A Little Sugar and a Pinch of Spice

moving along

2011-02-07T17:18:00.003-05:00

Day 11 - A picture of something you hate
We all know how bad these are. Years ago people didn't know and my grandfather became a smoker- for 50 years. He stopped when he was diagnosed with emphysema, but it didn't give him any improvement. In a few short years he got worse and it was smoking that caused emphysema and took him away from us. So we all know nowadays about smoking- why would you ever pick up one of these!? I HATE smoking!

Day 12 - A picture of something you love
He can be rotten to the core, but I do love my little dachshund Frank.

Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist
This one was easy. I love, love, love Keith Urban. I love his music and the words to his songs. And you know what lucky me, on our cross country trip we ran into him in Nashville. We saw him sing to about 200 people, and I got his autograph while I was on the other side of this fence! If you want to see a video I have it posted at the bottom of this post.

Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without
Another easy one- my husband. Here we are dancing to our first dance at our wedding. Life just wouldn't be as good without him!

Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die
I want to visit all 50 states. 31 down, 19 to go!

Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you
My grandmother. She has been through a lot. She raised her 5 kids on her own when my grandfather dropped dead of a heart attack at 40 years old. She didn't even have a job when he died, but she got out there and did what she had to do. Now she is 80 years old and she is still a lot of fun to be around. I hope I can be as enjoyable at 80 years old.

Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently
How recently? Well we've only been married about 2 years and the Navy has sure made a huge impact! I have seen do much, done so much, and met so many people all because of the Navy. It not only impacted my life- it changed it... for the better!

Days 6,7,8,9

2011-01-30T22:02:00.006-05:00

I am catching up on the last few days that I was MIA...

Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a dayJust for a day, it would be worth so much to see how things really work at the Whitehouse, to be able to make a difference in people's lives, and to see whats its like to be married to the most powerful man in the world. Just for a day though- then I would be happy to not have that responsibility of being the First Lady. Say what you want about the Obamas, but one thing I like about her is her admiration for military families.

Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured itemThis is the only piece of jewelry I never take off. I had it sized so its tight enough that I even wear it in the ocean. I love my ring set. My husband had the princess cut stone offset so that it resembles the shape of a diamond. And the wedding band was custom made to fit up to it. I love it, because its unique and I know that no one else in the world has this exact set.

Day 08 - A picture that makes you laughThese are some of my cousins- the girls on my mom's side. We are all close and here we are trying to get a nice picture on the beach. Of course one is goofier than the next in this photo :)

Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most
My mom has always been there for me. I know I can call her and talk with her about almost anything. This is a picture of us when she visited me in Washington State while I lived there. Look at those snowcapped mountains- I never got tired of looking at them, and I knew I would miss them. I just didn't know I would miss everything else about the Pacific Northwest.

Day 5

2011-01-26T17:01:00.003-05:00

Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory

This was one of my favorite parts of our wedding day- walking through the arch of swords to officially be welcomed in the Navy as a Navy Wife. The right of passage through each set of swords is a kiss, and at the end the last guy takes his sword, taps me on the backside and says "Welcome to the Navy, Catie". So much fun- one of the coolest things I've done!

Day 4

2011-01-23T22:35:00.004-05:00

Day 04 - A picture of your night

Sweet Cream Icecream with Graham Cracker Pie Crust... Delicious

Its cold outside, bitter cold... but its never too cold for icecream

Day 3

2011-01-22T18:34:00.002-05:00

Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show

Here is one of my favorites:

Love Sex and the City...maybe that is why I hosted a SATC party this past summer

And one, my husband and I enjoy watching together, on reruns of course:I don't think I can watch an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond without laughing out loud at least 10 times... hysterical

Day 2

2011-01-21T15:16:00.005-05:00

Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest

This was a tough one, but I decided on Katie. She is my cousin and we are 9 months apart. We are the "K(C)atie's". This picture was from when we were about 11 or 12 years old I think. My mom has older pictures of us at the beach in our diapers together. We've always gotten along well. I remember we used to spend a few days together each summer spending the night at either her house or mine. It was so much fun. Our families always went to the beach together every summer as well.
And we grew up and we still remain close. We've even been called "Katie squared". We were bridesmaids in each others weddings and now our husbands are friends too. I couldn't think of anyone else I am closer to, that I've known since I was in diapers.

Day 1

2011-01-20T12:57:00.005-05:00

As promised today is the start of a year of photos. My friends Lindsay and Bryanna are doing this game on their blogs and I thought it would be a good way to start my photo-a-day.
Here are the rules.

Day 01- A picture of yourself with 10 facts:

There are many recent pictures of me on my blog, here's one from 20 years ago when I was in kindergarten.
1. I didn't always understand this, but one of my life motto's is to not burn bridges with people.
2. I like to plan, but the US Navy can make that difficult.
3. Though I went to dental hygiene school, I wouldn't mind having a career in interior decorating or maybe working in a cake shop.
4. I am the oldest of 3 kids.
5. My 20's have been a blast. Much better than what some consider the best time of life- high school.
6. Maybe its cliche, but my husband is my best friend. He makes life worth living.
7. One day maybe we will own a vacation home in Charleston, SC. That would pretty much be perfect.
8. Living in Washington state for about a year was the best experience of my life. I would do it again 10 times if I could.
9. I worry too much. I stress about things beyond my control. Maybe I should stop that. Easier said than done.
10. In a month's time, I stepped foot in 16 states including Hawaii.

Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show
Day 04 - A picture of your night
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the craziest things with
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate
Day 12 - A picture of something you love
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity
Day 19 - A picture and a letter
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change
Day 25 - A picture of your day
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss
Day 31 - A picture of yourself

Photo a Day

2011-01-19T15:31:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone, I took a long hiatus from blogging. I've been wanting to get back into it, but haven't done so, for the same reason I stopped before- I just don't have a lot going on that people would care enough to read about.
So after applying to somewhere between 15 and 20 dental offices and finding out it was usually me and 40-50 other hygienists applying to each job, I decided I needed to do something to keep me busy. I almost got a few of those jobs, but the sense of rejection was getting old. I'm not applying to anymore jobs for the time being. I am working through a temp agency, so I get called when an office has a hygienist out sick or on vacation. This way I'll keep up my skills should this economy ever turn around for the better. It is a bummer I worked so hard for 4 years to get my BS in Dental Hygiene and I am not using it the way I'd like, but I've decided to open some new doors for myself.
I signed up for a cake decorating class today for February and I am going to also participate in a craft show soon, selling some jewelry and other things I've made. And yep, you guessed it I decided to "dust off my blog" and give it another whirl. I am trying something that will keep me here for a whole year....
I'll be posting a photo a day for a year. It'll be somewhat of a journal of what is going on day to day, but I think I will interest people better this way. Wow I still have 26 followers after not even blogging for 5 months. Thanks to those of you who didn't abandon me!
Stay tuned... tomorrow I will be back with a photo!

Pickles, Pickles, Pickles!

2010-08-07T07:57:00.005-04:00

That's right- pickles! 6 quarts of them in fact!
My garden has done pretty well, but the cucumber plants have done GREAT! So with it only being myself and my husband, I knew we could never eat all the cucumbers before they spoiled. Solution- to make pickles! I wish I'd taken pictures along the way, but I do have one of the finished product!
Now I've never done this before. So with a little help from my good friend "Google", I decided I could in fact do this! The first step was the find the Mason jars. Harris Teeter- no luck. Target- same bad luck. And so I took the plunge and went to Walmart- good luck.
Next I had to get the pickling spices. And the local grocery store, Farm Fresh had those. I wasn't sure how many pickles I would get from my "cucs", so I just bought one packet of dill pickle spice.
Getting home, I began to slice my cucumbers into spears.
Next step- boil the spice, vinegar and water.
While this is going, it was vital to sterilize the jars, which meant immersing them in a boiling bath for 10 mins.
Once the spice mixture boiled I poured this over the bowl full of speared cucumbers. Then I let them sit for 30 mins.
So then I stuffed the jars with my cucumbers and filled each jar with the "juice".
Now I decided to just put one jar in the fridge to eat in the next few weeks, and preserve the other 3 quart size jars. After screwing on the lids, I put them in boiling water for 15 mins.
Next problem- I still had more cucumbers! So around 10pm I made another run to the Farm Fresh to get the bread and butter spice. And then I went through all the same steps as the dill pickles, except this "juice" had 5 cups worth of sugar! I ended up with 2 quarts of bread and butter pickles and I preserved both of these.

When I was all done, I ended up with this:

The Bachelorette

2010-08-03T14:44:00.005-04:00

Hi Everyone! I hadn't logged onto my blog for awhile and when I checked in on it, I realized it was a disaster! My background was MIA. So I've done a little "tidying" around my blog and I'm back!
Last night the Season Finale of the Bachelorette aired on ABC. I have been a faithful viewer of this season- I didn't miss one episode!I was rooting for Chris (pictured in red) though all along. He had the whole package- such a gentleman, VERY easy on the eyes and I just thought he seemed like a good match with Ali. For starters they both shared the same home state of Massachusetts. I really liked Chris's family when Ali met them. She seemed to fit right in with them.
But it was obvious from the very beginning that she was head over heels for Roberto. Ali gave him the first impression rose on the first episode and I'd have to say he instantly became one of the top competitors there. I can't talk badly about Roberto. He really does seem like a great guy. I just liked Chris better. Ali knew so much so that she wanted to be with Roberto that she didn't even keep Chris around for the final rose ceremony. She told him the day before where her heart was and I have to give her kudos for that. Why put someone through the turmoil of being rejected any longer than necessary.
And for that, I have to say I think her and Roberto have a great chance of lasting. Most of these people on the Bachelor/Bachelorette will be deciding maybe 2 hrs before the ceremony of which person they'd like to choose to be their spouse. Honestly if you don't know, then that person probably isn't right for you. Ali knew though- she knew Roberto was the right choice.
They seemed genuinly happy from what I have seen of them in public interviews on TV so far.
I wish them all the best! And Chris, I wish you all the best too! If he ends up as the next Bachelor, you can bet I won't miss an episode!

Sex and the City 2

2010-06-09T13:32:00.008-04:00

This post is a bit overdue, but I wanted to share the highlights of my Sex and the City 2 Pre-Movie Party that I hosted about a week and a half ago. I had the girls over for some food and drinks before the movie and here are some pictures:

Table Spread minus some appetizers:

By the way, appetizers included some Chinese food like Miranda always ate, little "weenies" in crescent rolls (haha what SATC party would be complete without "weenies") and veggies & dip.

Then the desserts:

Cupcakes with pink icing &"pinker" sprinkles, and chocolate covered strawberries!

Don't forget plates and napkins:
Drinks: Pink Sparkling Wine & Fat Bastard Merlot- both very appropriate for SATC!
And last, but certainly not least, and absolutely essential for SATC:
COSMOS!
I think everyone had a good time at the party. We all wore high heels, but didn't think to get a picture of them. Now the movie, well let's just say the first SATC movie was a hard act to follow and I don't think this second movie succeeded in living up to the same standards. Nonetheless, we still enjoyed a fun girls evening!

Thankful...

2010-05-20T09:22:00.004-04:00

...for these girls, Lindsay and Bryanna:

(Lindsay, Me & Bry)

Our husband's were all serving on the same submarine in Washington and that's how we met! Now we all live in 3 different states, one on the west coast, one of us in the middle, and the other on the east coast. And can you believe it- we actually pulled off a little reunion! This picture is of us in Virginia Beach.

Wishful Wednesday!

2010-05-19T20:33:00.008-04:00

I love The Seattle Smith's blog. She does a wishful Wednesday every week and I've not been around to participate for awhile... but this week I am! The theme this week is your bedroom. I am actually going to use this as an opportunity to show my bedroom as it is. We JUST finished completely redoing it!

My bedroom before we redid it- and I hated it- the gray was so blah and awful!

AND....

My wish came true- I now come home to a bright bedroom every night and I love it!
We obviously painted, as well as replaced the carpeting and got the bed from Crate and Barrel! I love that store!

But if I had my real wish, I'd also have a porch off my bedroom, with a view like this:

One can wish, right?

Happy Wednesday - the week is half over!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T20:53:00.005-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there, but especially my mom!! I am so thankful that I have a mom I am close enough with, to still talk with her on the phone every single day! She is always there for me and it means so much!

This photo was taken last year in the harbor of Victoria, Canada!

Smooth Sailing...

2010-04-26T22:20:00.005-04:00

That's right! Its that time of year... when tax returns finally come back! We've had plans for this money for months now and at last our money came, and we put it to good use on Saturday!

And this is what we bought:Its a Hobie Mirage Outfitter Tandem Kayak! Let me break that down for you. Hobie is the brand.
Mirage refers to the flipper like devices seen on the bottom of the boat. This technology is newer and there are actually foot pedals inside that you use to put the kayak in motion. If you so choose, you can take out the pedals, or Mirage Drive as they are called, and just use the traditional paddles. However with the Mirage Drive, you can go much faster. Its design is based upon that of how a penguin quickly swims through the water!
Lastly, tandem of course refers to it being a double kayak.
So we thought this was pretty neat the way it was, but an additional option is the Sail Kit, seen here:

Now we actually bought a sail that has the Caribbean Blue as shown, but ours is yellow instead of gray. This will allow for even faster speeds in the water!
I can't wait to get out on the water! We bought a doggie life vest for our little guy Frank, and this way he can join us! I am so happy that summer is pretty much here. We had our first thunderstorm of the season tonight! I love this time of year!

Getting to know you

2010-03-22T11:51:00.005-04:00

So I came across a new blog, MannLand5. Its a fun blog, and though I am a day late since she does this on Sundays, I figured I'd participate anyways:

So anyways, here it goes:

The questions..

1. What year did you graduate high school?
2004

2. What part of your body do you neglect the most?
My feet- luckily I just painted my toes since we've been having weather warm enough for flipflips

3. Beach house or Lake house?
A beach house all the way!

4. Mac or PC?
You know I guess a PC cause that's what I have, but I am not opposed to the idea of a Mac

5. Did you wear braces?
Yes

6. If you could be one person for a day..living or deceased..who would you be?
I think it would be interesting to be Rachel Ray- her food always looks delicious!

7. How many times have you moved in your life?
4 times, 3 of them were in the last 18 months and 2 of those were cross country moves!(This was from my most recent move in August '09- my husband and pup in the front seat and 560 lbs of stuff we transported ourselves in the back, along with a moving truck full of stuff the Navy moved for us!)

8. Would you rather cook or clean?
Cook! But that's why I hate cooking- cause there are always dishes to clean up afterward. My husband says I need someone to just do all my dishes for me- Ha! Maybe when we strike it rich winning the lottery.

Happy Monday! Let this be a great start to everyone's week!

Luck O' the Irish

2010-03-17T10:17:00.005-04:00

Being that I'm half Irish and my favorite color is green, I couldn't wait to wish you a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

(Picture taken at the Butchart Gardens, British Columbia )

What are some of your favorite traditions? My mom always did the corned beef and cabbage thing, except it was "smoked neck" and cabbage. My grandmother always made this, and her parents were actually immigrants from Ireland. She said her mom had never even heard of corned beef and cabbage until she moved to the US. So today I'll be making smoked neck & cabbage and potatoes, with a beer on the side.
Do you have any food traditions? Do you drink green beer? Do you go to a parade?

Finally...

2010-03-14T21:27:00.003-04:00

Finally, I can feel Spring. I can almost smell it in the air.

You know what made my day yesterday? It was 71 degrees, sunny, and I put on my flip flops for the first time in months, and slipped them over my toe nails I'd just painted with this:Its Diamond Strength, Lavender Marqui colored. Remember? I love Lavender ;) And after all, diamonds are a girl's best friend!

Its actually been nice here all week, and my husband and I have been crazy busy working in our backyard. We started with a yard full of weeds, that doesn't drain. So we've been putting in a drainage system and it is A LOT of work! Much more than we ever anticipated haha. We have plans to put in some shrubs and other plants and flowers.
I'm also doing a veggie garden this year! So far I have jalapeno peppers growing, tomatoes, and basil. They were all started inside the house from seeds. I'll also be doing cucumbers and dill, but you are supposed to actually start them outside, unlike the others I already have going. So we'll see! I am super excited about the prospect of having my own veggie garden!
And what else? Oh, we've ripped up our bedroom carpet this weekend and we're having new carpet installed this week. Therefore we have our bedroom furniture scattered everywhere upstairs so we could remove the carpeting, and its a disaster! I can't wait until this process is all said and done! That's for sure! We'll be sleeping in the guest room until we can put our bedroom back together.
How have you been getting ready for spring? Any yard work or spring cleaning?

March 4th already?

2010-03-04T20:25:00.004-05:00

Where has the time gone? I feel like it was just Christmas time! And wow its been almost 2 weeks since my last post on here.
I should update you all on my happenings and thoughts over those couple weeks.

Yes I became a fan of this season's Bachelor on ABC. And yes I didn't want him to pick Vienna. I think she is awful lol. But you know, if he is dumb enough to have picked her, he'll get what he asked for. I have to say though, now whenever I here the song "On the Wings of Love" it is forever ruined for me, as Vienna's face is the first thing to come to my mind. I'm sorry, but she is fake. I can just hear it in her voice. She tells people what they want to hear! I know these reality show relationships rarely workout, but have you heard what people are saying about her? An ex stripper? Cheated on her first husband while he was in Iraq? I know you can't believe everything, but come on. I doubt EVERYTHING in the magazines is a lie. There's got to be some truth to it all.

What were you thinking Jake!? She just oozes with "fake"!

_________________________________________

Next thing that consumed much of my last couple weeks was my little buddy Frank. It was just over 2 weeks ago that Frank threw up. And we thought hmm, then he got sick 2 more times that night and I got worried. Then the next morning the same thing. So he got a trip to vet. He sent Frank home with some medicine and told me not to feed him the rest of the day. The the next day we were to only feed him a rice and ground beef mixture. Okay, great. The next day was Friday and he didn't get sick all day! Then Saturday he did well for breakfast & lunch. But Saturday night- the poor little guy got sick yet AGAIN! So this time I started getting really worried, thinking it was a blockage of some sort. So we actually took him to the emergency pet clinic, being it was a Saturday evening. I just didn't want to chance waiting until Monday morning to see our normal vet.
There, they did some x-rays and didn't find anything, so we took him home, and just decided to feed him only VERY small amounts. The next day, Sunday, my husband had to leave for a week long business trip, so I was just hoping Frank would be okay. And he seemed okay. So Monday I had to work. And I was nervous leaving him along all day. But I had to go.
I came home from work Monday evening and that little dog threw up again while I was at work. I felt awful. So I figured I would take him into the regular vet again Tuesday morning. Well he woke up Tuesday and got sick 3 more times before the vet was even open to call. I got a hold of them and brought him over right away. He told us we could wait on it a few more days and not give him food for 12 hours. Or we could go to the internal medicine clinic.
So I opted to take him to internal medicine. He ended up having an ultrasound done, lots of blood work and stayed over night. And they found nothing on that ultrasound. The ONLY thing that came back showing anything was a possible pancreatitis. They said by the time they did the test he may have been on the downside of the pancreatitis, being as though he'd already been sick for 6 days, and so it might have not had a very strong reaction during the test.
So... $1400 later, yes thats right, one thousand- four hundred dollars later after all the vet visits, the diagnosis was a possible pancreatitis. My gosh, for all that money I would have loved to have known what was wrong. He came home with instructions to feed him some special canned food from the doggie hospital. Yuck is what I thought, yum is what Frank thought lol. He is doing bettter now, but what a crazy week that was. It was a lot of money, but he's worth it, and the main thing is that he is okay!
So hopefully over the next week I can really catch up on things around the blogging world. If I am not back before then, have a great weekend. Tomorrow is Friday-woohoo. We're starting our yardwork this weekend- bring on Spring!!!

A Sweet Treat!

2010-02-21T17:55:00.016-05:00

Hello All,
I've had a busy week, but I've been wanting to tell you about a sweet treat I made for my husband for Valentine's Day. They were so delicious and super easy!

I found these at Target:
And then I bought some melting chocolates at Micheal's and melted them in a measuring cup in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time:

I decided to put peanut butter inside each candy. This is what I had in the cabinet. It was probably on sale when I bought it:

First I spooned enough melted chocolate in each heart to fill each one about halfway. I let that sit for a minute or so, just to let the chocolate begin to firm. Then I put about a 1/4 teaspoon peanut butter into each heart. I suggest using 2 spoons- 1 to scoop it out of the jar, and the other spoon to get the peanut butter into each heart. I learned this the hard way, but having a mess on my fingers ;-)

Here's what it will look like after the peanut butter is put on. And then after the peanut butter is dropped in, simply spoon enough chocolate on top to fill each heart, as seen below in the 2 hearts. After filling the molds, put the tray in the fridge for 5-10 mins until they are firm. Using these ice cube trays worked great because they are flimsy so the chocolates popped right out when firm.

When they were done, they looked like this. And I put each one in a little foil chocolate wrapper, to make it look that much better!

Here they are displayed in the little box next to his other gifts. My husband thought I'd bought the chocolates from the store! I took it as a compliment :)

And in case you were wondering, this is what they look like from an "insiders view":
Now like usual, even though I put forth a lot of effort, my husband out did me. This was the first time we'd seen each other for Valentine's Day in 5 YEARS thanks to deployments and a looooong distance relationship for along time! So I guess we were due for a good one! Here's what was waiting for me in a box on the doorstep on Valentine's Day:
He also got me a cast iron tea pot. I have been wanting one for so long. The tea stays hot for at least an hour. He also got me this little warmer for the tea pot to sit on. You can put a tea light inside to keep it extra hot :)

Now, to catch up on all of YOUR blogs. Happy Sunday and here's to hoping everyone has a great week!!

Our Engagement Story!

2010-02-11T10:19:00.011-05:00

I saw some people posting their engagement story and I thought what better a time for me to do this with it being Valentine's Day this weekend! I know this is a little long, but I promise you its a good story ;-)

My husband and I met in September 2004 and sparks flew instantly! 11 short months later he was sent to South Carolina to begin his training to be on submarines. And then he went to Upstate New York, and then Groton, CT. And then Washington State. And all through this I was in college so we got used to airplanes. What we spent on airfare over the 3 years we were long distance was probably more than my engagement ring and wedding band combined LOL.
But anyways, it was late 2006 when he got to WA State, and this was 3000 miles from me. Soon after that, he deployed and my 21st birthday came up in April. He unfortunately was out to sea for that big birthday, but I saw him a few weeks after. I thought maybe that would be when he'd pop the question- me just having a special birthday and then he was done his first deployment. He came out to visit me in Maryland. But that visit came and went and no ring. I thought "Okay, I think it'll be soon." We'd planned to get married after my college graduation in 2008. So I was thinking, well graduation is about a year away, which is the average length of an engagement. It'll be soon.
I went to visit him in May after finishing my spring semester of my junior year. That visit came and went- still no ring. I just needed a promise... we were long, looong distance for so long and I was exhausted from it. I just needed a promise that things would move along.
So we're at the end of May and he tells me he wants to buy a new car- his car was having some problems. So one Saturday I called him to see what he was up to (and I'm back in Maryland, he's out in WA). He told me and him and his room mate were going car shopping. He went into so many details. Telling me what kind of car, how much they cost and so on. Haha I am so gullible, I totally believed it. Later I'd find out he was RING SHOPPING!
So another month goes by and I go to visit him again at the end of June. I honestly gave up hope of him popping the question then lol. I knew we had 2 other visits scheduled that summer between us and I just assumed being the lackadaisical person that he is, that he'd be waiting until later in the summer. We were trying to figure out things to do while I visited and I suggested we do some hiking. I found the Olympic National Park online and it looked spectacular!
Little did I know he took my idea and decided that up there in the mountains he would ask me. He knew I'd suspect something if he took me to a fancy dinner somewhere- remember I was waiting for that ring (doesn't that sound awful lol).
So on the morning of June 23, 2007 we packed up a backpack for hiking and got in the car to leave. Just before we pulled off I'd remembered I forgot the little chocolate snacks we'd bought for hiking so I ran in and got them. I came out and opened a pocket at the top of the backpack and he goes "NO! Don't put them in there". I was like "Why? What's wrong with you?" And I dropped them in and zipped the pocket back up. Little did I know, a ring box was in that pocket! I was THIS close to finding my ring.
But much to his relief, I didn't. So we headed out on the 2 hr drive or so. We decided we'd go to to Hurricane Ridge, which is a lookout point to some beautiful snowcapped mountains. On the way up the mountain we decided to step out and get some pictures. I had him stoop down so I could get a picture looking up from above him because the view was just amazing.

We got back in the car and finally made it to the top. I don't know what I was thinking and I didn't dress for going up in the mountains. Remember it was June. So typical me, I started complaining because it was cold and he bought me a coat in the gift shop just to keep me happy. He didn't want any sour grapes on this day! It was really beautiful up there. But we decided to head back down the mountain. It was warmer the further down we got. We stopped off at an area that looked like it would be good for hiking. So we explored a little. We came to a hill that had some really pretty plants growing down it and I told him to stoop down for a another "shot looking down" the hill. He said "wouldn't this be a perfect position to ask you to marry me?" I laughed and said "yeah but you're never going to ask!" (I know I'm terrible lol). And with that he pulled the ring from his pocket. I already had the camera ready for what I thought would just be a picture of him and some pretty plants. Honestly I don't remember taking this photo, but this is what was on the camera later when I looked through the pictures! Maybe its cause I was in a state of shock!

He of course asked "Catie, will you marry me" And I just kept saying "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Finally he said, "Babe you didn't say 'yes". "Well of course you know I will!" I wonder if he really thought it was a question of me saying yes to him lol.
And here I am, after he put the ring on my finger. Just a little excited dancing around the forest lol
Here's the best picture I have of my ring. This shows it with my wedding band, and his too- cause we took this on our honeymoon :) My stone is a princess cut, offset to be in the shape of a diamond- and he thought of that all on his own!

(you can see it better if you click on it to enlarge it)

I hope you enjoyed our story and Happy Valentines Day weekend everyone!

Lavender, I love thee...

2010-02-10T10:38:00.007-05:00

Yesterday I decided to start cleaning my kitchen. I mean a good deep cleaning, where I took everything off the counters and wiped it down with a rag... scrubbed the counters, cabinets, fridge, and appliances. I don't know what motivated me to do that. Maybe trying to do some spring cleaning to make spring get here sooner? Was it that I was supposed to work and then got called off so I was bored? I don't know why. But what I do know is that I love the cleaner I used. Its a Mr. Clean, and its Lavender scented. My kitchen smelled wonderful. And with that I realized that over the past year or so I have really acquired a love for anything lavender. Here's some of my favorite products:

Downy Fabric Softener- Lavender & Vanilla- The best smelling fabric softener ever!!!

Party Lite Essence of Lavender Candles

And last summer living in Washington State, my husband and I went to the Lavender Festival held in Sequim, Washington. It was just FABULOUS. To anyone living out there, I highly recommend it. I would love to go back this summer, but ahh right, I don't live there anymore.

Anyways, at the festival we got a couple things from a stand called, Let's Do Lavender.
Here are some things we got there:

Eye Pillows to soothe your sinuses. One for me and one for my mom!
Sachets: perfect for hanging in the closet- though I have mine in one of my dresser drawers

And from Angel Lavender Farms, some loose leaf lavender tea
And we LOVE this. Now that Frank is almost a year old, he's turned into a dog, and we all know they smell bad sometimes lol. Sadly he's losing his cute "puppiness". But when we put this on him, he smells so good! Its a bandana that has lavender inside it. And of course we got the one with crabs, being that I am from Maryland. This is from a place called Dog Dot Calm, also from the festival.

SO, SO, SO EXCITED!!

2010-02-09T09:54:00.006-05:00

Good morning all, and Happy Tuesday! My Tuesday just got started off on a great note!

As I have been mentioning, Teresa over at Blooming on Bainbridge was doing her Pink Week Giveaway.

She announced the winners yesterday and I am one of the lucky winners!!!!!!!!
I have won a $25 gift voucher to inkOBSESSIONdesigns.

They do invitations, announcements and custom stationary. Maybe I will get some return address labels for our new home? Or maybe some custom made note cards with my name? The possibilities are endless!
Here's a great big THANK YOU to Teresa at Blooming on Bainbridge and Erin at inkOBSESSIONdesigns! If you have some time pop on over to both of their sites to see what all the buzz is about!
Have a great day all :)

My first blog award!

2010-02-08T13:58:00.004-05:00

Hello All and Happy Monday!

I was so excited that Katie, another military wife, over at The Life of an Army Wife, picked me as one of his her award recipients for the "Honest Scrap Award".

Here's how it works:
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."

Here you go:
1. I also have a dalmatian named Sam. Although I write about my little dachshund, Frank on here all the time, I should let you know about Sam. He is almost 15. When my parents got him for me, I was 9 years old and so when I moved out after college, he stayed with my parents. That is his home, but he will always be my dog and I love him dearly.

2. I am a "germ-o-phob" -meaning I hate germs lol. My degree required a class in microbiology and I acquired a knowledge for bacteria and viruses that I consider invaluable. My husband thinks I am nuts, but I HAVE to either wash my hands or use hand sanitizer before eating, or after going to the mall or grocery shopping and touching the same things tons of others touched. That's just the start of it ;-).
3. I have a history of Grave's disease. Its an autoimmune disorder which causes hyperthyroidism. This means my thyroid produces too much of my thyroid hormones. It first started when I was 21. Symptoms include a very rapid heartbeat and palpitations, intolerance to heat, irritability and nervousness, sweating and an inability to sleep. To put it in other terms, I felt as though I had panic attacks daily for almost a year until they correctly regulated my levels. The disease has been quiet for about 15 months and I hope it continues to be so.
4. You know what I hate? People who can't park! One time someone parked so close to me that I could not even open my drivers side door. I had to crawl in the drivers seat from the passenger's side. After getting in and pulling out, I found a piece of paper and a pen and left that individual a note under their windshield wiper. I should mention this happened when I had my thyroid thing going on full blast. I have no tolerance for such laziness- lets add some crazy thyroid hormones and I am sure you can imagine the note I wrote to them!
5. I have my bachelor's degree in dental hygiene. Most hygienists have an associates degree, but I went for the long haul and got my BS. It took longer, but I think that education is never wasted!
6. I love Hondas. My first car that I drove in high school/ college was a '92 Accord. And you know what- I still have it! Its pretty much just used for my husband to get back and forth to work now though. We also bought an '08 Civic when we got married because I think Hondas are just that great. They run forever, get good gas miliage and are relatively affordable.
7. I want 2 or 3 kids. But not spaced out very much. Probably 2, and I would like to be done by the time I am 30.
8. My dream would be to own a home in Annapolis, MD. Its one of my favorite places and I feel like I'd have the best of both worlds- living in a great place and I still would be close to my family.
9. I love snow. A lot of people hate it. But it nearly crushed me when the mid atlantic got 30 inches this past weekend. I would have paid money to be there in that!
10. I have a love- hate relationship with the Navy. It provides so much good to my husband and me- if only it didn't need to take away my husband for long periods it would be perfect LOL. Yeah right!!

So, the award next goes to:

1. Lindsay over at Lindsay Writing ( a dear friend of mine I knew in person before blogging)
2. Heather from Life with Heather
3. Chelsi from Western Washington Weedons
4. Melinda over at Palindrome Bride (also a friend from outside the blogging world)
5. Sarahbeth at Inianapoluxe
6. The Duchess of Tea from Rose Tea Cottage
7. Vanessa over at Learning to Dance in the Rain
8. Brittany from Sweet, Sassy and oh so Classy
9. Teresa at Blooming on Bainbridge
10. Sara at Running from the Law

Take a trip across the United States...

2010-02-03T10:36:00.027-05:00

...by visiting my bathrooms haha. Hello all, and Happy Wednesday. The week is half over, and we are also almost done painting and decorating our house! I posted about the downstairs painting/ decorating and if you missed it scroll below or click here!

So yes, back to that cross country trip I promised you. Having traveled around the US, I have discovered some really wonderful and charming places. We have three bathrooms so I decided to do each of them with a theme of a favorite place of mine.

Aloha! First we did the powder room downstairs. My other half and I were lucky enough to visit Hawaii this past summer and I collected a few things there to decorate a Hawaiian bathroom. We swam with sea turtles there, so they had to have a place in my Hawaiian Oasis. The pictures are from a shop in Waikiki Beach. And the little fish on the counter was actually from a little shop in Poulsbo, Washington that I just loved! I can't remember the name of the place though, my husband actually bought it for me. There are a few other things that I picked up from a local shop in Virginia Beach. So anyways, without further adieu, welcome to Hawaii!

Here are a couple before shots (I really thought this green was just awful):

And now the after photos. I just love this room!

And next, let's go back to the east coast. Flight attendants, prepare for take-off! We're headed to one of the most charming places I know of- Charleston, SC! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it there!! This is in the guest bathroom upstairs!

Here are some of the before shots:

And here are the after photos from my favorite city in the "Palmetto State", hence all the palm trees. The framed pictures were from the market in Charleston. I adore that Market! And the roses sitting in the basket- they are also from the city. People there actually make them from the palm and I couldn't think of a better place to put them!

And now lastly, let's travel up a little farther north to Annapolis, Maryland, known for sailing and also home of the United States Naval Academy. Annapolis holds so many special memories for me. It is the state capital, where I fell in love with my husband, where we got married and where we eventually hope to settle down! I have been collecting things for this bathroom for a couple of years. The birdhouse was a gift from my aunt at my bridal shower. I think it adds a little character to this master bathroom. I stenciled the anchors & rope. There was certainly nothing wrong with that light blue and God knows we have sure done enough painting in this house already, so I searched the internet for the stencil. Welcome to Annapolis!

Here are some of the before pictures:

And now the after photos of course. Don't the shower hooks just bring it all together?(you may want to click on some of the photos to enlarge them. This last one shows a few nautical pictures reflecting in the mirror that are a little tough to see)

Well thanks for traveling with me. Next I'll take you to one more spot that is a newer favorite of mine when I finish the guest bedroom, and also the master bedroom. See you then!

A White Weekend!

2010-02-01T10:45:00.015-05:00

Hello all, and Happy Monday! Today truly is a happy Monday because my husband is off work from the "bad" weather that came through here this weekend. I wouldn't call it bad though. It was GREAT! Our area usually sees little to no snow, so what a winter time treat! We ended up with about 9 inches of snow total, and here's a glimpse of our weekend fun!

A little cardinal popped in our backyard and I was quick enough with the camera!

And we kept Frank's ears warm in his little hoodie!

But he was even warmer sitting by the fireplace!

Me and my little buddy in the backyard!

And my two loves catching a few snowflakes!

It was really coming down!

The next day we began to "dig ourselves out"

Supervising our snow shoveling

Borrowing our neighbor's sled for a little fun

Still trying to figure out what all the white stuff is!

And a nice warm reward for clearing the driveway and the car!

Good thing he's cute!

2010-01-28T18:12:00.005-05:00

Well my last post about Frank was just after his surgery. He's feeling much better, so much better in fact that he is back to being bad again. My cell phone charger had fallen on the floor and when I found it, this is what it looked like:

Thanks to my dog Frank, I'm on my way to Verizon. I hope it doesn't cost too much to replace it. Like I said, its a good thing he's cute!

Wishful Wednesday!

2010-01-27T08:45:00.003-05:00

'I wish' .... I could spend three

minutes in _____'s shoes!

I know it sounds a little tacky, but I wish I could spend 3 mins in my husband's shoes. He is a submariner and I'd love to see what life is like on that submarine, but just for a few minutes. From what I understand its pretty miserable, but then it would be so much easier for me to relate to everything I am told about these massive vessels!

Pink Week- Take 2

2010-01-25T22:11:00.004-05:00

The owner of the lovely blog seen above was having major computer issues during her pink party last week :( BUT things are up and running and she has rescheduled and you're invited! Click above and pop on over to see all the fun going on!

Pink Week!

2010-01-17T11:31:00.002-05:00

I've found a new blog, Blooming on Bainbridge! Its really quite cute. The owner is doing a Pink Week Giveaway. Click below for details and have fun being Pink!

On the Mend

2010-01-16T18:06:00.006-05:00

Yesterday our little guy had to go through what most pups do. That's right the "snip snip". Poor little guy came home yesterday after the surgery and he was walking like he was drunk, hardly able to keep his little eyes open. He didn't even beg when we ate dinner!
This morning he woke up, seeming a little "bouncier" like he normally is. However, being more alert he was also more aware of his wounds. In addition to getting fixed, we also had his little hernia fixed that he has had since born. So the little guy has two incisions and twice the temptations. Therefore he is now lucky enough to be sportin' this collar. We promise Frank, you only have to wear it for a few days!It was taken from my camera phone, so a little blurred, but we just can't help but feel sorry for that face!

Oh Springtime, Where Are Youuu?

2010-01-14T11:17:00.005-05:00

Alright, holidays are over and we are of course in my least favorite time of year. You know, its just cold, in between all the good parts of the year and therefore very BLAH! I know, spring will be here before we know it, but in the meantime I can't help but think about all the fun things to do in our new area. I think this is part of the reason I am still missing Washington State so much. We left there in the late summer and my last thoughts are of it being warm, sunny with the most gorgeous mountains just outside my back porch... okay, okay on to where I actually do reside now.
Now we are only minutes from the oceanfront and warm sandy beaches. This will allow for nice walks in the spring and getting a good tan in the summer. Plus I should show you the awesome bike my husband bought me for Christmas, which will just fit the boardwalk just perfectly:
I actually haven't even had a chance to ride the thing yet because it has been just bitter cold since Christmas. My plan is to attach a basket of some sort to the back so that Frank can ride in it and go places with me :) Plus its pink, so just one other reason to totally love it!
So we have the beach, my new bike, oh and we are only 45 mins from Busch Gardens Williamsburg, which is just so fun! We have annual passes, which will allow us to go as many times as we want and it totally pays for itself!
Last year in Washington, I started gardening and attempted a vegetable garden. Things did sprout very nicely, but we were in an apartment then, and putting things in pots did not prove to be successful. But this year, living in a house we actually have a yard! So I am hoping for better luck. I'm thinking tomatoes, jalepenos, maybe cucumbers, and possibly some herbs.
And lastly, my husband and I are going to be purchasing a 2 person kayak soon. He owns a single kayak from before we were married, but what fun is that for a young married couple ;-)
So here's so hoping the weather warms up soon. I'm hoping in this area we get an earlier spring than I am used to in Maryland and Washington. I am soooo ready!

Wishful Wednesday

2010-01-13T21:15:00.003-05:00

'I wish' .... I had the startup funds to build that company I have always dreamt about, and it would be _____!

"Sparkles, Rings and Other Shiny Things". If I could have a company, it would be a jewelry store of all my own handmade jewelry. I am only in the beginning stages of my work, but I would love to be able to get really good at handcrafting my own jewelry and open a shop. One can dream, right?

Has it really been that long?

2010-01-12T14:47:00.003-05:00

Today rummaging through my purse I came across an old ferry ticket from Washington. It was dated 8/15/09. I figured out this was in fact the last time I was in Seattle, the last time we took the ferry across the Puget Sound for some shopping and lunch, just 2 days before we moved away. Seeing that little piece of paper brought out some feelings of sadness in me. It'll be 5 months on Friday that we were last in Seattle. I miss it, I really, really do.

happy monday

2010-01-11T15:34:00.002-05:00

Well here it is a new week. Since I am STILL not working each day starts to blur into the next, so usually I wake up and think, what am I going to do today to keep myself busy? Just like the other 2/3 of the country, its freezing, so right now outside activities really aren't an option. Its just me and my little dachshund all day. Sounds awful, right? No it doesn't, but I've had enough. I went to school for 4 years and I'm not working. I'm bored most of the time. I met some new friends here- but they all work full time.
See I had to apply for my state license here. Its my third state dental hygiene license and its a P.I.T.A lol. Really, military spouses should be exempt from having to apply for a state license all over the place. Almost any health profession must do so, hair stylists and I'm sure the list goes on and on. Not only do we pay tons of $$ to apply, but there is a long waiting period, on the order of months, to get the paperwork processed. So FINALLY my license came just days before Christmas and I thought I'd be able to start working after the holidays, but that's not happening and I can't help but be bummed. I feel useless. This is not a blow to housewives. Its really a lot. But we don't even have kids yet, and a dog isn't really that much work. I feel like this is the time of my life where I should be getting out, working in my field and keeping up my skills. And I'm not. We're nearly done decorating the house as I've mentioned before so now its just the daily grind. Get up, drink coffee, watch a little TV, eat lunch, figure out dinner, clean, make dinner. I know, I know, it doesn't sound awful. And it wasn't for the first 3 months, but now I am just bored :-/ There just isn't a lot out there as far as jobs go right now. The economy really isn't great as we all know. I could go on a rant of whom to blame and complain, but ehh we're pretty lucky being that my husband has a stable job. I just feel like I am not contributing enough. So anyways, not that I am working, but I dread mondays too. 2 full days of time with my husband are over and its back to my boring life. Here's to hoping things turn around soon for me! So happy Monday. I'm getting my hair cut and highlighted tomorrow and it'll be a day closer to the weekend coming around again. Woohoo!

2010- can you be any better than 2009?

2010-01-10T15:08:00.011-05:00

Well its been nearly 3 months since my last post. I don't know why I find it easy to post on facebook daily, but seem to forget about this blog of mine. But in this time one year has come to an end and we've started a new one.
2009- you were so good to me. Even the few curves you threw at me I was able to take in stride. I made some lifelong friends, got our pup Frank, went to British Columbia Canada twice for the best afternoon tea, traveled to Hawaii and drove across the United States, saw an up close and personal performance by my favorite Keith Urban AND got his autograph, bought our first house and celebrated our first wedding anniversary. WHAT A YEAR!
I haven't updated on my pup Frank for so long on here. He's hardly even a puppy anymore. He's 10 months and we all know that in the life of a dog, that's more like an adult. Of course he'll always be a baby to me. Here is a newer picture of him:

I also should show some pictures of the house, a few before and after shots. We've done so much painting and we still have more to go. We're almost done, but here's a few glimpses of the downstairs while we still work to finish the upstairs.

This is a before shot of the living room area

And.. AFTER!

I went for a "beachy blue" being that we're only 15 miles or so from the oceanfront!

And next the kitchen area before...

And After!
A butter yellow to match my appliances. And the fridge? Its new- an AWESOME housewarming gift from my parents!

Close up of the counter... A few things have changed since I took these photos, including above the cabinets, I've added some other neat bottles. Oh and for Christmas, I got one of those nifty Keurig coffee makers ;-)

And a view of our dining area

So we've been busy. I just got a new cabinet for one of the bathrooms, so I'll be posting pictures of the bathrooms next, which all have been painted by the way. Buying a house is both exciting and challenging. Its been a lot of work. But it all helped to make 2009 great!
Bring it on 2010, you have a hard act to follow!

Only The Good Die Young

2009-10-16T13:13:00.003-04:00

Early Tuesday morning (Oct. 13) around 3am there was a horrible car crash just outside of Washington DC. 3 people were in the car and 1 was killed. I knew the girl who did not survive, and I can only think what a tragedy this is. Ashley was a year younger than me- 22 years old. She was full of life and bubbly and this just is just such a loss. I know her family must be devastated. She graduated a year behind me in high school and we ran on the track and cross country teams together. Though we have lost touch since high school, I can only imagine how her friends must be dealing with this. 22 is surely too young to die. So many have a lost a friend, and her parents lost a daughter and her brother lost his sister. She had her whole life ahead of her. Please keep Ashley and her family & friends in your prayers. Her viewing is today and she will be buried tomorrow. This is such a loss for a such a good person, but I guess 'only the good die young'.
Below is a link to one of the stories written about her:
Ashley Roberta

Creamy Chicken Soft Tacos

2009-10-12T19:50:00.003-04:00

So today I wanted to make dinner. With having the new house, there is so much to do though. I didnt want to go out to eat however, because also with a new house comes spending a lot of money. So I pulled out my little cookbook "101 Things To Do With A Slow Cooker". I figured this way I'd get it out of the way early and then just be able to get stuff done and run errands up until when dinner was ready.
I found a super easy, and very delicious recipe that I thought some of you might enjoy.
So here it goes, Creamy Chicken Soft Tacos:

4 Skinless, boneless chicken breasts, frozen
(1) 16 oz jar salsa
1 cup sour cream
6-8 flour tortillas

In a well greased slow cooker, place chicken. Pour salsa on top. Cook 6-8 hrs on low or 10-12 hours on low. During last hour- shred chicken with a fork and mix in sour cream. Serve in tortillas with lettuce and cheese if desired.
In place one can use cream cheese rather than sour cream for a richer flavor.

MmmMmm. It turned out good. I did use cream cheese instead. Also my chicken breasts weren't frozen, so I cooked it on low about 6 hours total and it turned out just fine. My husband told me I have to make it again :) That's a good sign he liked it. I liked it too because it was so easy!

Anyone need boxes?

2009-10-06T16:31:00.000-04:00

Well we have our stuff here! Woohoo. The downside- we also have boxes upon boxes of stuff to unpack. My mom and aunt are coming down tomorrow though to help me! How lucky am I?!
Anyways, as I am typing this I am sitting on MY sofa. I have missed it. I have a piece of my "coziness" back and set up. And I am so happy. I know I have lots of boxes to go through but I just wanted to reacquaint myself with my sofa for a bit.
Ahh my husband just pulled up outside...I better get off the internet and look like I have been unpacking boxes... later :)

Finally in our house!

2009-10-04T20:06:00.000-04:00

Well as I got on, I noticed that my last post was nearly 2 months ago- that was 3 days before the movers came to get our stuff in WA state. Since that time, we've had a cross country road trip and and ended up in Virginia. We put over 4000 miles on our car and traveled with 560 lbs of of our stuff and a 5 month old dog. But we did it- in a Civic nonetheless!
We've been in temporary housing and just this past week we got into our house we decided to buy. And then we finally got internet set up just a couple days ago. With all of the craziness- something had to give and ahh yes it was my blog.
Anyways this past week we have been busy painting. The tenants decided to paint the ENTIRE downstairs a uhh lime mixed with olive green. It was not pretty. Not sure what they were thinking. But nothing a new coat (or 3) couldn't fix. We have arranged for our stuff to be released from storage and in 2 days we'll get it back. I can't count the number of beds I have slept on since our stuff was moved, including the air matress we've been sleeping on now since we got into our house last week. I miss my bed. Its more comfortable than nearly any bed we've slept on. There's nothing like your own bed. I miss it so much when I just go away for week, so by now- I feel like peanut butter without my jelly lol.
Aside from missing my bed, we've had an amazing couple of months. Our roadtrip was incredible- we stopped in San Fransisco, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Albuquerque NM, Memphis TN, and Nashville- those were out biggest highlights. The Grand Canyon was amazing. Albuquerque was a pleasant surprise as was Memphis, but truly the biggest highlight and surpirse of the trip was Nashville. We unexpectedly got to see Keith Urban- my favorite country singer!
He was at the Country Music Hall of Fame announcing a charity concert and on the Sunday we visited the museam we found out he'd be there the next morning! We were supposed to leave early and continue on our way East, but I was able to convince my husband how important this was!
Well apparently not many people knew and we got into a small theater- seating maybe 200 peopple. He played "Making Memories of Us". So special. These kinds of things never happen to me lol. And speaking of things never happening to me- I also got his autograph. When he was leaving a handful of people from inside the theater stuck it out until he left and he was kind enough to give each of us an autograph from the other side of the fence.
It was tough for him writing on the Hall of Fame napkin I was able to scrounge up last minute and it came out a little 'sloppy'. But he said to me- "Its a little weird, but its there sweetheart" in his Aussie accent. Ahh Keith Urban called me sweetheart, which came out more like 'sweethot".
So yeah pretty amazing.
You know what else is amazing- today is our first anniversary. Its hard to believe we were married a year ago. Seems like it was yesterday literally! My husband did well- he got me a camcorder. I love pictures and videos and he thought of a perfect gift! I only had quick video thing on my regular camera. I am blessed to have him. He makes life worth living. Ok yeah I know, enough of the sappy stuff. But I love him :)
So as we get the house together, I'll be posting pictures for anyone out there who may actually still check my blog from time to time. For now here's some photos of the trip.
Take Care and Happy Autumn- its one of my favorite times of the year!

San Francisco- me and Frank our pup :)

Vegas

Grand Canyon

Albuquerque

Keith Urban signing my autograph :)

My Wedding Dress

2009-08-10T23:12:00.000-04:00

Oct. 4th, 2008

I've seen some people sharing their wedding gown lately and it seems like a good idea! I had my heart set on a different dress actually. I saw it in a magazine just after we got engaged and when I tried it on I loved it, but I still had A LOT of time before our actual wedding. So we went back a couple months later to get officially sized and my mom mentioned that maybe I should try another dress on just to be sure.
Well I did and that was it. I KNEW this new gown was the dress for me. I loved the train and the pearl beading. The aisle that I walked down was very long and so I only saw a long train to be fitting. I closed my eyes and envisioned myself in it walking up the chapel. I chose it to be white, instead of ivory to match the choker whites my husband would be wearing on that special day. I also wanted my dress to be truly unique. So we had the seamstress put on a small blue border across the top to coordinate with the "blue jay" blue that my bridesmaids wore.

Here is a picture from the back, just before my dad walked me up the aisle showing the train.

Here's a shot of the aisle. It makes that long, heavy train on my dress appear quite small haha. The chapel holds thousands of people, so my mere 130 wedding guests barely filled it :)

This shows the blue trim across the top

I wish I could wear that dress again. I love it!

From mountains to beaches

2009-08-09T02:38:00.001-04:00

Well the time has come. The movers are coming in just days to pack our stuff in preps for our PCS move. This experience I have had in the Pacific Northwest has been so much better than I could have ever imagined. See when I moved here, I came from Maryland. Washington State was a far off place that no one in Maryland really knew much about other than "Oh Seattle, I hear it rains there a lot, good luck!"
Well yeah, it does rain a lot, but really not as much as I'd expected. I also didn't realize how much I would love the mountains here. This place is beautiful. Much prettier than Maryland (on a nice day of course haha). I guess over the past couple of months as my time here has drawn closer to an end, I have learned to appreciate it more. But now I do know what I have here and I know what I am going to miss.
What I am going to miss most is of course the people. Another thing I didn't expect was to make such good friends in only a year. I met people who will go out of their way, and help you no matter what. That's a true friend. I get teary eyed just sitting here thinking about soon it will be when I say goodbye. The end is so near and I am so not ready. I really do love my apartment here and we are settled and I have learned the area. I have so many great memories here.
The funny thing is who would have thought? I cried, actually sobbed, for weeks before I was due to move out to Washington. There was not one part of me that really wanted to be here. I didn't know a single person except my husband and yes he was the one thing that got me here- he should feel special haha! I imagined it would be awful, dreary, cold and rainy. The day I left and said goodbye at the airport to my family before I moved out here I was a wreck. My mom was crying. My dad reassured me it would be okay and though tearful my mom told me it was time. I just didn't see it being time.
But it was time. I loved the independence that being all the way out here allowed me. I was truly on my own, not able to call my mom when I got pretty sick to have her take care of me for example. I guess though I can't say truly on my own. I met some special friends out here, Bry and Lindsay. I saw Bry EVERYDAY that our hubbies were deployed. My husband will not be on the next deployment as we are leaving, but her's will. She often asks what she will do without me? Bry I don't know what I am going to do without you when I leave. I know Ethan won't be deployed, but Bry and I had some great times together. The girl is just like me in so many ways- people often ask if we are sisters. Nope just really great friends.
So here we go in just days to Norfolk, VA. Its only a few hours from where my family lives in MD. And I am super excited about that. I missed every holiday with them while living out here, and that won't be the case living in VA. I'll be less than 30 mins from the beach. I love the beach :) Oh and we had an offer accepted on a house, so barring any obstacles, we will be homeowners!! Everything is looking up for us, but I just can't help but cry when I think about leaving. I am ready, but then again, I'm not. That's the odd part- I cried when I moved to WA and now I am crying cause I have to leave. I know I will meet people in VA. In fact I have a friend marrying a former submariner who lives there. So I know things will be okay, I just have to get there and actually have things be okay.
We'll be driving back east here soon and I'll update as we stop places. We'll be seeing cool things like San Fransisco, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Nashville oh and an awesome friend in CA and also one in OK plus hubby's family hopefully.

Any words of advice from those who have been through a similar and somewhat emotional move would be greatly appreciated. Here we go......
Here's a picture of me and my pup in front of the Olympic Mountains at Hurricane Ridge in WA. I really love it there :)

A Northwestern Heat Wave!

2009-07-28T01:54:00.000-04:00

As you may or may not have heard, its been HOT in Pacific Northwest. Today high temps were near 100. I kinda laugh to myself though because growing up in Maryland it was not uncommon to get many days like this. But then ahh I think back and remember I'd go inside where it was air conditioned. Now we live in a top floor apartment that gets direct afternoon sun and the place is unbearable from 3pm until 10pm when the sun finally sets and enough cool air sets in that you can tolerate sitting here. No AC, just fans to blow around the hot air during the day though.
I feel so bad for our little pup. I think "gosh if we can feel this heat he definitely can". The pets must really feel this being covered in fur. Poor little guy just lays around and normally he doesn't stop running in circles on a day with comfortable temps.
And so tomorrow we can hope for better, but the forecast is only predicting it to be hotter. I'm getting my hair cut, then back to the (indoor) pool, its the only relief you can get! Plus Bry and Lindsay are coming again too. I am so lucky to call them my friends out here :)

How the tables have turned

2009-07-25T02:11:00.000-04:00

Jon, even you have managed to make Kate look good. What a shame, because just a month ago, people actually felt bad for you and what you dealt with for 10 years. But now I am wondering if you were treated that was because you behaved inappropriately and she was really dealing with 9 kids instead of 8?
How do you file for divorce and 2 weeks later find yourself in the French Riviera with your much younger girlfriend? I guess you forgot your 8 kids at home that you should be there for as they are going through what can only be a very difficult time. How heartless and distasteful to have done this to your family. Again I will repeat from my last post (many weeks ago woops) that everything that has gone wrong is now captured in print and on video for your children to see. They will grow up and realize how awful you are for doing this to them and their mother. I am disgusted by your actions.
Now Kate, yes this twist does allow more sympathy for her. It does seem she has been left to care for the 8 alone while he is off being an idiot. I hope though that she will learn from this though. By now she has written off most of her friends and family. If they are willing to forgive her this would seem like an ideal time for her to rethink her actions and live more of a modest life which would include good friends/ family. I would hope she will care less about the fame and fortune. It seems her values have changed over the years as she has become very materialistic. This may be the answer to prayers. I think she became so wrapped up in herself and being famous that she forgot what was important. I still think she has been a bit of a b*tch over the years, but now these children need her more than ever. The money that their fame brings in can not replace what 2 loving parents could provide. I know these children have so much, but gosh, they don't have it all. They are missing 2 happily married parents. And now one is off reliving his twenties because I guess he wants us all to feel sorry for him that he had 8 kids by age 27. Its not something I'd wish on anyone, but uhh Jon I think its hard to deny that you played a significant role in the procreation of your children. Yes fertility drugs were involved, but you knew what you were getting into. Do not leave those beautiful 8 children without an active father figure. I wonder if we see you more on the news/ tabloids than your children actually see you in person. This story just keeps taking more twists and turns. We'll see what's yet to come.

My 2 cents on the 8

2009-06-19T00:23:00.000-04:00

So normally blog is a journal of my life... but I recently stumbled upon another blog, written by "Aunt Jodi's" sister, called "Truth Breeds Hatred" ~Bias of Priene, Maxim. It gives her thoughts and updates on "Jon and Kate + 8" 's life from a behind the scenes look. Aunt Jodi is Kate's sister- in-law, married to Kate's younger brother, Kevin.
When I first began watching the show I really liked it. I have watched it literally from day 1- I saw the episode that was a documentary of their life, which became so popular they gave the family their own show. I used to really like it. I thought the kids were cute and I was amazed at how the family ran things with so many kids being under the age of 5. I noticed then that Kate wasn't so nice to Jon, but I just thought, gosh I'd probably be stressed out too if I had her life. And watching reruns now, it appears in the beginning her "digs" on Jon were not so serious. How my opinions have changed. I now realize she is an awful, uncompassionate witch. To think she was a nurse- I wouldn't have wanted to be one of her sick patients, she was probably so harsh.
As the show progressed I began to get annoyed with the "freebies" the family was getting. Like come on, their already getting paid way too much for their show, why do they need to stay in a house at a ski resort for a week valued at $5000? And then their trip to Hawaii. I thought it ridiculous before. Now that I've learned the vows were completely staged there, YUCK! How disgusting to lie to your children and tell them "this is forever" and not even mean it. Apparently at the time of the trip their were already problems in Jon/Kate's marriage according to Jodi and Kevin.
And how about this one (also from Jodi/ Kevin)... about 6 months ago, the marriage was over. Kate had Jon sign a contract that he could have girlfriends and be on his own. The catch was that he had to show up for filming. Such fake tears she showed on that season premiere- "this may be our last family photo". Well if you didn't want it to be the last one, you should have thought of that months ago when you told Jon the marriage was done. His allegations of him cheating and pictures showing him with girls in the early Spring... well its true he was with them. My thoughts on cheating? Legally the couple is married, but a marriage is a hell of a lot more than a legal document. That's the least of it. When emotionally and spiritually you are no longer married, is it really considered cheating at that point? I never condone cheating of any sort, but I believe she drove him to it.
It made me sick to see "poor Kate" on the cover of People magazine making herself out to be the victim. Gosh get rid of that awful haircut first of all and those fake highlights (uhh zebra stripes) and tell us the TRUTH. You are an awful person and a liar.
Now the worst of it. This train wreck is now captured forever and ever for those 8 children to see. Bad enough they have to experience this once, let's film it all on TV and document lies in magazines, Kate.
She claims she is a Christian and she is a follower of Christ. I believe I was 10 or 11 when I saw a sign that said "A true Christian cares". Kate you care about no one but yourself. You are a hypocrite. You say you love your kids, but you use them to profit in your show. Without them, there'd be no show and without the show you'd be nothing. You are trash, I'm sorry.
My thoughts. Sell your 1.1 million dollar home so you don't have mortgage payments that you need the show's income to finance. That way you can quit the show and stop having your children lead double lives. Stop telling them everything is okay so you can rake in the bucks, while in reality its not!
At this point, I believe that those 8 kids need prayers. They have lived on a TV set most of their lives. What kind of childhood is that? I do believe the show has lucratively allowed them to have the finer things in life, but I wouldn't trade my simple childhood for anything. I am glad that when I was scolded as a kid it wasn't caught on video for all of America to see. I'm glad my parents are still married today. Those kids won't be able to say that most likely.

looked like fun!

2009-06-15T15:18:00.000-04:00

Thanks for the idea Lindsay

What made your week?

Favorite alcoholic drink?

What kind of phone do you have?

Is there somebody in your life you could not live without?

Favorite candy?

The one thing that gets you through your day?

Is there a place that you haven't been in a while that you would like to visit again?

(Annapolis, MD)

What are you currently listening to?

(Frank squeaking his ball)

Would you rather fly, drive or travel by train?

Are you saving your money for any big purchase right now?

Favorite thing that is green?

Last movie you saw in the theater?

Perfume you wear?

Have you ever been in a castle?

Favorite season?

Shampoo you use?

What is your jewelry essential?

How would you describe your personal style?

Favorite magazine?

Favorite nail polish?

If you had three wishes...(Have a vacation home in Charleston)

(Live on the water in Annapolis)

(visit Italy)

Where did you get married?

Favorite thing about where you live?

win a bike!

2009-06-15T14:20:00.000-04:00

This would be sweet if I won this... I could carry around Frank in the back :) Thanks for the idea Lindsay! Click on the picture for details!

Simply put...pictures!

2009-06-14T21:41:00.001-04:00

Here are some photos as promised from yesterday's post.

This first one is of Frank in Seattle. He is the "best dog in town" in our opinion ;)
The one beside it... Frank fell asleep upside down on his bed, which he also flipped upside down. He is one silly pooch!

Then here are some from our trip to the Olympic National Park. Frank was able to join us!
These first 2 are at Hurricane Ridge... Its amazing there!! Pictures don't do a justice.

Here are a couple from the Hoh Rainforest. 2nd one is of my husband, dad and brother hiking.

Here are some Seattle pictures. First day E joined us, and here are the flowers I got. 2nd photo is our next trip to Seattle, of my family at the top of the Space Needle :)

Where has the time gone?

2009-06-14T01:03:00.000-04:00

I am trying to get better with this blogging thing. I'll get on, then get side tracked for weeks and realize I haven't updated my blog or checked other's for awhile!
We had my family in town this past week. My parents and brother and sister. So we went from 2 people and a pup to 6 people in our 2 bedroom place. But it worked out great. They had a vacation, I called it a "stay-cation" for myself. Ethan had to work during the week, but he was able to join us all last weekend for our trip to the Olympic National Park. Ethan and I had been twice before, and Hurricane Ridge did not disappoint this time either for my family. That is my favorite spot in the park- also happens to be where he took me the day we got engaged 2 years ago, hmmm maybe that's part of why I like it so much? Could be... but its just beautiful! We had amazing views of the snow capped Olympic Mountains. I can see them from my back porch, but this was up close and personal. I love it there!
We also were able to see Lake Crescent, and the Hoh Rain Forest. I am on my husband's computer now and the pictures are on my laptop, so tomorrow I'll fire mine up and add a post of pictures of our trip out there.
The rest of the week consisted of day trips, a couple into Seattle. I love Pike's Place Market. Its the longest running farmer's market in the US I believe. The sites and sounds are a treat for the senses. And I love bringing home fresh flowers.
So their visit came to an end yesterday and of course I cried. I look forward to the day when we live in the same state as my family and I can see them weekly for dinner and other get togethers. For now, we have 3000 miles in between. I am lucky they were able to make the trip out to visit though!
And I will have to post pictures of Frank. He has gotten bigger. Our little pup is not so much of a "baby" anymore. He's still a pup, but he's begun to develop that dachshund nose and he has grown since we first brought him home. He also chews... alot. I now have lovely little teeth marks in my end table to always remind me of Frank's puppy days... Thanks Frank!
Well if I you haven't stopped reading by this point (its a bit of a long post) then look forward to pictures to follow!

Our Hot Dog

2009-05-08T22:38:00.001-04:00

I am finally here to update my blog. We have had the pup now for about 10 days, and in that time I also got my wisdom teeth out. So between being busy with the pup and my minor surgery I am just getting to the post now.
We decided it was time for a puppy. Ethan had just finished his deployment and we've now been married 7 months. After talking to some friends, we decided to go and look at the shelters. We liked the idea of saving a pup from a shelter, but after some searching, it just wasn't working out for us. We are not allowed to have any pit bulls at our apartment, and many dogs at the shelter are pit bull mix. Also we felt limited by size. We only have a 2 bedroom place right now, so we didn't feel it would be fair to a larger breed dog. So after our 4th try at the shelter we decided to get what we have wanted since we started dating- a dachshund!
We looked around and we found a breeder in Oregon who had a litter of miniature dachshunds. I have to admit I was a bit nervous getting him. A puppy is a big commitment and I was hoping we were up for the challenge. We both grew up with dogs, me growing up with a "spunky" dog, so we considered ourselves experienced.
We arrived at the breeders and we were torn between a little red pup and a black one. The black one seemed to take to us and so he became ours!
On the way home we had to figure out his name. We had wanted to name our dachshund Oscar for awhile, as we'd thought about getting one for several years. But we decided we wanted something more original. So we went down the list. How about Nathan, after Nathan's Hot Dogs? No, that sounded too much like Ethan. How about Coney- Coney Island Hot Dogs. No, I didn't like Coney, and then Ethan came up with it- Frank! Our little "Frankfurter". We looked at that pup and Frank it was.
We go back and forth between Frank, Frankie, Mr. Frank, Franks... you get the idea, but any version of Frank is what we call him. He has been great so far. He is a sweetheart- he loves to snuggle. And we think he may be kinda smart. We even catch him watching TV for bits of time. He is a tiny little thing- only weighed 4 lbs at his first vet's appt!
There will be more to add, but here's a couple pictures for now :)

Homecoming!

2009-04-18T13:54:00.001-04:00

Well the sub finally made it home this past Thursday! I say finally because not only was it a long patrol, but it was pushed back a day. Now I know you are thinking, just one day, but when you wake up and think he will be home tomorrow and then the phone rings and they say, actually they are delayed +1, its pretty much heartbreaking.
But anyways, the day finally came. I woke up at 7:30 am and I don't know the last time I actually woke up that early on my own. I had to finish some last minute cleaning then I went to get myself ready. Then to the NEX to get welcome home balloons. And then back to the apartment to decortate our entrance. Here is a picture of that!

So things were ready at home and it was off to catch the boat (they call the sub "the boat") make its way throuh the Hood Canal. Bryanna and I raced up to the Hood Canal Bridge. We were lucky because it wasn't raining and we were able to see the mountains as an added bonus to an already spectacular day! It was surreal watching the sub coming in and thinking- "oh my gosh, he is really coming home!" It is a relief that words can not even describe. Here are some pictures of the boat coming in and then going through the bridge that was lifted for them.

So it was on its way at that point and very close to base. Unfortunately we were not able to have a pierside homecoming, so we waited at a cafe on base where they bused the guys up to us. Waiting at the cafe seemed like the longest hour and a half of my life! But yes finally his bus arrived and I plowed through the other guys to make it to my husband. It was the best hug I had ever gotten and I am lucky enough to have pictures of it!

We had a great night- went to our favorite restaraunt our here, Silver City! It was so great to finally be able to talk to him and hear his voice and his laugh after so long!
He had to work the next day and he came home and told me unofficially we are "penciled in" for Norfolk, VA for a shore tour. The Navy is not writing anyone orders now (yes I could do a whole posting on that), but if everything works out, we'd probably get there around the Fall of this year. The best part is its only a 50 min plane ride from my family and it happens to be the area where Ethan was born!

My Green Thumb

2009-04-11T18:23:00.000-04:00

So I decided to try out some gardening recently. I have never done so on my own, though I grew up in a house with a huge vegetable garden outside and a dalmatian that would never get by a week without hopping in and stealing his pick of tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers- whatever he could snatch before we caught him!
So I got myself a miniature greenhouse and planted basil, tomato, jalepeno pepper, onion, parsley and dill seeds. The tomatoes sprouted perfectly well and I got them out of the greenhouse and transplanted into a larger pot where the sprouts are continuing to do well. The basil also sprouted my I was not as successful transplanting them because within a week of their transplant they have all shriveled and died :-( I am going to try and plant more seeds right in the pot and use plastic wrap to create the green house effect and hope for more success. Bryanna told me to not water them from the surface, but rather sit them in a bowl of water and let them drink it up themselves :-)
The jalepeno seeds have 2 sprouts. They are for Ethan. He loves jalepeno peppers and would put them in almost all our dishes if I agreed. But I don't lol. I leave jalepenos to chili and a few select recipies.
I have one whole parsley sprout out of all the seeds I planted- probably about 15. So we will have to see.
And the dill was planted later after I got the tomatoes out of the greenhouse.
Oh and how could I have forgotten I planted strawberry seeds and sunflower seeds! The sunflower seeds have sprouted!! When I checked this morning I had 4 sprouts! And I JUST checked and I have a strawberry sprout!!! This is all very exciting for someone without a job, and a deployed husband, living over 3000 miles from my home.
So if I do actually have veggies and strawberries grow, I don't have my dalmatian Sam here to eat them, so maybe we'll potentially enjoy some fresh veggies and strawberries this summer!

Afternoon Tea

2009-04-10T02:30:00.000-04:00

This post is long over due. I just would say, "oh I should update my blog" and forget.
Anyways, in mid March my Mom made the trip from Maryland to come out and visit me. We had a great time, visiting the Space Needle, Pikes Place Market, Bellevue, and Snoqualmie falls amongst our day trips. My favorite though was our trip to Victoria, British Columbia. I am only about 3 hours from Canada. Victoria is a city in BC with a British influence, hence the afternoon tea!
We had a great day and the best part of the day was the tea we had at the Fairmount Empress Hotel. We were seated by a very friendly waiter and I knew this was going to be quite the experience when he pulled each of our chairs out to seat us and put our napkins on our lap. Top notch service :-)
The tea was the best tea I have ever tasted in my life. My mom agreed! It was served in the prettiest chinaware. This is seen here, as well as the great shot my mom got of the cream swirling through her tea cup.

We enjoyed everything served to us. On the first layer of the food tray were "tea sandwiches". There were carrot ginger, curried chicken, cucumber, & salmon and cream cheese sandwiches.
The next layer featured scones with the most delicious jam! Atop this layer was the dessert layer. Everything we ate was just delicious! Here is a picture of us in the tea room with all our delicasies as well as a close up of the dessert plate!

After we finished our Afternoon Tea, we went to the gift shop and bought some loose tea for each of us to take home as well as some souveniers for family. My mom also bought me an authentic Fairmount Empress teacup to have to keep. Then after we left she thought better and bought one for herself so we each have a matching teacup to remember what will be a once in a lifetime experience.
I was very sad to drop her off at the airport the next morning. The only thing to look forward to now is my husband's return from the deployment and oh how I am looking forward to it!

Tortilla Soup Sunday

2009-03-09T00:54:00.000-04:00

So we'd had it. Bryanna and her kids have all been sick. I have been sick. We were finally all getting a little healthier and decided we needed to do something! I was sick of staring at the walls in my apartment and I was sick of hearing the TV.
So during my boredom this week I actually read through a recipe book that my mom gave me for Christmas. There was a recipe for tortilla soup and it sounded intriguing so we decided to try it. Bry agreed it'd be good and we had our "big" Sunday plans. Lindsay made it too which was a nice surprise cause I didn't expect her to be able to be there! So with a little team work we made some delicious soup. Nothing like good food and good friends :-) We agreed when the guys come home we'll have to make this for them and probably at least double the recipe :-P
Here is the recipe if you ever want to try it. We all really enjoyed it! This serves 8, and make the whole thing, cause it doesn't go far lol. I also couldn't find cilantro leaves at the store, but it didn't seem to make a difference when we ate it!

1 TBS vegetable oil

1 onion, minced
1 jalepeno pepper, stemmed, seeded & minced
t TBS chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 TBS lime juice
5 oz. tortilla chips, crushed into large pieces
3 plum tomatoes, cored, seeded, & chopped
2 ripe avocados, pitted and cut into 1/2 in slices
1/2 cup whole fresh cilantro leaves

1. Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat until simmering. Add the onion, jalapeno, chili powder and garlic. Cook until onion is softened, about 5 mins. Stir in broth and bring to a simmer. Add chicken and simmer, partially covered, until no longer pink, about 15 mins

2. Remove the chicken and let cool. Continue to simmer the broth for 10 mins. Meanwhile shred chicken into bite sized pieces.

3. Remove the broth from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Divide portions of the tortilla chips, chicken, tomatoes and avocados among individual bowls. Ladle the broth over each bowl and sprinkle with the cilantro!

A Bittersweet Week

2009-03-06T23:10:00.000-05:00

Well I did hear from Ethan this week by email- the sweet part of my week!
I have also been sick almost all week- the bitter part of my week.
After 3 long weeks of no emails, the sub finally was able to transmit this week and I got some!! We never know when these emails are going to come. It was such a relief. I was reminded how miserable things are on a sub deployment. It was great hearing from Ethan, even though I was a bit saddened to be reminded how bad it is underway. He was sad to hear I have been sick and promised if he were here he'd make me soup and hot chocolate and lay next to me while we watched whatever I wanted on TV... haha I wonder if that would have included "Legally Blonde" showing on TV last night? He most likely would have suffered through it since I am sick.
I thought before he deployed this would be his last patrol, but it was confirmed in my email I recieved today. He told me he hates the navy and he's down there adding something daily to a list of reasons he should get out. He then rewords it to say he doesn't hate the Navy just subs. He was screamed at today by a superior for something he didn't even do wrong. "Way to get the facts right before wrongly accusing and yelling at him asshole!" Honestly this is how I feel about the particular person who yelled at him this way. Its not the first (or the last) time its happened. The sad part is that if most of us (civilians) were treated the way they treat these guys, we'd walk out and quit. They unfortunately don't have that option. Quit the Navy? I'm sorry that's not an option!
So I hate to write so badly about the military. I think the military has alot of good. We just aren't big fans of submarines. I have been nothing but impressed with my health care/ coverage since I became a military dependent. I love the tight knit sub community. You bond with these people quickly. I love the convenience of the base with the commisary, NEX and other discounted ammenities near by each other. And you get to see different places you'd otherwise probably never see. Like Washington state, I don't know if I'd ever have made it here. Well maybe eventually... but you get the point.
But the bottom line is Ethan is not happy with this and all the benefits do not compare to him being happy. Its not worth our time apart if he is unhappy. So this will be his last patrol. He could have chosen to sign on for another sea tour after this, but we will instead be doing a "shore tour" in which he teaches, recruits, etc... for the Navy, but doesn't deploy. Then in 2011 we will be saying goodbye to military life! So that the upside to this deployment- its our last! Even if he were not deployed he probably would have caught this virus and not been able to miss work anyways.
The virus is this so called para-influenza virus that is racing through Kitsap county. I am glad I am on the downhill, it was not fun! Its basically like the flu, just a different virus, the dr. told me. The worst symptom of "para-influenza" is it made me miss Ethan even more, having to take care of myself. Nyquil though has helped me get to sleep even when he couldn't. That stuff is a small mircale when you are miserable ;-) Its bittersweet, not fun to be sick, but at least Nyquil is there for you!

not a whole month

2009-02-27T12:16:00.000-05:00

I hope it does not become a whole month before I hear from Ethan again. I know this is how it is. I know this is part of the package. This is our last deployment. I have been through it many times before. You'd think it would get easier and I would get used to it. But it doesn't. There is nothing that can replace that interaction between us.
Its been 3 weeks since I have gotten an email from him. I know they are in a place where they can't get emails out. He'd call me if he could, but that is of course never an option in the world of submarines. The "Silent Service" is what it is called. This of course means there is little to no communication. Any dates about boat movement are strictly prohibited from being talked about in anyway.
Ethan often asks himself why he chose this "Silent Service" as it is so called. It is a life with high amounts of stress and little reward. He does not go to great places around the world. He's seen Hawaii from the periscope, that's "the exciting places" the Navy has taken him to. Sitting in a steel tube for months must be miserable, and I sometimes feel guilty for complaining about missing him. But if I didn't miss him that would be something to worry about!
I know he's miserable down there though. He's probably cold when he sleeps (when he actually gets sleep). He's bored out of his mind I am sure, as they wait for an eternity that if it took out the sub, well we'd all be gone too! And the food... it could be compared to eating like a pet down there. Its not the same food everyday of the week, but each day of the week they are served the same thing. Saturday is apparently pizza night... how exciting, right?
Oh haha, speaking of exciting by the way. The sub took on water. This means that sea water leaked into the sub because a hatch was not tightly closed. The guys apparently think this was exciting because they are so bored. I just think its worrisome. Great, let's think about my husband's sub filling with water and sinking- exciting, right? Oh the life of a submariner. He's bored and missing me, and I am worried and missing him.
So I hope it doesn't become a whole month before I get another email. I have gone a month in deployments past, but its a long time. I hope I hear from him to know he's okay and just to read an "i love you" from him. I know he loves me, but there's nothing like seeing it written. Maybe if I am very lucky I will get an old fashioned hand written letter if they do a mail drop back to us! THAT is the best thing I can get when he's deployed!

"Best of My Life"

2009-02-26T21:03:00.000-05:00

So I have fallen victim to the world of blogging! With all the free time I have now, I decided this would be something to help keep myself occupied. My life has done a 180 in the past year or so. I was at the capacity of stress last year, very sick and overall unhappy. I used to wake up almost every single morning and think to myself "I hate my life". And I really did!
As I sit here in Washington I often think of the East Coast and the life I left behind there to begin my new life with my husband. The people and things I love are still there, and I am always welcomed back into open arms when I return, as I go back with open arms. But I have people and things here that I love too. When I moved out here I did so knowing that my whole life was in Maryland, except a very big part of it. That big part is of course my husband, Ethan! Upon moving here after our wedding I did not really know anyone else besides my husband. It was a daunting experience. All I could think was that I was leaving behind everything I ever knew.
What I didn't know was I would meet some wonderful friends in WA! And what I really didn't expect is how quickly we would bond. The other girls (women- yeah I guess I am not just a girl anymore?) are so wonderful! They too are sub wives. I imagined that I would be a lonely navy wife as my submariner deployed, but instead I am often not lonely at all! I am so thankful for the friends that I have met here and the memories we have so far and those yet to come. I should have known- if you're strong enough to endure your spouse being deployed without any communication, you have to be awesome right ;-)
And I just knew it would rain all the time and I would be depressed and just hate it, right? Wrong! Much to my surprise, its really not that bad out here. I have seen of the best views in my life in Washington State. The mountains are like no other and when it is bright and sunny, it is like a postcard. Yes it does rain, but it doesn't get to me like I thought it would. I often think to myself "I am happy and I am okay". To think back a year ago, I was not happy and I was not okay.
This experience that I thought to be so intimidating has actually been one of the best of my life. I have acquired a sense of independence that is invaluable and will help me the rest of my life. The combination of this independence, of living in a new and different place, and of making such good friends and finally being with Ethan (when he's not deployed) makes me realize I am living some of the best days of my life!