Christmas Under the Oaks

Rob, Missy, Andrew, and I went to Christmas under the oaks in city park last night and it was great fun. Lucky for us it wasn't as could as it haas been in the past. We had a great time walking around dining hot chocolate and seeing all the lights.

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Silly puppy

I'm not feeling well so I got my heating pad out. Shadow decided she needed it much more than I did. I wish she would give it back.

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10 on Tuesday

1. I survived Jane Wayne day (or at least that's what my t-shirt says). Andrew's unit hosted a day where the wives got to come and do the O Course (obstacle course), ride in MRATS ( I think that's what they're called), fire weapons in the weapon simulator, and eat MREs. The up side to all of this was Andrew got off early for his Thanksgiving leave because I went and played with big toys for a day!!
2. I finished my Clapotis. It's a knit wrap with drop stitch detail. I'm in LOVE with it. I need to wash it with vinegar to set the color and block it so it won't be all curled up like it is in the picture. I'll post another picture once I've finished all of that.

3. We put up the Christmas decorations!! I am excited for Christmas finally. I love Christmas and I definitely love decorating it so much so that I have more decorations then my house can handle. This year is the first year that we've had a yard though, so you better bet that after Christmas I will be buying lawn decorations on sale!!

4.I love our inside decorations. We have our stockings hung from our entertainment center (or as mom puts by the Wii with care) since we don't have a fire place, but I think it's fun.

5. Sushi helped as she does every year by taking up residence in the tree box and smacking anyone who walked past.
6. This is proof that Munchkin loves us. If you know our pets you know that Munchkin doesn't like to be touched or cuddled. She willingly came to snuggle with Andrew. She never snuggles with me, always Andrew.

6. I knitted this hat for Jill and I think that I'm in love with it. It's knit with super bulky yarn so it knits up really quickly and I just love it, it's so simple but it looks great.
7. Andrew and I are going home for Christmas and I'm so excited. We're also going to be able to make it home for Peyton's birthday party this year which makes me even more excited because we had to miss it last year since we couldn't go home for an extended period of time due to Andrew's class schedule.

8. Now that I have finished all the other knitting projects that I had going, I think it may be time to start my Christmas knitting. Nothing like waiting until the last second to make Christmas presents.

9. I need to sit down and make our Christmas cards in photoshop now that I think about it. I spent like 2 days making my sister's card, but I haven't even thought about ours.

10. I've been watching this series on Netflix called Whale Wars. I think these people are crazy. It follows an organization called the Sea Shepards on the quest to stop whaling. They're definitely extremists and I could never do it, but what they do makes for good television.

Stream of Consciousness

So, I have been up since 3:45am yesterday so that's about 22 hours and I've consumed so much caffeine that my brain is racing and I can't sleep. I thought instead of sleeping that I would share my most recent train of thought with you, just bear with me because sometimes the inside of my head is an "interesting" place.

I was listening to the radio and I heard a line in a song that was something like," I'm the son of a 3rd generation farmer" then like the next line is "I've been married 10 years to the farmer's daughter" which makes you wonder, "Did he marry his sister?" I mean this is Jacksonville, but I would like to think we're classier than Arkansas or West Virginia (lol).

Speaking of West Virginia I heard a really funny joke about them the other day (from a Chaplain believe it or not). Why did West Virginia cancel the nativity? Because they couldn't find 3 wise men and a virgin. lol. (bad joke I know).

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I went to Andrea's house where we had a TON of food and lots of people. It really was a blast. After I brought dinner to Andrew and Dink since they had duty today. I was bummed out that Andrew had stupid barracks duty today. I mean he's going to be deployed next year for Thanksgiving and he missed this one because of the MC too. I know I shouldn't complain because at least he's here and he'll be back in just a few hours which will seem like even less time if I can actually fall asleep!

Andrea, Holly, and I braved Wal-Marts midnight madness. They didn't have what I was looking for, but Holly got a kick ass Kitchen Aid stand mixer. I did get an artificial Christmas tree. I really am all for live trees, but since we're going to be home on pre-deployment leave for Christmas I figured it would be better to get a fake one this year, and hopefully I'll put it up again next year even though Andrew won't be home for Christmas.

If you know me you know how much I LOVE to decorate for Christmas and I just love Christmas in general. This year I'm dreading it. I almost don't want to put the tree up when Andrew gets home today nor do I want to put up our lights or even really decorate. I feel like if I just don't prepare for the holidays then they won't come and Andrew won't leave shortly after. I know that's stupid kid logic, but some days you take what you can get. I know that I'm going to bite the bullet and decorate and I'm sure once I start I'll get into the spirit and everything will be fine, but for now I'm going to sit here and pout while my food induced coma fights with my caffeine induced awakeness.

10 on Tuesday (Thanksgiving style)

1. I am thankful for my husband who always supports me no matter what.
2. I am thankful for my family. (Mom's side)

3. My dad's side
4. I am thankful for my in-laws. Not everyone gets blessed with awesome in-laws, so I feel like I got extra lucky with mine!
5. I am thankful for Missy! She's been my best friend for as long as I can remember and I don't know what I would do without her.
6. I'm thankful for all the friends that the Marine Corps has given me the opportunity to meet.
7. Believe it or not I'm thankful for the time I spent in Syracuse because if we hadn't been stationed there I never would have been given the opportunity to meet these wonderful women. 8. I'm thankful for my puppies (even when they pee on my carpet).

9. I'm thankful for my kittens to (most days). I love them even when they're being standoffish.
10. I'm thankful for the house that Andrew and I are turning into a home. I know buying a house wasn't really in the plans here, but buying this house really is a testament to how much with love our animals. We bought it so we could keep them all (and add one more!).

Happy 235th Birthday Marine Corps

I'm proud to be married to one of The Few and I'm proud to have so many friends who serve our country. The Marine Corps really is a tight knit community and I'm lucky to have a Marine Corps family here in North Carolina.

Wordless Wednesday

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Update on us.

I feel like it's been forever sine I blogged. Tons has happened in the past few weeks.

Andrew left for CAX and I spent a week hanging out with my friends and loving my puppies. Then I went home for a week. I had such a good time at home. It was stressful because I had so many people I wanted to see and things I wanted to do and I didn't get to do/see everything/everyone, but I had a good time. Missy took me to this place called Bra Genie to get a strapless bra. This place is AMAZING! If you have never been fit for a bra I recommend finding someplace similar to this and I'm not talking Victoria's Secret they SUCK! I absolutely love the few bras that I got for them and I'm planning getting a few more.

Since I've been home I've been knitting my little fingers off. I decided I was going to knit a bunch of Christmas presents and a few hats for sale. I got a bunch of knitting last done yesterday since Century Link internet was down ALL FREAKING DAY! Wanna talk about how long that makes the day last especially since I was waiting for Andrew to get home from CAX yesterday.

Today is going much better. Andrew is home (well at work for now), the internet is back on, my sofa was repaired and returned today and I'm going to dinner with my hubby tonight.

What we've been up to

Andrew left for CAX Thursday last week.So, before then we tried to just get in some together time because this deployment is sneaking up on us faster than we expected it too. We went to Mike's Farm with some friends, Holly and Travis, to get pumpkins then we came back to the house and carved them. We also went on a dinner date for the first time in what felt like forever. Usually we're to tired or Andrew is super busy and gets home really late. Mostly we just spent time together.

The day that Andrew left was proof that the MC is nothing but a huge cluster fuck. Information was mishandled and never past on the guys. Things that were supposed to happen didn't. It was so frustrating for Andrew and me. It definitely put a real sour note on him leaving. What I think was the most frustrating was that it took me off guard and made goodbye difficult even though I know he'll be back in a few weeks and that he's safe. Now that he's gone I'm doing fine. It was just all the pent up frustrations with the MC came out when saying goodbye to him.

Now that he's away I've been hanging out with friends and just having a good time. We've been hanging out enjoying some wine and knitting mostly. Tomorrow I'm having a Slumber Party at the house. I'm excited for it. I had one for my 21st birthday and it was a blast. Then on Wednesday I'm headed home to visit for a week or so. I can't wait to spend time with my family and see my friends from back home. I miss everyone so much.

Ten on Tuesday

1. My birthday is tomorrow I turn 24. I'm not exactly sure when I got this old (not that 24 is OLD).
2. I have some great friends here in J'ville. I get to hang out with some great girls today and there's gonna be a big get together for lunch tomorrow.
3. I love our puppies, but yesterday I wanted to kill them. They were so nice as to run away. I got them both back, but they're making me crazy.
4. The cats have lost their minds also. They are running around like I lit their tails on fire. I think it's all the cool weather and fresh air.
5. The weather has been beautiful here the past few days. I've been able to have the windows open and a/c off. It's so nice.
6. Andrew's training got pushed back, so he doesn't have to leave on my birthday any more!!! I'm so excited about this. We're gonna try to go out to dinner if he gets off of work early enough.
7. I'm gonna go home while Andrew is at training, I'm so excited to get to see my friends and family back home.
8.We got our photos done on the beach with the puppies the other day. Our photographer Heartlove Photography is amazing and we love our pictures. We're just waiting on the prints we ordered to come in.
9.Andrew and I are getting excited for fall. We're going to try and hit up a couple of festivals before he leaves for training. I'm hoping that they're as fun as the ones we went to in Syracuse.
10.I have to admit that I actually miss this time of year in Syracuse. I miss the apple cider and the wineries. I don't miss the winter though.

I know you've had one too...

Ever had an, "I hate the Marine Corps" day? I feel like recently I'm having an, "I hate the Marine Corps" life and I hate that. So, today I've decided that I'm going to think about all the things I like about the Marine Corps and what it has to offer us. So here it goes a list of 5 things I ♥ about the MC

1. Our paycheck. Come on who doesn't like a paycheck! The MC has provided for us for the past 7 years. Without the steady paycheck we wouldn't have our beautiful house, food on our table, or cars in our garage.
2. A chance to see the country. Yes PCS moves are a pain, but honestly Andrew and I probably never would have left our home town if it weren't for the MC. We have gotten to see Cali, Vegas, the Grand Canyon, live in Texas, NY, and NC. All of our various duty stations have allowed us to have unique experiences that we may not have had in Louisiana.
3. The amenities on base. Yes, base traffic is a pain, but free access to several gyms and free personal trainers NICE! Also, the commissary, PX and all the other shops on base are all tax free. Onslow beach is amazing it's wonderful to have a beach so close by. I really could go on for days about what base offers.
4. Healthcare. While tricare can be a pain and they don't always have wonderful customer service they usually do come through and pay our medical bills. There's also our wonderful dental insurance.
   
5. The friends. Not many people have jobs where your co-workers and co-workers families become a second family to you. If it weren't for the MC I wouldn't have nearly as many friends as I do now. All the ladies who I've met through our duty stations and online through support networks are amazing. It's always nice to have friends who are dealing with the same issues as us. Especially since sometimes our friends back home just don't understand things like how we feel during deployments or how I think it's normal for my husband to be gone weeks, months, and sometimes a year or more at a time.

So there you have it. 5 things I love about the MC. I will now return to our previously scheduled programing of hating the MC.

The waiting game.

I hate playing this game as I am sure all of you also hate playing this game. I am currently sitting in my house WAITING for the TMO guy to come and look at all the stuff we have that TMO so kindly broke for us. I hope he shows up on time because guess what I HAVE THINGS TO DO! I know that it may sound crazy for me to have a life that is not waiting for delivery men, installation men, and appraisers, but I do. Now nice TMO guy I would appreciate you showing up on time. Thanks!

I can't tell you how many times I have sat down to write this post then just deleted what was written and walked away. Words can not explain what I feel for my friend whose love was KIA in Afghanistan this past week. I cannot imagine the pain that she must be going through yet I wish I could take on the burden for her even if just for a moment. I know that there is a great community of Marine significant others who stand behind her along with her other friends and family as she welcomes her Marine home and lays him to rest. I just wish we could do more for her. I wish that tragedies such as these weren't part of our reality as Marine spouses, fiances, girlfriends, etc. With a deployment lurking in our forseeable future I wish I had the certainty that every service member everywhere would arrive home alive. For now though all I can do is cherish every moment that my husband is home with me and wait for this deployment (which hasn't even started) to come to an end.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday is all pictures of what I've been doing in the past few weeks. We've been crazy busy with visitors and such so here are pictures of what we've been up too.

Can't sleep

It's almost 2:30am here and I just can't sleep. I'm so freaking excited that Missy is coming to visit Andrew and I. She is bringing her wonderful puppy Basco with her and we have so many things planned for this week. Lots of beach time and we're going to go to the Duplin winery with Emily, Holly, and Andrea. I kinda wish Andrew would have taken a day or two off of work but it's alright. More time for Missy and I to spend together. I'm hoping that we can make it to Beaufort, NC to see the historical sites and take a tour or two.

The day after Missy leaves my mom is coming to visit. We're planning on going down to Cape Lookout on Sunday, then who knows on Monday, and Tuesday is yarn shopping! I'm so excited to have house guests!!!!

Then in September for Labor Day Lizzie is coming with Peyton and Jake and maybe David. It'll definitely be fun. I can't wait to see my nephews.

We finally closed on the house!!!!!

Andrew and I finally closed on our home and quickly set to work making it feel like a home instead of just the house of doom. I planted a garden on the side of the house. Hydrangea and two bushes transplanted from the 15 the builder felt necessary to plant in front of my house. I also transplanted 3 other bushes behind the garage and in the little garden I pulled those 5 bushes from I planted a rose bush and two mini hibiscus plants. All of which are currently flowering and gorgeous. I was worried about them dying since I've planted them so late, but the lady at the nursery assured me I just needed water them religiously until they take root and they should be fine!!! We also extended the tiny back patio that the builder gave us with pavers and got a cute little outdoor table and chairs for the area. Our last home improvement project in our little home improvement marathon was to paint our bedroom. I LOVE the colors and the way we painted. Now I'm just trying to decide how to paint the front bedroom and spare bathroom. We decided to leave the kitchen/living room area the color it is since it's SO open and the we have really high ceilings and ladder (yet). Andrew is in charge of his man cave, but secretly I'm thinking chair rail with two tone wall. Maybe in some blues or greens since it is a man cave after all. The spare bathroom has a nice purple them going thanks to my wonderful mommy who bought us the set I wanted, but I'm not sure I want purple walls too. It may just be over kill. I know that I want to paint it though even if the color is similar to whats there because the type of paint in the bathroom is really flat and nothing wipes off the walls and the tiniest little splash of water discolors it. Well enjoy the house pictures! See if you can spot the animals I know that Tango and Munch are in there. I'm not sure if I caught Sue.

Our Home!

Our garage

Garden I planted on the side of the house.

Front Garden

Kitchen.

Eating area

The Living room with new entertainment center and shelves

The office/man cave

Our bedroom (excuse my messy bed)

Front bedroom/craft room