HILLYARD HAPPINESS

It's the third day of December today and I think fall has FINALLY found us. I was feeling really bummed watching the leaves change everywhere else, thinking fall was never going to happen here. That somehow all of the trees would go straight from green to brown. I've always been a summer lovin girl, but the past couple of years it seems, I have found myself absolutely loving fall. Especially after making it through the summer here, the fall weather is seriously a dreeeeam. And this time of year is jam packed with holidays, which is obviously the best. Just over the past week or so, the colors have basically exploded! I am loving every second of my morning drive to work, winding through the forest of beautiful leaves on my way off base. This afternoon I stepped outside with Libby for a few minutes and had to snap some pics of this tree behind our house, because...well just look at it! It's on fire right now! So so pretty. It felt good to sit and soak in the sun for a minute and just breathe. We are at a really funky time in our lives right now. A whole lot of waiting and uncertainty and frustration going on at the moment, but I'm feeling pretty lucky to have this girl to keep me laughing (and cozy haha she's such a cuddle bug) while Landon is working his butt off haha. Good things are coming, I just know it. Also really looking forward to my visit to Utah for Christmas! It's been almost a year and a half since I've been back. I am so excited to see sweet family and friends I have missed so much since we moved. AND there better be snow! ha Let the countdown begin :)

Our first go around with this crazy southern humidity has been a real treat. It has been soooo hot the past few weeks that we only leave the house when we have to and instead have been spending hours studying for the PE exam together. I guess that is probably a good thing since it has helped us to stay semi-focused, but being cooped up inside just gets old and it was about time we got outside for a few hours. Our sweet friends passed along their state park pass to us, so off to Huntington State park we went. The park is full of wildlife (okay.. birds and gators mostly), has a nice campground, and of course the beach. And yes - it was the same old story. Libby is STILL terrified of water. Everyone watches as we try to coax her into the waves with food, and then she darts back out of the water the second she sees a wave headed her way. We just keep hoping that one day she will realize how much cooler it is in the water haha! It was so hot and humid the moment we stepped out of the car, I honestly didn't think we would even last 30 minutes, but as we walked out onto the beach, we caught a nice cool breeze and we were in heaven! The water temperature was even somewhat cool (still like 80 degrees haha) but we both caught a few waves on the boogie board and had a great time just basking in the sun. And that's that. A Saturday well spent with my loves! Here's to cooler temperatures and lots of rain (hurricane season) in the months to come! Missing all of you back home so much lately! XO Someone needs to come visit us! haha.
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Happy Birthday to the sweetest puppy around! Libby makes us laugh on the daily and completely lights up our world. We may have had a pretty rough start--so rough that your daddy almost sent you back (I was not happy ha) but he finally put on his big boy pants and let you stay. And now I don't think he would ever go back to change his mind. He loves you so much. He also loves to tease you...

You moved across the country with us and even potty trained in hotel parking lots--haha! I just can't believe how much you have grown since the day we brought you home. I am so glad we captured so many of your sweet little puppy moments. I've probably watched this little video more than a dozen times already--and it makes my heart melt every single time. You bring so much happiness to us and our world. We love you Libby.

You guys, Libby is 10 months old already! How did that even happen?? She is not so little anymore, although sometimes she still thinks she is.  She weighs over 50 pounds now and holding her is nearly impossible. Libby is extremely mellow -- one of the main reasons I was so set on getting a bernese. But she is always playful and energetic around other dogs, especially when she is with her best friend Georgia, the golden retriever. Libby loves kids – and the kids love her! All the little neighbor kids come by to play with her on their way to the playground. Libby yearns to be cuddled and pet. When she is looking for attention, she will put her paw on my leg and wait for me to pet her -- and if I don’t, she then tries to put her chin on my keyboard like ‘mom pleeease’. Since day one, she has always loved putting her chin on things. She sprawls out on her back, legs high in the air as she sleeps, and every once in a while I will catch her running in her little puppy dreams. I alway want to remember her cute little grin, the way she perks up whenever I talk to her, and how she pounces on her rope when we play fetch.