Deployment Induced Insomnia

I don't know about the rest of you military spouses, but I definitely believe Deployment Induced Insomnia is real and here to stay! Whenever Andrew leaves I always have trouble falling asleep. I keep the oddest hours and it generally makes me a cranky person to be around since I'm not getting enough sleep nor am I getting quality sleep. I know some days it's just because I've had a bad day and I'm lonely. It's hard to face the empty bed on days like that, but I don't want to sleep on the sofa and start bad habits for the pups. Normally when Andrew leaves for a couple of days I sleep on the sofa with the pups, I can't do that for a whole year though. Tonight I just can't seem to fall asleep. I'm sure this whole day light savings time isn't helping me. My body feels like it's only 1 am while it's really 2 am. Everyone else in my house is sleeping though. I wish I had the life of my dogs or cats for that matter.

Tango sleeping on the sofa. She has been refusing to cuddle since I got back from Louisiana.

Shadow snuggled up next to me. She's such a cuddly dog.

Sue and Munchie snuggled up in the bed.

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.

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!).

We're leaving on a jet plane in a freakin car boo!

Andrew and I have been on the road for one day and only one more to go. The upside to PCS moves that are close NO LONG ROAD TRIPS!!!! Trust me 5-6 days in a car with a dog and 2 cats is NOT FUN! So, last night Andrew and I packed up the cars, being over achievers we also took down all of our curtains to pack, including the black out curtains in our bedroom (dumb move). We get lots of morning sun in our room. So, we were up and out of bed by 6am. Which meant we got on the road way earlier than we intended to. Not a big deal you say, HUGE DEAL we were running so ahead of time we were going to arrive at the hotel 2 hours before check in. So we did what any sane person would do, we took the long "short-cut". We stopped in Gettysburg. It was neat to see the battlefield and the cemetery. Unfortunately the cemetery wasn't pet friendly so we only got to see it from afar. Hopefully we will make a trip back someday without the dog and truly experience everything Gettysburg has to offer. We're now at our hotel in Frederick, MD just relaxing after a nice dinner and walk around the mall. We'll be on the road again bright and early tomorrow morning after our breakfast here at the hotel. Hopefully we'll be in Jacksonville around 3:30 and then onto viewing rental properties and finding a place to live!!!

Andrew and Tango

Me and Tango

Gettysburg National Cemetery

Gettysburg

Sue, Happy to be out of the box

Munchkin enjoying the window

Tango and Andrew napping after a long car ride

Sue discovered the dresser drawers

Living with nothing

About two days before TMO came to pack our stuff I wasn't feeling to hot. So, I laid on the sofa with Tango. When I did I threw the blanket over my legs and Tango. Sushi too that as an invite to lay down. I'm so proud that my puppy and cat can finally get along.

Hey I think there's a dog under this blanket!

Yup it just moved definitely a dog

Then TMO came and we began living with nothing. The phrase of those two weeks was definitely, "I have that oh wait TMO took it!" lol. With little to do the animals were forced to entertain each other (and us!).

(No idea why this is upside down) Tango trying to convince Munch to play.

Our little set up (2 camping chairs 3 totes and a laptop)

Tango proving she is too a lap dog (My chair broke shortly after this)

I crawled in to snuggle with Tango and Andrew locked the gate (what a mean husband!!)

Holy Snow Batman

Syracuse got 18.25 inches of snow between 7am yesterday and 7am today. It was crazy! Tango loved it, Andrew and I went out and played in it. We really just had a great time. I took yesterday and today off of work because we can't get out/in the apt. complex. Luckily my co-workers are very understanding. Right now Andrew is outside trying to help one of our neighbors dig his car out of the snow. He got it into the complex last night, but the snow was so deep he couldn't get it into a parking spot. Well in order for the guy to plow we have to move the cars. Hopefully they'll get it moved before the plow gets here.

Andrew and I building a snowman

This is how deep it was this morning 2-26. Over my knees.

Yesterday was also Andrew's re-enlistment ceremony. It was small and quick because there was a ton of snow on the ground and a ton more coming. I'm just glad we finally got to do it. I mean it's been postponed like 3 times prior to this. One of the guys in the program with Andrew came and took some photos. He said he would get me a disk of the photos sometime next week. So, we'll have some nice ones soon.
Tango had such a great time in the snow. She loves it! I love how she bunny hops everywhere in the snow. It's so cute. She loves to chase the snowballs and icicles that Andrew and I throw for her. She'll track them down and try to dig them out. It's amazing how much focus she has trying to pick them up or even find the snowballs in all this snow.


I also took Sushi and Munchkin out in the snow. I put their feet in it and neither of them were a fan. Munchkin took it way better than Sue did which is amazing. I truly thought that Sue would be all for it and Munchkin would hate it. Although the upside is that Sue probably won't try to run away again anytime soon.

10 on Tuesday for mom

1. My mommy is forcing me to update my blog. (well not really forcing as much as complaining that I don't update often enough.)

2. We celebrated Andrew's birthday at the end of January with a fabulous Quadruple chocolate cake that I baked.
3. A picture of the inside. Doesn't it look yummy!4. I recently finished the cutest knit project for a friend who is having a baby right around Easter.
5. Andrew and I had a very low key Valentine's Day at home with each other. I made swordfish, rice pilaf and mixed veggies. He got me some beautiful gerber daisies.6. Lizzie was nice enough to send us a king cake since we were gonna miss Mardi Gras and the whole carnival season. It came unassembled, so Andrew and I had a good time putting it together.
7. Missy was also nice enough to send me flowers for Valentine's Day. They were gorgeous!
8. The animals are doing good and are as cute as ever! Tango has learned how to get on my nerves and some days I think she does it on purpose, but we still love her!

9. Andrew had fun this weekend. he went hunting out at Liberty Lodge which is about 45 minutes south of here. He managed to get himself a Ram. Now I have a freezer full of ram meat and no idea how to cook it.
10. Last, but not least, I'm coming home! I'm so excited to get to visit everyone. I've been needing to get out of this snow covered city for a while. The lack of sunshine and presence of so much snow can just be mood damper. I can't wait to come home. I'll be there March 16-24!!!!

Experiencing Christmas

Andrew and I had a small Christmas here in Syracuse on the 18th. Why so early you ask, because we headed home to surprise our families for Christmas!!!! They weren't expecting us and some (cough mom cough) made us stand outside and convince them to answer the door. Our Christmas here was fun though. Here are just a few pictures. Our Happy Christmas Tree

Tango with her bone on Christmas Day

Munchkin and Sue playing with their Christmas toys

Munchie loving the new toys

My new KitchenAid mixer!! I'm in love.

Andrew with his Marines Monopoly.

Andrew and his Harley shirt.