being gooey..

So, I try not to get really mushy about my relationship {to spare all you squeamish folk} but lately I've been thinking about how blessed I am to have Kaleb in my life.

I met my husband a little over four years ago during our tech class; a class I only took to fill up my schedule. {this must have been destiny because I would have failed that class if it hadn't been for Kaleb} I had noticed him before, staring at me, but he never talked to me. One day, he was at the printer next to my computer&' I turned around&' told him that I liked his shirt. {it was orange, my favorite color at the time, and to this day, he still swears that it was a pick up line} He turned about 40 shades of red, mumbled out a thank you&' walked away. But I was not content. If this boy was going to make goo goo eyes at me, I was going to at least make him talk to me. So during the presentation we had during class that day, I demanded he sit next to me. {for those of you that know Kaleb, you know how painstaking this was. for those of you that don't, Kaleb is my polar opposite. He's really shy&' sticks to what he knows. I.e-- not me.} After a little bit of awkward tension, I finally got Kaleb to relax and start talking with me. As class was ending, I gave Kaleb an opening to ask for my number. Which he missed. For 10 minutes. When it finally hit him, he asked&' of course, I gave it to him.

From then on, we texted each other all day&' late into the night. We just had a natural way with each other, despite how different we were from one another. He eventually asked me to his prom {a WEEK before prom, mind you} &' that's when we made it official. A month later, we were officially over. {he kind of drove me crazy..} Soon I graduated {oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, I'm a puma-- like a cougar, but younger. Kaleb is younger than me by a little over a year.} &' we went on our separate ways. Kaleb had a year left of school&' I had three to figure myself out.

We didn't interact much those three years. I had a baby with a man who didn't care, my sister adopted him {for which I am so blessed} got engaged, broke the engagement off, got into another really bad relationship&' lost myself. One day while on Facebook, Kaleb's name was in the chat log&' the little voice in my head started whispering, "Message him." So...I did. We caught up, agreed to meet up&' hang out. We talked about everything that had happened over the years, laughed about old memories.
{back story, when I started talking to Kaleb again, I had decided to date around&' not get in a committed relationship.} The next thing I know, I'm spending all my free time with Kaleb, going on dates, late night drives, visiting him at work. He just made me light up, even though I didn't want to admit it.

Over lunch with a girlfriend, we were talking about Kaleb. She looked me square in the eyes&' said, "Mary, you obviously care about him. You light up every time you talk about him, and he's all you talk about. Plus, you're not really dating around anymore-- you're just dating him." I laughed it off, but her words stayed with me, bouncing around in my head like spastic ping pong balls.

Later that same evening, Kaleb&' I were texting&' he let it slip that he was still in love with me, even three years later. He had watched my life fall apart, seen me crazy&' he still loved me all the same. He said he knew we belonged together, so he had no choice but to wait for me...

Every sign in my life, pointed to Kaleb. He was my soulmate.

So I took a leap of faith&' Kaleb&' I discussed making it official. By far one of the best decisions of my life. Next thing I know, we move to Logan together, discuss getting married&' living happily ever after. And that's basically how it happened. Then we had a baby on the way. And in the blink of an eye, my future was right in front of me. We got married on a quiet July evening, before Graeson got here {I wanted to be married before he came}.

Kaleb&' I have definitely had our ups&' downs and the path we've traveled has not been the smoothest. However, despite the ups&' downs, we fight through it&' make it work.

I love Kaleb with all of my being. No one makes me laugh the same way he does, pushes me towards my goals, listens to my dreams like he does. I adore him more than I ever thought possible, and I love him even more because of how he loves our son. He is the smartest, most caring, most sarcastic man I have ever met&' sometimes, he drives me crazy. But I can't imagine spending a second without him. I love him with everything I have.

I love his eyes, especially the way they squint up when he laughs, and his laugh makes me melt. I love his cheesy jokes, even though I don't show it all the time. I love how proud he is to be a father&' I love the way he lights up when he sees Grae.

I am so blessed to have Kaleb in my life&' I am so grateful he chose me to spend the rest of his life with.

I love you so much, baby. Thank you for being with me forever plus a day.

xo

I should probably be in bed...

..but I'm wide awake. Bright eyed and bushy tailed. This A L W A Y S happens to me. As soon as 9 o'clock hits, I'm raring to go always.. This is how my mind is going right now.

Kaleb got a promotion and I am so proud of him. I love scary movies. I could really go for some coffee right now. I need to clean my house. Make a menu for the next month. Budget. American Psycho. Make the invites for Graeson's birthday party. Oh my God, my baby is going to be one. My cat is being super crazy. I want to color my hair. I need to post a blog with  my family photos. School starts in January. Gotta register for classes. I really want to go dancing. Double date soon. With C and A. K and J. A and J. Way to many initials. WTF are you doing? Check S4S on MYOW. No one is going to know what any of that means. CHRISTMAS FALALALALA LALALALA. I need to take a muscle relaxer. It's only 1:30. I need to edit my blog. And Twitter.


Okay, that's all for now.

Nuhhnight, but probably not.

xo

but first, coffee.

It's been so long since I've posted! I've just been so busy with life [that & I just got internet yesterday, F I N A L L Y] and enjoying G, I just haven't had the time.
But he's asleep, so I figured I'd pour myself some coffee, turn on a show & update.

our first key!

K & I finally moved into our own apartment! It is the best feeling in the world to be able to go home to MY place! It has definitely helped things in our relationship as well, not being in a tiny little room together A L L the time. Baby G has his own space, we have things organized, we have our own little routine, it's just nice.

hooters.

Once we moved in, we decided to get a four legged friend.. and ended up with two. Tiptoe & Hooters [I call her Tootsie around K to be nice, but I like Hooters much better].

Our best double date buddies finally tied the knot&' we were so lucky to attend. K was actually the best man & his speech made the entire crowd cry. A looked stunning & I don't think I've ever seen C smile as big as he was that night. It was a beautiful evening & I am so glad we have another married couple to hang out with! Lots of double dates in the future(:

G now has SIX teeth! That's so insane to me. His vocabulary has expanded also. He now says luhh you, hi cat, bubbles, bite, along with his other favorites-- hi dad, mama, and UhOh. His personality just gets cuter and cuter everyday, & I can't get enough of him shaking his head 'no' or ignoring me when I tell him no. He has the cutest little smile to show off his teefers.

itty bitty teefers.

K turned 21 in August & I have yet to get him chocolate wasted. Hahah, jk-- but seriously. He's never been a big drinker, but it's nice to be able to kick back and have a glass of wine with the hubs if we decide too. 

Sorry this blog was kinda blah, but I'll be sure to post more soon! 

xo.

Stay Tuned

Because big changes are coming to my little blog! A new name, a new look&' especially new topics!

xo- e.

525, 949 minutes. 365 days. ONE YEAR.

This year has been one of the hardest of my entire life. This year, I started my life with Kaleb.

It has NOT been an easy road. So much has happened, so much has changed, and Kaleb and I, despite everything that has happened, have grown so much.

All in all, this year has been one of the best learning experiences for us. We have learned how to communicate better, to love better.

I know I am no where near perfect. I know I am a HUGE pain in the ass. I'm stubborn, I'm frustrating, and I know Kaleb doesn't understand me at all, but I am so blessed to have found someone to take the time to at least try.

Kaleb is the cheese to my macaroni. The laces to my sneakers.

He listens to my hopes, my dreams, and understands my fears. He has helped me become a better person, a better wife, and a better mother. He is my better half, and I am so blessed to have found him.

I love you, baby. Here is to forever plus a day.

xo--
Mrs. Kaleb Hunter

6 months old!

Well, we've hit the half year mark.

And I can't believe it.

This time, last year, I was pregnant, and ready to find out the gender of my sweet baby boy.

I love my feet!

Now he is six months old, and growing up so fast. He is so funny, so full of life. I can't believe how blessed I am to have him in my life.

He is very active now. He has mastered the art of rolling&' has us panicking about how we will keep up with him when he starts crawling (which I don't think it so far off!)

He's been eating solids for two months&' all I can say is THANK GOD that he is not a picky eater! This little guy will eat any and everything we offer

So handsome!

him, and he lets you know it! He constantly goes 'mmmmm' the entire time he's eating.

He's said a few words too! He said 'mom' the day before Mothers Day&' I was thrilled! He doesn't say it often, mostly when he's sad or really sleepy.
He says 'UhOh' (our nickname for his grampa) and 'hi'. And just the other night, he said 'dad'!

He loves grabbing his cute, chubby little feet&' loves the dogs (even though Rocky doesn't love him as much, now that he's mobile).
He hogs the bed (and all the blankets!) laughs in his sleep, gives lots of hugs, kisses&' snuggles now.

I can't believe how fast the time has gone. I get really emotional when I think about how fast he's growing up, and he's not even a year old yet! This little boy is my world, and I love him more than anything I could imagine.

He is my rock, my sun, my moon, my stars. He makes me laugh, makes me, cry, and helps me grow into a better person every day.

I love you, stink bug!

xo-- Mama

Silly brain...

I'm really only up because my brain won't shut up.
It's normal for me to have a million thoughts running through my mind at at time, but tonight, some of those thoughts are S C R E A M I N G at me.

Just to give you an insight, I'll give you a little peek as to what my brain is doing--
                 What was the name of that song? If our love is tragedy, why are you my clarity? Holy hell, I'm
                  pretty sure Ke$ha loves glitter ALMOST as much as I do. We should take a trip to see
                 South Carolina before we move out there. I really miss my mom. I should open a window; it's
                 hotter than hell in here. I need to make a packing list. Check on Grae. Download Spotify.
                 Make a roadtrip playlist. You really need to follow your dreams; you've been slacking on that.
                I need to get my hair done. The lines in this paragraph totally aren't even. Really should update
                the blog; but why? Nothing interesting to report here. Seriously, try out. Just get over your fears.
                Check the schools website; maybe they have the booklist up. You should probably go to bed,
                like... right now. Who the hell is texting me? YOU NEED TO CHASE YOUR DREAMS. I
                wonder if I should change my major.

Does anyone else see a repeat offender? I've been thinking a lot about how badly I've wanted to be a singer. Now, I don't know if that will ever happen, but I won't know if I don't try. I have absolutely NO talent in writing songs, but (not to toot my own horn or anything) I can seriously belt out a tune.

Is it insane of me to still want to pursue this? I have a lot going on in my life between Grae, school&' Kaleb enlisting in the Navy, but this is something I've wanted for a long time. Is it totally irrational? Gah.
Shut up, brain.

I need to turn in for the night..
I'll think on this more later. 

Ocean Deep...

Well, now that certain people have been told our exciting news, I am able to finally blog about it!

Kaleb is currently finishing his paperwork to become one of America's finest-- A sailor! That's right, Kaleb is enlisting in the Navy! He is deciding between two job paths-- a nuclear engineer (only about 2% of people enlisting in the Navy qualify) or a cryptologist (basically, an interpreter).

I have so many emotions regarding this, that sometimes it's so hard to wrap my head around it. I am excited that we're going to be able to travel and see the world, experience new things, and have the best life possible. But I am also struggling so much with the fact that once he is done with bootcamp, we will be moving across the country to South Carolina for a year, and then possibly New York for another 6 months. I have never lived so far from my family (I will also be the first in my family to move out of the state). I know that this will be such an amazing experience... But I can't deny that I am scared.

However, I am so proud of my husband for this. He is finally doing something to showcase his brains, and gain the confidence I have always wanted him to have. He is so incredibly smart and he deserves this. I married my hero, and I couldn't be more thrilled to be experiencing this adventure with him.

I will keep everyone updated as we travel through this process.

xo-- Mary; navy milso.

Long Time, No Post.

Wow. I have been slacking in the blogging field. But give me a break! I've been superrrr busy lately! Between work, a four month old that keeps me busy and my family, I'm lucky if I even have time to eat! (You'd be surprised how often I forget to do that..) I promise I'll try to do better to keep up on the blogging situation&' thanks for still following me!

A lot has been going on however; I can hardly believe that Grae is almost 5 months old! He is getting so big, so fast! He's recently discovered how awesome his feet are, and he always talks up a storm! He loves his food (he's been on solids for about a month now) and he simply can't get enough. Anytime he eats, he'll take a bite&' start going "mmmm!" It is the funniest darn thing.

 He is starting to realize who is involved in his life, and who isn't&' most definitely shows a huge love for his UhOh! (that's what we call his grandpa, looooong story).
I am so grateful that Graeson has all of these people surrounding him&' loving him. He is one lucky little boy&' he has touched all of us in so many ways!


In other recent news, there are some BIG CHANGES headed towards the Hunter family. We're keeping it on the D.L. for a little while&' only a few people know, but as soon as it's set in motion, I'll tell you more about it! All I can say is that it is going to be a great adventure for us&' we are very excited to be taking this next step in our story.

I am also really excited to be going back to school in August! I put off going back for way to long, and now I am so proud of myself for finally going back. I'm majoring in elementary education; I am really excited for this big step!

That's all for now, but I promise to post more as soon as I'm able!

P.s-- if any of you are on Twitter, follow me!

xo-- Mrs. Hunter
 

three months old!

I know everyone says 'don't blink-- they grow up so fast' but I still really struggle with that. As I'm typing this, I am choking back tears, both of joy&' sorrow, over the fact that my sweet baby boy is three months old tomorrow.

Each new day is better than the one before it, watching Graeson learn, change&' grow. I love seeing his sweet personality blossom, listen to his cute babble&' enjoying as much time as I can with him.

He smiles all the time now&' laughs on occasion in his sleep. He is almost 16 pounds! (big boy!) Bath time is still his favorite time of day (besides snuggle time, of course!) He loves to see the pictures on the t.v. and himself in the mirror. He gets stubborn when it comes to sleeping, because he is so afraid of missing anything! He is also starting to teethe!

Again, I can't believe how fast the time has gone by... I am one emotional mama!

I love you so much, baby boy! Slow down on the whole growing up thing; you're freaking me out! 

hello, February.

February is officially here&' with it, comes a lot of excitement!

I would like to officially welcome my beautiful niece Olivia Lynn to the world. She decided to debut on February 2nd, FINALLY! Weighing in at a tiny 5lbs6oz&' 17 inches long. She's so precious! Mama, daddy&' baby are all doing well.

In other news, I am now officially an employed woman. I have been hired on at Longhorn Steakhouse! I am so excited to start this new adventure in my life, but I'm going to miss being with Graeson all day. I have for sure had my tiny little melt downs over it, just ask the husband. I'm afraid to miss out on things, even though I know I won't. Just a mommy thing, I suppose. Hah. It will be great for us in the long run&' help us reach our goals.

Speaking of goals-- I really need to post about those... Hah.

I'm such a slackerrrrr!

February has also brought the fact that Graeson is now 2 months old! I can't believe how fast the time is flying by, how much he has changed. He has such a fabulous little personality&' he brings joy to my life in such a way that I can't even describe.

GRAESON DAVID

           two months old.
             14.3lbs 23.9in

I love bath time.
I smile all the time.
I eat A LOT. 
I (almost) sleep through the night; only waking up once now!
I wear a size 0-3. 
I love snuggling!
I talk a lot, including loud yells when people ignore me. 
Car rides knock me out. 




But for now, I've got to go!

xo--
The Slacker. 

twentythirteen; my year

Yay! My first blog post of the new year! ....almost a month later, but hey! I've been a little busy! Baby Grae is growing up so fast, I'm afraid I'll miss it if I even blink, let alone blog!

Anyway, since he's snuggly warm in bed, I decided I'd punch out a quick blog!

Normally, I don't make resolutions, but I decided earlier this month that this was going to be MY year. And what I mean by that is I'm going to make this year the start of the best years of my life. (Even though a big part of last year was amazing.) I'm going to get happy on ALL aspects of my life-- religion, education&' career, family&' motherhood (even though I'm insanely happy in both of those areas lately, it can only keep getting better!) health& fitness, friendship, the whole nine yards! I'm even going to start a new blog for my journey this year (still up&' coming; stay tuned) and I'm going to be so brutally honest in it, it scares me. But I know I have an amazing support system behind me&' everyone will only encourage me too keep going, to not give up, too reach my goals. It's going to be an amazing (and probably) experience; I am so excited for the Year of Mary. (:

I'm gonna go snuggle my sweet baby. Keep an eye out for my newest blog&' make sure to follow along!

xo- mary hunter