Yesterday our lil man became a 1 year old.  I know... I don't know how that is possible.  Here are some pictures take throughout this amazing year. 
                                          Easter Day Brunch at the Officer's Club on Base

                                                                      8 weeks old




                                                                   Halloween Night

So we picked up a new "fun" accessory last week for Miles.

Miles has plagiocephaly and in lay man's terms that is a flat spot.  You see Miles' noggin has been in the 99% since 6 months when it grew considerably from 4 to 6 months.  During this time he wasn't rolling over yet, which I think was associated with the head growth.  I was afraid to let him sleep on his belly until he was rolling over on his own more frequently.  Hence... we have a flat spot which is thankfully directly center in the back of his head which means that his face is still symmetrical. 

He's doing extremely well with it, which makes this mama's heart feel so much better.  Yes,  Miles now 10 months old, and the optimal time to get a helmet for plagiocephaly is 6 months...but we can thank Tricare for that gem.  I was questioning peds on base about this since 4 months.  I have been concerned about it but they always shrugged it off.  At 9 months I was adamant about it and we got referred out. 

If anyone knows anything about Tricare, you know we got denied to cover the helmet.  I knew it going in so I wasn't shocked.  I think that's part of the reason the base wasn't pushing for it.  They knew it would be denied and my doctor always reminded me.  They view it as purely cosmetic, only covering it if it was a result of a surgery.  Thanks for nothing military insurance. 

We picked up our helmet on Thursday and he's doing great.  He has slept like a champ in it and even loves to play with it when he's not wearing it. 

He's such an amazing lil guy.  He makes his mama so proud. 

We decided if lil man was going to have to wear a helmet we might as well make it the toughest looking helmet you can find and chose the skull design.  Obviously we'll be working this into our Halloween costume. 

For those interested... his shirt is Osh Kosh and his shorts are from H&M.  I purchased the tee-pee from this Etsy site.  It's custom made and it got here amazingly fast. 

And yes, I didn't realize that my hair tie was around my wrist and yes it annoys the crap out of me too. 

Several weeks ago I was asked to preview a new book coming out.  This offer struck me initially because it was written by a fellow military wife but then after reading more about the book, it hit me down to my core as a wife and as a mother.

The book is My Special Force:  The Warrior Who taught Me the Meaning of Life and Love, written by Heather Means. 

There is a certain kinship you feel as a military wife that others really don't understand, not because they don't want to, just because they can never truly know what it feels like until you've been there.  As I read Heather's words I have felt almost every single emotion she has felt. 

We both fell in love with guys we hadn't expected to.  These are men that can make us laugh uncontrollably, want to crawl under the table because of their antics, and be in awe of their shear unwillingness to quit.  Its these types of men (and women) that make up our armed forces and its these types that get sent out to do the work that needs to be done. 

I know what it feels like to send a husband (the special guy up there) to war.  I know what it feels like to have a husband that has a dangerous job.  I know what it feels like to be alone during your pregnancy.  I know what it feels like to raise a child alone.  I know what it feels like to sit at a funeral for a friend who lost her husband and the father of her children after a jet crash.  I know what it feels like to shed a tear every time I see a huge American flag flying.  Like I said... there is a kinship there for sure.

The book is a love story.  It tells the story of Ryan and Heather Means.  It gives you snapshots via emails, letters, stories, etc. in the world of these two souls - how they met, fell in love, and the impact Ryan had on the lives of everyone he met, even four years after his death at the young age of 35.

To quote Heather, "Ryan was fearless, funny, and deeply patriotic. When his lifelong friend, Adam White, died in WTC attack in 2011, Ryan, a Southern boy loving his life in New York, left the city life to join the Special Forces... Though he was almost a decade older than most other recruits, Ryan's drive and ambition pushed him to earn his place in one of the nation's most elite fighting forces:  the Green Berets."   

Heather met Ryan by chance while vacationing in North Carolina the summer of 2005.  Their love was fast and furious.  For years, their relationship consisted of long distance phone calls, emails, relocations, and 2 pregnancies while Ryan was deployed in Iraq.  During their 2nd pregnancy and Ryan's deployment, he became ill and was given only 30 days to live. 

The book truly honors the life of Ryan Means.  Its a beautiful and heart-wrenching story that makes you want to cherish this glorious life we've all been given but reminds you to live each day to the fullest.  Ryan was a true patriot.  He loved this country and everything it stood for. 

At the end of each update email he wrote to his friends and family, he signed off  "Keep on Rocking in the Free World".  Its because of men like him we can do that.  Thank you Ryan Means. 





Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of the book when it becomes available October 15th.  Its an important and beautiful story.  I was honored to be asked to read it.  I think you will be too. 

So the Jetplanes have been busy lil bees for the past month or so.   Daddy came home for a full 4 weeks and we soaked up every second. 
Here our my 2 big guys meeting up at the airport.  Love those 2.

Mommy had to fly to Pcola for work, so we packed up the newly reunited family and headed to Florida for a few days.  Daddy hadn't gotten to fly with Miles, like Mama has.  He was in for some adventure. 
Here are some snapshots from our trip. 








Unfortunately it rained in the entire weekend but it was nice during the week while mommy was working, of course. 
We came back for a few days.  Daddy and Miles ran their 1st 5k and got 2nd place.  Pretty sure most underestimated Daddy since he was pushing a stroller.  I guess Miles was laughing at everyone as they passed them.  They weren't expecting a guy with a stroller smoking them. 


We then packed up the whole family again and headed up north to McCall, Idaho for a long weekend.  We have spent a lot of time up there during the winter months but never during the summer.  We rented a cabin in the woods and really enjoyed ourselves. 




As with all good things, they must come to an end.  Daddy left to go to a new training course for the next few months.  We dropped him off early in the morning last weekend. 

We sure do miss our Daddy.  But hopefully we'll be able to swing a weekend visit in the next month or so. 

 Mr. Jetplane has been gone for a training program since March.  We have gotten to see him twice since he left, both for long weekends.  So, as you can imagine, we miss Daddy a lot.  We Skype with him every night, but that's just not the same.  Lil man is growing up so quickly, it breaks my heart that Daddy isn't here to witness these changes first hand.  He is coming home on Saturday for about a month.  We can't wait!!! 

Take a look at that face... I'd like to say he gets that from his Daddy, but I'm pretty sure that dirty look right there, that's mine.  He was busy playing on his piano and watching cartoons and he wasn't happy about Mama interrupting his "ME" time.