8 Valentines I'll Never Send

I love sending and receiving mail, so, of course, Valentine's Day is great in my book. Grace has been working on some Valentine's Day crafts for her grandparents, so I thought I would write some Valentines for some people/places/things that might not get showered with love come February 14th...

1. Sochi, Russia

I actually haven't seen any of the Olympics because we don't have TV right now, but from what I can gather, some things were overlooked by the Olympic preparation committee...

Sochi,
I hope you prepare more for Valentine's Day than you prepared for the Olympics. Don't take all the criticism too harshly, people just love to complain. 

XOXO,
Allison 
2. Greek Yogurt

Professing my love for yogurt-if that's wrong, then I don't want to be right.

The Greek Gods Greek Yogurt,
Dang! You are so delicious! I'm not even mad that one serving has 290 calories and over 45% of my daily saturated fat. You're worth it! 

Yours forever,
Allison
3. My amazing husband

He deserves more than my cheesy blog Valentine!

My Love,
Thank you for being patient, helpful, loving and funny. You make me a better person. Grace and I are so lucky to have you in our family! 

Love,
Allison
4. Deployed soldiers

Deployed Soldiers,
I'm sorry you can't be home right now to spend Valentine's Day with your loved ones. Stay safe and know that your sacrifices and service are very much appreciated. 

Best,
Allison
5. Families of deployed soldiers

Military Families,
Hang in there! You are so tough, and even though I know sometimes it feels thankless, you are doing an important job. Pour yourself a glass of something and indulge in some Girl Scout Cookies! I hope your family is reunited soon!

Hugs,
Allison
6. The Mellow Mushroom waiter

Good pizza and good service- he should be showered in Valentines!

Mellow Mushroom Waiter,
I know it can't be easy to wait on a table full of babies and toddlers, but I appreciate your friendly smile, positive attitude and willingness to go the extra mile for our large group. 

See you soon,
Allison
7. The Post Office

They probably deliver a lot of Valentine's and don't receive many! 

United States Postal Service,
Happy Valentine's Day! I bet you love delivering all of those colorful greeting cards. We've been through some rough times-like when you let a complete stranger put our mail on hold and lied about trying to deliver packages. I forgive you, but pretty please don't let it happen again. I can see why people lose their faith in government... DMV, USPS... It's not pretty. 

Sincerely,
Allison
8. My neighbor

To My Neighbor,
You're the epitome of a sweet southern lady. We will miss you. Thanks for letting us borrow your ladder. Happiest Valentine's Day to you!

Warm regards,
Allison

8 people/places/or things you'd like to give a virtual Valentine to. 

Super cute free printable Valentine's from Mufn Inc.

Life is Like Riding a Bicycle...

...to keep your balance you must keep moving. 

The next few days will be spent purging, packing and living in a basic state of chaos. We will be leaving our first home and life in the military. It's time for a new adventure...

Picture created in the awesomely addicting #Waterlogue app

While, of course, we are excited, there is also a sense of sadness to leave. We bought and moved into this house just 2 short weeks before Grace was born. This is the house we brought her home to and the place we reunited as a family when Cole returned from his deployment. Our first home. Christmases, birthdays, summer days and snowy days. Happy days and poopy-diaper sleepless days.

I am going to miss the quiet walks around the neighborhood and the beautiful sunsets. I won't miss Fayetteville "traffic" or the 1.5 hour drive to the RDU airport.

I am going to miss the wonderful friends we've made (especially my Stroller Strides mamas!) I'm not going to miss living in a transient military town full of too many goodbyes.

I'm going to miss this time I got to spend at home watching my daughter grow from a tiny 5 lb. baby to a busy, sweet and independent 2-year-old.

I am thankful for all of the opportunities that the Army has given us. Military life isn't always easy, but it did allow us to build a stronger life together and taught us to make the most of a situation. We learned that friends and family really are the most important thing in life.

"It's not about the destination, it's about the passengers you travel with." 

-anonymous 

Our home is the place where we can be together, so I know we will be just fine in Tennessee. The job and the town you live in don't not have to define you. Each day is a fresh new start and a chance to live the life you want. I'm excited for new beginnings, new friends, new jobs, new laughs and new territory to explore. See you later, North Carolina, Tennessee here we come!

Photo Credit

Printable Super Bowl XLVIII Pool

Alright, so the 49ers lost the NFC division playoff game to the Seahawks in a failed last minute drive 2 weeks ago. I've had some time to recover from the loss (and watch Sherman rant all over the television), so I figured it was time to focus on the Super Bowl.

SUPER BOWL XLVIII

Denver Broncos vs. Seattle Seahawks

Yeah, right. Thanks! Photo Credit

Are you ready for the big game? The hype, the snacks and the commercials? Who will you be rooting for?

Our family likes to make things a little more interesting with a Super Bowl pool. Here is a blank printable version for you to con enjoy with your friends and family.

My pro-bowl team!

Check out 2016's Super Bowl 50 Printable Pool here!

Looking Forward to 2014

Here it is January, 9th, so that seems like the perfect time to finish my new year's resolutions. Last year I I really tried to Push It and go outside of my comfort zone. It was an amazing year, spending time with family, watching our little girl grow up and dreaming about our future.

Here are some of my favorite memories from 2013:

Getting certified to teach Stroller Strides

Running the Zombie Mud Run

Grace's first day of "school"

Easter Breakfast with the Bunny and egg hunt with my mom

Family trip to Myrtle Beach for the Diva Half Marathon

Music Together class with Grace

Taking Grace to the zoo on Father's Day

We celebrated our nine year anniversary 

Cole ran the Army Ten Miler really fast 

Playing in the kiddy pool and the sprinkler with Grace and Cole

Visiting Jennifer in Maryland and taking Grace to the Discovery Museum

Playing volleyball with The Lovely Lady Bumps

Family trip to the lake house during the summer

Grace's second birthday party at Gillis Hill Farm

Cole getting accepted into the masters program at Penn State

Trips to the pumpkin patch and corn maze

I had an extra-special 28th birthday

Trick-or-treating with my little wonder woman on Halloween

Thanksgiving kickball and the Bobcat's game in Charlotte

Flying to California to see my parents and their new house

Playing in the snow

Christmas was so fun with a 2 year old

It really was an amazing year. I feel so lucky for all of the opportunities I had to stay healthy, spend time with friends and family and watch sweet Grace grow up. I am thankful for a supportive, funny husband who is leading us on a new adventure this year. Big things are in the works…

My 2014 Vision Board: