Setbacks = Major Stress!

Well, Dave got word on Monday that he was not offered that job he really wanted in NY! He and I were devastated! I was soo optimistic that I even sent him looking at houses in the area after the all day interview! My cousin was excited at the prospect of having us near and I was very excited to be so close to family! However, it was not meant to be. Dave and I are now under some major stress! We are trying to figure out if we should stay here in CT, move back to PA or what.

Dave has been applying for jobs with the local stores and sending many online applications out this week. He may accept one and then work on going back to school and tyring to apply for the better jobs in a few months. We would need to rent out here somewhere and let Lucas finish the school year. We may move down to PA to be near my sister, or near other family in the northeast. Since we need to move ASAP that puts Dave and I under some major stress and we are having a rough time! I want to be in our new home by xmas since we have final inspection of this house Jan 3rd! The Navy will be able to move us though, so that is one major stress off our backs!

I will keep you posted, but we could definitely use some prayers!!!

16 years!!!

Wow! How is it 16 years already? It seems like just yesterday we were dating while I was finishing my senior year at the University of New Hampshire and Dave was on his very first 6 year enlistment with the Navy!!! I can't imagine my life without him - he has been my rock thru the good times and the bad. We have handled moving to different duty stations every few years, years of infertility, and several long separations just to name a few! My love has continued to grow a little everyday and I am so proud of the great husband, father, and sailor he has become!!!

We are entering a new stage in our lives with his retirement from the Navy this summer and Lucas starting high school, but I am sure we can handle whatever gets thrown at us! I mean we have preschool age triplets along with that high schooler! :)

We had a great day! Dave let me sleep in and made breakfast for me. Then we took the trio to their tumbling class, lunch and then home for naps! We relaxed and tried to figure out our evening plans since my friend Jessica Whitcomb was coming over to babysit for us!! We went and ate at a local Japanese Steakhouse for dinner, got ice cream from Coldstone Creamery, stopped at Target for a few items and then Redboxed a movie before we went home!

I am so thankful for everyday we are together and look forward to many, many more years! I LOVE YOU DAVID!!!!!!!!!

Monday Updates

Well, we had another weekend of partying here at the Dudley house as Lucas turned 14 on Friday! We had pizza and cake and Dave took Lucas and his friend out to the movies. His big present was getting his long board back! He had lost it for disobeying the rules of the house.

Saturday was a relaxing morning while Dave got his things ready for his trip to NY. After nap, we met up with Becky Anderson at Harkness Park for the trio's 3 year old, Lucas' freshman and holiday photo shoot! The kids did great and looked sooo cute in their outfits! When she sends me the gallery info I will post since I know I will need help picking which shots to have printed! The weather cooperated and the sun even poked out - it was a little chilly, but the kids did not mind as they were getting fruit snacks and walking around a new park!

We got home ate a quick dinner and then more partying! Family friends came over to help us celebrate with Lucas! He ordered a choc. cake with chocolate icing and dad made it for him! We kept the kids up til 830 in hopes of daylight savings time not throwing a wrench into out fabulous schedule! It almost worked - I was up with them at 7:30 instead of a little after 8, but not too bad compared to some of my other friends whose kids were up before 6! Yikes!

Dave left at nap time yesterday to be in upstate NY for his all day job interview today!!! We should know by Fri if they are offering him the job! He really, really wants it and I want to get out of limbo! lol

I am solo parenting while Dave is in NY for most of the week. He will be looking at prospective houses tomorrow and Wed, so that we can move quickly if they offer him the position! He plans to be back by Thursday afternoon and HE BETTER!! Friday is our anniversary and he promised me a night out and after this week I am definitely going to need it!

Dave's Dive!

As I mentioned on Monday, Dave dove this past Saturday at the Mystic Aquarium for their Halloween event. It was awesome to watch the kids get so excited to see daddy dive with the fish and carve his pumpkin! Not too much else to say so enjoy the photos!

Pumpkin Carving and Trick or Treating!!

We had a great weekend! Friday night I had a much needed Mom's night out with one of my best friends. We went out to dinner and people watched at the casino. It was so much fun and nice to have some adult conversation after dealing with crazy toddlers all day!

Friday we also got word that we can stay here in housing until Jan 3rd! That puts a little less stress on our move so we may have time to house hunt instead of apartment hunt after Dave's all day interview in NY next Monday!!!! I have started getting ready for the move - purging, taking down decorations, and cleaning. We have also started telling the trio that we will be moving to a new house and they get new rooms! They seem excited!

On Friday, before I went out we carved pumpkins!
Will hated touching the insides - he was miserable!


Logan and Jess were a little unsure, but got into it and loved carving with dad.




Saturday was a pretty laid back day. My head cold kicked in and we basically lounged around until after dinner. After dinner was a trip to Mystic Aquarium for their evening Halloween event! The kids dressed up in their costumes and we got to watch Dave carve a pumpkin underwater! It was amazing! The whole place was decked out for Halloween - the kids had a blast, but we were home after 8:15 and I had 3 very tired, over stimulated toddlers that were tough to get to bed. I took lots of pics of Dave and want to give him a whole post later this week.


Sunday the kids were excited to go out trick or treating! They practiced all morning! LOL They did great and had fun time! It was very cold and windy, but I was able to layer lots of clothes under their costumes. In another big milestone, we did not use the choo choo wagon! They walked the entire route! We went to a lot more houses than last year too! Will was so excited - he kept saying "I got candy!" every time he left a house. It was too cute.




After a long, cold walk there is nothing better than enjoying some candy!