September 29, 2013 by Stephanie

Autumn on My Mind-Fall Date Night

“A Date With Autumn”

What would be the perfect date night you can only do in fall in your area? Are there go to places for couples?

Rules of the Link-up:

1. Do one entry or all! It’s up to you!

2. Add your entry’s link below, and be sure to put the button in your post!

3. If you do link up, check out a couple fellow bloggers to see something new.

4. Your hosts (Elizabeth and Stephanie) would love a following on Bloglovin, but it is not required! We are just glad you stopped by for “Autumn on My Mind!”

Ok so I didn’t exactly follow the prompt with an activity that you can only do in the fall. I just think it is better done during the fall because of the cooler weather and scenery.

We went horseback riding last week. I have not been since high school, so it was a little nerve-wracking when they gave me the horse that is usually skittish and likes to bite people. Awesome…

But Sue (mine) and Ranger (Tom’s) were our pals for our hour long ride. It was a fun afternoon doing something a little bit different. Although my legs were not happy with me for several days after. Sue made sure that I remembered her long after I got off.

There are riding stables here on base that provides trail rides every weekend from March until December. They also do carriage rides every Friday and advertise that as date night. Tom and I wanted to be part of the “action” instead of just sitting there, so we opted to actually ride and control the horses.

The stables are two minutes from our house, and I drive by them every day to work. I have been pining over the opportunity to ride.

It is $20 to ride, which is a little more than we spend on our average date nights. We did make a deal that once a month we would do something “bigger” and not just a dinner date night, so this fit the bill.

It was perfect weather since you really want to wear long pants and shirt when riding. We rode all through the back woods of base, which Tom continued to scout for deer tracks. (I have become a hunter’s wife…)

We stopped by the horse pasture on afternoon too. We got permission to go inside and get pretty close to the horses. This was so much fun to watch these beautiful animals up close.

What do you think they are thinking?

Do those people have food?

So pretty.

I love watching them gallop past us.

This guy was really curious about us.

Such a gorgeous horse, and really friendly.

And then he didn’t want anything to do with us once he realized that we didn’t have food.

I loved the patches on this one.

Dating is really important even when you are married. We try to do one thing each week to focus on our marriage and relationship. Each date is new adventure for us.

Just this week we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant for date night. Right beside us was an old couple on their date night. While Tom was in the little boys room, they leaned over and asked how the daiquiri was that I was drinking. They were thinking about switching over from the margaritas they were downing. This sparked up a conversation that just really made the night for me. They told me how they met after their first spouses had passed. The man told me that the woman was making him try new things and getting him out the door as they both giggled and winked at each other. Adorable. The man had been a medic in the Navy, and the woman had been an Army wife for 30 years. We ended up talking for awhile and had a sweet and endearing conversation. It was delightful. When Tom and I left, we were so touched by this couple.

Never stop dating. There are always new things to experience, and relationships to deepen. So whether it is dinner out or game night in, it is really important to make time for each other and your relationship.

So what do your date nights look like?

We hope to see you return on Thursday for your Fall Food Must! You can see the full schedule for our Autumn link up here.

September 28, 2013 by Stephanie

Coach to Cure MD

I never was one to put famous stars pictures on my wall growing up. I didn’t watch Carson Daily or read Seventeen magazine. It never made sense to me to get all up in arms for these stars.

That is until I started crushing on a football coach. I swoon over Dabo Sweeney. I am all about putting his picture on my wall. He is my version of JT or Nick Lachey.

It is no secret that I am in love with Dabo Sweeney, and I get made fun of all the time for it. Whatevs. It may be a little odd, but I seriously love Dabo. I squealed like a teenage girl the TWO times I have met him (hugged him).

I practically jumped over tables to get to him for this picture.

I was shaking uncontrollably after this picture I was so nervous and thrilled since this was the first time I met him.

He started his career as head coach at Clemson during my first year in grad school. So it was fun to be there for his career rise. I think that he is a great person/coach from the few speeches I have been privileged to hear in person. And then just watching a couple, (several dozen), ESPN/YouTube clips with his compassion and coaching philosophy, how can you just not fall deeper in love with him? The obsession only rises each week.

Today, Dabo and Clemson, along with 624 other schools, are participating in Coach to Cure MD. You will see them wearing these patches today.

I have talked about Duchenne a few times with the story of T.J. (here and here). It is so great to see so many rallying around these kids to find a way to help them have stronger and longer lives. I was unfamiliar with this until heard T.J.’s story, so I know that many others are unaware of Duchenne. So the more awareness and support the better!

Here are a few inspirational stories.

Coach to Cure MD

T.J.

I am still in the process of fundraising for PPMD. My goal is to raise $900 by my next half marathon on Oct 19th. Please consider joining me and hundreds of coaches around the country today to Tackle Duchenne. Here is my personal fundraising page, and all donations go directly to PPMD and are tax deductible. Any amount is appreciated by me and the families experiencing Duchenne every day.

I hope you all are having a great Saturday watching your team of choice. Although, I wish I was there, I am enjoying the Clemson homecoming game!

September 26, 2013 by Stephanie

Autumn on my Mind-Fall Fashion

“Fall Fashion Trends”

Do you have go to styles that you wear only during fall months? Share your favorite styles and help inspire all of us to be more creative with our fall attire and what we have in our closets.

Rules of the Link-up:

1. Do one entry or all! It’s up to you!

2. Add your entry’s link below, and be sure to put the button in your post!

3. If you do link up, check out a couple fellow bloggers to see something new.

4. Your hosts (Elizabeth and Stephanie) would love a following on Bloglovin, but it is not required! We are just glad you stopped by for “Autumn on My Mind!”

Here is my “gift” to the fashion world.

I have never really considered myself a fashionista. I do like to color coordinate and mix and match different hues, so sometimes my outfits seem experimental with the pairing. I would like to think that I pull it off though! A lot of this comes while growing up we didn’t shop for clothes very often, so I had to be creative with swapping around articles of clothing to “make” new outfits. And it has just kind of grown up with me into my adult wardrobe. (Although, I will admit that I shop a little bit more these days with online shopping at my fingertips. Thank you Modcloth. and Shopruche)

And one thing that can spice up any outfit like new are scarves. Yes for fall! Although, I have been wearing them all summer because my office is like an ice cube, and these make nice office blankets. Now I just don’t look like an oddball walking into work.

I have scarves from all over. Tom even got me a few from Afghanistan! I have around 25 different ones that I have collected over the years, mostly getting them at markets or on the fall sales. Very rarely did I pay over 5 dollars for one of these. This handy hanger (from IKEA) makes choosing one to wear easier, or harder since I can see them all, and love them all.

This is my newest scarf found at Walmart for 6 bucks!

These are some other fall favorites from my closet that I wore in the last week.

Yellow and blue were our wedding colors, and some how I find myself in this color combo quite a bit. It’s even better with the boots!

This shirt has elephants on it, favorite! I love that cranberry red is everywhere in the fall. It has much more of a romantic feel to it than regular primary red.

Crosby really wanted to be part of the photo shoot.

I love this shirt because it encompasses all the colors of fall in one cute whimsical top. And it has a scarf attached!

I am not the best model because I am not sure how to pose myself. Anywho, I love this casual outfit, and the fact that my shoes match my scarf!

I just love everything about this outfit. I probably have about as many cardigans that I have scarves, and I love them equally as much.

So there you have it. A little piece of my wardrobe documented for you!

We hope to see you return on Thursday for your Fall Date Night! You can see the full schedule for our Autumn link up here.

Check out my lovely partner!

September 23, 2013 by Stephanie

Whoa Baby!

Let me first clarify, we are not pregnant. This is not an announcement of a baby in the oven.

I assure you there will be something much more creative to announce the birth of our first child.

After you get married, everyone seems to want to know when babies are coming, especially since we are the last in our families to have children. It seems like every day there is someone else online who is bringing a new life in this world. We are just at that age. So naturally people want to know when we will have our baby. (PS. What you are really saying is-So are you all having a lot of sex?)

I have resisted writing this to keep some semblance of privacy when it comes to our baby plans , but felt compelled when I saw the link up with Ashley today to address the topic of family planning with the military. Maybe it will squelch some of the never ending questions on when little W will be coming into the world and how the military factors in. That seems to be question number two for everyone after the “We want Baby Ws” comment.

Tom and I have been married for a little over two years. Out of the 27 months we have been married, we have only lived under the same roof for 13 months, and not consecutively.

Because of our distance relationship many people told us that we should just put baby plans on hold so we can get to know each other again. This is the only time in our lives that it will just be the two of us, and we shouldn’t rush into having kids just yet.

Well that sounds great in theory.

Here is our reality.

We have been together for 6 years.

We are 28.

We are part of the United States Military.

I am not sure if you were aware of baby making, but it is slightly unpredictable and can take a long time (at least 9 months) for that little bugger to introduce themselves.

And the Army can change it’s mind every other day on what they want to do with you. So making any kind of plan is hard, let alone one that has to simmer for approximately 9 months.

So because of that, we have had to adjust our timeline. Actually, we needed to accept reality and change our perspective with the timeline. It just cannot look like I have always dreamed, but that is how most of life goes. We have been seriously talking about babies since Christmas of last year. It was during Tom’s deployment that we decided that when he came home it was time for us to start considering our first child.

We are financially stable, even if my job hadn’t of panned out as it did. Because of the benefits we receive, our savings, and no debt situation, this really wasn’t a huge concern.

We are at a good age to start that chapter of our life. Our life is good and awesome.

When you are in the military there are a lot more things to consider though. There is a huge chance that I would have to either be pregnant alone or have to tackle the baby’s first year alone.

Not really the list you want to be choosing from as a first time parent.

And there is no way to guarantee that it wont happen that way. It’s just part of the life.

We talked extensively about what it means for us and what we would do in any situation. Contingency plans for the contingency plans. And we honestly started talking about these plans when Tom enlisted to begin with since at that time he was considering making the Army is career.

Yea maybe we haven’t had as much time “together together” as other couples who are starting to have babies.

But let’s get real.

I cannot get pregnant while Tom is deployed.

And that is what it comes down to. We have to be together to conceive that baby.

So we have to make the most of the months that we have together.

That is really what our planning has come down to. Would we ideally like to have a baby before the next deployment? Well yes, but there is no way to guarantee that. Ideally we would like a lot of things that are not an option in the Army lifestyle. We don’t have the luxury of time. So ideally, we have to deal with the time we are fortunate to have.

Whoa baby.

I have really struggled with this “time” acceptance more than Tom, which is probably why I have hesitated talking about this much. I have quickly changed the subject when people ask and skirt around our plans. There are a lot of personal issues that go into this, which is one reason why I decided to be open about the fact that we are trying to have a baby. To be frank, I would like for it to happen sooner than later, for the obvious reason that I want my partner to be here with me for this. It is our first child, and you only get to do that once. It kills me to think of doing that alone, and it kills me that he would miss precious moments of our child’s life.

I have felt that pressure of our time and wanting to know that it is going to become a reality. You know that inner clock they talk about with motherhood? Well I think baby fever goes on high alert even more when you are in the military and you have to get that bun in the oven with precise timing. Did I mention that pregnancies, while there is a science to it, there really is no way to ensure that this time will be the time? So for this perfectionist who always runs on time with her plans, this has been super stressful to try to figure out within the Army time constraints. Thank you Army, for another lesson in patience.

I have also wrestled with the reality of what if we don’t have kids and something happens to Tom. How do you move on from that? I have wanted to be a mom for as long as I understood what that meant. I have wanted to have Tom’s kid since we first said I love you. What if we can’t get pregnant before the deployment day? I don’t sit long on this one for obvious reasons.

Why don’t we just wait until after the Army you say?

We could realistically do that. We will be 30 when his enlistment is up. We will be back closer to family. Seems like a good idea right?

But that doesn’t seem right to waste the moments we have now. It doesn’t seem right to put our life on hold because the Army makes things more difficult. That is no way to live. You would spoil your life worrying about all the worst case scenarios and waiting for life to be “perfect.”

The truth is we are ready to be parents. We have put a lot of other things on hold during our relationship, and we are ready to put this plan up on the table God willing.

There are also benefits of having a baby while we are still in the Army. If we go to the base hospital, all the medical care is free. When Tom is stateside, there is a lot of leeway with helping with appointments and childcare necessities (at least with his unit we have seen this). When he on his business trips, I have a community of spouses that are also in the same boat who can be a support network who can be go to people in times of crisis or when I just need advice. I am also in a situation with a job that can allow for some flexibility if needed, plus it is a military friendly university with various offices that I could call on, let alone the colleagues that I know I could ask for help from.

So our decision to just go for it comes with a lot of thought and some planning…and a whole lot of crying, laughing, praying and dreaming…

The truth of it is though you cannot really plan for a pregnancy, and doing so in the military is really no different. As with most things in life, there comes a lot of uncertainty. And no matter how much I try, some things just cannot be planned. You set yourself[bodies/health] up for the best situation, and just start trying and hope for the best. There is a lot of patience when you have made that decision because there is a dump-truck load of anxiety that comes with deciding to have a military child. If you get caught up in all the what ifs of the military you will make yourself sick like I have on many occasions. (Tom is seriously the most patient husband to deal with my sometimes delusional expectations.)

What we did was just decide if we were ready to take care of another human being as our own and with the different scenarios would we be able to handle it. We are just ready to have a baby. It is as simple as that. We will figure out everything else as is comes, which is what ALL parents have to do. The timing will be perfect whenever it happens.

Tom has to accept that he may miss things. And I have to accept that I may be alone for things.

But really we just need to accept that this will change our life forever. And are we ready for that?

Whoa baby, let’s have a baby!

Just not today…

September 21, 2013 by Stephanie

Autumn on my Mind-Autumn Outside Activities

Who is ready for another fun fall inspired link-up?

“Autumn Activities Outside”

There are so many outside activities that are associated with this time of the year. We have hay rides, pumpkin patches, apple picking and so much more. What are activities that you are doing this year in your neck of the woods? Or what is your favorite fall outside funtivities?

Rules of the Link-up:

1. Do one entry or all! It’s up to you!

2. Add your entry’s link below, and be sure to put the button in your post!

3. If you do link up, check out a couple fellow bloggers to see something new.

4. Your hosts (Elizabeth and Stephanie) would love a following on Bloglovin, but it is not required! We are just glad you stopped by for “Autumn on My Mind!”

I tend to drag Tom along to many different events for the sake of fun. This fall funtivity was no different.

Clarksville has a weekend festival every fall that usually is around Labor Day weekend. Last year the event was the weekend before Tom was deployed, and we went for the evening music scene. It was jam packed so I wanted to see a different part of it this year and avoid the crowds.

Rf Map

We got up early on Saturday to see the Riverfest Regatta.

This is an event where groups enter their boats that are made purely out of recycled materials. They have several different prizes for the design and costumes the teams are wearing, plus the winners of the racing part. Cool right?

It was super fun to watch and see the creativity. We also saw a few sink despite their best efforts.

This helicopter was the sweetest make up in my opinion. Too bad it didn’t last long.

Since we were there, we had to check out some of the festival food stands. It was super hot that day so I couldn’t pass up the fresh lemonade!

This is a great event in this area. It is located in a gorgeous area of town right on the river, which I love. It spans two days with a variety of things to do for all groups of people. And going to the event is free. Each year we only paid for the food we consumed, so you really cannot pass up an event like this. Good time had by all as soon as Tom got over that I dragged him out of bed for it.