All Things Exciting (for me)

Baby Shower Planning
I heard from the wonderful woman who is going to host my baby shower, and we have a tentative date set! Right now, it is looking like the end of April so that my friends that are moving in May or shortly there after can be there. Being a military spouse means that the friends you make become like your family, and since they have all seen me through some rough times (two deployments and the start of fertility medication that made me a hormonal mess). The things that we end up seeing each other through really do make it a special bond unlike any other. In addition, seeing as all of mine and Chris’ families are mostly on the West coast and a splash of them through out the rest of the country, the odds of any of them being able to attend is small. I am just glad that as long as the tentative date that we have set works for my military family that my mother in law will be able to fly out so that I will have someone from my family will be here.

Back in Business Baby!
Any time now, my phone should ring. Letting me know that my partner in crime is back! Well, she and her sons, her mom and an aunt will be staying at the hotel here on the base tonight (after declining my offer – but hey it’s okay I am just glad to have her back!) and they begin moving furniture in their house tomorrow. Not only is my buddy moving back to Texas but I now have my shopping partner back, but her two kids are my source of entertainment on a bad day. And since we all know that pregnancy has a tendency to be rough at times, there is nothing like a three year old’s whity comments about what ever is going on in the world around him. For example when we told him that I had a baby in my belly like how his brother use to be with his mommy. His response was, “No you don’t!” I was barely a month pregnant and so it was hard for him to realize that my stomach was just in a smaller state, I reaffirmed that yes THERE is a baby in there and he said, “No you don’t. It’s at the Dr’s.” after which he promptly ran into my living room to announce to his mom and dad that there was a baby in my belly. How can you not giggle (even just a little bit) at that innocence? On the other hand, how can you not laugh when the same three-year-old gets on the phone three states and a time zone away and tells you that when he comes home he is going to beat Chris on the video games? I have not been able to do it yet. Hope my child is just as witty!

Seeing the Older (and Wilder) Version of a Friend
Really, it was almost like another world experience! I had run to the Exchange (the military’s version of slightly higher priced Wal-Mart or Target, sometimes smaller or larger depending on the size of the base) to pick up a few necessary items and ran into this lady who’s only purchases where a bottle of Arbor Mist and a bottle of Black Berry Brandy. Being who I am, I could not resist making a comment about someone being ready to party. What followed after was the most entertaining conversation of my week (if not my month)!! The story I heard following my seemingly innocent comment floored me. A woman who was probably close to 75 but had the attitude of someone MUCH younger regaled me with a tail of finding a pair of “hooker shoes” (her words – not mine) and dressing up in the shoes and a pair of hot pants to attend a “girls night”. This was a well-dressed woman who had stated she was an active member of a local art gallery, who was wearing what I would consider very abstract (but tasteful) earrings with a matching necklace. She was obviously very okay with who she is and proud of it. This really spoke to me in the sense that a good friend of mine is always talking about “owning who you are” and this woman was clearly doing this.

I could totally see my friend saying the same things as this woman was, and it cracked me up! And not in a bad way either! My friend (who shall remain nameless – for the sake of not getting my butt chewed when she finds I posted this on the net) is a person whose fiery personality can and sometimes is one to be reckoned with. All I think about this woman that I met, compared to my friend, is that if she is able to age as gracefully and youthfully as this woman did, YOU OWN IT GIRL! Moreover, I really hope that we are still the good friends we are now, because I want to be able to say I TOLD YOU SO! :D