July 4, 2011

Independence Day this year was pretty quiet for us. The best part about it was that we were able to be together! YAY! I think it was the first holiday that we had spent together ALL YEAR!! Crazy, huh?

Well, to celebrate we went to what we refer to as "the farm" to see my Dad and Phyllis. We had considered going to Elizabeth City to watch the fireworks, but we have discovered that in this area anything you go to is just SO CROWDED! You have to fight through people and around people to get where you are going. Traffic is always horrible when you're trying to get there and even worse when you are leaving. We just didn't want to the headache this year. So being in rural North Carolina was just perfect for us! My Dad barbecued some delicious food, and we gratefully filled out bellies, played some good ol' Monopoly, and lit off a few small fireworks. Just old fashioned family time. Best way to celebrate our freedoms: spending time with those you love and just knowing that what we have is special. Not everyone in this world gets that privilege.

Sitting on the front porch, watching the fireworks.

The fireworks weren't the most spectacular, but they did the job. It didn't help that it was sprinkling.

It was hard to get a good picture of Alex lighting the fireworks with my phone. This is one of the best ones.


The Monopoly King!! (He gets really cranky if he's losing!)


I wish that was REAL money!! But realistically there is no money in real estate these days. :)

My handsome husband, my awesome Daddy, and wonderful Phyllis!! :) Love you guys!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Sunbury, NC

Harbor Fest 2011

Alex and I really enjoyed Harbor Fest last year, so we thought we would go down to see the fireworks again and eat some yummy food. Well, we made it to the yummy food, but not the fireworks. As you can tell from the video and pictures, we got rained out. :( it was a total bummer! If it hadn't been for the funnel cake that we got to scarf down before it got soggy in the rain, the night would have been an epic fail in my book. I was wearing a summer dress and it was so soaked by the time we got to the parking garage that it was actually dripping at the bottom!! We thought for a split second that we might want to try and see if the rain stopped and still try and see the fireworks, but we both felt like drowned rats when we finally got out of the rain. That definitely doesn't make for an enjoyable time. But it did make some memories!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Norfolk, VA

Homecoming

On June 6, 2011 Alex finally came home to me!! I can't tell you how amazing it was to see him after those 5 long months!! He flew out of Bahrain and made the almost 24 hr flight home. I was trying to get the house ready and me ready for his arrival and there just didn't seem to be enough time! You would think I would have done a lot in the time that he was gone, but it just didn't work out that way. And on a funny note, I decided to get a spray tan so I could "look my best" for his homecoming, but I didn't get the desired effects. I ended up looking pretty spotty/multicolored. It's a good thing he missed me so much and didn't really care about the spots. :)
Now that he is home, its like he never left. We just fell into our normal routine. I think we just have a greater appreciation for each other. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder!!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

May is for Birthdays!!

As of May 14, 2011 I am officially 25 years old!!! Where in the world did the time go?? I don't feel like I am 25. I feel like I should have a couple of kiddos, be settled in my career, and have my educated completed. Not even close on any of that! BUT I am married to my best friend. That is one thing that has been crossed off "the list" for a couple years now. But there just seems to be so much unaccomplished. And I didn't like turning a quarter century without my husband at my side. He told me he didn't like being away for my birthday either. He needed to be home to wake up to and spend the whole day off with. I know I am kind of whining right now. I know that there are plenty of other families out there missing their loved ones while they are away. I just REALLY miss him! Although I can't complain about the friends and family here that did a wonderful job about making the whole weekend special for me.

I went to the salon on Friday afternoon for some pampering. The stylists at Bombshell in Chesapeake were wonderful at helping me feel my inner "Bombshell" I walked out with pampered feet, pretty nails, and a great new hairstyle. And I went on over the Joe and Nichole's for dinner. She was sweet enough to make me a cake too. Delicious chocolate cake with homemade white frosting. Scrumptious!! Dinner and friends, just a wonderful way to spend a Friday night!!

My second birthday cake was from my Dad and Phyllis. They drove in from the farm on Sunday to bring me cake and presents. They were also nice enough to take me out to Dinner and Mcormick and Schmidts in downtown Virginia Beach. I stuffed my face with fresh Flounder, fried calamari and spinach artichoke dip! YUM YUM!! And that cake is red velvet with cream cheese frosting which happens to be my second favorite besides chocolate cake. So much for dropping a few pounds before the end of the deployment!! :)

I have such a wonderful husband. He couldn't let my birthday go by and not spoil me rotten. I got this in the mail on Friday from Amazon. He had bought me 1500 thread count sheets with a 1500 thread count down comforter!! Pretty nice, huh? I had been talking about getting new sheets like this for a while, but didn't want to spend the money on them. Well, my birthday was a good excuse to spend the money according to my baby. And I can't forget that he had already sent me a pair of gold and diamond earrings from Bahrain when Rob came home in April. I am so spoiled. Thank you, baby!! I love you!! Can't wait till I can spoil you in October for your birthday!!! xoxox

More of my birthday spoils from my dad and Phyllis. That Betty Boop shirt looked great with my jeans and my red pumps. :) Thank you guys!! (Oh, and $50 was nice too!)

I also can't forget to mention that my visiting teacher Kendy, once again came to my rescue and took me out to lunch on Saturday to the Broken Egg Bistro! Food we delicious and the company was great! Thanks for thinking of me, Kendy!! OH! and for all the cards, calls, and facebook shout outs, thank you. It helped make me feel not so alone.

At the end of the day, I might not have all the things I have hoped for, but I do have A LOT!!

Easter 2011

Here are a couple pictures of how I spent Easter this year. I don't want this to be a blog just about me, but there isn't much to report about Alex. He is still stuck on a ship in the middle of the ocean. He did call to wish me a Happy Easter. I sent him this picture via email and he loved it! I had to work on Easter, but it always makes my patients smile when I get into the spirit.

Happy Easter to my patients and my wonderful husband!!!

That night after after work Nichole (in the silver dress) made all of us Easter dinner. As Michelle (in the purple) has pointed out, this is our "Navy Family." Alex is missing, but I know if any of us needed anything, we are just a phone call away. And nothing is expected in return. If it weren't for a Navy family, life in the military would be a hundred times harder than what it is already. We had a great dinner and it was one of the last nights with all of us together. About a week and a half after this, Rob and Michelle left us for Chicago. Good luck with everything Rob and Michelle. We will miss you!! Happy Easter!!

Mary Kay March

I am a Mary Kay Beauty Consultant!!! I am sure most of you know that by now, but just in case you didn't. :) I decided to sign on to the Mary Kay dream right after my surgery in February. It might have been the the residual of the pain medications that made me finally say "yes" but I haven't regretted the decision since. I have had a wonderful time meeting new people and making women feel beautiful. Not to mention I definitely enjoy my 50% discount for my products! It has also been a great way for me to stay busy on my days off work. Keeps my mind off missing Alex, even though I do every day, all day. Alex had been very supportive of my decision to be a Mary Kay Beauty Consultant. He was kind of worried at first, but when he found out I could become a Mary Kay Millionaire he seemed to embrace the idea that he could have a "sugar mamma" :)
Here are some pictures of Career Conference that I attended in March. What a great night of inspiration! And how many career conferences start with prayer? I really liked that about the conference. So from here on out, I will be dreaming in pink!!

The wonderful Kim Hundley's Home Run Hitters!!!

Here are all my accomplishments so far in Mary Kay in just one month!!

Handy Roomates!!

Our hard work!! :)

I can't remember the exact dates, but my friend Michelle moved in with me in the middle of February. Her husband was also on the USS Enterprise and is friends with Alex. When they sold their house soon after the deployment started, she moved in with me since I had an extra room. I couldn't have asked for a better roommate. After she moved in, I was joking with Alex that Michelle could win husband of the year. She takes out the trash, does dishes, cooks dinner, etc. :) He didn't find that very funny, but she really was helpful and it was so nice not to come home to an empty house and have some one around that knew EXACTLY what I was going through.

Soon after she moved in, Michelle was telling her husband, who told my husband, who told me that Michelle thought my house looked like a bachelor pad. (what a way to communicate, eh?) I wasn't offended by that statement at all, because I knew exactly what she was talking about. I just put her to work! One evening we put up a few shelves, a sconce and even some vinyl lettering. It was quite an adventure figuring out the cordless drill and dry wall screws. Michelle had a little bit more knowledge about it than I did. Her husband had taught her well. She also helped me clean out my pots and pans and silverware so now they all match better. We had a fun night putting a girly touch on my house. It's starting to feel a little bit more like home!