I never planned on handling anyone else's boogers, I never had the power to heal a wound with my kisses, until you.

Dear sweet little man of mine,

I could have sworn you were infantile a couple of days ago. It doesn't seem like it's been two years since I was wrenching your Oma and/or your Daddy, screaming bloody murder in room full of barbarians who couldn't make the epidural work. And you were HUGE, why were you so huge? I didn't think you were cute at first. You resembled a baby sumo. You became cuter as the hours passed though. When Daddy held you for the first time, his face was the most delightful I've ever seen it. I'll never forget that.

I feel it was just yesterday I was sitting on the bed, holding you and feeding you and staying up until 3 a.m. with you while you screamed, watching 7th Heaven--because that was all there was on TV, every night at 11. You screamed from 10 p.m - 3 a.m. every other night. Your Daddy was in a month-long deployment training and Oma had to go back to New York. I was left alone with this creature who was apparently mine, although I didn't feel connected at all. I spent most of the time trying to figure out what to do with this thing, that I was too tired to be connected. I didn't know how anyone could possibly do this more than once. A lot of times I'll admit I wanted to put you in a basket on the porch and just go to sleep. But when you fell asleep on the front of me, tucked into your Baby Bjorn, I thought maybe I'd keep you a little longer.

You've been a little monster from the start. Angry when you're awake and it's not time to be (I don't blame you), grumpy when you're hungry, and you always want everything to be a specific way--you might get that from your Daddy. WHen you were in the Bjorn I couldn't sit down and eat, or use the computer. You needed me to be walking around or standing and swaying at all times. Now you still scream at me when you don't have your juice in a certain cup, or I try to take your jacket off for you, or God forbid I throw your diaper away for you when you would like to do it yourself. You are the funniest ever.

I can't believe that just two short years ago I was wondering what you'd be like as a toddler. You became one at some point when I wasn't looking and you are the biggest little love of my life. I can't figure out what I did to deserve becoming your Mommy. I mean, of all the people in the world to give this amazing, beautiful baby boy, God picked ME! He runs my cup overflowing every single day, giving me the gift of you to wake up to. Sure, sometimes I do miss sleeping until Noon, but because of you I am no longer one of those people that sleeps my day away.



I never thought I could EVER love a set of feet so much, but yours are by far the cutest I've ever seen. I'm obsessed with watching you eat, play with your toys and of course when you sleep. I am fascinated by watching you grow and learn so many things so fast. You are so smart, I am so proud of you already! I was so dazzled by seeing you pretend to fill a toy pan full of water in a toy sink, and proceed to put it on the toy stove, in your daycare room. How did you know that pans get filled with water and go on the stove? you surely aren't tall enough to witness it happening in our house, or are you? And since when did you get that perfect swing with your mini baseball bat? and that great arm you have when you throw a ball?

I love growing up with you all over again. You've helped me to appreciate the little things. You've helped me to get just a small glimpse of what God's love is like for all of us. No one can fathom the capacity of love that Jesus has for us, but since I've had you, I get it. I love you when you're happy, when you're being bad, I want to make everything better when you're sad, yet I know what's best for you and you're still learning patience just like I am. He loves us, and I love you like an artist loves their work, because you are my creation, indeed my best creation.





You are my whole heart. When Mommy was not feeling well all summer, my biggest fear was not being able to take care of you properly. Even if I had Daddy to help.

You are so silly. I'd like to think you get it from your Daddy and Me.




Your laugh and your Daddy's laugh are my most favorite sounds in the world. You have a lot of his traits. Even his beautiful blue eyes like I hoped you would.

Your random kisses throughout the day, are for sure my highlights of every day, And when I come pick you up at daycare, that's my favorite part of my Day too, especially when it's coming from work. Thank You for being such a resilient kid with daycare. Thank You also for saving all your "Firsts" for me. I didn't miss a thing with you, your first steps, your first word, you saved it for me!

I love you to the moon and back baby boy, and that's very, very far!

Happy 2nd Birthday my love.

Christopher Speak

I used to be that childless person who, when interacting with friends kids, would always have to ask the parent "what did he/she just say?" and they'd tell me and it would be something simple, like, "move over." but it would sound like "mooooo oooooooh" Now I am on the other side, being the parent that knows all the toddler lingo, and when I listen to my son talk I imagine what I would say to him if he wasn't my son: "I'm sorry, what?" I still do that with him of course, but not as much as I would if he wasn't mine.

It is seriously fascinating watching a child grow and learn to walk, then eventually talk. I thought Christopher wasn't going to talk. At 18 months when he was supposed to have about 50 words according to "the books" he only said "Dada" and pointed at everything while saying "ehh" It was cute, but really tiring after awhile, since his Dad and I don't speak "ehh." THEN ONE DAY he just started saying Ball, except his version was "Bowwww" but it was SO CUTE! Following that was "Bah, bah" for "Bye-bye" and "Mah-Moo" meant "more" and I'm not sure why. LOL at that! Then he started saying "Bsss" for BUS. Kind of how me and Jillian Deuel used to say certain things (ERN & DRN... sorry, only she will know what I'm talking about, if I explain, you'll just discontinue reading this). Then he said "doooon" for DOWN, Then "BOX" and he made a small little "rarr" for a Lion, and "oooh ahh-ahh" for a monkey. CUTEST THING EVER... UNTIL He said "Appooo" for Apple and then He eventually called me "MOM!" for the longest time, not "mommy" just "MOM!" with an exclamation point each time. THEN ONE DAY at daycare when I picked him up he came running to me yelling "MOMMMMIIIEEEEEEEEEE!!" Talk about a heart melter. Before that all happened, he caught onto "OOOOOOOOH NOOOO!"

Once he caught onto "NO" by itself. It was seriously adorable just to hear a small person version of "NO" After he quickly started understanding what to say NO to, it's not as cute. Good thing HE IS.

From there it's a blur, since he surprises me every single day with a new learned word. It's like he just got comfortable with a few small ones and then took off running, just like when he began to walk. ONE DAY he just started coming at me, out of the corner of my eye and I thought I was going to pass out of happiness! Ha!

I thought I'd provide a reference guide for anyone that see's him or will be seeing him soon, even on Skype, so you know what he's saying.

Buh-Boww = Football
Bah-Boww = Basketball
D-downn = Touch down
Dah Mooon = The Moon
Appooo = Apple
Booo = Bird
Beeh = Bear
Booo = Boot (so you really have to pay attention to whether or not he's seeing a bird or a boot!)
Boo-a = Book
Whee = Read
Wun = Run
Dah-dee = Daddy
Mommiee (Obviously)
"Dawwwt" = Truck. FUnniest, Cutest. I cant' take it. especially because if we try to say it like he does he corrects us and says "No, DAWWWT!" so we have to say it like we know how to say it (Truck), and he thinks the way he says it is the same, so when we say it how he actually says it, he thinks we're wrong. Ha! Do you not love it?!?!
TeeTee's = cookies, don't laugh.
Pah-Yee = Potty
Dah-Dies = French Fries
Eh-Moh = Elmo
Bat-Mee = Batman
ICE = Eyes
Mote = Milk
wide = ride
ouuuh = Up
abb-ieee = Help please
bouf = balls
houf = house
mouf = mouth (aren't those three funny too?)
Fah-doon = Fall down
Tick = stick
Bee-Bee = Baby
pee-pee speaks for itself.
Bah-Booos = Bubbles
Daah = Dog
Bum = well, Bum (meaning his backside)
CUTEST LATELY IS: "LELLOW" for Yellow. And he knows what things are yellow and what things are not. "Bdue" is BLUE and he also knows that color. He knows red too but can't quite say it, same with Green.

Wet, Met, Rice, Mine and Mess he says pretty clear.

And his most popular and frequent is "Daaaaaaaat?" for "What's that??"

Now he can put together a few words. I love when he says "Buh-Bye Dawwt" I'm sure you maybe can guess what that means?
But a lot of his sentences he sticks "Dah-Doh" or "Dah-Dah" in the beginning and/or the middle, so someone who is not his parent will NOT know what he's saying. For example: "Dah-dee, dah, dah, doh, doh buh-bye" = "Daddy go bye-bye" or like when he watches one of his Elmo DVD's that features Abby the little fairy, there's a part where they collide and fall into each other. He points and says "Oh NO! Abee dah-doh, doh, Elmo dah-doh, doh Fah-dooon" Which just means "Abbie and Elmo fell down!" HA!!!

Then we'll be in the car and he'll say "Bee-dawt" for "Big Truck" and then he'll repeat himself about 24 times and I'll say "yes, BIG TRUCK" and he'll say "no, BEE-DAWT" and I'm likes "yes Christopher the BIG TRUCK" and then he corrects me again, so I am like "okay dude, whatever"

Lately he's been sleeping with us every couple of nights and I found that he talks in his sleep. He woke me up exclaiming "MINE!" and stealing my pillow!!! SERIOUSLY!?!?! <3 Lately, everything he touches is "MINE!" I have a hard time not agreeing with him.

He likes to point to me or his Dad's things and say "Mommees" or "Dah-Dees" and say it over and over that it's Mommees or Dah-dees. He likes to hand us our things too, whether or not we need them, like our shoes at 9 p.m. at night, or our water bottles, or he will just remove our cup from in front of us, and then bring it back saying "Mommy!"

He even helps me unload the dishwasher and says "MOMMY" with every piece he hands me.

He's the best blessing I've ever been given.

Just some stuff to think about in-case you encounter children that you don't know how to communicate with. :p

Breakfast for dinner!

I love peppers. I could eat peppers all day long--especially the red and yellow ones.

I love eggs too. Every morning I eat two hard-boiled eggs with some apples and granola.

While perusing Pinterest for new recipes, I saw this and knew I had to make it soon. A combo of awesome--peppers and eggs! It is the easiest, cutest thing you'll ever make. It was so delicious too.

Start by gutting your peppers and then cut into rings.


crack your eggs inside the rings on the skillet, sprinkle salt & pepper.


They're prettier if you leave them sunny side up, but I however, cannot eat runny yolk, so I flipped them, you do what you like.

My plate tonight. Those things didn't stand a chance against me!


Serve with anything--sausage, or fried potatoes with sauteed onions and mushrooms sounds perfect to me. I also thought of sprinkling some cheese over the eggs & peppers but I was too excited to stuff my face, I didn't want to take any extra steps. So, next time.

New Blog: Under Construction

I have been aching to start a new blog for a long hot minute--but being a graphic designer, I refused to just settle with any random name and pre-made templates for my background--My fickle behavior regarding this matter has been slowing down the process. I could not think of what I would want in the background to represent ME and what I talk about. All the extra time I have surely permits me to sit down and experiment *insert sarcasm here* When I'm not working, eating, entertaining a ridiculously cute 2-year-old boy and a husband, I'm TRYING to get in some sleep, reading or workout time. I'm scatterbrained, dizzy with things to say and so I just decided to start writing. If anyone has an ideas of what I could do make this place more graphically pleasing to the eye, toss those ideas over to Germany! It'll reach!

In the coming months I'm quite positive you'll see a change in layout, as well as a variety of topics that range from my child, to ugly shoes... and of course my life as an Army Spouse, a Mother and World Traveler. Anything I write about, or question, is NEVER with an intention to judge, almost every question I ask or topic I ponder is to learn, because I honestly DO NOT KNOW and I want to know.

I've decided to put the gifts that God gave me back in action, after... I don't even know how long of them being on the back burner. Sure, I have been blessed to work in the field that I studied in school, but I am not sure anyone is interested in seeing my work from there--if there is anything cool that comes of it however, you'll be the first to know! I may be busy, but I HAVE fit in a few creative things into my daily life. I've enjoyed writing more and more in the past few years and I've recently (within the past year) been dabbling in photography and this is also going to be the outlet for all things of the above nature. I live in the most perfect place to exercise photography practices. If we are going to get paid to live in Europe, we might as well see Europe, am I right?

The title I finally came up with, where does it come from? I'm sure you all know that... you know, The song? I used to sing it to my son when he was a miserable newborn and I had no clue what to do with him at 3 a.m. when his Daddy was away at a month-long of deployment training and I was across an entire ocean away from my family (I still am by the way). Now he's older and easier (mostly), and every day prior to this one, I realize more and more that HE, his Daddy, My friends, my family, the things I do, speak about, and see on a daily basis are my sunshine, they are what keep me going, they are who I'm alive for. I also like to think I'm a bit sunshiney myself, and like to let it display as good as I can like Jesus told us to--and growing where I'm planted is part of that. The sunshine helps things grow, You dig?

Anyway, in keeping with the promised future content listed above, I'm going to make today's topic short and simple and end this entry afterwards. My letter to the buyers for the PX AKA "Post Exchange" where we all can go shopping like we're in 'Merica using dollars.

Dear buyers for the PX's world wide,

We live a place that mostly looks like this:


So when would most of us baby-having, mommy-being, working, hiking, running, frequent traveling, sweat pant and army PT shirt wearing, spouses and/or soldiers, living in the middle of country bumpkin land, EVER find a reason to wear such things as this?


You know maybe if it was my profession to wear exotic clothing and footwear for some crazy photoshoots, I'd have no problem with these. They'd make a lovely addition to any costume or artistic photo idea. You don't really see much of that happening around here because there's not many models here. It's cold. Those look like they hurt. I could be wrong but I am thinking this is why your sale rack in the shoe section is full of these random things. I'm sure I speak for most of the dependants and female soldiers around me when I say please find a different, more practical and still fashionable selection of shoes.
Great Job!

Love,
Your learning-to-be-thrifty, over-thirty, working (and not required to dress up) mother of one, and wife to a non-officer (I'm such a Peon!), who doesn't wear her husband's PT clothes because that's gross... Kristen. :)