life's a dance you learn as you go

I'm Back!

2011-10-16T10:31:00.000-05:00

... And yes, I've had a baby! Six and a half weeks ago, to be exact. Yeah, I'm a bad blogger. We've been a little busy around here, though. For the recap...

Jackson Christopher was born on August 31, 2011, at 7:39am-- his due date!-- and was 7 lbs, 7 oz and 20.5 inches long. It was a sort of a whirlwind experience; if you want to know the story, email me, but I'm going to spare the general public the details :).

Love.

I honestly cannot believe that so much time has gone by! These weeks have just flown. Everyone tells you to enjoy every second, and now I understand why. They just pass by so quickly. Jackson is doing so well, and getting bigger by the day. He's gotten into a great eating and sleeping routine, I'm so thankful for how well he sleeps! He started sleeping 6-8 hours at night last week, and with only a few exceptions has kept that up.

Just 6 weeks later!

Bath time!

LOVE babies sleeping

Deployment number 2 started almost 2 weeks ago. It was an impossibly hard goodbye for both of us, but we've settled into a routine and are just hoping the year flies by quickly.

We've been able to Skype a few times, which has been awesome. I'm just hoping we can continue that, because it's so great for Chris to see Jackson.

That's all the updates I have for now, I'm off to spend time with my little man!

Food, Food and More Food

2011-08-20T21:40:00.000-05:00

Since Jackson's room is finished and just waiting for his arrival, I've had to direct my nesting instincts elsewhere. So, cooking and cleaning it is. With cleaning, I have tended to bite off more than I can chew, since the third trimester exhaustion hits around lunch time and I call it quits for the day. Not as productive as I seem to plan every day!

I've been trying to stock the freezer with lots of ingredients for easy-to-prepare meals. For example, so far we have lots of turkey burgers and chicken sausage (easy for my husband to thaw and grill for us!), some crock pot meals like pot roast, whole chickens, and pulled pork. Still on the agenda to make this week: pizza dough, pizza sauce, and some meatballs to freeze. Though if baby boy decides to make his debut before I get these done, I can't say I'll be disappointed!

I have added a few completely made meals, like these enchiladas. Just a warning, they make a TON, so I half the recipe and it makes two 9x13 dishes of them. One for dinner the night I made them, and one to freeze. Add to that a big batch of baked ziti...

Currently in the freezer and ready to be baked when wanted... which I'm sure my husband wishes was right now!

Since we're talking about things coming out of the kitchen, I'll add a couple others that aren't necessarily for post-baby. The first, Chinese chicken and broccoli, is a recipe that I've adapted and tweaked from a few different recipes to cater it to us. Since we try to steer clear of Chinese take-out due to the high sodium/ MSG, I've been trying recipes to replace the take-out. We've both enjoyed this, in fact my husband says he prefers this to what he normally orders... score!

Next are some Nutella cupcakes from Pinterest that we tried. I have to say, not totally my favorite ever, mostly because they were kind of dry. But, they were good enough that I'm determined to try them again and perhaps tweak a thing or two to fix them. We'll see... but they look pretty so I have to post them. Oh, and we ran out of paper liners so I had to cut out circles of parchment, in case you were wondering!

37 Weeks!

2011-08-11T21:25:00.000-05:00

Officially full term! We had our 37 week appointment yesterday, and everything looks good. They did an ultrasound to check a few things, and it was great to see him since we haven't since 18 weeks. He has moved down a lot (which I think you can kind of tell from my pictures, but I definitely can feel!) though he has one foot up in my ribs still, which is definitely less than comfortable, but he doesn't seem to realize that! Just 3 weeks to go (plus or minus...)

36 weeks (sorry, not the best picture)

37 weeks

Baby Room Pictures!

2011-08-09T21:33:00.000-05:00

I've gotten a lot of questions about what we are doing for the baby's room, so I figured it's about time to post some pictures now that it's (almost) done. I say almost because there are still a few little things that I'd like to do, but aren't a huge priority.

(still looking for something to put on that wall above chair/ bookcase, but we'll see)

We have an airplane lamp for that empty spot on the dresser, it's just in PA with family :)

Super cute gift from a friend, thanks Kristen!

Kid gets a walk-in closet with a window? I know, not fair.

I have to say, we're pretty happy with how it turned out! Since we are renting, we weren't initially sure that we could paint, but thankfully the owners were ok with it (just have to paint it back!). Hopefully he'll enjoy it as much as we do!

In the Homestretch

2011-07-28T20:13:00.000-05:00

35 weeks, that is! Not sure if everyone would consider this the homestretch, but it feels like it to me :). I'm surviving the heat by ~~barricading myself~~ staying inside as much as I can. Everyone seems to ask, so I'll go ahead and say that I'm not at the "get this baby out of me" stage yet, but I'll let you know in a couple weeks. Right now I'm at the "holy cow we still need diapers and wipes and haven't packed our bag and haven't installed the car seat and I need to freeze meals and wash the rest of his clothes and finish writing out our birth plan and hang the pictures in his room" stage. Yes, I know I have time, in theory, but if you know me then you know I am a planner. Since so much is out of my control (namely, when he decides to make his entrance... or is it exit?), having all of those things in place will make me feel better. Good thing block leave starts on Monday, it means I have someone around all day to help me get things ready!

Anyway, here is my 35 week picture. It's hard for me to tell if I look any bigger, since I see myself everyday (duh).

Not much else going on around here. I meant to take a picture of the blueberry breakfast cake I made, but since it was eaten rather quickly (success!), I failed to document it. Try it, trust me.

34 Weeks and A Birthday

2011-07-22T17:23:00.000-05:00

I hit 34 weeks two days ago. We're getting closer! I had a doctor's appointment this week, and he was happy with my growth, etc. So, just 6ish weeks to go!

Also this week, we celebrated Cole's 3rd birthday. He (and Deuce too) got some Frosty Paws ice cream for the occasion.

Happy Birthday, Coley Bear!

Licking his lips in anticipation...

As I've talked about before, I get a box of produce every week from local farms. We had gotten blackberries for a few weeks in a row, and after mixing them into smoothies, putting them on top of my yogurt and granola, and just eating them straight, I still had more left. Solution? Blackberry pie!

My first lattice-top pie!

33 Weeks!

2011-07-14T11:54:00.000-05:00

7(ish) weeks to go! I go back and forth between thinking time is flying and crawling. I think some of that vacillation may be due to the heat... But anyway, here is my 33 week picture!

I'm not the only one who has been hoping the heat will let up. These next two pictures capture the personalities of our dogs so well.

Cole lounging after a walk

Deuce panting, as usual

In other news, we took a breast feeding class and hospital tour last night. I wish I had taken a picture of the lactation consultant using my husband to demonstrate the proper cross-cradle hold, with a Boppy around his waist and a doll. Absolutely priceless. Apparently he was a pro, and the woman told him he did the best job of any dad she'd seen. I guess he's a natural at this parenting thing :). We were excited to find out that the Family Birth Center is moving in a few weeks to a newer section of the hospital, meaning bigger, nicer rooms! The move is scheduled for mid-August, so hopefully it actually happens then and we'll get to use the new rooms. Stay put til then, baby!

Baby Shower and Belly Pictures

2011-07-11T12:37:00.000-05:00

I know, I know, I'm really bad about updating recently. Maybe it's because we've had a lot going on in the last month, or maybe it's just the 3rd trimester exhaustion that's set in. Either way, I've been a bad blogger.

To start, we headed back to Philadelphia for our baby shower. It was such a great time, and we are so blessed with great friends and family. We rarely get to see most of the people who came, so it was great to see them and catch up. Everyone was so generous, this baby is so lucky (and a little spoiled already!) Now for some pictures...

Adorable cake, I love Pooh :)

So great to catch up with friends!

Baby pictures of us :)

So much baby gear!

Mommy and Daddy-to-be

My brothers! It's still weird to me to be the shortest!

And now for the last 3 weeks of belly pictures...

30 weeks

31 weeks

32 weeks

I know this was a picture-heavy post, sorry! Check back later for a food post!

30 Weeks!

2011-06-22T17:07:00.000-05:00

I can't believe we're actually in the thirties! I had a doctor's appointment today, and he said everything is looking great. I'm measuring right on track, and baby's heartbeat was a healthy 150. I did have a few questions for him, mainly about the mild cramping I've had recently... contractions. Oh, right. I knew that. Cue "duh" moment. I guess that's what happens when you've never felt them before!

Since we know I'm so bad about posting pictures, here are the last couple. I need to take one today, but I'm tired and just put on comfy, not picture-worthy clothes, so that will have to wait until tomorrow :).

28 weeks

29 weeks

I'll eventually get a 30 week picture up, I promise! Next week I'll also have lots of fun shower pictures to share, as we are traveling back home for a shower with our families and friends from that area!

What's Been Cookin'

2011-06-21T20:38:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I asked for some recipes that used beets, since we were getting them from our CSA. A friend of mine passed along this recipe, and I gave it a try. While it wasn't my favorite thing I've ever made, we did both enjoy it. I'm not really a fan of goat cheese, so if I make this again I think I will use feta instead, and will probably lick my plate clean! Bottom line: need to use any beets from the garden? Definitely try this! The color is great...

We've gotten a lot of tomatoes in our weekly boxes, and while I've been known to slice and eat them for a snack, you can only do that so much. So what's the best combo on earth (in my humble opinion)? Tomato, mozzarella and basil. Even better when it's basil from your garden (or the pot on your deck) that's made into pesto. Put them all together on a pizza? Delish.

Keep checking back for more meals from the produce box!

Picture Update

2011-06-01T19:55:00.000-05:00

Here are my belly pictures from the last 2 weeks. I'm now 27 weeks, and definitely getting bigger!

26 weeks

27 weeks

We got a new camera over the weekend, and since we don't have a baby to take pictures of quite yet, I practiced by taking some of the dogs. They haven't made an appearance in the blog in a while, so here you go....

Foodie Help!

2011-05-31T15:35:00.000-05:00

As I have mentioned before, I joined a CSA this year. Basically every week I get a box of various types of produce from local farms, all really fresh and delicious. I was excited to join, not only because it's fresh and local, but also because I felt it would make me try new things. So far, nothing has been too crazy, so I've found easy ways to prepare and eat everything we've gotten. Well, most everything... there is still a head of cone cabbage in my fridge, oops.

Anyway, this week, among other things, there will be beets and green lance kale. While I have eaten beets before (after all, I did study abroad in Poland... can anyone say borscht?) I've never worked with them myself. Also, while I've had my share of kale, I've never had this particular variety. Any advice, tips, recipes? I'm open to most anything!

Thanks, But No Thanks

2011-05-23T11:03:00.000-05:00

Ever notice how people love to tell you their horror stories? Like, for example, someone says they are getting their wisdom teeth removed, and suddenly everyone feels the need to tell them everything that went wrong with they got theirs out. I've never quite understood it. Well, apparently pregnancy brings out "worst case" stories like nothing else. Most recent example: yesterday, we were in the parking lot at Lowe's, and a woman who is clearly very pregnant feels the need to point out to me as I walk by that soon I'm going to look like her, be hot and miserable, not able to sleep, and be really sick of being pregnant. Um, thanks? Since when did a simple "Congratulations!" go out of style? News flash: I know I'm due in August. I know it's going to be hot and humid. I don't need random strangers to alert me to this fact. There is a reason why we have air conditioning and live in a community with a pool. Yes, I will probably be hot, uncomfortable, and ready to have a baby in August.

So dear random strangers to feel the need to comment on my pregnant status: why don't you stick to "Congrats, how exciting!"

25 Weeks!

2011-05-18T20:26:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's been so long since I've updated, sorry! It's been pretty busy around here. Here are my recent belly pictures, from 22 to 25 weeks. According to Babycenter, he is about 13.5 inches long and about 1.5 lbs. I've been feeling ok, still pretty tired and still sick some days, but nothing I can't handle :). I have to say, for all the energy I'm lacking, he sure has enough because he seems to throw a dance party in my belly every day!

Here are the most recent belly pictures...

22 weeks

23 weeks

24 weeks

25 weeks

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Texas Adventure

2011-04-28T12:23:00.000-05:00

Until last week, I had never been to Texas. Unless you count a layover while flying, which I don't. Anyway, good friends of ours now live there, so what better reason to visit for the first time? We flew into Austin, stayed the night there, then headed to San Antonio for the next 2 nights before heading back to our friends' house for 2 more nights. What can be better than good friends, good food, and good sightseeing?

We loved Austin and San Antonio. They both have such unique flavors, and both have really good food! Now for some pictures...

Pork crepe at Flip Happy in Austin- AMAZING. I had the scrambled egg and spinach, also fantastic :)

Our room at the Hotel Indigo San Antonio

At the Alamo

On a boat touring the river

so pretty!

All of us on Easter morning

Another successful part of this trip was the acquisition of an amazing diaper bag at the outlets:

Note: I got this picture online from ebay, because I couldn't find it
anywhere else and was too lazy to take a picture of my own bag...

And lastly, my 21 week belly picture:

So now it's back to reality after a great trip! We miss our friends already, and can't wait until the next trip with them!

What a Weekend!

2011-04-18T12:22:00.000-05:00

I'm sure by now most of you have heard about the devastating tornadoes that came through North Carolina on Saturday. Thankfully, we are safe and our house is unharmed, but that is not the case for many people in the area. So many homes and business were lost, people injured and killed. If you haven't seen the damage on the news, here is a short NY Times slideshow. I think the most shocking picture for me is the last one, which is the Lowe's that was damaged. I drove by there probably twice a week for the last 2 months on my way to the chiropractor, and to see it leveled like that is just scary. Please keep those affected in your thoughts and prayers in the coming weeks, as it's going to be a long recovery for the area.

Like I said, thankfully we were safe. We did lose power for about 18 hours, and because of that we really didn't know the full extent of the damage right away. Not until we tried to go find food that night did we realize that absolutely everything was closed and without power. Well, with the exception of our local Food Lion, which was up and running on a generator. Needless to say, it was pure insanity in there, with people buying every bit of food they could grab. We settled for some turkey burgers and went home to grill. Anyway, we spent the time playing Monopoly (Eagles edition) by candlelight (I won, twice, but who's counting?). In the morning, when we still didn't have power, we gave in and tossed the food in the fridge that had gotten too warm, and cooked the bacon and eggs that were still cold. Thank goodness for a grill with a side burner! Our power came back shortly thereafter, so our survival skills could be put to rest. I may or may not have commented once or twice that it's a good thing my husband went to SERE... though he reminded me that we weren't quite at the "find a rabbit or snake, kill it and eat it" stage. True.

Sunday, after we got power back and I could do important things like dry my hair, we ventured out and ordered our rocker/ glider for the baby's room.

I'm super excited about this purchase. Ignore the color and pattern shown, ours is in a color called "flax", which is another word for a beige/ dark tan. We have looked just about everywhere for a chair we loved that didn't break the bank, and this is perfect. I think it's a good sign when I don't want to get out of it at the store... Anyway, we've got a lot left to do with the room, but all the furniture (minus a bookcase) is purchased. One step at a time!

In the Words of Journey...

2011-04-14T21:06:00.000-05:00

Whooooaa, we're halfway there!

In other words, I'm 20 weeks pregnant as of yesterday. It's crazy, sometimes it feels like the time has flown by, and sometimes it feels as though I've been pregnant forever.

I'm feeling him move all the time now. Today I think he was throwing a little party in there! But without further ado, here's this week's picture...

20 weeks!

Foodie Help

2011-04-11T14:13:00.000-05:00

Every 6 months or so I go through all of my past Real Simple and Food Network magazines, tear out the recipes that I want to save, and recycle the magazines. So I sit here doing this today, simultaneously tearing out and making my menu plan for the next week, and I realized I need some new inspiration. I do have a pretty extensive collection of recipes, but I'm always looking for something new. So, that being said, what is your favorite recipe? Are there any food blogs you just love? Send 'em my way, please!

18 and 19 Weeks

2011-04-09T19:20:00.000-05:00

We've had a busy week, so we took a much needed relaxation day today! I've still been feeling sick off and on, and this week was more on than off, but hopefully next week is better. I'm still waiting for that magical "no nausea" switch to turn on, maybe 20 weeks will be it? Here's hoping...

We painted the baby's room, and I'm so excited to continue decorating. So far we only have the crib, dresser/ changing table, and the walls painted, so we have a lot left to do, but about 20 weeks left to do it! I'll post pictures once we get the furniture moved back to the correct place, and we're all cleaned up from painting.

Anyway, here are my 18 and 19 week belly pictures. I'm definitely looking more and more pregnant, although I'm not sure I quite qualify for the "expectant or new moms" spot at Food Lion. If you are my husband, you tell me to just "stick my belly out further" to look more pregnant, and take the close spot anyway, ha.

18 weeks

19 weeks

Not much else to update right now, I've been a pretty boring blogger. We have some exciting things coming up in the next few weeks, though, so I'll have plenty to blog about!

Baby Must-Haves?

2011-04-01T22:24:00.001-05:00

Alright mamas out there (and dads!), we're going to register this weekend and I need YOUR help. What was your absolute must-have for baby gear? I know everyone's different in things they prefer, but I'd love to know your experiences. What did you register for/ buy and use or not use, love or hate?

Any and all feedback welcome :). Have a great weekend everyone!

And the Verdict Is...

2011-03-31T11:33:00.000-05:00

It's a BOY! We are so excited to finally know, and be able to say "him" and not "it" which I hated! The ultrasound was amazing, he was moving around like crazy, waving his little hands, moving his mouth, and just being all around super cute.

People have been asking me if we wanted a boy or a girl, but I can honestly say we had no preference, just a happy, healthy baby! We are thrilled to be able to plan for a boy now (let the decorating and clothes shopping begin!). We haven't quite decided on the name yet, but I'll announce it when we do. His furniture came in, and I'll be sure to post updates of the room progress.

I was 18 weeks yesterday, and according to BabyCenter that means he is about the length of a bell pepper. No wonder I can no longer button my pants... I also felt him move for the first time this past week, which was an awesome feeling. A lot of people describe it as "fluttering" but it was definitely stronger than that for me. For a few weeks now I've been analyzing every little feeling, but once I finally felt him, there was no mistaking it. Chris is even able to feel it some of the time, which is awesome. I'll post an 18 week belly picture once my hubby gets home to take it!

Recent Belly Pictures!

2011-03-29T12:06:00.000-05:00

At least I warned you all this time that I would be busy, and therefore be a bad blogger. Our few weeks packed with visitors has ended, so I'm getting back to a normal schedule. I got to spend time with my friend Julie and her boyfriend, Keenan, which was awesome. We hung out, went to museums, ate food, and hung out some more. Then my brother Patrick came to visit, and we had a great time. I made him get his hair cut (haha!) we went to another museum, got Rita's on the first day of spring, and enjoyed the beautiful weather. After he left, some more friends came, this time a couple of my husband's friends, one of which was his best man, and his wife. We had a great time, and the boys played their fair share of video games.

I've been bad about posting pictures while I had so many visitors, so here are weeks 15, 16 and 17.

15 weeks

16 weeks

17 weeks, definitely showing!

Surprise, surprise, I'm behind and I actually am 18 weeks tomorrow. Maybe I'll actually post an update on time tomorrow, we'll see I guess. Other big news: we have an appointment this afternoon where we should be able to find out the sex if baby cooperates! Announcement to follow once we can tell our families and all. Yay!!

16 Weeks

2011-03-16T11:58:00.000-05:00

No, this post isn't just about my love of avocados (although it's true, I really do love them). According to my weekly BabyCenter email, Baby R is roughly the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long and weighs 3 1/2 ounces. It's crazy to think how much the baby has grown, it feels like just yesterday he or she was the size of a poppy seed!

Also in my Baby Center email today : "You're probably feeling a whole lot better." Um, lies, all lies. How come everyone told me the nausea would go away at 12 weeks, and now here we are, 4 weeks later, and it's still here. Blahhhh. Here's to hoping it's gone in the next 4 weeks...

In other news, we find out the sex of the baby in two weeks! We are SO excited, to say the least.

Today my friend (and little!) and her boyfriend come for a couple days. I'm excited to see her, since it's been quite a while. Today also kicks off our 2 weeks straight of visitors, so I'm not promising anything in terms of blogging! I'll update belly photos, though :).

14 Weeks

2011-03-07T11:20:00.000-06:00

14 weeks!

I'm getting a little bigger! At least it feels like it. I've been gradually feeling better, with just a few "bad" days thrown in. Hopefully the 2nd trimester turns out to be as good as everyone says, and I get back to feeling like myself all the time! I'm actually closer to 15 weeks now, but I was late in posting this. I'm really going to be a better blogger, I promise!

This is our last "free" week for a while, as the rest of March is going to be a busy one. It starts this weekend as we head back to Philadelphia for my sister-in-law's engagement party. A few days later, my good friend and her boyfriend come to visit from Denver. Then my brother comes for his spring break, and the day after he leaves, more friends come for a weekend! Whewwww. I may sleep for all of April.

On another note, be sure to check out the tabs at the top of the page. I haven't added anything in the recipes section yet, but I will in the near future.

Belly Update!

2011-03-01T14:13:00.001-06:00

I'll be 14 weeks tomorrow and I'll take another picture then, but here is my belly at 13 weeks..

Most of my pants are getting tight, and I have a couple pairs with which I've had to resort to the good old hair tie trick. I don't look pregnant, more like I just ate way too much. I am still struggling with nausea, but am able to eat much better than I was in the beginning. My energy level is getting slightly better also, which is definitely a welcome change. I no longer feel like I need a nap after walking the dogs or going grocery shopping, so I am finally feeling a little more normal. No real food cravings, just mostly aversions at this point (potatoes, french fries... yuck. Random, I know.).

That's all for now, and I'll post a picture of these week's belly once I take it. Oh, and check out the "Belly Pictures" tab at the top for previous weeks!

Why I've Been So Quiet...

2011-02-22T10:26:00.000-06:00

... Because I've had a huge secret: We are expecting our first child! I will be 13 weeks tomorrow, and baby is due August 31st. We are super excited, to say the least. We've seen the baby twice, and heard the heartbeat, and the doctor says everything looks great.

A little bit of info on the past 13 weeks... We found out while we were in Philadelphia for Christmas. Actually, we found out the morning of the Eagles/ Giants game that we went to, also known as the miraculous comeback by the Eagles to beat their division rival. Hence, the reason this day may now be known as the greatest day in my husband's life. A baby and a crazy Eagles' win? Yes please. So, being back for Christmas meant that we got to tell our families in person, which was great. We waited until Christmas day to tell my brothers, and I wrote on one of the gift tags "Love, Chris, Christa and Baby R". After a few seconds of shocked silence, there was much celebrating!

Sickness hit on January 1st--Happy New Year to me! It's finally subsided a little this past week, but I'm still waiting for my energy to return. In some ways it feels like I've been pregnant for forever, but in others I can't believe it's been almost 13 weeks.

So yes, I've been quite absent on this blog, but when I couldn't write about the biggest thing in my life, it was hard to find anything to write about! I have a feeling I'll have LOTS to write about now :). I'll post belly pictures on here as soon as I get them off my camera...

Tweet, Tweet

2011-02-10T12:14:00.000-06:00

No, that's not just the sounds of emptiness coming from my recently neglected blog. Ooops...

I've had Twitter for a while now, but have rarely used it. I would go on for a few days, then not again for a few months. But recently a friend got me back into it, and I'm glad. Not only do I get to ~~bug~~ communicate with that friend while she's at work, but I also feel like I keep up with current events more. And maybe (ahem) reality TV stars' lives... but that's neither here nor there. So, I promise that I will soon be paying more attention to my blog, but in the meantime, find me on Twitter!

Yes, I'm a Bad Blogger

2011-01-19T12:19:00.000-06:00

I originally thought that my New Year's Resolution would be to blog more often... but I quickly ditched the idea, knowing that it's never really going to happen. Oh well, I've owned my poor blogging skills.

Moving on... I recently finished House Rules by Jodi Picoult. I have generally been a fan of most of her books, but I'm not sure how I felt about this one. Or maybe I'm just over her books in general, I'm not sure. I guess I'm finding her story lines to be somewhat predictable. I think if I had read this book before a lot of her other's, I would have enjoyed it more.

Brief synopsis: A high school senior with Asperger's Syndrome is charged with the murder of his tutor. His mother, who has devoted herself to helping him adapt in school and interact with his peers, now has the task of trying to prove her son is innocent.

The concept is a good one, and it helped me learn a lot more about Asperger's. While it wasn't my favorite, I did enjoy it.

I'm currently making some pulled pork in the crock-pot, one of my husband's favorites. I'm can't wait for him to walk in and smell it when he gets home, he'll be so excited! It's a super easy recipe:

- 1 Boston Butt pork roast (as big as you want, and can fit in your crock pot!)

- A few tablespoons finely chopped onion

- One garlic clove, minced

- Emeril's Essence, as much as you like!

- 1 bottle of BBQ sauce, your preference (I like Bulls Eye, it has no high fructose corn syrup)

Scatter the onion and garlic in the bottom of the Crock-pot, add just enough water to barely cover the bottom. Put the roast in, and cover with as much Essence as you like. (I cover the whole top!). Pour about a quarter of the bottle of BBQ sauce on top. Cover, and cook on low 6-7 hours, until cooked through all the way.

When cooked all the way through, use 2 forks and pull the pork apart (I also ladle some of the juice out of the bottom, there can be too much). Once completely pulled, add more BBQ sauce, as much as you like. I re-cover and cook on low for at least another 30 minutes. Serve on Kaiser rolls (I use whole wheat) and enjoy!

Looking Back, and Forward

2011-01-03T18:46:00.000-06:00

I have to say, 2010 was pretty good to us. A little, or maybe a lot, hectic, but we were definitely blessed. This past year, we have sold a house, moved, traveled to a lot of weddings, moved again, and spent the holidays with our families. I'm amazed and grateful that for the first time ever, we had an entire year together with only 3 weeks of separation. Knowing that this won't be the case for the next two years, we are so glad to have had this year together.

We traveled back to Philadelphia for Christmas, and along with spending time with both of our families, we were able to go to two Eagles games. The best being the one where the Eagles scored 28 points in the last eight minutes of the game to come back and win against the Giants. Amazing, and even better to be there.

My in-laws came to visit for New Years, and we had a great time showing them the new house and neighborhood. I made a pork loin for the first time, and it turned out great, if I do say so myself. Here is the recipe, and it was pretty easy. I served it with garlic mashed potatoes, green beans with shallots, and salad. Delish!

So, on to 2011 we go! 2010 was great, but I have a feeling that this new year will be even better.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

2010-12-10T08:27:00.000-06:00

It's been quite a while since I participated in one of these, I'm excited to join in again. Here are this week's questions:

1. What do you see your life like in 10 years?

10 years ago Chris and I had just started dating. I could have never imagined then that 10 years later we would be married, have 2 dogs, owned a house, and moved twice already. So I'm going to go ahead and say that I have no idea! We may be in the Army, we may not, we could be living anywhere. All I know is that I'll be married to Chris, and we'll be loving life together :).

2. What do you like most about your job?

Currently unemployed... so I have to say I enjoy cooking and taking care of the house and dogs!

3. What are three things you do every day, no matter what day it is?

Have a cup of tea, kiss my husband (on non-deployment days!) and pray.

4. What would you do with an extra five hours in your day today?

Blog more often, haha! I'd probably read more.

5. What is your favorite Christmas (or whichever holiday you celebrate) cookie recipe (please share!)?

Every Christmas we make sugar cookies that we decorate. I used to do this at home with my family, so now I've carried on the tradition with my husband. I use the sugar cookie recipe from the Betty Crocker cookbook, and we decorate them all different ways. Not really a "Christmas cookie" recipe, but it's really the only cookies I make at Christmas time.

Throwback Thursday

2010-12-09T22:14:00.000-06:00

Trying to sneak it in while it's still Friday! In honor of Army/Navy this weekend (Go ARMY!) this Throwback Thursday is dedicated to Army/ Navy games of years past.

2004, and Chris's last as a cadet

2006

2006- Megan, Colleen and I

GO ARMY, BEAT NAVY!

Hello, Winter

2010-12-08T10:42:00.000-06:00

December crept up on me this year. One minute we were moving and Thanksgiving was weeks away, and the next, it's freezing cold and we are planning our trip home to see family for Christmas. It's a stark contrast to last year, when I waited all year long for December to come because it meant my husband was coming home.

Here's what we've been up to the last few weeks:

Thanksgiving dinner

Pete and Gina's Wedding in Detroit

At the wedding

We also did a little self-photo shoot for our Christmas card. Self timers are hard enough to use, let alone with 2 dogs that do not enjoy sitting still. After about 70 tries and a wardrobe change, we finally got a good one. The out-takes are hilarious, though, so I'll share a few.

About halfway through, getting a little frustrated!

This is probably me saying "Seriously Deuce? Just sit!"

Now Chris joins in on the frustration

Yay! Finally a keeper!

Back to the Blogosphere, or Being Thankful

2010-11-24T10:52:00.001-06:00

I'm sure you all missed me terribly in my few week absence! Or at least I like to think so. Anyway, since I've been gone, we moved from Alabama to North Carolina. Suffice it to say this move was anything but smooth; we have had problems at every single turn.

The packing day was ok, but I was a little less than thrilled over the packers. For example, the man who kept telling me he just wanted to go home and get drunk. He was 76. Or the one who walked into my closet and went on and on complaining that we had too much stuff. Trust me, we don't.

The driver came the next day to take everything, and I thought it went pretty well. They were nice, moved quickly, and seemed to handle our stuff carefully (note, seemed). After they left we had to clean the whole place and drop the keys off, which took a little longer than expected. We didn't get on the road until about 5:30 pm, which meant we didn't arrive at our hotel until 5 am. Definitely less than ideal, especially since we were driving separate cars and had to keep calling each other to stay awake. Let's just say we won't be doing that, ever again. Thankfully we arrived safely, slept for a few hours, and picked up the keys to our new place.

Without going into a million details, I'll just say that some things were broken, some were damaged, some were just packed really poorly (think all of my nice dresses in the bottom of a box underneath my shoes), and all around it's just frustrating. We are also having issues making a claim for all of it, but hopefully it will get sorted out soon. In short, I will definitely never use this company again, and our survey will be less than positive. We would have completed it already, but since they didn't have a record of our shipment, and had never marked it as delivered, that's not possible. Did I mention we've had problems at every turn?

Switching gears a bit, I'm really looking forward to Thanksgiving tomorrow. We are just staying home and cooking for the two of us (4 if you count the turkey put into dog bowls!), but I'm just so excited to have my husband home this year. We are leaving for a wedding early Friday morning, so traveling to see our families wasn't really an option. However, a nice, quiet Thanksgiving at home sounds fantastic to me. We have had a very busy year, and have a lot to be thankful for. Since Chris probably won't be home for Thanksgiving next year, I'm savoring every moment. On the menu: turkey, my grandmother's stuffing, mashed potatoes, baked apples, green beans with shallots, cranberries, and pumpkin pie. My stomach is growling just thinking about it!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Enjoy your day, and remember to take time to be thankful for all we have been given.

Happy November!

2010-11-01T10:33:00.001-05:00

First of all, Happy Birthday to my husband! This birthday marks 10 years of celebrating birthdays together. We weren't "officially" dating on his 18th birthday, but I searched high and low for the perfect card to give him. I could never have imagined back then, when he was a senior and waiting to find out if he had gotten into West Point, that in 10 years we would have celebrated 3 wedding anniversaries, gotten 2 dogs, gone through a deployment, owned a house, and would be about to move to our 3rd duty station together. If the next 10 years are even half as good, I'll be a happy woman!

Also coming up this November, we're moving! On Thursday, to be exact. The movers will be here Wednesday and Thursday and we will be in our new home on Friday morning. Since we've only been in Alabama for 7.5 months, it feels like we just did this whole pack/ unpack thing. At least we didn't bother unpacking certain boxes, like Christmas boxes.

And all of this just in the first week of November! Coming up later this month: Thanksgiving and a wedding!

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

2010-10-29T10:17:00.014-05:00

Thanks again to Wife of a Sailor for hosting this every week. There are some interesting questions, I look forward to reading everyone's responses!

1. What’s the nicest thing a stranger has ever done for you?

I'm sure I could think of more, but this is the first that came to mind: the summer before senior year of high school I went on a missions trip with a soccer team to Sweden and the Netherlands. While in Sweden, a few of us were out to dinner one night and the couple sitting next to us was American also. We chatted with them a little bit, then when we went to pay the server told us that they had paid for all 6 of our meals. We didn't even get to thank them because they had already left!

2. If you are having a hard time going to sleep, what do you do to help yourself?
Usually I read, but sometimes I go on the computer, which I know does not really help!

3. Name something that makes you wish you were a kid again.

Going to the pool. My summer as a child revolved around going to the pool for the day. When I was really young, my brother and I used to just play all day, but then as I got older it was for swim practices. Whenever I go now I can't help but think about those summers.

4. What is something you never believed until you experienced it?

This is a tough one that I've really had to think about, and still don't have a great answer. I guess I'd have to my dogs' abilities to sense my feelings/ mood. I can't say that I never believed it, more like never really understood what people were talking about. But after seeing it, I definitely get it now! For example, the night Chris deployed I came home from dropping him off, got in bed and Deuce jumped up and laid down next to me with his head on my shoulder. Not only do they not sleep in bed with us, but they had never even tried to before.

5. What can't you say "no" to?
Food, hands down. Haha!

Throwback Thursday

2010-10-28T18:12:00.000-05:00

As I was complaining today about the weather (hot and humid yesterday, gross and rainy today), I realized that that this time 2 years ago we were in Jamaica for Chris's block leave. Which made me more annoyed at the weather.

I have to say that the end of October '08 definitely beats those of '09 and '10. Jamaica > a deployment and/ or SERE school. But, Chris is coming home in 3 days, so I can't complain too much. Anyway, this Throwback Thursday is dedicated to Jamaica 2008.

View from our room

Beautiful rooms!

View of the beach

Complete with a beach butler to bring you whatever you wanted!

Room service every morning

Paradise.

Ok, can we go back now?

Thank You, Swag Bucks!

2010-10-28T00:11:00.002-05:00

Coming soon to my doorstep, courtesy of Amazon credit from swagbucks, are these lovely items:

In case it isn't clear, these are backpacks. For my dogs. No, I'm not crazy, I just really want them to be better at walking. Don't get me wrong, they have come a long way, but even after a couple mile walk, I still feel like they have energy to burn. I usually solve this by bike riding, but since this isn't always a feasible option (like when traveling), I need to be able to drain their energy by walking. After watching a bazillion episodes of the Dog Whisperer where Cesar puts a backpack on the dog, I wondered why I had not tried this before. The best part? If they don't work for my dogs, it doesn't matter because they were free after using my Amazon credit!

Run, Run, Run

2010-10-25T18:36:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, I've been doing P90X for quite a while now. I love/ hate it. If you've ever done it, you know what I mean. It's a great workout, I love the results, and feel like it is targeted to a lot of things I never work on. But, I hate it while working out. Ok, hate is a strong word... more like dislike. It's just hard! I probably tend to push myself a little too much, as I have a tendency to not work out at a normal pace. But that's not the point. The point is, I went for my first run in a loooong time yesterday. In P90X, you get your cardio workout a variety of ways, but I never was going out and running. Could also be due to the ~~absolutelyawfulinsane~~ sweltering heat of the Alabama summer... But the weather has gotten more manageable here (mid-80s and lower humidity... it's about time!) so I ran the past 2 days. Nothing crazy, just a couple of miles (preceded by bike rides with the dogs) but it forgot how much I missed it. I love you, P90X, I really do, so forgive while I ditch you for a little and just run.

P.S. Head over to the Unexpected Army Life and register for her giveaway! You know you want to :)

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

2010-10-22T06:00:00.038-05:00

I hope everyone had a great week and has a fun weekend ahead of them! Here are the questions for this week...

1. Are you a night owl or an early bird?

Both? Up until about 2 years ago, I would say 100% night owl. I've slowly transitioned to being much more of a morning person, but I still stay up too late sometimes.

2. What makes you jealous?

Not being in Philadelphia while the Phillies are in the playoffs! I'm jealous of everyone who is.

3. Have you started Christmas/holiday shopping yet? When will you finish? (There’s only 63 days left!)

Ugh, no I haven't started. I wish I could, but I'm too caught up with moving right now.

4. What would you have a personal chef make you tonight?

The New York strip from Smith and Wollensky. I had it exactly two years ago in Philadelphia (the night the Phillies won the World Series!) and I have yet to have a better steak.

5. Where was your first kiss?

In the basement of a friend's house at the after-party for our high school's Christmas banquet.... with my husband :).

Throwback Thursday

2010-10-21T12:51:00.000-05:00

At the suggestion of my good friend Mrs. A, this installment of Throwback Thursday is dedicated to 209. What is 209, you ask? It is the dorm room I lived in sophomore year of college with two great friends. A ~~miniscule~~ small room with 3 girls and a whole lot of stuff could be a disaster, but not with these two! We had a great year together with lots of memories. Here are only some (yes, we took a lot) of pictures of the 3 of us.

Our very first 209 picture, in 209!

Somewhere along the way we started doing the numbers also. This is Ring Dance, junior year. Please excuse the strange face I am making.

Proclamation night, senior year

Toga social!

Graduation photo shoot

My rehearsal dinner, 9/7/07. Ashley was a bridesmaid and Laura sang in the ceremony.

My wedding!

Laura's African-themed rehearsal dinner, 7/23/10

Laura's wedding!!

Yes, we went almost 3 full years without all three of us being together. Laura was in Rwanda, I was in TN, and Ashley was in Boston. But, very soon we will all be on the east coast, so I anticipate many more 209 reunions! Love you both!

It's the Little Things

2010-10-20T19:41:00.000-05:00

As much as I love to cook (and I really, really do!), there is nothing better to me than leftovers when Chris is gone. Today I had to do a bunch of errands, and when I walked in the door at 6, with just a little time to spare before the Phillies game, it was great to know I had dinner already. Leftover salmon and quinoa with avocado, black beans, and tomato-- yum!

This is especially funny because I used to HATE leftovers. I used to take things home from restaurants and leave it sit in the fridge until it went bad. I think I discovered the joy of leftovers during the deployment, because cooking for one is ohsomuch less fun than cooking for two!

True Life: My Dogs are Hilarious

2010-10-19T13:20:00.000-05:00

As I've mentioned, we are moving in a little over 2 weeks. Since Chris is gone until just a couple days before we leave, I'm trying to get most of the organizing/ pre-packing done. Doesn't hurt that it gives me a project to make the time go by faster!

Yesterday I tackled the guest room/ office. The closet in that room has also doubled as a storage area for small appliances and serving dishes since our kitchen is itty-bitty. So while I was digging all of those random items out so that they could be packed with kitchen stuff and not, say, our printer, Deuce and Cole were keeping watch.

I turned around and cracked up when I saw this. This is a 2nd floor window, so they are really looking down on the neighborhood. Good thing I have them to keep watch!

It's That Time of Year

2010-10-17T23:04:00.000-05:00

This is what I'm hoping for in another few weeks:

What exactly is this, you ask? This would be from the night the Phillies won the World Series in 2008. It was a good day in Philadelphia sports: both an Eagles and a Phillies win. It's a great time of year!

Randomness

2010-10-16T16:02:00.000-05:00

On my mind today:

Why do I hate doing software updates so much? Sorry, iTunes, I'm going to ignore you for probably at least a week.
Why does the weather finally get nice in Alabama when we are about to move?
Super excited for the Phillies game tonight, but wishing Chris was here to watch it with me!
The holds system at the library is frustrating. No, I don't want The Red Queen before The White Queen, I want to read them in order. So person who has The White Queen, RETURN IT! It's been overdue since 8/26. Thanks!
I've been walking so much with my dogs that my shins hurt. How does walking hurt them, but 12 weeks of P90X does not?
Dear dogs 2 doors down that are super annoying and yappy: STOP BARKING! Dear owners of said dogs: BRING THEM INSIDE.
The chicken in my Crock-pot smells amazing.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In!

2010-10-15T06:00:00.073-05:00

From Wife of a Sailor

It's that time of the week again! I've taken a couple Fridays off from this, so I'm happy to get back into it and see everyone's answers!

1. What are some things on your bucket list? (from New Girl on Post)

I'm not even sure how to pick just a few! Off the top of my head, read a biography of every president, take a cooking class, go to Europe with Chris... I could go on and on!

2. How long have you been a MilSpouse and where have you been stationed so far? (from Raising Roscoe)

I've been a milspouse for 3 years and 1 month :). We have lived at Ft. Campbell, Ft. Rucker, and soon so be Ft. Bragg.

3. What is a list of songs that sums up your life so far? (from Confessions of a Sailor’s Wife)

Oh boy. I don't think there are any songs that actually sum up my life, but I can think of songs that take me back to specific times in my life. For example: Ace of Base's I Saw the Sign is elementary school, making up dances in my friend's basement. Macy Gray I Try will always be 9th grade. 98 Degrees My Everything is 10th grade, listening to the mixed tape Chris made for me. Don't Stop Believing and Sweet Caroline are senior year of college, dancing on the booth at Metro. I could go on and on.

4. What is your favorite kind of pizza?

Pepperoni. I know, boring. But I love it!

5. What are three good things in your life right now?

Do my husband and 2 dogs count? Haha.

Throwback Thursday

2010-10-14T13:06:00.000-05:00

I used to do Flashback Friday, but since I began to participate in the MilSpouse Friday Fill-In, I've stopped. But, I miss doing these flashbacks because it allows me to show old/ embarrassing/ funny/ sentimental pictures. So, in an effort to bring this back and also keep doing the Friday Fill-In, I would like to introduce you to Throwback Thursdays. To answer the obvious question, yes, I could just do both on Fridays, but what fun is that? Plus, we all know I'm not the world's greatest blogger, so having 2 set days with things to post about helps me out.

Because my friend Megan inspired me to bring this back, I will dedicate this post to her. Here you go Megan!

September 2004, at the Tobacco Company

October 2004, on the way to a DG social... don't ask about the band-aid, I was in costume, ha.

November 2004, DG Anchorball, soul mate style

See you next Throwback Thursday!

Ready, Set...

2010-10-13T20:10:00.000-05:00

The husband left Monday for SERE, so I have the next 3 weeks (well, minus 2 days now) to get everything pretty much set for the move. He gets back the 31st, and the packers come on the 3rd... yes, we are cutting it a little close. Also not really an opportune time to have zero contact for 3 weeks, but that's beside the point. In an effort to stay busy and make the time fly, I've been checking lots of things off of my to-do list. I've been so productive, in fact, that I may need to slow down so I don't run out of tasks. I'm not complaining by any means, but it's only day 3, so I better come up with some more time-consuming projects!

But seriously, how are we moving already? It really feels like we just got here and unpacked. I don't actually mind the moving, it's the packing and unpacking that I hate!

I'm Here!

2010-10-08T23:14:00.000-05:00

The lovely Mrs. A (check out her blog, she's a great friend of mine, and has a pretty awesome blog!) reminded me that I hadn't posted for a while. Sorry! We've had a lot going on in the last few weeks. Lots of pictures to share, so here goes...

Before the CCC Graduation Ball

At the ball

With Lynzi- really going to miss her :(

Team 13!

Getting his diploma

CCC Graduation!

Our new house, starting in November!

Kitchen, which I"m super excited about!

Deuce turns 3!

And Cole has some Frosty Paw left over :)

So as you can see, it's been a busy few weeks: CCC Graduation ball and Graduation, house hunting at Bragg, and a puppy birthday!

Coming up in the next few weeks: Chris leaves for SERE and I prepare for moving. Again.

Have a great weekend everyone!

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In!

2010-09-24T06:00:00.022-05:00

It's that time of the week again! I know, I owe a post about the ball last night, but until I upload the pictures, it's going to have to wait. Until then...

1. What characteristic about yourself has either been strengthened or weakened due to your experience as a Military Spouse? (fromThe Albrecht Squad)
I've always considered myself a fairly self-sufficient person. I held a job throughout high school and college, studied abroad in Poland for a semester, traveled all over Europe, etc. However, going through a deployment and taking care of the house and the dogs while living far away from my family has made me a much more capable and independent person. That being said, I do love when the husband is home and I don't have to do everything!

2. What is your favorite vacation spot and why? (from ‘Tis the Life of the Army Wife)
Jamaica. I've been 3 times, twice with my husband and once with my family. Love the beaches, love the people, love the weather, love the food and drinks, love everything. But, I still will always love Avalon, NJ. I grew up going there every summer, and can't wait to take our kids there. (Note: while it is called the "Jersey shore" it is nothing like that Jersey Shore!)

3. If you could have any fast-food restaurant in the food court on base/post what would you pick? (from The Only Pink in a House of Blue)
Hands down, Chick-fil-a. Really the only fast food restaurant I like. My brothers worked there, and so I know from their stories that I can love it with good conscience :)

4. Where did you go on your honeymoon? (from Pennies from Heaven)
Jamaica!

5. If you could have any job in the world regardless of money, degree or experience, which job would you have and why? (from Proud to Be a Navy Family and The Calm Before The Storm)
Oh wow. If I didn't have to go to Vet school, probably a vet! I love animals, particularly dogs, and I have come across some really great vets who love their job.

Blogging Rut

2010-09-22T13:53:00.000-05:00

I know, I've been a super boring blogger recently. Hopefully this is not an indicator that my life is boring...

Anyway, tomorrow night we have the CCC graduation ball. I usually love balls and formals and the like, but for some reason this has just crept up on me. Thankfully I'm borrowing a beautiful dress from a friend, because the shopping around here isn't so great. We also have a wedding this weekend at the beach, which I think is the main reason why I've been overlooking this formal. The wedding is on the beach, so I'm sure it will be beautiful. Even more exciting, I'm finally wearing a dress that I bought almost a year ago at Anthropologie and have not had the occasion to break it out. It's the perfect "I'm going to a wedding on the beach" dress, if I do say so myself. I'll be sharing pictures next week, like it or not :).

I'm off to do some p90x, but first I have to share this chicken recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen. We had it a week ago, and it was so good that we had it again last night. We have only had it with chicken, but I'm sure it would be fantastic on beef or pork. Confession: I'm not supposed to have mayonnaise (due to my adrenal/ migraine free diet) but I cheated for this since it was only in the marinade, and only a little bit. Trust me, it's worth it.

(A note about the website it's from: I have made so many things from it, and they have all been delish. The writer focuses on recipes for the South Beach diet, which I am not on, but have enjoyed trying different ideas anyway. So, don't be scared away and think it's only for South Beachers!)

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In!

2010-09-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

It's that time again! These weekly questions have really become a marker of time for me! So without further ado...

1. How do you spend your deployment money, do you save, pay off bills or enjoy the extra money while it is there to buy the things you do not normally have? (from Troop Petrie)

All of the above! Last deployment we saved a good amount, paid off a car, and did landscaping and installed new flooring in the house. Since we will be renting a house for the next deployment and won't be doing any home improvement projects, I'm sure the focus will be on saving.

2. If you could relive one occasion or moment, what would it be? (from Currently On Land)

I guess it would be pretty cliche to say our wedding, but it's the truth. Not only was it the culmination of 7 years together, but it was so amazing to have all of our family and friends in one place. Besides our wedding, I'd have to say Chris's homecoming this past December. One of the best feelings in the world.

3. What’s the worst job you ever had and if it was so bad why did you take it? (from Faith and Deploying)

I've been fairly lucky in that I haven't really had an awful job, but if I had to pick one I'd say the first job I ever had (besides babysitting, that is!), which was as a busser at a country club when I was 15. I made decent money, but the one manager was unbelievably awful and mean, and the other one would disappear come back high. I kid you not. I wonder why I only worked there for 3 months...

4. If you could play any character on TV, who would you be? (from Many Waters)

This may seem strange to people who know me well, but probably Dr. Brennan from Bones. I mean, I don't want to be as socially awkward as her, but I would love to be the leading expert in a field. I think it's great that she's not only great at what she does, but she's so passionate about it. Why would people think this is weird? I majored in History and Political Science in college.

5. If you could become the world’s expert in something, what would it be? (from Army of Two)

Funny, because even though I just said the character I would want to be, I definitely would not want to be an expert in bones. I'd have to go with either Tudor England, Polish history, or World War II. I know, kind of all over the place, but I love each of them so much.

A Birthday, or, How Am I So Old?

2010-09-13T12:44:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I turned 26. Yes, I know this is pretty young still. However, as I told my husband (and to which he responded by laughing and telling me I was nuts) I am now closer to 30 than 20. When did this happen? I feel like just yesterday I was starting college, and somehow that was 7 years ago, and my "little" brothers are now starting college. I think even more crazy is that it feels like just yesterday that Chris and I were 16 and 18 and dating in high school. Somehow, we're now 26 and (soon-to-be) 28, married for 3 years, have 2 dogs, have bought and sold a house, and lived in 2 (soon-to-be 3) different places. Whew!

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In!

2010-09-10T12:31:00.000-05:00

It's that time again! There are some great questions this week, can't wait to see what everyone else has to say.

1. Do you set goals for yourself during deployment? What are some of them? (from Military Mommy)

I definitely had goals, probably more than we realistic for me to accomplish! It made the time go by so much more quickly, so I'm glad I did it. Some of mine were: plant a veggie garden, landscape the front and back yards, cook a certain amount of new things a month, write letters to friends living out of the country... I had more but I can't remember them all. The biggest ones were the gardening and landscaping, that took up months, and I loved it. Such a feeling of accomplishment when I finished!

2. What would you say to someone dating a military guy or gal? (from Mothering Off the Cuff)

I would say that it takes some work, but that it's worth it. I think that the situations you'll be placed in will strengthen a good relationship, but weaken a struggling one. Communication and flexibility is key. I would also say that even with the separations and deployments and everything else the military throws at you, I truly wouldn't have our lives any other way.

3. If you have children, how do you prepare them to move to a new place? (fromThe Random Ramblings of A Household 6)

No kids, so no good advice here!

4. Name one hobby that gets you through alone time. (from My Sailor’s Mistress)

Reading. I have always loved reading, and I read a TON when he was deployed.

5. What’s the one food you don’t ever get tired of? (from That Army Wife Life)

Oh boy, can I say just food in general? Haha. No, but seriously, probably homemade guacamole. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Weekend Recap

2010-09-08T07:50:00.000-05:00

We had originally planned to go to the beach with friends for Labor Day weekend, but when that fell through, we made new plans. We relaxed on Friday, and then headed to the dog beach for the day on Saturday. We had a great time, and the dogs were happy and tired afterward!

Sunday we were super lazy. We had two fantasy football drafts, and that's pretty much it. I'm so ready for football-- I love Sundays where we watch football all day after getting home from church!

Monday we headed down to Destin to see our friends and their new baby, and also hit up the outlets. Since this week is our anniversary as well as my birthday, we needed some serious shopping time. Overall, an awesome labor day weekend :)

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

2010-09-03T11:34:00.001-05:00

There are some good questions this week! Pretty soon you all are going to know way too much about me ;). Here goes...

1. What is a weird/funny superstition that you have? (from A{muse}ing Mommy on a Pink Park Bench)

I don't really have any superstitions, per se, but I do have lot of funny quirks/ routines. The first that comes to mind is that when I set an alarm, the time has to end on a 3 or a 7. No 7:15 for this girl, it would be 7:13 or 7:17. I'm not quite sure how or when this started, I just always remember doing it!

2. What are your hopes and dreams for the years AFTER the military? After all, we aren’t in it forever! (from Stetsons, Spurs and Stilettos)

I would love to live a little closer to family. Ideally, we would end up in the Philadelphia area, but that's not always realistic when it comes to job hunting. Definitely somewhere in the northeast, though. We don't know quite how long we will be in the military, but it's looking more and more like a 20 year career, so we have some time to figure it out!

3. Since [this] month is National Apple Month (no really!), I’d probably ask: What is your yummiest apple recipe? (from NH Girl Displaced)

Um. I have no idea. I am not much of a baker, though I'm trying to force myself to become one. It's not that I can't or am not good at it, I just don't enjoy it nearly as much as cooking. So, the only one I have is one that we have around Thanksgiving time, that is actually Lynzi's recipe. Apples, sugar, and butter baked together, then stir in corn starch and whipping cream to thicken sauce. Insanely bad for you, but also insanely delicious.

4. How long have you gone as a military spouse without talking to your husband/wife during service? (from A Navy Princess and Her Little Sailors)

As a spouse, not very long. I think the longest during the deployment was about 10 days, but I got an email in there somewhere. We've been very lucky in terms of communication. When we were dating, the longest we went was when he left for West Point, so about 6 weeks, or when I studied abroad, although that doesn't really count since I was the one leaving, not him!

5. I occasionally watch When I was 17… on MTV. So, what was something that was significant about your 17th year of life? (fromAshley Amazing)

My birthday is September 12th. I turned 17 the day after 9/11. I would have to say that was pretty significant thing that year. Chris was a plebe at West Point, and I remember thinking that day how much the lives that we had envisioned would be different now that we were going to war. It was a strange birthday, because I remember feeling like I shouldn't be celebrating after such a tragedy. On another note, that was also my junior year of high school, when I visited colleges and decided where to apply.

Hello September

2010-09-02T10:13:00.000-05:00

If it's September, where is fall? I know, I'm not in the north anymore so I'll have to wait a while! September really is my favorite month though. Not just because it's my birthday and our anniversary, but I just love the whole month. I always loved the first day of school (I know, I'm weird!), soccer season starting, the leaves changing, the weather getting cooler. When I think September I can close my eyes and almost smell leaves burning and taste cider. It's quite different down in Alabama, though, because it's still in the 90s and I could probably spend the whole month at the pool. So, while I'll miss the beautiful fall of the northeast, I'll relish my tan a little longer!

It is shaping up to be a fairly busy month for us. Two different friends of ours have had babies recently, and I'm making a meal for each of them in the next few days. Since this weekend is a 3-day, we are thinking of heading to the dog beach again on Saturday. The dogs loved it so much last time, and since we are moving in just a couple months, we want to get one more trip in before we leave. I'm sure I'll have some great pictures to share! We don't have plans for our anniversary or my birthday yet, but I'm sure we'll come up with something fun to do. I'm just thankful to have the hubby home for both of them this year! Toward the end of the month we have the Career Course graduation and ball, and then a friend's wedding at the beach.

As you can see, we have a lot of exciting events to look forward to, I'm sure it will be October before we know it. Somehow it feels as though we just moved here, but it's already been six months. I can't really wrap my head around the fact that we are moving so soon, but that's probably due to my dread over packing and moving again!

Food, Food, Food

2010-08-31T10:28:00.000-05:00

Some of you may remember me talking about my chiropractor and the new diet I've been on. Well, a few months later and I'm still going strong. It's amazing the difference I've seen in my migraines--as in, I don't have them. At all. Occasionally I'll get a headache, but none of the debilitating ones I lived with for so long. The diet has helped, I'm sure, but it's also due to getting adjusted and taking magnesium supplements. So for all of you migraine sufferers, there is hope! I would have never thought I could feel this much better without medication, but for the first time in my life I'm off of any and all prescription drugs. Amazing, considering I spent 8 years of my life on various daily meds to prevent headaches.

Anyway, while I do "cheat" on the diet at times, for the most part I've stuck to it. No caffeine, little to no sugar, little dairy, no high fructose corn syrup, etc. I've found so many more recipes that I not only can eat, but that I enjoy. Here is our recent menu:

Thursday- Thai-style hicken and eggies with ginger-lemon rice (from Rachael Ray's 2-4-6-8)
Friday- Garlic and herb chicken over arugula with romesco sauce (from Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals)
Saturday- Grilled turkey sausage on whole wheat buns with corn on the cob
Sunday- Chicken Enchiladas (From September's Real Simple... made for me by Lynzi)
Monday- Ginger-lime chicken with wasabi mashed potatoes and green beans (From Rachael Ray's 2-4-6-8)
Tuesday- Roast beef sandwiches (I cook an eye roast alllll day in a dutch oven on the stove- delish!)
Wednesday- Linguine with shrimp scampi (Barefoot Contessa, and I use whole wheat linguine)
Thursday- Cilantro-lime grilled chicken with corn and chili toasts (30 Minute Meals)

I didn't realize until I typed this out that I have really used a lot of Rachael Ray in the last week. I think tend to go in phases with certain cook books. Funny thing is, I'm not a huge fan of her. Sorry if you are, but she kinda gets on my nerves. However, she does have some good recipes, especially chicken ones, that are easy and fairly healthy.

So, what have you been cooking recently?

Oh, Alabama

2010-08-28T12:59:00.000-05:00

This morning I walked outside, and immediately turned to Chris and said "We HAVE to go on a long walk with the dogs today, it's so nice!"

"So nice" means it's 83, feels like 87, and 68% humidity. Also known as heaven for August in lower Alabama (LA, if you like). I don't think it's been this "cool" since umm, April?

Outside it is!

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

2010-08-27T11:55:00.000-05:00

I have really enjoyed participating in this every week, and especially loved seeing everyone else's answers! Thanks, Wife of a Sailor, for starting this! Here are my answers for the week.

1. What secret indulgence do you act on while your spouse is away?

Oh boy. Food is one of the biggest. He is a semi-picky eater, so while he's gone I make all kinds of things he wouldn't normally eat. However, I've slowly been breaking his picky ways! Another big one is the computer. While he was deployed, my laptop occupied his side of the bed at night. As in, I fell asleep watching TV online almost every single night. I would read for a while, then watch till I fell asleep. This is the sole reason why I was able to watch the entire series of multiple shows: Dawson's Creek, One Tree Hill, the original 90210, Gossip Girl, Friday Night Lights... I mean every. single. episode. of. every. single. season. Oops.

2. If you were a spice, what would you be?

This is a tough one, because I find myself wanting to just pick my favorite one. I could say basil (although is that a spice or an herb? I guess if it's dried it's a spice!) because it's pretty versatile, and I have become a pretty flexible person! Or, chili powder because I am passionate and can be hot-tempered. Which would definitely make my husband cinnamon, because he mellows me out :)

3. Where do you go for support when your significant other is deployed?

Other than my dogs? No but really, I have to say the amazing friends I have met through the Army. My family is supportive, but since they are so far away and not there on a daily basis, it was those friends who picked me up!

4. What is the oldest thing you own?

I guess it would be pieces of jewelry my grandmother has given me, since they are older than me.

5. How did you vision your life pre-military?

I'm not sure that I really have a "pre-military" idea for my life. I met my husband in high school and we started dating a month before he got accepted to West Point. So really all of our conversations about the future have always involved the military. I went into college knowing that when I graduated we would get married and I'd move with him wherever the Army sent him. It's hard for me to even picture my life without the military, because that's all I've really known or planned for.

Moving On Up

2010-08-25T10:20:00.001-05:00

More north, that is. Although, mostly everything besides Florida and Texas are more north than where currently live! We finally got word from HRC about our next duty station, and we are headed to Ft. Bragg! We are very excited for many reasons, but one of the biggest is that we will be a little closer to our families and a lot of our friends. The deployment time frame is a pretty good, and it's a great because Chris gets to continue flying the newer model of the Blackhawk. Now we have to figure out where to live, so we are hoping to make a trip up there sometime before November to house hunt. Wish us luck!

Jamaica Me Crazy

2010-08-20T10:45:00.000-05:00

I had such a great time in Jamaica with my parents and younger brothers. The weather was great, the hotel was beautiful, and we just had a relaxing time. Unfortunately, neither my older brother nor my husband could come, we missed them!

I split my time between floating in the pool and reading on the beach. Rough life, huh? Here are some pictures...

After dinner the second night

Beautiful!

The lazy river at the resort, so nice to float around all day!

The whole group on the last night

This was my third trip to Jamaica, the first was for our honeymoon in September 2007, and the second was for block leave October 2008. Three different resorts, all a great time. Hoping to head back soon with the hubby :)

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

2010-08-06T09:30:00.001-05:00

1. What is something you wished you'd learned to do earlier in life?

I'm sure this is a pretty common one, but learning to drive stick. Back in high school, a friend tried to teach me, but after that I never really tried again. I mean, I didn't really have to because I always have had an automatic car. We'll see, maybe some day!

2. What is your biggest pet peeve with the military?

It would have to be the lack of common sense used. I mean, making people start SERE school days before Thanksgiving on the one year they are home? I mean come on people, it's only a couple week long course, why do they have to start days before Thanksgiving, when the next course is a few days after? Does ONE week really matter in the grand scheme? I think not. (Note: thankfully, Chris is not the one gone over Thanksgiving, but friends of ours are dealing with this). I often say the Army should hire me as the Director of Common Sense. Not only would things like missingtheonlyholidayyouarehomewithyourfamily never happen, but maybe things would be a tad more efficient in the process too.

3. What tourist attraction near you have you never seen?

Well, we've only lived in Alabama for 5 months now, and we've been out of town more weekends than not, so we haven't really done many "touristy" things. We have been to the beach a few times, but haven't been to Birmingham, which I really would love to do. We'll see, we're only here for a few more months! When we lived in TN we did a lot of things, but never made it to the Jack Daniels distillery, unfortunately!

4. What are you avoiding doing right now?

Bike riding with the dogs... it's so hot!

5. Wine, beer or liquor?

Certain kinds of all 3. I love wine, love certain beers but hate others, and like some liqour but not others.

The Crazy Dog Lady

2010-08-05T10:24:00.000-05:00

I fear I may be well on my way to becoming the crazy dog lady. I think the only thing holding me back is that I don't dress my dogs ups to match my outfits. But, yesterday I went to the Stein Mart liquidation sale, and what is the only thing I bought? This sign:

Also, the current state of my DVR is a telltale sign: it currently holds half of the last seasons of 24 and Lost, that we haven't gotten around to watching yet, a few yoga segments, and no less than 40 episodes of the Dog Whisperer. The thing is, I actually do watch them. In fact, I usually watch about an episode a day, either while I'm eating breakfast, cleaning or just when there is nothing else on. So, this isn't a case of letting them pile up and never watching, it's that I love it so much I record every. single. episode. Oops. What may be worse, though, is that I cry during about a third of the episodes. Service dogs? Done. Dogs saved on their last day before being put down? Doubly done. And today, the worst: Dogs rescued after Katrina. Cue blubbering.

At least my husband doesn't seem to think I'm crazy. Or maybe he just doesn't say so...

Recap of the Last Few Weeks!

2010-08-02T12:48:00.000-05:00

I haven't updated in a while because we have been all over the place recently. So, the last few weeks, mostly in pictures...

First, we were in Chattanooga for a staff ride with Chris's CCC class. All of the girls had a great time together. The main part of the trip was a tour of the Chickamauga battlefield, which was awesome, but HOT.

Then I went to Richmond for my good friend Laura's wedding. We were roommates for a year in college, and kept in touch while she spent the last couple years in Rwanda, where she met her husband. Here are all of the Richmond girls at her bachelorette party...

And roommates sophomore year, Ashley, Laura and me at the rehearsal dinner. Laura is in traditional Rwandan wedding attire.

The kiss! The bride was beautiful!

Listening to the toasts, such a fun wedding!!

The day I got back from Richmond, my best friend from home came to visit us in Alabama. Somehow, we managed to not take a single picture, but it was a great time to catch up and relax a little. Then, this past weekend I co-hosted a baby shower for a good friend, but haven't uploaded the pictures yet. Will get to that at some point...

Lovely Lazy Weekend

2010-07-12T10:36:00.000-05:00

To say our weekends have been a bit full lately would be a massive understatement. As in, this was our first weekend since before Memorial Day that we have not been out of town. Don't get me wrong, we've had a wonderful time visiting friends and family, going to weddings, baby showers, and bachelor parties, but it's just been a lot.

So, this weekend was just what we needed. On Friday night we went to dinner and saw Toy Story 3 at the drive-in (love Alabama for that!). Saturday we slept in (well, hubby slept in, I have an internal alarm that seems to wake me up at 8 every day) I made whole wheat pancakes (delish!) and we lounged around almost all day. Heaven. Saturday night I made chicken enchiladas in a tomatillo sauce (also delish). Sunday was filled with church and the World Cup final. Perfect weekend!

Now it's back to the early mornings for the husband, and getting ready to head to Chattanooga on Thursday for a class trip to a battlefield there. For now, I'm off to bike ride with the pups!

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

2010-07-09T09:48:00.002-05:00

It's that time of the week again! I've really enjoyed reading everyone's answers, so here are mine...

1. What is your favorite household chore?

I'd have to say dusting. It's probably because we have dark wood furniture, so I love how clean everything looks after it's dust-free.

2. What is your favorite childhood memory?

Summers at the beach with my family (or as us Philadelphians say, "down the shore"). We would go for a week every summer, and I have such great memories. I would play on the beach with my brothers, we would get lobsters and we play with them first (with claws rubber banded, of course!), and just have so much fun. I cannot wait to recreate that when we have kids!

3. What is your most embarrassing moment?

Oh wow, I could have a loooong list. Unfortunately for me, I may be the world's most clumsy person. It's almost hard to think of just one thing, so I'll just give one that comes to mind. It's graduation week at West Point, and I'm there with Chris's family. Chris and I are driving to the ball the night before graduation, and in true West Point fashion, the weather is crazy. It starts downpouring right as we get there, so Chris says he'll drop me off and I can wait under this overhang/ arch thing. So I get out of the car, holding something over my head with one hand, and trying to shut the car door with my other hand. Of course, a huge gust of wind comes just at that moment, and up goes my dress.... like past my waist. Now, this wouldn't be the end of the world if there weren't about 100 other people waiting under the same overhang I was heading toward. Awesome. So now about 50 cadets and their families have seen my underwear. Slightly embarrassing in itself, but worse made even worse when I had to go stand with them all because there was no other cover from the rain...

4. What uniform of your spouse's is your favorite?

Probably have to say dress blues... he only really wears ACUs or blues, so I'll go with that one :) It brings back good memories of us at our wedding.

5. What canceled TV show do you miss the most?

Hands down, Boy Meets World. I love love love that show. As in, I now have all of the seasons (some may be bootlegged....). Basically, I love anything that was once on TGIF. I could watch those all day.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

2010-07-02T10:26:00.001-05:00

1. Tell us about your dream job… one that you could do regardless of pay.

Probably something with animals. This would probably be a surprise to some people because I would not have said that until recently. However, seeing that I'm going to be volunteering at an animal shelter, that kind of answers the question.

2. What is your most prized material possession (kids and pets don’t count!)?

Hmm.. This is a tough one. If I was completely honest, I would probably have to say the little pillow that my mom made and I've slept with/ carried around since shortly after birth. I no longer drag it around the house with me, but I still sleep with it every night. It's been all over the world with me, and received a face lift with Deuce got her as a puppy. I know, sounds sad, but it's just one of those things. If I had to say something else, it would probably be my engagement ring :)

3. What has been your favorite duty station and why?

It would have to be Campbell, because we've only lived there and at Rucker, and Campbell definitely wins. But, we're finding out soon where we are headed next, so hopefully I'll have another one to report about! We really did like Campbell, mostly because Nashville was so close and I really liked that city. We also loved our house there, it was our first home together, and we bought it new and did so much to it. Needless to say, I miss that house!

4. What is your least favorite household chore?

Either unloading the dishwasher or changing the sheets on the bed. Neither are particularly time consuming, but I just don't like them. I would choose vacuuming, dusting, or cleaning the bathroom any day of the week.

5. If you could give one piece of advice to a teenager today (not specifically a MilTeen), what would it be?

This is probably pretty cliche, but realize that your parents aren't out to make your life miserable. Well, I can't speak for every parent, but most aren't. Also, pick good friends to surround you. Meaning, choose people who you can be yourself with, who build you up, and don't want you to compromise to be friends with them. I had, and still have, the best group of friends from high school, and I really believe that has impacted who I am today.

Life Made Easier

2010-06-29T10:12:00.005-05:00

As I'm sure anyone with dogs can understand, summertime + shedding + carpet = way too much vacuuming. As I've mentioned before, our old house did not have steps, but this one does. I don't mind vacuuming, but I despise doing the steps. It's so annoying to carry the vacuum up and down the stairs, use the attachments, etc. Anyway, the item I've been waiting for finally arrived....

What makes it even better? It was FREE. Thanks to swagbucks, I saved up enough Amazon credit to get it. Is it sad that I was actually excited to vacuum the steps after it came? Not sure what I'm going to save up for next, but I am $10 to whatever it is. What's better than getting something you want? Getting it for FREE!

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

2010-06-25T09:38:00.001-05:00

1. How did you and your spouse/significant other meet?

We met in high school, when I was a sophomore and he was a senior. We were in the same Journalism class, and became friends. It's actually a pretty confusing story of joking that we were dating, then joking that we were engaged, then actually starting to date. Oh, high school.

2. What is the best thing about being a MilSpouse?

It would have to be the great friends I have met. Some of my best friends are people that I would have never met if not for the Army. From keeping each other company and helping with things around the house when our husbands are gone, to weekly deployment potlucks, days at the pool, and countless encouraging words, they really are the best!

3. What is the hardest thing about being a MilSpouse?

For me it has to be deployments. While I am a big advocate of thriving during that year on your own, it is still very hard to be without your spouse for a year.

4. What is your favorite dish?

That's a tough one because I love food and I love cooking. It's too hard to pick just one, so I'll say that I loved what we had last night, which was garlic and herb marinated chicken breasts over a bed of arugula, and topped with romesco sauce. Delish!

5. If you could change one thing in this world, what would it be?

There are so many things I could go with here, but one thing has been on my mind recently. We sponsor a little girl in Kenya, Nashipai, through Compassion International. While the little bit we give each month provides her with some basic needs, I really wish that she wouldn't struggle to have clothes to go to school in, and that her father was still alive to help care for her. As an eleven-year-old, she is responsible for providing so much for her family, yet still finds the time and energy to write us letters thanking us for sponsoring her. It certainly helps to change your perspective!

A Dog Beach and a Wedding

2010-06-24T10:56:00.000-05:00

I know, I know, it's been a while. Ooops. Sorry.

Anyway, we have been quite busy around here. Two Saturdays ago we went to a dog beach in Pensacola, and it was awesome. The puppies loved it, and we would love to go back (although that would require a free weekend from now until August....)

Cole checking things out

Chris tries to coax them in- they aren't too sure yet

And they're off!

Cole was a natural, he swam all day!

The bride and groom, with Chris as the best man

Us at the wedding- I think Chris looks good in purple :)

With the bride and groom- what a fun night!

That was the last two weekends in pictures. Coming up this weekend I have a baby shower for a good friend in Florida, then the beach with Chris's family for the 4th of July weekend.

Now it's time to beat the heat with a trip to the pool... rough life, huh?

What I've Been Up To

2010-06-11T11:57:00.000-05:00

I haven't blogged in a while, but it has been a pretty busy month for us. Memorial Day weekend, Chris flew back to Philadelphia for his friend's bachelor party. He's the best man in his wedding, and was really glad he could make it back for the weekend. I was supposed to go visit friends of ours in FL while he was gone, but unfortunately I came down with a cold and stayed home.

This past weekend, I flew home to Philadelphia for my "little" brothers' high school graduation. I was so glad to be there for it, but wish Chris could have made it to. He had class on Friday, and the graduation was Friday night, and since we live almost 2 hours from the closest airport it just wasn't possible. Anyway, it was a great weekend. I cannot believe that they are 18 and graduating from high school. I know everyone always says that about their younger siblings, but seriously, I remember when they were born. Here we are at their graduation:

How did they get here, from here?

The rest of the weekend I spent time with family, and was able to catch up with a lot of friends from high school. Always a good time, and I don't get to see them very often so I'm glad we were all able to get together.

Tomorrow we are heading to the dog beach in Pensacola. Even though our dogs are Lab mixes, since we lived in Tennessee for most of their life we were never able to take them to the beach. In fact, they have never even gone swimming. I'm hoping they will love it, I figure swimming is in their DNA! Thankfully, the beach is on the bay side in Pensacola, so the oil shouldn't be a factor. I'll be sure to post pictures of what will definitely be an eventful trip!

On P90X

2010-05-27T12:49:00.000-05:00

Way back around Christmas time, we bought P90X. We did the first few days, but then we both got really, really sick with the stomach flu. It hit me a lot harder and I really was not right for weeks. Then we put our house on the market, sold it, and moved. So, P90X was put on hold until recently, when our schedules were more conducive to going to the gym together. Anyway, we are almost done the first week (again) and I definitely have a love/ hate relationship with it. I love that it's a great workout and I feel like I'm getting a lot out of it after kind of plateauing for a while, but my body usually hates me afterward! It's been great being able to do it together, because otherwise I know I'd be lazy and skip certain days. The hardest part for me is the pull-ups, but Chris stands behind me and assists me, otherwise I would probably only be able to do one.

Yesterday was legs and back, and so far I think this workout comes in as second hardest to Plyometrics. The leg workout kicked my butt (literally.. it hurts!) and I'm pretty sore today. When I woke up this morning I half expected to not be able to walk, but I wasn't nearly that bad, thankfully. I even took the dogs on a long walk, by myself. We've been working on walking over the last couple months, and they are making serious progress. I usually bike ride with them because they just have so much energy, and letting them run next to me drains that energy a lot more effectively. However, because we usually chose to bike rather than walk, their walking skills left much to be desired. I would up getting dragged pulled down the street if I ever tried to walk both of them at once. So, operation "conquer the walk" ensued, and (with special thanks to DVR'd episodes of the Dog Whisperer) we are doing much, much better. I still have to do a lot of correcting, mostly with Cole who tends to want to pull me closer to the grass and sniff everything the whole time, but overall there is marked improvement. Like today, I got their leashes on (a source of major excitement that needs to be calmed), walked out the door calmly, with me in front, and were able to walk for about a mile. This is definitely a small victory for me!

Recent Deals

2010-05-21T11:52:00.001-05:00

I've gotten some great shopping deals recently that I just have to share.

Got my husband some khakis on sale at Banana Republic, plus got cash back on them through Ebates! Also, through Sunday Banana is having a 25% off of regular-priced merchandise with the code SUMMER25. That, plus the 2% cash back from Ebates makes for some great shopping!

Also got myself a shirt from J. Crew on sale, plus 1% cash back from Ebates. I know, 1% isn't much, but it's better than nothing and it adds up! Plus through Sunday they are having a 20% off all men's and women's swimwear, plus free shipping. I wish I needed a new bathing suit...

And, did you know that it's Victoria's Secret Semi-Annual Sale online? Plus 3% cash back from Ebates! I have to admit, I love the semi-annual sale. Just love it. Some of my favorite things are more than half off!

Lastly, my swagbucks are starting to add up! I started using it, thanks to MG, almost exactly a month ago, and I already have $20 in Amazon gift cards. Not too shabby for it being completely free! I've decided to save them all up for this handheld vacuum that I have my eye on. I know, boring. But, this is the first house we've lived in with stairs, and carpeted stairs + 2 dogs in the summertime = way, way too much vacuuming. I actually don't mind vacuuming, but I dread doing the stairs because it's so hard and awkward to lug it up and down while cleaning. Hopefully the little Eureka handheld with motorized brush roll will solve my stair-vacuuming woes.

A Week in the Life ...

2010-05-19T11:33:00.000-05:00

...Because it's been that long since I last posted. Oops.

Last night Lynzi and I went to yoga for the first time at the gym on post. I used to go at the gym we belonged to in Clarksville, but haven't been in a long time. It was great to get back into it, I forgot how much I loved it! Although, it was a little rough because my muscles aren't used to it. We're planning on going every week, so hopefully I'll get better over time.

The pups were wrestling this weekend (per usual) and when they came in Deuce was limping. This has happened before because they play so roughly, but usually they just rest for a little bit and then are fine in no time. Well, Deuce limped for two days, but of course since it was the weekend I couldn't just take him to the vet like I wanted to. If I even had a vet to go to here yet... but that's another issue. Anyway, though I was nearly hysterical very upset and convinced that something was seriously wrong, my level-headed husband convinced me that this was not an emergency, and did not warrant a trip to the emergency vet. Of course, he did the smart thing and determined that it was definitely something with his paw, and that nothing was broken. So, we waited it out until Monday and after a trip to a vet that came highly recommended, he now has antibiotics to prevent an infection since he was licking it, and a pain killer if needed. And, my husband was right-- it was definitely not an emergency, since he was getting better before I even took him to the vet. Lesson learned. And now? They are wrestling as I type. Crisis averted. The major lesson in all of this? Find a vet as soon as we move to the next place, because I hated taking him for the first time to a new place when something was wrong.

In this month's issue of Real Simple, there is an article titled, "10 Ideas for: Vanilla Ice Cream." Now, am I supposed to be having ice cream, according to my healthy diet? No, absolutely not. But, since I've been so good, I decided a little ice cream wouldn't kill me. Plus, I just haven't had it in forever. So anyway, when I saw that one of these 10 ideas was for something called "peanut butter and pretzel terrine", I knew I was going to cave. And, it's to die for. At least we think so.

"Line a loaf pan with parchment, leaving an overhang (I didn't have parchment, so I just used waxed paper, and it worked fine). Press 1 1/2 pints softened vanilla ice cream into the pan, top with 20 chopped mini peanut butter cups, another 1 1/2 pints vanilla ice cream, and 3/4 cups broken pretzels. Freeze until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days (it was a little soft still after 3 hours, but perfect the next day). Remove from pan and slice to serve." -From Real Simple, June 2010.

Delish!

Food, Food, and More Food

2010-05-13T15:17:00.000-05:00

I've been trying some new recipes lately and we have really enjoyed them. It's nice to mix some new things into the repertoire! Here is what we've eaten so far this week, and what I have planned for the next few days:

Sunday- Turkey chili, my friend's recipe that is oh-so-good
Monday- Ginger- lime chicken with string beans and wasabi mashed potatoes (I left out the wasabi because I didn't have it and didn't think hubby would like it anyway!) New recipe and we loved it!
Tuesday- leftovers
Wednesday- Lime and honey glazed salmon with warm black bean and corn salad (another new one, delish!)
Thursday- Chicken in a mustard and lemon sauce, potatoes, salad
Friday- Crock-pot Korean ribs with rice and green beans (These ribs are SO good! You can make them with either beef short ribs, or my mom uses pork ribs and likes it that way. Here is the link. This is my exception to the "no red meat" in my new headache-free, healthy adrenal diet. Hey, so I need a little red meat sometimes!)
Saturday- leftovers
Sunday- Chicken piccata, mashed potatoes, sauteed spinach

And, now I'm hungry after writing about all of this. Time for a snack!

Miscellaneous Musings

2010-05-12T11:37:00.001-05:00

Why is it that the more time I have, the less I seem to accomplish? This has been a trend throughout my life... I am so much more productive when busy! Better find some more activities soon..

In other news, I went 3 whole days this week without a headache! I know, it's sad that I'm excited about only 3 days, but that's a record lately. Looks like the chiropractor is working!

Bought a harness for Deuce for when we bike ride so that he could pull me and get out more energy, but I wasn't prepared for just how strong he is! After nearly crashing while trying to get him to stop, a bruise on my shin from hitting the pedal, and only one trip around the block, I think I'm going to go back to the collar. Sorry, Deuce, no more pulling for you. I like my face the way it is, thank you.

My little container veggie garden is coming along well. I have a little tomato growing, and the basil and parsley I started from seeds have sprouted and are growing quickly! I may have a red bell pepper in the next week or two, also. Cooking with ingredients from the garden is just so satisfying.

On Dogs, Diet, and Daily Life

2010-05-07T12:29:00.000-05:00

...I'm feeling a little bit of alliteration this morning! I was just looking through pictures of our dogs to find one for their microchip profiles, and I cam across a few that I can't resist sharing.

Deuce as a puppy-- he loved laying under the dishwasher as we were loading it!

Cole the day we adopted him-- so skinny and malnourished

Meeting each other for the first time

And now best friends

They are adjusting to life in Alabama well, although I think they miss our old backyard. The townhouse we are living in has a fence, but it's really not a big enough area for them to run around in. So, it's back to bike riding! My neighbors probably think I'm nuts as I fly through the neighborhood with a dog pulling my bike, but they love it and it tires them out!

The fairly restrictive diet the chiropractor put me on for my adrenal function and migraines is becoming a little easier to follow, although I do have to make exceptions at times. But, I've cut out the most important items on the list (caffeine, white flour, sugar) completely. Those things have been much easier than I anticipated. For as long as I can remember, I drank a cup of black tea (LOVE Tazo Awake) with sugar in it every morning. At first I missed it, but after a few weeks now I don't even think about it anymore. When I want tea, I go for a decaf chamomile (I like Lipton's Bedtime Story or Tazo Calm). I guess habits really are breakable! I've found granola that I like to mix with my plain yogurt for breakfast (still can't eat plain yogurt by itself... yuck), we switched to whole wheat pasta, eat mostly chicken or fish (with one meal of red meat thrown in so my husband can survive this!), and when I want to sweeten something I use raw honey or agave nectar. Overall, I have more energy and am no longer dizzy every time I stand up-- I've had low blood pressure for forever and thought the dizziness was something I would just have to live with-- but, so far I don't really see a change in the headaches. But, I'm hopeful, and I really like the chiropractor I'm seeing, so I'm sticking with it all and praying it works!

The humidity has officially rolled into southern Alabama... ugh. Thankfully we live across the street from the pool, because soon I think that's going to be necessary! Now that we are settled in and Chris has started his first week of class, I'm beginning my search for things to fill my time for the next 6-7 months. Since we are only here for such a short time, getting a job will be difficult, but I'm on the lookout for a volunteer position I would enjoy, or even a part-time job. We have a lot of weekend travel to do this summer (multiple weddings, high school graduation, etc) so I need something fairly flexible. Hopefully the right thing is just waiting for me somewhere :).

MilSpouse Blog Hop!

2010-05-01T12:55:00.000-05:00

Riding the Roller Coaster is hosting the MilSpouse Blog Hop, and I wanted to join in the fun! I'm a 25 year old wife of an Army officer. We're high school sweethearts who have been married for 2.5 years. We are originally from the Philadelphia area, but recently moved to Alabama. We have 2 black lab mixes, Deuce and Cole, who are slightly crazy but also the best company during a deployment.

I enjoy reading, cooking, vegetable gardening, bike riding with our dogs, and Philadelphia sports.

Beyond that, we are currently (semi)patiently waiting to hear where the Army will send us next!

Reading Material

2010-04-25T18:13:00.003-05:00

I've always been an avid reader. As a kid, I would hide under my covers with a flashlight after I was supposed to be asleep in order to read longer-- true story. In my adult life, I've had to stop buying books because I go through them too quickly and that's hard not only on the bank account after a while, but mostly on the space left on my bookshelves. Plus, we are going to be moving too often to keep accumulating books I will only read once! So, the library has become my best friend. I've also enjoyed Goodreads (see the box to the right) and being able to see what my friends are reading and getting recommendations from their virtual bookshelves.

With summer weather in full swing here in Alabama, the pool is calling my name (we live right across the street from the pool in our townhouse community, it's really quite convenient). I can't lounge by the pool without a good book in hand, so I'm looking for recommendations.

What's the best book you've read recently?

What's A-Cookin'

2010-04-20T12:12:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, due to my increase in migraines I am now on a fairly restrictive diet. I've always cooked pretty healthy, well rounded meals (although since I have a very Italian husband we probably have tended toward a little too much pasta in the past... oops). Anyway, I've been struggling with coming up with creative ideas that don't involve red meat, pork, shellfish, milk, cream, sugar, etc etc etc. Don't get me wrong, I love chicken and all, but meatballs were a weekly staple in our house! So, it's been my goal to be more creative with chicken and fish, and here is what we have eaten recently:

- Grilled turkey sausage on whole wheat buns (not the pre-cooked kind, because that has sodium nitrate in it.. the uncooked kind doesn't!)
- Thai- style chicken and veggies with ginger and lemon rice (from Rachael Ray)
- Broiled salmon with garlic and thyme, mashed potatoes, salad
- Lime grilled chicken breasts with chili toasts (we LOVED this.. also Rachael Ray. She said to marinate for 5 minutes, I did for 2 hours and it made it so flavorful. Not exactly a 30 minute meal that way, but oh well!)
- Baked halibut with lemon and garlic, roasted potatoes, green beans

I've been able to keep some variety, but I'm worried I'm going to run out of chicken and fish recipes. So, what are your favorite (healthy) recipes?

Swagbucks

2010-04-19T14:12:00.000-05:00

Thanks to MG, I am now addicted to swagbucks. She posted about it the other day, and now I have registered and already earned 98 swagbucks in 12 hours just by using it instead of google to search and inviting my friends. I'm already planning the stuff I want to get with it! Probably not good for me to have another thing to be addicted to, but oh well... Thanks, MG!

Sweet Home Alabama

2010-04-12T12:29:00.001-05:00

Yes, I've been a bad blogger again. Anyway, we are officially residents of Alabama now. We are pretty settled into our townhouse, and are enjoying having friends of ours live 2 doors down. Chris has been on leave, permissive TDY and now has just started casual duty until his course starts the first week of May, so we have had a pretty relaxing few weeks being able to get moved in. We visited friends in FL for a weekend that we haven't seen in a long time, found a dog park on post, and found a new church. Overall, we are feeling pretty settled!

Unfortunately my migraines have gotten progressively worse over the last few months and we ended up in the ER last week when my prescriptions wouldn't work. The ER visit was surprisingly pleasant (score 1 point for Medical Center of Enterprise) but even the shot they gave me didn't take the headache away. So, I've started seeing a chiropractor who I'm hoping will be able to help. I've been seeing neurologists for 8 years now with varying levels of success, so I'm ready for a different approach at this point! Along with adjustments, I'm supposed to be on a different diet for my adrenal function. It involves little to no red meat, shellfish, milk, cheese, sugar, etc.... you know, basically all of the good things in life, haha! So, after first being very discouraged and upset, I'm now making a valiant effort and coming up with all of the different things I can eat. If it takes these migraines away, then it's worth it!

All Packed Up

2010-03-12T15:06:00.000-06:00

The packers came today, and overall it was a pretty good experience. They were in and out in about 3 and a half hours, which to me was pretty fast. I had one room, a bathroom, and two closets marked as do not pack, so I think that really helped. One confusing thing... when they tell you they will not pack liquids, why would they pack my dish soap that was next to the kitchen sink, right by the hand soap that they left? Granted, I should have packed it away with all of the other liquids that I put in the closet, but I guess I assumed that when they said no liquids that would mean they wouldn't actually pack liquids.... so here I am wondering what box has the pump of dish soap in it, and whether or not it is slowly but surely leaking all over my things. I guess I'll find out in a few days when I unpack...

We close on the house tomorrow, and then head down to Rucker on Monday. Not looking forward to unpacking, but hopefully it will go smoothly!

Calling All Moving Tips...

2010-03-04T10:20:00.000-06:00

Believe it or not, this is the first time in my life I've actually moved. As in, I lived in the same house growing up my whole life. I mean, sure, I went away to college and moved my stuff, but let's be honest, with my parents there to help that doesn't really count. And yes, when I got married I moved my things into what is now mine and Chris's home, but really all I had at that time was clothes and the shower and wedding gifts we received. So, this is the first full on move I'm ever doing.

I consider myself a pretty organized person. I've been de-cluttering for weeks and months now. I have an Excel workbook with different sheets for things to take in the car, addresses to change, services to cancel, etc etc. Overall, I feel as though I'm pretty on top of things. But, just in case, and since the overwhelming majority of my readers are military spouses, I figured I would ask advice from the best.

So, what are your best moving tips?

New Chapter and From the Freezer

2010-03-02T21:05:00.000-06:00

I thought I was going to be better about blogging... but no such luck. No more promises, we'll just see from here on out! Anyway, here are my updates!

We sold our house! Got through the appraisal and inspection, and are closing next week. Woooooot. It feels like we crossed over a big hurdle, which is a huge answer to prayer and we are so thankful.

We also finally have a place to live at Rucker, which was another slightly important thing to cross off the big to-do list. I'm happy with where we will be living, and especially because we will have friends of ours as neighbors!

So, packers come in 9 days. Lots to do before then, but I'm finally feeling on top of it. Yesterday I went through the freezer and planned meals for the rest of our time here with a lot of what was in there. Apparently I had stored some really random things in there throughout our time living in this house. My inventory included: multiple batches of meatballs, one pork chop, one ribeye, lots of frozen veggies, pulled pork, italian sausage, chicken breasts, and somehow, one chicken wing, among many other things.

Lastly, a few people asked for the recipe for the crock-pot rotisserie style chicken I posted about last time. Here is the link. A little note, I do not remove the skin from the chicken, mostly cause I love the skin, but also because I think it makes it more moist. But do whatever you like!

I'm Back!

2010-02-17T12:36:00.000-06:00

So I've been neglecting my blog for while now because we've been super busy over here. Not a good excuse, I know. Lots going on... to sum it all up, we put the house on the market, got an offer in the first week, are now under contract waiting for the appraisal to come back. Fingers crossed. Either way, we are moving March 15th to Ft. Rucker. A little earlier than expected, but the person buying our house wanted to move in, so we weren't going to say no!

That's the very short version of the last few months. A while back I mentioned I was going to be trying new recipes and posting them, and I never did. Oops. But, I have gotten very good at menu planning. In fact, this weekend I planned meals for the rest of February, went to the commissary, and saved $16 in coupons. Score. So here is this week in meals in our house:

Monday- Roast beef sandwiches (leftover from an eye roast I cooked over the weekend)
Tuesday- Crock-pot rotisserie style chicken
Wednesday- Baked tilapia with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans
Thursday- Chicken quesadillas (with chicken leftover from Tuesday)
Friday- Hail and Farewell
Saturday- Steaks with roasted potatoes and salad
Sunday- Meatballs

And that is our week in meals!

Happy 101

2009-12-18T22:39:00.001-06:00

The lovely MG gave me the Happy 101 award. The rules for this award are:

1. List 10 things that make you happy
2. Tag 10 bloggers that brighten your day

Ten Things That Make Me Happy
1. Having my husband home after a long year... just in time for Christmas!
2. Trying a new recipe and having Chris name it a "keeper".
3. My puppies wrestling/ playing/ snuggling together.
4. Our 9 foot real Christmas tree.
5. Getting Real Simple in the mail.
6. People making comments on my blog :)
7. A good workout.
8. My "little" brother getting his first acceptance letter to a college yesterday!
9. De-cluttering- we just sold a TV and dresser on Campbell Yard Sales!
10. Christmas decorations.

Ten Bloggers That Brighten My Day
1. 'cause i don't know how it gets better than this
2. French Kiss
3. Just Another Day In Paradise
4. A Three-Fold Cord
5. Let's Make Things as Complicated as Possible
6. My Front Porch Looking In
7. Steady As We Go
8. The Connor Clan
9. The Unexpected Army Life
10. On An Adventure

Flashback Friday

2009-12-18T14:02:00.002-06:00

I haven't done a Flashback Friday yet in December, so this one will encompass pictures from various events in past Decembers. Here goes...

December 2003- My friend from high school, Andrew, and I in front of the White House when I went to see him in DC.

2003- With my 3 brothers, Alex, Eric and Patrick (left to right) on Eric's birthday.

2004- Army/ Navy!

2006- Army/ Navy with friends Megan and Colleen from college

I'm missing 2005 because I still have not uploaded my pictures to this computer from my semester abroad. oops...

In other goings-on, I'm back in "living alone" mode, as Chris is gone this weekend flying aircraft back to Campbell from the port where they arrived on a ship. He left this morning, and I've already slipped into some of my deployment behaviors: guacamole for lunch, catching up on all the girly shows in my DVR that he won't watch, and having a dinner date with a friend that I haven't seen since our hubbies came home. Funny how quickly you can revert back to the way you lived for the past year...

We're Back!

2009-12-14T12:54:00.002-06:00

"We're" meaning that I am back to blogging and Chris is back to the good old US of A. YAY! Here's a recap of the last few weeks:

I went to Philly for Thanksgiving with the puppies and had a great time with my family. I got to catch up with a few friend that I don't get to see very often, also. Then I headed back to Clarksville the Sunday after Thanksgiving with my mother-in-law, thinking that Chris would be home in just a few short days. So, cleaned the house, ran all my errands, to find out the flight was pushed back. Knowing that this could happen, I didn't get too upset the first time. We planned some more activities to keep us occupied, and my father-in-law drove in. Then, it got pushed back. Again. And again. And again, and again and again. And finally, one more time. It was a roller coaster ride, to say the least. So after a week of changes, my in-laws missing a week of work, and me re-cleaning the house 3 times, he finally arrived late at night/ early in the morning on the 5th/6th of December. All of the waiting was worth it, and I have to say that this reunion was right up there with our wedding day as being one of the best days of my life.

A few pictures...

So, now he's home, his reintegration is over, and we are getting back into our routine. He happened to come home exactly 7 days before he left last year, so it really feels like we are picking up right where we left off. It almost feels like we hit pause on December 12, 2008, and hit play again on December 6, 2009. Then I think back to everything I've done this last year, and realize that my life definitely wasn't on pause! I had a very busy, productive year, but I'm very excited to restart our life together!

A Culinary Post

2009-11-22T09:25:00.001-06:00

A little while ago, I wrote that I was going to start trying some new recipes before Chris came home and reporting on them. Well, I didn't. I'm sorry. I mean, I did try some new ones, I just didn't review them. But, since some have shown interest, I decided I should share some of my go-to recipes, and some new ones as I try them.

So, here goes... I'm a big fan of all things Crock-Pot, especially when I know I'll be gone around dinner time. So, I've gotten in the habit of making a Rotisserie-style chicken quite often. Eat some that night, then use the leftover for endless possibilities: chicken salad, chicken soup, chicken quesadillas... Oh, and I leave the skin on the chicken, unlike the recipe. No other reason besides the fact that the skin is my favorite part of the chicken. Gross, I know.

Another favorite slow-cooked meal is pulled pork. This is one of Chris's favorites, and I've kind of changed it over time. Now, I'm not even going to claim, hint, or otherwise insinuate that this is anything near southern barbecue, but it is delish.

- Cover the bottom just barely with water (a few tbsps, depending on the size of your slow cooker)
- Add 1 clove minced/ chopped garlic
- Add a little chopped onion (1-2 tbsps)
- Place Boston butt pork roast in (blade, shoulder, etc... it is called various things!)
- Rub Emeril's Essence seasoning on roast (you can buy it in the spice section usually, but I make a lot at once and have it for multiple roasts. It's easy and much cheaper!)
- Pour 1/4 of a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce on top, just enough to cover the top part
- Cook on low all day (I do about 7-8 hrs)
- About an hour before it's done, use to forks to pull apart. I also spoon out a little of the liquid if it seems like too much
- Add more bbq sauce, however much you prefer
- Continue to cook on low for another hour

It's really, really good, especially on Sundays when watching football, because you smell it the whole time and can't wait for dinner :). I have made this for myself before, and frozen single servings in quart size freezer bags. I take them to school, and they are thawed by lunch. Perfect! Gotta love deployment cooking for one...

That's all for today. Next culinary installment is favorite one pot meals!

Flashback Friday

2009-11-20T09:38:00.000-06:00

Every Flashback Friday, I'm reminded of the pictures that are still sitting on CDs that I never uploaded to this computer. Randomly, it is only my junior year of college that I'm missing, but that includes my semester abroad. Anyway (public) note to self, upload the pictures so I can use them for other Flashback Fridays!

Moving on... Here are some of my favorites from November through the years.

2006- My friend Adam and I our friends' wedding

2006- Megan and I at Delta Gamma Anchorball

(I'm seeing her TOMORROW!)

2006- Chris and I before Anchorball

2008- Chris and I in Mississippi visiting our friends Chris and Tina

2008- In Mississippi, the day we brought Cole home!

Weekend Recap

2009-11-18T23:02:00.002-06:00

This week has been such a whirlwind that I am just now getting around to posting about this past weekend. The wedding was beautiful, the bride was gorgeous, the groom looked like the happiest man on earth, the maid and matron of honors' toasts were epic, and we all danced the night away! A few pictures:

The happy couple

The bride and I... somehow I got cut off

After the wedding, I met up with some of my other friends from high school in Old City for our friend Andrew's birthday. He had NO idea that my friend Meredith and I were coming, or even that I was in town! His face was priceless (I wish I had a picture of it) and we all had a great time catching up.

On Sunday, I hung out with my family and visited with all of my grandparents. The surgeries went ok, still a few lingering issues for my grandmother, but they are both recovering. Another picture...

My "little" brothers and I

Ok, can I just say that for one of the first times in my life, I felt short? I'm over 5'9", this doesn't happen often around other women since I don't tend to hang out with WNBA players. But, all 3 of my brothers are officially taller than me. Good thing I've got an inch on my mom, or I'd be the shortest in the family!

I spent the whole weekend telling everyone that I wouldn't be back to Philadelphia until Christmas... but that is a lie. I'm going back this weekend! Ok, I didn't purposefully lie, I just didn't know until late Sunday night that I was going back for Thanksgiving. My dad is going to fly out and drive back with me and the dogs (I feel like the awesomeness of my dad is becoming a recurring theme...) for the week. I was planning on staying in Clarksville for a few reasons, but realized that spending Thanksgiving by myself just wasn't worth it. So, another road trip it is. Want to hear the best part? My in-laws are driving back with me the weekend after Thanksgiving because...

Chris will be coming home shortly thereafter!!

*commence happy dance*

My homecoming outfit is chosen, and now I'm just panicking frantically completing my to-do list, since I'm now losing an entire week of preparation time for my Thanksgiving trip. I just keep telling myself that the busier I am, the faster the time will go... hopefully.

Month 11 in Review

2009-11-12T23:41:00.000-06:00

Somehow or another, it's already November and I'm writing my second to last one of these. I'm in the middle of packing to go to Philadelphia for a friend's wedding, so I'm going to get to the point. Things that happened this month:

- My mom came to visit, we got massages, shopped and had fun!

- The Phillies won the NL, but lost the World Series :(

- My mother-in-law and sister-in-saw came to visit

- I went to see ADVON come home, meaning the rest are coming soon!

- Helped to assemble welcome home packages for the single soldiers

- Had our last potluck after doing it almost every week since January

- Got my last tomatoes from my garden (it stayed so warm they just kept growing!)

- And, last but not least... got my homecoming outfit!

Have a great weekend everyone! Look for a post about the wedding when I get back!

Perspective

2009-11-10T21:45:00.000-06:00

This afternoon I attended a memorial for a soldier from our battalion who was killed last month. It was a moving, emotional ceremony, and I'm so glad I could be there to support his family and honor his sacrifice. He left behind a wife and a 4 month old baby, which hurts my heart every time I think about it. As I sat there watching his family grieve, I thought about how many times I've said that it feels like "forever" until my husband comes home, even though it's only a few weeks. "Forever" is not an exaggeration for this family, it is a reality that they live everyday and one that I cannot even begin to fathom. That sure puts my few weeks in perspective.

Your Questions Answered!

2009-11-07T17:20:00.004-06:00

I held off on answering these for a few reasons, but the biggest was the events of Thursday. I came home from subbing, got my computer and sat down to write this post when I saw everything pop up on facebook about Fort Hood. After making sure that everyone we knew there was ok, I sat glued to the TV for the rest of the day, in complete shock. I don't have the right words (who really does, though?) so I'll just say that the families of those injured and killed, as well as the whole community have been in my prayers and thoughts constantly. I can't imagine what that day was like. May God comfort and heal those affected by this, and make those living there feel safe again.

There isn't good way to transition from that to questions, but here goes. You asked, I'm answering!

lmc asked: "What has been the hardest part of this deployment? And what has been easier than expected?"

It's hard to pick one for each of those. As for the hardest, last Christmas was definitely very hard, especially since he had just left two weeks before. The whole thing was still new and fresh, and having a major holiday right then was just difficult. There are many more things that I could mention, but I think the one that sums them all up is the inability to call him, or to get an instant response to any question, problem, or exciting thing that happened. For weeks after he left, I would call his cell phone without thinking. Old habits die hard, I guess. Waiting for an email response, or waiting for the phone to ring can be really frustrating when you have a simple question. I don't want to complain though, because overall I have been very, very lucky in terms of communication. I have been able to talk to him on average about twice a week. Some weeks more, some weeks not at all, but on the whole, we've been very lucky and I know not everyone has that.

As for the easiest, I think I've just been constantly surprised at the fact that the year actually does go by, no matter how many times it seems like it never will. I had many people tell me that it's "easier done than said" and I think that's the best way to describe it. It seems so daunting when they leave, but once you get into it and establish your routine, time does pass. I was very surprised with my ability to adapt, especially after R&R. It was easier than I expected to get back into my routine of him being gone. I think I went into it, as I'm sure many people do, thinking that it was going to be the worst year of my life. Hardest, at times? Yes. But not the worst. I had projects to keep me busy, friends to hang out with, and two puppies that keep me sane (though sometimes drive me insane...) That's a long, vague answer to the question, but overall, even though some days I hit that "I'm so over this" point, he will come home in about a month, and it will all be over, contrary to how it felt last December.

MG said: "I want to know if you are listening to Christmas music yet!"

I am one of those people who is against anything Christmas until the day after Thanksgiving. The last 2 years, Starbucks has brought out their red cups early, and I'm not happy about it. So, no, I'm not listening to Christmas music yet! I do have to say that I've been very tempted this year. Last year I was kind of a Scrooge about Christmas, and this year I'm like a little kid since Chris will be home. So, yes I've been tempted to start doing all things Christmas, but I'm holding out :).

She also asked: "What are you making for Homecoming dinner?"

I am very fortunate that my husband loves my cooking. Over R&R, he didn't request one meal at a restaurant, instead he emailed me a list the week before with his requests: pulled pork in the Crock-Pot, lasagna, meatballs, etc. So, I have a lot of his favorites to choose from. If he gets home in the afternoon or evening, I'm planning on putting a pork shoulder in the Crock-Pot so that it's ready and waiting for us when we get home. Otherwise, I'll plan a big meal for the next night. I haven't quite decided what yet, but I'm leaning toward either lasagna or fresh pasta, two of his faves.

And, "What are you wearing for Homecoming?"

A little part of me is sad that he's not coming home in warm weather, because I can't go out and get a cute sundress :). Haha, but seriously, his will be probably around the 7th homecoming I go to for our brigade, and I think I'm learning I should find a mix between comfortable and cute. I'm leaning toward my new jeans, and a cute top I have yet to find. I'm planning a Nashville shopping trip next week for that very item. We'll see how it goes!

Stacie asked: "What is the best thing about Clarksville?"

Hands down, I'd have to say my friends here. I have so many great women here that have made the two years I've been here so great. I'm so thankful for each and every one of them. As far as my favorite thing to do in Clarksville, I'd have to say Jazz on the Lawn. I love love love going to the winery with friends, drinking wine, listening to music, and just hanging out. Other than that, I love the Blackhorse restaurant, and being so close to Nashville.

She also asked: "Do you have an idea of where you'd want to go next?"

Well, we know we are headed to Ft. Rucker for the Career Course in April/ May. Beyond that, we really aren't sure. Dream posts would be Hawaii and Germany, and I'm really pulling for a spot to open up at Belvoir. While there are a few places we wouldn't really care to end up, I know we'd be fine anywhere and make the best of it. I'm just anxious to find out where we'll be going!

That's it :). Hope everyone is having a great Saturday!