a vacation to remember

this post is belated but not one i was ready to forget to write!  over memorial day weekend, the murray family paid us a visit for a family vacation.  we had looked forward to that week for so long but it surpassed our expectations.  we enjoyed our time under the florida sun but most of all, our time spent together.

here are some of our favorite memories:

nick didn't know it at the time but there's a 6ft hammerhead out there!!

they swear this cooler weighed 2 tons!

happy memorial day!

they even helped us move!

saying goodbye is no fun, huh boys?

thank you to the wonderful Murray family for joining us for this unforgettable week! we love and miss you so much :)

{happy friday}

just wanted to pop in and wish a happy belated easter to all our family and friends! it was hard to be away from home for the celebration but we had a few visitors who made it one of our best pensacola weekends yet.  jeff battipaglia {in town from his duty station in okinawa, japan} and tyler simmons {graduate of the infantry officer course in quantico, virginia -congrats!} came down for a short trip.  the weekend was absolutely gorgeous so we spent our time on the boat and at the beach.  we even shared the most delicious easter dinner at shane and jen bothel's place.  we hold on to our time with friends like these because we know how precious it is. what would we do without it?!

jason wright just missed seeing jeff and tyler when he was in pensacola two weeks ago for a short training trip.  so good to catch up with him as always, too!

vince is still studying a bunch of his day away and learning all about the nuts and bolts of flying.  i have been feeling thankful for my job, too, and that it keeps me busy and productive while v is at school.  i especially love lunch breaks downtown with sweet friends who come to join me- thank you jen, liv and michelle!

and the weekend is back again. we are looking forward to this one spent celebrating livie bothel's first birthday. tonight, we joined her and her momma and pop at the blue wahoo's game here in pensacola.  she had the most delicious froyo treat post-game ;)  tomorrow is her birthday party and we cant wait to play and visit with friends.  happy birthday sweet girl!

hope to see you all soon.  all our love!

adventure at sea

we had an exciting adventure on the water today when we took the boat out for its first spin!  it was a beautiful day for everyone... except poor finny who got sea sick :(. we hope this is something he will overcome soon because we plan on spending the summer at sea!

the weekend was the perfect way to celebrate v's completion of ifs {initial flight screening} and his first solo flight!  it's just the beginning of the training ahead but i'm still so proud of his hard work so far.  now he gets a short break before picking back up at api {aviation preflight indoctrination- i had to google this one-ha!}.  i'm looking forward to a few lunch breaks spent with him on his week off!

i had another exciting photo shoot today of an adorable couple expecting a little one in just a few months- pictures of this coming soon to the website!

january in the sunshine state

v has finally started flight school and i feel so proud!  he is studying his life away but is so glad to be on the road to becoming a pilot at last.  we're trying not to rush our time here in pensacola because it's just so beautiful but we're excited for the day when he gets those wings :)

since soon tuck will be staying home by himself for a few hours every day, we decided that he really needed a friend so we pulled the trigger and bought little pup #2.  crazy, i know.  but he is just so cute and the perfect playmate for tuck.  he can't wait to meet john and ann when they come to visit this weekend!

life for me is going great.  work is keeping me busy while vince is studying and i've even made some friends at bible study.  it's been great to get into a routine- it seems like it's been so long since we've had one of those! counting down till the next time we're home...

p.s. congrats to gus and allison on their engagement!! this means we're sisters, right? ;)

24

v is 24 today and we're off to applebees (his favorite) to celebrate.  seeing jack reacher is on our to-do list, too.  we're both tom cruise fans- fans of his movies, that is. i guess you know you're growing up when your birthday celebration is a simple dinner and a movie :)

we took tuck on base with us earlier today and headed over to the track so vince could go for a run. i thought i'd just play fetch or take him for a little walk.  since no one was around, i let him off the leash to play and as soon as vince took off running, sweet tuck followed right behind- for almost two miles!  he's napping the day away now, of course, but what a good boy he is!

our time home for christmas was, like always, so much fun.  we didn't catch up on much sleep but only because we'd way rather be spending time with both of our wonderful families.  it was harder than usual to leave this time and maybe because it was such a good visit but we are already talking about when we can make it home next. the twelve hour drive is well worth it! we love you and miss you, family and friends!

till next time :)

catching up

just checking in to catch up on all that's been going on here in pensacola, fl!  in a disappointing turn of events, the first house we rented was broken into so out we moved and now we're into a house we love in a safe and adorable little neighborhood.  our two spare bedrooms mean space to roam and it feels so great!  they are just begging for visitors :)

vince starts ifs {introductory flight screening} in early january so until then, he does pt and mcmap (physical training and marine corps martial arts} every morning and has most evenings off to catch up on some well-deserved resting after all of his hard work at tbs {the basic school}.  notice all the acronyms?? i'm still learning, too!  once ifs and especially primary flight school begin, he'll be busy all over again.

as for me: i have a job, at last!  after a few weeks of moving in, moving out, then moving back in again, i was beyond ready to get to work.  i was hired just last monday as an administrative assistant/legal administrator at a law firm in downtown pensacola.  it's the greatest location and my twice-daily walks to the post office to retrieve mail are the perfect chance to explore the little street where the office sits!  i'm feeling great about the job and especially about the people i work with.  they are God-loving and have been more than welcoming.  two coworkers have even asked me to join their bible study.  i don't think i could have asked for the more perfect job.

i couldn't possibly write today without mentioning the big game tomorrow... we can't wait to watch our cats face the duke blue devils.  it is so much fun to root for walk on jarrod polson!  GO CATS

photos of beach coming soon!

celebration

it's been just over one year since my first post so i couldn't resist sharing another birthday memory with everyone.  this year, it's carli jo's sweet sixteen:

new car!

 a surprise trip to indy

 and a celebration at her favorite restaurant:

our trip home has been a true breath of fresh air and leaving this place is once again, bittersweet.  we are beyond excited for our move to pensacola and another adventure but it is never easy to leave the family and friends we love so much.

here are some of the memories we've shared with them since we've been home:

walton-verona fall festival

camyrn's soccer game

homecoming- isn't she beautiful??

tomorrow, it's off to pensacola!!