Florida.

Exactly FOUR years ago today, Tony & I were wrapping up the B-E-S-T week of my life from our honeymoon at Walt Disney World! The entire week was just perfect! Everything was filled with so much magic from start to finish and the closeness I felt to Tony in our perfect little honeymoon cocoon was something I never wanted to leave. We were lounging by the pool at Animal Kingdom Lodge and literally soaking in the last of the gorgeous Florida sun and beautiful weather. I don't think I will ever get sick of that sight.
 

It was such a great way to finish up such a fun and fast-paced honeymoon by just slowing it down and relaxing until it was time to leave. I wish after our busy week at Disney that we could have stayed an entire second week JUST at the resort to unwind and relax... but a few hours on our last day would just have to do!

Later that evening we were on a plane from Orlando, Florida to Chicago. It was an evening flight and when we were just beginning to leave Orlando we caught the fireworks going off at Magic Kingdom. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect send off. So while we were reflecting on our trip with the fireworks going off, we put on some headphones and plugged them into the free XM radio in the armrest when one of our songs came on.

Fireflies by Owl City| The song became significant to us on our previous trip to Florida in 2009 to visit my Gramma Myers - the trip that Tony proposed on! It seemed like every time the radio came on, this song played. We both loved the song and thought it was so hilarious that it kept playing. I'm pretty sure when we jumped in the car right after Tony asked me to marry him it played... so it just really ended up being a song that meant a lot to us.

That's one of the little details from our honeymoon week that I don't think I will ever forget. Or at least, I hope I'll never forget how I felt in that moment.

 

Going home together is the only good thing about having to leave Disney!

Snacking on some of the Disney chips we got brought home

SO sad to say goodbye to our magical honeymoon!

Once we landed in Chicago we picked up my car from our hotel and headed back to the Quad Cities. But first we had to pick up something to eat... and what did we choose...

White Castle. After a week of deluxe dining we chose the exact opposite. (And we regret it just a tad bit afterwards, too!)

We made it back home late that night to our Silvis crapartment with the shag carpet & bugs galore and went about our normal lives again for the next few weeks... little did we know the huge shock that would soon be coming to us via pregnancy test! A gigantic part of me would love to go back in time to me four years ago and enjoy those few weeks as Mr. & Mrs. Duggan before pregnancy and parenthood and savor in our time together. I'm so incredibly thankful to be married to a person who is my best friend with memories together that are so happy that I just wish I could go back in time and experience it all over again! I'm even more grateful to be able to create new, amazing memories together plus our little heathens! We're FINALLY planning a return trip to Walt Disney World that will be our children's FIRST trip and I am so excited I could just scream!!! It'll also be our first family vacation since our trip to Florida with Amanda, John, & Anne Marie in 2013.

It's pretty hilarious now that I'm sitting down & thinking about it... I went to Anna Maria Island, Florida to visit my Gramma in 2008 with my little sister, again in 2009 for my birthday with my boyfriend/fiance, to Anna Maria again in 2010 with my sister & brother-in-law for Thanksgiving, to Orlando in 2011 with my husband, and back to the Anna Maria area in 2013 with family. Now we're planning a 2015 trip to Anna Maria & Orlando! So I guess it has unintentionally been at least every two years to go and visit.

I can't wait to visit my amazing Gramma, walk on my favorite beach, and introduce my daughter's to one of the most magical places I've ever been!

Four Years of Marriage

It really, really doesn't seem like all that long since our wedding day. Even more unbelievable is all that has happened in our lives since then! It's funny to think that our life would slow down after I finished college and wedding planning was over. Jokes on me! Life has been in overdrive since then and we've changed so so many things. Last names, addresses, states, jobs, family size, cars, and went from rent to a mortgage. Here's a quick glimpse of the last year of our marriage....


May 2014

June 2014

July 2014

August 2014 

September 2014

October 2014

November 2014

December 2014

January 2015

February 2015

March 2015

April 2015

May 2015

Year four was a crazy, busy one! The ride wasn't always easy this last year but I absolutely love where it's lead us. One of my favorite reflections to hold onto right now is: We're not perfect people (and we don't live in a perfect world)... but why should that keep us from being happy? (Does anyone else out there find these little mantras that stick with you and help pull you along sometimes?) Life is seriously too short to dwell on and live in the negative.

It's so easy to make the focus of a marriage your children!!! So easy. Mostly because children require lots and lots of love and attention. And also because they're so darn cute and you love them so much! We're striving to remember to keep our relationship a strong, central part of our family unit. My mother-in-law coming to watch the kids to allow us a date night has been a lifesaver for that as well.

Of course we also expanded our family this last year of marriage so that was exciting, too! I worried for so long about how that would affect our family and now I can't imagine our life any other way.

I think it's important to remember that you are responsible in helping to create the marriage you would like to have. And it takes work to get there, that's for sure!

There is no one I'd rather be married to and in the end that is what I love about being married. Tony is who I want to spend my life right next to and I'm very incredibly blessed to be able to do just that.

Molly: 10 Months.

60 days until I have a ONE year old. I don't understand how that is possible. Time seems to fly by in the oddest fashion ever since Molly came along - I've never felt more of the saying "the days are long but the years are short" because DARN it's true. I say it a lot because I feel it a lot!

Things here are much of the same. Sleep, wake, eat, diapers, fun, naps, passing the time, repeat! It seems like all day I can't wait until Tony gets home and all week I can't wait until Tony is off work for a few days. I'm doing better in regards to how many hours he works but I still don't like it.

Mol is a crawling machine. She loves exploring the house and if she knows you are coming to stop her from shoving something from the floor into her mouth she will start crawling even faster! It's hilarious.

She's loving any and all table food that she can feed herself and hell, I am loving that too! I can't say that she has any huge favorites yet because she pretty much likes it all. 

We are currently in the phase where Molly is learning to pull herself up on things. She has no real fear and doesn't yet realize she can topple over very easily. She's definitely getting her first huge dose of cause and effect and watching it as a mom... well, it really stinks sometimes. I can't even count how many times she has completely banged her head against the floor. I hate it. And of course it never happens on the soft carpet - almost always happens on the hard tile in the kitchen or the laminate in the living room.

She's got 4 teeth that have completely worked their way in and 3 more ready to pop through at any moment. We use Hyland's Teething Tablets when she's in pain and they work like magic. It's affected her sleep somewhat this time around but not as much as the first time her teeth were breaking through.

Molly is such a happy baby and she shares that joy with all of us. Her and Presley already have such a great bond and Presley is always looking out for Molly.

Presley is the most helpful, patient big sister - the only way she could be any more helpful is if she learned to change diapers!

We met some new babies in the last month, too! Beeeeautiful baby Lila and brand new Mr. Ryder! My babies are so lucky to have so many little ones around their age in the family. And my cousin Breanne will be having her little girl any day now and I cannot wait to see her beautiful face. It seriously breaks my heart being so far away from them not only for the big moments but for all the small ones as well.

Finally got to meet this beauty queen | Lila Bailey

Presley & Riley... just a couple months apart in age

Ashlyn loving on her little cousins

Ryder James | April 26th

The baby fever is real, y'all.

Mol's in 12 month clothes, size 3 diapers, and drinks breastmilk or water. Breastfeeding is still going great and is so laid back... I feed her when she gets up, before she naps, before she eats, and before bedtime. I nurse her on command if she's fussy or hungry or hurt or sad. It calms her down and comforts her. It's awesome. I'm thankful for the opportunity and don't take it for granted for a moment because I know how difficult - and sometimes impossible -  breastfeeding can be, especially in the beginning.

This month we're heading to Chattanooga for the first time since Molly has been born for Ashley's pinning ceremony. I'm super excited to be there for such a big moment for her and to get to celebrate such an awesome accomplishment. Not to mention we get to spend time with Ashy, Jojo, and Sage the puppy! Can't wait to see how Molly reacts to seeing Sage (a beautiful brown lab)!!!

She seems to be growing like a weed lately but at the same time just seems to be naturally on the small side. I love the similarities between my two girls and their stark differences. Love love love it. It honestly just makes me want to fill my house with children as crazy as that sounds. I guess it's the Catholic in me coming out - children really are such a blessing. But money doesn't grow on trees and neither does patience!!! We are happy with our lot, that is for sure.

Dearest little peanut,

Thank you for making us laugh and smile and for loving us all so much. I'm so lucky to spend all day with you and to have gotten these last 10 months to get to know you. Being a mommy to you and Presley has challenged everything for me and has helped me to become a better, stronger person.

Mommy & Daddy love you to no end.