Home Sweet Home

We are HOME SWEET HOME for the weekend!

I love being home to visit with my family. I'll update after the weekend. Hope you enjoy yours as much as we are enjoying ours!!

The love season

Its that time of year. Love is in the air- along with mosquitos and sun rays- but love- oh love! For some reason summer rays bring about summer love and thoughts of the future. Every year about this time, it becomes engagement/wedding season. Does anybody else feel this way? From about the first of May through mid-September, I consider it love season.

The one great thing about having a giant husband that used to have heat issues (sorry babe) he never would even let me consider the summer wedding path. I am 100% okay with that! There would never have been time to plan one in between all of our friends' summer weddings. In the past few years it seems that there are summer weddings or engagement parties or bachelorette celebrations every other weekend. Everyone of them beautiful and unique. Makes me think that a wedding planner must be crazy creative and ridiculously busy!! Get ready Sarah...! (She's starting her own wedding planning company in DC in case anyone is looking for a fresh face with a WHOLE lot of creative talent).

I love hearing people's engagement stories because it makes me think back to my own engagement. What a special night that was. (Except for some reason on that night, no one but my mom decided to answer their phone!) Let's stroll down memory lane for a moment. This is based on my recollection, I'm sure he has a very different one. The Giant and I were down in the Outer Banks for the day strolling around, Sept 2nd 2007, the day after my big brother's birthday. We were in Manteo, which is on the sound side. Right before the sun was supposed to be setting, he suggested we go walk the beach, on the other side. Note: I did mention to him at this point that the sun sets on the west so maybe we should stay on the sound side to see the sunset. End note. But no, he wanted to walk on the beach since we hadn't done that yet during our day trip, so we did. Got to the beach. Parked the car. Started our mile walk down as the blue sky turned to beautiful bright pinks and oranges, to our west, behind the beach houses. We stopped at one point and sat on someone's pier for a few moments to rest. Decided maybe it was time to head back before the sun fully faded away. I climbed down the steps back onto the sand with him a few steps behind. I took a few steps and realized he wasn't beside me, so I turned around. And there he was. Getting down on one knee. I don't remember much of what crossed my mind at that moment or what actually came out of my mouth. Something like "Are you kidding me?" He had a whole speech prepared that he worked his way through. Again, I wish I remembered more of it. I wish I had been able to clear my head a little better to actually listen and appreciate the sweet things he had taken the time to prepare. But, dangit my mind was racing a million miles a minute. The sun was almost completely set at this point. He pulled out the box with my ring inside. I started to tear up. And I remember now that all I could say after my initially YES was "I can't see!" (from the sun already having set and no beach lights around and tears pouring down my face) to which he responded in a pitiful voice something like "Its big enough isn't it?!" LOL! Me and my ability to ruin any perfect moment... Luckily we had our camera and got a few fun quick in the moment shots, which remain my favorite to this day- despite my complete unpreparedness for something so memorable.

Us in Manteo during the day, standing in what became our wedding ceremony location! Me quite clueless to what was ahead at the time!


Notice the darkness. I was not exaggerating.

So this leads me to sharing about our latest and greatest news during the love season...

How could I have not shared this with you yet?! I have mentioned someone very dear to me several times named Susan that I refer to as my "crib twin" because we literally go as far back as my first Sunday in church just maybe a month old. We were put together in a crib and have been together ever since :). Of course we haven't actually lived in the same state since we were about seven years old, but that doesn't matter to us. Just a few short weeks ago, my dear friend Susan became engaged to her longtime boyfriend BJ who we adore! He is absolutely perfect for her and I could not have handpicked anyone better. I called this one since the first time I met him at our wedding, her birthday! He is such a special down to earth country boy who is also very lucky to be loved by such a down to earth love-overflowing girl. We could not be happier for these two, and I cannot wait to be a part of their wedding in October. He proposed early in the morning on top of a mountain while they were away at a wedding in Maine. I'm posting some of their pictures.

Ok, so this one is not from their engagement, but it is from our wedding bonfire. Its too stinkin' cute not to put up.

So, congratulations Susan and BJ!!! We love yall and can't wait!

Week 25 Blanketed in Projects

Happy 25th week to me!! Peapod is apparently celebrating by kicking a lot these past few days. She's making my belly jump, even to the point that the Giant can see. It startles him a little bit when my stomach jumps around like an alien's breaking through. She seems to be laying straight across my abdomen cause my sides are getting the brunt of the punches and kicks. Oh, and the fact that I am obviously wider than I am ... long? (which I would like to thank my cousin Heather for pointing out to me) You know what I mean. Apparently she has found more room wrapping herself around my stomach, leaving little room for me to eat (and enjoy). My theory only, no doctor confirmation here- yet. Next week I go in to hear her pretty little heart beat and confirm my theory. Man I want to see her again. Here's our weekly update from babycenter.com.

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

She weighs about this much. Have I ever actually held a rutabaga? What do you do with these things?! They do not look appetizing-fyi.
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So I've been a little uninspired the last few days. I've been trying to work on a few knitting projects. I get distracted so dang easily. I'm half way through a baby blanket that I started two months ago. No idea why my fingers won't work as fast as normal to get it done, but I will. One of these days- before baby gets here ideally.

This is my project so far. Looks easy, but don't be confused, its not. Somehow I think the bigger one piece projects are much easier than the projects with smaller pieces that get put together. I'm making the blanket in the picture, just with different colors. Can't wait until its done. After that, I've got a maroon and orange gown to start creating for my future little hokie bird! She does already have her hokie cheerleading outfit ready. Call it intuition!

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We got some news today I want to share that I haven't discussed too much on here yet except for a few little references here and there. We haven't had much new news on the Giant's Air force plans up until this point. We have been waiting for months to get word on his approvals. Long story short, Air Force has slowed down on its job assignments and recruiting availability which explains the hurdles hes had to jump just to wait. Every few weeks, we've been told we'd know something the next week, he'd be at his physical the next week, he'd be on a bus to Texas the next, etc etc. Frustrating. Well, today FINALLY we got good news from his recruiter. He has been fully cleared to head to his physical, then his special forces test, then go go. He is scheduled YES SCHEDULED to go to his two day MEPS physical in Richmond on the 22nd and 23rd. AS soon as he gets through that physical, he will then go to his PAST test which is the Physical Ability and Stamina Test (PAST) for Special Forces the following week. It is basically a mini timed triathlon and other various strength tests. Its exactly what he's been training so hard for. I have no doubt he will pass with flying colors. But, please pray for him over the next few weeks as he picks up his intense training. Protect his body and that there will be no more hurdles that stand in the way. We (I) can't take much more of this unknown. Patience is not one of my strong suits. I'm still working on it... So basically, this new news isn't a closed case, but it does get us one step closer to where we want to be. Its a step in the right direction!

24 Weeks

I'm a few days late on this but its hard to believe I'm already 24 weeks along. Here's a quick synopsis of what Peapod has been up to this past week from my weekly emails.

"Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts her at over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon start to plump up. Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help her air sacs inflate once she hits the outside world. Her skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon." Thank you babycenter.com.



She has been kicking all day long. I wonder what I've eaten that's given her so much energy?! Maybe she is just as excited about the weekend as I am. No big plans, just small relaxing plans.
Zzzz.
Knit knit knit.
Zzzz.
Winter time.
Knit knit.
Shopping.
Craft.
Knit.
Done.
That's my big plans so far.

I took new baby bump pics yesterday. Wanna see?





Yes I dared to take the bare belly picture...eek... TMI?! Even though I see it for myself everyday and don't think too much about it (most of the time...), seeing it in this picture sortof freaks me out!

Neat to see how I'm progressing though. I should be much better about taking weekly pictures, but I'm not. Sorry. I'll blame the Giant. He's the photographer... ;) Sorry Hubs.

Ok, that's all I've got for now.



Oh wait!! I'll leave you with this. On my way home today from work, I was driving on the interstate and saw something interesting. Caught in the corner of my eye, I saw a LARGE bird flying straight towards my car about 40 feet above. First thought, cool, he's huge! Second thought, hmm, that's a rather large fish in his mouth... as it flies almost directly above my car. Third thought, SPLAT!!!....GROSS!!! blood on my windshield! Final thought, PUKE! BLAH! *#$!@! GAG!!!!

It looked a little something like this...



...except over my car. (this is the image I got when I googled "bird flying with fish in mouth" or something like that...

Ok, NOW, that's all I've got for now...! Have a good weekend my friends!

Sincerely, Mrs. Wood

Well I did it. I finally did it. After 607 days of marriage, or 1 year and 8 months, I finally gave in. I am now officially a Wood. My name has been somewhat of a mystery this whole time as people haven't been sure what to call me (especially at work which ammuses me as my desk phone went from Molly Bailey to Molly Bailey Wood to Molly Woods to Molly B Wood)- so I waited, whatev. Awful, I know... that I waited this long I mean... not that my name brings on the constant joke of someone singing the "Welcome to Hollywood" song substituting Molly for Holly...not at all... its very clever...every time. Yes yes I waited almost two years to change my name. Not that I wasn't proud of the Wood name or my husband or being known as his wife. I was. I am. I just loved my name. I had it for 24 years, what was the harm in holding on to it a little while longer. And we were in situations where it wouldn't have been the best timing to change my name. I had plans. I had plans to wait until my career was a done deal and I was all set to go, all checks were done, and then I would change my name. But, then those career checks took longer than expected, much longer... and it got a little ridiculous... and the Giant started complaining... and so on and so on. I have a whole list of reasons I've been preparing for the last year and 8 months, but I'll keep those to myself- so its done. But shoot, its 2010!! The twenty first century!! I did NOT change it because I HAD to or because it was TRADITIONAL or "a good wife would do it"-grr. I did it because I wanted to. I fully support women that choose not to change their name. No feminism argument here or anything. But, I'm the last person who ever says anyone should have to change themselves or something they love about themselves for someone else. And no I'm not even a arguer that if men don't have to change their name, then why should women... blah blah.

OK, I'll get off my soapbox now about this.

The point. One of the biggest issues I've had with psychologically letting go of my name is my passport!!! My treasured, loved, and memory-drenched passport! Molly Wood didn't live in Turkey! Molly Bailey did! Molly Wood didn't spending Christmas Eve all by herself at a midnight mass in the oldest Catholic church in Vienna! Molly Bailey did! I've had the hardest time letting go of my passport. Why? I don't know. Not like I have plans or most importantly the resources to pick up and fly to Paris any time I want or hop a midnight train in Istanbul to Bulgaria. Not like I've needed my passport AT ALL in the last 20 months... but my passport has stories tied in to each stamp. I love those stories. A new passport- ugh- a blank slate- memoryless... (dramatic yet?). But seriously- its been an issue.

So I've been searching for ways to memorialize my little ticket to travel heaven. Skowering (spelling?) the internet for fun creative ways to keep the passport alive and allowing me to move on to a new one. I finally found what I've been looking for. HALLELUJAH! Closure! Now, I just need a room to do it in! I follow another blog called a Brooklyn Limestone in Progress, written by this ridiculously creative homeowner that shares all of her fun home remodeling and design ideas. I love her. Check out this post! Its like she read my mind. I'll show you just a few of her pictures of the finished project.





Do you love this as much as I do? I'm thinking on an even bigger scale!

Sincerely, Mrs. Wood