2013....Where Did You Go?

I'm BAAAACCCKKKK!!!

I know you have all been on the edge of your seats waiting for another blog post from me....and I KNOW you've been faithfully checking in every day for the past 91 days, just to see if I have something awesome and witty to share with you. 

(Yes I just pulled up my calendar and counted that out for you - 91). 

Sadly, I've been disappointing you. But hey - life is busy over here! I can hardly make time to shower.

 That's not a joke. I realized the other day it had been 3 DAYS. Gross, I know. You know you're jealous. My husband loves it. Not really. It's gross. New Years Resolution #1...Shower More.

Back to the point...91 days though - seriously? 91 DAYS?! Time has FLOWN by since I last posted in September. So many things have happened in our lives that I don't know where to begin. 

Honestly - that's one of the reasons I put it off for so long. I didn't know where to start, the beginning, the middle, the end? So many choices. So overwhelming....so I did what any good red blooded procrastinator would do. Absolutely. Nothing.

Now here I am 91 days later - facing the last few precious hours of 2013, and the thing I feel most compelled to do is BLOG. BLOG, seriously? Davis and Andrew are napping, Caden is at a friend's house....and I want to BLOG? I should be sleeping too or else I won't make it until 2014, but I felt it calling my name. 

So here I am folks. December 31, 2013.

On December 31, 2012 I had NO IDEA what a whirlwind of a year was ahead of us. I had no idea how much love, joy, stress, anxiety, sadness, and general awesomeness would be in the following year. But it was all there.

Without a doubt 2013 was UNFORGETTABLE. 

I'll spend some time catching you all up on our lives in the next few days, (New Years Resolution #2 - Blog More) - but for now I just want to take a moment to reflect on the awesomeness of 2013. 

#1: Davis McPherson Watts

  

The year started off right when this amazing stud muffin came into our lives on February 22nd.

This little dude was my hard earned prize for 40 weeks of pregnancy, 9 hours of pitocin, and a DRUG FREE VBAC. I was so proud of his beautiful birth...but that pales in comparison to how much love and joy he has brought into our lives, and how proud I am that I get to be his mommy.

He. Is. Amazing. 

This little guy is so loved by everyone. Friends, family, complete strangers...everyone loved D. He has a gift. Aside from his first 2 months where he gave everyone this face...

AKA "The Stink Eye"...he hasn't really stopped smiling. Now we purposefully try to get a bad picture of him, but every time we bring out a camera, this happens....

Can you say photogenic? I hate to toot my own horn here...but this boy clearly takes after me. Andrew turns into a tall, pale, chubby, Asian in most pictures. It's true. 

Anyways...this boy is something else. Definitely THE highlight of 2013.

#2: BAHRAIN

Let's go back to February 2013....there I am 9 months pregnant talking about our options for our next PCS with Andrew and my Mom...

Kristina: "Well, Japan and San Diego are pretty much the only places on our lists"

Andrew: "There are several jobs in both places, so we'll see, but we should get Japan, maybe San Diego"

My Mom: "What are the chances that they'll send you somewhere that ISN'T on your list?"

Andrew: "Oh, slim to none...that doesn't happen that often"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!

Fast forward a few weeks...Andrew comes home and says....

"So...yeah....what do you think of Bahrain?"

WHAT?! Bahrain?

Bahrain. 

As in

The. Middle. Freakin'. East.

Yes. Yes, that is what he meant.

So here we are. In the "Land of the Sand" - though it may be more appropriate to call it "Land of the unreal life where we have maids and live on the water and don't pay taxes."

Despite our ups and downs...we love it here. I am not going to want to move home. Ever. 

#3: Kindergarten!!!

My little boy started Kindergarten. I thought for sure I would cry as I left him in his classroom - but due to the amount of tears coming from Caden I essentially had to say,

 "Too bad...you're going - stop crying and get in there." 

and be the tough mommy. I mean, I couldn't cry WITH him, that would have been a disaster.

Can you tell he's trying SO HARD not to cry here? It was tough. 

By the end of the day he LOVED it. So I think it was just some first day jitters. 

Aside from the phase where he had an obsession with drawing penises, it's going pretty well. (No, I'm not kidding...believe me, I'll have more on that story later.)

Lucky Caden got to REPEAT his first day of Kindergarten when we got back to Bahrain. We were visiting Washington when school started so he had 2 Kindergartens! Life of a military child.

I can't believe my baby is so grown up. He's reading and writing, and making friends left and right. He is still the sweetest boy EVER and as if he could get any better....let's add

BEST BIG BROTHER EVER. 

Caden loves Davis and Davis LOVES his brother. He looks for him first thing every morning and calls him "Brov" the love flowing between them is something else. A lot of people tell me that they've never seen such a good and caring big brother. It's true. Caden is the best. As if that was every in question.

#4:  NOMAD FITNESS

  

This is the MAIN reason that I haven't really blogged since we returned to Bahrain.....

So, there aren't a lot of workout options for moms in Bahrain. Before we left for the States I started hosting some simply bodyweight WODS to see if people would even be interested in CrossFitting with me. We had about 5-10 people show interest in the first 2 weeks. After a lot of debate Andrew and I decided that I should pursue opening my own "Box" out of our villa. 

Well, if you know me - you know that once I decide to do something...I. DO. IT. 

So....Nomad Fitness was born. 

I ordered equipment, got a logo, made a rough schedule, put it out there on Facebook and prayed something good would happen. 

I

HAD

NO

IDEA

It exploded. I am so extremely blessed. Nomad has attracted the most awesome group of athletes. About 35 of them to be exact. That may not seem like a lot to you guys...but let me just say, that's my MAX. When we designed Nomad we thought, "let's just aim for 10 athletes...maybe 20 by the end of the year...30 by next October"  Hahah...I went from none to about 25 in a heartbeat. 

Here are some of us after our Turkey Day WOD!

I am proud to say that I have wait lists for my 5AM and 5PM classes, and after I put 4 people through Fundamentals this Saturday I will not really have any more space at all. Like totally booked. No. More. People. I can't handle anymore. I am only one person after all. 

The best part of all...my athletes are SEEING AMAZING RESULTS. 

People who hated running are running 5Ks in under 30 minutes (yes that's you Megan)...

others are getting their first overhead squats after years of trying...

others are getting unassisted pull ups and "real" push ups...

others are losing inches and body fat and weight...

the list goes on and on. 

These people have no idea how much they have enriched my life. I am so lucky. 

Oh, and we are doing a box-wide Whole30 in January. Let the fun begin!!!

The happy juice is flowing at Nomad....love, love, love my little business.

#5: My Dear Sweet Grandma...

Well, not everything can be all rainbows and sunshine. My dear sweet wonderful Grandma, Betty Jean Squire, passed away in November. 

I have no words for what she meant to me and for how I am still struggling to accept that this has happened. I am SO SO SO thankful that I got to see her one last time while I was home. She was so much more than a grandma. She was so feisty and loving and rotten and awesome. 

My unforgettable Grandma. There will be a post for her later - I still can't really handle it. It's so surreal here. Since I'm not in Belfair, faced with it every day, I can conveniently forget it happened. Then BAM I remember and the tears start flowing. Yesterday I got a package in the mail from my mom - it was some of my Grandma's things...they smell like her still. It aches to think about it. 

I am just so lucky to have loved her so very much. I can only hope to mean as much to my grandchildren someday. 

This woman is unforgettable. 

#6: WE SURVIVED!!!

I can't end my final blog post of the year on a sad note....that would be a total downer. So I'm going to end 2013 on a very positive note...WE SURVIVED!!!

We Survived: 

Having a Newborn

Moving Around the World

Breastfeeding

Ramadan

Our First Whole 30

127 Degree Weather and HUMIDITY

Learning to Drive on the Crazy Bahraini Roads

Another Trip Around the World to Visit Home

Visiting Home

A Wedding

Funerals

Teething

Coaching CrossFit and not being able to move for a few weeks from soreness

A Bahraini RAINSTORM (it was like the world was ending!)

A fridge full of rotten rancid meat...who doesn't love that?

Andrew leaving for 4 exercises

Being apart for my birthday, Mothers Day, Andrew's Birthday, our 1st Anniversary

Hosting Christmas for 20 people!

A foot injury

4 mice in our kitchen

A cray cray maid...

The list goes on and on and on...

2013 has been an INSANE year. Crazy insane.

I can only hope 2014 is a little calmer but just as awesome.

I mean...look at my family! How can we NOT dominate another year?!

Adorabe, right? I'm one lucky mama.

So Good Riddance 2013

DEAR 2014,

BRING. IT. ON.

Love, Me

and That's 'Watts' She Said.....

My Whole30 Summary (nearly 60 days later!)

Man, oh man, oh man...where do I even start?!?!

First of all...yes I am still blogging. I just don't have a whole lot going on in Washington that's
"blog-worthy"
but I promise, I'm sure there will be a TON of blog posts to come since I return to Bahriain so SOON!

No offense Washington, I loved you, I really did.
But...I. Want. To. Go. Home.
Not to mention,  I miss my studly husband...A LOT.

I could write a whole post about it - but I don't want to make you throw up right now. Nope...this post is dedicated to my...

WHOLE30 SUMMARY!
(finally)

Seriously, I finished my first Whole30 about, hmmm...60 days ago! Oops, I'm a little late!
I meant to write my summary then, honestly. But I got kind of busy doing things like flying around the world, visiting family and friends, breathing humidity-free air, going to Whole Foods (aka heaven), and...eating Chick-Fil-A - eek! I know, I know, but WHO TURNS DOWN CHICK-FIL-A?!?!?! No one, that's who.

So that this isn't a long rambling post I'm going to ask myself questions and then answer them for you. I have gotten A LOT of questions about the program, tips, advice, etc...so here it is.

The Whole30 According to Kristina

1. What was the thing you LOVED the most about the Whole30?

Honestly, I LOVED the way I felt. Aside from the first 2 weeks where I felt like I had been run over by a semi...around day 14 I just started feeling awesome. Not only did I PHYSICALLY feel better, but my mental state was better. I was so proud, inspired, and happy with the choices we were making that I found myself just walking around with a smile. All. The. Time. It felt lighter, and not just from the weight and inches I was losing...I just stopped having that 'oh my gosh, I ate too much, I'm sooo miserable' feeling. You KNOW the one I'm talking about! I also just felt much more care free. I can't really explain it, except to say that I felt like I was out of a permanent food coma and had mental clarity and a general happiness that just felt so darn good. 

2. What was the thing you hated about the Whole30?

Okay, okay...there is always a downside. I know. What did I hate?! Well, honestly the thing that was the hardest was how difficult it was to socialize during the Whole30. If you know me, you know that I really like my social time. While Andrew goes to a quiet place to get energized, I have to find people to talk to. It's my thing. I love it. I need my people. Unfortunately being social and food often go hand in had. Frankly, I was just not strong enough to resist (or so I thought). So I was a hermit for 30 days. I went out to go grocery shopping and to work out...and that was pretty much it. It's not like I wanted to even go crazy and get cheesy fries or something - I just really wanted to be able to grab a salad and NOT freak out over hidden sugar or preservatives in the balsamic. So that was the hardest part for me.

Oh, and it was just kind of inconvenient at times. Like when I was exhausted and just wanted to grab something fast. Fast food and Whole30 REALLY don't go together well...so there were a few nights that I just wanted to have something delivered or go out to eat, but we couldn't. It was TIME CONSUMING to say the least!

3. Okay, back to the positive...what are some of the changes you noticed?

Where to start.....

- I felt like I was literally melting away! I've never so quickly seen my body change and transform. One of these days I'll post my before and after, but I need a little more confidence first. All I can say is...WOW! I lost a lot of inches...even I was shocked! 

- My skin glowed! No, it wasn't just from the nonstop sweating in Bahrain...I felt like I was glowing from the inside out. Happy gut, happy skin. Happy me. 

-NO CRAVINGS!!!! This was the best and most awesome part for me. I am that girl that would always find myself nauseous when I "NEEDED" to eat. I would say, "I need to eat now or I'm going to be sick" I was craving food. THIS. STOPPED. How crazy is that? I would literally be going about my day and then think, 'Oh Crap! It's 3 and I haven't had lunch yet?!" I was so satisfied from my nutritious food that I just stopped "NEEDING" things. Like I used to THINK I did!

- I ate less, but was NEVER hungry!  This also blew my mind. I used to have a largish dish of a decently healthy meal, that usually also included potatoes or rice or something....eat it all, get seconds sometimes, feel disgustingly full, then an hour or so later be hungry again. NOW I could use a salad plate eat it, be FULL but not over-full (yes there is totally a difference). Instead of my stomach being in pain because there wasn't any more room, my body was just satisfied. It got all the nutrients it needed, it was happy, and we were done eating. To top it off, I never felt hungry! 

- NO MORE HANGRY!!! A few blog posts ago I introduced the term "HANGRY!" When you're dieting and hungry and angry because you can't eat what you want...you're HANGRY! I LOVE that phrase, I think it's hilarious...but sadly I don't think I get to use it anymore. RIP Hangry...I'm so over you. I'm satisfied, and healthy, and happy. The complete opposite of how I've ever felt while trying to eat healthy. 

- SLEEP! I'm not sure why it happened, but I started sleeping better and deeper during the Whole30. I would get extremely tired in the evenings and just WANT to go to bed. I fell asleep quickly and only woke up when a certain little baby wanted to eat in the middle of the night! It was glorious. Sleep took on a whole new meaning to me. 

- I'm sure there are a lot of other things, but this is what I can remember right now. Like I said, it's been a while....If I think of anything else I'll let you know!

4. Tell us what we all want to know...THE STATS!!! Did you lose weight?!

DID I EVER!!!! I KNOW it's not about the weight. The Whole30 is about becoming more healthy, kicking bad food cravings, and teaching yourself how to fuel your body with good nutritious food. But who are we kidding? Who doesn't want to also loose a little weight and maybe some inches?!?

I was honestly SHOCKED by my results. I had decided that I wasn't going to weigh myself on day 31 because I didn't want the disappointment and backlash I would feel if I hadn't lost as much weight as I was hoping I had. (I could get into a big discussion about my unhealthy relationship with the scale...but I'll spare you). With that decision in mind I went to Davis's 6 month appointment on day 30. Well, as my luck would have it their infant scale was broken so they made me get on the scale holding Davis and then get on without him. I KNEW it was a good sign when I stepped on the scale WITH Davis and was already less than I had weighed before my Whole30! I was STOKED to see that I had lost 21 POUNDS!!!!! Insane...I know! 21 pounds in 30 days. NO wonder I felt amazing. 

I also lost a lot of inches....

Waist: 4 inches

Hips: 6 inches (yes...half a foot. Off of my hips...Andrew was sad, but he's coping)

Bust: 2 inches

Thighs: 2 inches 

Ummm...NOT BAD! This was reason enough for me to keep going. Plus I felt so amazing!

5. Will you do it again?!

YES! In fact I did do it again! After being home for 2 weeks I realized how crappy I was feeling. I wasn't eating horribly but a cheat here and there was adding up. So I started my second Whole30 round. I knew that this time I probably wasn't going to make it to the 30 day mark, but for me this second round WAS about losing more weight and just feeling good from the positive choices. I think I hit day 21 before there was an event that I had some non compliant food at. I knew this was going to be the case. (and you know what...in those 21 days I lost another 10 pounds!)

I plan on doing a STRICT Whole30 again as soon as I get back to Bahrain. Then I plan to lead a group of people in kicking off the new year with a Whole30 in January! 

6. What's your biggest tip?!

Hmmm...that's a hard one. (Ha...that's what she said!) I guess it would be to use your time wisely! I spent a good chunk of time meal planning, grocery shopping, and prepping. This will consume A LOT of your life during the Whole30. Embrace it and plan for it. If you do these things well the rest of your Whole30 will be a BREEZE! 

Honestly, if I had been in the United States for our Whole30 I think it would have been SO MUCH EASIER! I would have just ransacked Whole Foods or Trader Joes. Or gone to a local farm for fresh eggs and veggies! Seriously, that would have been amazing. BUT I as in BAHRAIN! The Middle East doesn't have much to offer on food co-ops, and health food stores. The spice selection was pretty much the only thing that rocked our Whole30. But hey, if I can do it from Bahrain, then you can most definitely do it in the States. 

(Note...I went CRAY CRAY when I got to the States! I was so excited to be able to buy the things that other Whole30 bloggers talked about that I couldn't get, that Andrew informed me that I spent like $50/day at grocery stores for the first few weeks. It was TOTES CRACKERS. But I loved it, I indulged...and now I don't get those luxuries again until July 2014. So have fun at your Whole Foods and Trader Joes. Brats.)

7. Do you have any tips for life AFTER the Whole30?!

Honestly, I wish I had better advice here. I really do. I am trying to figure this out myself. It's been extra hard for me because I went from isolating myself and doing the Whole30 in Bahrain to being back in the States where I want to enjoy my favorite places and be social with my favorite people. 

I spent the first 2 weeks after the Whole30 eating 80% clean. There was Chick-Fil-A, some pizza, and ice cream involved as well. But you know what...I FELT LIKE CRAP after eating them. Just disgusting, bloated, unhappy, and gross. So 2 weeks after arriving, I hit it hard again (my kind of 2nd round of Whole30) and it felt AMAZING to be feeding my body so nutritiously again. 

Right now though....right now I am "indulging" here an there as my trip to the States winds down. I STILL feel like crap every time that I'm finished...but when you aren't going to be at the State Fair again for 3-4 years then sometimes a girl needs a scone, and a caramel apple. It's hard. It really is, but I am trying to find that balance for myself. This is my honest take on it. If I were happy with my weight, etc. I would probably eat Whole30 clean 6 days a week. Have one day where you indulge in a meal or a treat or something. Hit it hard during the week, but cut yourself some slack during the weekends. 

One important thing to point out is that what an "indulgence" is to me NOW is what "every day eating" was to me before the Whole30. It's truly changed the way I view food. 

When I get back to real life in Bahrain my plan is to hit it pretty hard. Go a Whole30 round and keep going as long as I can. Once I reach my goal, which by the way, is not defined by a number on a scale, I will ease back a little bit. I'll know when I get there!

8. What are your favorite resources? (I know this is what you've been sticking around for)

WEBSITES:

www.Whole9life.com - obviously

www.nomnompaleo.com - awesome food and she documented her own Whole30!

www.theclothesmakethegirl.com - AMAZING Whole30 food! YUMMY!

www.paleomg.com - hilarious blog, I love her

www.thefoodee.com/tag/whole30/ - if you only go to 1 website go to the first one...then GO HERE! This links to hundreds of Whole30 recipes! It will even prepare your grocery shopping lists for you once you choose your meals! Genius website!

www.marksdailyapple.com - wonderful website with great, educational articles!

www.balancedbites.com - another great website with yummy recipes and great articles!

RESOURCES:

The Whole30 Timeline 2.0: I visited this timeline every day! Find out WHY you are feeling the way you do!

The Whole30 Daily Emails: Best $15 I've spent in a LONG time! You'll get an email from the Whole9Life crew every day. Filled with recipes, encouragement, fun facts, etc. I looked forward to these DAILY!!!

PRODUCTS:

Coconut Oil

Coconut Aminos: A must have! This is a soy sauce substitute....and so much better for you! LOVE this!

Lara Bars: While it's not encouraged to eat these often, they were great for us to have in case of emergency! They are only made from whole natural ingredients. My new obsession is making them at home!

Ghee: I made my own from THIS recipe. Delicious flavor...and great to use in your cooking!

RECIPES:

Bacon Onion Balsamic Jam Burgers - obviously no bun. BF said it was the best burger she's ever had!

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

Coconut Chicken Fingers

Pineapple Fried Cauliflower Rice with Garlic Prawns - this has been repeated a lot!

The BEST Chicken You Will Ever Eat Ever - no joke, it was! The Moroccan dipping sauce was to die for!

Rogan Josh

Carnitas Stuffed Sweet Potatoes - SO yummy!

Mexican Cottage Pie - makes great leftovers too!

Paleo Salisbury Steak - this has been a favorite of ours for a long time!

Homemade Breakfast Sausage

Bruschetta Chicken

Mustard Lime Chicken

Steak with Avocado Salsa and Chopped Broccoli Salad

There are even more than this. But these were our favorites. With SO MANY resources online you can easily cook a new recipe EVERY night. We always made extra dinner and then used leftovers for lunch the next day or had 1 or 2 nights during the week where we ate leftovers. Man, I love leftover night! Spend some time exploring all of these websites and you'll be sure to find a ton of other recipes too!

If you've stuck around this far...you are a ROCKSTAR! I apologize for the LONG post - but there is just so much to say about how amazing the Whole30 is. I honestly believe that everyone needs to try this at least once in their life. The results will amaze you. 

I am inspired by how many of my friends are now trying their first Whole30. Earlier today I counted up about 15, then I posted something about it on Facebook and was told by 5 MORE FRIENDS that I inspired them to do the Whole30. That's a whole lot of healthy eating going on! I'm just so excited to be able to encourage anyone that is interested! Please let me know if you have ANY additional questions and I can add them along with my response!

Someday...someday...I'll post a picture. I just have to keep working on my own self-confidence. We'll see my friends....we'll see. 

and That's 'Watts' She Said...

TOTES CRACKERS!!!

No, no, no....I'm not talking about carrying around a snack in my bag or something obvious like that.

I am simply referring to Miley Cyrus and her VMA performance this week. 

You KNOW  what I'm talking about...

If you didn't see it, let me just say it was...

"TOTES CRACKERS!"

Still confused?!

Let me explain...

Two months ago I was perusing some Bahraini celebrity gossip magazines for fun. On the cover of one of them was a picture of Miley Cyrus and the title, 

"Totes Crackers"

I was super confused at first - like they were accusing her of carrying around some saltines or Ritz or something. Then I realized that it was just Bahrain's version of using American Slang. 

Totes = Totally

Crackers = Crazy/Insane

Totally Crazy/Insane = Totes Crackers

Obviously.

So...there you have it folks. Bahraini gossip magazines nailed this one months ago. She is "Totes Crackers" and NOW I have my new favorite slang. Along with Cray Cray of course. As for as I'm concerned the two are totally interchangeable. 

The whole Syria debacle: Cray Cray

How hot it is in Bahrain right now: Totes Crackers

The people I saw in WalMart today: Cray Cray

My mother without her hormones: Totes Crackers 

(love you Mom!)

See they both work for pretty much anything

And if I can add my two cents now...I have a PRETTY high threshold for what I consider "inappropriate" or "scandalous"and it takes a lot to offend me....but while watching her VMA performance I was totally embarrassed and uncomfortable.

 I would NOT want my young children to watch that - heck I didn't even want my Mom to watch it! I fast forwarded parts of it - and THAT'S saying A LOT. More than anything I was just sad for her. Sad that she felt she had to perform that way - and sad that no one else really stood up and told her that it was too far over the edge. BUT, I suppose that if her goal was to get some buzz...she's accomplished it. Everyone is talking about it...

I'm sure you've read some reviews written by much better and eloquent bloggers like this one:

"Dear daughter, let Miley Cyrus be a lesson to you"

or my personal favorite since I have 2 sons:

"Dear son, don't let Robin Thicke be a lesson to you"

or if you are a music person:, then this one is good:

"Forget Miley: How to talk to your children about their shitty taste in music"

Since I can't write as wonderfully as that. I'll just sum it up as my Bahraini peeps do and say, 

"Miley....that was TOTES CRACKERS!"

and That's 'Watts' She Said...

Home Again...Home Again...Jiggity Jig.

That's right...as most of you know the Watts Family (minus Daddy Watts or Jigga Watts as most know him) is back in the good ole USA. 

Dun...Dun...Duh....

As I've so rudely been asked by many of my friends, I'm sure you're also wondering:

"WHY ARE YOU HERE?!"

Geez...talk about making a girl feel welcome. 

Well, let me start from the beginning. Originally we had planned on coming home in October and November for C's visit with his bio-dad. We were going to come home for our dear friends' wedding on October 12, and I was going to fly to Washington with the boys after the wedding, returning to Bahrain mid to late November. WELL...one thing led to another, and sign after sign kept pointing to us coming home sooner rather than later. 

When did we decide to change the date? Well about 3 days before we flew out of Bahrain. No joke. 

This is how we ROLL people...

We don't mess around. Actually I only had about 9 hours from the time that I was officially authorized to leave until we went to the airport. 

Wait, what? Officially authorized to leave Bahrain? You've got to be kidding me right? (I'm sure that's what you are thinking right now)

One week ago we decided that the boys and I should try to catch a flight home on August 15th on "The Rotator" aka "The Patriot Express" aka the military flight that only cost $28 per person to catch. At the time there were 50 seats open, so I figured I could make it. Since it's a military operated flight we would be flying "Space A" or depending on Space Availability. Essentially, a waitlist. To be able to catch this flight we have to have a letter of command sponsorship from Andrew's command that he works for, as well as authorization and another letter from the Commanding Officer of the entire Bahrain base.

 I know, it's cray cray. 

So, while I was (not so)  patiently waiting for our letters I checked on the flight status again randomly and our flight only had 10 open spots left. 10. Yeah, there's no way we would make that. HOWEVER, the flight leaving the next day had 47 open spots. So, I called A in a craze, demanding that everyone on the entire base drop everything they were doing to get me my letter NOW. I mean, this is totally reasonable, right? Get the base CO out of whatever important meeting he's in with someone like the Prez, and get me my letter. NOW.

I probably called Andrew every 15 minutes. Do you have my letter yet? No. Do you have my letter yet? No. Kind of like the annoying Verizon Wireless commercials. 

Well, the stars aligned just right, and we got our letters to get on the August 9th 1AM flight home on August 8th at 1PM. 12 hours. 

I'm pretty sure that in my attempt to pack quickly, I packed our whole house. 

I didn't even have time to remember how horrible our flight TO Bahrain was as I wrote about HERE. AND how I swore I was never doing it again, even though I knew I HAD to some day. 

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I'm here to report that this trip was WAY easier than our first trip. 

While I was SO worried about traveling across the WORLD with two boys on my own, I'm happy to report that we had a wonderful easy experience. The Rotator stopped in Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Norfolk. At each stop we had to de-plane, with all of our stuff, and go wait in a terminal for 1-2 hours until re-boarding for the next leg of the journey. Add in the fact that it was between 1AM and 8AM for the first two legs, and I had two tired, cranky boys, and all of our stuff. This could have been a total DISASTER. 

BUT...it wasn't at all. Since I was traveling without any help people were practically tripping over themselves and others to help us whenever we needed it. It was so completely wonderful. While on a commercial flight last year I couldn't get a single person to switch seats with C and I so that my little guy didn't have to sit alone...on this flight they catered to us and genuinely cared about helping us. 

One passenger in particular, Dan from Pennsylvania, helped me at every stop. The first stop in Greece, C was PASSED out. So Dan put his shoes on him and carried him into the terminal for me. At every stop after that he either carried my bags or helped with one of the kids getting off of the plane, and then he found me before getting back on to the plane to make sure I had help. His kindness warmed my heart. He helped make sure that Caden got drinks and food, and helped pick up his mess. At one point, I even saw him on the ground picking up Caden's crayons and putting them in their box. 

Everyone all around us was helpful like this. SUCH a difference between commercial flights were nobody could care less about the other passengers, and a military flight were it was honestly like a big family. Good, honest, Americans helping one another. 

D continues to be an amazing traveler. Everyone on the plane loved him (he seems to have that effect on people wherever he is though). He was either happy or sleeping. So it worked out wonderfully. 

C was a little bit tired at Panera.

All in all, it was a great trip. 32 hours total, and we came off of the pane smiling and happy. TIRED. No doubt. But smiling.

Part of me has to wonder if this trip was so much easier because I am so much healthier now than I was during the first trip to Bahrain. I really think it made a difference. ALSO, since I was sans-husband, people were so eager to help me. I think that's the trick. Fly without your husband and you will get more help than he himself could ever give! Seriously. 

So here we are. In AMERICA!

Now a quick SHOUT OUT to my amazing friends and family that helped make this trip happen! Krystal back home who offered to help with the boys or whatever so we could pack. Blake and Christy for picking us up from the Norfolk military terminal and bringing us straight to Panera and our hotel. Kim and Dave for coming to visit us at the hotel at 8AM with breakfast! My cool sister-in-law for picking us up in Norfolk and bringing us to North Carolina! 

SIDE NOTE: Kim is one of Andrew's best friends, but I've stolen her. She rocks. And she's an awesome mom, AND a helicopter pilot. How cool is that? Plus D and her little guy, Owen were born a month apart. Exactly. So we have that mommy bonding going on. D and O are bound to be best buds and fly helicopters together someday too.

Buddies.

They've come A LONG WAY since their first meeting 3 months ago right before we LEFT for Bahrain

Little guys.

Okay, enough of memory lane...back to the story. 

We will be in North Caroline visiting A's family until Sunday - then we head west again to WASHINGTON!

3 months in the middle east and I am appreciating the US more than ever. HELLO Target, grocery stores, Chick Fil A, Panera, Nordstrom....the list goes on and one and on. I'll make a post on that soon!

So, now you know what I've been up to in the last week. Traveling and adjusting to the time change. I think we're officially settled and recuperated. So get ready for some awesome blogs!

As I was saying to my awesome BFF sister-in-law in reference to our flight. Can you imagine what a wonderful place the world would be if people helped each other like that all the time!?

I'll leave you on that note. As my idol Ellen says, "Be Kind To One Another". It's truly amazing the difference a little bit of kindness makes. 

And That's 'Watts' She Said....

I Dare You...

I DARE YOU NOT TO LAUGH. 

Go ahead...try. 

Watch this adorable video and don't you dare laugh or smile....

I'm pretty sure it's impossible. 

Andrew doesn't think I'm funny at all - BUT Davis thinks I'm HILARIOUS!

Davis thinks I'm funny all the time. Not just when I have the hiccups - actually, he laughs at pretty inappropriate times. Like....when I'm scolding Caden, or when I drop something, or when I'm trying to be serious....that cracks him up....that and hiccups. Hiccups seem to make him laugh harder than anything ever in the world.

Such a far cry from our serious baby. The first two months of his life, all he did was Mean Mug people.

Like this.

I kind of miss that grumpy face. It was so cute.

Anyways, now he is happy and laughy....and thinks everything is SO FUNNY. He especially thought I was funny today as I was dripping in sweat trying to mail stuff at the post office on base. He was being super cranky in his carseat, so of course I ended up holding him with my left arm while I tried to fill out 3 customs slips with my right....as he's trying with all of his might to grab them and stuff them in his mouth...while his OTHER hand is firmly embedded in my hair pulling on it like there's no tomorrow. 

I was SERIOUSLY struggling and frenzied. AND of course - while he is raining terror on my attempts at getting gifts in the mail he is smiling so sweetly and cooing at the people around us. So while I am schlepping around the post office with a baby hanging from my hair (that's what it felt like) they are all, "Oh...he's SOOO cute." and talking and laughing with him. Clearly they couldn't see past the cute baby to the mommy that was trying to do with one hand what even a normal person would need 5 for. I mean, he IS cute...but in that moment all I cared about was not losing my mind.

I'm sure you moms know what I'm talking about - and really it's not that bad to have to juggle a baby, boxes, and paper - but for some reason when you are also burning up from the heat and humidity - with hair that looks like you stuck your finger in the light socket - and clothes that are sticking to you, and sweat dripping off of your face and down your crack....IT. IS. SO. MUCH. WORSE. 

Oh...and did I mention that I was STILL wearing long sleeves as well since it's Ramadan> Insanity. It's like a million degrees out. 

BUT....we survived. We always do. AND we have the cutest video of D ever. So that makes everything okay. Cute pictures and videos ALWAYS make it better.

...and That's 'Watts' She Said

Shawarma Lover

After making him go 30ish days without his beloved Shawarma...I finally caved today and let him get one. 

I think he's happy...

Nothing like a boy that LOVES his food.

And That's 'Watts' She Said....

Growing....

This little one is growing up WAYYYY too fast. I feel like every day he is discovering something new and exciting.

New things in the land of Davis:

1. Shoes: he wears the cutest pair of Pedipeds, and this makes him look so much older. It also accentuates how freakishly big his feet are.

2. Talking/babbling. This kid may not look like his Mommy, but man oh man does he talk like his Mommy. (aka A LOT!) Andrew is currently pouting about this. The joke is that both of my boys look nothing like me BUT, they act like me. Talkative, smiley, sensitive, and a little tiny bit dramatic. Poor Andrew. 

3. Food!!!

He wants food SOOO badly. He can't even contain himself. However, when I tried to give him some mashed up food, he spit it right out. He goes wild reaching for it and pulling it into his mouth, but then he hates it. Silly boy. We have been giving him fruit in one of those awesome mesh baby teething contraptions and he LOVES it!!! Tonight there were frozen blueberries in it, and after dropping it, he shoved his bib in his mouth and tried to get berry juice out of that. Hilarious to watch. Poor kid, we laugh at him a lot.

4. Rolling. He rolls like a boss. 

5. Playing. Tonight we were entertained by a lively game of 'Where's Brother?' Caden would hide and D would look all over the room for him, then C would jump out. D laughed, we laughed, it was awesome. UNTIL this genius decided it would be funny if Mommy, Daddy, and Caden all hid and jumped out. Yeah....he didn't like that. At.All. There were a lot of tears. So... We won't be playing that version any time soon.

6. Sleeping almost through the night. Almost.

7. Feet. He is pretty much always grabbing his feet and trying to get them in his mouth.

8. Kisses. He loves to give big slobbery wet kisses. I'm his favorite to kiss, followed closely by his big brother. He kisses Andrew sometimes, then he makes a face once he gets a mouth full of hair. 

Kissing fool.

9. New ways to play with old toys.

This is his new foot rest 

10. Brother Love. He loves all things related to his brother. Melts my heart.

That's about it. These things may seem silly, but around here it is big stuff!!!

And yes...we are still going strong on the Whole30, today is day 23!!! I feel great and am pretty sure either I'm shrinking or my clothes are growing. I'll do a recipe roundup post soon. We are still eating super delicious food every day....wish I could share it with all of you. But I can't, it would cost me more than the arm and the leg it's already costing me.

Still working on the Internet problem. AND a minor electricity problem too. See we are super lucky to have a washer AND a dryer...BUT if we run them at the same time we blow a fuse. Totally defeats the purpose. To top that off, a few days ago we woke up to the lovely surprise of our water jug being completely empty. Where was the water? 

All over our floor! 

Apparently, when the power in your kitchen blows, the water cooler stops "stopping" the water from flowing out, and just lets it run all over the floor. Heh...kind of like how my bladder stopped working after I had Davis. Yep...I had an issue with jumping rope again yesterday. Thank goodness this was only water and our floors are marble. 

and That's 'Watts' She Said....

17 days done!!!

So, today was day 17 of our first Whole30. 

17 days!!!! 

That's more than halfway. I'm proud to report that we are doing really well still. Minus the fact that Andrew tried to undo it all tonight by putting rice vinegar in our stir fry....rice vinegar with SUGAR as one of the ingredients.

 I about lost it.

AFTER eating a whole plate of stir fry vegetables over cauliflower rice I complimented Andrew on how delicious it was and asked him what else he put in the veggies. When the last ingredient he listed was Rice Vinegar I freaked.

Don't worry - we are still good. We don't have to start over. I quickly pulled up the Whole30 Forum and asked if it was all over for us - and luckily the response was that it was ok, we just can't let it happen again. Thank God.

 I think starting over would warrant a total breakdown and a good hard cry. Not just any cry...the ugly cry. You know what I'm talking about! Face scrunched up, snot, tears, the whole shebang. I definitely would have ugly cried over this. 

Aside from the rice vinegar disaster we have been showing the Whole30 who's boss. I know I've been slacking on posting but I feel like my evenings (aka blogging time) are totally consumed with cooking, cleaning, or prepping for the next day. Not to mention our awesome Internet issues...yes, I am once again writing this blog on my phone, with my thumbs. Awesome.

So, what have we been eating the past few days? Just assume that breakfast is always eggs of some sort and veggies and bacon, maybe a piece of fruit. Lunch is either leftovers or salad with leftovers. Thrilling, I know.

 So here's the exciting part- our dinners!

We've made the following (and by 'we' I really mean 'I') 

The BEST Pot Roast EVER

This is Andrew's most favorite meal in the world. I stole the recipe from my amazing chef sister and I'm 99% sure that she was inspired by the Pioneer Woman. If you don't know her - go to her blog. She's amazing. Anyways, this Pot Roast is simple and delicious. PLUS, it makes a lot of leftovers!

Moroccan Cauliflower Rice

This dish was surprising delicious. Andrew found this recipe online at thefoodie.com. It was sweet and savory and really fun. The grilled pineapple was my favorite part.

Coconut Chicken Fingers with Sweet Potato Fries 

Aside from the fact that I TOTALLY overcooked the chicken this was a really yummy and fun meal. I can see us making the Coconut Chicken fingers all of the time. The fries had a definite kick - and though I still haven't mastered how to get crispy sweet potato fries WITHOUT frying them, these were knock your socks off good! Plus, these also made great leftovers. After some of my WODS this week I just grabbed a chicken finger and some veggies for a quick meal!

The Best Chicken You Will Ever Eat Ever

with 

Moracan Dipping Sauce

This is no joke - it really truly is the BEST CHICKEN YOU WILL EVER EAT EVER! It was delicious. And that dipping sauce, so simple, yet it added such a great kick to our chicken and the roasted veggies we made to go with it. This is for sure going in our permanent rotation. DELICIOUS. If you try ONE recipe from this post - try this one. 

And....the worst meatballs in the history of mankind with delicious stir fry vegetables (minus the evil rice vinegar!)

I'm not even going to post the link to this one. This was our first FAIL. I'm not sure what happened, Andrew and I both made these together tonight and it just WAS NOT GOOD. Yuck. I'm thinking the coconut flour in the meat mixture is what threw it off.  I threw mine away. It was a shame too, we both really wanted some fantastic leftovers. 

Wow... after the food rundown I am just now realizing that it has been a long time since my last post!

I guess time flies when you are having fun and sweating your butt off wearing long sleeves during Ramadan!

Oh, and I can't go further without a cute picture. So here you go. 

Honestly - the most exciting thing that's going on around here is that Andrew and I have been working out together every day this week. It's a WIN-WIN. We are getting more fit, spending quality time together, and I get to see him more often since we do it during the day. So I guess that's a WIN-WIN-WIN. He takes a break from work to come workout with me for about an hour. The boys have spots at the Childcare Center on base for a drop-off hourly basis and they both LOVE it. Everyone is happy. 

So what workouts have we been doing? Well, I CrossFit and Andrew swims - so we've compromised by creating CrossFit SWIM workouts. While I coach Andrew on squats and form he has been coaching me on becoming a better stronger swimmer. I love it. Andrew has been programming and he's been kicking our butts. It's so phenomenal!  PLUS, the training tank where we swim, is outdoors, so we are getting some sun at the same time. Luckily this pool is cooled down - it isn't the HOT TUB temperatures of our canal. 

What do our WODS look like?! I'm so glad you asked. Here is what we did on our first day

WARMUP: Swim 200 meters, 20 squats, 20 push ups, review Freestyle form

WOD:

Swim 200 meters

30 pool muscle ups. (at edge of pool in deep end, hold onto the edge of pool, push yourself down into water so your arms are straight, propel yourself up like you are climbing out of the pool) these were awesomely brutal!

Swim 200 meters

30 tricep dips using the diving blocks

Swim 200 meters

30 push ups

Swim 200 meters

30 squats

Swim 200 meters

3-30 second plank holds

Swim 200 meters

COOLDOWN: Swim 200 meters and stretch

These are so much fun! It's such a great way to beat the heat but still be outdoors enjoying your workout. Our goal is to do this 3-5 times a week...and to be able to hop in and swim a few miles like it's no big deal. BUT...that's going to take awhile. 

I know this isn't very thrilling or exciting, but this is what our life is lately. Eating good clean quality food, and working out, AND taking care of the boys obviously. We are exhausted by the end of the day. 

To make this post better - here are more pics of the adorable boys.!

So, what do you think? Do you have any recipe or swimming WOD ideas?!

I can use all the help I can get!

and That's 'Watts' She Said...