A fun fall week

This week has been a fun one. Hunny girl and I stayed busy with walks, trips to the park, baking, and just playing. It's hard trying to stay busy with just Isabelle and I. But we do, I always figure something out...

When I really think about it I get sad, and sometimes want to cry. Our life being closer to family would be so different. For instance, I talk to my mom almost every single day, on top of my 2 besties that I talk to at least 2-3 times a week. Lord, if we were closer to home...there'd be trips to my parents house probably every other day! Play dates every weekend with my girlfriends. Birthday parties, girls night out, craft days, (clearly my craft schedule with girlfriends is out the window, tear.)The list is endless...so I breath, say a little prayer, and have to remember how lucky I am to have a husband who adores Isabelle and I. Who works so I don't have to, so I can be the homemaker. It's the Army life...I miss our other duty station in the sense that I don't have my other Army wife. I was lucky enough to have a few mommy friends and 1 girlfriend that Izzy n I did everything with. Our girls stayed busy; we were able to laugh and just vent about life...shop, work out. I have a few girl friends here which I thank God for. However, I find myself at the gym alone,no work out buddy :(. Scrolling through my address book almost every day knowing that I will see the same numbers and HOPING that at least one of the mommy's will be free to hang out. Grrrrrrrrrrr, okay, okay...think of the positive. We are all healthy, things are always changing for the better, and God is here for me (us) whenever you need him!

Back to today's topic, our fun fall week.
Isabelle helped with baking some peanut butter banana bread, potato pancakes, cake, and 'ca ca' coloring our fall/Halloween cards to her girlfriends!
Isabelle is doing better and better everyday with not crawling out of her day bed at 5 am! Yesterday she slept in her bed till 6 before crawling in by mama, and 7ish this a.m. Thank you Lord...I wonder how #2 will be?

A sigh of Relief

Things are much smoother since last week. So many things are changing, for the good!
So here are some fun things that we are checking off our check list of 'life with a toddler.'
1.) No bottle for a week (Yes she still asks for it when going to bed (sometimes), but has not had it!)
2. No rocking before bed since last Monday.
3. No paci, never needed one before and you don't need it now hunny girl.
4. Are you ready for it? Isabelle is sleeping in a day bed! Yep that's right, side rail is off her crib and we are moving on up. Going cold turkey hasn't been too hard on Isabelle which is what I was most worried about. Since we rock a bit before nap time or just when reading a book; she seems okay with not needing to rock at night.
As far as her bottle goes, she has only cried for it when she is extremely tired. For the most part she is still easily distracted which helps in this case.
It took Isabelle a few days to realize 'o my gosh, it's broke!' that it wasn't broke..heheee. I just hear her say it and I have to laugh. Any who, she has been in her big girl bed for a week now and life is much better. A few times she has gotten out of bed, opened her door and came to my side of the bed. It takes two times of putting her back in her bed, but she goes. We are so proud of our big girl. I wish we would have broken the bottle a bit sooner, but hey your first is always your practice child.
Tomorrow Isabelle will be 21 months-where has the last year gone? Isabelle is saying 3 words at a time, is putting her own pants on, and loves when I put makeup on her. She smacks her lips when lip gloss is applied and giggles when I wipe my eyelid brush on her eyes. She's a sweat little girl when she's not throwing a fit. This weekend was relaxed and just fun. Pot roast for dinner Sunday; in between Jake and I yelling at the Packers and Vikings. That was an intense 3 hours.
Time seems to fly with Jake home. The weeks fly by, and it's hard to believe a year ago today Jake was home on his R n R. Isabelle was pulling herself up on to everything;and had just started saying 'momma' and 'dadda' time is going fast!

I can't wait to share some exciting news with the handful of people that read this..haha..but I have to wait..all in good time.

I was a little bored on Sunday-rearranged the living room, made some bagel dip-and then had some fun with my glue gun and spaghetti jar!

Just for good measure, my husband sending me a picture of himself; and yes he's drinking wine! ha





IS THIS DAY OVER YET???????????Are you ready to read me venting? Cause here it goes.
Today has been the worst, Isabelle slept on and off from midnight-ish to 2:38 a.m.! I mean seriously! I don't have a new born, help! What is going on? It was back and forth between mommy and daddy's bed for 2 and a half hours-the only thing we have come up with is 'night terrors.' Maybe our little munchkin honey poo had her first night mare, well, that we know of.
No fever, no owe-a's, none of the above. At one point I was up with her just watching cartoons and she was just fine. Then she was freaking out about her 'baba' and not having her paci. Have I ever mentioned that Isabelle never took a paci, but other children around her do. So, for some reason last night she wanted hers. I tore her room up looking for it-and it was just behind the couch! (pull my hair out, seriously?)

This latter morning was much better, since she slept till 8:30-so after we made daddy a bacon scrambler, off we went to the park. Which was great-a few of her friends were there too. BUT, the minute we walked in the door the devil was unleashed. Ugh, yes-that's how she is acting! Throw herself on the floor, scream into the floor, kick, and says 'no no no.'
Well she eventually calmed down and is now sleeping like a little angel. Of course after a battle of wanting her 'baba' and 'paci';which then lead to more crying and her vomiting in her crib, while standing because she was crying that hard. She is a big girl and in the next couple of weeks both her 'paci' and 'baba' will be no more.

Last but not least, the days of rocking are now over! Yes she rocks in the chair with mom or dad, mostly me. And enough is enough-Jake and I should have stopped it back in June...and we'll just leave it at that. Next baby-sorry once your one and walking around, straight to bed you go, when it's that time.

Don't let the pictures fool you, she really was naughty!..........................I feel much better now; I am ready for the rest of my day,another cup of coffee, and to enjoy the rest of my day with my daughter.
Amen
(Yes, that felt like a prayer)

Girls Just want to have fun

I have a few pictures to share of my best friends Jessica and her husband Greg's wedding....it was beautiful and fun....and I miss them and their little ones too much.


I am sure from the pics you can see what a fun wedding us girls were apart of!

Oh and Isabelle and her girlfriends, look out!


Kylie and Alexandria came over for a tea party and dress up! Aimee's 2 girls-and my Izzy loves them!

4 years all ready!

This weekend was such an awesome weekend for us Gehl's. My husband a.k.a. 'lovaaa' and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary on Saturday...and how sweet it is that it was on Sweetest Day :) awww yes, it was grand! (I'm doing a fist pump just thinkin' about it!) Jake and I had a relaxing morning; well after we put our phones on vibrate that is :)
So any who-we took a nice ride through the Franklin Mountains here in El Paso, which then took us to our next adventure. The 3 of us went to a pumpkin patch and corn maze that had a few other fun activities as well. On our hay ride we were smack in the middle of a cotton field as well as chili fields, it was gorgeous.
Isabelle was so excited to go on a tractor ride; and she had on her boots n ruffled skirt; looking so snazzy in her outfit. Jake and I were beaming at our cute little family. Lately it seems we have been enjoying the 3 of us; really enjoying being parents; all tantrums aside. I don't mean we don't normally-but toddlers are tough! Sometimes I want to throw myself on the floor and scream too. Well that just wouldn't be appropriate though,. right? haha...Our arguments, well they just aren't there. I don't know if it was our week away or just knowing our anni was round the corner. Life has just been really relaxed and fun...a lot is changing for us and we can't help but smile and thank our Lord.
We concluded our day with the best margaritas we have ever had and a pot of chicken chili that had been simmering in the crock since noon. MMMMM!

Sunday we did nothing but veg all day, I mean sweat pants and all! Other than a little walk to get some fresh air; it was nothing but dips I made and football. Isabelle was kind enough to watch with us. At one point the smarty pants sat with Jake for awhile and would say comments like 'boom' and 'oh man!' when the players would fall or were tackled. Yep, this child has personality to the max!



On another note, Isabelle is pretty much speaking full sentences, I am talking 3 words here people! Seriously, she is growing way too fast..she's just a little person running and playing and talking. She tells us 'shhh' when her baby is sleeping, can burp and feed her (and for some reason will call her baby Jim after grandpa Jim, or Aimee, my bff here in this awful desert.)
She will ask for a pillow when lounging on the couch, and will repeatedly say 'o my goshhhh' when anything falls, breaks, or hearing a loud noise. She has now started saying 'oh snap', 'thank you' and 'please.' Which is making disciplining her very hard. Her little voice will so sweetly say 'please mama' or 'sorry.' I mean seriously! I just want to squeeze her and give everything and anything!


And my FAV...wait for it...wait for it!!!!!!!!!!! She folds her hands when we pray and says 'Amen.' Oh I love you Isabelle :) Yes your mom or 'Hannah' as you like to call me is obsessed with you!

just a few wedding pics

Here are a few pics from the wedding...sill share more as they come out.

On another note, I can finally share a few pictures of the antiques I got from my grandpa on our last trip home in Aug/Sept! Those will be up next.

back to normal

Well, Isabelle and I are getting back to normal, here at home in El Paso. We were in Wi this last week for my best friends wedding! It was a beautiful wedding and a wonderful time to go home. Isabelle got to experience true fall beauty and I finally got to do some real wedding stuff. Along with a pumpkin patch, beautiful walks, and good family time this was a busy and wonderful vacation. My bf's colors were orange and black. I was in charge of the wishing tree; unfortunately still no camera, so as I get some pics I will post them :)Otherwise here are a few from this past Saturday...and Isabelle.