Falling Apart

Here's what I'd like to know:

When did my body start to think it was okay to start falling apart?


Seriously, people. I am twenty. four. years old. I should not be having these problems!!! I made peace with my blindness a looooong time ago. I can handle having crappy vision and wearing glasses/contacts unless I'm unconscious. What I can't handle is the rest of my body going south.

You may remember a while back when I said that I went to the doctor for my knee. It's not like I was an athlete "way back when." I never ran on the pavement, never played basketball or softball. The only thing I ever did was marching band. That my friends is NOT an athletic event. It's hard work, no doubt about it, but I've never seen anyone tear their ACL or get a hamstring injury while marching. I have a knee problem that causes my kneecap to be out of place and rub the bone beneath it. Beyond that, I have early arthritis in both knees. My 80 year old Nana has better knees than I do! Totally not fair, Nana. =P

Now, if that weren't bad enough, my shoulder has decided to act up. *sigh* I think it's just the way I've been sleeping, but still. A 24 year old should not say the following after stretching his/her arm to make it feel better: "I guess I really need to stop sleeping on that side for a while. It's killing my shoulder." Oh, and I think I forgot to mention all the popping. Y'all, I don't think there is a single joint in my entire body that doesn't pop. Not even kidding you. My husband will attest to this. Bend down to pick something up: BOTH knees pop. This has been going on since middle school. It was cool back then - why, I'm not sure. Reach to grab something: elbow pops. Pick one - left or right - your choice. Shrug my shoulders to release some tension in the neck: shoulder pops. Lean my head to far to the left/right: neck pops. I could go on here, but I'll just stop.

Allow me to revise a popular line from the movie Lethal Weapon:

I'm too YOUNG for this $&*%!!!

Ah, I feel better now. =) Thanks for letting me vent. 

***

In other news, I had a great evening! Miranda, her hubby, and cute little boy came over for dinner tonight. Well, that wasn't the entire agenda... Her husband mentioned maybe cutting the forest grass in my teeny backyard for me last week. I later told Miranda that if he'd take care of it for me, I'd fix dinner for them. Pretty fair trade, don't you think? So, they came over and Shelby (her hubby) mowed my grass! Sooo glad to NOT see tall weeds in my yard again. Miranda's little cutie got really attached to my sweet Jasper. After they worked out their issues - mainly that Tristan is a toddler and doesn't understand that dogs don't like their tails to be yanked on - they got along great! 

I'm pretty sure that dinner was a hit too. =) On the menu, we had: Baked Ziti, Caesar Salad, Garlic Bread and Pineapple Cake (<--made by Miranda). I stole the ziti recipe from a family friend and have already thanked her for sharing the amazingness with me. I think I'm going to have to share it with you too, eventually. And the pineapple cake? Oh. My. Goodness! It was amazing! I have to admit, before moving here I was NOT the biggest fan of pineapple. But, one trip to the Dole Plantation fixed that one right up! Joe was a little shocked when I told him how much I enjoyed it. =) He said that he knew - he knew! - that I would come to like pineapple one day, but he was sad he missed it. I told him I'd re-experience it just for him. Haha! 

All in all, I had a good night. I did realize a while ago that I forgot tonight was the "sign up event" for the spouses' club on post. I completely forgot. =( I really wanted to go and see what it was all about. I still feel like I need to connect somewhere here. I'm just not sure where that somewhere is. PWOC (Protestant Women of the Church), Spouses Club, Small Group (one connected to our church), Women's Ministry at church... Maybe I just have too many options? I don't know. I guess I just have to remember to "be still" (Ps. 46:10) and wait for a while. God has such a sense of humor. I'm not really the patient type and He is forever trying to teach me some. I'm still amazed that He wants to teach me sometimes. After all of the hard-headed, stupid, ridiculous things I've done... He still cares. Awesome, I tell you - just awesome. 

***

Well, I wasn't planning on rambling on about nothing for so long. =P Be sure to head over to Miranda's blog for the recipe for that yummy cake! You'll love it! 

Hope everyone is rid of their "case of the Mondays"! 

GTKY Sunday and Random Thoughts

I've noticed that I now have 200 followers!!! Woopee!!! =D For all of you newcomers, thanks for hanging out with me and feel free to check out that "about" button up ^ there. =) Do you think we should celebrate this momentous occasion? Hmmm. I can't decide.

***

This week, I've decided to participate in Get to Know You Sunday again. I've been slacking for quite a while, so I decided today is the day to step back up!!! Head over to MannLand5 to link up!

The Q's:

1. If you accidently knick a car in a parking lot..Do you leave a note or do you get the heck out of there? 

Get the heck outta Dodge!

2. Love your body or plastic surgery?

Hmmmm. I usually say "no" to plastic surgery. But, I'd love a little tummy tuck or something right about now... Or maybe just some lipo. 

3. What about your favorite blog(s) continues to drive you back?

I think it's the people, their stories and their writing styles. Honestly, there are blogs I can't follow - literally can't - because of the way they write. I hate it, but it's true. I'm a stickler for correct spelling (though there are some things that can be excused) and GRAMMAR. I know I'm not always correct when it comes to these things, but if I can read it without stumbling all over myself, you're safe. =)

4. What percent of your blog is BS just to make your life seem more interesting than it really is?

0%. Outside of the Army, my life is completely boring and I'm honest about that. =) Still have no idea why 200 people would continually read about my boring life. =P

5. If you had to give up one type of meat for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Fish. Definitely fish.

6. How often to you eat out?

Hmmm. Maybe 2-3. It depends. Usually I forego the fast food because I don't want to drive through town or beat the crowds. Laziness at its best, folks.

7. Skinny jeans or boot cut jeans?

Ugh, boot cut! There are only certain people with certain body types that can really pull off the skinny jean. I will never be caught dead in skinny jeans.

8. If you caught your spouse cheating would you forgive, divorce, or plan your kill

Haha. If you'd asked me this a few years ago, I would have said "plan the kill." Now that I'm a little older and wiser (ha), I would say "forgive," unless it happened multiple times. God is the God of forgiveness; I should be forgiving too. 

***

Thanks for all of your comments on yesterday's post!!! Definitely a touch subject for all of us, I think. For all of your inquiring minds, I did talk to Joe about it yesterday. We've come to a decision that I'm happy about, but I think I'll keep that one free from blog-land for a while. =) Your comments [and advice] were very much appreciated. It's nice to know I'm not alone in situations like that. It's hard to know what to do, but it's nice when you know other people who have gone/are going through the same thing. So, thank you!!!

***

While we're sort of on the hubby topic, I wanna share this little gem with you. Joe got on FB chat earlier, and this is how we started off our little chat session. =)

FB chat brings out the best in us, don't you think? ;-)

***

I got a call from my "boss" today - the owner of the tutoring place I will be working for. Apparently, the student he had in mind for me to tutor is getting help from her school. I think they're evaluating her/him (I can't remember now. *sigh*) for an IEP and other things, so I suppose that's really for the best. I'm a little bummed, no doubt about it, but I guess it's not such a bad thing. It means that - for now - I can keep things up at the museum and still have time to spend with friends. That's definitely a good thing. Like I said before, I'm not even 100% sure that I want a job. So, if nothing pans out in the near future it won't be a bad thing. We'll see, I guess. 

What's even more interesting is that last night as I was praying, I asked that God would show me whether he wanted me to "be still" and wait for Him or to get up and do something. This is where it gets interesting. A girl I went to high school with just recently got introduced to the Army. Her husband enlisted and went off to BCT at Ft. Knox. He's now in AIT. That's not the point, though. =P We've been talking a lot more lately, and she mentioned something on FB about a new job, etc. I commented and we talked back and forth for a minute.  Then she shared this verse with me: "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth," Psalm 46:10. Can you say, "Wow?" I was totally blown away. This girl - who 1) I barely talked to in high school and 2) had no idea I even prayed about that - thought to share this verse with me?! It could only be God! So, that was my awesome moment for the day. I love it when God blows me away like that. I shared that with her and she said it gave her chills. We serve an awesome God!!!

***

Ok, I have to share this little funny with you for today. I'm sitting here at the desk, typing away while my little Jasper is hopping up on my legs with different toys, trying to get me to play with him. This is his usual MO. I've decided that he doesn't like the computer. Anyway. I'm sitting here, ignoring his plea for playtime....when he farts. Now, his farts are more like little squeaks, but that doesn't mean they don't smell. He farted, toy-in-mouth, drops the toy, looks at his butt (trying to figure out what happened, maybe?) and then proceeds to run around the living room chasing his tail. 2 minutes later, he did it again!!!! I've been sitting here laughing my butt off for a good 5 minutes. Where is the video camera when you need it?! =P

R&R: Family or No Family?

I'm having an issue with this. Joe has 2 specific dates that he's requested for R&R. If he gets the one that we were going with in the beginning, his parents are planning on flying out here. If he gets the one that we thought he wouldn't get but now seems like a possibility, his parents might not get to come.

Here's my problem: {the complete, 100% honest truth} I don't want them to come.


Now, don't start by thinking that I hate my in-laws. I really don't. I enjoy spending time with them. I just feel like R&R should be for us. I mean, he IS my husband. And it will have been at least 6 months since I last saw him. In my mind, it makes sense for me to want to spend ALONE time with him. In their minds, I'm sure they just want to see their son. Totally and completely understandable. But, how would my MIL feel if her husband were at war for a year and got to come home for 2 weeks in between? Would she want his family coming in and hanging out for one of those weeks? Honestly, I'm tempted to ask her sometimes. But I feel like that would be completely out of line. Not to mention I'm pretty sure I'd officially become the black sheep of the family. That wouldn't be good either.

Is it completely terrible that I feel this way? I mean, he's my husband! I get to have him for 2 whole weeks out of an entire year. In our 3rd year of marriage, we will have spent a whole 33 days together. And he's going to miss at least the first month of the next year together. Isn't that enough? While he will still be here - and yes, I will be spending time with him - I just don't think it will be the same with other people around. Especially people that don't already live on the island. You know how it is when your family visits for the first time at a new place - you take them around town, show them the sights, go out to dinner, etc. And you find yourselves exhausted at the end of the day. That's not exactly how I'd like to spend R&R. But, I can't just call my MIL and say, "Hey, Joe and I decided that we don't want anyone to come visit during R&R." Or, "Hi. I hope this is ok, but I feel like having you here would interrupt our time together." I know several moms who'd be upset about that.

I don't know. I've mentioned it to Joe and he just says that he doesn't want to miss out on seeing family. I get that. But, honestly, I'd rather spend time with my husband than my family. I can sacrifice that for my husband. Isn't that the way it should be?

I feel so incredibly selfish even talking about this. I feel horrible for wanting to ask my husband and his parents to forego spending time together just so I can have him to myself. And I'm honestly hoping that the one date gets chosen over the other so I don't have to have a hard conversation with my husband.

What are your thoughts on this? Reminder: this is our first deployment, so we've never EVER experienced anything like this.

Am I being ridiculous? Should I just give in to the "family time" and sacrifice the "husband and wife" time?

*sigh* I just miss my husband.

{Photo taken while we were dating.}

Please help!!!

Adventures in Blindness

I suppose not all of you watched the video I posted of Jasper yesterday. =P If you had, I'm sure more of you would have left more comments laughed your butts off! Anyway.

For some reason, I seem to have had what I'm going to deem "bloggers block" lately. I got absolutely nothing, but I feel the need to write anyway. Hope you don't mind. =)

I had the pleasure of going to the eye doctor today. Actually, it wasn't that bad. I'm just not a fan of having my eyes poked and prodded (quite literally), but for this girl who's about as blind as a bat it's pretty necessary. Especially because before today, I hadn't been in 2 years. =/ Not a good thing. I have issues with my eyes that need to be checked up on every year. Nothing serious, but one of those it-runs-in-the-family sort of things and the other is just a my-eyes-get-worse thing. I'm severely nearsighted {but not quite as bad as my SIL!}, and I used to have to get new glasses once or twice a year. So, it was kind of a big deal that I skipped 2 years. Not much you can do when you don't have insurance or the money to pay for new lenses, though.

Anyway, my visit today was actually really good. I have...issues with eye doctors and how thorough they are. I've had my fair share of bad ones in the past. Enough that my mom took me to Arkansas Children's Hospital when I was 13. Where I grew up, there just weren't/aren't very thorough doctors. At Children's, you pretty much get the full battery of tests and GREAT doctors. I absolutely loved my doctors there, even though it was always weird sitting in a room full of toddlers... I think it was worth it for the standard of care though.

I was very impressed with my new doctor. For some reason {sarcasm}, I assumed that my eye doctor would be about the same or worse than my PCM. I expected an old, crumbly building with less-than nice staff, etc. What I got was a hole-in-the-wall office that was clean, yet small, very friendly and helpful staff and a doctor that clearly knows his stuff. I've been to eye doctors since I was 6. I know my doctors and I know what they're supposed to look at/check for. Anyway, he was very thorough and told me everything that he was checking for. He even filled me in on some things that I didn't know before. Plus, it was kind of refreshing to have the doctor talk to me instead of my mom. That may sound bad, but she was always there, holding conversations with the doctors, making sure they did what they were supposed to, etc. Which is totally not a bad thing, but when you're in college and Mom is still asking the questions.... Yeah. =) I am glad that she did those things, though. Now I know all the questions to ask and what to look for in a doctor. She taught me well!

All is clear on the eye situation. My glasses needed a definite tune-up. Apparently, they hadn't been corrected for my astigmatism(s), and that's what has been causing all the blurriness. He gave me props (not his words), for knowing that something was wrong with my prescription. I almost said, "Did you look at my file? I've been in glasses for 18 years and contacts for 13. Pretty sure I know my stuff." But, I didn't. =P I was actually pretty proud that my lenses didn't need to be stronger AND that I see 20/15 with my RGP (hard) contacts. If you didn't know, RGP contacts are the best thing since sliced bread and you see a BAZILLION times better with them. They're a little more difficult to get used to, but once you do, you'll NEVER go back! Ok, there's my PSA for the day. =)

The only bad part about going to the eye doctor is that they dilate your eyes. I have blue eyes. Blue eyes dilate fully very quickly. If you don't have eye problems, you wouldn't know that they put drops in your eyes to make your pupils freakin' huge so they can get a better look at your cornea, retina and optic nerve. This process makes everything blurry and makes the light HURT your eyes in a very serious way.  Proof: I walked outside and was almost instantly blinded, with my sunglasses on. The intense Hawaiian sun does not help that in any way, shape, form or fashion. Then, when Mrs. C dropped me off at my house (she was my ride to and from because I KNEW I wouldn't be able to drive after) I walked into my living room and was blinded. *sigh* I shut all the blinds, turned off all the lights and laid down. Later, when my bestie video-Skyped me, she couldn't even see me!!! Being blind sucks.

I still can't see very well right now. Partially because I'm wearing my glasses that haven't been fixed yet and because the dilation drops haven't worn off yet. *sigh* It's been about 8 hrs... But, that's the way it usually goes. Mrs. C informed me today (she's a fellow blindie) that they used to make reversal drops. Dude, if they marketed those suckers, they would FLY off the shelves!! At least for people like me! I'm sure I'll wake up in the morning and everything will be well again. Now I've just got to find a place where I can get my new lenses. Mom is anti-WalMart, which is kind of understandable. I thought about the lenses place in the PX, but I'm not sure about that. LensCrafters is supposedly having a 50% off sale, but I'm not sure I want to drive to Honolulu. And what if they can't have them done in a day? I really don't like putting my contacts in first thing in the morning. Aaaaand now I'm being picky. =) We can't have it all, now can we?!

Oh, one last thing. I really, really one to get one of these:

Not that one specifically, because that's a Marine. I want a Soldier. =) It's from this place called Pardee Crafts; they make all of their stuff by hand. I have a serious thing for nutcrackers. I'm pretty sure it started when my best friend from high school invited me to see her dance in the Nutcracker. I went to one performance she was in (they had several) every. single. Christmas. I was a very supportive BFF. =P I went to the Nutcracker in '08 in Winston-Salem, NC. They have a school of the arts there (please forgive me, I can't recall the exact name at the moment) and it was just...amazing! Anyway. I love all things nutcracker now. I even bought one on our honeymoon at a Christmas specialty shop at Myrtle Beach.  =D I'm dying to have one made for me of my Soldier!!! It would look perfect under our Christmas tree, don't you think?! Oh, I'm getting ahead of myself.... It's still August. And I may not even be here for Christmas..... Someone, stop me from all this future planning stuff!!!!!!

Randomness Along with Some Hilarity

But first, the randomness. =)

I was attacked by World's Largest Cockroach this morning. And by attacked I mean it was waiting for me to get up and out of my bedroom. I'm pretty sure I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and it was there, but I honestly can't remember. I barely remember going to the bathroom. I took a benadryl before I went to bed because I'm pretty sure Jasper brought some good 'ole NC pollen with him. I'm incredibly allergic to the 5 billion trees that are in NC. Anyway. Jasper wanted to eat it (of course), and I yelled at him before he could touch the nasty sucker. I ran out of the hallway and into the kitchen for my handy-dandy notebook! bug spray. I sprayed the heck out of that thing, hoping it was dead but of course I wouldn't have that kind of luck. I left it there for a while, but Jasper kept wanting to play with/eat it, so I figured it'd be a good idea to remove it. Brilliance struck, and I realized I have a vacuum cleaner. =P I would just suck the nasty thing up and not have to deal with it until I empty the filter, which doesn't happen that often. I busted out my trusty vacuum and attempted to use the attachment. The farther away I stand, the better. FAIL #1. Attachment doesn't suck very well. =( I freaked, ran to the living room and sat down. (I know, I'm a big baby.) Then, I decided I'd run the vacuum over it. FAIL #2. Apparently, my vacuum doesn't like the hardwood floors. It was worth a shot, though, right? So, on attempt #3 I decided to sweep it out the front door. I opened the door, propped open the screen door, grabbed the broom and swept it out the front door. Success!!!! =D I then proceeded to call Maintenance to have Pest Control come out. Ain't NO WAY I'm having gihugic roaches in MY house. They haven't called me back though... I'll be calling them tomorrow, rest assured.

***

My car is being funny. =( After volunteering today, I started it. Well, I attempted to. It's been doing this weird thing on and off for a while.... You know the sound your car makes when you start it? Ok, well, mine does that twice every once in a while and then it officially starts. Annoying, but eh. Well, today when that happened, it DIED. Just died. Ok.... So, I attempted to start it again. Same thing happened, but when it started to sort of sputter, I revved the engine a bit and all was well. What the heck?! I called my dad - of course - and it could be one a few things. 1) Spark plugs - pretty easy fix, 2) Starter - expensive and totally not cool, 3) Timing Belt - could be the worst of the 3. Dad said that if #3 happens, my car will NOT start and will have to be towed. =( Yikes!!! Sooooo... I have to go get it checked out. Awesome. {And I completely forgot to fill Joe in on this when I talked to him tonight. *sigh*}

***

Yesterday, JG passed this little lovely along to me. =)

Haha =) Isn't it cute?! I love it! Thanks, JG!!!!!

So, the rules are...

A) Thank the person who sent it to you (Check)

B) List 3 things your readers might not know about you

C) Pass it along to 3 other sassy bloggers!

1. I am dying to go to London. Thanks to one of my FB friends who posted pictures, the "itch" has returned with a vengeance.

2. 'NSYNC was my favorite boy band back in the day. =)

3. I sleep with a mask on, not because I need it but because I freak myself out with all the shadows and the lights in the house. Oh, the paranoia of a lonely Milie. =P

So, the lucky sassy bloggers are...

1. Mrs. P @ A Little Pink in a World of Camo

2. A Marines' Wife @ Flip Flops and Combat Boots

3. Amber @ The Survival Guide for the Young, Fabulous and Newlywed

***

And now, for the hilarity. =)

Since I decided that Jasper brought NC pollen with him to Hawaii, I gave him a bath tonight. I always ask him, "Do you wanna take a bath?" To which he usually gets really, really excited. So, I went to the bathroom and started getting things ready: towel, doggie shampoo, cup and ran the water til it got warm. The tub started filling up and Jasper was still excited. 

See? Excited. He kept jumping up on me. =)

This was taken moments before I picked him up and he attempted to hang on to the bath rug for dear life. I guess he finally remembered what the bath was. =)

So, the bath went well...as far as dog baths go. He attempted to jump out of the tub twice. I told him he could get out of the tub before I realized he was still sorta soapy. Of course, when he finally did get out of the tub, he shook off twice. *sigh* At least the towel was covering most of him. =) Ooooh and when I broke out the hair dryer (I don't like him sitting on the couch all wet), you would have thought I was torturing him! I don't know what his issue is with the hair dryer... Anyway. I finally set him free and caught the hilarious aftermath on video. Seriously, you have to watch this!!!! I know it's sort of long, but I don't think you'll regret it! And please forgive the shaking of the camera. I was trying not to laugh hysterically. =)

Enjoy!!!

Hope you had a good Hump-Day! =)

All Dogs Go To...

Hawaii!

Well, maybe not all dogs but my dog is most definitely in Hawaii today!!! =D The first thing I did this morning was check his flight status and call the airport quarantine facility. When I checked his flight, a map popped up. He was here:

How awesome is that?! Thank you, Delta Airlines!

My BIL dropped Jasper off at the airport last night at 11:30 (my time, 5:30 a.m. NC time). My poor puppy had already had a 2 hour layover, switched planes and was halfway to me by the time I got up. *pouts* I felt like a bad doggie mommy for have slept through so much. I took some melatonin before I went to bed so I would actually sleep, though. I knew that if I didn't I'd be up all night. 

This morning, I basically got things ready for him to get here. I cleaned up the floors, filled his water bowl, cleaned out the car (Lord knows it needed it anyway), and stopped to get him some toys. =) I left here around 1:45. His flight was due in at 2:30 and the lady I spoke to at the airport said to wait 30-60 minutes before arriving. Since I'd been tracking his flight all day, I knew that it was early. Good thing I left as early as I did. His flight landed about 2 minutes after I left. =P 

On my way to get Jasper! {No, I was not driving. I would never do that...}

Getting to the stinkin' place was probably more difficult than it should have been. Especially when I had a map of where the place was located at the airport. In case you didn't know, HNL is stinkin' HUGE! Anyway. Attempt #1, I passed the place and had to make a U-turn. No biggie. Attempt #2, I didn't really want to park on the side of the road... I saw another entrance that might have had parking. Get to the "gate"... Uh, oops. There are a bunch of planes back there and you have to have ID to get back there. Woops. Rude Chick tells me I have to "reverse" out of there. Yeah, she said "reverse." Hawaii is so freakin' weird. A lot of people refer to "trash" as "rubbish." I don't get that either. Anyway...totally off topic.

I finally got there and just parked on the side of the road. I put enough quarters in the meter to give me an hour. Just in case. I walked into the room...which was about the size of my laundry room. Maybe a little bit bigger.

This is from where I was sitting. Probably about 10 more square feet to the right of this picture.

I signed in, gave the lady the necessary paperwork, filled out more paperwork and finally she said they'd bring him out in a minute. Sure that it was going to take more than just a minute, I sat down next to another military couple (Mr. Soldier was in ACUs - just so you know I wasn't making it up ;-)). There was another guy in there, just to the left of the picture. He was pacing... I think he might have been more nervous/excited than I was! Just as I was planning to upload that photo from my phone to Facebook, the lady came out with Jasper! =D I sort of felt bad for the other people, but I was too excited to feel really bad for them. Lol!

She had him on a roll cart and rolled him out to the car for me. Good thing, too. He's not heavy, but when you add the weight of the crate it's a little much for me. When I grabbed his crate, I leaned down and said, "Hey, buddy!!!" Oh. My. Word. This guy went nuts!! It was like he really realized that it was me and totally went crazy! I set him in the car and I could hear his tail hitting both sides of the crate. =)

I promise he was excited. This picture really doesn't show it. 

Unfortunately, it took me a bazillion years to get home. There was only a little traffic on the H1 - surprisingly - but the real traffic hit like 5 miles from home. I don't know what was going on, but they had an entire road blocked off. I had gone the back way home because I didn't want to drive straight through the little town that I live closest to. So much for my plan! But, we finally got home. =) I let Jasper out to go the bathroom right away. No way I was gonna let him pee all over the house! After he peed a river, I bent down to play with him a little bit. My entire face got licked. =) I don't think he was happy to see me or anything. 

I let him inside to sniff around a little bit and get his bearings straight. I gave him a treat and showed him his new toys. I think he was more interested in the bone that my SIl, Sarabeth, gave him though. As soon as I opened his crate to take off the travel bowls and to clean it out (yuck), he grabbed that bone and ran!

Just so you know how much he likes it, only the bottom knot is left. He's been home since about 1600 and it's now 2100. 

It's nice to have my puppy back. =) I think I forgot how entertaining he is. I'm not sure if he was attempting to hide his bone or what, but I caught him "digging" on the couch... He was pretty serious about it too. I was cracking up and he just kept on going until I said his name and asked him what in the world he was doing [as if he could answer]. =P After the sun went down, I was messing around on the computer at the desk and got up to find a hair tie. Well, apparently Jasper wanted to go too. But, he saw his reflection in the patio door...and proceeded to growl at it. LOL!!!! That one was really great. I actually got him staring at his reflection a few minutes ago. Silly puppy. Here are a few more pictures:

Not the best pic, but I kinda like it.

Sniffing around the house.

Playing with a new toy. He's been seriously hyper tonight! 

Either he really missed me, or he got a lot of sleep on the plane.

"Hi, Mom!"

My cuddly, clingy puppy is back! =D

Sleepy puppy. Finally worn out. =)

I know you can't tell, but I'm seriously excited about Jasper finally being here. I still can't believe it was such a looooong process though. Honestly, I think it's a little bit ridiculous all the crap we had to go through just to get him here. And Jasper was the one who had to have all the shots, blood work and tests done! I'm sure he'd complain if he could. I mean, I understand that it's an island and that if there were a rabies outbreak it would probably be bad. But, isn't the rabies vaccination enough?! I mean, just to have a recent one (like 90 days recent) would seem logical to me. But, 2 rabies vaccinations, original certificates, OIE-FAVN test, heartworm tests, yearly shots, health certificates, AND 120 days of quarantine?! Really?! I'm glad that they don't require you to do the quarantine on the island, though. That would have been over $1000. I was NOT ready to pay that. I think we shelled out enough money as it is. 

I would really love to take Jasper to the beach this weekend and take some pictures. Not all of the beaches around here are very pet-friendly so... I don't know. I guess we'll see. I'd love to see what he thinks of it. =) 

Hope everyone had a good Monday!

Why I'm Losing My Mind

Oh, there are so many reasons. One being deployment. I'm pretty sure that's a given by now. I really hate my deployment brain. Although, my MIL had a pretty good comment on me and my brain... I live in Hawaii, which is usually a vacay spot. Not exactly somewhere you live. So, even though I've moved in, found a church, made friends, and sent my hubby off to war away, my brain doesn't think I live here yet. I shouldn't be making schedules, keeping them, and making plans. I should be hitting the beach, soaking in the sun, reading, playing and relaxing. Maybe that's a better explanation than "deployment brain." Maybe.

The last 3 days have consisted of me driving back and forth to Honolulu. In case you didn't know this, I do not live anywhere near Honolulu. {Ok, in the grand scheme of things I really do. It's on the same island... Oh, if you only knew though...} On a good day, it takes me about 45 minutes to get there. On a really good day. On a normal day....let's call it an hour. So, why did I torture myself go to Honolulu? My beloved MacBook decided to act up. I did what any Mac owner near an Apple Store would do. I took it to the Genuises. They know what's best. They're like computer doctors. I dropped my beloved connection to my husband and the world computer off, praying it would be done that night because I wanted to Skype with Joe. No luck. The diagnosis was that there was nothing wrong with the hard drive {thank you, Lord!} and they decided to just reload the OS. In essence, wiping the computer clean. Apparently, this takes 24 hours. Whatever. After my interview Saturday morning {more on that in a minute}, I drove to Honolulu again to pick up my computer. Then, I drove to Miranda's house to hang out for a while.

Everything seemed all fine and dandy until I tried to restore the backup of my computer on my external hard drive to my computer. *sigh* It wouldn't work. So, I decided that I didn't really need ALL of the files on the external hard drive on my laptop. I picked the "vital" ones and copied those. 20 minutes later, it was done. Wooo! Wait. Where are all my files? Miranda and I both searched my computer for the files. Nowhere to be found. Not wanting to drive back to the Apple Store {which is insanely crowded on a daily basis thanks to tourists...ugh}, I called Apple. Sorry, we can't help you unless you pay $50 for 30 day help over the phone. Or you can make an appointment at a local Apple Store. Gee, thanks for NOTHING! So, I went back. They had no idea what to do except to wipe it clean AGAIN and this time reload the computer with the backup on my external hard drive. {Confused yet?}

Even though I begged them to finish it that night, they didn't. I ended up staying at Miranda's and borrowing her computer to Skype with my husband. Thanks again, Miranda!!! After church this morning, I went back. By this point, I was beyond frustrated. I was tired, hungry and I did NOT want to deal with the traffic that comes with driving to downtown Honolulu. I got to the parking lot of the mall and received a phone call that my computer was done. Yay. I went in, spoke to someone and was told they'd be out with my computer in a minute. Then, this huge Hawaiian and by huge I mean super tall and stocky guy came out with a computer. Not my computer. I told him this and he said, "This isn't your computer?" Uh, didn't I just say that? No, that's not my computer. "Is this your name? *holds out paperwork*" Yes.


The man disappeared. Then, he came back and told me it would be ten more minutes. I swear to you, if I hadn't been around a gazillion people, I would have yelled and then cried. After 3 other employees asking me if I needed help and 1 really sweet girl telling me to be patient with them, dude brought my computer AND my external hard drive out. Whew. I turned it on and it was magic. All my stuff was there!!!!!! =D I wanted to run out of there yelling, " FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDOOOOOOOOM!!!" But, I celebrated silently as I ran out of there. I think the problem with the whole thing was that I took it to the Apple Store in the mall instead of the Apple Store that's downtown near the Royal Hawaiian. That's the one I usually go to, but you have to pay for parking there. I didn't want to pay for parking, so I went to the mall. I won't make that mistake again.

Moral of the story: Don't be cheap if you want your computer fixed correctly the first time.

I've also had some issues with getting Jasper here. Again. =( I thought we were pretty much home-free, but I guess not. I transferred moneys to my SIL, but apparently they're in limbo and she doesn't have it yet. Which translates as they may not have enough to pay for his flight and extra charges, if there are any. On top of that, the address we were given for the cargo drop-off area is either wrong or bogus. I offered to check on it, but with my computer out of commission [until 3 hours ago], it's not like I could really help. After talking to her husband, I felt a little more calm... But, I still felt like I was losing my mind. Anything else we could add to the pile?!

Now for the interview issue. =)

Thursday night, I was sitting at home relaxing and watching TV. Around 2000, I realized I'd left my phone in my purse and on vibrate. Woops. I glanced at it to see if I had any missed calls or texts, and sure enough I'd missed a call and. I received a voicemail from the owner of a local tutoring company, asking me if I was still interested in the job [which I'd applied for 4 months ago]. I called him back and we set up a time for an interview. At first, I was really excited. Then I thought about it. A job means responsibility. It means getting there on time, doing certain duties, filling out paperwork, driving to work, etc., etc. Did I really want that? Did I really want to be tied down? What about when Joe comes home on R&R? What about going to see my family? What about Jasper? I don't want to leave him home alone all day.  In the end, I realized that God had brought me this opportunity. It's not like it would hurt to do the interview.

By the time I got up on Saturday morning, I had convinced myself that I wasn't even going to be offered a job. Boy was I ever wrong. Friday night, I prayed that God would show me the way very clearly. I was confused and needed help. Before I left my car for the interview, I prayed again. I asked my bestie to pray for me. God is seriously awesome and has the best sense of humor ever. I feel pretty certain that the interview was NOT my best ever. Despite my cooky answers to questions and my inability to tutor kids in anything other than history, language arts and basic math, I was offered the job. The best part: I accepted.


I am now a tutor!!! I will be tutoring - probably only a few kids - a few days a week around where I live. The company gives tutors students based on their location. For instance, I wouldn't have to drive to Honolulu to tutor because it's too far and really unreasonable. My [now] supervisor/boss/person said that some people have 10-15 students, but I don't want to be that busy. I think I'm going to try to keep it at a reasonable level so I'm not stressing myself out. Plus, I would really like to keep volunteering at the museum. They need all the help they can get, and I don't want to leave them empty-handed. He seemed to be very understanding about Joe being in the Army, the R&R situation and traveling. Honestly, I think he realized I wouldn't take the position if he wasn't flexible. =) It seemed that way to me, anyway.

It may seem weird, but now I'm thinking of all the school-related supplies I need/want to buy! =D I love, love, love buying school supplies!!! I honestly think that was one of the many reasons I wanted to be a teacher. Lol! I'm thinking I will definitely need a planner, pencils, pens, paper, a binder?,  folders?, sticky notes.... Anything I'm forgetting? Help, please! Oh, and business cards. Since I go to students' homes, I'm required to swap info with the parents. The easiest way to do this is to get business cards. I'm having a hard time finding good ones because I don't want to put all of my info on there. I mean, do I really want them knowing where I live? Eh, not really. But the cards look funny without the address! So, I need your help!

My favorite business card WITH all of my info:

{Oops. I think I cut the bottom off when I did the screen shot.}

Same card WITHOUT all of my info:

See what I mean? It looks weird.

P.S. These came from VistaPrint.com

What do you think? Should I put my whole address or should I just put the city that I live in? Would that solve the "awkward space" problem? {And obviously, I'll be using a different email address. I just don't want to put that one on my blog.} Help, please! Oh, and if you can think of any other fun school supplies I might need, let me know!

I should be back on a regular basis, now that I have my computer back. The blogging hiatus was NOT my idea! I will most likely be back tomorrow with pictures of my puppy's arrival!!!! =D

Hope y'all had a good weekend!

Nothing to Talk About

So why am I posting, right? =) I know, I know. I just feel like I need to blog. Nothing really is going on...I just feel the need to write something. Even if it's not really something of any substance. Which is apparently happening a lot lately. So few comments these days... Where are you guys? *pouts* There are 191 of you... But how many of you actually read my silly little 'ole blog?

***

First up... My bestie finds out the gender of her little baby tomorrow!!! =D She's taking a poll on her blog, to see if her readers (or, well, anyone else...;-) think it's a boy or a girl. I voted "boy" for reasons I won't post on here because I don't want to influence anyone else's vote. =) So, if you don't mind, head over to her blog and vote. She's also having a gender party tomorrow night. It's also been referred to as an "it's a..." party. Isn't that cute? They're having the U/S tech mark the gender on a card she made (posted on her blog), so even her and her hubby won't find out until the party!! Then, she's having her family vote on what they think it is before the big reveal. Isn't that just the cutest idea?! If I lived near my family, I'd probably do one of these when I get pregnant. Since Joe is in the Army and we live in the middle of an ocean in Hawaii, that's not really feasible. 

***

One of my lovely BB's, JG, is having a giveaway. Her Scentsy sponsor has asked that she have at least 30 people enter. Sadly, 30 people have not entered yet! *gasp* How can this be?! I don't know about you, but I could always use some Scentsy in my house. =) Please, please, please head over there and enter!!

***

Tonight, some of the ladies from the FRG (including *ahem* the CC's wife...) were supposed to get together and make some care packages to send to the guys. We were supposed to be at one of the wive's house at 6:30. I followed two other wives there, and we got there maybe a few minutes after 6:30. We waited. And waited. And waited. Mrs. CC never showed. *sigh* Really? Ok, I understand that she works at the Army hospital. I understand that she's busy. I understand that she had a meeting. Here are my issues... 1) She could have called an hour before and said, "I'm sorry. I got shoved into this meeting and I just really can't make it. Can we reschedule?" {Note: It wasn't my house, so she wouldn't have called me...} 2) Where I'm from, you don't tell someone you'll be there at a certain time and just not show up. And you certainly don't say, "I might be there around 8:00" and then call later to say "Nope, sorry, can't make it." 3) She's the freakin' CC's wife. Isn't there some sort of responsibility that comes with that?! Though, I'm sure she doesn't realize this... She's only been the CC's wife for...4 months. It's possible that I know more about the Army than she does. Possible. This is all conjecture, of course. Bright side of the evening: I got to hang out with some really cool ladies for a while. =)

***

I think something is wrong with my compy (aka laptop). Twice this morning, it froze and a "You need to shut down your computer" memo window popped up. Both times I was Skyping...once with my hubby. That was not cool and made me very upset. It's not like I have all day to talk to him. Grr. *angry face* My precious MacBook has been in my possession for 3 years now. I think the life of my laptop may be coming to an end. This makes me sad. My Mac has seen me through my last year of college, countless job applications and resumes, helped me enter the world of blogging and has allowed me to keep up with people - literally - around the world. Tomorrow, Mrs. C has offered to go with me to the Apple Store downtown. I don't really want to go downtown by myself. =S It scares me. Lots and lots of people... and the crime rate here is so ridiculous that I don't even want to risk it for 10 minutes. I hope the Geniuses can fix my computer without it costing me an arm and a leg. (Yeah, PC people have Geek Squad. Mac people have Geniuses. I don't know about you, but I'd pick a Genius over a Geek any day. =D) I'm half tempted to tell the hubby that it couldn't be repaired and lay down the dough for a brand spankin' new iMac. =) Hehe. Tempted. 

Well, I suppose that's all the "nothing" I've got to talk about for tonight. 

Happy Hump Day! {Hey, it's still Wednesday here! =P}

New Toy

Today, I went out and bought myself a printer/copier/scanner/fax machine. Whew. I won't be using it for fax though. Well, not right now. So far, I am loving this thing!!! Wanna see it?

It's a Canon Msomething. =) I don't care what model it is. What's important is that it works and does all the stuff that I want it to. Oh, I didn't even mention the best part! It runs on a wireless network!!! No more cords hanging off my desk and crowding me. *happy sigh* It's wonderful, really. I'm pretty proud that I set this thing up all on my own. Joe is my IT guy, so it's a big deal for me to do this stuff by myself. I've been dying for a better printer that didn't pop right out of the 90's, seriously and I really wanted a copier/scanner too. I got everything that I wanted at a decent price. =D

So, after I got it all set up I decided that I'd play with it a bit. I mean, what good is it to have a new toy if you don't do anything with it?! Right? ;-) I bet you'll never be able to guess what I did next. Hehehe. I went to the closet in the spare bedroom and pulled out the boxes of old pictures of Joe and I. Ooooh yes. And I started scanning away!! I have to share these with you!!! {Sorry, hubby. I love you!!!!}

Guess who this cutie is? That's right. It's my hubby. Isn't he cute?! =D

This picture was taken 3 DAYS after I was born. Betcha this cutie didn't know that his future wife was born halfway across the world when this was taken. =)

I stinkin' love this one!

I love this cheesy smile. I see that one on occasion too. =)

So handsome. =) {I think he was like 16-17 here.}

Now that I've completely embarrassed my husband who wasn't even here to defend himself, I suppose I could show you pictures of me. 

Me and Papa doing crossword puzzles.

I've always loved sunglasses. =)

Me and Mom at Creekmore Park. =) I love this picture.

Sittin' on the stairs listening to Papa tell a story. This was pretty much the norm when I stayed with my grandparents for the weekend. 

I have more pictures of me in high school than I do of me as a baby. This was taken at a football game my senior year. {I was drum major.}

Also taken my senior year...after OBA (Oklahoma Band Association...or something like that) Competition. We got 7th place, which is a BIG DEAL for a piddly 'ole 1A band. I got to accept the trophy and I clung to that sucker later. =D {In case you're wondering, the 100+ person bands are usually like 5A. We had about 80 people. BIG DEAL.}

Band night! Kind of like homecoming for band. Everyone knows that band nerds NEVER get voted to be in homecoming, so we had our own. =) And yes, I'm wearing the crown. That's me and my bff from high school, Anna, in the middle. 

So, I don't know about y'all, but I think our kids are gonna be freakin' cute!!!! =D 

I hope you've enjoyed my little trip down memory lane. I had a good time playing with my new toy. Now, what else can I scan...?

Me and My Emotions

I'm not good friends with them right now. They're making me all sad and grumpy. Who knew it was possible to be both of those at the same time? *sigh* I think I'm going to blame Army Wives. Yup. I got disc 1 of season 2 in the mail today, thank you Netflix!

I fixed some very, very yummy Broccoli and Cheese Soup (thank you, Campbell's soup!) and popped in that DVD. Big mistake. Disc 1 is a seriously emotional one. In case you don't remember, (SPOILER if you don't watch Army Wives) Claudia Joy's daughter dies. =( And the subsequent episodes are mostly centered around that and Roxy's husband, Trevor, who is deployed. Insert lots and lots of tears here.


I don't know why, but I'm just feeling so...overwhelmed {maybe?} right now. I don't want to be here, in Hawaii. I want to be home. Wherever the heck that is. It's sad that I don't even know the answer to that question. And we've only been a military family for a year! A year! Oklahoma/Arkansas or North Carolina? Definitely not Georgia or Hawaii. Most definitely not Hawaii. Living here is almost like living in a different country. I feel like an outsider every time I go somewhere that isn't an Army post, Airfield, etc. The beach is pretty welcoming, though. Always tourists roaming about there. I'm sure they just assume I'm a tourist too. Unless, of course, they see me pull up in my car with my "Army Wife" license plate cover and post decals.

I don't really hate it here. It's just not home. I don't think it ever will be. It's a nice place to visit, for sure. But living here? I just don't know. It's not like I thought it would be. I thought it would be like when I moved to Georgia. Same stores/restaurants, different mix of people. Oh, sure I knew that some of my favorite stores are nowhere to be found within 2000 miles [of ocean]. It's a total culture shock, living here. I didn't expect that. I mean, who would? It's freakin' part of the US, right? Suuuuuuuuuuuuure it is. The people are different, their language is different, prices on everything off post are ridiculous, and every time I walk into a building I feel like all the Hawaiians are staring at me.

I don't think everyone who is native to Hawaii hates us military folk. But, we're not exactly welcomed here either. I kid you not, I have walked into a restaurant with Joe and not only were we the only "white folk" in the room, we were also the only ones speaking English. Half the time, I can't understand people. It's not always that bad, but sometimes it really is. There are only a few names of towns on this island that I can pronounce without fearing I'm going to be laughed at: Honolulu, Pearl City...no, that's it. I feel like shouting when there's a road name I can pronounce too. I love trying to give my address over the phone. I have to spell it out every. single. time. Even when I'm calling on the island.

I feel like I live on a completely different planet!!! Part of the US? Suuure. No wonder it's considered OCONUS. Hawaii is totally OCONUS. Actually, I think it should be this: FROCONUS - Far Reaches of the Outer Continental United States. I think orders to Hawaii should be all-inclusive - classes on Hawaii's culture and language for every family member.

Ugh. Maybe I just feel this way because the Army snatched my husband from me before I fully adjusted to living here. Or maybe it's just my hormones getting back at me for going off the pill. Why, oh why did I think it was a good idea to 86 the birth control while my husband is on the other side of the planet?! *sigh* Maybe I just have a really bad case of the Mondays. {Hey, it's still Monday here for another hour!}

The upsides to living here: the beach and new friends. That's all I've got for now.

I had a good weekend... On Saturday I met up with Miranda, her hubby and cute little monkey for lunch and a trip to the beach. For some reason, I didn't quite think through the "trip to the beach" part and wore a super cute outfit...to sit in the sun and bake in. Way to go, Sarah! There's that deployment brain again! Despite my deployment brain issue, I had a really good time. =)

Sunday, Miranda and her fam joined me at church! It was a little different than what they're used to, but I'm hoping they come back!! It's always nice to have another friendly face around. =) Afterward, they went home and I went over to Mrs. C's house for some super-yummy food and hilarious games. I didn't get back home until around 1900! Considering I left my house at 1030, that's a pretty big deal. Nothing like good friends and good food. =)

I suppose I should stop being a Negative Nancy. I did get some good news today: Jasper is OFFICIALLY ready to come to Hawaii!!!!! =D He had his last vet's appointment today (shout out to my wonderful, amazing SIL for dealing with all that) and everything is lookin' good! One week from today, Jasper will be here with me, keeping me busy! I sooo can't wait! My cuddly puppy will be back! =D Let's just pray he makes it through his plane ride without being completely traumatized. He is crate-trained, so it shouldn't be a big deal. He gets motion sick {I somehow feel like he inherited that from me, but that's just not possible...}, so I'm kind of worried about that. And he'll be stuck in that crate from about 0500 to about 2030 (eastern time...Hawaii time would be...2300 to 1430). That's a long time. =( But, as long as he makes it here in one piece I suppose I can deal with the rest. Lord, help me! ;-)

Before I end this incredibly random, venting, emotional post go, I have to remind you that JG is having a Scentsy giveaway! Her ONE requirement is that she have 30 people enter the giveaway. I have no idea how this happened, but she STILL doesn't have 30 people entered!!! So, please, please, please get yourselves over to her blog and enter!! And while you're there, tell her that I sent you. Please and Thank You!!! =D

Guest Post!

Hey y'all!! I am totally excited to be guest blogging today for Mrs. S at The Adventures of Mr. Superman and Mrs. S. =) She is one of my absolute favorite people, and bloggers! We even share the same name - my middle name, her first name. Yep, we're cool like that. Haha! So, please head on over to her blog and check out my post on the deployment clock. =) While you're there, give her a little bit of lovin'. Her hubby is deploying soon.

Short note: If your hubby is deployed you can get a Down Home Delicious cookbook for free! All you have to do is go here. Don't worry, if your hubby is at home you can still order one at a pretty decent price.

Happy Monday!

Falling Stars

You know that song, "Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, never let it fade away..." Well, I was laying in bed last night just thinking...trying to go to sleep after a late night Skype date with my hubby. I thought about all of those moments. You know the kind. The ones that you want to remember forever. The ones you want to catch and put in your pocket. =)

So, here are a few of the falling stars I want to keep and remember forever.

{one} The day - well, night - Joe asked me out. =) That was a good one. We'd been either practicing for or attending the BCM service that night. After, a bunch of us went to Garfield's for dinner where Joe sat across from me and flirted with me the entire time. =) We went back to the BCM for some more hang-out time, where Joe "taught" me to play chess. To be honest, I was paying more attention to him than I was the actual game. But I thought it was cute (and so was he) so I played along. Good thing, too. He asked to walk me to my car - for my safety, I'm sure - and minutes later said, "So, hypothetically, if I were to ask you out...what would you say?"

{two} Our first kiss. 2(ish) weeks after our first date (another great memory there). We were at my house....he was getting ready to go home and he asked me if it would be ok if he kissed me. Such a gentleman. And that kiss... Wow.

{three} The night Joe proposed. =) Watching him silently freak out before he asked me... Watching him get down on one knee in the middle of Olive Garden and asking me to be his wife... *bliss*

{four} Our wedding day. Well, this one is pretty normal to want to remember forever. I just remember everything feeling so incredibly right that day. Even when my heart about jumped out of my chest as I was walking down the aisle. And I will never forget that kiss... =)

{five} The road trip that made up the first two days of our honeymoon. Well, I guess the honeymoon in general. But, the road trip was so much fun! It was the first time it was "just us" for more than a few hours at a time. I thought for sure the road trip would be horrible, but we found plenty of ways to entertain each other... Old school music on the iPod, laughing at road signs that we made sound more funny than they actually were, sharing crazy stories...

{six} Seeing him for the first time on Family Day before his BCT graduation. I almost didn't recognize that bald head of his! It was the first time in two months we'd spent any time together. I was actually nervous about seeing him! All of it went away the moment he was released for the day and I held him again. On graduation day, I was never more proud of that sweet husband of mine. That is definitely something I'll never forget. {Even though the CPT and other speakers thanked all the parents. *sigh*}

{seven} Our short weekend trip to Charleston, SC before we came to Hawaii. It was a great weekend! Even better than our 1st anniversary trip to the beach, I think. It was the first real chance we'd had to relax in almost a year. We were together...we could plan fun things to do... And we ended up spending a lot of time walking downtown. Thank the Lord he doesn't mind my need to experience all things history. I probably would have bored him to tears. =) We saw Rainbow Row, Ft. Sumter, went to the aquarium, ate at some cute little places downtown; walked, talked and really enjoyed each other.

{eight} The night before he deployed. It was kind of a rough night since the power had been out for a while and I was freaking out about it. But, we lit a TON of candles, cuddled on the couch, watched a movie on the laptop, and just relaxed. Granted, it was hard to do with our first deployment looming over our heads but it was a good night. =)

There are many more moments I'd like to keep, but these are the few I'll share here. ;-) I'm sure there are many more of these moments to come. I can't wait to experience them!

What are some of your falling stars?