Iced in!

So that warm home I was thankful for last night is not so warm today. Thanks to the snow storm turned ice storm we have been experiencing a power outage since early this morning! I am strangely missing Georgia right now! Lol! Thankfully though, we are taking refuge at my grandma's. Getting here was somewhat of a challenge, but luckily it is close and we have a warm place to sleep tonight! God willing the power doesn't go out here too! I'm praying for the thousands (literally) who do not have power and thanking God for keeping us safe in the midst of of this storm!

Sleepless

As I lay awake listening to nothing but the sound of the bedroom fan I feel thankful. I may be feeling restless tonight, but I am at peace because I know I am blessed.

I am blessed with my husband who works hard to not only provide for our family, but fights wars to keep us safe. I am blessed with our beautiful daughter who's sass and endless energy lets me know we are raising a happy, healthy child. I'm blessed with our home that is cozy and warm while the outside world is still covered in ice and snow. I could go on and on about everything I am thankful for, but won't. Not tonight at least! Mostly I just want to say that though there may be things I WANT, I know I am blessed because there is nothing I NEED! I think a lot of times people , myself included, take for granted the simple things we have that others do not.

Snow Days!

Ready to PLAY (Mommy made her put pants on first)

So far January has ceased to slow down!  Hannah is now getting over an upper respiratory infection (fancy name for a bad cold) and her 2nd birthday is just around the corner!  To top if off we have been getting snow on and off for the couple of day making me NOT want to leave the house!  After living in Georgia for the last 3 years this cold weather is not welcomed!  Hannah, on the other hand, is LOVING the snow.  She has been sledding with her dad in the front yard, and is really enjoying it!  She loves being outside, and I guess the cold weather doesn't phase her!

Hannah and Daddy Sledding in what is left of the snow!

With Hannah's birthday this weekend I have SO much to do, but in between all the craziness that has been our lives I have been reflecting on how fast my baby girl has grown up! It  amazing to me to think that she is nearly 2!  Everyday she acts a little bit more grown up!  Today she danced around the house saying "I'm a Princess"!, and  A princess she truly is.  I mean, after all,  she did refuse to go into Target today without her Hello Kitty purse. She is such a girly girl, and I LOVE IT!  I am so glad that Josh and I made the decision for me to be a stay at home mom.  I love spending everyday with our "princess".  This time has gone by so fast.  I would have hated to have missed a minute of it. Even those moments that made me what to pull out my hair! :)


So all in all, life has been busy for the Apels, and there is no sign of a slow down in the near future.  Now that Josh is back to work we are starting to prepare ourselves for a spring deployment, but I will worry about later..........

The New Year Brings New Beginnings

Hannah playing on the porch of our new house!

2012 has barely begun and it has already brought so many changes for our family! First of all we PSCed from Fort Benning, GA to Fort Lewis, WA!  This was a very welcomed move since I am from the area!  I can not even begin to say how amazing it is to be back HOME with all our friends and family!  Hannah is LOVING all the time she gets to play with her cousins, and being spoiled by the rest of our family and friend.  

We were lucky enough to be able to get moved JUST in time for the holidays!  We had a wonderful Christmas with our family and rang in the New Year with friends! After the New Year we started moving into our new home!  It has been a project house, but is really coming along nicely!We are all settling in and loving it!  Hannah especially likes her very pink and very princessy room that daddy painted for her!

Josh signs back into his unit this week, and then the real fun will begin!  He will be back in a line unit and there is a high possibility that he will be deploying to Afghanistan this spring. That is something I am not looking forward too, but it is unavoidable now that his drill sergeant time is over.  We have many fun family events to look forward to before then though!  For example Hannah's 2nd birthday party will be taking place in less then 2 wks! 


Though life has been busy one of my "New Year" projects is to keep up with this blog.  It is more of a personal goal for myself so I can look back on it later in life.  I have our whole lives photographed, but I would like have written memories also! So look forward to many more post and I apologize in advance if they are boring! LOL. 

Times of War, PRAY

A friend of ours was injured in Afghanistan early this morning.  Though I personally did not know him well, Josh did.  When I told him the news I tried to hold back my tears.  It is times like these that this war becomes real, and the sacrifices our men and women in uniform are making made clear.

I can see the pain in my husbands eyes when he hears that yet another one of his brothers in arms has been injured.  Not only can I see his pain, but I can feel it.  As I read updates on his condition I can only imagine the feeling of helplessness his wife must be feeling. My heart truly goes out to her.  She reports that his condition is stable and he is being transported to Germany as we speak.  I thank God that he has survived this, and pray that he is soon returned to his family.

As I pray for him and his family I can't help but to also pray for Josh. I pray that I never find myself on the other end of the phone call, that is ever Army wives worst nightmare.   In the 3 short years Josh and I have been married I have sadly learned that phone call, that dreaded knock on the door by th unknown man in uniform bearing bad news, are all too real for too many loved ones left behind.

So tonight I pray.  I pray for the Simion's and Jeremy's safe return to his family.  I pray for the safety of all our troops. I pray for my husband, and the years he has left serve.  Basically tonight, I pray.

Mother's Day!

Happy Mothers Day to all the wonderful Mom's out there!  I hope everybody's day was as special as mine!

I love being a Mom and even more then that I love being HANNAH'S MOM!  All I needed today was her and Josh.  I got them and so much more!  My day started with sleeping in (Josh got up with Hannah), and breakfast in bed!  I also got flowers and a new Coach bag!  To top it off I was also taken out to Mexican for lunch.  My husband sure knows the way to my heart!

It made me feel special that Josh went out of his way to make sure I had a special day.  It feels nice to know I am appreciated! :)  I am oh so lucky to have such an amazing husband and daughter!

Catch up time!

Life has been busy and the days seem to be flying right on by!  I took Hannah to her 15 month appointment last week and she has grown 2" inches and gained almost 3 pounds since her 12 month appointment last January!  Besides getting bigger she is also FINALLY starting to walk and has been talking up a storm!  Her new favorite word is "NO"! LOL. It surprises me how something like her telling me "NO" can be so cute, yet so annoying at the same time!

I still at times struggle to find a balance in life.  Taking care of Hannah's needs and wants are my number one priority in life (I am not complaining about that) and I wouldn't want it any other way, but I often times forget to take time out for myself to do the things that I enjoy.  I feel like I have in away let myself go. I guess I am trying to find a balance of the person I once was and the mother I am now.  Does that even make sense?

Despite feeling overwhelmed at times, more then anything I am thankful for Josh and Hannah.  I really do love being a wife and a mother.  I have been blessed with a very happy energetic child.  Her personality is so cute and lovable! She is social and outgoing already!   I know more then anything that she is my purpose in life.  Her and Josh are the life that God had planned for me all along. All I had to do was let go of the things of the world that I THOUGHT I wanted and expect the wonderful gifts that God wanted to bless me with! :)