The 100th Day!

Today was the 100th Day of School for Avery....

The 100th day of learning...

The 100th day of growing...

The 100th day of friend making......

The 100th day of lunch packing....which ALWAYS includes a salami and cheese sandwhich...

The 100th day of diva style outfit picking out to always include the most fashionable shoes and matching hair accessories...

The 100th day of drop offs and pick ups.....which I have to say have gotten much easier than the first few weeks of teary eyes....and that was on mommy's part....not Avery's.....

The 100th day of sheer excitement of sharing with her family the great things she accomplished at school....

The 100th day of mommy wondering countless times through out the day how my baby is doing....

The 100th day of countless worries and fears that something is going to happen or is happening or has happened that mommy has no control over....giving up control of every hour of every minute of every day has been a hard thing for mommy to come to grips with.....

The 100th day of mommy learning to let go bit by bit and realize that her baby is turning into a real little lady....to include noticing that boys are not so icky anymore.....

The 100th day of mommy being astonished at just how brilliant her little girl really is.....

The 100th day of being so very proud of my baby girl

Happy 100th Day Dear Readers!!!

~R~

Snow Day.....Silly Snow Day

White. Blinding, shining white.
Covering trees. Blanketing bushes. Burying roads.
White Glorious White...EVERYWHERE!


Twirl and giggle.
Dance and Prance.
Snow day cant.
There's nooooooooooooooooo day like a snooooooooooooooooooooooooow day!



Long john wearing.
Rainbow scarf with nubby mittens.
Pom-pom hat pulled way down low.
Snow day, bundly snow day.

Snowball making.
Snowman building.
Sled rides for all!
Snow day, busy snow day!

Snow day walk.

Sluggingly, trudgingly slow.

Snow day shovel.

Snow day tunnel.

Snow day, working snow day!

Deepening darkness.

Shake and shudder

Stomp, clomp indoors.

Dripping, drenching. Hang to dry.

Snow day, shivery snow day.

Soapy soak.

Toy-filled bath.

Towel wrap.

Flannel jammies made by granny.

Snow day, snugly snow day.

I hope you have all had a smashing Friday.....I know we did!!!

Just Do It

Maybe Nike coined the phase "Just Do It" but I live it everyday...in every aspect of my life i possess the "Just Do It" attitude....and not only do I "Do it" but I "Do it" to the best of my ability

Since Colby has been deployed I have been asked copious times "how I do it" and "what it's like"...I have to admit there are times when I just want to look at the person and give them a vacant stare and shrug my shoulders...but I just kind of laugh and say "oh it's just what I do"

"How do I do it?"......let me ask you this..... how do you breath....how does your heat beat.....how does your unborn child grow inside of you.....how do you hear or see or feel.....you just do, it's how you live.....that is my answer to "How I do it".....because in the end...how can you not do it?

"What's it like".... it is so hard to explain what it's like...being a military wife that is.....unbelievably wonderful, and petrifying, and humbling, and amazing all at the same time....and the sense of pride....it fills me up like nothing has before...pride for my husband, for my children and for myself...

Some things I will never be able to describe what it's like....like saying good bye to your husband when he deploys...knowing he will be gone for an entire year and miss an entire year of your life as a family.....or having to wipe the tears off of your children's faces and hide your own so you can put on a strong front not only for your children but for your husband....there is no way to really put it into words except that it is physically, emotionally, and mentally painful.....

But there is also nothing sweeter than seeing the looks on your children's faces and feeling your heart fill with nothing but love and joy and admiration when he comes home to you....

when it all comes down to it, i am a very independent woman and that is one of the traits I really admire about myself.....i don't NEED him to take care of me....but I have to say it really is nice that he does...I just NEED his love and his support and his caring and no matter where he is and where I am, I know that I will have that forever and always.....

Is it hard....you bet it is....it's hard and it's scary and it's tiring....but the best things in life are never easy....so I am just going to DO IT and I am going to do it with zest and spunk and enthusiasm and I know that it will all make us stronger...as individuals AND as a family

And with that I will leave you with some pictures of my sweet Adilyn....we were goofing off waiting to pick Avery up from school...she is such a mess....a mess that I love so very much!

Have a wonderful evening!!!

And So We Go On.....

Well.....it was bound to happen....I guess you could say we are overdue for our meltdowns....

The last few days we have been grumpy, grumpy, grumpy....mommy is included in that"we"...

Avery and Adilyn have not been getting along very well....and that might even be a bit of an understatement!

I beleive that they are having a hard time expressing their feelings about missing their daddy and the changes that they are going through right now.....

So instead of their usual friendly banter back and forth they have resorted to really annoying the crap ouf of eachother and mommy to the point of tears....

My poor babies....

So what does that mean?

It means lots of hugs and caring words and consoling from mama

Even though mama is frustrated and feels that she gets defeated so easily...

but she is getting better about using her tranquil voice with the girls even though she is screaming at the top of her lungs on the inside....I am also working on my acting skills (heeeee)

But we are getting there and it will get better and we will learn that even though we miss daddy so very very VERY much we will be peachy keen.....we are the Murray's after all and this is what we do best!

with that I am off to enjoy the peacefulness of the house with two precious girls asleep in their beds

I hope that you have had a dazzling day

I'll leave you with the winner of the give away (Congrats to Susan Brighthousen...shoot me an email to discuss your winnings!!!!)

as well as a few pictures from when were saying our last byes to daddy.....

Introductions...

I am finally at a place where I not only CAN but I NEED to start my blog and what better way to start off than with a few introductions as to who we are!


She...

• Avery Lillian Murray....and juts turned 6 this past October
• my first born and was the easiest and most complacent baby I could have asked for
• she has a heart of gold and shares it with everyone that she comes in contact with....
• she is beautiful both inside and out and even though she has an awkward and toothless smile it is one that shines on the darkest of days
• she is the girliest girl that you will have the pleasure of meeting and INSISTS she wears skirts at least 6 out of the 7 days of the week
• she started kindergarten this year and is loving most every minute of it...with the exception of the first few weeks where she had her ice pack from her lunch box on her head when I picked her up because the "kids are just too noisy"
• she calls her little sister her best friend and loves her more than anything in the world
• she is a charming little girl but a bit on the bossy side...one day she will be a GREAT leader
• she has a thirst for knowledge that just can't be quenched
• she read her first book with NO help two days ago
• she is radiant in every way and her beauty shines in everything she does
• is her father's daughter....it astonishes me how much they are alike in every way

She ...

• Adilyn Grace Murray....just turned 3 this past November
• can melt your heart in one look and turn you to stone with the next look...watch out Medusa....this one's got you beat!
• wants to do EVERYTHING her sister does and gets SO temperamental when she just can't get it
• says her sister is "her best friend in the whooooooole world".....makes my heart smile
• just started pre-school....she goes 2 days a week and even though there were some tears and a little separation anxiety when I dropped her off I know she is going to be just fine (and mama is LOVING the 3 hours on Tuesday's and Thursday's of blissful silence.
• is painfully shy just as her mother was and in all honesty still is
• is following in her sister's footsteps of being a true girly girl
• her favorite thing to do right now....play dress up and be a "pretty pretty princess"
• is truly and 100% beautiful.....with doll-like features and BIG beautiful eyes
• is her mother's daughter...it's amazing how much she is like me
  

He.....

• Colby Daniel Murray....just turned 34 this past October
• is the one and only man that I have every loved with everything that I am
• is strong and caring and kind and has a soft spot for his daughters (and me too as I think that he really finds it hard to ever tell me no....sometimes I wish he would as I sometimes have issues with impulse control...tee hee hee!!!)
• is living his dream....how many people can honestly say that they are doing what they always dreamed of doing....so after 5 long years of trying to enlist in the Army he is doing it...he made it
• is so secure with who he is he has no qualms about putting on a tutu and a tiara and playing dress up with his daughters....or watching a "girly movie" with his wife...not that I am really into girly movies but every now and then there is one I want to watch
• laughs so fully and deeply and hearty that it just touches your soul
• is the one person that can make me laugh to the point of my abs hurting tears streaming down my face
• is my hero
  

I am...

• Rebecca Louise Murray...just turned 32 this past November
• am wife to a wonderful husband and mother to two beautiful and kind spirited daughters and owner of Hot Tots Boutique
• is finally feeling comfortable in her skin with who she REALLY is....
• has taken a vow to herself to take batter care of herself inside and out.....
• is awkwardly shy and often too quiet....as I get a bit older, and maybe a bit wiser about life in general finding herself to being not AS shy and not AS quiet
• does everything with passion and dedication...gives 100%, 100% of the time....if she does not feel like she can fully commit she will not commit at all
• gets her feelings her too easily....tried working on some thicker skin but decided that this is part of her make-up so the thicker skin has been thrown by the wayside and she will continue to be a bit TOO sensitive...it's part of what makes her her!
• loves to watch her children grow and develop and doesn't want to miss a moment of it...part of the reason why her $80,000 education is put up on a shelf and not one ounce of guilt is in her heart or her head....she knows her children are more important than anything in life
• is proud of herself and continues to be proud....it took her a long time to get here but she is happy with who she is
  

We are.....

• The Murray's
• know that the most important thing in life is family and we cherish it
• know that things aren't ALWAYS perfect...sure there are some hurt feelings, some doors shut a little too loudly on occasion, a little hair pulling every now and then (not Colby and I...I promise), a tear every now and then, and not always in agreement
• but also know that we NEVER go to mad, always say I love you when leaving to go somewhere or getting off of the phone....ALWAYS, practice patience with each other, and never say hateful things to each other
• strong....not as individuals so much but as a unit we will stand the test of time
• have a love that is so deep and so pure and so true for one another that even when there is a little hair pulling or a few hurt feelings or a tear shed here or there we know that in the end...when the dust settles we have pure unadulterated love

So there it is....

There we are....

This blog will be dedicated to documenting our journey through life together and as individuals as well as an outlet for my creative side.....

If you took the time to read this I am sorry for getting sappy in a place or two...I often do that as well, I'm a sap at heart...it's my little secret though so don't tell anyone.... :)

Happy Hump Day Everyone...and Welcome to A Journey Through Life

XOXOXO