4 more days until...

Oh my goodness! I didn't think this month would ever end.

Photo from Dillon's last trip to CA, Sept 2014.

 I can't believe I only have 4 more days until Dillon is here to take Opal and I home!! I can't wait to pick him up from the airport and hug him so hard.  Living apart from my husband has been the hardest time for me. I don't regret moving home to help my family out at all, but it is time for me to hit the road and put my little family back together.

We wont be here long once he gets here, we actually leave the following afternoon. I've been packing and prepping since I got back from DC earlier this month.

I had originally planned to tow a U-haul with all of my furniture, clothes, and appliances but we found out that we can't actually tow anything unless we cut a hole in our new bumper..... uhhh yeah no. We weren't fans of that so I pretty much sold everything (again) and returned what I could. I have to leave a ton of stuff at my mom's, but thankfully I can get it back this summer when we move to our next home. (We also still don't know where that will be... and wont for a couple more months.)

I have been stressing out so much about what I can/should take.. What I can ship.. What I don't want to ship.. and trying to cut down nearly all of the shipping costs.Ive managed to fit almost everything in the car that happen to be MUST HAVES for the day I get there.. (kitchen and bathroom stuff, linense, etc.) I even had to take all of my pre-pregnancy clothes out! It all has to stay because it takes too much space! AHH! Thankfully, Dillon has promised to buy me new shoes and clothes as I find things I love. (He is truly amazingly nice!)

This week everything got more real, because I scheduled my internet and cable installation, set up the day for Dillon to pick up the apartment keys, and I pre-packed the car. I've been driving around with random things already in my car because I'm just too lazy to take them out... just to put them back in! :-) Even my mom's living room is covered in things I am taking. I have the overhead car bag in the middle of her area rug already packed to the brim with my ziploc space bags! Have I mentioned how much I LOVE those things? Second time I've used them for this sort of trip. They're awesome.

This whole past month Dillon and I have been joking about how awful our last trip was. We were so sleep deprived, got stuck in a scary lightning storm in Kansas and stayed in a scary hotel that made us never want to stay in a random hotel ever again. Because of the hotel experience we slept at truck stops and walmart parking lots. (HA HA) This time we're avoiding Kansas, and taking the complete southern route all the way through to Tennessee before we head North to DC. I have already mapped out our stops, which hotels I want to stay in, and how much everything will cost.

I ain't playing this time! This is all planned and prepped ahead of time. I even have a binder started up with everything I need from gas station locations, gas prices, hotels, hotel prices, printed out mapquest directions in the event our GPS doesn't work, and MORE. I want this trip to be fun and stress free!! I'd love to just see the country, eat at some decent places, take lots of photos, SLEEP AT SOME POINT!!

Well, really... I just can't wait to be sleeping next to my hubby in our new bed. I also can't wait to share the photos and transformation of my new apartment. I have been having a hard time sleeping lately because all I think about is decorating, organizing, and picking out furniture! It's going to be so. much. fun. !!!!!

xoxo,

Chelsea.

DIY Banners for the nursery.

"Scout Opal"

 *sorry for the poor lighting of these last minute photos*

 I've been working on little projects for Opal and Oliver's nursery this week before my move. I saw something similar on Pinterest, and even noted them here on this blog post. I didn't want to be a total copy cat, so I made this my own.

I also did notttttt want them to look like I personally made them. (insert how crazy for detail I can be about things being straight/ even) So, because of this preference for a handmade look I free hand cut the letters out and let it be.

We are going with a cabin theme for their room, so I loved the idea of calling them "scouts". Especially because we hope they will want to go to summer camps and maybe even cub/ girl scouts in the future.

"Scout Oli"

I plan to hang these over their bed/ crib. I'm excited to see them on the walls of the new apartment. I really hope that we can pull the whole "woodsy" look in their room. I don't want it to be too many brown tones though, that is why I used some bright pops of colors. I plan to use turquoise and apricot a lot in their room.

I actually already bought the fabric for their custom quilts that will be put together by my wonderful mom. I am just so darn excited for this. I love being a mom because I get to plan and execute things like this. Growing up, I never really got to decorate my room, so that's something I plan to always do with these 2. I want them to express themselves freely, for sure.

close up of Opal's banner.

 Materials needed:

• printed fabric of choice
• felt in one or more colors
• one large piece of felt (can be purchased at Michael's in individual packaged pieces)
• scissors
• hot glue gun
• dowel rod
• yarn, string, ribbon, or whatever you choose for hanging purposes.

close up of Oli's banner.

Directions:

1. Cut your banner out of the large prepackaged piece of felt. 
2. At the top, glue your dowel rod to the back. Best to roll the fabric over it so that it is hidden.
3. Next, cut your background shape/ image out of your patterned fabric. (I chose a heart)
4. Hot glue your shape down to the fabric.
5. Cut out your letters for whatever phrase, saying, name etc.. that you chose.
6. Lay the pieces down to make sure they fit. 
7. Glue them to the proper places you want.
8. Lastly, glue the yarn with an appropriate amount of slack to hang.

These are two other banners that I did in hopes they will look like a younger child made them. I didn't use any patterns or anything, kind of just rolled with it. I hope my bear and bunny actually look like a bear and bunny!! (haha!) I plan to use these over their dresser with a collage of framed photos, art pieces and maybe a shelf with some special treasures on it.

I hope this gives you inspiration to make a banner of your own. I think I am going to make something for my bedroom and living room next. A little less handmade-by-a-child though. Maybe some nice family or marriage quotes? hmmm! Now to plan my next project!

xoxo,

 Chelsea

December trip to Washington, DC.

It has taken me so long to get to upload these photos and pick a few that were my favorites. In December I flew to DC to visit my husband and met up with my in-laws there for a small family reunion. I sure hope our next home is closer (and cheaper to travel to) than DC. This trip was so much fun, and I wish I could have stayed... but luckily while I was there we signed a lease to an apartment that I will be moving to in one week from now!! Anyway, I want to share some of my most favorite little memories from this trip so that I don't forget them. 

Chelsea, Dillon, Opal, Karla, Doug, Jeremiah, Jerrod. December 31st, 2014.

We really didn't take any photos the entire trip, and this was the only real family photo we took.... on the night before Dillon's parents and brothers left! I wish we took more, especially while we were out exploring DC. We had brunch at Eastern Market, went to Ben's Chili bowl, ate dinner (a couple times) at Hop's, and more. Opal loved eating goldfish with her grandma, and playing hard to get with her uncle Jeremiah. By the end of the tirp everyone knew all the words to the Taylor Swift song "Blank Space"... because that was the only thing Opal wanted to listen to or do!

Lovebirds. January 1st, 2015. DC.

Dillon and Opal, Washington Monument, January 1st, 2015.

Chelsea and Opal, Washington Monument, January 1st 2015.

Dillon and I found a beautiful hotel that made itself out to be located on/ near the Dulles airport, which is a pretty reasonable drive (40 minutes) to save some bucks. WELL, turns out this hotel was actually 30 MINUTES PAST Dulles...... and requires tolls. $8 in total! meaning $16 a day! This was an awful thing to come to find out, and by the end of the trip we ended up just getting a room at the Americana Hotel (literally love this place and how reasonably priced it is for being in Arlington!) So we spent New Year's Eve there! We promised to stay up this year for the countdown and ended up all falling asleep about 30 minutes before. (ha-ha!) We are officially old birds.

So being that we were already in Arlington, we walked a couple blocks bright and early on New Years day and caught the Metro. We definitely thought we would see more than lost gloves on our walk. We even made a game out of it and tried to find other things like shoes! Drunk people always lose things on the walk home! :-) Our first stop was the Washington Monument. I wanted to go up since it is open now, but it was MUCH to clod to wait in the long line that had already formed. Thankfully I am moving back so I have more time to try to get up in there!!

We sat and ate hotdogs on a bench next to the monument to warm ourselves up. Have I mentioned that I love hot dogs? Whenever I see a hotdog stand, go to costco, SAMS, or Ikea, I HAVE to buy a hotdog! I seriously do.

I love little things like that. Eating a hotdog with my husband in the Nation's Capitol on a beautiful morning... and New Year's Day at that! How amazing is it that I get to share this life and these experiences with my family. I will cherish these memories for the rest of my life.

One of the reasons I love living in Washington, DC is all there is to do. My favorite museum is the National Museum of Natural History. It was the one place I wanted to take Opal because of all the things there is for her to look at.  The line was too long that day, but I will go back and experience the butterfly room with them. I have to! I have been wanting to go in that magical room for so long now. Opal always loves to look at the animals in the North American mammal exhibit. This is also Dillon's favorite because of the wolves, bears, and deer. He's a big fan of our beautiful woodland animals. (Reason why the nursery will have this theme!)

Papa bear and baby bear. DC. 2015. Natural museum.

Washington, DC is such a beautiful city. It is a magical place jam packed full of history, art, and undiscovered gems all over the place. I will miss this city when we leave.

Dillon being the best daddy in the whole wide world. Washington, DC, January 1st 2015.

I loved seeing Dillon bounce back into daddy mode. He was buckling car seats, hauling the stroller around and fixing apple juice sippy cups like he hadn't missed a beat. I can't wait to get back to our normal family routine! I'm so excited for it.

Our sweet babe.

Opal's poor little nose was red pretty much the whole trip! Except for being in the hotel where we kept it too warm according to Dillon! :-) We just drove him bonkers! We wanted all of his attention and wanted to be so silly together. She wanted to show him all of her toys, read all of her books (at once) and kiss him allllll day. Her sweet little kisses were all for daddy the whole week we were there. I absolutely loved seeing her love on him. She misses him so much, and I know he must have been so glad that she felt that comfortable with him again.

 After we left the museums we headed to Ted's bulletin in Eastern Market and ate lunch. I seriously fell in love with their tomato soup and then had to pack my sandwich to go because I couldn't eat anything after! (this darn pregnant belly is already messing up my appetite!)

Opal at DC-3 (hot dog joint on 8th ST) Last day of trip.

 On our last day we went to the barracks and packed our bags there. We had lunch with daddy at DC-3 and spent the last hours laughing and having fun in our favorite neighborhood. This trip was so much fun. It has me so excited and giddy about my move back the Nation's Capitol. I can't wait to share more of our explorations of DC and more cool memories.

half way there.

My pregnancy is going by amazingly easy. With Opal, I had a miserable time from day one. It was really honestly the hardest time.  I am loving this pregnancy, mostly because it is SO easy that I forget that I am even pregnant.

I recently started to feel him pushing up against me. I can feel his feet against my tummy and then release them away. My belly is nice a round up in the front. I don't look pregnant anywhere else, and in my last pregnancy you could tell from every angle that I was expecting.

I can't believe that we are already half way to this baby being in our arms. I don't know exactly how I am going to handle an 18 month old, newborn, packing my house, and moving two weeks postpartum to somewhere we still don't know of. I am the epitome of stressed and excited all rolled into one big pregnant messy haired lady.

I have a lot of excitement for the next 2 weeks though, because Opal and I will be driving to Washington, DC with Dillon to finish out the rest of his contract with the Marine Corps. We are still unsure of the next step for his career... we find out by the middle of March...
and we're nervous. So to get my mind off of that I have been getting myself super excited for the decorating of my new apartment!

This will be my fourth move.. and our third home. I am very excited. Our first apartment (400M) was on Capitol Hill and was basically a studio. I can't believe we lasted a whole year there. Our second home (on base) was a beautiful town home, but it was just too darn big. We loved it but it was hard to keep up with. I'm not sure how it will be going from three stories (and three bedrooms) to a smaller 2 bedroom apartment. I certainly hope it will be easy to maintain and to not get too cluttered.

Dillon went out and faithfully ordered our table and sofa set (without seeing them! The store didn't carry the specific ones I wanted in his location!) I just love them so darn much. I can't wait to get them in our new place. I feel  like they will look perfect and just so amazing. I have been day dreaming of cream colored curtains and a beautiful area rug... and cuddling my hubby with a soft throw on our sofa.

I can't wait for my life to be perfect and whole again in just 2 weeks!! And I can't wait to show you guys the transformation of our Virginia apartment.

We're expecting!

So I just realized that I never shared on my blog one of the biggest events going on in my life!

My husband and I found out that we are expecting a little baby in June!

I wont type out a big thing about it all, I'll let the photos from the past couple weeks share our excitement.