Ugh.

I'm sure you're getting tired of me saying this, but I hate when the weekend is over. Then again, I'm sure most people do. =) We're in the process of getting Joe's off-post packet approved, but hit a pretty big snaffoo. His driver's license expired....last month. Way to go, hubby! I don't blame him though, it's not like he drives all the time or uses it as his main ID anymore. *sigh* So since NC doesn't renew licenses online, we're [probably] going to have to make a trip to NC just to go to the stinkin' DMV. Gr! I'm going to call tomorrow just to make sure that there isn't some form or something we can fill out to get around that since he's military. Honestly, I don't even know that they'll let him have a day off so we can drive up there. We'll see, I guess.

I seriously hate taking him back. I'm also seriously getting stressed about PCSing and the imminent deployment. Since he's going to Hawaii {unless his orders get changed}, it's highly likely he'll get deployed this summer. We know of 2 units getting deployed: 1 in June, and another in July. *sigh* I'm really worried about it...probably because it's the first. Then there's the actual PCS. And the fact that it takes 5 bazillion forms and 7 bazillion dollars to get my precious baby puppy there. =( Oh, and let's not forget about housing. Shipping HSG, the car...paying off bills.... Did I mention I'm stressing out?! Honestly, a big part of my hopes that his orders got changed like the other half of his class and he got pulled back to CONUS. That would at least ease a couple of my worries. But, since he can't log in and find out if they got changed, I'm going to be waiting for a while. If they didn't get changed, he said he can request a few extra weeks so we can get things in order. I wanted to hug him! I know how badly he wants to get the heck outta dodge [and I do too], so it was sweet of him to give me a few extra weeks and peace of mind. =)

Every time I start to worry about our finances, moving, and deployment...I know that God is telling me not to worry. There have been several times lately during my nightly Bible study and prayer that God has given me those verses in Matthew 6 where He talks about not worrying about tomorrow. He reassures us that, as he takes care of the sparrow, He will take care of us. I'm a worrier. I fret, I worry, I fear. Not because I want to, but because it's in my nature. I know he's trying to change this part of me so that I will rely on Him more...but, oh it's so hard! You'd think it'd be so easy to just say, "Here God. Take my worries, I leave them up to You." And then not deal with it anymore. But that's not the way it goes. Usually, I say "take my worries" and then hours, sometimes days, later I'll say "but, God...what about this....what about that....what if this happens?" The cycle starts over again. I want to have that kind of faith and trust, and I think I'm getting there, but man is it tough!

Oh, I went to patriot games Friday afternoon on post! It was fun, but freezing cold! I'll be sure to share pictures with you tomorrow! Hope ya'll have a good week!

Makeover!!!

Notice anything different?! Mrs. Muffins has been wonderful and made my blog all pretty for me! I'm super excited about it!

I'm feeling a fit of randomness coming on, so beware!!

Since when did dead roses start smelling like vomit? Last night when I came home from dropping G.I. Joe off at the barracks, I noticed a very pukey smell in the doorway/dining area. Which is strange, because I'm pretty sure that no one [including the dog] has puked anywhere near the door or table. Hmmm. So, I let it go. Then, today the vomit smell returned with a vengeance. I came back from running, and there it was...hitting me right in the face. I searched around and still found nothing. After lunch, I started to sort of clean up around the kitchen. I walked by the counter and there it was again. I also noticed the pizza box from last night. With one piece still in it. Surely that was the culprit, right? No. I gave up. I cleaned out some leftovers from the frigde, took out the trash...and still, the smell remained.  As I was spraying some smelly-good stuff around the house....it dawned on me. It was the roses I keep forgetting to throw out! But, why do they smell like vomit?! This is definitely a first for me. I don't ever remember flowers smelling like that before. Maybe because I put a little bit of pancake syrup in the water? I don't get it.

Anyway, progress is happening in the spare bedroom! 2 more boxes down today! I'm trying to get ready for when Joe's family comes to town. Although, I did receive some sad news today. =( My sister in law and very pretty niece will not be staying with me when they come down. *insert my pouting face here* I know that she needs a real bed, and not my air mattress, but still. Sad. His parents won't be staying here either, but I still feel like the house needs to be as clean as possible. I have no idea where I'm going to put all the junk, but maybe after Joe helps me a little bit this weekend I'll have a better idea of what to do with it all.

More news: Joe is putting in to live off-post! =D We weren't sure that he should because we only have one car...and I'd have to get up way before the crack of dawn to take him to morning PT. Unless I didn't need the car for the day. No, I don't need the car every day but it's nice to know that I can go if I need to. Hopefully it won't take too long to get approved.


Oh, one more random thing.

Growing up, parents always tell kids "don't talk to strangers." If you're home alone, they say "don't open the door for a stranger." Today, I forgot this little bit of wisdom. After my shower, I hear someone pretty much banging on the door...which makes my little Jasper start barking his head off. Great. Here I am, half naked, hair up in a towel and there's someone at my door. So, I look through the little peep hole and see a guy standing there. I yell, "just a minute!" and throw on some clothes. The dude was trying to sell me some magazines so he could go on a trip or something. Seriously? The guy was seriously flirting and asking me weirdo questions...all so I'd buy a magazine. Um....NO! Why on earth would I be stupid enough to give you my information?  Second...why did I open the door to this guy?! He could have been some psycho killer, and I opened the door. Sheesh. What is wrong with me?! Right, I grew up in the middle of nowhere. Where you didn't worry about opening the door to a stranger because they might actually need some help. *sigh* That was my FAIL for the day!

So, that's how my Thursday has been so far! I'm precooking dinner, so hopefully the rest of my day will be wonderful and relaxed!

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

"We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future."

- Franklin Delano Roosevelt

I really like that. =) Don't you? One of the reasons I wanted to be a teacher was so that I could change the lives of the kids I came into contact with. These days it's even harder to do that as a teacher. I don't think I realized that before I did my internship. If you listen to the news at all, you know how difficult it is for an adult to even have a mentor relationship with a child. Teachers taking advantage of students, pedifiles, creepy people...how in the world do you even manage to help kids anymore?!

Anyway, I think there's so much truth to FDR's statement. I'm not a parent, but I think a lot (not all) of parents are failing to prepare their kids correctly for their future. They let them have every.single.thing. they want. Teachers are encouraged to praise kids for showing up to class or even just completing an assignment, whether it was done well or not. What does this do to kids? It gives them a sense of entitlement...we're telling them, "Yes, you can have whatever you want. No, you don't have to work hard for it." Is that fair? Is that the way real life works? Heck no! Real life is hard, and you have to work for every.single.thing you want. It isn't handed to you on a silver platter. You want it? You work for it. Save up the money.

Ok, I'll get off my soap box now. =)

Here's something else you ladies might enjoy.

A Military Wife: A Poem

Lots of moving...
Moving...
Moving...
Moving far from home...
Moving two cars, three kids and one dog...all riding with HER of course.
Moving sofas to basements because they won't go in THIS house;
Moving curtains that won't fit;
Moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours.
Moving away from friends;
Moving toward new friends;
Moving her most important luggage: her trunk full of memories.

Often waiting...
Waiting...
Waiting...
Waiting for housing.
Waiting for orders.
Waiting for deployments.
Waiting for phone calls.
Waiting for reunions.
Waiting for the new curtains to arrive.
Waiting for him to come home, For dinner...AGAIN!

They call her 'Military Dependent', but she knows better:
She is fiercely In-Dependent.

She can balance a check book;
Handle the yard work;
Fix a noisy toilet;
Bury the family pet...
She is intimately familiar with drywall anchors and toggle bolts.
She can file the taxes;
Sell a house;
Buy a car;
Or set up a move... .....all with ONE Power of Attorney.

She welcomes neighbors that don't welcome her.
She reinvents her career with every PCS;
Locates a house in the desert, The Arctic, Or the deep south.
And learns to call them all 'home'.
She MAKES them all home.

Military Wives are somewhat hasty...
They leap into:
Decorating,
Leadership,
Volunteering,
Career alternatives,
Churches,
And friendships. They don't have 15 years to get to know people.
Their roots are short but flexible.
They plant annuals for themselves and perennials for those who come after them.

Military Wives quickly learn to value each other:
They connect over coffee,
Rely on the spouse network,
Accept offers of friendship and favors.
Record addresses in pencil...

Military Wives have a common bond:
The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands; his commitment is unique.
He doesn't have a 'JOB'
He has a 'MISSION' that he can't just decide to quit...
He's on-call for his country 24/7.
But for her, he's the most unreliable guy in town!
His language is foreign
TDY
PCS
OPR
SOS
ACC
BDU
ACU
BAR
CIB
TAD
And so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his.
She is the long- distance link to keep them informed;
the glue that holds them together.

A Military Wife has her moments:
She wants to wring his neck;
Dye his uniform pink;
Refuse to move to Siberia;
But she pulls herself together.
Give her a few days,
A travel brochure,
A long hot bath,
A pledge to the flag,
A wedding picture,
And she goes.
She packs.
She moves.
She follows.

Why?
What for?
How come?
You may think it is because she has lost her mind.
But actually it is because she has lost her heart.
It was stolen from her by a man,
Who puts duty first,
Who longs to deploy,
Who salutes the flag,
And whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her Military Husband,
She will remain his military wife.
And would have it no other way.

--Author Unknown
___________________________________________

Oh, what a lazy day it's been. I seriously haven't done anything other than running the dishwasher and doing a load of Joe's Army clothes. Seriously. Oh, I did work out. I tried a new Pilates video. Oh.my.gosh! It was killer! I think I'm going to search for an intermediate video or something. That one was a little too difficult for me. I could do most of it, but there were a few times when I was seriously confused. Lol! I'm so glad I was here by myself.... =)

In other news, Joe's parents are more than likely coming to visit in mid-March. As long as his dad can take off work, that is. We have a tentative date, so we'll see what happens. I've been working my tail off in that spare room trying to get rid of the boxes that are still there. I don't think I'm doing much good, though. It looks like the boxes just exploded in there and I have nowhere to put all the junk that came out of them. *sigh* Maybe I'll figure something out in the next 3 weeks. At least the rest of the house is nice, neat, and organized! I have some great pictures of things that I've found while unpacking...I'll have to share them when I figure out where my camera cord is. =)

Until then, I hope the rest of your day is wondermous!

Seriously? Seriously?!

Seriously..

Ok, I watch too much Grey's Anatomy and it's beginning to show.


Anyway, that's how I felt last night...after many, many explicatives ran through my mind. I drove to the base as usual at 5:25. Joe usually gets out of formation around 6:00, and it takes about 20 minutes to get there in 5:00 traffic. I also like to be early. 6:00 comes and goes, while I'm watching 200ish people get out of formation and head into the barracks. Ugh. Joe's been doing board training, so I just assumed that's what was going on. 10 minutes later...I'm still waiting for him to get out. Then at like 6:20, he comes up to the car in ACU's (he usually changes into civi's before I take him home), a PC, and carrying a weapon. Crap.

Apparently, his NCO's decided that his class was going to do weapons immersion a couple weeks early, and they had a "safety briefing" at 7:00. Grrrrrrrrr. So basically, I drove all the way there for nothing!! Then, he said t hat the NCO's were talking about enforcing some BS policy about no one being able to park in the parking lot outside the barracks before 6:00. Which translates into: no wives in the parking lot before 6:00 because those are the only people there!!!! One more little BS policy they're talking of enforcing: not letting the guys [who have 5+ privileges] go home after formation!! WTF?! So basically, this new 1st SGT is really being an ass. I think it's pretty clear at this point that the man isn't married and could care less about the morale of the men in his company. I'd love to give this jerk a piece of my mind right now!!!! There is no possible way they can keep 5+ guys from leaving the base during their own free time! I swear, since this jerk has been here, he's caused more problems than the other guy could have even dreamed. The guys in the company hate him, he's already offended several of the NCO's under him. I mean, what is this guy's problem?! Ugh, I'm so ready for this to be over and be in Hawaii!!!!!

So much for the Army caring about family time.

I suppose I should go do some Pilates now and get to work on that spare bedroom since we've got Joe's parents coming down next weekend. *sigh*

Happy Tuesday!

Dear Weekend...

Why do you go so quickly? I feel like you just got here, and now you're leaving again. What's worse, is you always take my husband with you when you go. We have 2 glorious nights and days together, and he leaves with you. It's really not fair. I used to really enjoy you, Weekend. There would be lots of sleeping in, being lazy, cuddling, watching TV, maybe making baked goodies, and some good 'ole Joe and Sarah time. But, at the end of those weekends, I would still have my hubby. Since the Army [and AIT], I don't get to keep him. Hopefully, that Off-Post packet will get approved and you will stop taking him when you go. I would really appreciate it! =)


Hating to See Him Go,
G.I. Joe's Wife

_____________________________________________

Saturday was such an amazing day! I got up around 9:30. Joe had gotten up about an hour before me, but since I didn't sleep well Friday night, it didn't bother me too much. =) When I stumbled out of our bedroom, I found that the house was clean, the dog was fed, and my hubby was already pouring me some cereal. =) I love that he does this on the weekends! He started doing this when I moved down here...and it's pretty awesome. Before, I would usually make pancakes, waffles, or muffins for breakfast on Saturday. Somehow, I think that he sort of feels guilty for not being here throughout the week and tries to make up for it by helping me out on the weekends. I'm totally ok with this!

Anyway, we didn't do a darn thing all day! We sat on the couch and started watching Lost. Yeah, I know we're way behind on this bandwagon. Better late than never, right?! A little bit of lost, a little bit of Smallville, and a little bit of me reading while Joe played something on the Xbox. I so love that we can spend time together without actually talking to each other. I learned a long time ago {while growing up in a very noisy, busy house} to block out noises I didn't want or need to listen to. This works out great for us because he can play whatever game he wants or watch a movie I don't like while I read a book. =) Still spending time together, but each enjoying our own things.

Around dinner time, I had an idea. I found this fabulous wine via Olive Garden last weekend. And since I was planning on making spaghetti for dinner, I thought this would be the perfect time to get that bottle of wine! Yeah, I was in sweats, but at least it would be a nice end to a wonderful day. I don't know how I did it, but Joe ended up going out for wine, garlic-y bread, and dessert. =) Probably because he didn't want me to put makeup on. {I rarely, if ever, leave the house without it on. I'm vain, I admit it.} He likes that I have blonde eyelashes. Anyway, about 40 minutes after he left I started to get worried. The grocery store is 2 minutes away, and the liquor store is like 5 minutes away. I had good reason. So, I called and got no answer. I did get a text message saying he was leaving the grocery store, though. He came back with wine, ice cream, and a Wii remote! He forgot the bread, but oh well. I'd mentioned earlier in the day that we should get another remote so he could play Mario Kart with me. I seriously love that game! So this was our evening...in pictures. =)

 

Yummy spaghetti!

With the improvised version of garlic bread. Lol!

Not the exact wine I fell in love with at Olive Garden, but it was still pretty good!

So, we had a few issues with the cork... =)

But, he finally got it. Mmmmm!

Proof that we have used the wine topper Mom bought for us in Vegas last year. =)

Our post dinner game time! =D So fun!

Joe playing Xbox. Apparently, Jasper felt like he needed his picture taken too. 

And just because, here's a picture I took when my Valentine's Day flowers were alive. It's so sad when they die. =( They never last long enough, but I do love receiving them!

 

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Happy Friday! =)

Oh, how I *heart* Fridays! Friday means that it's just about the weekend, and I can pick up Joe and have him to myself for a couple days. Almost makes me feel like we're a 'normal' couple again. =)

I finally did laundry today. I've pretty much been avoiding it all week...making up excuses why I didn't get off my toosh  wasn't able to do it. Apparently, Friday is the worst possible day to do laundry. When I went to put it in the washer, there was another lady in there who had accidentally flooded the place trying to wash her comforter. =( There was something wrong with that washer anyway, so the fact that she put her comforter in there just made the problem so much worse. I felt really bad for her. 30 minutes later, I go back down there to put my 3 huge loads of laundry in the dryer. There are 6 dryers in the laundry facility, and not a single one was empty! How the heck am I supposed to dry my clothes when someone has taken up all of them?! Gah! So, I walked back to my apartment and vegged for another 30 minutes. I thought surely a couple would open up soon.

When I went back down there, only one had opened up and there was another girl (I say girl, but I use the term for any female from birth to like 30ish) in there folding laundry. When I walked in, I was a little too willing to share my frustration that only one dryer had opened up. Then she told me that she was folding her laundry and would open a few of them up for me. Oops. I felt kinda bad. But, she was really nice.  I waited for her to fold her laundry, and we chatted while she was folding. I found out that she is a fellow Army wife, and that her husband is in AIT here at Gordon too. =) They've been here for a while, still waiting on orders. I really feel bad for them. It must really suck waiting for orders, not knowing where you're going. Although, it is possible that Joe's orders have changed. A lot of people in his company got their orders changed. Joe is having trouble getting into his AKO to find out if they've changed. =( Ugh. Maybe  he'll get it fixed soon though. I wanna know what's going on!

Random question: does anyone want to make my blog a 3 column? Or at least walk me through it? I've been looking for a simple way to do it, and apparently that does not exist. I don't trust myself to go through all that HTML and not mess it up! Well, that and I don't think I have the patience!

In other news, I have 'won' another blog award!!! Thanks to Jaci at Perpetual Newlyweds: Me and My SoldierMan!

"The Honest Scrap award comes with a caveat or two. First, you have to tell your readers ten things about you they may not know, but that are true. Second, you have to tag 10 people with the award. Third, let all the people you've given the award to know that they've gotten it (comment on their blogs or something). And finally, make sure you link back to the person who awarded you." 

 

10 Things [You Don't Know] About Me:

1. I seriously love watching Ellen. It's my guilty pleasure. =)

2. I haven't done them in a while, but I love doing crossword puzzles. I blame Papa because he used to do them with my brother and I when we were younger.
3. I absolutely love chick-flicks, but if they don't end right I'll never watch it again.
4. Sometimes, I watch hours on end of Smallville on DVD with the hubby. I never thought I would be into that show...but it's seriously good.
5. I am terrible at keeping in touch with friends from back home...with the exception of a person or two. I blame facebook for allowing me to stalk people, know what they're up to, and never need to call.
6. I have a tendency to hold conversations with inanimate objects. Sometimes, they irritate me and I feel that they should hear about it. =)
7. I treat my dog like he's my kid.
8. In a few years, I'll probably be legally blind. I've been wearing glasses since I was 6. Thanks to RGP contacts (the hard ones) my vision has only changed once {maybe twice now, but I haven't been in a while} since I was 16.
9. I was in the marching band in high school. I lived for football games and long distance trips! I played the flute and piccolo, and was drum major my senior year.
10. I'm terrible at cleaning the car - inside and out. It could stay dirty for months and I don't think it would bother me. Well, until someone had to ride with me.... =)

I am sharing this award with:

Christen @ Creating Little Pieces of Happiness
Melissa @ Crafty Things and Stuff
Rebecca @ From My Mountain View
Becca @ Mrs. G.I. Joe
Erin @ The Unexpected Army Life

{I know, I know. Not 10, but with 2 awards in one week...I'm trying to spread the love around!}

I hope y'all have a fantastic [rest of your] Friday, and a wonderful weekend!

Ramblings of a Redhead

I feel like so much has happened today, when in reality, I didn't do much.

I had a seriously rough time sleeping last night, what with all the bad dreams I had. I wouldn't call them nightmares because, honestly, they weren't that bad. They did manage to keep me from resting very well though. This made it harder than usual for me to get out of bed this morning. I'm not a morning person, so they fact that I actually am able to get out of bed before like 10 is a seriously accomplishment for me. I got up at 8:30, took Jasper out, had breakfast, and then had my "wake up time" on the couch while watching the Today show. I did my Pilates video...and about killed myself. I think I must have pulled a muscle because my left quad thing seriously hurt. =( Not good. But, I pushed through it anyway.

Then, I began to rearrange some furniture! Yay, me! Last night, Joe traded his iPod Touch with some guy from Craigslist for an older version iMac.

Why they guy traded a computer for an iPod, I have no idea. But, hey, it's free! Well, $50 if anything because that's how much was paid for the iPod. I'll take that, thank you! =) The problem was that the only way to connect the iMac to the internet is through ethernet cable...our modem and router are in the living room. We didn't really see a problem with that because - before yesterday - we both had laptops, so it didn't really matter where we put it and the living room was the easiest place. Soooo, we have a desktop computer that needs to be in the living room. Gah. We talked about where to put it last night, and I got the serious urge to start rearranging things.

That was my big accomplishment today. I moved the desk from the spare bedroom into the living room. Well, after cleaning the thing off, of course. I pushed the sucker from the bedroom to the living room, moved the DVD rack thing, rearranged the Wii, Xbox and router...and set everything up. This whole process took about an hour and a half. Note to self: pay attention when removing cords from the router so you know where they go when you put them back in! I swear, I restarted the modem and router like 5 times each thinking that would help. Luckily, I finally got Airport Utility to find our base station (the router) and tell me why the heck it wasn't working. Apparently, I'd put the main ethernet cable in the wrong hole. Doh! Talk about feeling stupid. Oh well. At least it got fixed before the hubby got home! =) He doesn't need further proof that I'm a goober.

Before:

After: 

 

What do you think? I'll admit that the first picture is better...

The 2nd was taken with my iPhone. =)

So, now the iMac is sitting nicely in the corner on the desk. I feel like the living room is crowded, but I suppose you work with what you've got, right? It's a lot slower than I'd like it to be, because it only has 512 mb of ram...uh, ouch! But, hopefully the hubby will be able to add a stick or two to it. Then maybe we can upgrade the OS too. I seriously wanna know why the darn thing doesn't have iPhoto...I mean seriously...that's like getting a PC without Windows Media Player or something! I almost feel like I can't function without it. LOL! I can't complain too much though. The thing is free...

I also managed to clean the house up and vacuum. I was a little proud of myself for that because I seriously don't like to vacuum. It's just such a hassle to get the thing out, empty the ickiness, and actually vacuum. Not to mention it hurts my back. I'd love to invest in one of those Dyson vacuums...but I suppose that dream will have to wait!

I so hate that I can't watch Grey's Anatomy & Private Practice on my TV anymore. =( I feel so weird not having anything to watch on Thursday. I think my TVs are staging a coup against me. Cable in the bedroom is on the fritz (did I mention we're not paying for it?) and the living room TV apparently doesn't like ABC because that's the only channel that has absolutely no sound. Whatever, I give up. Hulu it is! =)

I hope I haven't bored you too much with my ramblings! I'm sooo excited that tomorrow is Friday! 2 nights of sharing a bed with my hubby! ♥ 2 days of laziness!

Random Wednesday

First, I suppose I should get down to the business of the blog award I won yesterday. =) Thanks again to The Undomestic Army Wife!

 

The rules are:

1. Thank and link to the person that gave you the award.
2. Pass this award on to 15 bloggers you’ve recently discovered and whom you think are fantastic.
3. Contact said Blogs and let them know they've won
4. State 7 things about yourself

Ok, so the lucky bloggers are {in no particular order}:

1. Army Blogger Wife 

2. Both Sides of the White Picket Fence 

3. Joyfully Gray 

4. Learning to be a Wife 

5. Me and My Soldierman 

6. Yellow Ribbon Diary 

7. My Front Porch Looking In 

8. Day in the Life of His Military Wife 

9. Cloud Nine and Counting 

10. Singing in the Rain 

Ok, so I tried to come up with 15, but I can't do it! 10 is close enough, right? =D

Now, for the 7 things about me. Uh...

1. After not working for 3 months now, I'm not sure I want to re-enter the work force. 

2. I love for things to be organized, but I hate to actually organize it myself. Unless it's the kitchen.

3. I loathe cleaning the shower. Give me a dirty toilet any day, but not the shower.

4. I'm beginning to make up for all the books I didn't get to read in college because I was too busy not reading required books...

5. Sometimes I wonder if I'm ever going to use that darn degree I worked my butt off for 4 years to get. I still *heart* history, I swear!

6. I spend entirely too much time on facebook.

7. I've learned that [since hubby went to basic and is now in AIT] I hate sleeping alone. *sigh*

Now, for some Words of Wisdom Wednesday. {I know I warned you that this was random!}

"It is no use to preach to [children] if you do not act decently yourself." 

-Theodore Roosevelt, in a Speech to Holy Name Society, Oyster Bay, August 16, 1903

You know I have a history degree, so it should be no surprise to you that I chose a TR quote. He's one of my favorite presidents. Going along with the randomness of this post, I'll share with you other favorite presidents! =) These are in no particular order either. FDR, Andrew Jackson (he was truly an interesting person), Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Monroe, James Madison, Eishenhower...I suppose that does it. =)

I had planned to say more today, but I can't remember what it was! So, I hope you all have a good "hump day"!

B.e.a.utiful! =)

 

A HUGE thanks to The Undomestic Army Wife for this fabulous award!

The rules of the game:

1. Thank and link to the person that gave you the award.
2. Pass this award on to 15 bloggers you’ve recently discovered and whom you think are fantastic.
3. Contact said Blogs and let them know they've won
4. State 7 things about yourself

I will be back later to "obey" the last 3 rules! Just thought I'd share this award with you now! =D

aTypical Monday

Today was the last day of the blessed 4 day weekend. =( I hate to see it go. I hated to take Joe back to the barracks tonight. Sleeping in the bed alone is torture. 4 day weekends spoil me, go to quickly, and make me feel like he should be here with me all the time. I know I should be thankful that I get to see him every day, but still. No fair!

We had a great weekend though! We drove up to NC on Friday...after about 4 hours of me being really slow getting ready to leave. We had wanted to leave earlyish, but since the appearance of the new 1st SGT and his jerkness, that did not happen. Had we slept in the same bed Thursday night, gotten to bed at a decent hour, and woken up together...it might have happened. So, we didn't get to NC until 4:30. We unpacked the car, said "hello" to his grandparents and then headed up to see Anna and my niece! =D I missed them so much! It was nice to chat for a little while before Jason (her hubby) got home and baby needed feeding. Jason's sister and brother in law also happened to come into town Friday, so we all went out to dinner at a hole-in-the-wall Japanese place. YUM!  I still can't believe that Eden barely made a peep at dinner. She's so precious!

Saturday, Anna, Joanna and I went to get pedicures {but Joanna has a thing about her feet being touched...she got a manicure}! I had given Anna a little IOU/coupon thingy for a pedicure, so we all went. =) Fun times with the girls at the nail salon! I miss being close so we can do stuff like that. *sigh* I need girlfriends that actually live close! Anyway, after nails we went to the grocery store to get sandwich goodies for the boys and us to eat lunch. I'm telling you, those sandwiches were better than Subway! Or maybe it was just because we were having a good time together....either way, yum! We hung out at Dave's (Anna's father in law...I know it can get confusing) until it was time for weekly Pizza Night at Grammy's! This little tradition started when Sarabeth (Joe's oldest sister), my nephew, and Joe and I moved to NC. Every week, usually on Sunday night, we all meet at Grammy's for pizza and fun family time. Because Joe and I were heading back to GA on Sunday, we moved it to Saturday. Joe's favorite food is pizza, so he was beyond thrilled.

After pizza, all of the "kids" (Anna, Joanna, Tim, Joe and me...and Eden...) headed back to Anna's for a round of Quelf. If you have never played this game, run - do not walk - to the nearest store, buy this game and round up a few close friends to play it with. This game is pure hilarity! Beware though, you will be humiliated...at least a couple times! We were up until pretty close to midnight playing this game and laughing hysterically. I'll just give you one little peek into our night of crazy. One of the cards someone drew was a "global rule", meaning it applies to all players. The rule stated that every time any of us made eye contact with each other, we had to both say "trippy." If we didn't, we paid the penalty. Yeah. And Joanna had to talk like a pirate. *Awesome!* Here are a few pictures from the craziness that is Quelf.

 

Tim had to stay under the table until his next turn. =D

Meet Purp. Tim's sock puppet. Oh, what you do to avoid penalties.

"There ain't no way I'm puttin' on that dress!"

I had to put my left hand in a bowl of warm water until my next turn.

The "foot falling asleep" dance.

These are just a few pics of the hilarity.

Sunday, we sadly drove back to GA. =( Despite leaving, we had a pretty good day. We got back "home" around 3, rested for a bit, and then went to dinner at Olive Garden. I was craving me some Italian style food, and those bread sticks were calling my name! I had an amazing glass of wine with dinner too. I'm not usually a wine fan, so the fact that I loved this one just made my night! After dinner, we were so overwhelmed with the masses of people out and about that we decided to rent a redbox flick instead of fighting the crowds to see Valentine's Day. And, we got some Ben & Jerry's.....mmmmmm! I big puffy heart Ben & Jerry's double chocolate brownie whatever. Soooooo good! Anyway, we had a decent VDay. Today, after Joe sold his Nintendo DS to some Craigslist guy, he stopped and bought me a half dozen pink roses. =D I was a little disappointed that I didn't get them yesterday so excited to get them! I immediately took pictures of them and put them in my pretty crystal pitcher vase. =) 

We also went to see Valentine's Day this afternoon. It was really good! Not exactly what I'd thought it was going to be, but it was great! I won't spoil it for those of you who haven't seen it, but it's definitely a chick-flick must see. So, that was my weekend!

Oh, and I have to show you a few pics of Uncle Joe and Eden...wearing the "I Love Auntie" shirt I bought for her!

 

This is just one of those that makes you say "awwww!"

Apparently, Eden thinks Uncle Joe is hilarious. =)

Gotta love this one!

And if you haven't yet, you need to go here and see gorgeous professional pics of my beautiful niece! I'm going to add this to every post until I get a comment of how pretty she is! ;-) Heeheehee!

Joe and Sarah: The Proposal

Before I get into that, first I have to share something with you. Alexa, a wonderful lady from my home church in NC and amazing photographer, recently took photos of my absolutely gorgeous niece. {Me? Baised? Never.} So, you must go here now and look at her prettiness! And be jealous that I got to spend part of this weekend holding her and getting her to coo, "talk", and giggle like crazy. =) I absolutely love being an aunt and spoiling her! Sorry, Anna!

Alright, now I can share a story with you. =) I told you all the story of our first date, so now it's time for the proposal story. Before I begin with the proposal, you must know a few things.

1. Joe and I broke up after dating for 10 months.

2. 1 month[ish] after going our separate ways, God brought us back together.

3. After getting back together, we began to talk more seriously about the future and tentatively set a date. Crazy, I know. That's us. 

Let us begin.

After we got back together in the Fall of 2007, we had a lot to work through. We'd only been apart for a short time, but it felt like forever. We had both been miserable, but knew that God would work things out for the best. We did a whole lot of talking, figuring things out, and compromising. God began to reveal to me that some things you just don't need to argue and fight about and that if I really loved Joe, I needed to let him be the leader. 

Joe and I just got so much closer through all of it, as if we weren't close before. More and more we began to talk about the future...our future. It seemed as if marriage and the thought of "forever" was constantly the topic of conversation. I don't remember when it was, but I do remember Joe telling me that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, loving me. After that, I began [very slowly and carefully] planning for a wedding. I bought only one magazine because I didn't want to seem...needy, anxious, whatever could be read into the fact that I bought a bridal magazine and had no ring on my finger. I do believe Joe and I even decided a color scheme for the wedding. Hee hee! One day, we had stopped by my mom's workplace and ended up setting a date before we left! It was crazy, because, again, this girl had no ring on her finger!

We went ring shopping what felt like a million times. Each time, I picked out my "dream" ring and proceeded to tell Joe that anything that he chose was fine because it would be from him. I didn't need a big 'ole sparkly ring. That's what I told him. I secretly wanted the big, sparkly ring that would make all my friends jealous. ;-) Every time we went ring shopping, I couldn't help but wonder what ring he would buy and where (and when) he would propose. September and October came and went...still no ring. November came around...still no ring. Although, one good thing did happen in November: Joe got to stay in town with me {his fam usually went to Illinois to see his grandpa} and I was thrilled to be able to finally  have a boyfriend over for Thanksgiving dinner! 

We had dinner at Nana's as usual, and went back to my parents' house afterward. We helped with Christmas decorations {my mom puts up decorations ASAP}, and watched some TV. I'm not sure where Mom went, but Dad was out in the barn with my brother and we decided to go out and see what was going on. The next thing I know, Joe and dad are talking and my brother mysteriously asks me to go ride the four wheeler with him. I went with him, but I was really confused and worried. My dad and Joe in the same room, alone...kinda worried me. Dad and Joe didn't get along too well after the breakup, and my dad is a protective one. So, I was worried. When we got back, Dad and Joe were still talking and Andrew (my "lil" bro) thought it best if we didn't interrupt them. Me - still worried. Joe came back later and they both acted all normal. I let it go, and was happy that they were finally getting along. 

In December, I started working with Joe at The Restaurant {this is what I'm going to call it since I don't want to give it away}. So now we were going to college together, working together...pretty much doing everything together. For us, this is a good thing. For many people, not so good. We loved working together. Besides, I was a host and he was a server. No biggie. Eventually, people we worked with knew we were talking about getting married. It became a big topic around The Restaurant, especially when I worked. There was one particular girl who would either ask me if I had a ring yet or grab my hand as I walked by her to see if there was a ring! I suppose Joe had told them all about it before I started working there anyway, but sometimes it was a little overwhelming. I was really hoping for a Christmas proposal, but I did not get my wish. First, I thought it would happen before Christmas, after the Chorale's Christmas concert. After the concert, all the lights around campus would be lit and there would be carriage rides. =) *happy sigh* I sincerely thought [as we got in a carriage] that he would propose. I tried not to be disappointed when the ride was over and I was without a ring. That's when the Christmas wish began. But, alas, that did not happen either. He was in NC for a week with his fam, while I was miserable without him in OK. 

A few days after he got back, {a Sunday} we spent the whole day together. After church, we would always go to his house and have lunch with the family and then relax. We had lunch after church, watched a movie, and just enjoyed being lazy. Then, we decided that since there was no church in the evening, we would do something. We decided to go to Linens N Things (oh, how I miss that store!) and look for some glasses we would like to have...again planning our future. Which left me a little wary...I was still a girl with no ring planning a wedding/future together. *sigh* Then, we decided it was time for dinner. He'd said he had somewhere he wanted to take me, but that I needed to think of another place, just in case. I was confused, but agreed. 

As we drove toward downtown, I got more and more confused. There aren't many great restaurants that I enjoy downtown so I had no idea what to expect. That is, until he pulled up at the Nickel and Dime Diner where we had our first date. =) I was excited because I loved this place, and we hadn't been back since then. But, it was closed. I don't remember why now, but it was closed. Joe was extremely upset and I had no clue why. I mean, it wasn't like we couldn't come back later when it opened. No big deal. So, he asked me for my second choice...which was Olive Garden. I have a thing for Italian style food. =) Besides, their bread sticks are to die for.

Off to Olive Garden we went! When we arrived inside, Joe went to the hostess and we got put on the list. A few minutes later, Joe went up and requested a table...specifically. I found this very strange because neither one of us are very picky. We try not to request anything at all because we've been in the restaurant biz and know how it is. Weird. I let it go though. I thought maybe he just wanted to sit closer to me or something. A little while later, we were sat at the table and ordered food and drinks. Joe had ordered an appetizer, but never touched the thing. Now, I know you don't know my husband, but this is very strange for him. The man is just about always hungry, so the fact that he didn't eat the bruschetta was about 9 kinds of weird. This is when I began to wonder if he was going to propose. I thought, "No...I doubt it. I've thought this before and it didn't happen. Stop expecting it!" We chatted until our meals came, while I consistently asked him if he was feeling alright. The server dropped off our food, asked if everything was ok, and then left. 

Then, Joe grabbed my left hand (he was sitting to my left), and said, "Baby, before we eat, there's something I need to ask you." I'm pretty sure I said something to the effect of "Um...ok." Very articulate. Then there were a few moments of "I love you", "I can't imagine my life without you," "You're my best friend..." And then he was down on one knee in front the of the whole place, holding my hand....and then: 

"Will you marry me?"

I proceeded to wipe tears from my face and very nervously [and sarcastically] said, "Uh yeah, I guess so!" Then, he kissed me and slipped the ring on my finger and sat in his seat again. Then he said, "So, I take it that's a 'yes'?" I laughed (while still wiping tears), said "Yes, of course!" and kissed him again.

Our server came by moments later with champagne and strawberries. =) He told Joe that if he'd let him know, he would have been all prepared for it! Lol! He was such a great server. 

{I found out later that Joe had asked my dad's permission on Thanksgiving. =D}

So, that's our story! Here are a few pics after the proposal, back at his parents' house.

My pretty ring!!! =D
*I did get the one I wanted, by the way! I'm spoiled!*

 

Not the best pic, but can you tell how excited we were?

These are a few of my favorite engagement pictures. Thanks to Danica for taking them!

 

I big puffy heart this one!

Sittin' in the park by the river. *bliss*

This one I call "Walking Together Forever". =)

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! ♥ Hope you had a fabulous day!

[mis]Adventures of a Wanna-be Baker

So, trial number 2 of baking and decorating cookies. Ugh.

I bought an in-oven thermometer to see if that would help the burning cookies issue. It did! =D Although, I did find that my oven likes to pick its own temperature. I preheated the oven before the first batch, and set the thermometer in there. I had high hopes. When I opened the oven to check it about 5 minutes later, what did the temp read? 400 like I had set it? Ooooh no, my dear friends, it read 500!!!!! I was shocked. So, I went back to rolling dough out after turning the temp down to see if that would help. Checked it again...600!!! What on earth?! I don't get it. It just kept getting hotter and hotter. Which helps explain the charred cookies from last weekend. But still, what the crap?! Monday, I think I'm gonna go have a talk with management.  I can't, no I refuse to live with an oven like this. I cook almost every day of the week! I cannot have an oven that sets its own temp, and then refuses to work after an hour.

Good news? I have cookies that are not, I repeat, NOT burnt!!! Some a little more brown than others, but not burnt!

More bad news. Icing. Ugh. First, I tried a plain "jane" icing recipe. It looked good, tasted great...until I added food coloring. It was like the icing just wouldn't hold the coloring. I even beat it with the mixer...and it was a no go. I even enlisted the help of my hubby with this, poor guy. I love him so much...he puts up with me through so much of my supposed "bright" ideas. So, we trashed the crappy icing only after decorating about 12 cookies with it. Oh well. Back to square one. I decided to try out the royal icing recipe* again. I finally figured out how to get 'flooding' icing along with the stiff kind so that the cookies look better. But, before I could decorate with the new icing, we had to wash my decorating bags (gross. I don't like the feel of icing on my hands. bleh.), and then I had to take Joe back to the barracks. More on this irritating fact later. Before we left, I was able to outline the cookies in the stiff icing. When I got back, I put the 'flooding' icing in the decorating bag. When she says 'flooding', trust me she means flooding. I had icing everywhere! On my hands, all over the counters, on parchment paper, on my iPhone cover...yeah. Not good. After having Melissa calm me down, I went and grabbed a hair tie (no time to search for a rubber band when icing is going all over the kitchen) and made sure that icing wasn't getting out of the bag. Gah.

What a night. I did get all of the cookies decorated. The ones with royal icing look very cute! =) The others, not so much. Trial and error, my friends. I do have pictures of them looking very cute sitting on top of their respective Valentine's Day bags. I'm just too tired to post them right now. Sorry. It's been a rough night. After decorating the cookies, and cleaning up the kitchen a little, I took a 2nd shower. I rarely do this, but I was extremely worked up. Once I got in front of a mirror, I realized that I had pink icing in my hair, on my forearms, and on my shirt. Awesome.

Oh, right, I was going to tell you the Joe story. Today, he (along with the rest of the IET students at Fort Gordon) was supposed to be released after evening formation for the 4 day weekend.  Supposed to be released. Apparently, his 1st SGT and Commander ( or something) decided that they would be the only IET company to adhere to the TRADOC policy that says Soldiers should get a full night's rest before being released on a 4 day weekend. What.The.Heck?! Thanks for the notice!!! Not like we didn't have plans or anything!!!! Us? Go to NC for the weekend and want to leave early? Never. Us? Want to sleep in the same bed for more than 2 nights a week? No, we'll sacrifice that. We're only married. They act like all Soldiers in the company didn't have plans, or wives, or families to do things with. Talk about inconsiderate, unprofessional, and irresponsible! You know, if you're going to randomly decide to follow the rule book (which, from what I've seen rarely happens anyway), a day's notice would have been appreciated. Jerks.

With that said, I'm off to bed! You know you're up too late when Letterman is on. =) Hope you all have a good weekend. I'll try to be back to regular programming on Monday!

*I can't find the actual recipe on Confections of a Bake-A-Holic, but I did get it from her. =)

Wordless Wednesday: Valentine's Day Edition

So, here's my rendition of a Wordless Wednesday post. Enjoy!

So, I'm finally showing you my Valentine's Day candy heart wreath! It's been finished for over a week now. And it's hanging very pretty on my door. I'm sure my neighbors are envious of it's cuteness!! Or maybe not...but it's still cute! I know it's late for any of you to make one, but you could always use it next year! Or, you could sit down for a whole day, make it and hang it! Either way, I hope you enjoy the pics! Tomorrow, I'll be sure and post pics of the card I made for Joe and made little project for him. Heehee! Just so I'm being honest, I got the idea for this wreath here.

What a Weekend!

I spent most of this weekend making messes in the kitchen, and then cleaning them up. *sigh*

On Saturday afternoon, hubby and I ventured out to the commissary to get the rest of the ingredients for my new-found sugar cookie recipe. 2 hrs later, we were home. I fixed dinner, we watched a short movie, and it dawned on me that I should make cookies! So, off I went to the kitchen to get started. Little did I know I was taking on such a daunting task. My goal was to make cookies for the Superbowl, since Joe had invited friends over. So, I had the bright idea to make football and helmet cookies and then decorate them.

My very long night began at about 7. I starting mixing the dough, adding flour...and then the very thick dough began sticking to the beaters and clogging it up. I tried several times to get it off, but to no avail. After adding 3 out of 5 cups of sugar, I was ready to give up. But, I called my bestie (and wayy more experienced baker) for some help. She suggested that I mix it by hand. Joy. So, I did. It worked! So, I finished mixing, and chilled it in the fridge for an hour. After an hour, we (I had to enlist Joe's help. Hehehe!) rolled out the dough and cut the cookies. First batch went in the oven, and 10 mins later came out smoking, charred, and bleh. =( Joe thinks that the parchment paper caught fire/burnt and I blame the oven. 2nd batch went in (at a lower temperature and less time), and came out looking good! So, they went on the cookie rack to cool. After I'd sat down for a while (this was around 10:30), I asked Joe to taste them. He came back with a very, uh, disgusted look on his face. Oh.my.word. They were disgusting! They were hard...like seriously hard. I would liken them to something sailors would have eaten on board a ship in the mid 18th century. They were that bad. =(

I was so upset! We finished watching Smallville season 5 (I think) on DVD, and Joe convinced me to go to bed. I obsessed over my epic FAIL in the kitchen, and got on the BigOven app to see if I could find a different recipe. Joe took my phone away from me, though. No more recipe surfing for Sarah. So, I sent a text to Melissa hoping she'd see it when she got up. =) This afternoon, she went a-Googling and found a much better recipe! I only made half the recipe, and the dough turned out just fine. The first batch went in and came out looking delish! The second batch, however, did not make it. I think it's something to do with my oven...I seriously don't get it. I think I'm going to have to invest in an in-oven thermometer for the next 2 months we're here. So, I made icing but I only had enough time to partially decorate the football cookies. Oh well. Maybe I'll have better luck this week with my V-Day cookies for the fam.

I'm also extremely upset with the way the Colts played tonight! It's like they just stopped playing after the 2nd quarter! I'm a huge football fan, and I love the Colts. And Peyton Manning. But, not tonight. I "fell" for the Colts when I realized what a huge, awesome Christian Tony Dungy (their previous coach) was. Then he left, but my allegiance still stands. =) My college team is the Oklahoma Sooners, because a country girl's gotta stick to her roots! And I heart Bob Stoops (head coach). =D Anyway, I was seriously upset and I think that if the Colts had really brought their best game, the Saints couldn't have touched them. Sadly, though, the Colts sucked it up tonight. I'm seriously disappointed, and I'm wondering who's taking a pay cut...

All in all, it was a very interesting weekend for me...full of cleaning, shopping, blog-hopping (which was awesome!), way too much baking and failing, a rough night of football, and an interesting meeting with hubby's Army buddies. Next week is looking good so far though! On Friday, we're heading up to NC to see the fam...and most importantly, my niece! ♥ She's getting big way too quickly for my liking! Speaking of...I need to finish the last page of her scrapbook....hmmm. Add it to the list!

Have a good week, everyone!

Blizzard Bloghop [Intro]

I decided that I would join the crowd and play along in this bloghop. What is a bloghop? Go here to find out more!

Hi! And, welcome to my blog - G.I. Joe's Wife. My name is Sarah. =)

And this is my wonderful, very cute hubby. And me. =) On BCT graduation day.


If you couldn't tell, I'm married to a Soldier. =) Well, actually, I married a civilian and he went and turned military on me! He shipped out to BCT on July 22, 2009 - a.k.a. possibly the worst day of my life. I'm currently a stay at home wifey/dog mommy. =) I moved to GA in late November to be closer to Joe while he's in AIT. Since we'll be moving to Hawaii soon, getting a job doesn't really make sense. I do a whole lot of reading, blogging, scrapbooking, baking, making other crafty things, and just recently started making cards.

My blog is devoted to this whole new life I'm living. It's a place for me to talk about all the day to day things in my life whether it be adjusting to Army life, things in the married life (almost 2 years!), my [difficult and challenging] daily walk with my Savior, my crazy dog, or my passion for scrapbooking. That's just the start of it! Thanks for stopping by, and I look forward to getting to know you all!!

Oh, the Possibilities!

Yesterday, I stumbled on this website, thanks to Melissa. I read the first day of "The Heart of Her Husband" series they are doing. First of all, ouch. Second, I think I've fallen in love with this website. It's called A Virtuous Woman, which I'm certain is derived from Proverbs 31. =) For some reason, God has taken me to this passage many, many times over the past 6 months or so, beginning when Joe left for BCT. The woman who's writing this seriously knows how to proverbially 'hit the nail on the head'. So, loving this website and all it stands for.

After a while, I began to sort of browse the site, just to see what it offered. Then, I stumbled onto the sidebar which said they were looking for writers to contribute!!! I looked over the guidelines and topics, and the whole time my heart was pounding. I really just felt like God was telling me to send a sample/submission. So, after some editing, I did. I'd written this thing that I titled "What is Marriage, Anyway?" back in September. Actually, I believe I blogged about it too. So, obviously I had some [serious] editing to do. After I edited, I sent it to Melissa to read first. =) Gotta have some approval! Then, I typed up an email, attached and sent it! I haven't heard anything back yet, possibly because my email is being stubborn. Then again, it could take a while to hear anything. So, we'll see and I'll keep updating when I know anything! Say a prayer! I'd really love to write for them!

I'm So Excited!

"...And I just can't hide it. I'm about to lose control and I think I like it."

Ok, so maybe I got a little carried away. =) But, I am excited! Amy over at The Undomesticated Army Wife is having a giveaway!!! Not only do I absolutely love reading her blog, but now she's offering to give me (or whoever else will [dare to] enter the drawing) a very pretty handmade glass ring! =D Woohoo!! So, head on over there and check out her absolutely fabulous blog!

I soooo hope I win!!!

*************

In other news, my candy heart wreath is coming along nicely. I meant to grab another bag of hearts at the grocery store today, but alas, I forgot. =( Sad day. I walked by them and everything! You'd think I would have realized I'd forgotten to put them on the list. I think I've turned into one of those women who only gets what's on the list. Yikes! So, I guess I'll make a run to the store again tomorrow. Joy. I'm beginning to hate grocery shopping. I swear, I see the commissary and/or regular grocery store every single week. Between dishes, laundry, and grocery shopping I may never catch up on anything! Sheesh. I think I should hire a maid...or something. Then again, what would I do with all my free time? Oh, I could read, scrapbook, and make other very cute things. Not sure the hubby would go for that though. Oh well! I'm going to enjoy the rest of Big Bang Theory now. LOVE this show!!!! ♥