Super-Lovey-Dovey-Anniversary post

A long time ago, I heard about this boy who was really good at soccer....

He was kind of a trouble-maker (not my type)

But, we went to the same high school, and I thought he was cute.....

My friend Cory and I would run by his house sometimes, hoping to see him.....

silly girls!!

I would have never believed anyone if they had told me that we would one day get married.....

BUT......

That kid with the shaggy hair, and lame tattoo (top row, second from the left)

has been the love of my life for 11 years now.

We have grown up so much in the last 11 years, and I am so proud of the man he is today.

He still loves Jimmy Buffet music....always will......

He challenges me to be my best, and is my biggest cheerleader.....

He has taken me halfway across the world and back twice, and I didn't die.....

Well, almost.....

He sacrifices for his country, and his honorable service makes me so proud.

He is setting such a great example for our children of hard work, dedication and service.

Yes, we have spent some time apart from one another, sometimes months at a time....

and it hurts.

It hurts when people complain their spouse is gone for a weekend, or a week,

when I have had to be alone, without family, for months on end.....

raising our sweet children, and trying my best to explain why Daddy is gone.....

But this has made us so strong, and forced us to grow in ways I never dreamed of.

We have so much fun together, and he always makes me laugh.

Always.

He is my best friend, and is always there to give advice or just listen.

He is a good person to have in your corner.....

He has always taken such good care of our family and has given me the opportunity to stay home with our children during these precious years.

This has been the most incredible gift.

He is an amazing Father.

Man, did I pick a good one!

He loves our children so fiercely, and is so protective over them.

I have no doubt that Paige will marry a super hero, because nobody will come close to her Daddy!

River has the best example of how to be strong, kind, and courageous.

He loves to have fun with them.

He knows how to be silly, and goof around......

And how to make them feel special.

He is their hero.

My hero.

He came home from a month-long work trip with this photograph tattooed on his arm because he missed them so much.

They think that is pretty special.

He took off as much work as possible when I had both of the kids.

He loved being there for every moment.

 

He loves life, and being outdoors.

He is a kid at heart.

And every year I am reminded at how much fun I have to look forward to.

I love this man, and I feel incredibly blessed to have him in my life.

My Mom's Father, my Grandpa Allphin, passed away years before I met Justin,

but I can't help feel like falling in love with Justin was his gift to me.

After he passed away, my parents divorced, and I felt very alone.

I always felt safe, loved, and entertained with my Grandpa.

He knew I would be safe, loved, and entertained by this man......

He would have approved.

Here's to the last 7 years as Mr. and Mrs. and to the next 70.

"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being in love which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two."

-- Captain Corelli's Mandolin

Sunday Sermon #3

I think the idea of adoption is always on my heart, and I sob when I see videos like this. 
They move me in a way I cannot adequately describe. 

Working with children with special needs is a gift I feel I posses, and is ultimately what I decided to get an education in....
but since having my own children, I have not put in to practice what I got a degree in. 

My own children are my priority now, but I can't help but feel drawn to the idea of adoption,
because of my education,
because of the feelings I have in my heart for these precious ones,
and because it may just be part of the grand plan for the Wilkins Family. 

Our life right now is so uncertain, it would not be in the cards for us today, but I can't help but feel it could be a possibility.

I do not know what the future holds, and I feel the utmost respect and love for families like these. 

They are my heroes.



Happy Sunday!

#250

250 posts deserves something....
so imagine me doing a cheer...
Gimmie a 2----2!
Gimmie a 5---5!
Gimmie a 0---0!

Can you tell I wasn't a cheerleader??

Anyway, I kind of can't believe I have posted that many things...
Or also that I haven't posted more...because you know I have
LOTS to say....
BUT, I am just happy you guys are still coming back to see what I'm blogging!
THANK YOU!!!
Here's to many many more posts!

So, in the spirit of milestones, I wanted to share an idea with you...
I love the idea of scrap-booking...but not necessarily the time it takes
to plan out a page, or the cost involved to make your ideas a reality.
I do however like the idea of time-capsuling....if you will.

I have a few journals/time-capsules/notebooks where I collect things and keep them safe.
I have been Journal-ing  for a very long time...
and kind of die when I read what was on my mind back in 1996
But, I am so glad I have that to read and see how I handled certain situations in my life...
Like when I found out my parents were divorcing....

Like when my heart was broken over a relationship....
or when I saw a rainbow...

I wrote it down
So I would remember.

And journal-ing  doesn't have to be so serious either.
I do it now to remember, but also
so I can show the kids when they are teenyboppers...
-what was "IN"
-what was "FASHION"
So I can FEEL like I am supermom...
although the kids baby books are half filled-out
and they are 6 and 4years old!

So, here goes....

This is MY time-capsule where I paste/tape/attach things that I love...

magazine clippings
quotes
recipes
pictures
dreams
etc.

Here is a book where I keep my favorite Kid-Art....
It is hard to choose since it is a daily thing around here and at school, but I just can't keep everything.
And this is my compromise for now.
It is a book that has clear plastic sleeves instead of pages, so I just slip them in, and can put more than one in each slot...
win-win!

And here is a journal I started for Paige before she was even born.

I felt like there were going to be so many things I wanted to tell her along the way, and if I could just write them down somewhere a few times a year, then I would feel at peace if something were to happen to me....or her Dad.....
MORBID, I know.....
And, she is tough when it comes having serious chats now, and I know things will only get tougher as she gets older....so I figured if she could see how much her Dad and I  loved her and wanted her to know THINGS...and she could read them when she was older then maybe....just maybe it would be a tool to help her.
Justin has also written Paige and River "Just-In-Case" letters so that they would KNOW he thought the world of them and wants them to know how much he loves them, etc.
Maybe it's the military life that makes us think this way, or maybe it was reading The Last Lecture...
whatever the reason, I believe in capturing the moment and putting it in some kind of time-capsule
for you
for your kids.

So get out the scissors and glue and get to it!
XO 

How do you keep track, write down, and remember??

Signing Off....til' 2013

Keeping it brief....

I still don't have much to say that I think can adequately express my feelings surrounding the recent events in CT, so I won't even go there.  I am holding my children tight, cherishing EVERY moment, and making this holiday so much more for them, and for Justin and I.  We will hunker down, and watch movies, play games, snuggle, craft, and enjoy a few fireside nights together.  

We are beyond thankful for this life we have together, and feel immensely blessed to be supported by loving family and friends, wherever we may be.  Our children have amazing teachers who we are certain could not be any more perfect, and we are thankful for the job Justin has that provides for our family.  

This picture was taken on our way to River's Nativity Pageant yesterday by the paparazzi (Justin).

We were moved to tears as one boy in River's class was reunited with his Father, who had just returned home from Afghanistan, and surprised everyone.  What an amazing thing to behold! 

I am truly moved by the sacrifices that our military families make, and am honored to be among them.  Another amazing sight was our little man, dressed as a donkey in the manger scene, singing his heart out and hands-down the loudest voice in the group.  We giggled when we realized that kid who was BELTING out "Away In A Manger" was ours.  What a gift!

Merry Christmas Hot Mommys.

I love you.

XO, A

My Birfday

So, for the BIG 3-0 I wanted to just party all night
dance on tables
get crazy
go to a rave (do people still do that??)



But none of that happened, so I had a glow stick party
in the bathroom with a 4, 5, and 6 year old!
Pretty much cooler than any table dancing I could have done.

AND, we got to hold a brand spanking new baby boy
It does NOT get any better than that!


Our sweet friends, the Seprish Family, invited us over to celebrate.
Mind you, Laura just birthed a baby, and was still down to host a party.
This woman is absolutely the best.
She is an amazing woman, mom, spouse, and friend.
And I am one lucky girl.
She even got me a Red Velvet cake...
from COSTCO.
Be still my Red Velvet loving heart.
It was worth every last bite!!!


So, it was the best kind of birthday,
surrounded by friends and my own little family..
Lots of sweet cards and thoughtful gifts,
I am so happy to kiss my 20's goodbye.
I will take a snuggle from my kids over a hangover any day.


I didn't do so hot on my 30 before 30 resolutions,
but what I am figuring out is enjoying the ride
is so much better than scheduling life to fit in to my
grand plans.

So here's to another year,
a few more gray hairs and wrinkles,
but an abundance to be grateful
and thankful for in my life.
xo, A

Sunday Sermon #2

“We all pretend for a while or for a lifetime. But pretending is not living...I believe that God meant for life to take our breath away, sometimes because of the sheer joy of it all and sometimes because of the severe pain. To choose living over pretending means that we will know both.”
― Angela Thomas

Being thankful for my friends is easy....
telling them how much they mean to me is a bit trickier.
Here goes nothing...

I have so many wonderful friends.
I have a few hard-core sister/friends who have stuck by me
through years, COUNTLESS moves, time apart, arguments,
skinny, not-so-skinny, good, bad, and ugly.
There is something scary about letting someone in to your life,
so closely that there is no pretending.
And we all know how great girls are at pretending.
We spend our whole childhood doing it, and mastering it.
Heck, we pretended EVERYTHING.

Then we grow older, and realize that pretending takes a lot of work.
Figuring out who you really are takes a lot of hard work,
and can get a little messy in the friend department.

Being lucky enough to have friends next to you
when you come out the other side is a gift that cannot be described.

To those friends:

Lindsay
Cory
Sarah Jane
Jamie
Kacie
Laura

I appreciate you for loving me, and supporting me.



There are many honorary mentions from Spokane who know who they are...
(ok..want me to name names?? cindi, julie, melissa, ashley, jessica, sian, jacquie, lauren, jana, kelly, rachel, and more...)
They kept me company for weeks and weeks,
They shared their children, and their recipes, and their talents,
They took care of me when I was sick, sad, and post partum,
They taught me so much about what it means to me a military spouse.

I appreciate you for loving your spouses, and supporting me and mine.
I appreciate you for treating me like family, even when we were strangers.

Thank you for loving the pretend me,
AND the real me....
I am forever grateful for your love.

What would the world be without friendship?
xo, Ariel

girl power....

and boy power too I suppose.

This subject has been on my mind and heart so much lately,
as our girl has been struggling with how people perceive her...
people making fun of her clothes, hair, mole, etc.
and how do we teach her

she IS good enough
she IS smart enough
she IS perfect to us

and GOD made her this way.

It is a battle I did not know I would face so early on,
but Paige is struggling at 5 tiny years of age with all of this.

As girls, I think we have had it so much harder in this way,
living up to this perfection in our minds,
and the perfection we perceive from others.
I was so blessed to be raised by a Mother that fought so hard to
build us up
when the whole world tried to tear us down.
I am trying so hard to be that Mother for my daughter,
but it is hard.

I want her to know she can do ANYTHING
I want her to know she can be ANYTHING
and that we will love her all the way.

If Justin and I can do nothing else but build our daughter up
and raise our son up right,
then we will feel accomplished in life.
I want our kids to be strong and kind.
I want our kids to be gentle and confident.
I want our kids to be hard working and generous.
It is a tall order, I know.
But it begins now.

I am only one, but still I am one.
I cannot do everything, but still I can do something;
and because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.
HELEN KELLER



You may notice a few faces in this video if you read this...
I love the message she shares, and the Mother she is.

Oh, and Justin signed up for another (and hopefully his last for a while)
100 mile race in February.
We will all be going....camping....freezing....
I will be documenting....
and as much as I hold my breath anxiously while he does these things,
there is much for me to learn from him
and his determination and drive.
He may be crazy, but I guess I love crazy.
This story drives him...moves him .
He watches it often, and I see that twinkle in his eye.
He wants to live a life worth living.
I know I have shared this before, but it is worth watching again,
and again.

xo

Sunday sermon

(two years ago...)
(two months ago)

I have seen this quote around lately, and I feel it is worth posting...
not in a churchy-type-way,
because you all know that isn't my style.
But, I wanted share it here because this is pretty much what I think is wrong with folks in general.
We teach our kids to worry about themselves...
and adults need to do the same...
especially the "churchy" ones!
Let's be nice.

"One of the marks of a certain type of bad man is that he cannot give up a thing himself without wanting every one else to give it up. That is not the Christian way. An individual Christian may see fit to give up all sorts of things for special reasons--marriage, or meat, or beer, or the cinema; but the moment he starts saying the things are bad in themselves, or looking down his nose at other people who use them, he has taken the wrong turning."- C.S. Lewis

Amen Brother Lewis.

This concludes our Sunday sermon.
xo- A

playing catch-up

Sneak Peek:

Thanks Grandpa Dave!

She is 5.

Birthday play dough gifts are amazing....he asks to play it everyday.

So excited it was his turn!

He is 3.



Cowgirls+Hats=Super fun birthday party for our friend!


Doubling up your hat is even cooler.

New yard cleaned and cleared, now we just need some grass.


Build A Bear Fun...Thanks Grandma and Todd!!!