It's Been Real, Summer 2014

I know we still have a few more weeks before Fall officially begins, but it has made its debut in my mind. I've already made a batch of pumpkin bread for the neighbors and pumpkin muffins for us to munch on, and I am browsing my Fall Pinterest boards for anything having to do with pumpkins or apples. There is something sort of magical about Fall, so I am happy to kiss the summer goodbye. Looking back though, it's been a pretty darn good summer. I feel like so much has happened in such a short amount of time, so I thought I would highlight some of our favorite memories from summer 2014.

Let's see here. We kicked summer off with a little kayaking in our Corpus Christi backyard. Gah, take me back! We loved that place and miss it daily. Despite Parker's phone disappearing into the deep blue, kayaking was a blast and the perfect activity to kick summer into high gear. 

My family came into town for what was supposed to be Parker's winging, but the Navy had different plans. They usually do, I'm finding out. We took the weekend as a gift to spend time with my family, and that's exactly what it was. Padre Island (right outside of Corpus Christi) is the beach my family took annual vacations to growing up, so having everyone there was nostalgia overload. We got our beach fix too!

Twin sister and me reliving the golden years

And then of course, it was finally time for the winging! That day was easily the highlight of the summer. Seeing Parker earn those wings and pinning them on his chest is something I hope I never forget. It was such a perfect day to get to celebrate his accomplishment. We also got to spend time with Parker's family that weekend. It was our last weekend in Corpus Christi, TX, and it sure was a good one.

And then, life happened in overdrive. Parker and I moved to Virginia, signed a lease on the first house we saw, and he immediately went to SERE school. I then flew back to Texas to be there for the movers and drove with my mom back to Virginia. This all happened in a matter of a couple of weeks. Talk about nuts. Road tripping with my mom was so. much. fun. We had a blast, and I would happily drive 22 hours with her any day of the week. Mother-daughter bonding at its finest! She stayed in Virginia for a few days to explore the city with me and keep me sane while Parker was going through the SERE stuff. 

We celebrated 3 years of marriage... apart. That's military life for you! Being married to this handsome guy is basically the best. Three years down, forever to go!

Parker returned from SERE, and we began our new lives in our new state. The movers lost and damaged our household goods, so we escaped the stress by watching the fireworks on Virginia Beach. They put on quite the show! I remember being so thrown off by how cold we were. Cold in July, what?! We aren't in Texas anymore, Toto.

Life took a big turn when Darla came back to live with us. We rescued her in Pensacola and are now watching her while her mom is away serving our country. She's such a sweet pup, but if I'm being perfectly honest, she has been a huge adjustment. I was so used to life with just Parker and Jenny, so my world was kind of rocked when we added Darla to the mix. She has, and still is, teaching me patience. A lot of patience. She's so sweet though, and we have learned her quirks and adapted into a new family of four.

Jenny is such a good big sister

We took a little trip to Colonial Williamsburg to celebrate our anniversary, and it was just what the doctor ordered. A weekend of uninterrupted togetherness is pretty fantastic these days, and Williamsburg has so much neat history.

We found out Parker is going to fly the... C-2! He got his first choice, and we are both still over the moon about it!

For the first time, we have a guest bedroom in our home. Parker did such a great job building the bed, and we loved getting to decorate the new space. 

One of my all-time favorite moments this summer of my life was getting to surprise my twin sister at her graduation from nursing school. I flew into Texas, and she had no idea. She cried, I cried... it was perfect. Another top moment of my life that I will remember forever.

Last but definitely not least, we hosted some of my family in our new home in Virginia! We loved showing them around the base, visiting Williamsburg and doing some damage at the outlet malls, and eating all the food in Norfolk. Seriously, I think we ate it all.

Good grief Charlie Brown. If you made it through that, you are a trooper. We had one eventful summer. I want to remember it all! Life's an adventure, and I'm loving this stage of it.