ducks...

Debbie and I went down to feed the ducks in the pond/drainage runoff down the street from her house. In watching them I had a realization....these runoff things they put in developments always end up being a place for the nature to try to come back. I'm sure those living next to this runoff area put up privacy fences because they don't want to look at these "areas" but... in this nature comes a certain sense of beauty. I remember as a kid jumping the fences and trying to fish and catching "hoptoads" in a bucket with a flashlight... whoever found the biggest one was the winner for the night, and then we would let them all free. Sometimes it seemed like that was the greatest entertainment you'd ever need... and I mean really, who needs tv when you have Hoptoads?''

the quality of the video has to be small to fit on here.. sorry... guess it's time to get a youtube page!

Some things never really change.

So, I was able to scan in some photos of me as a child that I'm going to hang in the baby's room next to her Daddy's pictures.. I'm pretty excited about them getting printed.

In looking through the photos I was able to realize a few things... no matter what, I'm always talking with my hands and smiling... And in pretty much all of the photos I look the same...

the best experience of my life...

So, sometimes, you can plan things to go the way you want, but they may not ever end up going the right way and even if they do.. yes, they may be a great experience or a great day. Well, if you would have asked me on Wednesday what Thursday would bring.. I could have told you absolutely none of this...

really this event was indescribable... I watched as a friend of mine gave birth.. Hardly knowing Adrianne, she asked me to be present for her baby girl's birth because our husbands are deployed together and she didn't have any family here.. well, it was the best surprise experience i have ever had. Yes, I spent 14 of her 24 hour labor curled up in a hard uncomfortable chair, ewalking the halls when i got antsy and trying to keep myself from being edgy because I'm pregnant and had a horrible headcold that was finally letting up. So, I spent long hours being very extremely uncomfortable... but, at the end of the day.... it was totally worth every second... wow.... I neevr thought in a million years that I would say that... I love kids.. I know I will be a great mom... but I hate babies.. always have.. they freak me out.. I feel like they look like aliens and I can never tell what they want when they cry and scream. Yes, I'm the one who loves the terrible twos... give me a running around child with a temper and I'm happy... a little football baby, scares the crap outta me!! But.. I guess now that i'm a little older, pregnant, and about hte have my own football, it's finally switched around... So, here she is... Baby "no-name" Hubbard! She should have a name in a few days, and I plan on photographing her next week!!! YAY!

Katie Arms.... how I missed you.

Ever have those people in your life that you meet and then you move and it seems like after you move or quit a job or something like that that you grow fonder of the person? I have some people that I hated working with and then found out as a firend they were great people... this wasn't the case with Katie... I loved working with her but because she bartended and I was only serving in Charleston we never really had time to hang out. But, once we started talking about music and band shows.....that's when we completely hit it off... but then soon after I moved away and it was a little sad... but...

Katie takes lots of road trips to see bands play... some may call her a groupie... but, i call it fun!
She will spend hours and hours in her car just to se a band play that could possibly only last 45 minutes. But, believe me, if you have a love for music the way this girl does... those 45 minutes are your life. Don't ask me how she finds time in her schedule for it, but she has become a nurse and isn't far from her next level (LPN i think... not good with titles) in schooling... she is one of the sweetest girls you will ever meet and always has a smile on her face!

As I was saying, since I moved away, she has seen me in every place I have been... it's awesome.. So glad I got to hang out with her... after her day of driving and us going to see Less Than Jake and the Supervillains, we went to a deli my friend Sara told me about in Va Beach... this deli imports their desserts from Carnegie deli in New York, and their Reubens aren't far from it either... this picture does not even do it justice... they are so heavy you to go box feels like it weighs 5 pounds... I can't WAIT to eat dessert there! YUM.

So, since it was so cold I took Katie to see the King Neptune statue in Va Beach. It's a 34 foot high bronze statue that I love :) it's the largest cast bronze statue since the US Marine Corps Memorial in DC. King Neptune being the god of the sea in roman theology (poseidon) is so awesome standing there on the shore!

The USS Enterprise lands in Portugal!

Obviously, I didn't take these photos, but I swiped them from the facebook page of the Enterprise so you could check them out!

Kris was able to go to Lisbon, Portugal to three different tours. I can't remember all the names right this moment but once he gets back I'm going to set up a page with his pictures because he said he thinks I'll be pretty happy with the photos he has taken hahaha :) Living up to my standards!

It was pretty awesome that he was able to have a few fun days. He said he has bought Clara some presents :) such a great Daddy.

Apparently the ship couldn't come into port so they had to ride like a ferry out to get to it. Also, Kris was able to get some wifi and chat with me for a few minutes! It made my day! If you look on the Enterprise facebook page there are more pictures and videos that Portugese people posted.. seems like they were very excited about the ship pulling in. I thought it was cute how excited they were.

Rockstars...?

So, 8 months pregnant, I was given the opportunity to hang out with one of my favorite bands. While the bass drum banged, Clara danced more and more. I went to the Norva to see Less Than Jake and the Supervillains. I've seen Less Than Jake a bunch of times, but this time was different... My friend Katie drove up from Charleston and she knows the lead singer so he got us on the list and got me a photo pass to shoot some photos of the band from right in front. I must say, being up that close wasn't exactly my favorite way to shoot a band. It kinda takes all the fun out of it honestly... So, I made my way to a few people back from the stage, guarded my belly as best I could and tried desperately to not get pushed over with both my babies in my hands (Clara and Olive Oil) So... on went the night which ended with us hanging out on the tour bus with a band that has been together and touring for over 15 years...wow... what a great night.

I must say, after hanging out with these guys I have to tell you... they are rockstars, but gentlemen. They will sit around and pass around witty banter and are completely okay with it. I mean, having an 8 month old pregnant married chick on a tour bus isn't exactly an idea of a typical tour bus.. but I had a great time hanging out with them and enjoyed their company..

EXPLANATION OF PHOTOS:
Less Than Jake are aways welcoming people up on stage... guys who think they have hot moms, kids, people that stand out in the crowd,... it's fun and adds some change to what is probably a pretty monotonous job.. so, this show they pulled these two little brothers up on stage... the kids were afraid to stage dive so they decided to have a chicken fight... it was pretty hilarious.. by the end of the song they both jumped off the stage and everyone caught them and they will probably never forget those couple minutes of their lives.
Yes, those are scissors....and yes, that is his hair being cut on stage. Not that anyone in the band has any sort of great hairstyle.. (jk guys) but, Chris, lead singer with blonde mohawk0style hair, pulled a kid up on stage and offered to pay him a few bucks that he got from the audience and others to chop off his hair... this event probably made his mother proud when he returned home and cut his hair off, but either way... they proceeded to cut off his hair... then Chris decided it would make a great mustache... so, there ya have it.. another great fun-filled adventure with Less Than Jake... Yes, confetti and a snow machine were included as well.
When we asked about the fog/snow... Buddy's response was.."It's snow, for the winter tour" Nice.

uncertainty...3 years later.

“For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.”

So, I found this quote from VanGogh. It made me think that there really isn't any certainty to life. I mean, yes, lots of people get up in the morning and their odds are a lot better than others that they will have their morning coffee, catch the same train they have for 15 or so years, pass by that same bum on the street corner, pick up the newspaper and head into their humdrum life that continues on and on. But, like anyone else... things can happen to these people that completely throw off their day too... their chances aren't as good, but their life isn't certain. My chances are definitely not worth betting on...

reminding myself about this uncertainty is somewhat rewarding. No, I don't know where my husband is, I don't know when the next time is I will hear from him, or how long that conversation will continue.. I don't know if I'll ever see him again... let's face it.. things happen in the world. But, what I do know is this... love is a certain thing.

there is no one in the world who can tell another that they love someone... and not think to themselves.. "Do i? Is this love? what is this? " but, when you love someone, it becomes certain. positive. without a doubt. mothers love their children, children love their parents, it is certain... you can deny it, you can turn your head and some may even try to push that away, but it is there.

i suppose that it's late and i'm rambling and somewhat ashamed because I haven't photographed today...(except this gigantic Deli Sandwich I ordered earlier that will "certainly" feed me for a few meals ) but, certainty is a more made up thing that love. love is a feeling, and it is not tangible, just as certainty, but one thing is certain... only you can feel your emotions.. no one else can change that.... your responses to the world around you are yours...

so, certainly, after 3 years, i know what love is.... the uncertain part is when i'll get to see that person again, but hey, at least i'm not riding the same train at the same time everyday... i think this life is one i would prefer rather than monotony and boredom. Some like that, it's not for me.

what is crazy is how much your life can change in 3 years. i have moved/lived at 6 different addresses, not to mention how many hotel rooms halfway between us and countless hours in the car we have spent calling anywhere home. Kris and I have shared a single bedroom with him and I and the dog.... we have moved all of our worldly belongings in a car leaving everything else behind... we have lived apart from anywhere between 4 to 8 hours, and successfully made it through. i'm not quite sure, mathematically speaking, when we will have spent more time together at a "home" than car rides and traveling and living apart... maybe when we retire. with no one else have i ever had to share a single bed with him and the dog, and still been laughing the entire time, and for no one else would I drive in 110 degree weather with no a/c in my first trimester in DC traffic, taking a trip that normally lasts 3.5 hours and turning it into 6 (god, i love DC). sometimes i laugh thinking of all the times we have snapped pictures just to remind ourselves of that day and how happy we were in that instant, but looking at the whole picture someone else would think that was insane! like riding back from a broken down car, a funeral, or even the saddest day when one of us was sick or in the hospital... we like to remember these moments, because they make you grow stronger, it's moments like this that youlook back and say... "we made it"


there's some things that are completely and totally unexplainable and more uncertain than anything in life, and love... is a definite uncertainty.

Well, Mr. Van Gogh, you've got it right... the stars are there, I would much rather just dream with them rather than try to make sense out of any of this life. keep your uncertainty coming, it really intrigues me.... i enjoy growing, learning, uncertainly.

Ready whenever you are...

THey say you're never ready, and I think in my case, they're wrong. I have thought through things over and over and spent numerous hours preparing for this little one to come into our home. With less than 7 weeks to go, I have set up the bassinet, it was the final thing I have set up because I figured I wanted it to be fresh and clean and ready. So, here it is.. ready and waiting in the corner of our room. Don't mind the messy unmade bed, I know if BO were to see that She'd probably sigh loudly, but... no one ever comes into my house and if/when I do make my bed, it ends up taking me a good five minutes or so to get back into it!

TOnight's storytime is Jemima Puddle Duck.. earlier today we read Lady and the Tramp.. something I didn't realize is that Lady was shunned from her house because the owners had a baby!!! Luna covered her ears for that part and we carried on.

So, for now, my little one, I'm ready whenever you are... and here comes 10 pm, your favorite time to wrestle around in there.

Knitting up a storm...

My Mom referred to it as "going crazy with my knitting needles... so... No, I didn't make the monkey, but it'd be awesome if I did!! :) The pink hat is Clara's going home hat and the multi colored ones are for fun... and FINALLY... I mastered the baby booties instructions... phew.. it was about 5 new stitches I had to learn, and I'm still not positive I learned them. I guess it's all in practice... No monkeys were harmed in the making of this post :) Alright, well, time for some rest, much needed running of errands to do tomorrow if the peninsula isn't flooded!! It's been raining here like crazy! Luna didn't want to go outside so I had to play mean Mommy and kick her out the door!

Finished product... one of many..

So, like I said in my previous post, I was working on a collage frame that is a jewelry box. I also wanted to post a photo of the painting I did that matches our rug in our living room. Most people that come over say we don't have enough light in that room, but... that's one of the most relaxing spots I have ever been. So, here's the finished products.. The picture collage is a bit sickening, yes, we have many great memories and each one of these are milestones in our life together. Besides.. it's our house, shouldn't we have great pictures of us on our wall..?? A bit of narcissism I suppose!

pictures jog memories

..So, I bought a photo frame collage that is a jewelry box, and for the last week or so I have had pictures of smiling strangers in it... yes, me... a photographer. I have some serious issues with putting pictures in frames. I'm not quite sure if I'm afraid of the comittment or if I just don't really like looking at the same photo over and over because I constantly find flaws in it... especially if it involves a picture of me! So, I finally sat today and uploaded all the photos from my phone and I had scanned in some pictures of Kris as a baby. If you need to print, Walgreens has a special right now the code is : FROSTY50 and you get 50% off your purchase of prints.. so I decided that no matter the quality, because they're form my phone anyway, I was going to print off a bunch of the photos that I take. Kris and I usually go through them every 6 months or so and laugh hysterically at the things we take photos of, mainly they are Luna being an idiot or random things that we will see when we are out somewhere and send to each other. I really think that photos keep your life and love alive... they spark those tiny little gaps in your memory that at one point in tome you may not have remembered... but you look at the photo and say... "Look, remember that night we went to dinner and had the greatest tomato caprese salad ever..." or... "look at that crazy dog of ours" or even.. "This photo was actually taken in the car while we were waiting very impatiently for traffic to let up."

So, I suppose my instinct is there to take the photos... and then you have to have the memory (which kris does) to look at them and know exactly how you felt at that moment.

Well, here's a few that really made me smile.

roses dont last forever..

..asa lot of people say.. "roses dont last forever, don't buy me cut flowers they will just die" Well, my response to that is everything dies... unfortunately.. But, I like to photograph the flowers he brings me, because they really say something to me when I spend a few minutes admiring their petals and really looking at each and every piece. I love it when he brings me flowers.... and it's not only when he messes up like most guys... in fact.. I don't think he has ever gotten them for me when we were bickering about something.. maybe that IS why I love getting them so much!

Today, the day after he left for deployment... they are still there... saying hello to me, looking as beautiful as ever... hello little roses, yes, I love you too. Thank you for the reminder.

laundry continued..

So, here it is! Took me two days full of doing laundry to accomplish this... This is Clara's dresser! Top drawer is all onesies 0-3 months, middle drawer is onesies with short sleeves and pants, then the bottom is all of her two piece outfits... these are what took me forever... because majority was hand me downs, some of the pieces didn't have matches and then some were matched to 3 different things.. it was crazy.. But, I probably won't have to do laundry for the first month of the baby's life.. so I suppose it was totally worth it.

All of her dresses are hanging in the closet... it's about the cutest thing ever! :)

And again, i couldn't have done it without my assistant.. Luna loves that pink rug... she thinks it's for her :)