Date Nights Can Lead to Date Mornings!!!

2 days left of 2011. Why not make the most of what is left? Why not end the year on a great note?

I can't think of anything better then a date night!

Not sure any wife and mother can think of something better than a great date with the man she loves more than anything in the world!

So Scott and I decided to spend last night together just the two of us! We love California sunsets and can and should enjoy them every night. Unfortunately he works until after the sun goes down most evenings. Not yesterday!! They let him out of the cell early so we made a cup of joe and heading to the beach and watch that amazing sunset without a soul around us! It was great! Then off to dinner for 2 at a great Italian restaurant! The food was AMAZING and out time together was priceless! I love nights like this, even if we call it a night at 9pm because we are old and boring!

Beautiful... Isn't it?!

I guess we enjoyed each other so much that we decided to start today off with another date. So we snuck out the door before the kiddos woke up and headed toward the beach for a hike. We got a bit side tracked and headed to what we have decided is our secret breakfast place. It is the kind of restaurant that only locals go to and when you walk in everybody knows your name. Kind of like Cheers! Except they don't know Scott and I because we aren't from around here!! Anyway, after stuffing our faces with yummy breakfast and strong coffee we headed toward our hiking location. Scott had been researching this area for a couple of weeks. He found the trail that would be the least dangerous and least likely to fall into the ocean. The hike would lead us to a private little beach called Paradise beach. It seemed so romantic and a perfect way to end this awesome year! As we approached the trail head the wind picked up. It was crazy...

I have never seen the waves this gnarly!

So as the wind blew our trusty old van around we decided today wouldn't be the best day to hike to Paradise. A bit disappointed we made the best out of our situation! We explored the area by van instead of by foot. Vandenberg AFB is one of the largest bases in the US. It is actually bigger than Washington DC. So it provides lots of unused roads that lead to places that have not been explored very often. It reminds me of North Dakota that way. We traveled on several dirt roads and found some areas that lead to some awesome beach areas that we can't wait to take the kids too. We also found some great spots that provided amazing panoramic views of the ocean. It was another awesome date!

Two dates in less than 24 hours and the last date isn't complete so guess that means tomorrow will be date #3 and date #1 of 2012! I am one very lucky girl!!!

Goodbye 2011...

As 2011 comes to an end I find myself looking at the 365 days behind me with both a smile and some tears. This year is the first year that I believe the good and not so good were balanced. Every not so good thing had a great thing happen near it or it had some good in it!

Scott and I were able to ring in the New Year alone....NO kids!! That was fabulous all on it's own but it was even more fabulous that we got to see the Gamecocks play in the Chick-fil-A bowl! My first Gamecock football game and even though they lost it was wonderful!!! 2011 was off to a good start!

2011 events...

I turned 32!!! Not sure why but I have always been excited to turn 32! I am going to be sad to say goodbye to this wonderful number. However, 33 is sounding pretty cool!! Let me tell ya, I am loving my thirties!

I had a little health scare. OK, it scared the holy crap out of me. I can say it was a good thing though. God has a way of making me realize my faith in him can fall short at times and by placing events in my life like this I grow. I am happy to say that it was just a scare and that I was able to go a full year with no surgeries!!! That is a big deal for me and I am so thankful for it! Praying 2012 brings me the same blessing!!!

Scott and I ran two half marathons and did two triathlons. Yes we did! Two more medals hang on our hooks and 4 more finish lines were crossed hand and hand! I love that we do these together. Let's face it Scott could blow me out of the water but he packs up his manhood and finishes with his whining wimpy wife every time!

Scott's love and willingness to stand beside me through every surgery, every weak moment, every health scare, and every up and down moment is the reason we celebrated 10 years of marriage in April! One decade filled with nothing but love, strength, and encouragement. OK there may have been some hard times that involved some little feuds at times, but I can honestly say I married my best friend. Scott completes me. There is no one in the world that gets me like he does!

Close to our anniversary we received news from the AF, we were notified that CA would be our new home in July! Crazy change from Alabama and not a job we put #1 on our list. So the news was bittersweet. This was the first time I prayed for an assignment. I knew that where ever God placed us was right where we needed to be. So I knew when the news came, there was a reason and that gave me peace. So we spent most of the spring months preppy for our upcoming move.


We also celebrated Jessie's 14th birthday. I was very happy to say goodbye to 13 and hello to 14. Let me tell you this girl is amazing now. The awkward years seem to be behind us. Jess loves us and shows it. She is beyond funny and likes to laugh with us. She is a super fun and smart kid that can do anything! She is turning into a beautiful young lady..


Shortly after the celebration of a big anniversary, news of a move, and our awesome daughter turning 14 we were forced to make a very difficult decision. Our sweet Dixie girl was put to sleep. I have been through a lot in my life but this event was quite possibly the hardest thing I have ever done. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of my old girl.


Our frowns were soon turned upside down! June brought lots of reasons to smile! Jillian turned 9 years old and finished out her level 3 gymnastics and moved up to level 4! She is a hard little worker just like her dad, who completed SAASS and received his third master's degree! So to celebrate we packed up the car and heading to our favorite place, Charleston!!! It was an awesome trip filled with visiting our favorite places, eating our favorite food, and visiting friends and family one more time before heading west. After our awesome visit with Scott's grandma we left SC with tummies full of good southern cooking and headed to visit our best friend in the whole entire world in Flordia. We had the best time just chillin and chatting. The trip was way to short but we had to head back to sweet home Alabama and meet our movers.

We got the house packed up said some tearfilled good byes and headed down to our second favorite place, Destin!!! Again we had an amazing time. It was a relaxing trip just hanging out at the beach. Much needed before our multiple state journey began!

From Flordia we decided to head up north and spend some time with my family. The trip was almost cancelled due to the flood that has devasted my hometown. I am thankful that we decided to not let that ruin our plans. Although it was difficult to see the devastation it was wonderful hanging out with my grandparents and parents. I miss my family and love taking my kids to the place I called home for many years.

From ND we headed to our old stomping grounds Mountain Home, ID. Upon entering the state I quickly realized why I loved it there so much! Idaho is a place I could call home for sure. Just an overnight stay in ID than it was off to Portland! Another amazing city! From Oregon we began the trek toward our new home in CA.

California has been amazing! Beaches, wine, perfect weather, what is not to love?! We settled in very quickly this time around. I finally think I have this moving thing down! We started the kids in school and as soon as I hung the last curtain rod the AF agreed that my husband is a rock star and selected him to take command of a squadron in NM!!! It was the best birthday present I think he has ever gotten! I am so incredibly proud of Scott. Squadron Commmand was a career goal for Scott and he is beyond thrilled that he is going to achieve it! It does mean another move for us in 2012 and will make our stay in CA only a 10 month stay, but we are all beyond excited for this opportunity.

October was another celebration month for me! I celebrated 5 years cancer free! Beating this disease has made me the rockstar I am today! It changed my life and I am thankful for what it made me become instead of it destroying me! I am a bolder more daring person since the diagnosis so putting pink streaks in my hair to celebrate seemed like a fabulous plan! It was and I plan on doing it every year from now on!!!

October also brought a reality to life that Scott and I are not quite ready to face and that is, our daughter is growing up! Our brown eyed beauty put on a pretty dress and walked out the door to attend her first dance with a boy! I will not call it a date because I am not ready for that step! I was a mess and Scott was surprisingly cool. She looked amazing and so grown up, I want time to stand still...

Time will not stand still so onto November! Another awesome month! Big J turned 10 the big double digits! That kid is the sweetest boy I know! He has traded in his football helmet for shin guards and basketball shoes and has become quite the soccer and basketball star!!! I love seeing my boy be all boy and love sports! It makes me happy! Another thing that makes me happy is seeing my husband so excited that a smile can not be whipped off his face. Not even when the oath is read as he went from Major Brodeur to LT COL BRODEUR!!!! That was a good day, no that was a great day! Mom and dad came out to celebrate and be a part of this life we love so much. Moments like his pin on our why we keep living this crazy life. I don't think he has stopped smiling since that day! Man, he looks good with that silver on his shoulder!

December is here and in a couple days will be gone. I spent the first part of the month creating things from the website that has taken me away from my blog... Pinterest! I was quite the Martha Stewart this holiday season! It was fun! We were able to celebrate another Christmas all under one roof. I am alway so thankful when Scott is able to be home for the holidays. We have spent way too many apart. This Christmas was the 2nd Christmas celebrated with just the Brodeur 5. Although I missed my parents a ton I am thankful for the bond I have with my family. My heart is full when I am with them. I believe being away from family for so many years has created a very special bond in our home and I was thankful for that this Christmas. It was a wonderful day celebrating all the gifts that God has given us this past year!

2011 was a great year and I look forward to 2012.



Gracefully I look up thankful for a year filled with amazing blessings! I pray that 2012 will be a year full of fresh starts, new goals to achieve, and many things to celebrate! Thankful for a God that no matter what the year brings he is there to guide us and lead us through it all!



Happy New Year My Friends!!!!