Retail Therapy?

Yes, please!!

And that is exactly what I did yesterday. Well, I wasn't planning on doing retail therapy. It just sort of happened.

I called up my good friend Mrs. C yesterday and asked her if she'd like to go to Petco with me since it's close to where she lives. She said yes, and I headed her way. We browsed Petco for a bit and decided that everything was overpriced. Since Target (pronounced: Tar-jay=) it's French! lol) was nearby, we decided to go there too. I was only looking for Jasper-related items, but good 'ole Target gets ya right when you walk in --- women's clothes. I looked and looked, grabbed my faves and headed to the dressing room with Mrs. C by my side. Of course, she didn't end up buying anything. While I only had a few items I felt rather guilty for purchasing these beauties:

Basic, adorable dress. Who doesn't need one of these?!

Left: super cute tank in a fabulous color.

Right: a light and comfy summer dress.

After Target, we decided it was time for some lunch. We made a quick stop at Subway (yum-o! I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!) and then we walked over to Ross. Oh, Ross. =) That store has been hit and miss for me in the past. But, yesterday, it was most definitely a hit!! I think we spent about an hour there, going through all their home goods, shoes, and knick knacks. After all that searching and picking through things, I came out with all this: {and I really wish I'd taken a picture of our cart before we checked out!}

Kitchen stuff! I have been searching everywhere for a coffee themed spoon rest!!! I saw it, and knew that it was mine. =)

Isn't it cute?!

Before, with the Las Vegas spoon rest my mom gave me.

After with my new spoon rest and towels.

Much better, right?

A dog bed for Jasper! Fitting, don't you think? I just hope he uses it...

Last, but definitely not least, I bought these gorgeous shoes! *swoon*

Mrs. C and I had a great impromptu shopping trip! She didn't buy near as much as I did, but I needed some deployment retail therapy. =) Thanks for some shopping fun, Mrs. C!!

***

I also bought these cuties at American Eagle a few days ago. I love Am. Eagle!

Then on Wednesday, I had a little bit of the productivity feeling. =) While my bestie was here, I purchased about 10 frames in a set from Babies R Us. {Don't judge. She's pregnant. We went to the baby store and I found frames. =P} I got them for a steal, so I couldn't pass that up! I ordered prints from WalMart - site to store. Note to my readers: pay the extra for the one hour...it's not worth waiting 3 weeks to get them. Better yet, use Walgreens. They're cheaper. Anyway... I picked up my prints and hurried home to get them all set up. Feeling productive, I decided to hang them up....

First, I set them up the way I wanted them on the wall...

Then, I taped paper to the wall to see how it might look.

Then, I made some adjustments and broke out my hubby's toolbox. =) After nailing, moving nails, knocking one of the frames off the wall and making sure everything was as level as possible, this is what I wound up with in my hallway. =)

So, whaddaya think?

All in all, it's been a pretty good week! Now, if I could only get up the motivation to clean up my house!! It's not terrible, but it could definitely use a good once over. Any takers? ;-)

Happy Friday!

Your Questions: Answered

Well, this is it folks!!! To celebrate the coming (and going) of my 200th post, I'm doing a Q&A sesh! Not only to celebrate the big 2-0-0, but so that all of you brand new followers can learn a little bit more about yours truly. Aren't you just giddy with excitement? No? Ok, maybe it's just me. ;-)

Here it is. You asked and I have answered. Enjoy!

Jessica asked:

What is on your to-do list for this deployment?

Ha. Well...I have to do list, but it's sort of in my head. I guess since you've asked I should write it down. Though, it's not very long. Maybe I should add to it?

- Get a sewing machine
- Make curtains for the bedroom
- Actually, just make curtains for every room...they need it
- Make a scrapbook entitled "Adventures of Joe and Sarah: 2010"
- Volunteer somewhere to keep busy
- Paint end tables in living room
- Paint picture frames?
- Send lots of care packages
- STAY BUSY
- Get involved at church [since I *finally* found one]
- Get Jasper here and cuddle with him
- Get my butt back in the gym and lose weight =/
- Read, a lot
- Go home for Christmas {wherever "home" is}
- Finish my patriotic wreath {this one should probably be at the top}
- Make more friends

Ok, I think that's it for now. I think that's a pretty good start. Don't you?

Carmen asked:

Is your hubby a lifer in the army?

Another good question. The truthful answer: I don't know. He's only been in a year and he's still not 100% sure about anything...except that he wants to go to OCS as soon as possible. So, he may be a lifer and he may not. Either way, I support him 100%. I'm thankful that he's chosen to do such an honorable thing to provide for us. If he decides to fulfill his enlistment contract and get out, that's fine. If he wants to go to OCS and put in 20 yrs, that's fine too. Either way, I couldn't be more proud of him and to be his wife.

David and Sarah asked:

What are some of your favorite television shows to watch (other than Bones!)??

Ooooh. I like this one! Have a bunch. My #1 is Grey's Anatomy. I didn't start watching until season 2, but I was hooked almost instantly. Just in case you don't believe me, I have 5 seasons on DVD. *And* I watch them over and over again. =) Next is Private Practice... Other favorites: NCIS, The Good Wife, Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Cake Boss, What Not to Wear, and Say Yes to the Dress. {Yes, I'm also addicted to TLC.}

The Tucci's asked:


A. What's your favorite movie?
Just one? Oh gosh, I don't know. I think it's a tie between The Notebook and The Holiday. I've watched The Holiday about a bazillion times and still love it. The Notebook is just a classic. I cry every. single. time.
 
B. Who's your favorite band?
Rascal Flatts. Be still, my heart! ;-)
 
C.What kinds of things do you like to do in your free time?
Hmmm. I like to read and do crafty stuff. I also like to bake, but I do a whole lot less of that when it's just me in the house. Probably why I gained so much weight when I got married...and after basic... Off topic. Sorry.

The McGriff's asked:

What do you miss most about Oklahoma? Friends and Family do not count!
Storms. Seriously. My mom and friends have been telling me about all the storms and it just makes me sooo homesick! I mentioned it to Mom the other day and she said that some them had been bad and that I thought she should videotape one for me. She acted like I was crazy, and I told her that I'd settle for a little rumble of thunder. It's crazy the things that you miss. I also miss the scenery. I know, I know. I'm in Hawaii. I miss the open fields...or being able to take a walk in the woods alone whenever I wanted without worrying that something was going to happen to me. *sigh*

Would you want to be stationed at Fort Sill just so you would be in Oklahoma again?? I ask this one because I just read JG's post about how Fort Sill is on their "I don't want to go there" list but it is our next stop and my HOME!
NO!!! I definitely do not want to end up at Fort Sill. I love Oklahoma, but I've been to Lawton...and I hated it. Lol! No offense to you, of course. I just don't think I could do it. I'd much rather be at Tinker AFB. =)

What has been your favorite part about living in Hawaii??
Um...the scenery, I guess. Life in Hawaii isn't exactly what I had imagined. I don't go to the beach too often because it's always crowded with tourists. I hate going to Honolulu because of the traffic. Everything is over priced and the cost of gas just hurts me. Not to mention I feel like I'm in a foreign country most of the time. Nothing makes you feel less welcome than walking into a restaurant/store and being the only white person (or couple) in the room. It's not all bad, though. It's warm all the time, which I definitely like. The birds are completely different and so are the flowers. The mountains are just gorgeous. 

JG asked:

1. What is on your deployment to-do-list (do you have one?) and what have you crossed off?
See the first question. =) Um, I've made a few more friends. I've found a church and I'm working on the "get involved" part. I'm working on the wreath. I'm hoping to get a sewing machine soon!

2. If you could go to any concert/sporting event/show/other live event tomorrow (regardless of what time of year it is) what would it be?
AN OU GAME. Hands down. I've never been, and I'm dying to go to one. Sadly, I have been to two OSU {Cowboys} games. But that's only because I was forced to be in two of their homecoming parades and then to attend the games. I'd also like to go to a Rascal Flatts concert. But, football comes first. Lol!

3. Is there any movie coming out this year that you are excited about?
The Harry Potter movie!!! {Yes, Anna, you read that right.}

4. What's your favorite dinnertime meal?
Oooh. Tough one. I guess I have to say chicken alfredo. I like it when I go out to eat - usually at Italian restaurants - and I like it when I make it too. =) Sometimes, my sauce is better.

Mrs. S asked:

What is your favorite guilty pleasure?
Watching Ellen's talk show. =)
 
What is your favorite movie?
*gasp*  The same question twice?! ;-) I can't decide which: The Notebook or The Holiday. You can choose. Lol!

What is your favorite beauty product? 
I think I have to say Mary Kay's Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover. It's the one thing that I freak out about if I run out. I have to admit that I'm biased, though. I am *technically* a consultant...but I'm a very, very bad one. That's a story for another day, though.


Kathryn asked:


-When did you get saved? I would love to hear the story!
Thanks for asking! It's rare that I actually get to share this. =)

I was saved when I was 5 years old. Pretty young, I know. Because I was so young, I only remember a few details about it. I remember being in my room and just having this overwhelming feeling that God loved me. He loved me so, so much and wanted  to take care of me. This may sound strange, but I also remember seeing this big, huge red heart in my window. I'm not sure how or why I saw that, but that's what happened. Then, I crawled out of my twin sized bed with sheets decorated with hearts, got on my knees and asked Jesus to come into my heart and life. The next morning was a Sunday. I was so excited to tell people that I'd been saved the night before! I told my whole Sunday School class, and coincidentally, my mom was my teacher. =) I hadn't told her yet. After questioning by my pastor, parents, and my papa (who is a deacon) they felt that I understood the decision I made. A week (or maybe two) later, I was baptized. 

God was always a part of my life, but as I entered high school I felt him less. I was still going to church and being the "good girl," but something was missing. I finally realized what it was when I went to a retreat with my youth group in my senior year. I rededicated my life to Christ then. College was rough too and I had my ups and downs, but those downs brought me so much closer to Him.

-How did you feel about becoming a military wife?
Um, scared? Proud? Anxious? I don't really know. Joe approached me with the idea while we were in the middle of a financial crisis. Honestly, I was terrified after I realized he wasn't just kidding. We talked about the possibility literally for weeks before we decided that he would join the Army.

-What is your favorite candy?
Oooh, tough question!! I think I have to say M&M's.


Marie asked:

Where do you see yourself in 5 yrs?
Whew. What a question! With the Army so involved  controlling my life, that's really hard to answer. I'd like to think that we'd have one or two kids. Hopefully Joe will be an officer by then. Or doing something he really enjoys. Right now, our lives are still in transition.

What is one thing you wish someone had told you before becoming a military wife?
Just one thing? Ok, ok. To never plan anything and to prepare for the worst. Lol! Seriously, though, I can't plan anything ahead of time because I never know what the Army is going to do. I hoped beyond hope that Joe wouldn't be deployed when we got here and it happened anyway. If I had acted like it was going to happen, I might have done a few things differently.



Best/worst thing about being an army wife.
Best thing: Knowing that my husband is doing something so selfless and honorable. I couldn't be more proud of him. 

Worst thing: Deployment, (or separation period) hands down. 

Favorite accessory?
Purses. By far. =)

Dream vacation?
Well, I'd say Hawaii, but I already live here. =P 

I have always, always, always wanted to go to London. 

Just a Girl asked:

What's your favorite part of being a military wife?
See above. =)

If you could relive one day in your life what would it be?
Hmmm... I think my wedding day. Or the day that Joe asked me out. =) Those were 2 awesome days.

tootie asked:

If you could be stationed anywhere, where would it be?
Fort Bragg. Why? 

1. It's in NC.
2. It's in NC and close to our family there. =)

What was your favorite vacation?
Definitely our honeymoon. The first time we'd been alone together for that long. The road trip was so fantastic. Being in a car that long kind of sucks, but we made it fun and interesting. Probably more fun than anything. I remember that I kept smacking him with my pillow because he'd say stupid and/or crazy stuff. =) Then, when we got to the beach it was just great. We relaxed, we swam, and we just enjoyed each other's company. Absolute perfection. =)

Thanks so much for all the questions!!! They were really great and I hope you enjoyed getting to know me a little bit better! =D And I'm sorry that it took me so long to post this.

Happy Thursday!! It's almost the weekend! =)

Beating a Dead Horse?

Probably. But, I (as many other bloggers) feel the need to approach this subject.

Yesterday, one of our milspouse sisters* chose to go on an OPSEC rant on a site that supported many USMC wives. Afterward, she was berated. Heck the woman might as well have spoke at a press conference and then been publicly stoned.

I agree with many of you that she was way, way out of line in all that she said. Having had experience with not following OPSEC and getting caught (definitely not my brightest moment), I now fully understand the reasons that those rules are there. Honestly, I didn't think I was bothering anyone by posting what I was. The thing is, people do watch us. Whether we believe it or not, they do. In the field that my husband works in, wives are watched a tad more closely. There aren't a ton of people in his line of work, thus the scrutiny.

Several months ago, I had no idea. I just thought that OPSEC was for people who were deployed. No harm in saying "I'm going to pick my husband up after formation at ___ time." Or "Joe is going to be in the field." Or "this formation is taking forever!" Apparently, it is a big deal. If they read that on Facebook, Twitter or our blogs they know where our husbands are and what they're doing. Even if they're "safe" in the states! Don't think for a minute that there aren't terrorists living among us.

I got "caught" by the CSM's wife, who told her husband. The CSM went through the chain of command, finally reaching a SPC who was actually only there for training. Yeah. He told my husband. When Joe called me to tell me who had talked to him and why, I was nothing short of humiliated. I couldn't believe I had done that. I put his career in danger. I put him in danger. Never again. Since he and I are newbies at this thing, the CSM let it go with a warning. Let me assure you that it could have been way worse. I was thankful that nothing happened.

Honestly, I can't believe another milspouse would say that she's throwing OPSEC aside. I was truly terrified for all of our husbands. If her husband is deployed and she posts things regarding his whereabouts and missions...Lord help us all. I really don't think she fully understands what she said. If she fully understood OPSEC and its reasons for being, there's no way she could make such statements. If she does understand OPSEC... *sigh* First of all, I feel for her husband. Second, I hope she realizes she could get him in serious trouble.

We represent our husbands, especially when they're gone. Everything we say and do is subject to inquiry. Wouldn't it stand to reason that the things we say online would be too?

After she posted her rant, the thing went viral. She received so many terrible comments. Bad behavior or not, no one should be treated that way. I think that Mrs. Staff Sergeant did a wonderful  post about this. Please go over and read her thoughts. I agree with her 100% and probably couldn't say it any better.

When she posted an apology on the USMC wives' forum, she continued to receive terrible comments. Things that I would be embarrassed to even type! I think that those women should be ashamed of themselves for saying such things. I know women can be catty, but geez! I think it was taken entirely too far. You can be critical of someone's opinion without being rude or catty. Sometimes I feel like so few people know how to convey their thoughts without spurting curse words or calling names. My thought on this is that these people must not be very well educated. There are better words that can be used.

These terrible comments led to the demise of the forum. I honestly can't believe that women in our so-called sisterhood would act this way. Think about it! We are all in this together. Few people outside of our sisterhood understand what we're going through. Our civilian friends may understand missing their spouse, but they don't understand what it's like to have their husbands in a war zone. They don't understand the pride that comes with a military marriage. Our "sisters" do, though. They understand, and they support us. Usually. They usually offer a shoulder to cry on or an ear to talk off. =) In this case, though, one of our sisters was burned by us. While the things that she said were completely and utterly wrong, there is a better way to chastise one of our own. Maybe she's a newbie and doesn't understand. Maybe she had a terrible day. Maybe she's fed up with the way the military works. Or maybe she's just fallen off the wagon and needs a little bit of help getting up again. We are supposed to offer that help and advice. We're not supposed to tear her down - whether we agree with her or not.

OPSEC is important. We need to follow and obey the rules that our husbands do. These rules protect them, and they protect us. These rules keep our husbands in the positions they're in. The "bad guys" do indeed watch us and they will use every bit of information we give them. They will use it against us, our husbands, our military and our nation. Don't believe it? Ask your husband's commander or the commander's wife if they've heard of your blog. You'll probably be surprised.

***

Whew. I really wanted to approach that subject. I hope y'all aren't tired of hearing about it. And if you are, I apologize and thank you for reading this far. =) Now, I would like to post a video of my super cute puppy that I found tonight. I sooo can't wait to see him!!! =D

{The light on this video isn't very good, so you'll have to make the little window bigger to be able to see it well.}

Yeah, the rocking chair freaks him out a bit, lol! =D

***

Last chance to get your questions to me for the Q&A session! You can either comment here or send me an email. {Look under my picture on the left for my email address.} I'll be posting questions and answers tomorrow!

*For the continued blogosphere safety of this spouse, I'm keeping her blog and identity secret. If you would like to send her words of encouragement or advice {or correction in a nice manner}, send me an email and I'll give you the link to her blog.

Sooo Excited!!

I got some fantastic news today!!!

Last week, I called Hawaii's Dept of Ag. several times. I sent in Jasper's paperwork a few weeks ago and hadn't heard anything yet. Well, after trying to call on Friday and getting an "I'm sorry, the customer service inbox is full. Please call back later" message, I  found an email address. I emailed them basically saying that I would continue to bug them until I got the information I needed. Hehehe. O:-) Anyway, a lady who works there emailed me on Sunday and gave me a different phone number to call. She also told me that, if no one answered there, to email her with Jasper's microchip number and she would get me what I needed. Persistence is key! Especially here on the island where everyone and everything is lax and laid back. Anyway.

I called this morning, and after two minutes, the girl on the phone told me that EVERYTHING IS IN ORDER FOR JASPER TO COME TO HAWAII! Woohoo!!! I hung up, squealed and did a little happy dance. =) My puppy can finally come to the island!!! Then, I called my SIL (who he's staying with) and told her the good news. I'm sure they're ready to have just their 2 dogs again. Jasper is a little on the crazy and hyper side of things. =)

I, for one, can't wait to see him!

I miss his cute face!!!

I also miss getting cute "wha...?" looks from him. Haha=)

We'll go on walks like this one... {minus the duck, of course}

I'm sure he'll want to play with his favorite toy...

Tug of war is his all time fave. =)

There will be lots of puppy cuddling and snuggling. =)

And I can't wait to catch moments like this again... =)

Isn't that the cutest thing ever?!

I miss my boys. At least I get one of them back soon! One more month, and I can cuddle with my puppy again! =D Am I weird for being so excited about this? Eh, I don't care. =)

Oh, don't forget! Tomorrow is your last chance to get me your questions for the Q&A session on Wednesday! I could definitely use some more questions, so get your minds to workin'!

Hope y'all had a good Monday! Here's to an even better Tuesday!

Feeling the Randomness of it All

Where to begin? How about with my bloggie meet up with the lovely Miranda? =)

We met up yesterday at Starbucks for a caffeine fix. I hadn't had Starbucks in a while, so it was wonderful! Not to mention the good conversation and company of a very cute little boy. According to Miranda, he has a crush. ;-) He kept jabbering away to me while I was getting in my car. Such a cutie! Anyway. We had coffee and then ran over to Godiva for some chocolate. Mmmmm. So good. Then, we did some window shopping. And I did some shopping with few windows involved. Haha! =) Actually, all I bought was a pair of running shoes. I'm hoping that since they're cute I'll want to wear them, and because they're running shoes maybe it will help me get my butt back to the gym. Joe doesn't see my logic in this train of thought, but I think it sounds very logical. ;-)

Speaking of Joe... Hi, sweetheart! =)

He emailed me today to let me know that he'd been reading my blog...all day. I'd hoped that he'd read it while he was gone, but I knew he hadn't yet. I'm happy he's reading it. Even though we do email a lot. =) My poor hubby is getting a cavity filled - probably as I'm typing this. Apparently, it's been bothering him for a few days. I'm not happy that I can't 'baby' him afterward. Is it totally weird that I like doing that? Hmmm...

How would y'all feel about a guest post done by Joe? The idea came to me when he emailed me and told me he was reading my blog. He's agreed to do it, but is this something that y'all would be interested in reading? I'm considering asking him to do it on a monthly/bi-monthly basis, but I'm not sure yet. I guess we'll see. =)

As I've been catching up on my blog reading today, I ran across a post by Alia at Yellow Ribbon Diary that ruffled my feathers a bit. The short version of her post is that she went to a store and asked if they had a military discount. The cashier she asked was nothing short of rude and disrespectful. A Soldier friend of hers later wrote a letter on her behalf since she was too polite not to say anything at the time. Go here to read the rest of the story. I guarantee you it will ruffle your feathers as well. I'm calling for a boycott of the store. They shouldn't be allowed to treat our nation's service members and family members in this manner.

I received an award from a lovely reader a few days ago that I very seriously need to post. Is it just me, or is it really hard to choose who to give an award to?! =/ Geesh.

Now, I need to approach the Q&A session issue. I now have 4 questions. Come on, I know y'all have more questions than that! So, I'm giving you 2 days to post your questions! On Wednesday, I will post the Q&A's no matter how few of them there are. =P I would really like it if there were an abundance of questions, though. My inbox is getting quite lonely. ;-)

Well, I'm off to watch another episode or two of Bones. =) Hope ya'll had a good weekend!


{Hope your cavity-filling goes well and gets to feeling better quickly, hubby! Love you!}

Friday Randomness

Don't you just love it when I do posts like this?! ;-)

First things first, y'all are totally slacking in the Q&A department. I got two questions yesterday, two! Sad. =( I'd really like to do a Q&A post since, well, I bypassed my 200th post without realizing and and because I have a bunch of new followers! I'm also thinking of doing a "get to know you" post in the near future. There are so many of you I don't know! That said, please please please leave me a comment with a question. =)

Now that we're done with that... There's another little teeny thing I want to address. Some of you lovelies have given me blog awards and I may or may not have been a terrible blogger and have forgotten to post them. Uh, woops. I really, really do appreciate them! I've just been such a slacker lately. =P

***

Yesterday, I had my first doctor's appointment here in Hawaii. It was interesting, to say the least. First let me say that TriCare assigned me a civilian doctor even though I'm on Prime. Why? You got me. Supposedly, when we moved here the clinic on post was closed. Why they couldn't assign me at Tripler, I have no idea. Now that the clinic on post is open, they don't have room. *sigh* So, I'm just rolling with it. The building that the doctors office is in is a shopping center. Um, okay... It looked nice when I walked in, so I was a bit relieved. Then, they took me back into a room. :-/  It looked clean, but it was old. Like the bed thing had rips and tears, the tile in the floor had a big opening in it and everything else just looked dingy. *sigh*

It gets better. My doctor is a resident. This office is a teaching facility. My first thought: They've got to be hurting for doctors here. The resident was super sweet...and young. I don't really have an issue with that. I mean, everyone has to learn right? So, she goes through my history and everything as usual. Then she starts examining my knee. My knee has been killing me all week. I've had issues with it before so at this point, I was just ready to have someone tell me what's wrong. She looks at my knee and messes with it - checking tendons and ligaments. {I totally loved that she explained to me what those were. I didn't go to med school, but I'm not stupid, sweetie.}

After that, she went to talk to her attending {I so felt like I was in an episode of Grey's or something} about my wacko knee. then she comes back and examined my knee. She was supposed to measure the angle at which my knees and femurs hit, but apparently they don't have that sort of technology here. {See? Told you it gets better.} Really? Ya don't have a ruler or yardstick? Whatever. Anyway, the attending came in later and explained to me what I have: a deformed kneecap. Go me! Basically, my right kneecap is a little to the left and tilted. So, when I walk it rubs the bone underneath. Hence the pain! The cure: leg lifts and ibuprofen. So, basically what I'd been doing before only now I have a specific exercise to do. The 30 degree leg lifts will help strengthen a muscle in my quad. The attending said that if that muscle is strong enough, it will actually pull the kneecap back to where it should be. I guess I have doctor's orders to get my butt back in the gym. Joy.

***

I'm super excited about tomorrow!! I have a coffee and chocolate date with my new friend, Miranda! =D We set the date last night because we just can't wait to hang out. I have a feeling it's going to be a little scary how much we have in common. And I totally love that she already invited me to her house for Thanksgiving for a day of yummy food and football. =) Maybe this place will become "home" after all. At least for a few years. 

***

Another reason I'm excited for the weekend: Netflix! I got an email today {after finally returning DVDs I had} and I'm getting the final disc of Bones season 3 and Father of the Bride 2! Woohoo! Did I share my frustration with you about the whole Bones thing? I was watching season 3 on instant, and I was going to select the next episode when I realized it said "available on disc only." What?! I searched and searched and searched to see if there was any way I could watch it online. No luck. Apparently, there was an issue with the last disc? I'm thinking writer's strike, maybe. Who knows. I couldn't even download the last 4 episodes. Whatev. So, I've been waiting a while to watch those last four episodes. What makes it even worse, is that season 4 is on instant too. I couldn't watch the new season without finishing the previous one - that would just be wrong! I don't think it's very nice of them to do that to you. Not cool, Netflix. But, now I have 2 things to watch this weekend! I *heart* Netflix. {And no, they're not paying me to say that. =)}

***

Baby fever is rearing it's ugly head again. Yesterday with the doctor asking me if I'm sexually active {which makes me wonder if she even glanced at my chart...I am married...that means I'm at lease somewhat sexually active!} and then today with my SIL, Anna, asking me if I'm prego. Thanks a lot, sis! =P I also keep watching episodes of I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant which totally doesn't help. Any time I feel funky, I'm like Oh gosh. I wonder if I'm prego. Especially with the weird heartburn out of nowhere yesterday. But, AF showed up this month {without me being on the pill} so who knows? Definitely not me.

***

I really need to get to workin' on my projects. I have a thing to make a calendar. {Deployment calendar?} And then I've started my patriotic wreath...I seriously need to get on that one. Which one should I do first?

Hope y'all have a good weekend!! =D

Surprise, Suprise!

After my *lovely* doctor's appointment today (more on that later), I got quite a nice surprise in the mail!

 Isn't it great?! I'm so in love.

A few weeks before Joe left, he decided that it would be ok for me to order a bag from Hero On My Arm for my birthday. =) I was thrilled. I've wanted one of these bags since I stumbled onto their website in...February [I think]. I was so excited that I'd talked it up enough to get one!

Well, obviously, it takes a while to make one of these bags. 6-8 weeks, supposedly. Well, right after Joe left I got an email with the tracking number for the bag. I was so excited that I literally squealed. After checking my mailbox for weeks, I finally try to email them about my bag. I got the email, so what was the deal? Well, I went to their website and sure enough my precious bag wasn't finished yet. *sigh* So, I stopped checking the mailbox every day and just decided that it would get here when it got here. Well, I never got any email updates that it had been shipped so I was just thinking it'd be a while.

I got home today and was talking to Mom on the phone when I walked to the mailbox. As soon as I opened the "locker" they put big packages in, and saw the return address I gasped loudly. My mom asked, "What is it?" I said, "It's my purse!!!! YAY!!!!" And proceeded to do a little happy dance. I'm sure my neighbors thought I was some sort of weirdo for getting excited about mail. Haha=) But, I don't care. I love it! It's way bigger than I thought it would be too. That's never a bad thing for me, lol! The bigger the better! It's gonna get packed full anyway, so it might as well be big. Wanna see some more pictures?

Up close view. {The blurry patch is Joe's name tape.}

Side pocket. There's one on each side.

The back.

Inside.

(With all my junk because I already switched purses. Nah, I wasn't excited.)

Inside with pockets. 

{I wanted to make sure you got the full effect of this bag.}

Slot for the pens. I think this works better on the guys' jackets than in the purse. Still pretty handy, though!

So what do you think? Are you in love yet? 'Cause I definitely am. Ah, purse heaven. ;-)

I know some people have issues with these bags, but I think they're great. I mean, all of us have a bazillion extra uniforms laying around that aren't being used. Why not re-purpose them for something that we'll actually get good use out of? I think it's a great way to show my support for my hubby. Especially when he's not here. 

Thanks, Joe, for the [late] birthday gift! Love you! :*

P.S. This post is my 201st! I think 200 is a pretty darn good milestone, don't you? So, how about a little Q&A?! I've gained a bunch of followers over the last few months, so what would y'all like to know about me? Ask away! Fill up my inbox {pretty please}! =D

Kickin' It!

Today, I'm pretty pumped about how I'm doing. =)

I realized when I got up this morning that I'm ok. I'm not a basket case anymore, thank the Lord! I still miss Joe and that probably won't stop until I see him again. But, I'm ok.

I'm getting used to him not being here, not walking in the door after work or being in my bed at night. I can stay up late reading or chatting online and not worry about keeping him awake. I can eat whatever the heck I want for dinner. I have complete control of the remote. =) I can make dates with friends and not have to make sure he doesn't want to do anything or make sure that we don't have plans already.

I do miss him, and hanging out with friends doesn't compare to having him here. But, I'm making do with what I've got. That's all we can do, right? I'm sure it does help that he's able to email me a few times a day, especially when he can't call. At least if my inbox is filling up I know he's ok. I'd much rather hear his voice, but emails ease my mind.

I do have one issue, though. Another wife (whose hubby is in Joe's company) is bad about assuming things happened and then proceeding to tell other wives, myself included. {Not to mention she clearly violated OPSEC by posting on Facebook that her husband was going on a mission! Aaaaaaah!} So anyway. Tuesday, she freaks out [again on facebook] that her husband hung up on her. Well, I commented and told her that they were probably just having issues with the phones. She says that that couldn't be it because she heard him hang up. I'm not one to argue about petty stuff like that, so I left it alone. Yesterday, she posted that he called her and explained that they shut the phones down. Like I said. Then, she IMs me telling me that they only shut the phones down when something bad happens. Seriously? Seriously?! I'm sorry, but you just don't go around saying things like that! First of all, I don't believe her because Joe has told me that the phones/internet just aren't reliable there. Second, he had emailed me all day yesterday and the day before. So, I'm pretty sure that nothing bad happened. Joe would have said something. Then, she proceeds to tell me what her husband works with and blah, blah, blah. I'm telling you, I know her husband's MOS better than she does. But, since this sister doesn't feel like violating OPSEC, I'm not going to get any further into that one.

I'm just floored that she would tell me something like that. You just don't say things like that out of the blue to a fellow milspouse when your husbands are deployed. How about waiting for the chain of command to verify that? Or how about just not saying anything about it - keeping it to yourself? Sometimes, I really believe that she's one of those women who likes to be considered "in the know." She's a military brat, and she throws that in everyone's face every time she gets the chance. Her father was/is not in the Army, so it's like he can make a difference around here unless he was posted here. I don't give a crap if your dad is an officer. It doesn't give you a free pass to act however you want and say what you want. The woman is going to end her husband's career with some of the crap she says! I would never, ever speak to Joe's NCOs or COs the way she does. The woman apparently has no idea how her mouth can affect her husband's career.

*sigh* And God must really be laughing at me right now because I invited this woman to go to church with me on Sunday. Y'all better start praying now!

Anyway, I had a great time with Mrs. C again yesterday! We did nothing but hang out, watch TV and chat but it was great anyway. =) I've been in the "I don't wanna go anywhere or see anyone" funk, so it was nice for a change. Then, last night I stayed up entirely too late chatting on Skype with Miranda over at Hangin' Loose with the Tucci's! I think I found a new island friend!!! =D Actually, I'm pretty certain I have. Both of us have a...um...passion for football! It's rare to find another woman that is just as excited about football as I am. I usually have to resort to talking to men about it. ;-) Lol! Though, I love it when I talk to guys about football for the first time, and they look at me in awe. =) Love it! Anyway, we've already planned to have football parties this "fall." I say "fall" because it's not like we're going to get fall-like weather here in Hawaii. So, I just have to say a big, huge thanks to Jennifer at Crazy Shenanigans for "introducing" us!! Jennifer sent me her blog address when she was heading out to Hawaii. Eager to make friends, I sent her an email immediately. But, we haven't really had a non-Facebook conversation until last night. It was fabulous! =)

So, yet again, God provides. I'm super excited about having more friends here. I'm even more excited that I'm kickin' this deployment's butt!! =D

Now, if I could only find the "want to" to clean my kitchen and do laundry... Any suggestions?

Kisses

I was watching Say Yes to the Dress today (I'm a serious TLC addict) and they showed a clip of one couple's wedding and their first kiss as husband and wife. So sweet, right? =) Well, it got me to thinking about our wedding and that kiss. Oh, that kiss!! Then, I thought of all the other memorable kisses Joe and I have had.

Ah, our first kiss. =) It was really sweet. We were at my house...I can't remember exactly what we'd been doing. Probably watching a movie or something. Everyone else in the house was asleep, so it was just us. It was getting late and he went to the chair in the kitchen area (my mom's house has a living room/kitchen/dining area in one big room) to get his coat. Of course, I walked with him to get his coat. He hugged me, pulled back and said, "Sarah, would it be alright if I kissed you now?" [or something like that]. I about melted into a puddle right before him. No one had ever, ever asked me if they could kiss me. It had always been one of those things that just happened. It never really occurred to me that any guy would ask. But he did. =) And I said yes. It was amazing. Let's just say that he's a really passionate guy. ;-)

This was taken not too long after that first kiss. =)

Next up on memorable kisses is the kiss at our wedding. There was the kiss when we got engaged, but I think I was too overwhelmed to really remember that one. =) So, on we go. The day of our wedding was just...great. I'd say perfect, but I chipped a nail when I was helping set up the reception and stupid balloons kept popping and about made me have a panic attack. Looking back, I'm not sure why that bothered me so much. Lol=) I got my hair done, had junk food for lunch, hung out with my mom and bridesmaids. One of my bridesmaids did my makeup, they dressed me... I mean, it was great! I had a great time catching up with my bff from high school while my bridesmaids were off taking pictures. I had Meagan (another bridesmaid) run to the fellowship hall and snap a picture of my cake when it arrived...

As it got closer to time to walk down the aisle, friends and family would come in to see me. {Please tell me a bride who didn't love that part. ;-)} I was never nervous and Meagan kept asking me how on earth I wasn't nervous and was just acting normal. =) Well, I did eventually get butterflies about 10 minutes before. I wasn't nervous because I was getting married, though. Just nervous about doing it in front of so many people. Once I saw Joe, I about lost it! He had to talk to me whenever there was a quiet moment because he knew I'd cry. God bless that man. =) As we were standing up there, it was all sinking in. I was marrying the man of my dreams, my best friend, my soul mate. When his dad sad "you may kiss your bride" my heart just got so happy and excited!! I think it was a kiss that neither one of us will forget. In fact, I think Joe mouthed a silent "WOW!" afterward. ;-) Pretty sure I felt the same way. Best. Moment. Ever.

Mm-mm, good. =)

I love how his dad is looking down, smiling and blushing a little. Hehehe.

And then there was this one. The one that happened seconds before he got on a bus to leave for war. The one where I was crying more than smiling. The one where both of us were crying. We probably broke the rules a bit - I was helping him put MREs and bottled water in his assault pack and they were kinda in formation. But, he needed help! So, I took the opportunity to talk to him in person and kiss him before he left. Yeah, that one will definitely stay with me for a while. At least 6 more months, anyway. Hurry up, R&R! I miss my hubby!

Best picture from that day. =) The ones of us together just suck. 

It's hard to be happy when deployment is looming over you like a big, black storm cloud.

So, those are our memorable kisses. What are yours?

Got My Groove Back!

After a complete lack of crafting, I finally finished a project tonight! One that I've been thinking of doing since...before we left GA. I know. It's been a while!

Do you remember way back when I bought all that paper at Hobby Lobby? Stock piling because there are ZERO craft stores in good 'ole Hawaii... Well, I finally did something with it! I've been wanting to make this handy dandy notebook! thing to keep around the house:

I mean, let's face it. When your hubby is in the military, there's a lot of paperwork to deal with. POAs, Orders, housing stuff, finance stuff, PCS stuff, TriCare/medical stuff....and the list continues. Wouldn't it be great if you had one place to put all of that stuff? So, if something came up you knew exactly where to go?

Well, I now have that!! Thanks to my bestie for making me my household notebook and getting me used to having a notebook for everything. =) The one she made me actually has an Army section, but we kinda outgrew that. Haha!

Basically, I just cut the paper to fit the cover of the binder. Then, I typed out some cute phrases, the name of the binder, the Soldier's Creed, the Army Wife's prayer, and what labels I wanted on each section. Pretty simple. Then, I used some good 'ole scrapbooking tape and made it all cute and stuff. Wanna see? Of course you do. =)

 The side of the binder. {Duh. =P}

Now for the sections...

Back of the binder with The Soldier's Creed.

So, what do you think? Cute? Boring? Do I need to add more sections? I feel like I'm forgetting something. 

But, I'm seriously proud of myself that I finished a project. =) Not to mention one that I can actually use!! =D

Now, what's next on my list? Oh right, the wreath... Yeah, that one might take a while. I'll let you know when it's finished. 

Where in the World...

"is Carmen San Diego?" Haha, sorry. =) I was gonna change that up and insert G.I. Joe's Wife, but I just couldn't help myself.

If you're looking for me today, I'll be over at Singing in the Rain as a guest blogger! =)

She's taking a break for a little while because she gave birth to a little baby boy a few weeks ago. I'm sure he's just the cutest thing too. ;-)

Happy Monday!

Winner, Winner!!!

But not quite a chicken dinner. This ain't Vegas, y'all it's Hawaii! =)

I'm so excited about this giveaway, and I'm even more excited about the winner!!!

This chickadee and I "met" when I started following her blog and realized we had about a million things in common. She's a fantastic friend, and I'm hoping that we get to meet in real life soon! So, who is this lucky #10? Allow me to introduce you. =)

Comment #10:

Congratulations, JG!!!! I'm so glad you won!!! Shoot me an email with your address and I'll be sending you the loot soon. =)

To everyone who "played," thanks for "playing" and reading my crazy, random blog. Love you all!!

For the record, I'm not being a crazy person and staying up all hours of the night. This is a scheduled post. =)