccino to get her through the party.

The kiddos began to practice the surprise a few minutes before Papa came home...

There was great anticipation and then the moment came - "Suprise!" or what they all said "AHHHH!!!"

There was food and friends,

cake, (which we had to re-light the candles two times so that the little ones all got to blow candles out) and homemade ice cream (thank you Sarah)...

and then a dance party to top off the festivities.

Brynn who has just recently started walking and was recovering from a double ear infection and some ensuing inner ear balance problems did not understand the point of "we all fall DOWN!" and frankly I never have appreciated that part either.

Fun was had by all (although this picture doesn't adequately capture that).  Happy 61st Dad!

Weekend in review

Here's what we did this weekend -

Friday was my birthday so I was pleasantly surprised by Philip having all our laundry and the housework done by the time I got home from work.  We then went and ate steak at Click's in Pawnee with the soon-to-be birthday girl Jenny, Brynn, and Dustin. Click's is one of those places that every time we go we think, "Why don't we come here more often?"

Afterwards we went and ate the cake that Annie had picked out for me.  We used all of the candles that she had purchased too and the amount of smoke after blowing the candles out was similar to the smoke you see someone on a desert island sending out a call for help....

Saturday Annie had a birthday party to attend at a gymnastics place so she was able to burn lots of energy and re-fill the tank with her second piece of cake in two days.

We then went to celebrate Jenny's birthday by eating nachos and cupcakes.  When we got home and I contemplated ways to get organized while I sat on the couch and carried none of those grand ideas out.

Philip and Annie were much more productive as he showed her how to shine shoes, because he unlike her mother does a good job of keeping up a spiffy appearance. 

Annie is always the willing helper.

Today we went to church and after class Philip and I had toddler nursery duty during services.  The hour and 30 minutes with eight 2 & 3 year-olds reaffirmed my admiration for those who teach pre-school.

It has been a great weekend - Philip was able to take a break from studying since he has two of his CPA exams taken and he doesn't start on the review for the next one until tomorrow, I wasn't really able to take a break from studying but did anyway because I figured the birthday counted for something, and we were blessed with gorgeous weather and fun times with family and friends.

Have a SUPER Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!  Annie has recently begun talking a little bit about and dressing up some as a super-hero.  So naturally super-hero Valentine's were the go-to option for this year because phases fly by quickly with kids and you have to get on board or pray fervently this one goes quicker than most if it is undersirable one such as throwing themselves on the ground every time something doesn't go their way.

Thanks to my friend Shannon for the great design of the super-hero tootsie pops.  Annie said to me, "My friends are going to think this is really special."  How could they not?  Everyone would like their own personal super-hero, right?

I'm sorry to report that crossing one's eyes does not give you x-ray or any type of super-hero vision.

I know this one is blurry but I like the fact that there is a close-up of her hand.  I'm her mom, every appendage and feature is sweet to me.

Another photo to show the Valentine but I like the hands in it the most.  They are losing the baby fat chubbiness they use to have.  :(  I do think she has potential to be a hand model though (that Seinfeld is a hilarious episode by the way).  Fortunately she was not blessed with her mother's man hands that no amount of fancy manicuring can make look good.

This one was probably caught while she was blinking or trying to say something but the expression cracks me up (and makes me a little sad - she looks so grown up!)

Enjoy your day - may many Cupid's arrows hit their target!

Six years and counting

Yesterday was Philip and I’s sixth anniversary. Being it was a Sunday we had actually celebrated the night before by going out to eat sushi. Annie has only ventured into the sushi realm once and it was not with great success so Jenny and Dustin kept her and proceeded to make her a playhouse out of a car seat box that now resides in my entryway. If you are picking up a tinge of bitterness you would be correct and this is only because Annie loves it more than the Fisher Price marketplace I spent too much money on a year and a half ago because it was something I would’ve loved as a child (albeit a child of 7 or 8, not 2 which she was at the time so maybe there’s hope).  I will admit the house is pretty cool with a door, window, and mailbox that actually function as designed, an overhead light, and details that include a ceiling fan, outdoor landscaping, and a family portrait on the wall.

Anyway, for the actual anniversary I decided to make us breakfast in bed.  This was at first going to be a covert operation but then Annie was tired and a bit fussy while taking her bath the night before so I clued her in letting her know that it was a surprise and secret for her daddy.  The excitement as Doc Holliday would say was more than she could bear.  She ran into the living room and jumped up on Philip ready to spill the beans. I  foiled her plans though by coming and saying “Annie remember it’s a secret.”  Which was a horrible move because then Philip, who obviously does not enjoy surprises, kept asking her what the secret was and after 15 seconds and my disappearance to the kitchen I heard her shout to him “We’re making brefast in bed.” (No, that is not a misspelling, at this point in life she pronounces it bre-fest because the –ak sound is not one she has mastered.)  I was not disheartened by the surprise being taken away though because this meant I could go ahead and get some of the preparation done before bed, and this was helpful because if I have a tendency to over-pre-prepare and the extra time allowed me to do so once again. Annie also made preparations and had her play tea set all ready at the end of the bed for full service the next morning.

So bright and early the next morning I made breakfast for 3 and woke Annie up to help deliver the not so surprising breakfast.  We went in the bedroom with me in pj shorts and a t-shirt trying my hardest not to spill hot coffee and her in her full-length Cinderella puffed sleeved night gown with her hair ratted up (courtesy of a night of sleep) because this of course was a formal occasion.  She dramatically fell on the floor from either excitement or embarrassment of the fanciness of the affair while I woke Philip up.  She then pretended that she too had been sleeping and this was a wonderful treat for us all.  I have to say it added to the effect and fun of the whole deal because she was terribly excited and kept saying “Happy Anniversary!” and “Thank you for my brefast in bed.” As we were finishing up she said, “Oh! Don’t forget about my brefast and tea.” Which meant Philip and I had to enjoy imaginary tea and hard plastic cookies.

The rest of the day went like Sundays do with church, a nice nap, time together as a family, and then the sudden realization that we have to get things together for the week ahead and ohmystarshowisitalreadyteno’clockandAnnieisstillup?  It was a fun day and hard to believe that six years have already gone by.  Philip and I had many plans and goals prior to getting married and others have been created as we’ve gone along.  God has blessed us beyond measure and now some of those plans are actually winding up.  Philip has begun taking his CPA exams, will start his job in August, I should be finished with my post-masters at the end of July and get my licensure and start a new job in the fall, and we have our sweet Annie.  Now it is time to start to work on the new goals so be prepared my friends as we do the same thing we do every night – try to take over the world!  All kidding and schemes for world domination aside, I’m so fortunate to have spent the last six years with Philip and look forward to many more.

Sharing the fun

I am the middle child of three girls.  My sisters are two years ahead and behind me on either side.  I really don't have middle child syndrome though from my view because my parents did a very good job making each of us feel important in our own special way and facilitated our interests.

However, my moment of birthday glory each year was quickly swept away by the fact that my little sister Jenny's birthday was the very next day!  My happy day was over and the streamers and balloons were now up to celebrate Jenny's.  The funny thing is it's always been fun sharing birthdays.  We had parties together as kids which made for a bigger party and as we have grown older we have enjoyed celebrating two days in a row. Anyway, today is Jenny's birthday so happy day to her!  We enjoyed dinner out last night to celebrate mine and cake and coffee today to celebrate hers.

(Last year's cake my mother had made for all of us during our birthday weekend celebration, putting the ages on it was a cruel joke at this point. :)

Being in the middle has had many advantages the main one being the relationships built with both sisters over the years and I wouldn't trade my spot for another.

George Washington's birthday

That is what today is and it also happens to be my birthday!  Now I have always been one that is fond of birthdays and I have always emphasized the fact that my birthday was shared with the father of our country.  (See below, isn't he noble? Yes, I put a picture of George Washington on my blog because I like having a picture in the postings.)

Traditionally as one gets older people tend to not look forward to their birthday but I have to say I enjoy the day that people take a few seconds out of their day to greet me with a happy birthday and thanks to the technology of texting, emailing, and Facebook I hear from tons of people and am fond of the greetings.  I was also privileged to have "Happy Birthday" sang to me a couple of times today and each time I clapped and giggled during it because of the fun of having a song sung in my honor.

There are many pros to growing up - you can eat cereal for every meal, you choose your own bedtime, you  don't have to hear "not today" when you want a new toy, and many more but unfortunately there are cons too and the loss of birthday parties and excitement are one of those things that kind of fade away.  However, well wishes and remembrances of my happy day go a long way in keeping the fun in birthdays.  (Cake helps too!)

St. Valentine's Day

There are all sorts of horrible things said about Valentine's Day but I personally enjoy the day not because I have an incredibly sweet forever Valentine but because it's a nice break from the monotony and length of winter.  By the time we have trudged through a long January without any breaks or special occasions I'm tickled pink to have a day meant to show those you close to you that you love them.

I believe since I have just begun blogging (and since I'm doing this to log memories) this post will consist of a rundown of past Valentine's between Philip and I.

Year one we were both working two jobs so the day was marked by a cap and card left in his car at 6AM before he left for his first job and flowers sent to my work.  At that point in our lives our time together consisted of meals enjoyed together at restaurants before each of us headed to one of our jobs and a few moments of sweet conversation before falling asleep after midnight each night.

The next Valentine's we were newlyweds of just 11 days so we had a meal of Belgian waffles with strawberries and whip cream using one of our new cool toys we had received through wedding gift cards.  Yes, it was dripping with romance.

The second year of our married life Philip was out to sea so our gifts came to each other at a distance - exotic truffles in a heart shaped box with a beautiful cashmere sweater that had a heart on the sleeve was my gift and Philip's was opened on the USS Ronald Reagan which was a card with candy of some sort attached (you can tell who's better at this).

The next year we celebrated traditionally with a meal out together and relished the fact that we weren't apart that year.

Last year was a Sunday meal after church with Jenny and Dustin and our baby girl.  Not exactly full of romance but lovely nonetheless because of the precious new sweetheart we had.

2-14-10

This year we celebrated over the weekend with a family candlelight dinner and Annie gave us the greatest gift of all by sleeping 5 solid hours. Philip once again came through with truffles and a heart shaped box and Annie and I supplied him with cheesey cards I picked out for the both of us that really say what you mean but aren't ever really able to put in to words.

Regardless of whether or not this holiday is one that is just made up for florists and card companies it still brings joy to me to have a day that celebrates the love we have in our live.