2014 Instagram Highlights

Started the year off fun

Baby likes her elephant chair. 🐘

A photo posted by Alana 🌺 (@alanamarie26) on Jan 1, 2014 at 8:42pm PST

and then there was snow, lots of snow.

Snow day #overit #isitspringyet #butteamerica #montana

A video posted by Alana 🌺 (@alanamarie26) on Jan 1, 2014 at 10:30am PST

snow means drinks... of course

#NationalMargaritaDay 🍹

A photo posted by Alana 🌺 (@alanamarie26) on Feb 2, 2014 at 1:54pm PST

pink hair !

Pink hair again 💕 #pinkhair

A photo posted by Alana 🌺 (@alanamarie26) on Feb 2, 2014 at 1:22pm PST

we got our address in California!

We got our address for Camp Pendleton housing! I am so excited! It's starting to feel real! #campendleton #McCawleysMove2014 #leavingMontana

A photo posted by Alana 🌺 (@alanamarie26) on Mar 3, 2014 at 1:48pm PDT

then we emptied the house and left Montana

So much room for activities! All that is left is the stuff that will go with us in the car. #mccawleysmove2014 #seeyouincalifornia

A photo posted by Alana 🌺 (@alanamarie26) on Apr 4, 2014 at 12:06pm PDT

our adventure brought us to Virginia, where we had fun with family and had some yummy beer

#cheers #yuengling

A photo posted by Alana 🌺 (@alanamarie26) on Apr 4, 2014 at 4:32pm PDT

Auntie Maggie

A photo posted by Alana 🌺 (@alanamarie26) on Apr 4, 2014 at 5:53pm PDT

and we learned some new tricks

New trick today. 😳😁😣

A video posted by Alana 🌺 (@alanamarie26) on Apr 4, 2014 at 6:28pm PDT

dogs had fun with Auntie Andrea

Day 2 of #100daysofhappy #ilovemydogs Cooper, Aiko, & Renji I missed these guys so much they are my happy 💕 #bostonterrier #dogsofinstagram

A photo posted by Alana 🌺 (@alanamarie26) on May 5, 2014 at 7:17pm PDT

we finally moved into our new home

Silly goose put herself up there.

A photo posted by Alana 🌺 (@alanamarie26) on May 5, 2014 at 10:22am PDT

we did some exploring

The backdrop looks fake, it's so beautiful! #oceansidepier #familytimeispriceless

A photo posted by Alana 🌺 (@alanamarie26) on May 5, 2014 at 6:39pm PDT

found a Coco Curry

Evey even liked it! #cococurry #cocoichibanya #japan #curry 🍛👍

A photo posted by Alana 🌺 (@alanamarie26) on Jun 6, 2014 at 6:45pm PDT

mama got a new ride!

I'm gonna miss my Jeep, but this is way more practical. #toyota #corolla #newtome

A photo posted by Alana 🌺 (@alanamarie26) on Aug 8, 2014 at 2:28pm PDT

we wrapped up summer with lots of fun outside

Two of my favorite people. 💕

A photo posted by Alana 🌺 (@alanamarie26) on Aug 8, 2014 at 8:50pm PDT

and a trip to the pumpkin patch!

Daddy surprised us with a trip to the pumpkin patch 🎃👻

A photo posted by Alana 🌺 (@alanamarie26) on Oct 10, 2014 at 5:27pm PDT

November was the Marine Corps Ball, always a good time

Marine Corps Ball 2014

A photo posted by Alana 🌺 (@alanamarie26) on Nov 11, 2014 at 12:03pm PST

then I cut my hair off, and dyed it pink

Oh yeah! #pinkhairdontcare!

A photo posted by Alana 🌺 (@alanamarie26) on Dec 12, 2014 at 4:17pm PST

evey had a wonderful second birthday

Birthday trip to the beach. 🎂

A photo posted by Alana 🌺 (@alanamarie26) on Dec 12, 2014 at 2:18pm PST

even though she busted her head open a couple days before

Healing nicely.

A photo posted by Alana 🌺 (@alanamarie26) on Dec 12, 2014 at 12:31pm PST

Santa went about as well as we expected

We went and saw Santa today. Went just as well as last year. 🎅

A photo posted by Alana 🌺 (@alanamarie26) on Dec 12, 2014 at 5:44pm PST

christmas was spent with family, playing inappropriate card games

Family fun #cardsagainsthumanity #CAH #inappropriate

A photo posted by Alana 🌺 (@alanamarie26) on Dec 12, 2014 at 7:39pm PST

and I ended the year with more fun hair colors!

Fun with hair color #pinkhairdontcare #purpleroots #pinkhair #purplehair #hair #nofilter

A photo posted by Alana 🌺 (@alanamarie26) on Dec 12, 2014 at 7:41pm PST

Follow me on instagram if you don't already, you can see all the things you miss here and on facebook. I'm looking forward to sharing another wonderful year with you.





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Fours

I know I talked about trying to blog twice a week until the end of the year, but I got sick with a terrible sinus infection the last week of school. The endless sinus headache, and vertigo I have had has really limited my ability to do anything but watch Gilmore Girls. I am still not up to par, however today is the first day in a week I haven't been eating an enormous ibuprofen with my morning coffee, so that's a plus. 

I decided to do something a little fun this week. I found this last night on Scattered Seashells, and it looks fun! 

4 names people like to call you other than your real name:
1. mom

2. sister (my sister calls me sister, we are weird) 

3. Alana-Banana

4. Banana 

4 jobs you have had:

1. Manager at AAFES

2. Motorcycle sales person (I was terrible at it) 

3. cook in a takeout Italian restaurant

4. Courier for a real-estate company 

4 movies you've seen more than once:

1. Star wars series

2. Indiana Jones series

3. Harry Potter series

4. Strange Brew

Del Mar Beach Camp Pendleton December 2014

4. books you'd recommend:

1. Harry Potter 

2. anything by Chelsea Handler

3. Bitter is the new black - Jen Lancaster 

4. I have read so many books but my mind is blank

4 places you've lived

1. Tucson, Arizona

2. Chicopee, Massachusetts 

3. Okinawa, Japan

4. Helena (and Butte), Montana 

4 places you've visited

1. Washington DC

2. Mexico

3. Glacier National Park

4. Las Vegas, Nevada

4 places you'd rather be right now

1. Okinawa

2. anywhere else in Japan

3. my moms house in Arizona

4. Okinawa

Okinawa, Jp September 2010

4 things you don't eat

1. raw carrots, they are just gross

2. raw onions

3. radishes 

4. natto

4 of your favorite foods

1. Kraft mac and cheese

2. cheeseburgers 

3. french fries 

4. eggs

4 TV shows you watch

1. Gilmore Girls

2. Archer

3. Bobs Burgers

4. South Park
(I don't watch a lot of TV, we don't even have cable, just netflix and hulu)

Okinawa, Comprehensive Park 2010

4 things I am looking forward to this year:

1. making through it in one piece 

2. vacation to NorCal

3. summer 

4. how sad is it that I can't think of anything?

4 things you are always saying:

1. Stop climbing on that!

2. You are not a monkey!

3. I'm tired, is it bed/nap time yet?

4. In or out dogs! in or out! 

Bates Nut Farm 2014

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Project 52: Week 12

Some of my favorite photos of the week. 

Spring must be super near because I have seen a lot of this little guy the last week. 

Perhaps I should name him? 

Any ideas?

I don't want to get too attached because we are moving in less than 3 weeks and this fat little guy is going to have to say hi to the other neighbors every morning. 

He did let me sneak up on him a little this week though. 

Project 52: Week 11 (belated)

Homemade pineapple popsicles work great on teething

Project 52: Week 10

Walkerville Headframe

usually over a foot above ground level

Project 52: Week 9

First signs of spring!

 (although it will still snow in Butte through April and maybe even May)

Fat little bird there in the middle. 

Snow still falling, but melts quickly off the deck. 

First fat little birds of the spring! 

Project 52: Week 8

Super yuck weather.

But at least it's pretty.

Project 52: Week 6

These little feet, and the cute little person they belong to, keep stealing my spot in my bed. She's lucky I love her. 

View all Project52 Here

Project 52: Week 5

I've been battling a sinus infection and an upper respiratory infection this week so I haven't taken many pictures. But I am finally on the road to recovery (i hope) so maybe we'll have more quality pictures next week. 

This is an icicle in my back yard, doesn't even begin to describe how cold it is. 

I did make cookies for the Super Bowl though! 

Project 52, Week 4

my favorite photo of the week

View past weeks here - Project 52

Project 52, Week 3

I hardly took any pictures this week, none of them are artsy at all. But here are some pictures of Taco the cat, ignoring the camera. He's pissed at me because I won't give him another can of food. 

(don't worry I caved and gave him one after I took these) 

Project 52, Week 2

Paul brought me home Tulips from the grocery store the other morning.

I love how the sprinkled pollen is lit up on the inside of the flower petals 

Linking up this week with Teaberry Trails Project 365

Project 52, Week 1

I am going to try to do a new photography challenge this year. If anyone is hosting a linkup for a similar project let me know.
But I would like to take more pictures. Each week I will highlight my favorite photo or photos from the week.

It's not an artistic photo, not fancy, but it captures Evelyn perfectly. This has been her favorite face for about two weeks and it's just the greatest.

I'm a Famous Published Photographer!

okay, that's a slight exaggeration.

Last fall Paul and I went on the Gates of the Mountain Boat Tour. I took about 32 hundred pictures.  And loaded them up to Flickr.

Well, this was one of them:

entrance to the canyon i.e. Gates of the Mountain

Then a couple of months ago I was contacted by AllTrips.com, the wanted to use my photo for their Gates of the Mountain page.
So I'm now a famous, published, Photographer.


 I was nominated for the top 50 Military Mom Blogs by VoiceBoks, you can vote for me here. Thank you for your support.

My Town Monday: Fish Creek

Montana has two seasons, Winter and Road Construction.

No seriously, in April, when things begin to think about thawing, the road construction starts, they even have things that they use to help thaw the ground so they can do construction. 

But during Road Construction season, we will call it summer, is a beautiful time in Montana. It doesn't get too hot, and if it does it doesn't last but a few days. Especially here in Butte, It's 3pm and its currently 77 degrees out. I will certainly enjoy it while it lasts though because will will almost certainly see more snow before we move in November. 

But anyway. Summer. Beautiful. Warm. No Snow. 

Paul and I took his jeep out exploring recently, he's done quite a bit of work to it since we arrived in Montana, it's lifted, got big tires, suspension, blah, blah, blah. He likes to take it out on local trails. We've yet to find something really challenging, but on our adventure to Fish Creek we did see lots of beautiful scenery. 

My Town Monday Link-up,
Nothing Fancy, just share a post about where you live.
I started this because I am not too fond of where we are living in Montana, it's a very nice place to visit, I just don't want to live here.
In effort to find more cool things about Montana I am going to periodically do this when I have something cool to share about the place I am currently calling Home.
Link up and grab the button!

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