Ups and Downs

Ah, paperwork is done! I went to the army doc today and got cleared to go to Hawaii! =D Now, hopefully Joe's SGT will be nice and hand in that paperwork for us so we don't have to worry about anything else.

It took forever for me to get in and see the dr. today. We were told to come by at 9:30, and apparently that particular doctor stops taking walk-ins (which is what we were told to do) at 9:00. Ugh, seriously?! I swear, I think the day that the Army gets its crap together will be the day hell freezes over. Anyway, after waiting for what felt like an eternity [but was more like 1.5 hrs] I got in and the guy asked me a few questions and we were good to go! I'm so glad that's over with. Now we're just waiting on orders...and to see if that evil lady from this post updated his orders so that I can fly to Hawaii with him.

Oh, and a big, huge, ginormous thanks to Mrs. C and her hubby for helping Joe and I get this whole mess with paperwork straightened out! They are currently my favorite people {laugh as much as you want, they saved us some serious headache}, and I can't wait to meet them! (((hugs))) 

Before all this happened today, Joe got what I like to call a "stern talking to". About what, you ask? That'd be me...and my blog. I can hear all of you fellow milspouses saying "uh oh" right now. And you'd probably be able to guess why. Apparently, I need to be better about editing. I thought I was doing a good job, but obviously if he's getting a "stern talking to" I'm not doing as well as I thought. *sigh* I felt horrible and wanted to crawl under a rock and die proceeded to apologize to my sweet hubby about a million times. So, if in future posts you're curious why I'm being so vague, it's because of our good 'ole friend OPSEC. I still feel terrible. Joe isn't mad at me at all...but, what kind of wife gets her husband in trouble?! Seriously. No, I didn't realize that I was "violating OPSEC" but does that excuse it? Ugh, I don't know. Nothing is going to happen to Joe as long as I edit myself from here on out. This is good, but I still feel crappy. So, bare with me while I learn to edit myself.

Blonde Moments...

Well, today was an interesting day. I felt bad for poor Jasper because he had his first trip to the vet's since we got him last year. Which means that he was due for all the yearly shots. =( He got 3 shots, including the rabies shot for Hawaii and blood drawn for the heartworm test. My poor baby. He took the first shot like a champ, but totally freaked out for the last 2. I don't blame him though, I don't like shots either. But, that's over with for now...$90 later. Uh, ouch.

Later, Joe and I made a trip to the hospital on base so that I could visit the EFMP doc. Turns out that you have to be on TriCare Prime to even be seen by a military doctor. Seriously? Grrr! So, we had to go to the lovely TriCare office (luckily it was in the hospital) and get that taken care of. Then, we took a trip down to medical records so they could put me in the hospital's system. Tomorrow, I'm going to see the EFMP doctor. *sigh* Something that should have taken an hour and one step, turned into 5. Hooah, Army life.

And now, for the story that brings you the title of this post.

Last week, I renewed our tags online. First of all, this is the best thing ever! Saves time, effort, travel, etc. I *heart* doing things online! Anyway, I didn't expect the little sticker thing and registration to come for a while so when I got something from the DMV today I didn't really think much of it and shoved it in my purse. It was important - that's where important stuff goes, right?

So, while I was waiting for Joe to get out of [the 2 hour long] formation I remembered that I'd put that mail in my purse. I opened it and whaddya know?! It's the sticker and registration! Woohoo! So I slapped that sticker on our tags, glad that I didn't have to worry about being pulled over anymore.

On our way home, I told Joe that we'd gotten it in the mail. Here was the conversation:

Me: Oh, we got our tag sticker and registration in the mail today.

Joe: That was fast.


Me: Yeah, I know. I saw it in the mail this morning and shoved it in my purse. I opened it during formation and put the sticker on.


Joe: That's good.


Me: Yeah, when I saw it this morning I shoved it in my purse 'cause it looked important.


Joe: What do you mean it looked important?


Me: I don't know, it just did. Here, I think I have it....look.

Joe: So, maybe you thought it was important because of the HUGE letters that say "IMPORTANT"?!  Gee, I wonder where you got the idea that it was important?!


Me: *laughing hysterically* I never even saw that it said "important"!!


Joe: How on earth could you miss that?!


Me: *still laughing hysterically*


Joe: That'd be like missing the "Caution: Radioactive Material" sign or something!


Me: I seriously never saw it!


Joe: *continues to make fun of me til we get home*

I seriously don't know where my brain has been lately! Lol!

Oh, Happy Day!

I have received TWO lovely awards from two very lovely people! =D Although I have received both of these awards before, I'm still very honored and a teeny bit excited. You caught me; I love to get awards. Heeheehee. So, let's get started!

Thanks to JG @ Me and My SoldierMan for this award:

Ah, now for the rules {ie the hard part ;-)}:

1. Thank the person you received the award from. [Check!]
2. Name 10 things that make you happy.

3. Pass it on and contact the lucky winners!

I'm seriously debating being lazy and linking you to the previous list of 10 things that make me happy....but I think I can come up with something quick-like. =)

1. My hubby
2. Making new friends who know what I'm going through.
3. Watching episodes of my fave shows online because I don't have tv.
4. Playing with my crazy puppy.
5. Spending time with my fam.
6. Playing with my niece. =D
7. Cuddling up on the couch with my hubby.
8. A really good book.
9. Warm spring days where I can open all the windows at let the fresh air in.
10. Flip flops. =)

Yikes...passing it on...
1. Erin @ The Unexpected Army Life
2. Christen @ Creating Little Pieces of Happiness
3. Undomestic Army Wife @ The Undomestic Army Wife
4. Mrs. Muffins @ Mrs. Muffins
5. Alia @ Yellow Ribbon Diary

 Thanks to Katie at Words by Katie for this lovely award:

The rules:

1. Thank the wonderful person who gave you this award. [Check!]
2. List 7 things about yourself that your readers wouldn't know otherwise.
3. Pass this award on to bloggers you’ve recently discovered and whom you think are fantastic.{notice I'm leaving out the numbers because I FAIL at giving them to X number of people. =) sue me.}
4. Contact said bloggers and let them know you've given them an award!

I'm totally going to be lazy on this one. Sorry guys!

7 Things About Yours Truly

...And passing it on:

1. Mrs. C @ Crispin Chronicles
2. Mrs. P @ A Little Pink in a World of Camo
3. Southern Belle @ A Southern Belle and Her Officer
4. Jes @ Day to Day Life of an Army Wife
5. Rachel @ p.s. i quilt

Whew! Finally finished! I don't know about you, but I always have a hard time choosing which blogs to award. It only took me...2 hours. =)

Moovin' Monday!

Last time! (Is anyone else having trouble getting pictures to load on here? Weird.)

The rules:
1. No fast food.
2. 3 workouts a week
3. Join up!

Well, I did not do so good this week. Started out alright, and went straight to FAIL. I did a new pilates video on Monday last week which killed my poor legs, arms, and toosh. I took Tuesday off to recover and ran 30 mins on the elliptical on Wednesday. Thursday, I had to get up and around too early and if you know me...early and working out don't mix. Friday, I had all intentions of doing pilates...but my throat decided to hurt and that was the end of that. This weekend was full of fast food because I didn't feel like cooking. Oops.

I'm going to do my best to get back on the bandwagon this week. I didn't work out today [because I'm still feeling kinda rough], but I'm hoping to get back to it tomorrow! No fast food either. =)

I have another lil something to blog about, but I'm thinking that will be another post. Maybe even tonight. It seems that my brain (and possibly my body) works better at night, so maybe I'll feel like getting to it then.

Hope you're having a happy Monday!

Yikes

Since I'm sitting here waiting for a round of storms to start, this title seemed appropriate. You'd think that since I grew up in freakin' tornado alley, I'd be used to these sorts of things. Thunderstorms? No biggie. I'll sit on the porch with a glass of tea and watch it, thank you very much. Thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes? I'll go hide under a rock, or in a hole...please!

I think growing up in tornado alley just made my fear of tornadoes worse. Ever since I was about 8, I have recurring nightmares about tornadoes. Seriously. When I was a kid, I'd dream that my brother and I were playing in the yard and a tornado would touch down across the street. When I started driving, the dream changed to me being in a car trying to drive very quick-like to get away from it. To top all that off, the night of my junior prom we hid in the bathrooms while tornado sirens were blaring. After they stopped [and it was still storming out] I drove like a bat out of hell trying to get home. That doesn't make those dreams go away. Oh, no. It makes them worse. *sigh*

So now, here I sit in my living room alone with the dog freaking out at the tiniest spark of lightning or clap of thunder. Why? Because a tornado warning was issued for my county. =( I'm tracking the storm online, thanks to one of the local station's websites and it's still about 10 miles away. I think. I haven't lived here long enough to really know. I probably shouldn't be freaking out, but I am. Most likely because my husband is in the barracks and I'm here alone.

Other than tonight, the weekend has been fairly good. I felt like crap yesterday. My throat was sore and I was just extremely tired. I didn't put any make up on yesterday, and didn't even attempt to cook for my hubby until this evening. He was sweet and put up with my clingy, whiny self. =) I'm probably an annoying sick person. I like to be taken care of when I'm sick. So, I may complain a bit more than is actually necessary. Please tell me I'm not the only one who does this! God bless my hubby for putting up with me. =) I probably got spoiled by all those years of having my mom take care of me. I've been sick pretty much since the day I was born, so my mom [as I'm sure most moms are] has always been very...concerned about my health. So yeah. Me = spoiled. It's ok though. What's strange is that my throat was sore again this morning when I woke up - no surprise there - but feels almost normal now. I don't get it. Maybe it was just allergies? Who knows. I'm definitely going to be gargling warm saltwater just to make sure, though.

Here's hoping that things get straightened out with Joe's orders and I can travel with him to Hawaii! That will make this next week so much better! Hope y'all have a great week!

Fun-filled Day as an Army Wife

Yesterday, I had the privilege of listening to my husband get berated by some civilian paper-pusher who works on base. I don't know about you ladies, but I don't like it when someone trashes my husband in front of me. Even if I was mad at him. It took everything in me not to scream at this woman...

Let me backtrack some.

I got up "early" on Friday so that I could pick Joe up and go to transportation to see about getting congruent travel for Hawaii. I woke up with a sore throat and feeling like crap [as I am right now]. As I'm leaving, Joe is texting me and telling me that some paperwork has been mixed up or lost and we need to go figure it out. *sigh* Come to find out, there's paperwork that should have been turned in a few months ago so that I can actually go to Hawaii. For any of you who have PCS'ed to OCONUS, you know that you have to have an overseas screening and turn in the paperwork. I did my part and got a physical and gave the signed paperwork back to hubby so he could turn it in. He never turned it in. This is the missing paperwork that says I can go to Hawaii, and that I have zero health issues. Apparently, he was supposed to go have it signed/stamped by someone important and that never happened.

I was a little bit beyond ticked. But, after talking to him on the phone on my way to get him, I could tell he'd beat himself up enough already. He does that. Especially when it involves me. I seriously needed to vent, though, and knew that I couldn't yell at him. So, I called my bestie, Melissa. I love her. She allows me to yell at her, gripe, and complain so that I don't say things I don't mean to my hubby. =) This is what friends are for, right?

We finally get to where we need to be going and the woman who is supposed to help us figure out what we need to do is griping at my husband. She did this twice. Once when he told her that he'd forgotten to turn in the paperwork. For the second time when we returned with said paperwork uncompleted. The first time she told him that he was irresponsible, and that she was tired of "these Soldiers" not doing what they should do and that "your spouse" is the one being punished, I was mad. The second time she griped at him for not doing what he should have done when she had "given [you] all the information [you] needed when I stood up for four hours telling you what needed to be done and you didn't do it," I was livid.

She complained at him because he had all the information he needed and now he was just punishing me because he wasn't responsible enough to do what he'd been told. Did it ever cross her mind that maybe he'd misunderstood? He told her that he was under the impression that all that needed to be done was get the form for my doctor and turn it in. Obviously, this was incorrect. But it couldn't be her fault for not explaining it in a way he didn't understand. No, it was his fault for not understanding her. I'm telling you, it took every ounce of control in me not to rip the piece of paper she was holding from her hand and ask her why she was yelling at my husband, who signed 4 years of his life away to protect her right to yell at people she was irritated at?! Of course, I was prepared to say a lot more than that...as you can imagine. =) I was absolutely angry.

Was I mad that Joe didn't get paperwork turned in the way he was supposed to? Yes. Do I want some stranger yelling at my husband? Absolutely not. It was completely disrespectful of her to yell at a man who will most likely be deployed this summer to protect her freedom. And she had the audacity to yell at him? *insert explicative here*

Long story short, I'm going to be here in GA until paperwork in Hawaii gets approved for me to go. Once Joe gets to Hawaii, it could take anywhere from 1 week to 1 month for the paperwork to go through.  *sigh*


Hooah, Army life.

100th Post Q&A!!

Woop, woop! Welcome to my 100th post!! =D I'm super excited and can't believe I made it this far already! In order to celebrate this joyous occasion, I'm doing a Question & Answer session. Just so you get some more info about me and this crazy life I lead. Since this is the first Q&A sesh, I suppose I shouldn't have expected to be bombarded with questions. But I did. I was very a tiny bit disappointed, but I still have 10ish questions presented to me by some wonderful readers. =) So, here we go!


Erin asked: What was your initial reaction when Joe decided to join the Army?

I believe my words where: "What? Seriously?"Joe was never really the "tough guy" type, which is probably one of many reasons I married him. =) I never saw this one coming. He'd lost his job in Feb. 2009 and went to a job fair later that month. When he picked me up from work that day (we only have 1 car), he'd told me that he met a recruiter for the Army and that he'd like to have the guy over so we could get some questions answered. Again, I think I said, "Really? Are you sure about this?" So, we had the SGT over after several days of talking and praying about it nonstop.

JG asked:
1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A teacher. I always wanted to be a teacher. I used to play school with my brother when we were little. =)
 
2. Which place in the world would you want to live most/least?

Most: Probably Hawaii or somewhere with a great beach. =) I'm getting my wish I guess.
Least: Alaska or anywhere cold. 
 
3. If you woke up tomorrow entirely broke, how would you spend the next week.

I think I would start by selling things I didn't need or didn't have money to keep. I, like many other people, am kind of materialistic. I have way more stuff than I actually need. Since I don't have a job right now, I'd probably try to get one of those. I would work my butt off just to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. Which is exactly what I did when we were down to one income last year. It was tough, but God got us through it like He always does.
 
4. Describe your best friend in high school. 

My bff in high school was the best. =) We were alike in many ways, but different too. She was a year behind me in school, but that didn't matter. Our brothers were bffs too, but they were 3 years younger. She was a ballerina, and I watched her in the Nutcracker every year until she graduated. She has an incredible sense of humor, and we spent most of our time together laughing. We were both in band and choir in high school. She was amazing in algebra, so she became the person I cheated off of my tutor. I was better in language arts, so I helped her in that when she needed it. We laughed over boys, and wrote each other notes constantly. My senior year, I practically lived at her house because my parents were building a new one and we were living with my grandparents. She was the best ever, and I miss her. =)

Jamie asked: Where in Hawaii will you be going?

We are headed to the island of Oahu! Joe will be stationed in one of the Army bases there. [I'm going to keep the actual location private...just to be on the safe side.] As of right now, his report date is April 15. Somehow, I think that's going to need to change...that's not very far away and he still doesn't have orders!

B asked: 
1. Where's your favorite place to go on vacation?

Sunset Beach, NC. Maybe because it's really the only place we've been. Maybe because his grandparents own a beach house there. Either way, it's the perfect way to spend vacation. Small island off the intracoastal waterways of NC....secluded, peaceful...yep!
 
2. What do you like to do for fun?

I dislike this question. Why? I'm a boring person. =) I love to read. Nicholas Sparks is my absolute favorite, followed by Karen Kingsbury. I also like to read historical fiction...and non fiction occasionally. I do have a history degree...the urge hits me every once in a while. =) I also like to watch movies with the hubby. Take walks on a sunny day, like today. I like to go shopping with the girls...get a pedicure... I'm really easy to entertain!
 
3. What's the thing your looking forward to most about PCS-ing? Least?

Um, being in Hawaii! Hello, sandy beaches, big blue ocean, warm weather and palm trees! My name is Sarah. I love you.

Leaving Jasper behind. =( Even if he is staying with two people I trust. I will miss my baby. He's my cuddle puppy, my entertainment, my boy. I know he'll be with me after a few months, but it still sucks.
 
4. How did you come up with the name Jasper for your dog?

This is funny, actually. =) Joe and I both read the Twilight books in 2008. All of them. Jasper was one of our favorite characters. We joked that if we got dogs, we would name them Jasper and Alice. Alice was another of our favorites. So, when we adopted a boy, it was clear to name him Jasper. Plus, the name totally fits him. =) Now, to adopt Alice! Which I'm secretly hoping to do while we're in Hawaii. Hehehe.

Hope you've enjoyed the Q&A sesh! Have a happy Grey's Anatomy Day  Thursday!

Hawaii on My Mind

 **This is the LAST post before the Q&A sesh to celebrate my 100th post! As it is right now, I have a total of SIX questions. I know you guys can do better than this! Please email me ANY - and I mean ANY - questions you'd like the answer to !**

Not Georgia. Hawaii. I live in Georgia. I'm not a fan. I don't know why Georgia was on his mind to begin with. Bleh. Anyway, moving on. =) I had a dream about being in Hawaii last night. It was seriously weird. Not good weird either. I was terrified of drowning in a huge wave, while sitting on a porch checking facebook. Yeah. Then, I was hustling around to get on this wacko plane with people I didn't know all the while being worried about Jasper and if he'd gotten medicine for motion sickness. I told you - weird. I suppose it makes sense that I was dreaming about all that, though. I'm obsessing over all this moving stuff a little bit. Especially about getting Jasper there.

I called the vet on base today, finally. I took paperwork by and they scheduled an appointment for a rabies shot for my sweet puppy next week. I feel bad for the poor guy already. Then there's the bloodwork. *sigh* Apparently, Hawaii requires that you have a vaccination certificate thingy for each vaccination. So, I called the shelter we adopted him from and it turns out that they are only certified to give a rabies vaccination that expires after 1 year. Seriously?! No wonder the durn shot was cheap! It only expired a week and a half ago, but I don't know if this will effect the paperwork. It says they have to have been vaccinated twice...Ugh. I don't know.  It's really irritating though. Then, the vet said he's known people to drive their pets to NY to catch a flight/ship because it's cooler there. Seriously?! You have got to be kidding me! I love my dog and all...but I'm not making my SIL or her hubby drive to NY just so my puppy will be cool! He's an animal...as much as I pamper him, I'm sure he will be fine for one day on an airplane. Geez. Hopefully, I'll find out more about all this b.s. crap next week when he goes in for the shot.

I feel like we've got sooo much to do in so little time. We still need to renew our tags...Joe keeps not getting the affadivit... *sigh* He needs orders first of all so that we know what on earth we're doing. We need to go to transportation, figure out about shipping the car, figure out the housing situation...and the list continues. This is all a little much. No, I probably shouldn't have waited so long to start on Jasper's stuff. Yes, I am beating myself up blaming myself for all the rushing around. Moving twice in one year - not so fun. Never again...

On a lighter note, Joe's graduation from AIT is tomorrow! =) I'm so proud of him. He may not realize it all the time, but I am. I know it hasn't been an easy road for him, and I'm sure it will continue to be challenging. But, I'm thankful for the choice he's made in order to provide for us even if it means a bit of a sacrifice. God put him in the Army for a reason, so I just have to keep telling myself that! I hope there will be more non-Army people at graduation tomorrow! I seriously felt awkward Friday with so few civilians around. Although, I suppose I should get used to that, shouldn't I? =)
 

Moovin' Monday: Random Edition

** 1 more post left until the Q&A session for post #100! Please email me your questions asap!**


I know, I know. Random is what you've come to expect around here. =) As long as you're ok with that and keep reading, so am I!

 It's here again!

1. Say NO to fast food.
2. Exercise at least 3 times a week.
3. Join up!

Well, I had an epic FAIL with no fast food this week. I made it until Thursday, though. My SIL and I came back to my place Thursday and resorted to fast food. I didn't even think twice about it! FAIL! Then once I realized what I'd done...it didn't get much better over the weekend. When family is in town, we have a tendency to eat out instead of cooking big meals for everyone. So, we ate out: pizza, P.F. Chang's, Chili's, Chick Fil A. *sigh* Not to mention I only exercised once last week. I suppose that's what happens when you're on a mini-vacay.

I'm going to work much harder this week! I've done Pilates for the day already. I tried out a new video that I think I might be in love with. At the very least, it adds some variety to the few videos I've done already. It's called Pick Your Level Pilates and it's done by Ellen Barret. I've done several of her videos and I really like them. I know she's not a master Pilates instructor, but I like her. =)

***

Another very hot topic: the new healthcare  bill. *groan* Seriously? I can't believe the darn thing passed! Here's a novel idea: give everyone healthcare, hire people to investigate businesses and people to ensure that they have the "correct" plan (as deemed so by our lovely government), fine businesses and people who aren't on the right plan, and kill jobs in the medical and technology fields. Oh but wait, jobs in the IRS are going to be created so that they can investigate us all. Sounds great, doesn't it?! *insert sarcasm here* Not to mention that the rest of us are going to be taxed for it. Sounds like Big Brother is finally knocking at our doors. Nice work, George Orwell, just 30 years ahead of yourself.

I love that this bill is creating so much controversy. I posted something about it on my facebook page, and oh my word! I seem to have become a very popular person today! This bill is NOT the fix to our healthcare issues. It might be a step in the right direction...maybe. But why not create something like Medicaid for the middle classes who can't afford insurance? Or why not reform Medicaid to take in those that are above the so-called poverty level to include people who have lost their jobs and insurance along with it? Creating a bill to give everyone healthcare is not the fix. And it is most certainly not freedom. We longer have the freedom to choose our insurance. The government is choosing it for us. 

I know that it completely sucks to be without health insurance. Been there and done that. But, I still came up with the money to go to the doctor when I needed to. I paid $160 for the inhaler I needed. Yes, it hurt my checkbook. Yes, insurance would have been amazing. I don't want to be paying for insurance for all the lazy people out there who won't get up and get a job. I'm already paying for all the people who live off of welfare because they don't want to work. I've seen it, people. I'm not just stereotyping. I've literally seen women with 6 kids, no daddy involved, stay her butt at home while the kids were in school drawing a paycheck. Is that fair? Should I provide her insurance? I don't think so. Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now. =)

***

Well, I have other things to say that are family related but I think I'll shy away from that today. I will, however, tell you about my weekend and Joe's Induction Ceremony. =)

The ceremony was interesting. We {meaning me, my SIL, MIL, FIL and niece} arrived 30 minutes early at the request of my hubby. Civilian count at this point: 4. *sigh* So, we sat in the sun for about 20 minutes while his class was practicing parade rest and all kinds of junk for the ceremony. Which was interesting for everyone else but me. I've seen this a million times. =) Then, about 5 minutes before the ceremony I started to feel bad for all the other Soldiers. My hubby was the only one with family there. The whole time we were waiting, I was complaining about having been so early and why was no one else there...you know how it is. It wasn't til then that I realized no one else was coming. Poor guys. And gals. So, one of the sergeants moved us all under the tent. Thank the Lord! I was so getting fried in the sunlight! We ended up sitting between about 10 Colonels and Lt. Colonels. Um, can you say intimidating? I know I shouldn't be, but still. I am new at this, after all. 

The ceremony was pretty short: benediction, national anthem, army song, presentation of the colors, speech by some Captain, everyone got pinned, awards were handed out,  and invocation. I met both of the Colonels and one or two of the Lt. Colonels. My hubby also got an award!!! =D I was so proud of him. He got it for doing some heroic thing during a simulation. The short story is, while on their mission the platoon SGT [who was actually a private pretending to be a SGT] hesitated and my hubby [a squad leader] took over, "saving" the lives of 4 soldiers and several civilians. =) Go, hubby!

I took my in-laws to the PX and Commissary after the ceremony while we waited for Joe to turn in his weapon and get set free. I think they enjoyed it, but I was the one who seriously needed groceries. Well, I hope they got a kick out of it. We did a lot of hanging out with the family, which was nice. I know Joe was glad to see his parents, sister and niece. I did a lot of playing with the baby. =) Everyone left on Saturday, and I think all of us ended up in tears. His parents live in AR, near mine...so we won't get to see them again before we move to Hawaii. My SIL was the one who made me cry, though. Telling me she was going to miss me and loved me...and she started crying. I'm usually ok until either Joe cries or another female cries. Then, it's over with. I'm just glad we got a little bit of time together before the move. We're hoping to go back to NC and see everyone there too. Ok, I'm certain that this post is entirely too long now, but I must leave you with some pictures from the weekend!

Hubby just got the Signal Corps pin! Woop woop!

Just given the award by a Colonel, shaking hands with the CSM.

=D Doesn't he look handsome?!

Such a sweetie pea holding her lambie. 

Jasper kept licking her and staring at her...like he was saying "what is this thing and why won't it hush?!" Lol!

Uncle Joe, Auntie Sarah and Eden. =)

Anna {SIL} and I, finally! A picture of both of us!

I so love Eden's face in this one! =D

Since you already know everyone else, the guy on the far right is my FIL. =)

Cutest. Baby. Ever.

Just sayin'.

Happy [Moovin'] Monday! Hope y'all have a great week!

A Little Light in the Darkness

Ah, Friday, how I've missed you! Welcome back!

Well, I don't know about the rest of you but I had an incredibly rough night last night. I'm sure most of you can sympathize when I say that I spent most of my night obsessing over the "what-ifs" of this military wife life. I kept thinking that my husband will probably deploy this summer...which led me down many, many thought paths involving the worst that could possibly happen. *Insert tears here* I prayed about it, I texted my bestie who finally called me back to calm me down...I obsessively frantically cleaned my house. Still, nothing worked. I did my Bible study as usual before bed, which helped some. I read Nefertiti for a while just to take my mind off of it all. I finally got sleepy and turned off the light. An hour later, I'm back in the same spot - totally freaking out.

And then it hit me. Fear doesn't come from God. Satan is the master of fear. He plays on them to make us get weaker and make us not trust that God has the best plans for us. Satan is attacking me - my mind, my heart, my soul. I sat up in bed at this realization and stared into the blurry darkness. As I whispered "I don't believe your lies, Satan, leave me alone!" I felt some relief. I repeated it several times...laid down and finally fell asleep. I'd heard my small group leader once say that if you tell Satan out loud to leave you alone, that you don't believe his lies, it is powerful. Let me tell you...it was. I can only do that because I honestly do believe that God is protecting me, caring for me, and carrying me when I need Him to.

So today, I am resolved to not fear the future. How can I fear what I don't know? How can I be afraid of things that I haven't even seen yet? Maybe I, like many others, fear the unknown. I don't have to be afraid, because I have the most powerful ally ever. My Savior. That is what I'm going to rest in today. I'm going to clean up this house, hop in the shower, get all fancied up to see my husband, and wait for my in-laws to arrive at my house. I will not fear the future, which my Savior holds safely in the palm of His hands. He is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer!

***

I can't wait to see my hubby today! I know that we're all going to have a great time today, even if our time is limited. I still need to run to the commissary for groceries, but I think it's just going to have to be a quick trip and not the ginormous trip I need it to be. Oh well. =) Can't wait to see a cute baby girl today! Oh, and her mommy. And her grandparents. Hehehehe. Hope y'all have a great weekend!

 ***

Don't forget to email me questions for the Q&A session!! 2 more posts to go!

Prayers

Today, after reading several blogs, I found some very sad news that no military wife ever wants to hear for herself or her friends. One of my lovely followers, Mrs. P, lost her husband. From what I can tell [because I have not previously been a follower of her blog], her husband had been in Afghanistan for about 3 months. He was killed when the vehicle he was in flipped. I don't know all the details, and she gives a little bit more information in her post.

What I do know is that this precious woman - who should never have to go through anything like this - needs our prayers. I can't even fathom how distraught I would be if something happened to my hubby. We don't even have children. (Mrs. P has one baby girl.) My heart hurts for her and her little one. As my hubby is away right now, I want so badly to see him and cuddle him for a while. I plan on doing exactly that tomorrow when he gets home. You know, I don't even know Mrs. P all that well and I am sitting here crying for her over the loss of her soul mate. She will definitely be in my prayers. I ask that all of you who will read this will keep her in yours as well. Most of you are also milspouses, and know that this is our worst fear come to fruition.

If your husband (boyfriend, or fiance) is at home tonight, give him the biggest hug and kiss ever and don't let him get far from you. Remind him just how much you love him, because you might not get the chance again. I think it is truly sad that we take them a little for granted while they're here with us. Sometimes it takes this kind of shock to our system to make us realize that our husbands do have a dangerous job, and that God has only given them a certain amount of time to be here with us on this earth.

 No matter what though, I have to believe that God has bigger and better plans for us even when the storms come in our lives. He tells us that himself. It's one of my favorite verses. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  (Jeremiah 29:11) Most importantly, I know that God is here with me through everything. Through my sad times, my angry times, and happy times. He's here. I wrote about this not too long ago. You may not know this, but I write for a Christian website that targets women. It's called A Virtuous Woman. I encourage you to stop by. It's been great for me to read, as well as to write for. My most current article talks about the Promises of God. You see, God never promised us that living life for Him would be easy, but he did make us some other pretty awesome promises.

 I will leave you with this for the evening, and hope that you will continue to pray for Mrs. P and her daughter during this incredibly sad time.

Psalm 34: 17-19

         The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
       he delivers them from all their troubles.

       The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
       and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

        A righteous man may have many troubles,
       but the LORD delivers him from them all; 

Words of Wisdom Wednesday: Grey's Edition

Ok, well maybe not so much words of wisdom today. How about some words of...laughter? =) Some of you may know that Grey's Anatomy is my favorite TV show. So today, I bring you some words of Grey's Anatomy. There are just a few, but I found them and thought they were hilarious. Mainly because I can see the scene they took place in. =) Enjoy!
 

Dr. Meredith Grey: After all this time, all your warnings about me sleeping with my boss and you're doing the same exact thing.
Dr. Cristina Yang: Oh, it's not the same thing.
Dr. Meredith Grey: It's the exact same!
Dr. Cristina Yang: No, it's not. You and McDreamy are in a relationship.
Dr. Meredith Grey: And you and Burke are in?
Dr. Cristina Yang: Switzerland. It's very neutral there and they make very nice watches.

George O'Malley: You know Joe?
Miranda Bailey: Oh, yeah. I was the only female intern my year. I didn't know anybody and nobody knew me except Joe. He knew me.
George O'Malley: Oh. So you and Joe?
Miranda Bailey: All you people ever think about is how to get into somebody's pants. You're nasty.
[slaps George]
Miranda Bailey: That's why you got syphilis.

I miss George. *sigh*

Bailey: I may be forty-seven weeks pregnant. I may be on bed rest. I may not be able to see my own feet. But I AM Dr. Bailey. I hear every thing. I know every thing. I’m watching each and every one of you. And I will return.

Ok, so maybe this one isn't so funny...but I still like it!

Grey: A couple of hundred years ago, Benjamin Franklin shared with the world the secret of his success. Never leave that till tomorrow, he said, which you can do today. This is the man who discovered electricity. You think more people would listen to what he had to say. I don't know why we put things off, but if I had to guess, I'd have to say it has a lot to do with fear. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, sometimes the fear is just of making a decision, because what if you're wrong? What if you're making a mistake you can't undo? The early bird catches the worm. A stitch in time saves nine. He who hesitates is lost. We can't pretend we hadn't been told. We've all heard the proverbs, heard the philosophers, heard our grandparents warning us about wasted time, heard the damn poets urging us to seize the day. Still sometimes we have to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. We have to sweep today's possibility under tomorrow's rug until we can't anymore. Until we finally understand for ourselves what Benjamin Franklin really meant. That knowing is better than wondering, that waking is better than sleeping, and even the biggest failure, even the worst, beat the hell out of never trying.

Sometimes, I really like the Meredith Grey narrations before/after the show. They have a tendency to be very insightful...especially for a TV drama. =)


**Don't forget to start emailing me your questions for the Q&A session coming up! Only 5 more posts to go!**


Happy Hump Day!

Tired Tuesday

I figured since yesterday was Moovin' Monday, it would be fitting for today to be Tired Tuesday. =) My sis in law picked me up yesterday and I am now at her house in NC! It was a very long day, though. They (she, Eden, and Grammy) arrived at my house close to 3, and we didn't leave my house until after 4. *sigh* Grammy wanted to stop at Cracker Barrel in Columbia, SC. We'd only made it an hour from my house. I *heart* Grammy, but sometimes... I mean, I can make the drive in 3.5 hours. Seriously. Wanna know what time we got here? 10. Yes. *sigh* But, we made it. Cranky baby and all. She was not happy that she had to be in the carseat for the better part of the day. I don't blame her. If I'd been in the car that long, I wouldn't have been to happy either!

 So, after the long drive and a night of restlessness, I am so tired. Good thing I'm not going to be doing anything today! Or even going anywhere. The reason Grammy came along (ok, well one of the reasons) was that my sis in law's car is kaput. Dead. Wouldn't even start. So, they had to take Grammy's van. I told her that I totally could have driven up if she would have called me and told me her car was dead. Oh well. I think she was determined to come get me! But, we all made it in one piece and that's the important part. Now, I get to hang out with her and my niece until we head back to GA on Thursday. =)

It's so weird not to be able to talk to Joe at all! Sunday night I could barely even sleep, knowing he wasn't going to be there all week. Which is weird, because it's not like he would have been there with me anyway! Sometimes, I really don't understand. You know, I went through all of this while Joe was in basic so you'd think I'd be sorta used to it. Nope! I don't think it gets easier...just that you get used to it. That doesn't mean I have to like it though! 'Cause I definitely do NOT! I just can't wait for Friday to be here. I'm sure the next few days will go quickly because I'm keeping myself busy. =) That's always a good thing!

*Don't forget, only 6 more posts until time for Q&A!!! Be thinking of [and emailing me] your questions!*

Moovin' Monday!

I, along with Casey at The Ever-Changing Life of a Military Wife, am participating in Moovin' March. What does this mean?

1. No fast food
2. 3 workouts a week
3. Join up!

So, how did I do last week? Pretty well actually. I was a little proud of myself. I only resorted to non-homemade food one time last week. This is because my hubby desperately needed some pizza. Ok, ok...I wanted it too. Other than that, the week was pretty good! I did four workouts - yay me! I usually end up only doing 3, but I'm trying to be better. I did Fat-Burning Pilates Monday and Wednesday. I ran for 30 minutes on the elliptical on Tuesday, and did "slow" Crunch Pick Your Spot Pilates on Thursday. So, I only ran once...but it's really hard for me to want to leave the house when it's raining. I have serious issues with the rain. =)

This week is probably not going to be good. I have a feeling I'm not going to be working out much this week while I'm gone. I'm taking 2 sets of workout clothes with me, along with my trusty tennis shoes. Maybe we'll at least take a walk or something. It's supposed to be pretty nice this week. I'm taking my laptop with me, so until Thursday, I will be broadcasting to you posting from there. =) I can't wait for them to get here! Anna and my little niece should be here in an hour or so! =D

 Happy Monday! Hope y'all have a great week!

100th Post, Here I come!

I just realized that I'm coming up on my 100th post! =D I think that calls for a celebration, don't you? So, in order to celebrate this joyous occasion I'm thinking of doing a Q & A post/session. We are currently on post number 92, so that leaves 8 more posts. In the meantime, feel free to email me questions you want answers to about me, my hubby, our psycho dog, Army life, etc. I will attempt to answer all of them (unless there are 5 bazillion). So, gets those brains a-workin' and come up with some good questions!

 I am so ready for tomorrow to get here. I dropped Joe off at the base this morning for his "camp out" (as his mom said) for the week. No phone, no email, no nothing until Friday. *insert my pouting face here*But, tomorrow my wonderful, fabulous, awesome sister in law is coming to rescue me! I'm so excited. Oh, and this little girl is going to need me to babysit her for a couple hours while I'm there. =)

Wouldn't you want to babysit this cuteness?! =D

So, for today and the small part of tomorrow that I will be alone in this apartment, I am getting caught up on laundry and finishing some cleaning. Have I mentioned to you that I hate doing laundry? Actually, I don't mind it so much...if the washer/dryer is in my house/apt! I'm not liking this hauling laundry down to the laundry facility and waiting for other people to move their clothes so I can wash my own. *sigh* One day, one day I will have a washer/dryer and never, ever have to worry about this again!

I feel like I might possibly be the only one who cleans like a mad woman when my in-laws come to town. Am I alone? Do you do these things too? For some reason, I feel like they'll all think that I'm some terrible wife if my home isn't immaculately clean and smelling like a bunch of roses. Well, I'm off to switch out laundry...and finish my marathon of Grey's Anatomy. =) Hehehe.

Hope your week got off to a good start {with the exception of daylight savings time...which I completely forgot about}! Don't forget to start emailing me with questions - look to the left under my pic, copy and paste my address and send away!

Sad

Is what I am right now. I think I let go of my denial and came back to reality. The reality that we missed the ginormous window for Jasper to not be quarantined. =( Now, I am sad.

My precious baby puppy will either have to be stuck by himself in a lonely kennel like the one we rescued him from over a year ago quarantined for up to 120 days or we're going to have to find someone who will keep him until he is allowed to come to Hawaii...and have him fly to Hawaii all by himself!!! I am not liking having to make this decision. I was hoping there would be a way around it, but I haven't found one yet. Not to mention that I feel absolutely horrible for not having taken care of this earlier. With my luck, though, if I had started this process back in January like I should have, his orders would have been changed and I would have done all this junk for nothing. *sigh* What's a girl to do? Oh, did I mention that all this comes out of our pocket? I have to take him to the vet, he has to get another rabies shot, and he has to have blood work done. Thank goodness he already has a microchip. That would be more trauma for him. Oh, and if we were to allow him to be quarantined for 120 days, the price tag is $1,080+. Goodbye, paycheck, it was nice to have met you.

 My precious puppy the night we brought him home. =)

Such a big boy now! I don't wanna leave him!

I'm freaking out and kicking myself for not doing this sooner. I wish I could blame Joe for telling me not to because his orders could be changed, but I can't. This one's totally on me. I don't want to have him quarantined, and I don't want him to have to fly over the Pacific all by himself. So what the heck am I supposed to do?! Any advice?

Rescue Me!

My wonderful, sweet sister [in-law], Anna, is coming to get me Monday! =D She'd seen my posts about Joe going into the middle of nowhere field on post for his end-of-course junk. He's going to be gone for 5 ish days, with no phone or email. =( I know it's only 5 days, and the future holds the potential for him to be gone for 365 days but no phone or email kills. I've really been dreading it. Now, if I'd been working it probably wouldn't have been that big of a deal. But, I'm not so it is. =)

This morning, Anna facebook chatted me and offered to come pick me up Monday and take me to NC! I'd actually been considering going, but thought it would be a little...much. Plus, she's coming down here Thursday anyway for Joe's induction ceremony. So, that would have meant that both of us would be driving on Thursday. No bueno. My in-laws are coming in on Friday. So, Sarah did some serious house cleaning today while talking to Melissa on Skype. =) Hehehe. Now all that's left to do is laundry. Oh, and make cookies.

**Random**

I think the "powers that be" have found out we weren't paying for basic cable. When we got here, I plugged in the good 'ole coax cable and viola! We had like 6 channels. Yesterday morning when I turned on the TV...I got nothing but static and blue screens. =( I thought maybe it was just a fluke, but no. Still no TV today. I remember the cable guy (who came to put in our internet modem) saying that we'd need a box soon. Guess he was right. Sarah may be going to the store next week and buying one of those durn converter boxes I swore I wouldn't buy. *sigh* I suppose the bonus is that it can go to Hawaii with us. Which, by the way, I'm totally freaking out about. I think I may have missed the window for Jasper to NOT be quarantined. =( I'm praying that maybe he'll be too young to have another rabies shot and that everything will be ok and he won't have to be quarantined. I don't know what I'll do with myself if he does have to be. My poor baby!!!! Anyone have suggestions?!

Just because I feel like it, here's a gorgeous picture of my niece and her mommy. =)

{Just so I'm giving credit where credit is due, this was taken by Alexa @ Alexa's Photography.}

Well, I'm off to pick up the hubby! Hope y'all have a great weekend!

And The Award Goes To...

That's right! You guessed it! It goes to moi! =D Ok, so I get a little ecstatic  happy when it comes to getting awards.

 A big, huge thanks to Krista from Army Wife Style for this award! =)

Rules for this award:
1. Thank the person who awarded this award to you. {check!}
2. Name 10 things that make you happy.
3. Pass the award to 10 other bloggers and contact them.


"These are a few of my favorite things":
1. My hubby =) {I'm feeling very sappy these days...don't judge me!}
2. My puppy...even though he does drive me nuts occasionally.
3. Chocolate
4. Ellen {the show}
5. Sappy love stories Good books
6. Pictures of my oh-so adorable niece
7. Time with the fam
8. Making cookies =) and then devouring them later
9. Skype-ing with Melissa
10. A clean house that I didn't have to clean

Now, to share the love...
1. Melissa @ Crafty Things & Stuff
2. Mrs. G.I. Joe @ ACU's, Stiletto Shoes, and Pretty Pink Tutus
3. Brittany @ Day in the Life of His Military Wife
4. Casey @ The Ever-Changing Life of a Military Wife
5. Amber @ The Survival Guide for the Young, Fabulous, and Newlywed

*sigh* I can never get past 5 or 6. I'm sorry, it's just really hard to choose and these are some of my favorite {some are new favorites} blogs to read. Maybe everyone else will do a better job of sharing with 10 people!


Happy Grey's Anatomy Day Thursday! The weekend [and payday] is almost here!

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

"Heaven will be no heaven if I do not meet my wife there."

~Andrew Jackson 

So, these words my not be all that wise or profound. However, I completely agree with him. Heaven will be no heaven if my husband isn't there. As a Christian, I've often pondered what heaven will be like. I know that it can't be anything like I have imagined it to be because God does things we can't begin to imagine. I know that the Bible says we're not married in heaven. {I haven't researched it thoroughly so I can't tell you where in the Bible exactly. Peter asks of a widow of 5 men, "In heaven, whose wife will she be?" Jesus answers that she is none of their wives.} I really hope that we kind of are. I hope that God will allow me to live with my best friend. I can't imagine what it would be like without him. I know that heaven is going to be amazing, so who am I to share the awesomeness of it with if not Joe? 

Things to think about...

Happy Hump Day!

Throwing in the Towel?

I seriously considered this as I was running my behind off on the elliptical this morning. I don't like feeling like my heart is going to beat out of my chest or the burn in my lungs. But, dang it, I like the results I get when I do run! I think the combination of running and doing Pilates has been great the last two-ish months. Because here are the results, ladies (and gents???):

This was me in July '09 - my birthday party. 

*sigh* I was not the hottest ever...

So, today while I was running and thinking of getting my butt of that elliptical and giving up...this is what I saw.

 I have my cute toosh back! =D It disappeared in those size 12 pants...and now, it has returned! {And no, I did not stop running to take this pic.}

Look at that! Ok, so I'm a little vain. But, I'm proud.

See? Those size 12's are baggy! =D

So, I don't think I'll be throwing in the towel...no matter how much I want to quit. I miss my size 2 body. But, I've decided that it's probably not going to come back and I'm ok with that. I'll 'settle' for a 6. =) Oh, and for the record, the "before" picture was one of very few. I never noticed that I hid from the camera because I was ashamed of my size. No more! =)

Before I wrap up this little post solely focused on me and my fat loss, I have news of a giveaway! If you are anything like me, I'm always entering giveaways praying that I'll win something. =) I rarely do, but it's fun anyway! I found a little giveaway at the Lady Bloggers Society. This is for all ladies who want to meet other ladies...and for giveaways...and meet & greets..that sorta thing. I'm seriously excited about joining! I think y'all should head on over there and sign up to win a fabulous bag {come on, who doesn't want a new bag?!} and a few other awesome things! And when they ask who sent you, tell them Sarah at GI Joe's Wife! Please, and thank you!

Hope you had a fantastic Tuesday and hopefully your Wednesday will be just as nice!