Ready for Thanksgiving!

my Thanksgiving table centerpiece. I can't wait to put my Christmas stuff up!!!

This year, I'm cooking a small Thanksgiving feast!

I say small, because this year, it will be our little family of three and Dannika's Uncle Sully!!!!

I'm really excited about cooking, and I have FINALLY finished all my grocery shopping!

On the menu will be...

Roast turkey (of course a given!)

green bean and bacon casserole from scratch

cornbread sausage stuffing (southern style!)

mashed potatoes from scratch

gravy

sweet potato casserole from scratch

cranberry sauce (not from scratch)

I'm SO excited, and I LOVE the holiday season!!!

November, November

This month has been quite the busy month for us!

It was brought up to me by my mother that I hadn't updated my pics or my blog in a while...

So here y'all go!

I'll try and go in chronological order on what's been going on since the Marine Corps Ball!

~VETERAN'S DAY~

Nick and I got a 4 day weekend for Veteran's day weekend.

This weekend means a little more in the Romer household than the average household for obvious reasons.

One of Nick's best friend's from Golf Battery, Dannika's Uncle Sully came over to hang out and have a few drinks at our house.

The next day, we all went to Saddleback Community College to the Veteran's Memorial to observe Veteran's Day.

Uncle Sully and Nick...they have quite a relationship.

Veteran's day memorial service...this is Nick's "serious" face...

<3Kari's Baby Shower<3

I have met so many wonderful women this year it's unreal!

I love the new friends I made...the ladies of Tango Battery.

I was introduced to Kari by Becca at her house on Halloween, and she was just too sweet!

Her husband is currently deployed to Afghanistan, and she is due to have her sweet sweet baby girl in January before he gets back.

Becca was so sweet and threw her an awesome baby shower at her house, and Dannika and I got to go.

Great food, friends, games, and party favors.

The toilet paper game...measuring Kari's baby....Victoria won...I think she cheated

Jackson and Dannika playing with Shep

The mama to be...doesn't she look great?!

Jackson visiting Dannika in "Cell Block 6"

"Hey friend, get me outta here!"

The flower that Becca crocheted for Dannika...it even matched her outfit that day!!

 LASTLY...

Dannika is still not walking yet. Dr Shannon was a little concerned so he had us get her hips x-rayed to make sure there were no developmental issues. The x-rays came back normal and she is fine...just a late bloomer. 

She does stand on her own now though, and that gave us hope that she will walk soon.

Other than her walking, her vocabulary has grown tremendously and she is learning new things everyday!

It's crazy to watch her develop into a little "person"

Even her little tantrums that she throws now (throwing herself backwards on the floor) are cute.

I love hearing saying "uh-oh" when she drops something.

She says Doda...when she sees Dora the Explorer...

She even speaks a little Korean!

Trying out the Korean "podaegi" for the first time...all the way from South Korea!

She LOVES it!

Dancing

When I say "Touch your head"...she does this

Weekend Fun

It was another busy weekend for the Romers.

Victoria and Gavin had a post ball BBQ at their beautiful new house on Saturday in San Clemente.

There was a ridiculous amount of food...everything from chicken kabobs to steaks to brats to teriyaki beef...wow! We really stuffed our faces!

Of course Sarah made her famous caramel brownies...always a hit.

Lindsay made this awesome fruit dip that I am definitely making for myself...marshmallow cream and strawberry cream cheese...yuuummmyyy!

And Miss Dannika and I probably had like a pound of Becca's cheesy potato casserole.

I can't quite remember if I posted a blog on this or not, but several weeks ago, Nick, Dannika, and I went to the Boera's house before heading to Phil's BBQ in San Diego.

They have a puppy named Belleau (like the Battle of Belleau Wood) that can best be described as extremely hyper!

Dannika LOVES dogs...like LOVES LOVES LOVES them...so when she sees one, she is naturally drawn towards them.

Unfortunately for most dogs that aren't around babies all the time, they get very territorial, and they get confused on whether or not this little human being is a person or a dog.

Belleau got a little too excited and knocked Dannika over, and Dannika spent the next few days with a big welt on her head.

It was not a big deal since Nick and I have never been the type of parents that freak out about every bruise and scratch that a kid gets.

It turns out Victoria and Gavin had a very hyper little dog named Roxy as well.

Of course Roxy is not around babies that much either, and once again, Dannika was in love with the dog and started making her way towards Roxy.

Roxy didn't like this little human being/"dog" coming towards her and decided to nip Dannika's face.

I am laughing as I write this...am I a bad mom?? lol.

I think Victoria was more freaked out than Nick or I was.

I almost feel bad cause I wasn't really freaked out...

It's ironic though that Dannika has been wearing her A&M jersey both times that she has been attacked by the dogs...lol.

Nick and I have decided that Dannika deserves a purple heart for her battle wounds...haha.

Dannika and Sarah (note the battle wound next to her nose). The monkey hat belongs to Dannika's friend Jackson...she kept it on the majority of the night. It was hilarious...she looked very "special"

"Nice butt Jackson!"

cuteness

This is Dannika drinking out of Jackson's cup...oy!

Jackson giving Dannika a pat on the back

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Nick FINALLY finished the grouting and tiling in our yard.

I am so proud of what he's done and all the hard work he's put into it!

the grass that i killed is slowly coming back to life...

All in a days work!

Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!

Happy 235th Birthday, Marines!

I was SUPER excited about this year's Tango Battery ball.

1. We actually KNEW people

Thank you Sarah for introducing me to the other amazing Tango wives!

While the boys were deployed, I got to meet (through Sarah...who is Nick's platoon commander's wife) Becca, Lindsay, and Victoria. It was really nice to get to know the other wives who were going through the same thing I was...and Becca was pretty much a "single" mom like me for the entire deployment. They have all become good friends, and it seems like there is never a dull moment with these ladies.

I'm such a lucky girl!

2. We made the decision to NOT go to my ball this year and enjoy Nick's unit's ball

I'm not as close to my unit as I once used to be, and all the people I used to be close with have up and left...typical nature of the Marine Corps that I have yet to get used to.

Nick's ball this year was held at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA.

The night started off in Ben and Sarah's room.

Ben...aka...Lt Boera was Nick's platoon commander in Afghanistan.

They were roommates...turned "BFF's".

I consider myself extremely blessed that Nick got him as his platoon commander.

I don't think there's ever been an officer that took care of Nick like he has done.

With all "BFF" jokes aside, I know he is someone that Nick really respects and has become such good friends with.

It doesn't help that Dannika loves him...and he loves Dannika.

So thanks to you Lt Boera for taking care of my man!

In about a month, Ben and Sarah will be moving away to Florida since Ben was approved for a flight package in the Marines to become a pilot. 

This ball was their last "Tango" battery function.

I have a TON of pics that are on my facebook, but here are a few of my favorites from the ball...

Nick and Lt Boera

The fab Tango wives

Sarah and I

my handsome Marine...and my hero

I told you there is never a dull moment!! And yes, that is Becca talking on her purple high heel.

The Boeras...Dannika's adopted Uncle Ben

we make beautiful babies

Beautiful Lindsay, and her husband Shon

Dancing the night away

My fairytale

SO..

I'm sure you're all wondering, "Where was Dannika?"

Well once again...

My good friend Mrs. Kim Yubeta came to the rescue!!!

Not only did she watch Dannika for us...but

She offered to do my make up.

So thank you for all the compliments I got for my make up, but unfortunately, I am not that talented.

So if anyone wants their hair or make up done, my friend Kim is EXTREMELY talented.

Look for her on my facebook (Kimberly Yubeta).

I'm so lucky to have her as a friend as well!

She is one of the most amazing moms I know and one of THE best Marine wives.

Her husband Sunny was deployed a month after their son was born, and she maintained the house, took care of both of their boys (Devon and Kanoa), and I guarantee you Sunny had the best care packages, letters, and emails out of every Marine on that deployment.

I really admire how strong she is and how supportive she is of her husband.

It's very rare that you find a woman that has so much compassion and commitment to their husband. 

As a Marine wife, those are things that you can not survive without!

Sunny is currently in Virginia going through sniper's school, and Kim has been going through a
"mini deployment" again.

Sunny...you are one lucky man!

Dannika got to play with her friend Kanoa who is a month younger than her.

I couldn't believe how big he had gotten since the last time I saw him!!!

Kanoa looks guilty....like he took a bite out of Dannika's cookie

Halloween Twenty Ten

Whew...this month has been crazy busy for the Romer clan!

My dear bestie, "betty" just got hired with a P.D. to be a crime fighting badass.

And as happy as I am for her, I'm extremely sad that she will be leaving me here in SoCal :-(

We go way back to the days when she was a Marine at MALS-39.

Man...we've had some fun times together as single women...

It's crazy how time flies and how much things change in just a few short years.

It was literally like 3 years ago when we were tearing up the bars in Carlsbad and San Diego County!

So "Betty"...I'm not gonna get all sentimental on ya (cause we're tough chicks)...

But I am going to tell you that I love you like a sister...and I mean that!

I will definitely come visit you...and that is a PROMISE.

Good luck on your next chapter in life...

You deserve everything good that comes your way!!

Here are some pics from her going away party...Halloween style of course!

This was my other costume...Snooki...because my Greek Goddess costume was extremely itchy and uncomfy...so I improvised at the last minute!

Playing flip cup...and I sucked

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Nick and I took Dannika trick or treating this year...

It was really for us...cause we have a horrible sweet tooth and wanted free Halloween Candy.

Dannika had so much fun though, and everyone LOVED her.

She was being so sweet and waving goodbye to everyone.

I don't think she quite understood the concept though.

her official first Halloween candy

her trick or treat bag...made by yours truly

One of the houses on the street turned their front yard into one of the most elaborate home made haunted houses I've ever seen! We decided to take Dannika inside...not gonna lie...it freaked her and me out! There were like werewolves and crazy people jumping out at us. she was quite the trooper though!

this thing again?!