:)

So! It's been awhile, but a TON has happened since my last post! I've decided as far as the AD thing goes, I'm going to keep the "news" we got on Friday a secret because, A. I'm tired of going back and forth on being excited because something's happening to being disappointed because we found out it's not happening. Haha so just know that SOMETHING is happening with it, and it's great news! :) When it progresses further than I will share. :)

Justin got promoted yesterday!!!! Oh it was amazing. I am so so so so so proud of him!!!! I even got to pin one side of his rank on him! (AJ did the other, of course) I was super pumped to be able to do that! It was very exciting!! So, he is officially a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps! :) Here's  a few pictures because I know there's several people who read this who don't have FB and didn't see them yesterday. :)

Us pinning him :)

AJ & Justin

We had a great time. I was really glad we got to go! Griffyn was PERFECT the entire day. She didn't cry at all on the way up there, she didn't cry through any part of the ceremony, and she only cried for a second on the way home 'til we stopped and got her diaper changed. It was such a good day all around. :) I'm so proud of him!!!

We have talked a lot about why this whole AD experience has happened, if it's REALLY what we are supposed to do, since it's been anything buy easy. The quotes that keep on coming back into my mind when I start to doubt for a second that maybe we really ARE supposed to be doing something else, are "God won't give you anything you can't handle." "Everything happens for a reason." "God never said life would be easy, He only promised it would be worth it." Through all of these, even every single roadblock, we've never given up. Sure, we have lightly explored other options we might have, to see if anything opened up and showed us that this other route might be the way to go, but every time we've always come back to this. I have found myself asking Justin more than once "Do you think 'this' is supposed to be a sign we aren't supposed to go in this direction?" Every time we would hit a brick wall and we would think we were getting somewhere, then found out we weren't, I would wonder this. But, every single time he would say "No, I feel like this is where we are supposed to be, this is what we are supposed to be doing, if it wasn't, we would've gotten the 'No' answer back from my AD paperwork." So I've always just gone with it. I've always turned my attitude around, back to Yes, this is what we are going to do, and we're going to do whatever it takes to do it! So, the just is, that we would only allow ourselves to "doubt" this situation, our future, for a second, then we'd always come back to the thoughts that this was for sure what we were supposed to do, so we've pressed on!! :) And now, it's going to pay off. I know that it is. We are actually getting somewhere now and we are both really, really excited about it. So, for those other people who have or are doubting that this IS what we are doing, sorry you've doubted it!! Haha but we're gonna "show you!!" :) We have done a lot of talking about it in the last couple of weeks and we've decided that maybe some of the reasons that things have gone the way that they have so far isn't because it's not what we are supposed to do, but maybe it's because Justin now got promoted. He's now going to go on AD as a Sgt, which means a lot of different things, a few being, we now won't be taking a pay cut from his current job, to go AD. He also won't lose his time/grade as a Cpl, which would make it harder for him to become a Sgt on AD, now he gets to go in already having that rank, which helps him in many aspects. It also means we've been able to be around family even longer, and that Griffyn has been able to be around her grandparents, aunts/uncles, our friends etc. and they've been able to watch her grown and experience new things!!! Tara tells me all the time she thinks one reason is because she has needed someone here to keep her sane, lol, while she's been back here since AJ is deployed, and won't be done with deployment until Dec., so you could say that's another reason! :) It's looking like we will probably be here still for the holidays. While that makes me sad in one way that we are STILL here, that nothing was happening with it, in a bigger way, it means Griffyn gets to experience her first holiday's with all of our family! So, there's a lot of reasons (and many more I won't mention) that this could have happened the way that it did. Either way, we're ok with it! We've started to see the "big" picture, instead of only focusing on the fact that until recently, this has literally been at a stand still. But, we are really starting to see the allllllll of the reasons why it's been the way that it has. So, without getting into it more than that, that's where we are! :) Just keep praying for us and that we will continue to remember that nothing will happen that wasn't supposed to! :)

Other than all of that going on, there's not been much else!! Griffyn has started eating applesauce this week. I was a little disappointed that her reaction to it wasn't more dramatic, but she just ate it like she did her cereal. lol I figured she'd at least make a face since it actually DOES have flavor! lol Last night at dinner in Topeka, I put a pickle up to her mouth and she DEFINITELY made a face with that one. lol It was really funny. :) But, needless to say, she is enjoying FOOD! Even though she's only had rice cereal and applesauce so far, she loves it! :) I just love her more and more every day even though I can't believe it's even possible!! She gets more and more fun by the day too! It seems like every single day more of her personality comes out and it's just amazing. I still find myself just staring at her, whether she's playing or eating or sleeping, I'm just amazed. I'm amazed we did this, I'm amazed I am her mother, I am amazed she's here with us, I'm amazed at all that she is doing and learning, I'm amazed God trusted me enough to give her to us and to take care of her. :) My heart is so so happy. I can't imagine it getting even better than it already is, but it always seems to do that! I can't believe how wonderful my life is. Every day I wake up, I go about my day and every single day I think, "How am I THIS incredibly blessed?!". I am loving, loving every single minute! Life is beautiful, wonderful, amazing.

I hope that you all enjoyed your weekend! I know I sure did!! :) I'm looking forward to our 3rd wedding anniversary this week!!!!!! :) :) :) I'm excited about that, too! :) Enjoy your week!
1. I am thankful that I was able to be there to experience such an awesome event in my husband's career this weekend! And that I was able to be such a big part of it! :)
2. I am thankful for the lesson in church this morning! It was really thought provoking! :)
3. I am thankful that I get to celebrate 3 wonderful (even through the ups and downs) years of marriage with my husband this week!! :)
Love