Hello Sun...

WOW what a HOT HOT HOT summer we are having! I hope Germany has a more subdued summer, which from what I can see from my friends there, it is. 

Lyla LOVES being outside, but it is almost impossible unless we go early in the morning or just go to the pool, which we have been doing a lot of this summer. 

Lyla got her first ever black eye this July. She was playing on the couch, as she often does, and this time it just didn't turn out well. She was having a great time jumping and ended up launching herself into the arm of the couch which resulted in this:

 I looks pretty bad, but she healed quickly and is perfectly fine and back to her "dare devil" antics.

We also took our first ever trip down the Suwanee River (in Florida) in canoes while it rained and rained and rained! It was a nasty day, but we had a lot of fun and Lyla actually loved it!

She was getting sleepy at this point because she was running on no nap at all. 

She now loves the "beach" feel, so our next trip to a beach won't be like it was in June where she hated it! So glad for this! 

I am also almost done getting my dog training certification so I will be able to start my own business doing dog training! This is something I can carry with me always and something I have always wanted to do. 

Now we are just still staying busy and counting down the months until Daddy is back home! We have now been apart for 6 months and he has been deployed for 5 months.... it needs to hurry up and get over with!!

15 Months of life

WOW! Lyla turned 15 months old this month and it is amazing what babies can learn in that time. We had her appointment today and she is a whopping 21.2 lbs and 31.5 inches tall! She will of course be taller than me by the time she is 12... haha. 

She is say many many words, which include but are not limited to:

Dada, Cody (one of the dogs), Beau (another dog), Stop, No, Yes, Duck, uhuh, Ball, that, Dog, she clucks like a chicken and "Woof"s like a dog! There are others, but I think that is enough to give you a good idea! 

She climbs, runs, kicks and throws a ball. Very active kiddo and eats like a horse!! 

Lyla and I are just trying to keep busy doing things with our play group and getting out of the house. So if anyone wants us to hang out, just let me know! We are missing Austin very badly. R-n-R is such a tease! We just want him home for good!! 

Mid tour leave - June 2011

Wow, 15 days goes by SO fast! 

We had an amazing time with Austin being home visiting family, taking a trip to Panama City Beach, Florida, and just enjoying each other. Here is a photo journal of our R-n-R:

 Waiting on Daddy!

 YAY! He is FINALLY HERE!

 :)

 At Shogun for his first dinner back home!

 Lyla enjoying some quality reading time with daddy.

 Headed to Panama City Beach, Florida!

 Lyla really loved the Gelatto at the Red Brick Pizza Oven place.

 Our little rock star!

 Playing in the pool at the hotel. We were super lucky and had a semi-private walkway to the pool!

 At Angelo's Steak Pit for dinner on our last night there.

 Proof that I still exist! haha

 At the beach! Lyla hated it, so we went the last morning just to take some pics.

 This is what happened every morning when we tried to take her to play at the beach, so our beach vacation was spent at the pool and shopping!

 Back in Woodstock, GA playing at the pool!

 Celebrating Father's Day early. Daddy for a new iPod touch!

 The dreaded day we had to take him back to the airport. We attempted to get a good family photo, this was the best one that came out!

At the airport saying good bye. Austin didn't have to fly out for a while, so we stuck around and had some frosties from Wendy's!

We had such a great time with Austin while he was here and we can't wait for him to get back! MISS YOU and LOVE YOU AUSTIN!!!!!!!

Happy May!

I am so so so bad at updating, and I apologise to anyone who actually reads this.

April was great and I am glad that it is gone and we are getting closer and closer to Austin's mid-tour leave! We are in the "teens" days until he gets back and I can't wait. Lyla has changed so so much and I can't wait for him to get to play with her, because she actually plays now!!

Happy 2nd Anniversary Austin Conley!

I love you so much and I am so proud and thankful to be your wife and the mother of your baby girl! Can't wait to celebrate with you when you get back!!! 

Austin and I are planning on FINALLY taking our honeymoon cruise ((2 1/2 year after the fact))when this deployment is over and I absolutely can't wait. So much so that I have already been looking at cruises and trying to figure out where we want to go and on which cruise line... I have yet to make a decision. As they say, Better late than never! 

A photo from our REAL wedding day! 

<3

And then the fun with the cake!!

Lyla turns ONE!

WOW! A year has gone by...really? A whole year already?!!?

What an eventful one, yet again, it was! Moving from California to Germany and being in Georgia in between and now back in Georgia for the duration of this deployment.

I think our family is just meant to go through many trials and changes and to do it often. Lyla has been a trooper through all of it adjusting fairly quickly to time changes and new schedules. 

I think yesterday, Lyla's birthday, will be the hardest one of this deployment. We really missed Austin being at the party. And silly me... no one filmed a thing! Lots of pictures, but totally forgot to film her eating cake and the singing and all of that. :(

Any way, to Lyla I say:

Lyla, 

You are the greatest gift we have ever had the honor or receiving. Like the rest of our lives, the day you were born was a very trying but joyous one for me. 28 hours of labor and a c-section later we finally got to hold our little girl that we had been waiting to see for so long. We couldn't imagine our lives without you in them and are so thankful to God for giving you to us. 

Lyla's Smash cake!

Yummy cupcakes for everyone else to enjoy!

She got into a present early! 

This is how she was the morning of her birthday, but luckily after a nap, she was MUCH happier for the party! 

Goodies for the chocolate fountain.

Candy bar

Me with my Love Bug before the party started

With Nana and Papa

Opening present with Aunt Bekah!

MMMM CAKE!

The day was absolutely perfect other than her Daddy not being able to be here. Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate with us!! 

What a month...

Well the time finally came for Austin to leave on the 22nd and he is now in Afghanistan for the duration of the deployment with the exception of R-n-R later this year. 

Lyla and I have had a great time being here with family, but we sure do miss Austin. I can't believe our beautiful baby girl will be a year old in one week from today. Although the first few months were kindof a blur, it feels like she was that tiny newborn just yesterday. 

She is SO active these days, running everywhere and just having fun exploring her world. She babbles all the time and is getting more and more teeth in these days. 

We had a quick but great trip to Texas this month to see Hallie and Ross get married. Beautiful wedding and a great time shorty visiting with family. Other than that, we have somehow managed to stay busy every day...maybe one day of down time here or there, but that has been a blessing to keep busy while Austin is away. It really helps the time pass by. 

Here are a few photos from this month to enjoy: