Half a year later

I honestly don’t even know where to begin. My last post was in December of 2014, and it’s now July 2015. That’s WAY to long to go without posting. So today, I start again.

But where to start? Do I make a post about Jack, Lane, Tough Mudder, my new tattoo, the basement, work, beer, the gym, or somewhere else? Too much has happened over the past 7 months to capture it all. There’s just no way to get it all into a post, and I’m sure I’ve forgotten more things than I’d ever be able to share here.

So now that I’ve wasted the first two paragraphs talking about how much I haven’t talked about in the past year I’m just gonna get right down to things.

65839600-5811-4401-B20E-63067F4660BEJack:
Jack is about to be 9 months old. We love this guy! He’s got so much personality and is such a Turner that it hurts some times. He’s not quite rolling over consistently yet, but he’s certainly done it a few times. He is on baby food, eats everything, and is growing like crazy. Right now he’s teething and about to cut his 8th… or 9th tooth. We’ve lost count as it happens so rapidly. The other week he started saying “dadadada” and then “mamamamama”. So talking isn’t far off. We’ve got a walker that he really enjoys being in because he’s mobile. I have a feeling this kid will be walking before he can craw, which is something he’s not really been keen on as of yet. So, this is a far cry from the last time I posted about Jack. He still frustrates the hell out of us, but I don’t know of any 9 month old that is just always the perfect baby. Oh, and he’s trending about 8-9 months ahead of his age as far as clothing, so that’s always fun.

OCR (Obstacle Course Races):

Watch these. That’ll pretty much sum things up. Jess and I have done both a Tough Mudder and Warrior Dash this year. I have 2 Spartan races coming up in the fall and can’t wait!

Work:
Work is work. I’ve been working on the same project for the better part of 2 years now. The good thing is, its not something that has either a budget or end date. I can always add more features and functionality and as long as our sales team sells it, I’ll be in demand!

The house:
I don’t know what I have / haven’t posted about in regards to what’s been done around the house. We’ve done more landscaping in the back yard, had some more trees cut down, painted some rooms, re-arranged furniture, contemplated finishing things, started new things and generally been home owners who own a home that always have something to do. Also, it seems that no matter how much water I put on the grass it doesn’t want to turn into a golf course.

Jack and LaneLane:
Where to even begin with this kid?! He’s grown so much in the past year that it’s hard to capture it all even if I posted every day. There’s nothing this kid can’t do, especially if you ask him. As a general rule he really can do most things, and even things he can’t he’ll give it a try. This kid surprises me all the time. He wanted some yogurt out of the fridge the other day, so he found a stool, took it into the kitchen, climbed to the top shelf of the fridge and got it. He only likes to ask for help, so you can watch him do something on his own. He loves his family, gets frustrated and communicates why, tells jokes, remembers things that both Jess and I have long since forgotten, is able to follow even the most complex of directions. I want to freeze time so I can keep him at this age forever, but I am also excited to see what’s next in his big little world.

Friends:
It seems that these days its becoming more and more difficult to make time to hang out with my friends. We’ve all got kids now and syncing up schedules and such is always such a chore. On the off chance that we do get to hang out, its a great time. I love my friends and have some really great people in my life.

Jess:
Speaking of great people in my life…. This woman. She’s my best friend. My companion. My wife. My everything. There are days when she frustrates me, days when I frustrate her, but at the end of EVERY day there is such a deep love and respect that I can’t imagine any other life. She has grown so much as a mother, teacher, and person in the past year and I am just so proud of all the things she has accomplished. There really is a never ending list of ways I love her.

The gym:
First off, I still HATE pull-ups. I have continued to get stronger, faster, better, and more well rounded in the gym. But my hands and my grip are still weak and no matter what I do, I will most likely rip. I did the Memorial Day Murph, which has 100 pull-ups and despite finishing I did some serious damage to my hands. Despite my pull-ups not getting much better, I’ve increased the weight that I can lift via deadlift, clean, jerk, push press, drastically. But with that being said this past week I discovered that we all have bad days and my bad day was an abysmal performance while trying to do a bench press. In my attempt to simply do the same weight/reps I’ve done before I failed. A lot. This left me with a sour taste in my mouth, but at the same time, it gave me a drive to get back in the gym and work on my weakness and turn it around.

Varicose veins:
I had them, not so much any more. Many, many, many years in the making and I have finally gotten ride of the veins that were so unsightly in my legs. I’m only about a week out from my final procedure, but I can tell that things are improving. In about 5 more weeks all the swelling should be down and I’ll have some silky smooth legs! Well, maybe not that much, but they’ll be tenfold better than they were.

Chase, Jack, JessChase:
We have a teenager. And a teenager he certainly is. One minute he’s dancing and singing in the kitchen with us, the next he’s completely shut him self into his room and won’t join us for anything. He has some massive mood swings and they come out of nowhere. With that being said, he’s still a really good kid. There are other teens out there that are just unbearable, but not Chase. He has all the signs of being a teen, and just like with our other two kids, eventually he’ll grow out of that phase and move on to the next one. Hopefully the football he’s signed up for that starts in the fall will help him with that.

All the rest:
Like I mentioned earlier, I can’t begin to cover everything. My goal is to keep posting and try to capture as much of the day-to-day as I can. Pics, videos, Tweets, etc., I’d like to get it all, or at the very least a majority of it.

“Best Of”

2012 was one for the record books. So. Much. Happened. Last year. It’s been one hell of a week getting back into the swing of work, new arrangements and diets for Lane, and new journeys being started for me, but I’ve been saying I’m going to write this blog so dammit…here it is. I’ll be glad down the road that I did.

So 2012 brought us so many things that should be documented….and so many things that changed the direction of our lives…..in no particular order…..

1. I had a BABY! 8 days early and in a crazy, emergency fashion I had little Benjamin Lane on January 3rd. That’s a pretty BIG way to start off the year I’d say.

2. We took our kids to the beach. Twice. Ok…not as big as bringing life into the world. But we went once with the Meechams and once with Ben’s sister and her family. There’s a part of me that feels so home at the beach. Maybe it’s the escape from reality….maybe it’s all the fresh air and sea salt. Either way…we learned that little BLT has a mini set of gills growing and loves the pool. Ocean? He’s like his dad and is just as content to skip that part altogether. Chase falls in line with his mom and could play in the sand/waves all day. Either way, we got the traditional “first beach” videos and pictures and I am hoping we can make this a yearly tradition.

3. I turned 30. In style. With some of my absolutely favorite people on a perfectly gorgeous day on the lake. We rented a boat, acted like we were way more fabulous than we really are, and partied our asses off. My husband made the best of the day despite the time spent in the ER the night before (totaling his car TOTALly could have made this list….but let’s not think about that too much eh?). Bandaged, medicated, and liquid couraged up he went down the slide, rode the jet ski, and helped make my 30th the BEST birthday I’ve had in my life. So many people I know dread being in their 30’s….but today, 30 feels good.

4. My brother got married. (“Wait…you have a brother??”). I know. I feel that way sometimes too. But I do, and when we both finally slow down enough to spend time together I remember just how awesome he is. His new wife compliments him beautifully. His wedding also meant getting to see Philly family (which is ALWAYS a lovely time), and the inevitable family drama that comes with too much time spent together. The wedding was gorgeous, the food was delicious, my boys were handsome as ever and the wine flowed. Looking back…it stands out as a great event in the past year.

5. My oldest turned 10. TEN. Double digits. Sometimes I think to myself “in one year he’ll be in middle school…..in six years he’ll be driving….”. But then I stop. And cherish what little bit of “my baby” I have left. I can honestly say I try my hardest every single day to be the best I can for him and most days I fall short. Not because I fail. But because despite my best efforts he always deserves more than I can ever offer him. He’s a beautifully amazing, funny, smart, LOVING child.

6. We bought a house. As I type this I’m thinking maybe this should be up there with having a baby? At times it FELT like we were having a baby. When people say buying a house is stressful they aren’t lying. We didn’t stop for 6 weeks straight. I still feel like I am adjusting to my new surroundings, my new community, my new…..everything. But I also feel so blessed to be able to call this gorgeous house “home”, and I know it’ll only get better with time.

Thanks 2012! You were amazing. After the ball drops, let’s keep it rolling in the right direction for 2013….

DIY Begins!

We are in the new crib! It’s beautiful, big….and BROWN. Don’t get me wrong, this house is amazing. With that being said, almost every single room is going to get redecorated. I love the ‘country’ feel the house has nestled in a cute subdivision and tucked back in the trees, but it needs some fresh color, some light, some updating…..some “Turner”. Looking around and starting my list of “to dos” has been a bit overwhelming so far, so I’m narrowing it down to one room at a time. First up, the laundry room. Before/Progress/After pics will come soon. Wish us luck!

Sniper Slow Down!

As you can tell, it’s been a while since the Snipers have had a post! Life is happy, and busy, and lovely. Here’s what we’ve missed….and I’ll try to fill in pics from any of these events if I can soon!

-Jess turned 30 in style! A weekend at the lake with awesome friends and so much fun.
-A week long beach trip with the family. Chase grew fins and Lane fell in love with the water…especially the pool.
-School started! How do we already have a 5th grader? Yikes.
-A little baby who is suddenly a BIG eight month old.
-A car accident with SB that lead to a totaled car, surgery, and a few weeks of not fun times around the Sniper house

So we’ll try, again, to stay caught up!

Babys at the Beach!

We have amazing friends. Honestly. The Friday before Memorial Day weekend SB gets a call asking to go to the beach for the weekend. Um. YES! The last few weeks of school are brutal for a teacher so I was in desperate need of a getaway. We packed, bought sunscreen, and hoped in the car by 8pm that night. 6 sleepy hours and one speeding ticket later we arrived in the middle of the night to the beach house. I could hear the waves in the distance. I swear I could live at the beach. I’m sure having sand in every place possible would eventually get old, but…..nah, it wouldn’t. I LOVE the beach. Chase does too. Also, this was baby Lane’s first trip to the ocean! Now I can’t downplay this next statement: taking a baby to the beach is one of the hardest damn things ever. After lugging chairs and beach tents and bags and coolers (well yeah), and sand toys, and SAND SPURS….well you get the idea. However….once you do make it down to the water, unload the loot, get that baby in the water and open a cold one…all is right in the world. Thankfully Lane loves the water and slept like, well, like a baby for hours on the beach. The fresh air and natural noise maker made for some good Zzz’s for all of us. Kit and Bob were fabulous, gracious hosts and we owe them big time. Their little one is very close to Lane’s age, so it’s really nice to spend time with another couple that understands the ups and downs of infants. Here are some pictures from the weekend. Thankfully, we are heading BACK to almost this same location in July with some of SB’s family. This time for a whole week. That way we can drag the shit down to the beach and leave it there for 7 days. Happy Freakin’ Summer!!

This day can suck it.

Let me count the ways:

  1. Baby was fussy this morning and wide awake at 5:35, a mere 10 mins before my alarm was set to go off. Don’t you just love waking up BEFORE your alarms goes off. Also, he didn’t feel it was necessary to go back to sleep.
  2. I weighed myself today, thinking I would be on track for my P90X goal. Nope. Looks like I’m right at where I started. Things fit better, I feel and look better, but I want that damn scale to reflect something!
  3.  This thing: Delights Turkey Sausage Quesadilla, probably made me more hungry than I was before I started eating it.
  4. I got a reminder this morning that I should check the cap on anything prior to shaking it. My reminder came in the form of a bottle of coffee creamer splattered all over me, the floor, and the inside and out of the fridge.
  5. My cat may or may not be outside today. He’s never been outside for more than a like a minute. Here’s hoping for the best.
  6. Might as well be driving to hell

    I mean… what the deuces man?!

  7. While driving through construction you might encounter a rock on your windshield. That is unless you are me, in which case you will definitely encounter a rock to your windshield. Also, said rock will indeed crack your windshield and you will have a delightful time cursing out the world in your anger.
  8. Someone at work thought it would be acceptable to simply turn on the warmer and NOT actually make more coffee. So my coffee this morning at the office was a little funky tasting. Good thing I had time to stand around and make another pot.

So far that’s it. Just nine mishaps or plans go awry today. Luckily it’s only 9am and I have the whole day ahead of me to either get it together or Hulk smash everything into tiny bits. Let’s hope for the sake of my co-workers that it’s the former.

Happy Monday y’all!