Let the countdown begin!

We are set to move out of Japan to Camp Pendleton on March 9. I am so excited, I feel like a little kid at Christmas time. I cannot wait to be out of this fishbowl of a base and closer to family and friends. I am also anxious to start school back up, especially because with the new GI Bill, they not only pay for my school, they pay for my housing expenses (which we have none because the military pays for it), so it will be a great time to save money. We are getting ready for our big move and sold most of our furniture so we can buy almost everything brand new back in California. On top of that, we are still planning Madison's Baptism and 1st birthday party, which is coming along just wonderfully!! I am still working out, just a little less intense and I lost another pound this week versus 2lbs per week. Which is great because I want to be 120, and I only have 6 lbs to go!! Madison is also crawling all over and got stuck under the table chair before we sold it, haha! I ♥ her so much!!

6wks of MADNESS!!

Sunday was the very last day for my 6week weight loss program and I weighed in at 127lbs! I could not have done it without the help and support of my husband! Monday I started a lighter conditioning program and I am going to start running a lot again once I get over being sick. Here are some pics from today (my 3rd day into my new program), I don't weigh myself until every Sunday, so who knows, I might even be 126, now. Here are some pics (9 months after giving birth to my daughter and not breastfeeding!! I know all my breastfeeding friends say they don't have to work out because they burn so many calories, well I did this all on my own and I am very proud of myself. :)

[EXCUSE HOW BAD I LOOK, IT WAS 6:30A.M. & I HAD JUST FINISHED MY WORKOUT]

Madison & the Kintai Bridge

This past weekend, Ben & I took Madison to the Kintai Bridge here in Iwakuni, Japan. It is world known for it's architecture and how beautiful it is. We went with a couple of our friends Steph, Jamie, and Emma Valentine. We had a great time, especially the ice-cream! Ben ate Tira-misu flavored and I had peach, it is seriously like the BEST ice-cream you will ever have in Japan! We stopped at the playground and had a little fun. We also visited the water springs and the pond with the king sized Koi fishes. All in all, it was a great day, except for it being a little chilly, but the sun was shining, so it was great!

ALL AT ONCE!

Yesterday, Madison decided she finally wnated to crawl! We thouht she was going to skip crawling and just walk because she always wants to stand. Well, once she started, she hasn't stopped. Now she gets into everything! All her toys out of her toy basket can now be found all over the living room floor at any given moment. I really have to keep an eye on her now because one moment she is here, the next she is there. She pulls her self up onto the couch and her jumper! I predict she will be walking before her 1st birthday, fingers crossed. It seems like tihngs are coming all at once and I am excited to finally say we are moving back home to California within the enxt 3 weeks! Here is a short video of the 1st time she crawled.

MADISON: The world's BEST Valentine ever!

Yesterday (JST) was Madison's 1st Valentine's Day, so you know I had to make it as special as can be. The day started off with me working out of course while she slept and waited for her to wake up to eat with her. Ben, Madi & I were in the kitchen and started making breakfast. Ben made the heart shaped pancakes and I made my heart shaped egg white omelet.. tastey!

Then we decided to exchange some gifts. Madison opened hers first. She received a basket of flowers from her daddy and she was trying to eat them, lol. In her heart shaped box, she received a "1st Valentines Day" bib, a shirt that said "Daddy's little Valentine", a wash cloth with tons of hearts on it, a new teether in pink, baby food: apple pie dessert, baby fruit roll-ups, a heart shaped pink pillow, a lady bug beanie baby (we get her a different one for every holiday) and I think that was about it. Next, it was Ben's turn! He received a picture frame with a picture of Madison in it and the frame said "Daddy's Princess on it. I gave him a heart box with two mugs that said "crazy in love" and 2 single shots of Captain Morgan. I also turned a Snoopy plush into a Drill Instructor Snoopy with Ben's new rank and a red heart on his chest. I wanted to be different and not traditional. Next, it was my turn! The 1st thing I saw was a blue Tiffany box! I love blue boxes :) It turned out to be the charm I had been wanting that says "naughty" on one side and "nice" on the other side. Then There was "The Time Traveler's Wife" in Blu-Ray. I thought, my husband is good! The last thing that was in there were two 5lb hand weights. GREAT!! I had been telling Ben I need to step my game up from my 3lb hand weights and he got em for me, such a sweet husband! I had made sure he did not buy me candy (I'm on a weigh loss program and don't care for it) and there wasn't! Next, we used red paint and created what was supposed to be a heart out of our footprints. It isn't perfect, but it's art!

Next, we cleaned up and dressed Madison in her new shirt, some jeans and of course her red chucks. Ben & I actually got dressed in our red inspired clothes as well because we were supposed to go for a picnic for lunch. Needless to say, the weather did not permit us to do this because it was simply way too cold to take Madi out there. So, we decided to have lunch here on base at the Grand Buffet. It wasn't to bad. Ben and Madison dropped me off at home and the went to the store, to let me take a nap. IT WAS WONDERFUL :)

A couple of hours later, we got ready for yet another little expedition. We were a little formal this time and went to a restaurant called Jan Jakas. This place is so delicious and you cook your own food there. One place I will truly miss when we move back stateside. We had a blast and Madison was such a great baby (she always is) we never have to constantly be holding her, she is so independent.

When we got home, of course we had to watch my favorite show the Biggest Loser, lol. It is my inspiration! Then Madison went to bed and Ben and I watched my new movie together. It was really romantic. That ended our Valentine's Day and what a great one it was!

Are you ready for some football??

For the Super Bowl we didn't do anything spectacular because for one, we don't favor either team and here in Japan, it aires on AFN at 8am. We invited a couple of our friends over and had a blast. Ben made some home made hot wings and I made some cupcakes that looked like little hamburgers. I also made Madison a little Cults dress and bought her a plush football to play with. I wanted her 1st Super Bowl to be amazing, because after all, it's like an American holiday.. THE MARINES HERE HAD THE DAY OFF JUST TO WATCH IT!! :)

Looking better

Things with Madison's birthday are looking a whole lot better than before. We now have a park reserved and decorations in the works courtesy of my wonderful Mom and sister, Dani :) I am still a little stressed about where they will be moving us and now it is up in the air if Ben will be going the same time we do. If he doesn't, Madison and I will have to find a house (wherever they send us) and figure everything out on our own. At this point I am getting nervous and hoping they will send us to Camp Pendleton. However, I have the worst luck in the world, so I am not counting on it. Wish us notihng but the best!!

Where it hurts the most..

Today seemed as though it was going to be a normal day. Woke up, ate breakfast fed Madison, folded the laundry and changed to get ready to do my 2 hour workout. Then everything seemed to take a different direction. Still no word on when we will be moving out of the damn country I cannot stand anymore and still no place for Madison's birthday. The Marine Corps was supposed to have at least Madison and I out of the country ASAP, but of course since they are so cheap and don't care much about families, we are still here. I feel crappy and puked twice earlier, I think I might be having a panic attack or something. I just feel so rejected right now by a couple of people who are supposed to be close. I just want to say screw it, Madison will have no 1st birthday party. I despise the fact that almost my entire family lives in Northern California and almost no one is willing to help me except for a few, one whom doesn't even live there. If I was there I would go out of my way, but it always seems like just because I don't live there, I am "Out of sight, out of mind" and it hurts so much. My heart is pumping so much right now as I type this, and to tell you the truth that's where it hurts the most right now..