Photo Friday, golden birthday fun, and a surprise guest!

Wow it's crazy how much can happen in a week. First of all, thank you for all the birthday love! Usually, I'm so excited to celebrate my birthday, but this year, I don't know, I just wasn't feeling it. I would've thought that it being my golden birthday, I'd be celebrating longer than my normal week, but I just couldn't get excited about it.

Last Thursday night, Josh got called into work, he ended up working past 9 o'clock. I was trying my hardest to stay awake, but this pregnant mama was struggling. Just as I was about to call it a night, I hear the front door opening. When I looked over to greet Josh, a different person met my glance. My mom strolled through the door!

If you know me, you know I'm kind of hard to surprise. I love being surprised, but for some reason, I end up ruining it. Every. Single. Time. Not this time. Josh and my parents really got me, and no one believed that I had no idea. I couldn't stop crying, I was so happy. I feel so blessed that the people I'm closest to know not only how to brighten my spirits, but also know that they needed a lift to begin with.

Saturday, we went bowling. Our friends Shelby, Billy, and Sophia surprised me with a beautiful birthday cake!  Later that night we played "Cards Against Humanity," if this was any indication of how my birthday week was going to be, I was in for a birthday to remember!

My actual birthday was spent sleeping in a little, hitting IHOP for breakfast, then making the hour trip to Las Cruces to hit the mall there (there really isn't much of a mall here), and enjoying Dippin' Dots and Olive Garden, before heading back home. The rest of the day was spent just hanging with a few of my favorite people. Oh and it was 70 degrees ON MY BIRTHDAY! That has never happened to me, and will probably never happen again. I soaked up as much of that glorious sunshine while I could.

 One of our family photo outtakes

The beautiful drive to Las Cruces includes scenic mountains and white sands

I didn't realize how much I missed Dippin' Dots, so good!

 My birthday dates

My other birthday date

Take home birthday tirimisu from Olive Garden! One of the many surprises I recieved from Josh, my new dehydrator. He also got me a wine cooler and the essential oils I've had my eye on. Seriously, my husband is pretty awesome!

Wednesday was my mom's last full day here, so we hit up the Old Apple Barn. Guys, this is one of the cutest little stores I've ever been to. It's basically a little nostalgia shop, but you can also get fudge, pies, apple and cherry ciders, and assorted types of nuts. My favorite part was the cider, you can get it in a bottle, or they also serve it in slushie form!

I'm pretty sure he would've drank that whole thing by himself if we let him haha

 I love that you can see the white sands in the distance

 My Mama is way braver than me!

Me and my love!

So, like I said before, it's crazy how much can happen in a week! With that being said, I still have a Photo Friday to share!

Day 24: Best invention ever. Airplanes. Airplanes are the best! They brought my mom down here and I still can't believe I got to spend my birthday with her! Thank you Mom, Dad, and Josh!

Day 25: Cloud 9. I love my boys, and I can't wait to see Josh with one more added to the mix. Cole asks me at least once every morning, "Where Daddy?" They are two peas in a pod, and I love seeing the love between them. 

Day 26: Home. 1. Don't you love how Josh's car is displayed?! 2. It looks like there's a tiny circus in our back yard. 3. The blue skies here are unreal sometimes. I think it's my favorite thing about living here. 4. Gotta love base housing and our neighbor's garage door being a different color than ours!

Day 27: Birthday. Wow. I am 27. It's still sounds foreign to me, but then saying I was 26 sounded funny too. In typical Trout family photo fashion, I am the only one looking at the camera. I really hope this next kid takes after me, and actually looks at the camera for more than a split second. 

Day 28: Letter "D." This one slipped my mind. Can we just count the "D" in the signs behind us? You may also notice, Josh is looking at the camera! Baby steps, baby steps.

Day 29: Street. This was taken on our way back from the Old Apple Barn and I can't get enough of just how beautiful this view is! 

Day 30: In my bag. It's super exciting, I know. If I hadn't cleaned my purse out earlier this week, you would've also found a couple of toys, old shopping lists, and a few receipts. If we're running errands and I know we'll be gone for a while, I might also toss an orange in the bag as well.

Day 31: Goal. I really want to make as many memories in New Mexico as we can, before we move back to Omaha in October.

I'm also celebrating 4 years of blogging! It's crazy to think that when I started this blog, I was still living in Omaha, Josh and I were childless, had never been to Europe, or New Mexico. Yet, here we are, living in New Mexico, expecting our second child, and we have great memories from our time in Germany. Life's pretty amazing!

My Birthday in Review Part 1

My birthday was this last week and I'm excited to share with you. First, thank you again to everyone that wished me a happy birthday. You've made me feel so loved and I can't tell you how much that meant to me, especially this year. I'll be the first to admit, when Josh has to be away, I become a full-on hermit. I take zero issue with this. I know he wishes I'd be more social, but really if I don't have to go somewhere, I probably won't.

For my birthday, I decided to use the spa gift card Josh got me for Christmas...in 2012. I had forgotten I had it, and since it expires in March, what better time to use it, right?! My friend Linzy was kind enough to watch Cole so I could have a few hours of relaxation. My gift card included a back/neck and foot massage, manicure, and pedicure.

I've never had a professional massage before, really the only frame of reference I could think of was Phoebe from Friends. I had no idea such a tiny lady could inflict such an exact amount of strength and momentary pain onto my body. It wasn't all painful; I found I carry a lot of stress in my shoulders, I also discovered I'm quite ticklish there. Between the small stabs of pain, I also experienced that feeling of my whole body shaking because I'm trying to hold back laughter. What a confusing feeling.

After my massage came the pedicure. I've never had a pedicure that included a paraffin wax dip. I've also never experienced a manicure and pedicure that took over two hours to complete. I'm not sure if the technician doing it was new, or maybe she was just trying to do a good job (which she did), but two hours? Really?! She wouldn't talk to me either, so it was a very quiet and awkward two hours.

I learned something very valuable about myself on my birthday: I do not find the spa a relaxing retreat. Efficiency is something I value greatly, and if it isn't observed, I find myself very anxious. Next year, I think I'll just curl up with a book and a cup of coffee.

When I went to pick up Cole, I found a very sleepy boy who wouldn't nap (sorry about that by the way, Linzy). By the time we got home, it was a little too late for the birthday meal I had originally planned, so Cole and I ended up having chicken nuggets and tater tots. Still not a bad birthday supper. Check back tomorrow for my original birthday supper idea, as well as my birthday cake!

Oh and before I forget, happy anniversary to my little blog! It's been three wonderful years! I can't wait to see what else is in store for us!

Happy birthday little blog!

 
Wow! Who would've thought that 2 years ago I'd be living in Germany with a beautiful baby boy? Not me that's for sure! When I started this blog I wanted it to use it as a platform to share my experiences and adventures as a military spouse.

I love sharing my adventures with you. Some of my favorites have been:
My move to Biloxi
Heidi coming to town AND we found out we got stationed at Ramstein (all in one post-wow!)
Heidi coming back down to Biloxi and we went and saw Marie Laveau's tomb in New Orleans
Going back to New Orleans with Sarah and Time during Tropical Storm Lee 
Finding out we were about to be a family of three
What I wasn't expecting while expecting
How I looked right before becoming a mommy
Introducing Coleden to everyone
Family coming to meet my son and going to Heidelberg, Landstuhl and Trier
Cole's first Halloween
And hopefully very soon I'll be sharing our Christmas break adventures!

If the next two years are as packed as the last two have been, I'm in for quite a ride. Thank you for sticking with me on this journey, I can't wait to see where life takes me next!

Happy 1 year of blogging!

First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who takes time out of their day to read my blog! It means a lot to me that you care enough to not just read once, but that you’ve come back time and time again.

Second, can you believe everything that has happened since this blog began?! I would’ve never guessed in a million years that on this anniversary I’d be sitting in my stairwell in GERMANY! That is quite a change from my little apartment in Papillion!!! This year was the perfect year to start recording my adventures not only as an Air Force wife, but as a mother-to-be.

I am in such a happy place in my life right now; I can’t wait to see what I’ll be writing on my 2 year anniversary!