The Inner Workings of an Army Wife/ Homemaker

Cobie's Suprise Birthday Party!!!

2011-05-19T18:23:00.000-07:00

We had Miss Cobie's birthday party today at Michelle's place and it was fabulous, fancilious,and an all around good time. The banner hanging on the hutch was made by Michelle and I! Although it seemed simple it took a lot of time! It is reversible with Happy Birthday on the front and nothing on the back, its going into Michelle's play room and will look adorable! Once again I got to make my yummy cupcakes but today I used a double chocolate cake mix and an adorable pink carnation as my decorations!

Michelle's china was an absolute hit and was adorable!! It's a pink rose china set, so flipping cute!

So how do two women go about moving furniture for a party. Well let me tell you its as tricky as it sounds!!!! What a pain it was to move the couch back and forth but hey it was worth!! Well I'll tell you how my back feels tomorrow and if it was still worth it haha!

House Hunting!

2011-05-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

Well we went house hunting today! And I am pooped. Funny thing though one of the most important things for me was how close I get to my best friends house hahaha!!! I felt kinda silly once I realized that but oh well it would be 24/7 craft day and who could say that doesn't sound fun!!!! The best thing about the whole ordeal is that we most likely are going to buy a brand new home and that means I get to pick all the counter tops, and tiles, and cabinets and stuff! How awesome is that! You know, I think i just realized I'm getting old if that excites me haha! Oh well Iam off to bed happy sleeping!

Quilting Mania

2011-05-11T19:56:00.000-07:00

The first baby quilt I made!! I had the fabric and decided why not! I was going to give it away I decided against it Becca's its the first one I've gotten to do!

Zach thought this was would be funny!! I married a silly silly man!

2011-05-09T13:36:00.000-07:00

The baby shower for our friend Maria! Penelope will come any day now! Didn't Michelle and I do awesome on that cake a mean wow!! And dang those cupcakes were Delicious and Julie did an awesome job with everything else, especially those fun games we played hehe!

The Moist Perfect Cupcake hehe!!!

2011-05-09T12:03:00.000-07:00

These cupcakes are a sinch to make and the frosting is to DIE for!!! The cupcakes are made from a box cake mix but you ignore all the directions from the box and instead you do this: 1 box mix, three eggs, 1 cup water, 1/2 cup real butter! Mix well and try not to eat all the yummy batter hehe!Cook at 350 for 20 mins. The Frosting is my most favorite guilty pleasure and it goes like this: 1 cup butter, 1 cup crisco, pinch of salt, 1/2 tsp vanilla and 4 cups of powdered sugar!! MMMM good thing I still have a lil extra in my fridge, all this talk of yummy frosting has me craving it, now i just need a gaint spoon and ill be in heaven haha!!! Happy Baking!

The Deliciously Cute Diapre Cake

2011-05-09T11:37:00.000-07:00

This adorable diaper cake was made by myself and my very good friend Michelle!! Together we are a force to be reckoned with!!! We are always on the same level with our crafting and most everything else in life haha. We had an amazing time putting this cake together and we are both sad that it will eventually be pulled apart! SO cute,SO crafty and SO much fun!!!

The Roller Rink!

2011-05-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

Well we have finally found something fun to do in El Paso!! The Roller Rink is a great place to go and have some fun and exercise at the same time hehe!! I love when I can sneak some exercise in where it doesn't really feel like work!! Zach had a great time holding Michelle's beautiful baby while I went roller skating with the rest of the kids.What a blast but a big part of the reason we had so much fun was because those crazy fun Wilkes kids haha!!!

Terribly tired and bored!

2009-09-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

So as of right now both Zach and I have the same feelings. He is exhausted!! He wakes up everyday around 5 o'clock and works out twice a day and goes on missions...so in short the boy is tired! :) But on the other hand when he isn't doing his job he is doing NOTHING! So he is bored too but like my mother always told me only boring people are bored!! hahaha Well as for me and my sunny home of Temecula I am tired also. Thursday night I spent 5 hours in the ER with my poor mommy who had a kidney stone and then I worked all day around the house on Friday never stopping and THEN low and behold my poor brother Mitchell needed to go the ER last night...so my weekend was to say the lest a disaster! But all is well now my mom feels much better and Mitchell is on antibiotics! I have been very blessed with the fact that my husband as been able to call me every night for the past week which I'm sure is a product of my constant nagging! But I'm proud of it if it means I hear his voice that much more! As you can see below are some of the first pictures Zach has been able to get to me from Iraq! I was happy to receive them and post them up for everyone to see but I saved a few to add to these post and talk about them a bit!

When Zach got these photos online for me to see I was anxious to say the lest...I wanted to see where my husband was, what kind of condition he was living in and how he was living. When I come across these pictures I had the strangest feelings. I never thought that my heart could share these two emotions at once. At first glance my heart broke for these beautiful little kids but then as I studied it another emotions came to me...my heart was filled with love. Love for my soldier in a way I have never experienced and love for the kids here! The look on the little girls face is what truly touched me. She was happy. She has the most beautiful smile I have ever seen and I felt so proud to know my husband put that smile on her face. In that moment she felt safe, cared for and spacial! And its made me think further on what kind of men our US soldiers really are. When you think of a soldier, you think of a strong, brave man who will stand up for whats right. When I look at this picture I see a soldier who is loving, giving and will kneel to put a smile on a little girls face. Our US soldiers are more then just men with guns...they have some of the biggest hearts that are filled with the most compassion that we may never truly understand! I am so grateful for my freedom for all the blessings that the Lord has given me through our great nation. And I am so grateful for all our soldiers who have given freedom to other nations! Because of so many men and women these children will have a future there parents never dreamed possible!

the first pictures from down range!

2009-09-21T12:46:00.000-07:00

September 11...We will not Forget!

2009-09-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

8 years ago today terrorist who fought against our country and our believes took down 4 US planes,killing thousands. And because of those actions it sent in motion so many things to come. A war in Iraq and Afghanistan that still rages on today, thousands of husbands,wife's, brothers, sisters,sons and daughters leaving our home to protect and serve. I remember watching the news that faithful day knowing that our country, our people, our way of life would be altered forever. At the age of 12 something grew inside me that shaped me for my life today. I felt hope, pain, anger, respect and a love for our country, our soldiers and for so many others that were going through the worst event in American history. As a look back on that time and how utterly it changed me, I have come to know that I was meant for this life. My Zachary James Riddle is a soldier of the United States Army. Our lives did not just randomly cross paths for we were ordained to each other. Our lives and the events in our lives shaped us for each other. I knew a long time ago that I would be with a man strong enough, brave enough and selfless enough to fight, defend and protect our country and our believes. I am so proud to be called Army wife, the strength behind the strong. So please do not forget that September 11 when our lives were changed for us. And pray for the families, the loved ones and all those touched by that day.
"Remember all the brave ones who fought the battles, won the wars. Remember all the hero's who wore the colors bore the scars. Remember every patriot and what their loved ones gave. Remember every life lied down to keep our country free and Put your hand over your heart when the flag goes."

Nothing New from Down Range!

2009-09-09T22:05:00.000-07:00

Well Zach is doing fine and getting settled in as much as possible. He has been called as a church leader down there and we feel extremely blessed for him to have this opportunity! It will keep him close to the Lord and to the Gospel. He says that he isn't doing much but watching movies...so it cant be that bad can it?! ha ha well I ask you keep us in your prayers and all soldiers and their loved ones in your prayers.

Gratitude!

2009-09-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

So as said by a good friend of mine, Iraq its the place to be.Well if you have to be somewhere then yes she is right for the most part. Zach is very blessed to have never deployed before now and to now go on and serve his country he is also blessed. Yesterday, I received an email from our Family Readiness Group stating that Zach's commander had had the opportunity to eat dinner with a family in Iraq and the man who hosted them pulled the commander aside and informed him that what he and his soldiers was amazing. He explained how he is so happy that his grandchildren would grow in a land that free and getting better everyday thanks to the men and women who serve! What an amazing feeling to know that Zach isn't just appreciated here but where he is doing his duty. On my way home from running some errands today a man that was stopped next to me at a stop light motioned to me to roll down my window. I was thinking to myself "dang, I must have a break light out or something." When my window was finally rolled down all the way the man looked at me and said "I just saw the stickers on the back of your car and I wanted to say thank you for what your doing and what your husband is doing for my country." I thanked him and said I would be sure to tell my husband that he was appreciated. As the light turned green and he drove by me, I pulled over and began to cry. I wasn't crying because I miss my husband or because that man was so nice to say that, I was crying because I have never been more proud of my husband, of my country and more grateful for the things in which I have been given! So now I urge you to go out thank a soldier or a soldier's wife, after all we are the strength behind the strong!

Mailing address!!

2009-08-30T20:48:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone...Zach finally got the mailing address, so we can send him all sorts of goodies now!! The only thing you have to remember is that you have write it exactly how i've shown you. And be careful what you send sand can get into anything!!!

SPC Riddle,Zachary
HHC 1-23 INF
FOB Grizzly
APO AE 09391

Happy sending!!

Iraq!

2009-08-23T15:11:00.000-07:00

Zach officially entered the country of Iraq around 11pm last night ,our time. He says he is already much happy there then Kuwait. The weather is better and not as humid. That's all he got to tell me but I hope I get to here from him soon and learn more about how he is doing and what he is doing.We love you all...Pray for him and all our troops!

Back in CAlifornia!

2009-08-21T17:48:00.000-07:00

I arrived in home in California around one in the morning on Wednesday night! It was a long yucky drive but I'm happy to be home. Zach and his unit is getting ready to leave Kuwait for Iraq and he might already be there by now. He is doing well and has a guard shift every morning at 2:30 through 3 and he sometimes get the time to call me! As soon as I receive word that he is officially in Iraq I'll jump right online and post a blog. He will also them be able to receive mail and packages...so send away!!! I am doing well and learning just how much I love my husband and how lucky I am to not only have him as my husband but my eternal companion and we would never know that happiness without our church! We are so grateful for the temples around the world and I realize how lucky I am to be able to attend them often not only for myself but for my husband! We love you and all please pray for my husband and all the troops that are serving our great country!

Hoping to receive some word soon!

2009-08-14T23:56:00.000-07:00

Well I haven't talked to Zach for two days now, so there isn't anything new to report for him. But Nick is flying up to Washington on Tuesday to help me with the drive down to California! I'm very excited to come home and be with my mom and family! Oh and I just found the battery charger and the batteries for Zach's camera LoL, so there wont be any pictures from him until I have the chance to send them up to him! I miss my husband more then I can explain but I'm doing well! I am surrounded by family and loved ones and my prayers for comfort and peace have been answered many a times!!! We love you all and please pray for our family!!

Not much to report.

2009-08-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

I was blessed enough that my husband was able to get online and we chatted for about 2 hours last night, from 3:30 to 5:45 in the morning!!!! I'm exhausted but it was well worth it. Zach is doing just fine and staying indoors quite a bit because of the heat. Yesterday it was up to 130 degrees, he informed me that he thinks of me always even though its hard to think in the heat haha. His spirits are high and I couldn't be happier that he is doing well and staying safe! He told me communication wont be very good this week and i might not talk to him again until next week. He says the food is good and he is soo happy about that! He told me that I must pray always and keep him in my prayers and so I'm passing that on to you all too! Pray for us...for my comfort and for his safety!! We love you all!!!

Saying our good byes!

2009-08-09T13:53:00.001-07:00

Zach is formation...right before they called his name and they marched off to the bus that would take them off to the plane!

This is Kyle our adopted son haha!!!! well he was for like two hours and then we gave him back to his parents haha!!

Our goodbye was sweet and filled with love!! He promised to come home soon and i promised to be strong and attend the temple often for the both of us!

My baby and his big gun!! hopefully he wont have to use it...not a once!!

The last picture we were able to take together before they loaded up and said our last goodbyes!

The First days of deployment!

2009-08-08T13:47:00.000-07:00

Zach deployed to Iraq Thursday August 6th 2009, exactly two months after our wedding day! He arrived in Kuwait around 3 o'clock last night and he called today and I heard his voice for the first time in two days! He is safe and sound and getting use to the 130 degree temperatures there!! I miss him horribly and our tiny apartment now seems large and too quite. I went to the Seattle temple last night and it was the first time I have attend the temple without my husband...although it was difficult and I could not stop crying, i feel at peace and i have been comforted greatly. My husband is safe and protected and i appreciate what he is doing and why he is doing it! Before he left he had told me that he was sorry for putting me through this...at the time i understood why he was sorry but now as i think more unselfishly i see there is no reason for him to feel sorry. When i met him he told me he would deploy and i knew the minute he first kissed me...that although this will be hard and difficult and lonely there is no doubt in my mind that this is what he is meant to do and i couldn't never be filled with more love, respect, pride and humility for my husband!! Keep us in your prayers and i will keep you all updated!!