Please Welcome Our One Year Along With 2010!

December 27th of last year Rob and I said "I do" and begun our journey together as Mr. And Mrs...I'm a few days late but here are a few memories from that day that I thought you might enjoy!

Ten minutes before our photo shoot, so excited! I believe I was taping down the isle runner, hence the jeans and t?

Ten minutes before the ceremony...I figured, why not, and drank half a beer before I realized that might not have been so smart on an empty stomach? I was a giggling fool, however I wasn't the one who greeted the pastor and said, "Hi! I'm the bride" I give him hell to this day:)

Us taking our first walk as husband and wife while Rascal Flatts song "Life is a Highway" met our every step...

Awe!



Such a magical moment...We were both so happy to have finally made it here.


Fast forward a year...December 27th, 2009, Anniversary night enjoying a delicious glass of wine; Compliments of Carriage and Horse Fine Dining. A beautiful little gem of a place nestled in Pine Mountain, GA. Established on in a victorian style mansion complete with a french cook/owner and his daughter who waits the tables...Amazing people who introduced us to amazing food and wine! What a great evening:)


Loving em:)



Feeling the booze!



So there you have it...We more then survived our first year of marriage and are looking forward to the next and the next! *Big smile* I hope all of you had a wonderful end to 2009; I also hope that you're all excited about 201o as much as I am! I plan to do a post about that tomorrow or the next...I loved reading about all of your new years and your goals to come so thought I join in the fun!

Chiclet...

Its been a few months since I've written a decent entry which I felt was reading worthy. So bare with me, I fear I might have forgotten how!

Today is cold and gray, meaning, perfect time to sit on your over stuffed couch, drink some hot tea and blog a little...Bella is chewing on her sixth bone for the week and peanut is meowing at some random flying thing that found its way inside from the cold. Really, when you take a break like I have from blogging, there is so much to tell but instead I won't bore you with everything I could say, just the things that need to be said...And yes, I just contradicted myself, going way back to my first post. Take a look...

Yesterday Rob and I made our way up the flight of stairs to our cozy one bedroom apartment after being at the auto shop for the past hour...There I spied it, stuck to our green door complete with the festive wreath I'd just hung. I'd been waiting on this piece of paper all day! In fact I'd been waiting much longer then that, but today was the day I'd posses this thing...It was a gift to me, compliments of the hubby, meant for our one year anniversary...Alright alright, I'll just cut to the chase and not bore you with story mode a moment longer:p

My beautiful new, light pink Sony Vaio complete with a white keyboard! This I was truly excited about...In case your wondering, her name is Chiclet for she has chiclet style buttons:) I have been without my laptop for so long ladies, blogging from inside the cave...Ick...I really feel that was the reason for my absence. Call me weird but it crushed my want to be witty and creative and, eventually, my want to write all together. So I guess this means its time to say, "I'm not pregnant..." Sheesh, leave y'all with just a smidgen of mystery and look at what you come up with...Lol, don't worry though, I will eventually blog about expecting one day, just not this minute...We're still sticking to our four/five-ish year plan. The funny thing is, neither of us have started the count down...Its such a big thing that will change our lives forever. We want to make sure we're ready for it, as much as possible...

So this is my 100th post. One that I thought would come much sooner then now, but have found that blogging can be harder then it looks! I started this blog on March 23, 2009 really just wanting someone to talk to. Rob was gone at drill school for two months so all I had was the cat, who hated me and vise verse. Rob continues to remind me that I picked him, *rolling eyes* yeah, yeah...With this 100th post I'm proud to say I now have 91 stalkers, which remains to astound me...Really, do you enjoy my silence that much? However, no matter how you found me and no matter why your here, I'm excited to have you on board during this come back! Thanking you all for encouraging me and making my heart smile with all your understanding of this absence...Now its time for a shower and meditation before work...The closer it gets to the holiday, the crazier people want to appear...*shrugs*

I'm Making A Comeback!

This is post number 99 and I'm excited to say that in a few short days I will be blogging MUCH more and completing my 100th post! This post will be rather large as there has been so much going on lately, so be on the look out. I will also be posting pictures of why my blogging is making a comeback! YAY, I can't hardly wait...Come on friday:) I figured I'd give you all the opportunity to ask your questions in honor of my 100th post, but I totally understand if there are none. I haven't exactly been Chatty Cathy of late:p Will be catching up on everyone very soon so look out!

I've been bitten...

"Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!" Lately I've been humming, singing and whistling this tune, to the point you'd think my voice would fail me. I am so excited for Christmas this season! Infact, just last night I almost went and sat on Santa's jolly lap- for giggle sake of course:p Its hard to say why this year holds more excitement then last; Maybe because last year I was more focused on our wedding rather then hanging lights and trimming the tree? However, this year, I have my own home to decorate with obnoxious color and fill with holiday cheer and I plan to do just that... I will, one hundred percent, loose my mind and become my sworn enemy Martha Stewart, or the likes of her rather. Heck, you might even find me wearing one of those ridiculous holiday aprons accompanied with matching oven mitts! To add to this excitement, my in-laws are visiting for the first time since we've been married! I was worried that Rob wouldn't get to see them, because of me *retail people, somebodies gotta be there taking your money in exchange for holiday gifts* but turns out, their coming to us! Well I really just wanted to share that and say, I hope all of you have the Christmas bug as badly as I do, cause its a wonderful feeling! Enjoy your Thanksgiving everyone:)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Back From Vacation!

So vacation was very fast paced and caotic, just like I expected...My very large family never let me down in this area and I love it:p I'm only going to share a few pictures because, sadly, most of the good ones are on my brother in-law's camera up in Tennessee...He's not very computer savy so I doubt I'll be getting copies unless I trot up there and get them myself:) Enjoy!

Kind of blurry I know, Rob was using my head for a tri-pod:p

Love this guy!

My Godson/nephew Matt...What a cutie:)


Rob and I inside Animal Kingdom

Like I indirectly said, nothing spectacular to see here...However, we had a blast! Our condo was even more gorgeous then the pictures and we hated to leave! I came home with a pretty good doozy of a sunburn but every minute was worth it. To be honest, the sunburn didn't come until the last day there; We spent three hours out on the beach with no protection, ekk! I'm still peeling ladies...Like usual, I ate waaaaay to much food and gained four pounds but I'm back on track and hitting the gym everyday:) My sister in-law, Suzi, gave me a kick ass workout and well..... its doing just that...Kicking my ass.

On another subject, I see that I have lost a few followers but have gained even more! How this is possible I do not know but I wanted to say "Welcome!" and that I am really excited to have you on board:) The goal is to fix my still broken laptop so that I will start blogging again more. Maybe then I will feel more worthy of all the loyality and interest:) For those of you who were with me a few months back, yes I am still in the cave...Ummm boo!

Have a great night ladies and thanks for all of your continued reading!

So happy!

WELL HI EVERYONE! Currently I should be packing so I can head out in the early early morning, however, I just got back from a super delish dinner at Chedders and yeah, not feeling the motivation:) Am I excited that today kicks off my eleven day vacation? Ummm, give me a big fat "Hooah!" Tomorrow I leave for my home in Tennessee where I'll be spending time with family and also throwing my sis, Autumn, a pink baby shower...I cannot wait to see the adorable baby bump shes rockin:) Sadly, Rob has to stay behind for this part of the vacation but come Thursday, we're outta here making our way to Orlando, FL and the land of Mickey and Mini! Most of my siblings are driving down Wednesday so we can head out together. Its going to be so much fun seeing the smiles and hearing the laughter of my nieces and newphews while they experience Disney for the first time-

Here are some gorgeous pictures of the luxury resort we'll be staying at while there, Vista Cay of Orlando...I think the name even sounds luxurious:p

I claim this room:p

Did I mention the weather is going to be in the mid seventies and gorgeous? Can I say Hooah twice in one post, or is that just tacky:p

Definitely gonna be out here with a hot cup'o'joe in the mornings...Total relaxation I tell ya...
I promise to be back with lots of pics but for now...drum roll please.....

I cut my hair!!!! Still trying to get used to it:p
See you all later and I hope everyone is doing fabulous! I'd also like to say that there are soooo many good posts up right now that I want to comment on them all! Maybe while I'm in Tennessee:) Love you guys!

I'm Still Here!

I am the worst blogger ever... I hear a lot of you saying this exact same thing, but please "will the true worst blogger PLEASE stand up?" DING! That would be me:) Trust me, I wear this badge with shame and I stand humble before you, my loyal followers...Truth be told, I really miss blogging, badly:( I hate the fact that I am no longer on the inside track of all your lives and that it makes me feel like an outsider...I was talking to Rob on Sunday about this very thing...Sigh...One day my life will slow down enough where I can come back strong, I hope...But until then, just know that I do visit your pages, and even though I might do some speed reading with no commenting, I'm still around! I am so excited for all of you and the good things happening in everyones lives...Megan over at Army Alaska Life, just had a wonderful two weeks with her hubby on R&R, D.A.R and her husband are finally back together after Z being deployed for so long and bought a house! Jessica over at "Learning As We Go" made it safe to their duty post and is settling in better then she thought, SO many of your husbands are finally home and this makes me smile:) Everyone seems to be in a cheery mood with the coming of fall and cooler weather, I know I am! See, I am reading and I do care:) So bare with me ladies; I hope to be back blogging on a regular basis before we're all chanting "gobble gobble gobble." Have a wonderful evening chica's!

Noddin my head like, yeah. Movin my hips like, yeah.

So while I'm waiting for the chicken to unthaw for dinner, mid'as'well make use of my time and say hello to all of you beautiful chica's out there! I hope everyone is doing just as wonderful as I am! Big switch from the current mood I had been in...I know, right! Todays just been a great day...No spactacular news to report...Nothing like that....It's just been a day full of beautiful weather and good vibes! Miley's new song, "Party In The USA" cranked up to ear splitting decimels might also be contributing to this disgustingly good mood:p I know some of you are Miley haters, and I do admit that not ALL of her stuff is radio worthy, but come on...You Cannot help BUT bop your head to this song...Check it out here if you haven't already heard it...I dare you to try and stay still:p I think it sounds kind of like Jamaican rap meets American pop, which is a new sound for her.

Some other things makin me smile right now is the news that my sister, is having a GIRL! she just found out yesterday...Their naming her Ella Rose which I think is such a beautiful name! I'll be driving up in Oct. to throw her baby shower, which I'm so excited about because who doesn't like throwing a party in pink:p

Thing numer 2... I just found out at work that their allowing us to wear jeans starting two days ago! This REALLY makes me happy; I've always been just a jeans and tee-shirt kinda girl at heart:)

Reason for smile number 3... Who here can say that they don't smile rediculously when you get to play cupid and it actually looks like its working! Its still too early to tell, and I don't want to jinx it, so mums the word for now...But keep your fingers crossed because it would be a good story to tell!

Heres one...I have managed to cook dinner for an entire week which is making me feel really productive, fulfilled and more like a wife...Call me crazy!

Also, our Florida vacation is getting closer and closer! I booked a beautiful condo in Orlando, just 10 minutes from Disney World! Its still a good 1.5 months away but closer then before:) I can't wait to hangout with my hubby and have some down time, get to sleep in TOGETHER and maybe enjoy a romantic walk on the beach, or two:p We're driving over to Cocoa Beach on our last day to soak up some sun and just enjoy our last day away from it all...

I do believe the chicken is thawed, but before I go...The answer to my random question, which NONE of you got right, was B. Fair Carny! Lol...I figured that would throw all of you for a loop, but GOOD try:p Hope you all enjoy your friday! I am off to finish dinner, go for a run then take dinner to the hubs...He has CQ again tonight:( Catch ya later!

The Squeaker Toy...

As of 3:56 p.m....today is a brighter day! Do I still need to wash my car? Yes. Should I have ran again today? Definitely! *still might get out there* Did Bella chew crators into my phone this morning? Ummm, wish I didn't have to say yes to that... But, after pretty close to a week of feeling moody and unmotivated, I am almost 100 percent better and ready to get back in the game!

Insert a moment of pause [here] because the house is entirely too quite...Must go check on my teething horse, Bella...

Okay! Turns out all is well...Bella was just swallowing our cats head, yet again while squeezing the life out of him...However, two days ago I found the most awesome diversion other then the cats head; a cloth bone! Who would have guessed...Only problem is, it wasn't JUST a big hit with her, but Peanut as well...Those two would go back and forth all day long if I'd let them; stealing it from one, to turn around and be stolen from the other...The important thing is, I FINALLY FOUND A TOY SHE HASN'T GOTTEN BORED OF! Check out the annoying squeaker it has:p Oh, and my non made up face complete with ratty hair...It wasn't planned but I went with it, HA!

when I play this video back to her she immediately grabs her squeeking bone and trys to out do herself in the video...BWAH A HA HA!

But I believe I owe a bit of an update! We'll start with the biggest news I delivered which was me persuing web design...I'm sure you took note of my use of was. Meaning its not looking too good! To be quite honest, I have completely backed off on it. Robert asked me why, the other day, and so I put some thought into it and came to the conclusion that I feel lost. Not with the material or the learning part so much but how to go about making it work for me once I have the knowledge...I've been talking to a lot of people in this field and it seems to me that I'm never going to be able to work for myself with only knowing web design. Building a web site isn't just a one man show...A misconception I obviously had. So while the wind has been taken out of my sails, I still plan to learn web design, but in a more watered down form. I'll continue to think about what I could do in the future for self employed income and hopefully stumble upon something great!

In other news, I finally feel like I'm learning to balance things, i.e my puppy, running, work, husband, blogging ect...My mistake was feeling like it all had to be perfect and that I had to give 100 percent ALL the time...This only left me feeling over whelmed and very much like a failure when I couldn't meet the challenge...So from here on out, I will continue to have expectations for myself, but will not keep setting myself up for failure with this perfect way of living...

Finally, I'll leave you with this *A, B or C* quiz about me:p

"What job did I hold at the age of 21?"

(A) TJ MAXX associate

(B) Fair Carny

(C) Librarian's Assistant

A Tub of Ice Cream Later and I'm Still Not Pooping Rainbows...

So does stuffing your face with ice cream, Oreo cookies and chips all day while trying to motivate yourself to do ANYTHING classify as a state of depression? Well whatever it is, I'm not liking it...It all started with my sister, Mary, surprising Robert and I with a visit this weekend...I was so excited! I haven't seen any of my family since late April and I'm really starting to miss them all! She left yesterday evening and ever since I've been nothing but down in the dumps...This morning I slept in until 10:00 even though my body was ready to get up at 7:00. I just didn't want to "get up." Once I did, I took Bella out to relieve herself and managed to build enough enthusiasm to smile and talk in a happy voice while she ran around and played with her ball. Once we got back in the house I plopped my butt down on the couch with ice cream and Oreo cookies while I downed my gloomy mood with good ol' Lifetime...The thing about being down is the more you ignore the things you should be doing so you can feed your mood, the more it puts you in a bad mood! For instance, I should have washed my car today, did some laundry, and got in a run earlier then what I did...However, even though I stuck my head in the sand over these things I was really happy with myself that I managed to take Bella to the park for her 2 mile walk, then go back an hour later and run 2 miles myself:) I'm still eating this damn ice cream but maybe that run was just what I needed to start feeling just a bit better...Anyone else struggle with missing your family and having days like this? What do you do to jump start yourself OUT of those moods?!?

Turns Out...

I get a text from the bride , my sister, last night saying that Tyler and she has decided to wait and see how they handle the deployment before marrying one another...YAY! I couldn't be happier...I'd say if they get through this in one piece and are still thinking of marriage, they might just have something...

As Promised...The Dreaded Wedding...

So my sisters wedding is coming up shortly and I know I tortured y'all in saying, some posts back, that I was not excited about it... Well I'm still not excited about it and that just makes me feel like a bad sister...However, maybe not...If I were a bad sister, wouldn't I pretend that they were perfect for each other and that I was all kinds of supportive? Gosh, I don't know...I know that they feel this is the right thing, but its more of a duty to my sister rather then a want...Or at least that's what her remarks in marrying him has brought me to believe...Okay, enough thinking out loud. Onto the explanation!

This is my sister and her *then* boyfriend Tyler...They were really cute together and all of us were really glad to see her smiling again. A long story short, Mouse had been in a really bad car accident involving only herself 1 year previous from the date of this picture. She had been life flighted to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, TN for brain damage as result of that accident. It was very sad to see and most days made me cry. She was so full of life and always wore a shining smile where ever she went...But after that, she barley knew who she was and where she was most of the time, let alone remembering what a smile was. Well during that year recovery, she had flown to Oregon to be with my parents and older sister Mary. The recovery went well. The doctors said she was young and would bounce back at least 97 percent of the way and I feel she did, if not 100 percent! Sadly, in that year she had gotten involved with a guy that took advantage of her less then strong mind, and really did some damage. So when she returned to Tennessee where I was living, she was ready to get back to normal and just have some fun. Gosh, it couldn't have been more then three weeks when Tyler entered the picture. They had met at a club during an outing with my other sister Angel and a friend...

As you can see she was dressed super cute that night and feeling pretty flirty:p Mouse is the one in the black tank. I don't think any man stood a chance that night and from what Angel told me, that's just the way it went down:p

Well Tyler took notice and introduced himself by jumping into one of these pictures and the rest is history. I wish I could say that this was a romantic beginning to an even more romantic life together, but truth be told, things just really went south. After dating 5 months Mouse comes to me bawling saying that she is 11 weeks pregnant.

She was always complaining about how clingy Tyler was and about how jealous he is. Well now they are having a kid together so Tyler proposes...She accepted only because she felt weird being pregnant without a ring on her finger. Not one of her smarter moves, I know...Tyler was and IS obsessed with my sister. All he wants is to marry her so that he owns her and no one elses can have her. I just think that is really scary and that Mouse needs to be careful. He has already went off on her, locking her in the house while the whole time yelling and throwing things; Mouse didn't know what to do other then curl up in the corner of the couch and crying. Man, I wanted to fillet him when I heard about that. By this time She had already had their son Colton, and luckily he was over at Tyler's parents house. Well since then, they've really just been like roommates. She doesn't enjoying being intimate with him. They fight all the time. Tyler is always keeping them in debt. And then there's the whole jealousy thing. Mouse says she doesn't want them to split for Coltons sake and also because I know shes scared of being a single mom; I don't blame her! But marriage is for life and I am NOT of the belief that you should marry or stay married for the child's sake. My own parents were less then happy my entire life and there were times I would have begged them to get a divorce. It was like walking on pins and needles for 18 years. You just want the fighting and hurting to stop. You love them both and you just want it to stop. Well my sister and Tyler stayed engaged, if you will, this entire time until three weeks ago when she announces that they are finally getting married...My first thought is why now? The answer is, Tyler's deploying in October for a year and he is really pushing for the union. He doesn't want to leave without putting that final ring on her finger. Mouse says they decided "now" because she doesn't want another woman raising her son at some point and vis verse. So not only is Mouse NOT in love, but she is getting married a few weeks before a deployment! Ummm, do you see my point? A deployment is hard enough on a strong marriage! A lot of you know this...I'm just scared for her...I'm not sure if this made any since to you all...But the bottom line is, she is not happy in this situation already, and shes fixin to bind herself to it! I would love to hear your thoughts ladies...Also, my sister Mary asked me to to see if some of you would be willing to email Mouse with the , down and dirty, of a deployment to really give her a better picture of what to expect? She won't listen to me because duh, I'm her sister:p And two, because I was not married to Robert during his deployments...So I don't count:p I'd really appreciate it...Of course, Mouse would be aware of you writing her and I would make sure it was okay first:) Just let me know if any of you are willing to do this! I am off to the shower...Work is on the horizon...

Show Me Some Magic

Gosh, I had NO idea that planning a family vacation could be such hard work!!! I am seriously sweating bullets over here from my labor...PHEW! One week solid on the computer I spent clicking, searching and reading my way into a frenzy trying to find the perfect place to stay during our Florida trip. Well I finally found it today! Now I'm just waiting for the Pay Pal request for the down payment. I'm assuming I haven't received it because the owners live in the good ol' land of crumpets and tea *England* where the time difference is at least 9 hours I'm sure...I am so E.X.C.I.T.E.D about this vacation! It will have been six months since I saw my family last which might not be much to some, but to me...Well as you all know, I am very close to my family. I have been having bouts of (missing them) a lot here lately...We'll be hearding out four days after my sisters wedding which I'm still not thrilled about destined for Orlando, FL where magic is promised to happen... For those of you who are not thinking Disney World, get your heads out of the gutter:p We are staying in one of Orlando's newly built luxury resorts with an enormous pool, king size beds and Egyptian Cotton sheets...Pure bliss if you ask me! Now all I have to accomplish is boarding for Bella during the trip and wait the 60 days until we leave!!!


Tomorrow is my day off so I plan to catch up on as much blogging as I can...Heck I might even post again tomorrow:p I've really been missing you all and hating that so much has been written that I haven't been able to read! ARGH...Love you guys! Please don't think I have forgotten about you all...To each and everyone that has me as a follower on your blog; I DO visit your page. I SWEAR! I don't always comment, this you know, but I do care and I do enjoy reading about your thoughts and life:) Bare with me and before you know it, all will be back to normal...

Catch you beauty's later;)

HELLO!

HELLO HELLO! So today's my day off and BOY am I glad about that! Right now I am sporting a pretty good cold with an annoying cough so I could use a day to myself. It feels like its been forever since my last post and I hate that:( But thank you all for your support and understanding *sends hearts*.

Really, there's nothing exciting to report. Bella had a vet appointment on Tuesday for some awful skin condition that she has broken out with. Turns out she has some type of mange...EKK! I asked Robert where in the world she picked that up at seeing as we wash her about once every two weeks and shes not in filth at all...I feel like such a bad mommy because is that something you could prevent? Well, she is on meds for the sores, and they medicated her skin then told us to give her Benadryl twice a day for the itching so hopefully this stuff kicks the bucket soon!

Robert finished up his first rotation last Thursday so he had a four day weekend and then is on leave until this Monday. I'm really glad he was able to get this time off because he was t.i.r.e.d! For the past five days hes basically been living at the auto skills center on post with his stang:p Something happened to it some weeks back so he decided it would be a good idea to rip it apart and find the problem. I am proud of him because its not like he's this big time mechanic that knows all. He's read book after book on the car and it seems to be paying off because he found the problem, then another one...This one kind of hurts the wallet because its a cracked head. Those babies cost a whopping 1,500! Act now, cringe later kind of deal though because if we leave it, that could mean even bigger problems down the road; costlier problems:p I'm going over there today to check out his progress and take a few pictures:)

As for me, its been crazy busy at work, which is better then no work! Kids go back to school today so it should slow down some before the holiday season gets here...A few of my sisters and I are planning a Florida vacation at the end of Oct. THIS I am so excited about! We are going to stay on the beach for 4 nights then commute the 45 minutes to Disney World while we're there! Best of both worlds if you ask me:) Robert hopefully gets to come, but its right in the middle of a rotation so its not set in stone. I've been keeping up with my running except for the past three days. Because of this cold, it has made me really weak and just miserable:( I think its so awesome that two of my older sisters and one younger brother has gotten into running because of me...One of them smokes and she swore up and down that he would never be a runner, so I like to laugh at her now:) Their doing awesome with it! I only wish we all lived closer so I could run with them...Boo...I had to buy another pair of glass which I got in a few days ago. I hated doing that, but Robert wanted me to have the exact ones that Bella chewed up. "You looked good in those babe." He told me, so I folded:p

Well I have not been on any of your blogs in a few days so I'm going to do that now before Robert wakes up. I hope you're all enjoying your week and that its not quite as long until my next post:p

Caio!

Cut Backs Suck!

So once again, my life has become too cluttered! However, the internet is not to blame, this time:) I seriously don't know how some of you do it...A husband to tend to, children, pets, house work, laundry, cooking meals, working, college for some of you, on top of maintaining family ties, hobbies, your blogs and whatever else! I'm in complete awe over here...

My new life, as Mrs. G.I. Joe, started out very uncomplicaited and low key, but has since filled up really fast; Or so it seems...I moved to Georgia, on December 29, 2008, two days after our wedding. From then to now, I landed a job as an assistant manager in a well known gaming company, I've taken up blogging and currently follow more then 50 blogs. I added running to my list shortly after which takes up a great deal of time, but is so rewarding and fun, (most of the time:p) We adopted a cat from on post, who was the devil himself in disguise then added Bella a few months later. I had forgotten just HOW needy a puppy can be...PHEW! On top of this, there is the given, my husband who I love to spend time with so I always become distracted from what follows: cooking, laundry, dusting, cleaning, vacumming and anything else I have forgotten...Lets see, theres also maintaining family ties back home. For those of you who didn't know, I come from a family of ten; Seven siblings, not including myself, and my parents. I am really close to most all of them so it takes work! DAMN! my sister Angels birthday is today...Note to self: call sister dear after I finish this post:p Okay, so wrapping this up, I added the BIG under taking of becoming a self taught web designer a few days ago. Well, pretty much, that was the straw that broke the camals back, so to speak. Nothing else feels like it will fit! In fact, I have fallen behind on ALL of the above by just adding web design to my list...I am so excited about it that, that is all I want to do right now...Read my book and do the work...So until I learn to manage my time even MORE tightly, I am sad to say that I had to make an adjustment. My blogging is going to become less then what it was. My goals (because I enjoy it and y'all a lot) is to post AT LEAST once a week. From there I will be making rounds on y'alls bloggings once a week to post comments but continue to follow as much as I can through the week, so I'm not completely lost! I hope I don't loose too many of you over this...Its just until I learn to juggle all that is in my day:) Well I am off to wish Angel a Happy Birthday, take Bella for her second set of shots, run a four miler then study, YAY! Hope you all had a great weekend!!!

Edit: Well double damn! Turns out Angels birthday was two days ago. On the exact day, in fact, that I looked at Robert and said, "Babe, don't let me forget to call Angel in two days and wish her a happy brithday." Gosh, I am a terrible sister...Lol...Good thing she loves me:p

A Big Announcement!

And I'll say it again, " I have a big announcement! But before I delve into that, I should say, "I've heard and read all of your pleas for a deeper explanation as to Bella's (almost) demise and also, about my current mood/thoughts on my sisters up coming wedding. My answer, "I am working on drafts for them both, as they are long reads that need to be written with much thought, and I promise to post them as soon as they are finished:)

NOW, onto the really big news!

I'd wager that most of you know what this book is about, being that we're all bloggers here on the World Wide Web, but the question is, how does it tie into my really big news!?! Well between the years of turning sixteen and up until now, I have been turning stone after stone over in my head, trying to pin point a focus of study that would fit me best. I've toyed with the idea of a teacher, a paramedic and actually did go to school for this, but never finished, and so on... I think most everyone goes through this at some point until they find what they've been searching for. However, for the past few months, under the surface of my everyday life, I've been antsy and prickly feeling like I was really close to the answer yet, struggling with that, just out of my reach type feeling and it was so frustrating; Until two nights ago...One of those well worn stones hit me square in the forehead! After some late night research and a long talk with the hubs, I have decided to pursue a career in Web Design! This stuff just fascinates me, especially writing HTML and CSS. Hence, the ridiculous grin why I'm holding up a book that promises to reveal all. HOWEVER, there is a really frightening part...I am going to become a self taught Web Designer...Ekk! Come to find out, anyone can become a Web Designer/Graphic Designer. A degree is not required to break into these fields, but no doubt, would greatly help! All you need is the patience to succeed, the right software and DIY books. A Mac wouldn't hurt either:p Oh, and my glasses back so I can see again!

Rest assured though, I do have a realistic four year plan mapped out to achieve this. Right about the time Robert and I plan for kids, I should have a solid foundation in Web/Graphic Design right in time to start my next big project; starting my own business! That side of it is still a bit fuzzy as I am trying to focus more on the skills that will get me there, but it is the goal I have for the finish line:) If any of you have input about this plan, or thoughts and advise on where to start, PLEASE let em rip! At this point, I am just trying to collect information about where to begin i.e web design? Or, get a solid footing in graphic design first as they both greatly correlate.

FYI: This post is very watered down compaired to my excitment and reasons for wanting to be a web designer, but I'm not wanting to write a book that weighs more than the average human, so I will stop here:) Thank you all for listening and joining in on my excitment, as I know you will! Sleep tight y'all. I'm off to catch a few zzzzz's:)

Good And Bad...

Well once again, I have fell behind on my blogging and commenting! I finally was able to get that darn comforter to dry by stuffing it into the washer and placing it on "spin" cycle. Once most of the water was out, it went into the dryer, but do not fear, I stayed with it the whole time praying that the machine wouldn't explode:p Yes, it came out a wrinkled mess, but that's okay...At least its clean! So glad all of you laughed so hard over my stupidity:)

Gosh, it seems like so much has happened since my last post! Found out yesterday that my younger sister is getting married in October...I do not say this excitedly however...This is such a long story so I will refrain. Took Bella to the pound on Monday only to return home with her after being told that she would be put down that day, due to an over flow of animals...Yeah, that's another long story that I'm SURE your trying to understand seeing as Bella is my baby. I will try to post about that soon. Just know that it worked out after a very stressful night and morning full of tears...Excitedly, my older sister has a love interest, that just MIGHT be interested back after seven months. Too soon to tell though:) Had my $350.00 coach glasses chewed up by my puppy right along with my second phone charger...This is not the reason she was taken to the pound mind you:p managed to build a pretty nasty knot in my shoulder blades which is causing a lot of back pain and neck pain. I'm getting it from my runs I think. I need to focus more on staying loose and agile:p Other then that, not much else to report! My running continues and in fact, I have come to the idea that I need to start building through the week instead of going after 4 miles each run...I hear how a lot of you start off easy then build and build until Sunday where you do a long run...I'm gonna try this and see how well it works!

Tomorrow Robert has PT but then is off for the rest of the day! We're going to see if my glasses can be salvaged first, then we're headed to the beach at Calloway Gardens for some fun in the sun:p I hope you all had a fabulous Tuesday! Tomorrow I plan to make my rounds on everyone's blogs and and beg for forgiveness; I've been gone for too long, once again:( Catch you chica's later;)

Thats Why You Leave It To The Professionals...

Sitting here I'm, really, N0 literally kicking my, rather white, rear end...Today was going to be a day of chores; Having that "good" feeling after getting stuff done that I've had on my mental list for several weeks, and some, even months.

The List:

1. Get my hair cut

2. Wax my eyebrows

3. Get the carpets cleaned

4. Wash/clean out our fridge

5. Wash my car

6. Vacuum my car

7. Have our comforter dry cleaned

8. Make appointment to have birth control refilled

So at 7:30 a.m, all was going well. I wake up to take Bella out, then return to immediately start shoving dining room chairs, coffee tables and end tables in the kitchen, out of the way for the carpet cleaners...I hop into some light weight shorts and a tank, lock Bella and Peanut in the bathroom, then head out with our HUGE comforter, eager to start chopping away at my list. First stop, Sun Shine Dry Cleaners! Five minutes later I walk out, still, with blanket in tow. They wanted $30.00 just to steam away the stains and wouldn't have it back to us for 10 days! Now I do not frequent the dry cleaners, obviously because I still haven't had my wedding dress cleaned, but this just seemed over priced and an absurd amount of waiting time to me. So, NO THANKS! I told the kind lady, I would simply find a laundry mat and was on my way. However, finding a laundry mat in this town is apparently IMPOSSIBLE! Well, no problem...Take a deep breath and think...I've got it! We have a huge tub in our bathroom; surly big enough to hand wash this blanket...Oh yes, you've read right...I took my happy ass into the laundry room, grabbed our bottle of Tide and went to town...Here is the results and don't laugh...

Getting it into the tub was rather easy, but getting it out was a whole different story! Had I taken a minute to think, I might have re-thought this plan out... A king sized comforter emerged in hot water, equals a very heavy figgin piece of material; One that I could barely budge! I am totally telling on myself here, but I even farted a few times straining to get that sopping wet pain in my ass blanket outta our tub! Just imagine me bent over, heaving and gasping and looking very much like a woman in labor...Get the picture?
Me, after I managed to get it into a laundry basket...K, now what? Its full of water and too big for the washer to wring out, so AGAIN I have a genius plan...I drag that basket out onto our third floor balcony and proceed to toss and flop it over the banister...However, immediate problem with this...I managed to create Niagara Falls all over the downstairs neighbors deck, deck chairs and plants....EKK! Luckily nothing was ruined...I checked through the cracks in the floor:p However, not ten minutes after I get it out there, a tasume sweeps through and drenches it all over again! Argh...

Not my brightest moment...But once again I prove true to my nature...Work harder, not smarter:p At the rate that thing is draining out there, it'll be 10 days before it sees our bedroom anyhow. However, reading over this, I am in hysterics and have learned a valuable lesson, so I hope you didn't laugh too hard but just goes to show you, that's why you leave it to the professionals...I need a beer:p

P.S. Thank you all for your very sweet, kind words on my last post. Was kind of blushing from all the praise:) Sometimes I feel like Robert is never home to be a good wife to, so its in things like this that I try to show him how much he's loved and how much I care. Ya'll are too great:)

Reenlistment...

After work tonight, I swung by Ft. Benning to drop dinner off to Robert because he had CQ again...Bummer... But in all honesty I could kiss him; You see, the hubs actually volunteered for another one just so he could have tomorrow off with me...Be still my heart! Isn't he just a peach:p However, getting back on track...Robert asked me a really good question tonight that I thought would be interesting to ask all of my military followers/wives...This might actually be an easy "cut and dried" answer for a lot of you, but for me it was something to think about...Over the course of eating his Shrimp Parmesan Pasta, Robert and I headed into the whole him reenlisting conversation (again) but this time Robert wanted to know my thoughts on it, and if I could decide whether he stay or get out, what would I choose and why...Hmmmm...I hadn't really thought about this much because I know this is his life and he intends to make it a career, so I never question it... But after some hemming and hawing, I came to the conclusion that even though I hate the thought of him deploying again and I'd love to have him home more, the simple truth is...The Army is where it's at for Robert...He is the type of man that is happiest when he feels apart of something, and the military is definitely a big something...I came to this conclusion many months ago when he'd tell me, there were days that he wanted to go back to Iraq and he truly meant it...Oh yes, I got my feelings hurt over this... I understood him to be saying he'd rather be fighting over there then be home with me. However, I now know, that was my hurt and insecurity thinking, and I dug deep to really see what was behind this crazy talk...This is what I found....Robert, like all the men, want that deep sense of manly belonging and purpose and fighting this war has brought that to them in the biggest way...Lets be honest, this war blends perfectly with our men's makeup and feeds them in a way that we (their women/family) will never be able to. But in saying that, we are what drives our men to stand up and fight, ultimately placing them into the breeding grounds where their nature can relate and thrive...So to give you the answer I gave my husband just over an hour ago, No I do not want him to "get out" and yes I do want him to reenlist. My husbands happiness means everything to me and to encourage him into something I know would leave him empty, is wrong. Robert, has come to the same conclusion, I think, but wanted to hear me say the words "Its okay." I feel he also wanted to give me that voice most of us military wives feel we don't have? Ahhhhh, yet another reason I married this man...So thoughtful and I LOVE HIM! What about you ladies? What are your thoughts on the hubs reenlisting/not?


Robert's new endearment for me is "My artichoke heart." And for some reason it just melts my pee pickin little heart:p Goodnight everyone and P.s. Have all of you been running into problems with commenting on my blog? Because twice I have heard from readers who have been and now I'm curious...Let me know!

Edit: I should probably say that this next reenlistment means life for Robert until he retires, so its a big final decision for us!

Swing Your Partner Round And Round!!!

Well hello everyone! As you can see, my blogging has been more sporadic then usual, and for that I apologize; But what have I been up to? HA, not much, other then running, playing with my dog, spending time with my bread winner and working:p But I just realized I told the entire blogger world about, possibly, getting fired weeks ago then just left y'all hanging! Not cool, and I'm sorry. Things have settled down a lot with that. I'm not really sure whats different but my numbers have been way more attractive so I'm not as worried which is equaling less stress in my life:p So, thank you all for your kind words and thoughts! I think they helped:) For my new followers, if you haven't read my little "job" scare, you can find that post here.


But onto some BIG news! Last post I was really down on my running, however I have since been REALLY encouraged! Yesterday I got out there with my freshly charged Ipod, comfy shorts and familiar shoes and just ran and ran...I finished my two miles flawlessly and I felt great...I stopped, for no more then 1 minute, to drink a bit of water, then thought to myself...Ya know, I think I could at least do another mile...So that's just what I did! However, I finished that third mile without even a pit stop and just kept on trucking until I completed another mile...I AM SMILING FROM EAR TO EAR AFTER TYPING THAT! That totals 4 freakin miles outdoors ladies with only one break for some water...BUT WAIT, here is the best part...I went from running 12 minute miles to 10 minute miles the whole darn way....AHHHHHHHH! Excuse me while I scream into a pillow then proceed to swing my (imaginable) partner round and round...I honesly feel like a 5k is in my near future?????



Robert is on CQ tonight so I am all alone minus our two furry kids...For those of you who have a cat and dog, do they play with one another and if so, is it rough play? Bella is so aggressive with Peanut but then Peanut gets his jabs in there too...I would think if one or the other is getting hurt then they would just quit, but they both come back for more....Robert is getting concerned that Bella is hurting Peanut, but Bella is the one who's always being left with big bloody scratches. I even think Peanut pulled one of her wiskers out because she has a nice little scab where one should have been...Thoughts? Suggestions? We're trying to teach them the word "easy" but its just not sinking in...Sigh...Maybe they'll grow out of it???

As I Hang My Head In Shame...

I'm really kicking myself right now and before you ask "why" I'm going to tell you... I'm ashamed to say that somehow I let SIX whole days pass without getting even one tiny run in! I just sort of fell short on those wonderful days off with Robert and then could never get my engine running again... Ooooooooh, but let me say that, I paid dearly last night... It was aweful...I got home from work at 5:30 p.m., kissed the hubby hello while catching up on each others days then determined that it was time to get back out there. By this time, it was about 6:30 so hubby and I threw on our running shorts and shoes and hopped into his truck for the short drive to my spot. I knew it was going to be rough but DANG! Even before I started, I was sporting a nice little headache and a knee that kept chinking so I was going to be happy to just finish 2 miles, let alone going for more...To top it all off, PMS is setting in by this time and so EVERYTHING was irritating the crap out of me i.e: swinging ponytail that kept hitting me on my neck, sweat dripping down the side of my face, the sound of my gasping for air uneven breathing, the ruts I kept having to dodge, and my need to pee so bad but wouldn't go because of the HUMONGO lizard that was guarding the restroom door....Insert crossed arms and pouty face here...I honestly hadn't been keeping track of how many days had passed, so when I logged my shameful 1.70 miles into Running Ahead, I was shocked when I saw that little graph bar so far away from my last run! I started counting, 1.2.3.4.5....My heart fell at day 5...But no wonder I had such a hard time of it! Wow, I'm never doing that again because I hate how much I hated myself for not running, and ultimately hobbling my progress like this because of it...Watch while I hang my head in shame...The good new is that I learned a lesson that will hopefully keep me on the right track, sometime to come:p Thank you for listening to me bitch moan. I am off to do some sit ups and push ups...Maybe this peace offering will help:p

Loved Every Minute Of It...Sigh

I forgot how much I L.O.V.E.D the movie A Little Princess...After flipping through the movie channels while Robert lay sleeping, I spoted this movie on Encore and was instantly taken back to when I discovered this movie for the first time. Sigh...For those of you who haven't watched it, you should...In my mind, its a classic and I can't believe I don't own it!

So there was that, but onto my WONDERFUL three day weekend with the hubs:p

It started on Friday with waking up and heading to Ihop for some pancakes and coffee...I absolutely love doing this with Robert. We have some of the best conversations over piping hot java and a hearty breakfast. Its fantastic:) After a good two hours spent there we head back to the house for some showers and to grab our swim attire. One hour later we were on our way to Calloway Gardens in Pine Mountian, GA which is about 30 minutes from our place. Let me just say that I WASN'T expecting it to be so big and beautiful! Tons of lakes and rivers with blossoming bushes of every color; fishing, golfing, biking, swimming in gorgeous blue water with a beach, butterfly gardens to observe, and lots more! We actually went there intending to layout and enjoy the beach and sun but got sidetracked by all of the unexpected views and activities:) We still didn't see it all by the time we left but, we will definitely be back especially since military gets in free:p

Back at the homestead, it was late enough to grab dinner so we opted for a delicious meal at O'Charlies...YUM! The rest of the night was filled with fishing in our pond outback, snuggling on the couch and just enjoying our time together...Bella chewed up my phone charger again so I had no phone ringing off the hook, which was sort of nice!

Saturday and Sunday was pretty much a repeat of Friday except on Sunday we attended Robert's bosses wedding...I was sad that we didn't get pictures taken together because Robert was in his class A's, per request of his boss, and I was in a really sexy red and black dress...I'm not sure the name of the style but I just love it:) However, I'm paying for wearing those heels with it today...My calves felt so strained that it cost me my run:( Tomorrow I'll be getting out there for sure...I know I shirked on my blogging duties over these past three days, but can ya blame a girl:p I was having way too much fun with the husby:) But it's definitely time to emerge back into the blogging world when Robert came home all sad because he didn't have a new read at work today...Lol...I hope everyone had a really good time this weekend as well; filled with lots of good food, fireworks and family:) I'll be catching up and commenting on y'alls blogs over the next few days so see you there!

Our Sixth Month!

On June 27th, Robert and I hit six months of marriage! And lordy, is has just flown by! In honor of this landmark, I've decided to post this picture of us both. This was a good day...Here is one of the pictures from that week of our first physical meeting...Four years it took us to finally get here, that when I finally made it, I was so dizzy with excitment! The whole nine days were just wonderful...Definitely memories that I will carry and charish the rest of my life...

However, in this six months of marriage I have been suprised about how easy it is being his wife and he says the same. Life is just so smooth and calm with him. I love how we laugh all the time and play like two very in love individuls...We look out for one another in everything: sickness, health, bad moods or good moods, we're there for each other. Two years ago I would have laughed in your face had you told me marriage would be the one thing that made me happier then anything in the world, but it has...I looked at my parents marriage and was skeptical that anyone could be completely happy in a union like this, but six months ago, there I was entering into one of my own and it was the best feeling...I didn't have hopes of being happy with this man, I KNEW we would be happy...I'm not waiting for the other shoe to drop, even though this was very much me, in the past. Instead, I look forward to seeing how much more we'll grow in the future...The thought of being happier then I am now is hard to phatom but who knows...The day will come where we have children and the thought of looking down and seeing both him and I molded inside of a little one that we created, just makes my heart smile... That day, I know, my laughter is going to bubble over while I look at my husband and my eyes say, "I love you."

I love you babe! Here's to six more months of this same good stuff with you...

MWAH!