My Fearless Superhero

So after Big T's bath I barely get him dried off before he goes streaking through the house, and most of the time I don't get him dried off at all, which then ends in tragic face plants!!

Last night he kept his towel.  He would grab the sides and swish them around like Zorro would!

A Moment

We are back home for awhile and I know Big T is missing his Grandparents, the animals, and the snowmobile!! 
I can't believe how much he has grown since we've been home last.  He is getting into drawers that he couldn't reach last time and reaching other places I wasn't prepared for him to reach.  AHHH!!

Just thinking of how much he is changing makes my eyes fill up with tears and my heart ache!!!  Not only because he is growing soo fast, but mostly because his dad, Coach, truly is missing out on so much!!  I know that he is doing a job, a job that alot of people won't or can't do, and somebody has to do it.  A job that is constantly criticized more and more, and a job where he is paid less than minimal wage.  He has truly sacrificed so much for a job that has to be done, no matter what others may think, it has to be done. 
I miss him more than words can express.  He is my best friend, and a lot of times it feels like he is my only friend.  It has been tough with out him here.  He hasn't been there to hold me and tell me I'm a good person and I'm raising our son fine. (which I worry that I'm not doing a good enough job being both parents or even just the mom.)  He hasn't been there to just hang out with me when I need an adult to talk to. He speaks Cami and I swear he is one of the few people I'm not awkward around, and even if I am he gets it.  Coach is not here to pick me up and telling me to keep going and telling me I can do it, and that I matter.  And he is there on Sunday's which truly seem to be the hardest day for me. I think it is because I feel the most alone when I'm surrounded by people, and yet am alone.  I'm in the dreary world with out my help meet.
I knew that it was going to be hard with out him here, I just didn't realize how hard emotionally it would be. How could I have?  How can you prepare for it?
Coach is not being able to chase Big T around and show him the world that is before him.  He isn't able to teach him new words or get to watch Big T try to calculate how to climb up this chair before him. Big T is constantly learning how things work and how to put things together.  It is such an incredible time, and Coach only gets to see him maybe once a week for 5-10 minutes and just his face, not him experiencing life. 

I know that this is but a moment in the grand scheme of things, but it is one of the toughest moments I've experienced thus far. 

Big T Moments...

First....Him Sledding

Second...Working Out

Third...sucking Blue M&M

 

and Finally......The Brick of Cheese...he snuck it out of the fridge when I wasn't looking

 

How 'bout a Ride

I love to climb on the back of such a strong and beautiful animal.  To feel the power that they posses and the movement underneath me is a rush.  I'll have to admit that when I climb on the back of a horse I just feel at peace and confident in myself.

I took out my dad's horse, Elena, on Saturday and at first was a little nervous.  It has been almost 2 years since the last time I rode.  I went for a ride close to home, which usually always brings problems, but it was a nice refresher course I suppose.  She almost lost me off the back when some pheasants or chuckers flew up from nowhere and frightened both of us, but I stayed on and the rest of our ride was...well... a lot more lively.

Then on Wednesday I convinced Dad to come with me and we moved some cows to another pasture,

(well the lame one at least).  Then I switched Horses with my dad, Prancer is the calm one, and took Big T for a ride.  Of course we went riding on one of the coldest days so far, but the sun helped.  I bundled Big T all up and he resembled the little boy in "The Christmas Story."  He enjoyed it, well he was talking and wasn't crying so I take that as enjoyment!

N'awlins

I was able to go to New Orleans, or N'awlins as the locals call it, to meet up with Coach before he left the states.  I wasn't sure if I really wanted to go, I mean I wanted to see him, but the cost of everything was something I didn't want to have to pay out for.  Deep down I knew it would be worth it and everything would work out financially, which I believe it has for the most part. 
I loved seeing Coach.  I felt like a giddy school girl waiting to go on a date with the ever so handsome jock while I was waiting for Coach to show up at the hotel.  Of course it was better than a school girl date because he got to stay the night ;-) !! 
Coach looked great, he lost most of his love handle he was packing around, and he just looked good.  Maybe it was because I hadn't seen him in awhile.   Just imagine how good he will look to me after 8ish months...hehe.
Anywho, I was also not sure if we would have any fun in N'awlins or if I'd like it there, but I had a blast.  The people were super friendly the food was great and I enjoyed seeing the cemeteries and the French Quarter was fun. Yes on Bourbon street there was "sex" and bars every where, but it pretty much was all confined to that one street, and it didn't show up as much until the night ( probably because of all the neon signs that shone much brighter in the dark).  We did walk the street once at night, and that was the night Coach brushed shoulders with David Hasselhof.  I thought he seemed much shorter and Coach thought he seemed taller than on TV, he did have a cool pinstripe suit on, very high class attire.  It was so crazy cuz tons of limos would come and drop off really high class people on Bourbon Street and the atmosphere there seems more for "trashy" people.  We did eat at a great restaurant on that street, we basically waited 2 hours to be seated, and that was still after someone gave us there ticket which was like 10 ahead of ours, ( we walked around) but it was worth it, the food was amazing. It was called the Red Fish, in case anyone needs a good place to eat in New Orleans.

We managed to leave our room every once in awhile and go to some cool places.  We went to the zoo there, they were having a "Swamp Fest" going on, so live bands were constantly playing while we walked around and people were even dancing.  I wanted Coach to dance with me, but he came up with all kinds of excuses not to.  We still had a good time. We also visited the WWII museum and ate at some great restaurants...we ate alot!  I tried alligator while I was in N'awlins, it was yummy!  It probably had to do with the breading, but yum.

(tons of photos below)

                                           "Squirrel!!"

Here are some zoo pictures...

Tough Guy

 The French Quarter....

The iron work is awesome

St

ST. Louis Cathedral (apparently the 2nd oldest Cathedral in the US)

St Louis Cemetery #1.... This was one of my favorite sites we visited. It was just so unique.

A Tomb Shrine

And then of Course the Aquarium....(Everywhere Coach and I have traveled to, we always seem to go to the Aquarium..guess we like fish!!)

Petting the Stingrays!!!

This Fish is my Favorite!!!!

I think Jelly Fish are cool

One thing I learned from this Trip...Coach and I need to take more photos of the two of us, more fun photos!!!   

I truly had a blast in N'awlins and maybe next time (if we go back) we can see the Bayou! We didn't make it there :-(