Surprise Getaway To New Braunfels

Parker's birthday was this June, and he has been talking for months about how much he wanted to take a trip just the two of us. I never felt comfortable leaving Preston during his first year, but now that he is a little bit older, I knew it was time to take that leap and get away with the husband. Yall, I am so glad I did!

I surprised Parker with a trip to New Braunfels, TX for his birthday weekend. My mom was there when he got home from work, and I told him to pack his bags and that she would be staying with our little guy for the weekend. I've never seen a husband pack so quickly! ;)

We left Friday afternoon and got into New Braunfels in time for a late dinner at the Gristmill, a famous restaurant that seats something like 1,000 people. And we still had a 40 minute wait... needless to say, it's a popular place! We enjoyed a margarita and an adult conversation, which if you're a parent, you know that's the dream.

My original plan for Saturday was to float the Guadalupe river, but Parker decided he wanted to do Schlitterbahn instead. It turned out to be such a good decision. Schlitterbahn is a giant water park that is just pure fun, and we were laughing and enjoying rides/the water/each other the entire time. I think floating the river is a little more fun in a big group, so Schlitterbahn was perfect for the two of us.

Our phones were in lockers most of the day, so I didn't get many pictures, but we basically spent the day going on rides and floating the lazy river. The rides were a blast and perfect for someone like me that likes a little fun but isn't a thrill seeker. We both loved the lazy river the most though!

I kept smelling and seeing funnel cakes, so when on vacation, YOLO or whatever it is the kids are saying these days. This was some sort of cookie monster funnel cake. Whatever it was, it was sinfully delicious... and huge!

We took one look at this and knew we wouldn't be able to even eat half of it. And then, this happened.

I legitimately do not know how we finished that. We just looked down, and it was gone. We must have blacked out from heat exhaustion or something. ;)

We did our favorite date night (dinner and a movie) Saturday night at the Alamo Drafthouse. We saw Deadpool 2, which was entertaining but not as good as the first one.

Sunday morning, we woke up and headed back home to spend a couple of hours with my mom before she had to head home. It was the perfect weekend to recharge and get back to us. It was also a great reminder that before the 7 AM Saturdays and chicken nugget lunches and Moana on TV, there was us. I absolutely love this stage of life with our sweet baby, but it was so nice to get back to "us" again.

How Having A Baby Changed My Perspective On Military Life

Well another month has come and gone, but I was inspired to come back to this little space to write about a topic I've been wrestling over in my mind these last few weeks and months: babies and the military

If you guys have read this blog long, you know that I love Navy life and think there are so many positives to this wonderful adventure if you're willing to see them. I also love being a mom more than anything, and family is a big deal to me. 

Before we had our son, I felt like I was a pretty good Navy wife in a sense that I loved the adventure. I loved moving and living in different places and meeting all sorts of people. Don't get me wrong, I still love all of that so much, but when I had a baby, things changed. Priorities shifted. I grew up in the same town as my grandparents, aunt, uncle, cousins, etc. We were always together, and I loved every minute of it. Naturally, that's what I wanted for my family one day too. 

Obviously, the military doesn't allow us to live in the same city as our families and raise our kids with grandparents and cousins right down the street. That dream and this Navy dream can't co-exist, and coming to that realization has been hard for me. 

As with everything, it came down to outlook, and I had a decision to make. I could be sad that my son isn't growing up 5 minutes from his cousin, but that isn't going to change anything. Or, I could be grateful for Facetime and the Navy stationing us in the same state for the next couple of years (whoop whoop!). Having a baby did change my perspective on military life a little bit. It made me realize all the more the sacrifice of living away from family. I think these things are magnified when kids come into the picture, because every Sunday afternoon dinner or Easter Sunday or family BBQ we miss takes a toll on me. But then again, today I Facetimed two girls that became some of my best friends in Virginia, and I would have never known them had it not been for the Navy.

There is always give and take. Our son isn't going to live in the same city as our families for a long time, but this is where God has us right now, so I will rejoice and be glad in that. Having a baby makes me long for home more than ever, but right now, we are living and still loving military life, and I really believe that is where we are supposed to be. 

(Throwback to this tiny little military baby that somehow turned into a stumbling little toddler overnight!)