In my ideal world, I always have the kitchen clean...Sophia is always in clothes without any stains... and I am so up to date on my blog that it is overflowing with every crazy little detail of life here in Huntsville. I think back over these last few months and 'sigh' thinking how far life has been from 'ideal'. What is amazing is how incredibly happy I've been living in this 'not so ideal' world...this world where more often than not things don't go as planned. Making it a priority to blog each week is something that I find cathartic, what I call mommy time where I can finally clear my head and put down in words the moments that spoke to me this week. What started off as a simple hobby, an almost lazy way of 'keeping in touch' with friends and family scattered over the country has now turned into something so dear to me, a book of memories that I will look back on one day with pride. It is for those days in the future when I crave the moments in life where Sophia is oh-so little...when things were never ever ideal and when Sophia's clothes were always so perfectly dirty, just like my busy kitchen! :)

What a fantastic weekend last weekend was. One for the record books in my opinion for no apparent reason other than Sophia and I spent some quality time supporting our Marine. Chris officially took 'command' of Kilo Battery on Saturday morning with an official 'Change of Command' ceremony.
It was a very nice ceremony, short and sweet because of the sweltering temperatures but very nice to watch. There is something so spectacular to me about every little career milestone that man of mine accomplishes. I stand at his side so proud for each and every one of these Marine moments and every single time I am brought to tears. Now I am aware that anything from a Folgers commercial to a road sign can make me cry but I've got a very, very soft spot in my heart for what my hubby goes through on a day to day basis and how he always comes out on top. It is in watching these special moments that my mind flashes to so many moments in the past...moments like meeting my Marine, to the day I married my Marine, to sending him off for his first deployment a mere week away from delivering our precious angel and seeing his face the very first time he ever saw his beauty. I see all that he has accomplished since we truly became a family and the father that he has so effortlessly morphed into despite not ever having enough time to spend with his little girl. All this because of his determination to follow a dream he had back in high school to be the best Marine he could be. That is why I swell with pride watching him on days like Saturday and it is in these moments where I am so very honored to call him mine. It is only fitting to have a weekend like this when Father's Day is the grand finale. So many important days have been spent so far away from home, so we take holidays very seriously around here when we can actually give real kisses and feel real hugs. What did Chris want to do this Father's Day? Absolutely nothing but sit around and spend time together so
after a big breakfast shared on the coffee table we did just that...absolutely nothing and I loved every second of it. A homemade blueberry cheesecake finished off our day and as I lay in bed thinking over the day, my newest miracle shared in my excitement showing her Mama how connected we are, kicking and squirming up a storm. This was the first time I had felt her and my what timing! Between finding out earlier in the week that we are expecting another little girl and ending with a perfectly relaxing weekend with Dad...now you understand why my weekend was so fantastic. And my youngest little girl definitely agreed! :)