Thankfulness and a new do!

As I start today, I must remind myself that I am a blessed woman beyond belief and that my husband being gone for the 5th week in a row is so that our little family can continue to grow and thrive! I am blessed. But, I will not lie.......it is really hard when he is gone and I had the melt down about 10 days ago! The poor hubby was on the bad end of the meltdown.

I am also thankful for the fact I had the ability to VOTE today. So many people do not understand what a privilege a vote is. I thank my husband for fighting for our country so that we have this amazing ability to to cast a ballot as well as all of those past and present that fight for our freedoms, THANK YOU!

So back to my meltdown.....I needed to do something for myself so I cut my hair! Bad picture, sorry, but taking a picture of myself in a mirror with my cell phone, doesn't equal quality! So i decided that I needed to do a little something for me this week as well to keep sane and not melt on my beloved husband, so I have an appointment with the dear Amy and I will be getting a facial today. I am so excited. I think sometimes I need to just take a few hours for myself and relax, especially with Taron keeping my insides hopping lately.

To a blessed week, a new haircut, a great facial and a husband who will be home at the end of the week again, remember to be THANKFUL for all we have.

Stress

Stress is major bummer to me lately! The stress level I am living under is just not healthy. I think that I need to give up a few things in my life so the a few new things can be added.........makes no sense, yep I know!

I have decided to give up some of my volunteer work later this year. I have made my commitments for 2010, but letters of resignation are written in my head and I can't wait for say SEPTEMBER so that I can respectfully submit them and be done with a little of the stress.......all of this because I have made a decision...............

A decision that I want to be a mom, God willing. No plans on trying until May or June due to insurance stuff, but I want to me be a mom with a son or daughter to stress me out, not a mom with a son or daughter to stress me out and 4 volunteer Boards to sit on.....thanks for ready about my stress! I am sure that everyone else is living in the stress out world, but I have decided that I need a stress of a different kind.............

Rain and Wind....comes to town!

Well, hunkered down for the day, I didn't even want to have to go into the garage to do laundry, but I needed clean clothes! The rain is coming down in buckets, the wind is moving EVERYTHING out of it's place. Winter is going to come in with a bang. ( borrowed the picture, I am not that talented!)

I just can't wait for the husband to get home late this evening!

I think I have been up since about 4 when someones garbage can started rolling down the street, leading Ralf and Annie to have to bark at it, then major rain and wind continued with me snoozing on and off and then more barking at the wind at 6 am and well snoozing until 8 and getting up and out of bed then. I sometimes just have to give up, I guess this is practice for when we have babies! Sleep is not much to be had.

I baked for Bran this morning. Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies, Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting and I will make him some ice cream later this afternoon...thanks to Miss Amanda picking up Heavy Cream on her way home from school for me :-)! I figured he needed something homemade when he returns home!

Thanks for looking at my pointless babel!! And Adrienne, thanks for listening this morning as I continue to think about the next chapter of our little lives!!

Quite around here

Well it is quiet on the home front...

Not that there isn't tons to be done, but the poor poor husband is working from midnight to 10 am for the next week or so.......and that leaves me having to be really quite during the day! I am here guarding his cell phone and being his personal secretary while he sleeps! Brandon does NOT do well with little sleep.

I have been up for a long time........... made breakfast, cleaned up what I could of the house, then did a little work, then made lunch and I just keep trying to be quite. Next I think I shall walk the dogs and do a little Pilate's!

I am looking forward to being able to spend tomorrow afternoon with some lovely old friends playing in Monterey. There I will not have to be QUIET at all!!!

Good Days and Sad Days

Well these days are a mix of good and bad and sad. Bran is out of town on business for 6 days; I HATE being home alone and it is so quiet. I am very thankful for the dogs. They keep it loud and busy around here, but they don't fill the other side of the bed like a husband. I keep telling myself that it is better to miss him and it will help our relationship grow.

That is my sad part, but I have good parts of these days as well. It has been a busy week with a great Board meeting for the fair with some really exciting changes possible, I am taking on some new roles at church (can't talk about that for a month or so) and I was able to lunch with my bestest friend Adrienne and the cutest baby in the world C today and then I tended to C for a little while and then A and I shopped!! We bought nothing, which is the exact amount I had to spend, nothing, but it was so fun. I so miss pointless chats with my "sister"!!!

So the good days and the sad days. I included of picture of my babies. These guys make me smile and laugh 50 times a day!!

We're Expecting!!

I got you!

No, not a baby, but a new 4 legged baby!!! Yes, we are crazy and adding another dog to our family. This is part of my family plan, husband, then two dogs, then two babies in a year or two!!

Annie is a 9 month old pure bread English Springer Spaniel. I wasn't looking for a dog really yet, just sending out emails hoping we could find a puppy to come home in the spring, but Annie was found and she needs a home and loves male dogs and is so feminine and sweet and darling and well house broke!
That sealed the deal. No potty training! We pick her up on Monday and were able to visit with her last Monday, so love is in the air!

Welcome Home Annie Boyles, we can't wait to have you here!!

My Super Hero

I have so much to post, but this inspired me so much! So I will post all the fair stuff and life stuff soon, but first....MY SUPER HERO!

We have great neighbors! Ric and Bev are amazing people and parents and they have amazing kids, Amanda 16 and Jeffrey 13. Amanda and Jeff came over after dinner last night so that I could buzz Jeff's hair and Amanda needed to talk to my husband.

Amanda goes to an all girl private school in Salinas. She is 16 and a Junior and is sweet as can be. Today is Super Hero day at school and she had decided that Brandon was going to be her Super Hero for the day and she wanted to wear his Army uniform. She wanted to wear all of his fatigues. She looked so cute once we got it all together, I will take pictures at the end of the day today of the two of them, but it touch my heart and Brandon's heart that she feels he is a "Super Hero"!

I have to say that Brandon has always been my hero, what he went through growing up, his time in the service and the life he has made for himself, that is Super Hero in my book. And not only Brandon, but all of those who dedicate their lives to serving our country, THANK YOU! You are all my Super Hero.

Auntie Courtney!!

Yesterday I had the best day, I got to spoil my darling "nephew" Cael! Cael and his mommy made the trip down from the SF area for a visit with me, his "Grammy" Judy and his mommy's old work! We had the best day with a yummy Subway lunch to boot. I wish that they were still on Monterey so I could help with Cael more, but Adrienne is an amazing mom and I admire her so much! I am so not ready to be doing what she is doing! I can barley handle our little dog!!

This is Cael and I. He needed to be burped and for some reason I had the hand for that all day yesterday! I kissed and loved him to pieces. I even got a few smiles and well cries!

This is "Grammy" Judy meeting Cael for the first time. She is going to make an amazing Grammy one day to my kids. We had such a great time visiting while she kissed and loved him to pieces! This is one reason why my mom is my best friend. It melted my heart when I saw her with him.
I am so glad that they came down for the day. I know that the drive wasn't the best on the way home, but our next trip will be a great adventure for C, A and I....watch out SLC here we come!

Crazy times....

Sorry it has been so long since I posted anything, it just seems like my life gets crazier by the day. Things are busy as ever, but not much to report.

I am busy with work, church, fair and friends! My best friend in the whole wide world, A is moving on Saturday. Only 2 hours away, but I am so going to miss our spur of the moment lunch trips to El Migs! I helped with her baby shower on the 26th on Januray and had so much fun watching her just light up as she was so blessed by so many friends.

I enjoyed a quiet birthday on the 28th, turning 28 years old. Brandon gave me everything I asked for...a 4 ft long folding table and a kitchen utility cart! Sometimes it is just the simple things in life! But, January came to a close with little other excitment, but really cold weather and big PG&E bills!

February is here and we are finally enjoying some sunshine. I am looking forward to Valentines Day! Brandon and I are staying at home and having a little BBQ, but we are going to breakout a couple sets of our wedding china for the first time to celebrate our love!!

One other thing, I joined Curves! I am just in love with working out there! It is 30 minutes and it really is a great workout as long as you put all you have behind it!

Off to work I guess.....I have been doing laundry all morning and just working from the laptop, maybe I should actually go to the office!

Sorry for the boring posts of late, but we are just enjoying married life at home together!!

It's Here....

I have been very excited everyday to get the mail hoping that my new social security card would arrive with my wonderful new name; Courtney Christine Boyles on it. I was really hoping that it would be here by Monday since I have an appoitment at the DMV to change my driver license and today it arrived. Yippee!!!

So I guest it is official......... I am Mrs. Courtney Christine Boyles!

I haven't signed the card yet becuase I just can't figure out how to sign Boyles....a B with a line or should I use nice handwriting and make it look pretty before I just scribble anyways!

I took a picture of the card, but for some reason there is an issue and it will not upload, erg!

Feeling better today....

So after my feel sorry for me post on Saturday I decided to get off my soap box and do something about it. I have a dear friend, Wes....actually he is more like a brother, we have been the best of friends since 5th grade and I decided to give him a call and see if he wanted to join my sweet like dog and me for a hike. Ralf had never been out on a hike, but he is doing a ton better on the leash and interacting with others so we can give it a shot, right. Well we had the best time and found a great new place to hike. The US Bureau of Land Management http://www.blm.gov/style/medialib//blm/ca/pdf/pdfs/hollister_pdfs.Par.9e89a0fe.File.pdf/Trail_Brochure_Cover.pdf

has a great parking lot with trails for hiking, biking, walking, and horseback riding. It was wonderful. We only got to go on a 15 hike there...we figured we didn't need to carry a 12 pound dog at the end of hike since we didn't know the trails. From there we decided to go to Toro Park and take a walk there. We both are familiar with the roads and trails there and figured it would be better for Ralf's first hike. http://www.mtycounty.com/pgs-parks/parks-cnty/toro.html. One of the greats parts of both of these is they are FREE! At Toro, there is a small parking area just outside the gates so you can park there and you don't have to pay to enter. I usually fell bad about not paying since these parks don't take care of themselves, but if I am not using any of the facilities, then why do I have to pay.....

On Sunday I had another great day! Ralf is sleeping better and I don't have to let him out during the night so I am a much happier person. We got up and got ready for him to head to the Boyles house to stay in the yard and for me to head to church. It was a great day at church, choir has started again after summer break so today was our first Sunday back in our robes and singing. It always feels so good to get back to the normal life! Our vacancy Pastor gave a wonderful sermon on the woman in the bible and their roll in the life of Jesus. His sermon was inspired by the Lutheran Woman Missionary League and it was LWML Sunday to celebrate all that they do, take a look http://www.lwml.org/. It was really empowering since I have been on a low the last few days! And then the best part of Sunday.....a great BBQ at one of our Elders homes with a Pumpkin Weigh-In. He grows these amazing 400+ lbs pumpkins and then all the guests get to go and pick the normal little carving pumpkins. I will have to take a picture of my porch, the pumpkins I got are awesome! Oh and thanks Wes for coming down to King City for the BBQ and Pumpkin picking with me!


So after my low on Saturday morning the rest of the weekend came out awesome! Oh and I was able to have dinner both evenings with my parents. I really can't wait for Brandon to get home so I can cook for him.

10 Days to D Day

Well it is 10 Days to D day...or the beginning of the next chapter of our lives! I am really excited. We have had so much going on lately, but Brandon is home and that has been the true blessing form the Lord!

Today I went to my hairdresser, she has been doing my hair since I was 4 and we practiced the wedding hair and she got it on the first try! It is going to be beautiful! I really don't have much left to do for the big day, but work is overwhelming at the moment so I need to get through that this week so I can start my time off next week!

Ralf is doing better...it is actually his hip and not his knee and it looks like it will just take time to heal....no surgeries needed at this time!! Yippee....more money for the honeymoon! Maui here we come!

Brandon and I decided that we needed a little get away so we headed to his Aunt and Uncles' in Placerville for a quick visit and it is just what the doctor ordered...good food, family and lots of laughs, but I forgot the camera...so no fun pictures!

I will post wedding pictures as soon as I can......