To laugh often and much...

To laugh often and much
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived
This is to have succeeded.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Work Easter Party

Emme went to her very first Easter Egg hunt!
Eric's squad always pulls off such thoughtful parties and there is always a good turn out.
I think the kidies out numbered the adults this year!
The venue was beautiful and perfect. It's called BLORA and it is all about outdoor recreation.
Emme played on the playground -as usual- and we all ate some tasty potluck and had a short but fun egg hunt. Please enjoy these pictures of the gorgeous day....

Check out those toofies

Loving that Pink egg she found.

yummy prizes inside

Oh she knows what to do

The only two eggs she got. Turns out she only wanted to pink one anyway =)

My little doll

Absolutely beautiful day with my family

On to get some grub

Trying out the little slide by herself

Learning to climb everything/anything.

Mommy's little lady

And thankfully yes, she kept that hat on all day =)

There's a party in my tummy

We have a 15 month old that refuses to eat ANY dinner food other than spaghetti AND refuses to be fed by anyone else... the results....well.... =)

She gets the job done at least =)

Feels like a new home!

A couple weeks ago, Eric and I were having a conversation that has been famous in this house lately... NO SPACE. We first bought this house back when it was just the two of us and one dog. 4 years later add adding one child to that mix, it changed everything! We fell in love with this place when we first bought it and sadly through the years and as the baby got older i was leaning more towards resenting it... the house i LOVED. So, naturally, i couldn't take being unhappy here so i did something about it! For those who have seen our house knows how... odd.. it's built. It has walls where it shouldn't, separating rooms it shouldn't, etc. It was a tough challenge, but i got it done. I transformed the house into an enjoyable, functional living space for the whole family to use. I haven't been more proud of my raw determined attitude! haha. With a lot of help and input from the Hubby, and a baby that liked to stand in the way of each thing we wanted to move =), we got it done! The old living room is now the dining room/ play room and the old dining room/sitting room is now the living room. I don't have any before pictures, but those who have been here should be able to tell what a huuuuge difference this is! We are just bummed we didn't think of it sooner. We now have 5 places for guests to sit instead of only 2! The part I'm most excited about is the new toy room for Emmers. It took a pretty penny to pull off, but she seems to be happy in it and i know the older she gets the more she will use that space... hopefully =). Needless to say, i think i may have lived a little vicariously through Emme in her new room. If she doesn't enjoy it, i sure as heck will! Please enjoy the following pictures of our wonderful "new" home...

Daddy and Emmers with a big thumbs up!

Showing her around

Starting to get the hang of it

I'd like to think that she is giving Daddy a big thank you! =)

I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little jealous. =)

Great princess tv/dvd player find on Craig's List!

The new Living room!

Eric giving his approval

Finally able to enjoy the big screen we have...

Cameron Park Zoo

It all started when Eric woke up to Emme playing with his face yesterday morning... We decided then and there we needed to spend a fun day with that little girl. It's the closest "spur of the moment" decision we have done in a looong while. About 2 hours later (can't believe it takes that long to get out that door nowadays =)) We were on our way to the Zoo! It was a perfect hour long drive. We spent about 4 hours there when the sun was best and the temp was a wonderful 70 degrees. Emme did wonderful and loved loved loved running around. No stroller for that rambunctious 1 year old, no sir! Luckily even though it was a Saturday, it wasn't crowded at all so we were able to just let her run wild. Her favorite part was strangely enough, the snake exhibit! Daddy was not too thrilled to be in there... the things he'll do to see his baby smile! =) It was a fun little day with my wonderful family. Please enjoy the pictures!

Snow Day in Texas

About a week ago, the weather decided to treat us with a little snow! Very exciting as this happens every 3 years or so in this area. It snowed hard for a solid day then melted the next afternoon. It ended up being a fun 4 inches that day! We were able to go out and enjoy Emme's first snow experience! Please enjoy the following pictures of our little family...

..... And yes, those are Ziploc baggies as snow shoes... I had to be crafty =)

Vacation over!

I've officially been away from blogging for way too long! It stopped abruptly right before Eric came home from his deployment last November. It definitely kept me busy while he was away, but even though he is back, it shouldn't stop! The more events that went by undocumented the more guilty I felt. Not only is it a way to inform loved ones, it also acts as a diary. So i am going to pick it up now and give you an abridged version of the last 3 months....

Since then our little Emmelyn has turned the big ONE on Christmas day. We celebrated the holidays by traveling to California to visit Eric's family. While there, I was able to meet my beautiful Niece, Claire and see Nicole and my brother Doug! She is the most loving adorable baby ever! My sister, Meredith was able to come to LA to see me while there. We had planned to see the tonight show with Conan O'Brien. I, personally was SO excited to see him, I'm a huuuuuuge fan of that guy and watch his show every night. Unbeknown-est to us, we found out weeks after going to his show that NBC decided to cancel him!!! So while we were there I was a kid in a candy store! It was an amazing experience =). Eric, Ashlee, Meredith, and myself were able to go! Grandma and Grandpa Jaeger watched Emmerson while we went for the day. Right after the show we left to drive to the River with Eric's Dad and Step-Mom, Debbie. We spent a good few days there having a blast with the doon buggies but most importantly celebrating Emme's First Birthday!! Grandma Jaeger baked her a cake and she opened some birthday gifts on Christmas Eve. It was very special and emotional for Mom! I couldn't believe how fast the first birthday came. I know everyone tells you it goes fast and I knew it myself but geez! =). So the next morning was Christmas day and we drove from the river to see more family in Phoenix! Eric's parents and his brother and sister and his Grandma were all there to celebrate another birthday bash for Emme! Lot's of loving gifts and a cake was made for her and she loved it all! Later that day we celebrated Christmas and opened gifts and stocking then later that night we had an amazing meal Eric's Mom prepared. We spent the new year with them then headed home new years day.

Since the new year, we have had some life changing decisions happen. Right before Christmas time, Eric approached me with the idea for him to go Weather Special Forces for the AF. This would be a big step for his Career and it's something that has always been in the back of his mind. After some deliberation and some great back rubs that didn't hurt, we decided as a family that's the direction we will head for the next 4 years or less. The process still takes some time to complete though. Eric has been training like crazy in preparation for the SF PAST test. Eric put in two sessions a day for a month straight and continues to do so. He ended up passing the test and now we're on to the paperwork part. He still has to complete some schooling before we go to the base where it all happens. If all goes on track, we should be to our next station by September. The base is in Florida and it was voted best AF to live last year. The base housing has its own beach front view! Nice! So that little tid bit does help the "pro" list. Since we have all along planned on him becoming an Officer, he still will put in his package to do so within a year or two of being SF. From there we will see what the AF has to offer us! This is something Eric is very passionate about and the idea definitely took some getting used to, but at the end of the day it's something that he can cross off his list of life experiences. All in all, if my family is happy- then i am.

Also, on a lighter note- guess who has reached her goal weight??? THIS GUY! That's right! Since the beginning of this tediously long journey starting May 09' all the way till February 10', I have lost a total of 55 lbs! Most days it was bearable, but some were down right evil! Through the humbling experience, I have learned a lifestyle that I am comfortable with and is achievable. I love love love my gym and the classes! I will continue to go to the gym daily and eat a sensible diet. I am now able to raise my calorie intake to be human again! I am proud to say I went from an embarrassing 16 to a fabulous 8! I did it and is so happy to say it's over! =)

Emme has said her first few words! She can say Da-da and Ma-ma- (every now and then) and Baby!! She is so cute when she says them too! She is a pro at walking and loves to give high fives and kisses. Her favorite is still her doggy, Ace. I bring him in all the time to take over for me! He is cheap entertainment...

Well, I hope that covers enough at the moment. I will from now on keep up to date these important milestones in my family's life. Stay tuned!