The Time Has Come and all Things Must Come to an END

WOW! That is all I can think of. My husband decided to be sneaky and tricked me into thinking that he wasn't coming home until the end of the month but he ended up trying to surprise me! He comes home this weekend!!!!!!!! Let me tell you I AM SO NERVOUS! Every minute it become more and more true that he is actually going to be here in the flesh in a matter of hours. WHAT? Am I ready for this? Well I better be because no matter what he is on his way!!!!!

This year has been an roller coaster of emotions! But I MADE IT THROUGH one of the hardest years I hope to ever see!!!!!!! I know I wasn't in a war zone or fighting bad guys but I do believe that being left at home is a very hard job! There were days that I didn't think I would make it through or holidays I didn't think I could stand another minute!!!! But I did it!

Being an Army wife for a year has taught me alot about life, people, and myself. Life is too short! Enjoy every moment of every day. Surround yourself with good positive people. It makes your day much happier and easier to live through. There are hard days and there are good days. Push past the hard days and keep on hauling for the good days!!!

There have been many army wives before me and many after me. I don't know how these women did this all without technology. It was so nice to email, skype, and IM all I needed too. But, I couldn't help but wonder the wives in WW1, WW2, Vietnam, and Korea must of felt not knowing anything for many many months or not at all. Even during this war, the internet wasn't always available to many soldiers.. I am thankful for technology and being able to see my husband's face everyother week helped the time go a lot faster!!!!! It has been a crazy year, but I am glad I did it and even more glad it's over!

I have a FIRST GRADER!

August 29th was Noah's first day of 1st grade!!!! WOW!!!!!! All month long I was so excited for him to go to school and start learning again. But when the day actually came, I was having second thoughts. My son can't be in 1st grade... He is not old enough! lol.. But.. I made it through the day just fine. Noah LOVED LOVED LOVED school!!!!! He was so excited to be back with his friends and really loves his new teacher! His favorite things were eating lunch at school and 2 recesses. hahahah.. He makes me laugh!

Well the days are now more then they were on Saturday. Stacey is staying behind for a few more weeks! Which is not the most fun thing to hear, but I know he has a job to do and will be home as soon as he can! September is the month!!! We are so close it's scary!

Baby Emma, is growing big and now am 30 weeks along. I can't believe I am so far! This pregnancy went really really fast!!!! :) And I am getting excited to see her face! I will keep in touch more.. and I need to get my camera to work.. I really am lacking the photo designs!

30 something days to go!

I am getting really tired of not having a camera. I need to change that soon!!! Well... I am coming close to due date and being officially done with this deployment!!!! I am not sure on the actual date of Stacey's arrival but it will be Sometime in September!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am sooooooooo excited!!!!! :) It feels so strange that its almost over. Its been the longest/shortest year of my life. I can't believe he will be home.. Like Home home.. He is MINE AGAIN!!!!

I am getting really nervous on seeing him though.. I mean I will be pushing close to 8 months pregnant and I am a hormonal woman. I am scared because I have been so used to doing everything by myself, it will be a treat to have someone that can help me! Plus another adult conversation will be so nice!

Noah is starting school here on August 29. I can't believe I will have a 1st grader on my hands. What am I going to do??? He is so old! We are finishing up on the school supplies and clothes in the next week or two and then he is off!!!! Cross your fingers for me, bc I will need it!

Well that is it on the homefront from the Stoddard Clan. I will let you all know more soon!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!! :)

Noah's 6th Birthday and 10 MONTHS down!!!!!!

First off, my camera is being really mean and I haven't been able to take pictures... I need to change that fast!!

2nd off, My son turned 6 on the July 16th. I don't have much to say along these lines bc we had a great time celebrating!... He was so cute and so excited for his birthday! And so proud to tell everyone that he is 6 now. This boy cracks me up!!!! He is so old now!!! And he also has lost 4 teeth and looks funny with out is front two.. I will post pics soon! ;)

Next, We have made it 10 months on this deployment! This is by far a big accomplishment for me!!! I never thought I would actually make this stepping stone bc 10 months seemed like an eternity! But we are on our way to the finish line... Now I am thinking, OMW, am I ready for him to come home??? Don't laugh! I have been by myself for nearly a year and he has been with men for almost a year. How will be mesh everything back together??? It's going to be hard and fun and exciting all rolled into one.. I am so ready for him to be out of danger and back on American soil! I am so proud of him for his hard work that he has given! and I am so excited to have my family back!!!!!

And today also reached another milestone... I am 24 weeks along. YIKES!!!! Soon after Stace comes home, I will have a little friend coming home too!!!!! What a year! Can't wait to make some new memories as a family!!!!! woot woot!!!!!

4th of July Weekned

Happy Birthday America!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe its already July... WHAT HAPPENED??? Well I love that its time to celebrate our Independence day!!! The weekend started off amazing as I took a little trip to Grace, Idaho for the day on Saturday. Stacey is from this cute little town and its so beautiful there.. I was nervous for my little adventure due to the fact that I have never driven by myself there.. (I can hear everyone laughing at this point) I am one of those drivers that has to drive her ownself places if I am expected to be there.. Well... I made it there alive so YAY for Ashlee...
I went for a special purpose and I am so glad I did! Stacey's younger brother, Sterling, got engaged!!! SO CUTE!!!!! and His fiance, Kelli was getting Baptized! What an amazing day to spend with family!!!!! I love the stoddards and they always make you feel welcomed!! :)
Well I made it for another major holiday! Which means I am done for the year! Stacey will be home soon and thank goodness.. I wasn't as emotional as I thought I would be today. But, I didn't do anything too out of the ordinary regular day.. But I am so grateful for our Country and the freedoms that we have! I am thankful for all the military men and women past, present, and future who fight to help our country remain free.. I love my hubby and I am grateful for his sacrifice!!!!!!! God Bless America!!!

ITS A GIRL!!!!

Well Stacey was right, its going to be a girl!!! We are very very excited!!!I can't believe shortly after Stacey comes home, there will be a baby here too!!!! Noah, is also excited and wasn't at all disappointed (which I thought he would be). The ultrasound tech was amazing.. We went through the whole body to make sure that this little girl had all the right parts.. I am a pretty sassy person and when I first came in I told her, "My husband thinks its a girl and I am here to prove him wrong." As we were going through the body and she was checking everything out the tech turns to me and says, "I think there is a problem!" I was thinking, OH NO!!!!!!! "I don't see boy parts, I see girl parts. Your husband was right!" I had a good laugh at that one.. Then the tech showed me how much my baby moved. I really felt I like I haven't really felt her move at all yet. But that is so not true. When she got the baby to move I felt it!!!!! It wasn't what I remembered with Noah! So all this time I have felt her, but never knew! Now, this baby doesn't stop moving and i love that!!!!

Other good news is that I made it through 9 months of deployment on Tuesday.. I can't believe I made this milestone!!! HOORAY!!! I hope the next 3 months don't drag.. I am so ready for Stacey to be home!

Well I am now looking for color schemes for the new baby! I am really excited!!! But, I will say this! Why wasn't there this cute of boy stuff when I was having Noah??? I have been seeing all of this cute boy stuff everywhere.. Well now that I know what I am looking for I can choose girlie stuff.. Stacey has already addressed her as a "princess" so if she is, she must dress like one!!

9 months woah...

I have been really really really bad at this whole blog thing.. Last time I wrote was when I just got back from Mississippi. That was before the holiday maddess and somehow we are now in JUNE of 2011... well A few things have changed.. Stacey has now been gone for almost 9 whole months.. OMW!!!! when did that happen???? I feel like it has gone really fast yet horrible slow.. Does that make sense??? We are coming to the tail end of it and I couldn't be more excited!!!!!!! I am ready for him to be home and everything to get back to "normal" soon... Okay so this is a recap of the last 7 months.

Noah loved his year in Kindergarten!!He is beginning to read yet having lots of trouble, but we are trying so hard.. He loves science and doing experiments. And he of course loved recess.. He is really excited to be finished with school for the year and he loves to sleep in! Hooray for summer!!!!! although he is really excited to start 1st grade!! :) He will be 6 here in a few weeks and he is so ready to be 6!!

Stacey came home for R&R in February. We had a blast!!! We didn't do anything besides relaxing and enjoying our two weeks... It was so hard to say goodbye again.. (I really didn't think it would be ya know.. But it was hard to have him back and then rushed away) He is doing really well! Its getting really hot there in Iraq and I am surprised he hasn't complained about it. (you know I would) But he is doing a great job and I am so proud of him!!! :)

Well thanks to R&R Stacey and I are expecting a baby in Nov 2011.. OMW!!!! I am really excited!!! and Stacey believes its a girl for sure.. and I pray he isn't broken hearted. Well we will see if he is right 2 weeks... I will be 20 weeks by then. I don't care what the gender the baby is just as long as its happy and healthy!!!

I am excited for the summer! Noah and I are planning BIG THINGS! well not necessarily big things but we want to have fun.. Noah is playing tball and swim lessons.. He is so big!!! I love every moment of being with my little man and I will cherish it bc soon enough there will be another brother or sister that we will have with us!! SO EXCITED! That's it for a while everyone. I hope to report more soon!!!