It's been a while...

It has come to my attention that I have been "neglecting" my blog - so this is an attempt to make amends.

An angel joined our family this past year. Natalie was born on June 20th and we are now a complete and whole family. She is the best anniversary present either Paul or I will ever receive! Never before have we been so happy to be so tired. She is now six months old and getting her first tooth - she rolls around on the floor, sleeps for 12 hours at night, shouts at the top of her voice, and laughs at us all the time. Natalie always wants to have Dona's face in her face, and she has recently been throwing a fit because she cannot sit up from laying down. She is super silly and is a perfect blend of Paul and I. We love our little girl and are so very happy she has finally joined us in this snowy, arctic world!

Paul was promoted this month and is now a 1st LT. We are so proud of him and all he has accomplished thus far as an Army Officer. He went to Japan in December for two weeks for... "was games". Which I felt was interesting, since there is a very real war going on... why play games at this point? Yet, I digress - Paul now works in the Headquarters building on post and currently is sitting behind a desk. I think he misses being a platoon leader, we hardly ever get phone calls on the weekends or in the middle of the night! It has also been nice having him come home before 7 or 8 at night!

So, another year has come and gone. Many things have changed, but the essence of myself has remain the same. I am a mommy, Paul is a daddy, but we are still silly and totally in love. We still drink too much wine, laugh too loudly, and watch crappy horror movies. We still make Dona wear doggie boots in the snow and we still stay up way too late! Our little girl fits into our life so perfectly and we can't imagine what life would be like without her.

We will update again soon. Thanks for checking back!

Update

I haven't written for a long while - seems I get distracted by all the little things in life! We finally received housing in January, and it is surprisingly wonderful. I feel blessed to live in such a spacious home, with room for both a dog, and a new baby. Paul and I have slowly been buying baby "equipment" - so far we have a playpen, baby swing, and a crib. It is not secret that I am a shop-a-holic, but luckily I like a good sale! There is a Khol's right next to the Target, and they have some really wonderful sales on baby clothes. I have been trying to get items the little one will grow into and not items she will only wear once! I still can't believe we will have a child in about two months!

Today I bought some plants for the house - it has been so devoid of... green around here! ;) I got a Chinese Money Tree for Paul. Supposedly they bring good luck, and require very little "love". Water once a week, and keep out of direct sunlight. They can grow to be around six feet tall if taken care of properly. I also got a spider plant, some cacti, and a plant called Mother-In Law's Tongue. The last one is poisionious, so I will need to be very careful that the dog and the baby don't eat the leaves. All plants require little daily care, and only need watering about once every seven to nine days. Spring is finally coming to Alaska, and I am super excited. There is a space in our front yard that would be perfect for flowers. I bought some wild flower seeds and sunflower seeds - they are gonna look so pretty once I can plant them!

Making friends up here is going as smoothly as one can imagine - it is always hard "starting" over. I do enjoy my next door neighbor, Catherine, and her family. They are a goofy bunch, and I just adore them. Their oldest is in love with our Dona dog - it is adorable! I also hang out with Paul's C.O.'s wife - her name is Amanda. She is a sweetie. Everyone that I have met on our street seem really nice, I just feel kind of akward because we do not have kids yet. Almost everyone else does. I receive invites to come to play-dates at the neighbors house, but I just would feel weird showing up without a kid! Pretty soon though, I feel I will "belong" a little bit better. :)

That's gonna do it for this update. Paul should be home from work soon, and I need to finish dinner. Love to you all!

Alaska

Well, Paul and I have finally made it to Alaska. Right now we are about ten miles outside of Anchorage in a city called Eagle River. We are staying in a hotel because there are paperwork issues with the Army. It's a long a boring tale really, so I won't bother.

I cannot believe how much snow there is on the ground. It is amazing! Luckily, it is WARMER here than in the Yukon! It is in the teens here and below zero in the Yukon. I am happy to be somewhere where my nose does not freeze the second I go outside. Dona, the dog, also is enjoying herself here. I laugh every time I see her plunge her black nose into a pile of snow - she is desert dog and NOT used to all this white stuff. She is so cute though.

Our little fetus is doing well. My belly is starting to get a little round - nothing compared to some of my pregnant friends, I am sure... but, it is big to me seeing as how I NORMALLY do sit-ups everyday. I am going to look into Pregnancy yoga though, I am sure there is somewhere in this city I can go and do that for a couple hours each week. I feel like such a lazy bum! Be pregnant is kind of lame sometimes - everyone treats me like I am going to break at any moment.

Well, that is the news for now!

Quick Update

The move to Alaska draws near - I can't believe that on the 11th, I will be leaving the place I have called home for 8 years! I suppose it is time for a new place to live... after all, I am married and we are expecting a baby. :)

Speaking of the baby, Paul and I heard the heart beat two days ago! It was amazing to hear - it made it all seem REAL. There is a little life inside me and I was totally blown away. On this coming Tuesday, we are going for an ultrasound to check on the growth of the baby. I am excited to have Paul there with me - he has not seen our little baby yet!

We have also decided on names for the kiddo. :)
If a boy: Shaun Kingsley Bell
If a girl: Natalie Elizabeth Bell

I think they are adorable names for an adorable babe! :)

Anyway, more news about Alaska to come.

Missouri?

Currently, I am in Missouri. Paul graduates from the Engineering school at Fort Leonard Wood tomorrow! I am so excited to see him finally be finished with school - he is excited as well.

We will begin our journey to Alaska December 10th. Gonna pack the car, throw the dog in the back seat, and set off towards Canada. I am actually a little excited to be going through Canada - I got my passport last week and am anxious to see some snow and maybe a moose or two!

Not much else to update right now - I reached the ninth week in my pregnancy yesterday. My morning sickness is not as bad as it was a couple weeks ago. Hopefully it is starting to dissipate.

Goodbye for now!

Our News

I am proud to announce that Paul and I are expecting our first child.

The due date is June 27th!













(This picture was found using www.deviantart.com. If it belongs to you, let me know so I may put your name on this lovely piece of art.)

My Father...

I received wonderful news two days ago! My brave and wonderful father has finally come home from Iraq. He arrived state side late on Friday night. I was very glad to hear from him and I am also glad that he is safe.

I feel the war is easy for some people - those people do not have loved ones fighting or preparing to fight in that desert. The war is as foreign as the country it is being fought in for many Americans. This war is one of the foremost worries in my mind. I was worried about my father, now I worry for my husband.

It happens to us all - all military wives eventually see their husbands leave for this war. (Military husbands do too, I am sure!) It is hard! I didn't think, or realize, how hard of a concept this would be for me. I am sure the stress my husband is under out weights mine though.

For anyone that reads this, for people that don't - keep loving our Military and their families. Keep loving us, because we protect you all. We protect you not because we want anything more than your love and suppose. We protect, because we love this country.