Two Weeks Down

Is it just me, or has this been the longest two weeks in all of history? Like seriously I've watched grass grow more quickly (or at least the dandelions that are taking over my backyard)... But two weeks down means we're two weeks closer to Mike being home so YAY! :)

Honestly, things haven't been that bad, but I am more thankful than ever for Lou because he gets me out of bed in the morning! The cats are perfectly content to snuggle upstairs with me all day, but the pup requires a bit more attention than that ;)

They certainly keep me on my toes!

I'd be lying if I said I've been super motivated, and I'm still trying to figure out a good daily routine, but this is also a weird time of year in Jacksonville. Sunny and 70 one day, pouring rain and 30 the next. All of the schools were closing this week because of the "icy rain" we were experiencing! It almost reminds me of home except we haven't seen any snow yet! But when we are lucky enough to have sunshine, I try to pass the time by spending it outside with Lou.

That usually means collecting as many sticks as he can fit in his mouth!

In happier news, I was lucky enough to spend last weekend with my dad! He came to visit for a couple days and even though we had crappy weather, we managed to pack his trip full of fun! We went to eat at Duck's and discovered an amazing Japanese take out place that delivers on base. We drank champagne and looked through tons of old photos. We played with Lou, went furniture shopping, and even road tripped up the coast for a few hours! My dad hadn't had a chance to make it out to Jacksonville until this trip and I was so thankful for his company :)

While he was here (and right before he arrived) I was able to check off a couple little things off that Household To-Do that I mentioned here. I hung up some shelves in our bedroom so I could give our toasting glasses a good home and get a bunch of picture frames up off the floor! I had also previously ordered a table/desk from Target after stacking up a couple different coupons and it was delivered the day before my dad left so not only did he help me put it together, he helped me find some gorgeous chairs to go with it! They were delivered last night and they are absolutely perfect for the space! As an added bonus, I can check off the third thing from my list in just a week's time. Talk about motivating! :)

Other than that I will be counting down the days until my next "milestone". I've found that choosing little things to look forward too each month helps to break up the deployment and make it move along a little faster! For March, it's the baby shower of our very dear friends, Michael and Monica Frazier, at the beginning of the month and then a visit from my mom and sister for my birthday at the end. For the baby shower I get to drive up to Virginia and pull an over nighter and maybe even sneak in a trip to Ikea ;) so that is definitely something to look forward to!

I also look forward to sweet puppy snuggles ;)

Finally, I just wanted to repeat something I posted a little while back... I will NOT be posting Mike's deployment address on any type of social media. Unfortunately it's just a huge safety issue for the Marines, and with all the news coverage lately of ISIS hacking spouse's accounts, it's just a risk I am not willing (or allowed) to take. That being said, I am happy to distribute the address to friends and family privately! E-mail me, text me, snail mail me, whatever works! I really appreciate everyones patience and understanding, and I know that Mike definitely does too :)