Let's hear it for the boy!

  No but really, let's give MY MAN a hand!! After 5 very very long weeks (and almost 6 years of service over all) for Bryce, he finally graduated Airman Leadership School and picked up Ssgt.! Not only did he graduate, but he graduated and won the award for distinguished graduate, which is a pretty big deal. Don't get me wrong when I say this. I am ALWAYS very proud of Bryce and how much he's willingly taken on in his life and how much he's endured and rose above; I was an exceptionally proud wife when I watched him receive his award and diploma though. He really worked his butt off every single day that he was in that class and it really paid off for him. We had a blast at his graduation ceremony with our friends and his colleagues and MAN did he look handsome in those blues. That's one thing about ALS that I'm going to miss, blues Mondays. Maybe I can talk him into just wearing them around the house for me or something. Bryce actually picked up Staff Sergeant on Friday since he was supposed to pick up in January, but couldn't due to him being deployed. Today was his first day back to work since and he came home from work and said how weird it is to have people calling him "Sergeant" and "Sir", which I totally understand. The idea of having Bryce be somebody's boss makes me giggle a lot when I think about it. . . He plays with lightsabers and owns a Golden Tee game.... come on now people. I did tell him he should get used to, especially since it's his dream to go officer after this and he's one step closer. No matter what he does, I'm extremely proud of my man meat and I wanted y'all to share that with me, because you're my people and I figured you're allowed to be proud with me.

I was the luckiest lady in the room, no doubt.

  Aside from Bryce's exciting news, we've just been spending a lot of time with the girls before they left for Florida for 2 weeks. Yesterday we dropped them off and that was NOT an easy task for me. I have no idea how to be without my kids, which is sad and funny at the same time. I woke up this morning to a completely silent house and in that moment I realized that being a mom is the best job I could ever ask for, no matter how hard it is from time to time. I missed the noise, I missed having to make a million pancakes and I even missed our early morning Super Why! cuddles on the couch. Naturally I called my mom as soon as it was an acceptable hour (I deemed 8 am as acceptable) and she reassured me that they are just fine and are having a blast road tripping with Nanny and aunt Kaity. I know Lily is more than anxious to make it to Nanny's house and get in "Nanny's HUGE pool" as she refers to is and spend some time at the beach with her aunts and sissy. I know I can't wait to get down there and spend time with my family and their bar in the back yard.  SPEAKING OF AUNT KAITY! My little sister graduated from high school yesterday!!!! I could not have been more proud if I tried. Unfortunately we missed the graduation, but I got to stop by her graduation party and give her a gift and as many hugs as acceptable. I feel like it was yesterday that she was following me everywhere and tattling on me and now she's all grown up and off in to the big world. It's so crazy to think that not long from now, my other little sisters will be on their way to graduation and all grown up too. I hate even thinking about that. I want them to be little girls that worship the ground their big sister walks on forever. OH MAN then my kids will be graduation and too cool for me too... EVERYONE NEEDS TO JUST STOP GROWING UP OKAY!?! I CAN'T TAKE THIS!!! *cries* *done crying*

the girls in their new elephant pool and adorable matching
suits!

  I know this wasn't very long, I just wanted to share the good news of my favorite graduates and my little loves. I'm off to do some cleaning and maybe napping, because I can do that now that the only things I have to care for are Winston and our NEWST ADDITION CHARLIE!!!! That's right, we got a blue tick coon hound and I love his droopy little face and long ears more than anything else. Not to mention, he's one heck of a smart dog. He already whines at the door to be let out. I'm a pretty blessed fur baby owner. OH! and he loves his sisters, like a lot. Now if only they'd take his puppy playing as him loving them rather than thinking he's trying to eat their souls, all would be well.

Charles Xavier Mande

  Y'all have a good day now! I'm sure I'll be back several times this week with date night stories and complaining about missing my baby girls.

-Amanda

You'll always be my little girl.

  I don't know why it's taken me so long to realize that my oldest baby girl is actually growing up, but the past few days have been a real eye opener to the obvious. Lily is going to be five. Lily is going to start Kindergarten on August 19, 2013. Lily isn't such a little baby any more and she's turning into my little girl. This afternoon I got lily's pre-k graduation pictures (white cap and gown included, thanks Goddard, once again holding it down.... you rock and I don't think I'll ever be able to say it enough!)

Hello senior yearbook embarrassingly cute
picture!

and I think that a combination of that closure to this chapter of her life and the registering her of Kindergarten, which will open a new chapter, just really freaked me out. It dawned on me that I'm contributing to the upbringing of the next generation of women. I am responsible for the outcome of two little girls and what their future paths might hold. I don't know why I never thought of it before or why it's hitting me now when it's always been right in front of me, but it did and I'm not sure I'm processing it in the best ways possible. It really kind of makes me want to cry honestly. It's not just Lily growing up, it's Emory too. Bryce pointed out tonight that soon, we're going to be out of the diaper phase and into the terrible twos stage. I wonder if this is something all moms go through or if this is just me and my over active mind being over active again. Which it most likely is. *le sigh* Slow down Lily, you have your whole life to grow up, stay my sweet and sassy little princess for a while, mommy likes you this way.
  The past few days have been kind of mundane and honestly not a lot has been going on. I hate using this thing as basically a public diary, because if you follow me on Facebook..... you already know all of this stuff and nobody needs to know it twice. I did get to attend a pretty sweet ice cream social that Lily's amazeballs school held today. I thought it was going to be just the teachers dishing out ice cream for us, I was wrong. They legit hired a company to come in a server ice cream, toppings and all, to us... for no other reason than they felt like doing it. Have I mentioned I'm going to miss her school? Not that I'll have to miss it for long, because I'm about 99% sure we're sending Emory there as well. I think she'd like that and I think I'd like it too, hello mommy free time! We have a whole bunch of nothing planned for this weekend actually and I'm really looking forward to it. I might try and squeeze in a massage since my awesome husband came home with a free hour long massage voucher from when he volunteered for the MS walk the other day. Have I mentioned I love that man? because I do. He's the bee's knees y'all.
  Lately I've been doing a lot of blog thinking, like what I can do to improve it, I mean... I've had it for about two years now and haven't changed it up much. I kind of want to reach out on a more personal basis to other milsos (military spouses). I know that we can all use a heap of support from time to time and having new ideas regarding care packages, deployment sign ideas and what not is always a good form of support and can really take a burden off of some of us when we need it most. Let me tell you, I became the care package queen while Bryce was away and if I can do anything to help somebody with ideas, you bet your sweet ass I will, because if you put as much time, effort, love and blood into those things as I did.... it can be exhausting. Worth it, but exhausting. I think I might make a DIY/Crafty section as well, because I get a lot of "HOW IN THE HELL AMANDA!?!" when I make things and well, honestly I like to share my crafty knowledge, because I know how awesome it feels when you finish something and you're like, "Yeah bro, I made that this. COME AT ME POTTERY BARN! AINT NOBODY GOT TIME FOR YOU!" So there's that and I can't wait to revamp this bad boy, i need a change and to stop talking about me so much.... (says the girl that named her blog the Amanda Show...), because I'm kind of boring. NO SHAME IN MY GAME Y'ALL!

I was gonna put one up of the goodies, but I wanted to show
how awesome the spider webs looked! He loved it
and so did the rest of his shop haha

  Alright, it's much later than when I originally started this post, like 5 hours later. Now that dinner time and bed time are accomplished for the littlest Mande ladies, it's time for this Mande lady to wake up her over studied grandpa of a husband and get him into bed. Here's to hoping tomorrow is as relaxing as today was. Sleep well blogger world, I know that for once I will.

Night Y'all!

<3

-Amanda

Weekend warrior!

  It's Monday and let me tell you that after this weekend, I'm totally welcoming this bad boy with opened arms. I think the last time I blogged was Wednesday and since then a whole lot of crazy has happened. By crazy I of course mean a lot of fun (and some not so fun), but mostly crazy awesome fun... naturally. This is my and my crazy life we're talking about here.
  I had the honor of attending my very first Pinterest party last week! It was A LOT of fun to be around the other wives, just enjoying each other's company and getting to know on another on a more personal basis. The awesome crafts and delicious pinterest inspired food/drinks didn't hurt either. I actually wound up making an absolutely ADORABLE twine and felt flower wreath for the front door.

Cute, right!? Right!

Not to mention, three other wives have husband's in ALS with Bryce and we all made plans to go dress shopping for their graduation! Can I get a woot? How about two woots? K thanks. My friends Ayshia also tasked me with making a head band to match her little girls flower girl dress for a wedding that she was in this weekend and it came out SOOOO much better than I thought it was going to, especially since it was my first flower head band. All in all the party was a great start to the week.
  Usually I leave the yard mowing and weeding eating to Bryce, not this week. This week I had an extra surge of energy and decided to help out my man meat and take the yard into my own hands. We have an old school manual lawn mower, no engine on it (Bryce says its better for the grass and I love me some pretty grass... #grownupproblems) Who else just laughed at me calling myself a grown up? Good, you should have. The whole having no engine thing makes it a little difficult to mow, but it also made for one great workout in the sun and to be honest, I'm looking a lot like Casper, so the sun was much needed. Blah blah blah, i mowed the yard, moved the 6 million yard toys that we have, weeded the yard and called it a day. I then hopped in the shower and when I got out, what did I discover? I discovered the Prairies outside mowing my front lawn and running the mower/weed eating my back yard. -_- Bryce forgot to tell them that he's home from deployment so they're still doing my yard work for me. Usually I'd be really pumped about having their awesome services, that day, I just laughed... and really hard. Go figure the one time I trust myself to mow the yard and NOT take any body parts off in the process, somebody else would come do it for me. Oh life, life you are so funny. Thanks life.

It looked so amazing and apparently the Bride loved it!

  My Friday started out bright and early with none other than a... DUN DUN DUN.... puking Emory. She woke up at about 3 am throwing up and it was all mostly down hill from there. I camped out on the floor next to her bed so that when I heard her about to get sick I could catch it in a puke bowl (....oh puke bowls) and all in all it was a miserable 6 hours. After a solid nap and lots of water, she was back to her normal self. You know... trying to ride the dog, bugging her big sister and running from room to room calling for her daddy. Even after almost 5 years of being a mom and 18 of being a big sister, I can't stand when little kids are sick. It makes me feel so helpless, but my girls make it a little easier on me by reassuring me that they're okay even while they're sick.
  Let's see, what else? OH! On Saturday the family and I (after Bryce got back from volunteering at an MS walk that morning... he's kind of awesome) went to my friend Madeline's house for a Bunco/Girls night and let me tell you blog readers, these crazy women that I have the privilege of calling friends are something else! Maddie's awesome husband grandpa Ray played bartender for the night and made us one hell of a drink called a "Sex on the Driveway" and I'm pretty sure it was concocted to make sure that a night of drinking those would wind up in just that way. Quite a few jell-o shots later and A LOT of laughs had, my whole body hurt from laughing. The next day it felt like I had done 6,000 sit ups and my face was sore from smiling. All in all, no Bunco got played, but that's okay. I wouldn't have changed anything about it. Bryce was really awesome that night too, he played babysitter to all of the kids in the basement and everyone was pretty impressed with him, including me. I don't know what I did to deserve somebody as awesome as him, but I'm really glad that I did. NOW, I'm just ready for the next "bunco" night and hopefully Madeline brings the jell-o shots again!

We're an elite bunch, we are. 

  Alright y'all I'm verging on this being a mini novel and there's a treadmill in my garage calling my name. 3 miles won't run itself and June 1st and that Dirty Girl Mud run is right around the corner! Our team is making our shirts now and bless my southern little heart, they're too precious!

  Here's to hoping this week is as eventful and goes as fast and last week did!
  Have an excellent day y'all!!

-Amanda

p.s.
  I'm starting to finally see some results in the working out area and let me say, it feels really good too :)

This just reminded me that I need toilet paper.

Wordless Wednesday

Some kids sleep with stuffed animals, mine sleeps with a book. Oh and Winston and his daddy being cute.

G'night y'all <3

-Amanda

Transformation Tuesday!

Nothing better to blog about :p so look how I evolved into an amandasaurus!

Night y'all!!

-Amanda <33

No rest for the wicked

Today I kicked Monday's ass, sadly I don't have time to really tell you about it. Instead, I'm going to leave you with some pictures of Lily's first dance recital (talk about precious!), of our daily shenanigans that included weeding my flower bed to prep it for flowers *sqqqquuuueeeeeaaaallllll*, some of my new dining room/kitchen decorations and of Emory falling asleep on her daddy YET again (talk about daddy's little girl). You're pumped I'm sure, who wouldn't be?! :p

Before I sign off of here, I'd like to say that Boston, it's residents and any/everyone effected either emotionally or physically are in my thoughts tonight. Remember, bad things happen, make sure you're the good in the world, the light that others may need in their time of dark. Today was awful beyond words and a true tragedy to our country, but we will prevail. We always do.

'Merica!!

God bless and goodnight y'all.

-Amanda

Back to the real world

Tonight is our last night together before B starts his 5 weeks long ALS journey. I'm totally pumped for him to be moving forward in his career, but couldn't he at least keep his super gnarly beard?! Damn you Air Force!

That is all.
G'night y'all.

-Amanda