BLESSED Army Wife and Mama

Hello, all! Today I've decided to link up with From Mrs. To Mama for Women Connect '12. It's been a while since I've done this kind of get-to-know-you link up, so I thought I'd go for it! :)



So, hi. I'm Sarah and this is my slice of the internet! Who am I? Christian. Army wife. Mama. Redhead. Silly. Chocolate lover. Klutzy. A tad absent-minded. {Seriously. I put my phone in the desk drawer last week and it was lost for hours.} Head-over-heels in love with my husband and baby girl.

This is the place where I talk about me - my life as an Army wife and a SAHM. We are currently living in Hawaii, but soon we will PCS (move, for you non-military folks) to Georgia! We are beyond excited! Hawaii's been nice {for the most part} but we miss the mainland, the South, family and friends! {And not needing to buy plane tickets to visit family!} I'll be honest... I talk about my baby girl a lot. And breastfeeding. And babywearing. And BabyWise. The Army comes up quite a bit, as they pretty much control our lives. I talk about God, because He's the one who's really in control and He's blessed me far more than I deserve. I talk about food, TV shows, sewing, Pinterest, and, um...a lot of other things.

A little background...

In June 2008, I married my sweet hubby, Joe. We had both just graduated from college, where we met, and were excited to start our new life together in NC.

This is us on our honeymoon. Can you say baby faces?!

Less than a year later, life {and the economy} threw us a curve ball and Joe enlisted in the Army. Being separated for the first time with little contact through basic training was difficult. {I should've recognized that it we basic training for me too - husband gone, short, infrequent phone calls...} Then we got through 2 months of AIT before I moved down to GA to be with him. And then the Army threw us a curve ball. Also known as orders. To Hawaii.

Taken just a few days after we arrived in Hawaii.

Just when we thought things were settling down, Joe got deployment orders. We had a mere 2 months of "normal" before he deployed to Iraq in June 2010. It was a painful, painful time for me. We'd been apart for the better part of a year and now he was being shipped off to the desert...for another year. 

Deployment Day.

Also...not the best time for picture-taking.

I really have no idea how I made it through that year. Actually...I do. The number 1 reason is God. His provision, His guidance, His love, and His kindness. It was hard, but He was with me through it all. He provided me with a volunteer position at the museum on post. He provided me with some great milspouse friends {namely Mrs. C, Chantal, Annie, and Miranda}. He provided me with a best friend who, though she couldn't understand what I was going through, was always there for me. He provided me with a great church. And somehow I made it through to the sweetest, sweetest part:

Homecoming.

Something I struggled with a lot during Joe's deployment was baby fever. I don't really know what else to call it. =P I wasn't suffering from infertility or anything like that, but my heart craved a baby. The thought of having a baby consumed my thoughts, my heart, and my soul on some days. There were times when I logged on FB and cried because of pregnancy or birth announcements. I was eager to be the one sharing that news. But as all God's children know....His timing is always perfect.

Less than 2 months after Joe came home from Iraq, we found out I was pregnant.

August 5, 2012.

Despite the sickness, aches, pains and stretch marks that come with pregnancy, I loved every minute of it. Feeling my sweet little baby move around, kick, punch and hiccup was the best thing in the world. The "morning" sickness was the worst thing in the world. Am I right?! =)

It's hard to believe that almost 8 months ago we welcomed our sweet Charlotte into the world...

Now, this crazy little bean is trying to crawl and pull up! She's sitting on her own, eating solids, tossing her toys all over the place, saying "dada" and "mama." Oh, it's so hard to believe!!!

Where's my tiny 5.5 pound baby? Who is this crazy, squealing, giggling, semi-crawling baby?! Does anyone else feel that way about their babies? ;-) Just kidding. I know it's not just me! 

Promotion Ceremony, August 2012.

So now that you know a little bit about me, feel free to introduce yourself!!! Leave a comment (be sure your reply-to email is set!), send me an email, follow me on Twitter....you name it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Aloha!

Family Matters

Tuesday I spoke to my father for the first time in 8 years. We've been emailing for a couple years, recently exchanged phone numbers, but we still hadn't spoken...not really.

You see, my biological parents divorced when I was a baby. Too young to even remember a time when they were married. I was born in England - my father was in the USAF - and my mom left him around 8 months after I was born. I won't get into the "why" of that because 1) I don't feel comfortable sharing it and 2) I don't know the whole story anyway. Mom left, we flew back to the States and moved in with my grandparents. There was a nasty custody battle, which my mom eventually won. We lived with my grandparents for about 2 years, until my mom married my stepdad - who eventually became "dad."

My father only saw me once, maybe twice a year. Mostly because of the custody thing, but probably more so due to the fact that he was in the military. (Something I never understood until very recently...) Every time he would visit, I always got anxious. I mean, I didn't live with this guy... I barely knew him and yet I was expected to talk to him?! As an introvert (which was far worse when I was a child), this was extremely hard. I read something in a parenting book a few days ago that said, basically, your child gets their cues on how to act from you. They don't understand new situations, so they look to you for how they should feel. With this knowledge, I feel certain saying that since my mom was uncomfortable in this situation (as was my stepdad) it makes sense that I would feel this way.

As I got older, sometimes my mom would tell me stories about him. Not really any good stories, either. Actually, I'm not sure I can tell you one nice thing she's ever said about him, unless you count, "He can be nice when he wants to be." And sometimes, when I'd do something that he did, she'd always get onto me and tell me she hated that because Rick did it. I can't tell you how many times I tapped my fingers on a table, desk or computer and got yelled at for it. As all redheads do, my father has a temper. He was never good at controlling it and I've always had a difficult time with it. On several of those "difficult times," I heard my mother tell me I was just like my father. She never meant it in a good way; she meant it to hurt me. And it did. Why would I want to be like someone she clearly hated? Still, I couldn't help that I acted like him. I'd never known him at all...it wasn't my fault. Sometimes I understood this, but more often than not I'd walk away wondering what I'd done wrong.

I grew up hearing about things my father did or said while my parents were married. They were married 3 years, and had divorced long before I became "aware" of anything. All my knowledge of him came from her and what little interaction we had while he was in town.

My freshman year of high school, I emailed him some without my mother's knowledge. I was taking a computer course and accessed my email account there. I can't even remember why I started doing it, but I'm sure it was because I felt like I wanted to know him. After that year, the emails slowed down a lot. I hardly ever talked to him. By my senior year, I might have emailed him a few more times. The last time I emailed him I had asked for money to paint my severely beaten up car. He suggested we "barter for it." That sounded sorta fishy to me, so I did what any teenager does - I asked my mom about it. Of course, she told me not to respond because she was worried what that meant. I can still understand it to a certain degree. 

He didn't come to my high school graduation because I didn't want him there. I didn't want him there because all the information I had on him was from my mom, who said he wasn't a good person. My mom sent the invitation the day of the ceremony so he'd know about it, just not in time. A couple months later, he came to visit at my parents' house. He'd wanted to meet in town, but because I didn't know him I wasn't comfortable with it. He stayed for a very awkward 2 hours, told me to let him know if I needed anything and then left.

That was the last time I saw him. I was 18 years old.

Fast forward to 2 years ago.

He had apparently lost my email address and emailed my mom. I can't remember exactly what the email said, but the idea was that he wanted to talk to me, to get to know me. And to apologize for not really being there, especially after I turned 18. A few months before this, I had been thinking about emailing him or sending a letter or something. He'd been in the same place for a while, so I did have his address. And apparently his email address never changed (unlike me...I've had at least 5 different ones). Anyway, when I got this email I knew it was time.

I'll admit that it's been difficult at times. At first I was a little irritated and upset. Why wait so long to talk to me? But the more we emailed, the more I realized that I'd only heard one side of the story. One side for over 20 years. I've heard my mom tell her side, but I'd never heard his. How he came home from 24 hr duty to an empty house. Despite all the troubles they had, I can't imagine how that felt. How it felt for him to hear me call someone else "dad" after Mom remarried. How it felt knowing he couldn't be there... 

Over the emails and facebook messages, we've mostly gotten to know each other. It's been awkward at times, but I'm sure it's worth it. Oddly enough, it's been easier since Charlotte was born. Everybody wants to talk about the baby and, as her proud mommy, I'm happy to do so! And yesterday, I decided it might just be time to talk to him. So, we used Skype to talk for the first time since I was 18. It was a little awkward, but I think that's to be expected. He got to see Charlotte and he met Joe, too. It was a really nice chat, overall. I'm glad we finally had the opportunity.

Since then I've been thinking about a lot of things related to our relationship. It's frustrating to hear one side for so long and then hear the other, which isn't 100% different...but it's the other side. And, so far, he's nothing like my mother described. Although, that was 20something years ago and they were married. He's my father. Our relationship is obviously different. I think so much time has passed that those things shouldn't really matter anymore. Anything he did, he didn't do directly to me. They either happened to my mom or just plain happened. I had little to do with it.

I think what frustrates me most is knowing that I missed out on something. I didn't invite him to any graduations (high school or college) and I didn't invite him to my wedding. {Although, honestly, it would have been way awkward.} I don't call him "dad" because he was never really around. And I'm fairly certain he's an introvert too, which doesn't exactly help in the talking-to-people department. I just... I never really got the chance to know my father. Not the guy who married my mom, although he is an important part of my life, but the guy without whom I literally wouldn't be here. The one guy who's biologically engineered to love me. I don't even have any pictures of us...well, except for the ones he sent me via email. And I was a teeny, tiny little baby in those. 

That's it. That's all I have. It just...it just sucks. There's really no other way to put it.

Did I have a good childhood? Yes. Did I have a father figure in my life, who I came to call "dad?" Yes. Is it the same as having your own father in your life? Absolutely not. I always felt sort of...different. My brother looks a lot like my dad. Aside from hair color, I look like my mom. But I always sort of stuck out like a sore thumb. Or at least I felt that way. Red hair, blue eyes, pasty white skin, glasses, contacts, nose stuck in a book, quiet, to myself kind of person. My [step]dad has black hair and green eyes, Mom has brownish blonde hair and green eyes, my brother has brown hair and brown eyes. And there's me. A lot of people my brother and I went to school with didn't even know we were related until we told them. Allow me to remind you that I graduated with 37 people. That's how you know it's bad.

I've totally gotten off on a tangent here. The point is this: God totally gets the credit for healing this relationship. It's amazing to me that we're on a speaking basis after so long, and after so many years of me hearing bad things about him. It's also amazing how I feel about all this. I never imagined that I'd want to know him, let alone that I'd feel sad about all the years and things we missed out on. I'll never know what that was like. But I'm glad we're here. I can only hope that things will continue to get better, and thank God along the way.

P.S. Thanks to everyone who participated in the Wednesday Walkabout yesterday!! =D It was a hit! Can't wait for next week! (And maybe I'll get the link to work on time, too.)

One of Those Taggy Things...

My awesome new(ish) bloggie friend, Bonnie from Makin' Plans, tagged me in this Liebster ("lovester" in english, according to Bonnie anyway, lol) blog award thing, so I thought I'd play along for fun. =)

Rules:

1. Post 11 random facts about yourself.

2. Choose 11 deserving bloggers and tag them in your post.

3. Tell them you've tagged them.

4. Answer the 11 questions you've been tagged in and give 11 more for the people you've tagged.

5. No tag backs.

Random Facts About Me:

1. I could watch Grey's Anatomy all day, every day.

2. Chocolate in any form (but especially ice cream) is my weakness.

3. Some days, I'm just too lazy to clean.

4. I would rather spend a day in a car than fly. Period. {This is a BAD problem to have when you live in the middle of the pacific. On an island. And miss home.}

5. Breastfeeding is my absolute favorite way to cuddle with the little miss. =)

6. I never thought I'd say that ^.

7. I'm picky about journals. They must be spiral-bound, ruled and hard backed. Must!

8. I've become much more of a girly-girl since having a baby girl. 

9. I L-O-V-E love my iPhone. Yep, I said it. 

10. I read a lot. Mostly historical fiction.

11. I haven't painted my [finger]nails in about 3 years. Toes are always painted, though.

Bonnie's Questions for Me:

1. What is your biggest fear?

Losing someone close to me. One day I'm going to have to face this one and it's gonna be hard.

2. What is your favorite quote?

My brain is too tired to answer this one. Sorry, guys. =P

3. What is your favorite movie?

The Holiday. I've seen it a million times and I still love it! In fact...I may have to watch it now that I'm thinking about it. ;-)

4. What is your favorite color?

I always answer this question with "blue," but I'm not sure that's true anymore. Lately I've been favoring all things pink. Can I say both?

5. What states/countries have you lived in? And which is your favorite?

States: Arkansas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Georgia and Hawaii

Countries: US and England (I was born in England...so that counts, right?)

My favorite is probably North Carolina, though I still can't pinpoint why. Oklahoma will always be near and dear to my heart (BOOMER SOONER!), but North Carolina somehow became "home" for me when Joe and I moved there after we got married. 

6. How long have you known your best friend?

15 years. Yep, not kidding! Though we weren't always best friends, we've known each other since 6th grade. Other than family, she's the person who's known me the longest...and quite possibly the best. =) Love you, Melissa!!

7. What is your favorite meal?

Hmmm. This is another hard question for me. I'm gonna go with ham, mashed potatoes, pinto beans and cornbread - all made by my nana. She's the best cook ever and that meal just screams "home" to me. {It also screams, "eat me now!" ;-)} 

8. What is your favorite scent?

I love all different kinds of scents. I wear Sweet Pea from Bath & Body. I love my hubby's smell (but not after PT ;-)). I love the smell of my freshly bathed and diapered baby girl. I love the smell of cookies baking. 

9. What is your favorite blog to read?

I seriously don't think I can even answer that question. I read so many blogs!

10. What is your favorite book?

Just one? Ok, ok. The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks. I love so, so many other books too, though!

11. What is your favorite season?

Fall! 100% fall. I love when the leaves change colors, the air starts to get crisp and football season starts. I love pumpkin-y things. Dressing in light sweaters, jeans and boots. Snuggling up under blankets on a cool day. Ok. Can we move back to the mainland yet?!! I miss fall!!!

Tagging:

Anyone who wants to play along! (Yes, I'm being lazy. Deal with it. =P)

New Questions:

1. What is one thing you must have in your dream house?

2. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

3. What is the worst book you've ever read?

4. What is your favorite dessert?

5. Have you ever met a blogging friend in real life? If so, what was your meeting like?

6. What do you love most about blogging?

7. Mac or PC? Why? (Or do you even care? ;-))

8. What's your favorite vacation spot?

9. What's your favorite room in your house? Why?

10. If you could only use one word to describe yourself, what would it be?

11. What is your favorite season?

Go forth and answer! ;-) Looking forward to seeing your responses! 

Blog Star: Hi, I'm Sarah!

Since it's still Tuesday on my side of the planet, I thought I'd link up with Mrs. Monologues for Blog Star!

First off, I'm Sarah and this is my little slice of the internet. Welcome!

I love to read, bake, sew, and do all things crafty {when I have the time}. Once upon a time I was going to be a history teacher, but that never panned out. As it happens, God had different plans for me so now I'm a SAHM/Army wife and absolutely loving it.

I started this blog of mine almost 3 years ago (!!!) when my hubby turned all Army on me and went to basic training. I got the idea - sort of  - from a friend I worked with. I had no idea what it would turn into and kind of just expected it to be an online journal. Little did I know I'd end up making tons of friends around the world, or end up meeting a few of them in person!

We moved to an island smack in the middle of the Pacific 2 years ago. You know it as Hawaii - Oahu, to be more specific.

{thanks, google!}

At first, I thought I would love living in Hawaii. While it has its perks, (hello, beach and warm weather year-round!) it's not home and it's way too far from family. We honestly can't wait to get back to the mainland! 

What do I blog about? Well... I blog about a lot of things. Since Miss Charlotte arrived, I talk about her a lot and my adventures in mommy-hood (breastfeeding, sleep training, etc). Occasionally I like to brag about my hubby, Joe. When big Army things happen (like deployment, PCSing or promotion) I talk about those too. I've also been known to share recipes, book reviews, and crafty tutorials. Basically? This blog is a little bit of everything! 

Thanks for stopping by! Please hang around a bit, introduce yourself and have a look around my little slice of blogland. Hope you're having a wonderful week!

Aloha!

Blogger 411

Today I'm linking up with From Mrs. to Mama for some Blogger 411! I've gotten a bunch of new followers within the last year or so, and I figured it's probably time for a little get-to-know-you sesh. Because I'm not very good at coming up with questions like this, I've borrowed some that she provided. Enjoy!

How long have you been blogging? And what got you started blogging? Has your blog changed?


I've been blogging for almost 3 years! Seems weird that it's been that long. I started blogging when Joe was in basic and I was lonely. It gave me an outlet, especially because no one was reading it. =P My blog has definitely changed over the last 3 years. We went from basic, to AIT, to Hawaii, went through a deployment in the first 2 years and then I got pregnant. As all mommies know, things change when babies come into the picture. And since I got pregnant, this blog has been more baby talk than Army talk. And really, isn't baby talk more fun anyway? The Army can be such a downer sometimes. ;-)

Did you go to college? If so, where and what did you study?


Yes, indeedy, I did! I went to the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, which I'm sure NONE of you have heard of {unless you know me in real life or have lived there}.

{via}

I studied History with Teacher Licensure, which basically means I have a license to teach History/Social Studies in grades 7-12.

What are your 3 biggest pet peeves?


1. Improper use of grammar. {i.e. your instead of you're or there instead of their} It's worse if I can actually see it on paper/online.
2. Smacking or chewing with mouth open. {Insert scream here.} There were many days I left the room while my dad ate cereal for breakfast. The slurping and smacking were that bad. ::shudder::
3. People who drive huge trucks/SUVs but can't park them.

What is your favorite movie?


Truthfully, I have a lot of "favorite" movies. But the one that I can watch over and over and over and over again without getting tired of is The Holiday. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love that movie! I have watched it so many times that Joe won't watch it with me anymore. I don't even ask because I know he'll say no. =P

What is your drink of choice: wine, beer or liquor? Or water, soda, tea?


Since I got pregnant last year, I'm completely alcohol-free {not that it was ever really an issue, lol}. Even before that, my drink of choice was usually sweet tea. I drink it all the time. What can I say? I'm a Southern girl! =)

If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, which store would it be?


Probably Target. =P I don't know, I can't really think of anywhere else I'd spend $10,000! You can get everything at Target and it's always cute! Clothes, housewares, shoes... Yeah. I heart Target.

Picture from high school or college.


Bonus! I'll give you a picture of both! Although I pretty much look the same. =P

Senior year of high school.

This photo {one of the few I've scanned from HS} was taken for the local paper, if I remember correctly. 

We were the only seniors in marching band that year.

Sidenote: I grew up in a small town. My graduating class was 37 people. 3 of us were in band. =P

Junior year of college.

I don't remember why, but we decided we needed to take photos of us on campus one day. =)

This picture was taken below the bell tower, which you can see in the picture I posted above.

If you could travel ANYWHERE in the world, all expenses paid, where would you go?

I don't know if I could pick just one place!! But at the top of the list are: England, Italy, and Germany. England because I was born there and would love to see my birthplace. The other two are for purely historical reasons. =) 

Current picture of you or you and your family.

Not the best picture, but it is the most current of all 3 of us!

Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

Hopefully somewhere on the East Coast - ideally in NC. =) I'd like to have at least one more kiddo by then, if not 2. Since Charlotte will be about 5 (I just about had a heart attack just thinking about that!), we'll probably be knee-deep in homeschooling and having fun. Joe's hoping to be out of the Army by then (doing what he really loves) but until that actually happens we'll most likely be wherever the Army sends us!

I hope you enjoyed this little getting-to-know-you post. I enjoyed writing it! It's fun to do every once in a while. If you're new here, please say hi, introduce yourself and poke around my blog a bit. If you're not new, I hope you learned a little somethin' about me that you didn't know before. And if you've just been lurking for a while, now's a good opportunity for you to say hello!

Military Spouse Appreciation Day

Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day! Today I am linking up with Roller Coaster and Household 6 Diva for a little celebration of our day. {Also, today is my mom's birthday! Not that the two or related... Or that she reads my blog... Anyway, moving on...}

For those of you visiting from the blog hop, I'm Sarah and this is my blog. Welcome! And as the locals say, Aloooooooha!

{One of my maternity photos. I have no great recent photos of just me. Sorry, folks.}

I named my blog GI Joe's Wife mainly because my hubby's name is Joe. {I know, real original. ;-)} I started blogging when he went to basic training almost 3 years ago and quickly fell in love with the milspouse blogging community. I had no idea what to expect when I started blogging, so to find a whole bunch of awesome friends was a little surprising. Definitely a good surprise. =)

I blog about pretty much everything...  Army life, the ups and downs of living in Hawaii {there really can be a downside sometimes!}, deployment {we completed our first year long deployment last June}, family stuff, sewing {and other crafty things}, and - most recently - all things motherhood.

A little bit about me... I'm {obviously} an Army wife and head over heels in love with my hubby and our sweet little girl, Charlotte.

She was born almost two months ago, and I can hardly believe it!! It seems like just yesterday I was welcoming Joe home from Iraq and now we have this sweet little homecoming baby in our arms. =)

So, that's me, my blog and my little family! I haven't been around too much lately - still getting used to being a mommy - but please hang out here, take a look around, and say hi! =) Once you get done with that, you can come find me on Twitter. I'm almost always on Twitter because, well, I just can't live without my tweeps! ;-)

What Ifs...

Don't worry, this is a post of good "what ifs"! I found this on Rebekah's blog, who also got it from someone else. It's a really cute little post, so I hope you enjoy! =)

What if I were to get pregnant? Already there!! And super excited. =) I've really been itching to get started on the baby's room lately. Just another week and a half before we find out the gender! Eeeek! You should vote on what I'm having on the poll on the right side of the page. Hint, hint.

What if I could have any job in the world? Hmmm. I always thought I'd be a teacher (which I kind of will if I absolutely decide to homeschool), but I really like the idea of working in a museum. Volunteering in the museum on post here during the deployment really got me interested in the research and art behind all the displays in a museum.

What if I had a day all to myself? I'd be bored. =P I think I had enough of that while Joe was gone... But if I could do anything...I'd probably get my hair cut and get a mani/pedi. Just a little pampering!

What if I could get married all over again? Sign me up! I loved our wedding, but if I had it to do over again I think I'd just elope. Get a pretty, simple dress and run down to the courthouse...just like my grandparents did. Oh, and I might grab a photographer too, just so I'd have pictures. Our wedding was very pretty, but the planning was hectic and stressful.

What if I could live anywhere in the US? Put me on a plane back to NC, please!! I fell in love with NC when we moved there 3 years ago. Well, really before that. I'm not sure what it is about that place - the people, the scenery or the history - but I love it and I'd love to move back.

What if I were to have more children? Can I please have this one first?! ;-) Seriously, though, we'd love to have more in a few years. We haven't exactly talked about it a lot, but I know we'll have more and it'll be a blessing. For now, I'm just going to worry about getting this baby here and loving on him/her. =)

What if I could have any talent in the world? Hmmm. I suppose the only talent that I don't have to some degree is dancing. I sing fairly well, I play the piano and flute, I sew and scrapbook, so I am talented...but I'd honestly rather get better at those things than have a new one.

What if you met me in real life? Well, you'll probably discover that I'm a little shy at first. True to the introvert's description, I like to feel out a situation before I feel really comfortable. I was much better about this in college, but since being out of a lot of social events I've crept back into my little shell. Once you've been around me for a while, though, you'll find that I'm very chatty and open. And maybe a little loud sometimes. =) That one I can't really help, it's a family trait.

What if I went back to school? I'd probably try to get my Master's in American History. And then maybe I'd try to work in a museum.

What if money weren't an object?  Fun question! I'd pay off my student loans and our car...and maybe buy another car because I'm not a fan of being carless while Joe's at work. Then I'd work on refurnishing our house. =)

What if I could meet one celebrity? Honestly, I could care less about celebrities. They're people just like anyone else, they're just well known. I wouldn't pass up meeting Patrick Dempsey (*wink, wink*), but I don't dream about meeting him.

What if I could only shop at one store for the rest of my life? Just one?! I can't do it! I'd say Target (pronounced tar-jay ;-)), but I have to have somewhere to get fabric too! I shouldn't have to choose. =P

What if I could choose an animal/pet? Done! We've had Jasper for almost 3 years. He's definitely a member of our family [and if you ask if we're getting rid of him when Baby comes, I'll hurt you]. Sometimes I think I'd like to adopt another dog/puppy, but then I think about training another one and forget about it.

What if I could go on a trip right now? Trip, as in a different country? SO hard to choose! But I think I'd have to pick England. I've wanted to go for as long as I can remember.

What if I had to choose between a house cleaner and professional chef? House cleaner, please!!! Having someone come clean my house would make my life a lot easier. Not to mention it'd give me more time to meal plan! I'm a pretty good cook [if I do say so myself], so I think I'll pass on the chef.

What if I had the option to get plastic surgery? Meh. I'm not a huge fan of plastic surgery, or surgery in general. I may consider it once I'm done having babies, but even then I'm not sure I would.

Betcha Didn't Know...

I'm feeling quite random today. Part of it is because I'm tired and the other part is...well, just me. ;-) For your reading pleasure today, I'm treating you to a list of what I like to call "Fun Facts" about me. Enjoy. =)

❊ I drink sweet tea by the gallon. If there is a tea shortage in our house, beware!


❊ I like to be organized, but I hate filing things away. Instead, I organize them into a drawer.

❊ I love coffee, but I rarely drink it anymore.

❊ I'm a sucker for cute socks.

❊ I still make CDs to listen to in the car. Ours doesn't have the handy "Audio In" jack. *sigh* Also, Joe has my our iPod. {Which may or may not have bitten the dust. Literally.}

❊ I over analyze ev-er-ry-thing. Something stupid I did or said...an entire day's events. Someone else's motives, thoughts, actions... It's bad. Really bad.

❊ Before I met Joe, I hated wine. I'm slowly getting to the loving-it stage.

❊ I have known my bestie's husband longer than I have known my own.

❊ I'm a freakin' klutz. Walls, doorways, cracks in the sidewalk, random steps and the "little man" in the carpet are all out to get me. I have, indeed, fallen UP stairs. That, my friends, takes real talent.


❊ I sleep with a daddy doll tucked in on Joe's side of the bed. Yeah. I'm that girl.


❊ I really miss playing the piano. 


❊ I was never, ever, ever a partier. Not in high school or college. I have been drunk maybe twice...and still coherent enough to remember everything and form sentences.


❊ Chocolate is my weakness. Oh wait. I think you knew that already. ;-)


❊ Tulips are - by far - my favorite flower. They're just so happy and sweet! I've loved them as long as I can remember. Nana used to plant them in her garden when they lived in AR. I can remember drawing them - as part of Nana's garden - when I was little. This is why, when I got "my delivery" today, I was more than thrilled.

Eeeep! =D

The best part is...we had just talked about this last night. Well, he was frustrated about the situation and said he'd contacted another company, etc. I very discreetly (*wink, wink*) asked if I could have tulips. He replied with the typical "we'll see" and left it at that. Since he'd said "we'll see" last night, I thought "Oh my gosh?! Did he order them just because I asked?" Then I felt bad. (See? Over-analyzing.) And then, I looked at the card:

Epic, epic FAIL. He did tell me something was supposed to come on Saturday. I didn't believe him. So, my VDay gift was really 2 days late for VDay, but FOUR days later than it was supposed to be delivered. Joe was glad that I'd finally gotten them, but he's still not happy about it. I'm totally with him on this one. But, that means that he ordered me tulips without me asking for them!!!! Major, major points for the hubby. Oh, if he was home.... ;-) Hahaha! 

Being the lover of tulips that I am, I grabbed another vase, put water in it and took two tulips out of the larger vase. I think I need to be able to enjoy my flowers in more than one room. So, I put them in my bedroom on my night stand. =)

Now I have my happy flowers right where I can see them in the morning! I also have a very sweet card...but I'm thinking that's going to stay with just me. =) No need to make all of you ladies jealous. Haha! According to Joe, I also have one more surprise coming. Can't wait to see what it is!

Hope y'all enjoyed my randomness!

Me Again?!

Oh this tagging game!! =D In an attempt to be a good bloggie friend, I'm going to answer some questions that Miss Katie at The Life of an Army Wife has tagged me to answer!

Here goes nothin'! =)

1. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Either one you had as a child or one you started with your own family?

My favorite one as a child was Christmas morning breakfast. =) We'd get up, open gifts and then Mom would make breakfast for everyone. My grandparents even came over for breakfast. I loved it. My favorite one now is the Christmas stocking. Last year, since we were going to be on the move at Christmas, Joe and I decided to get each other one big gift and then some stocking stuffers. It was so fun buying a bunch of little stuff to put in his stocking and to open all the goodies in mine! I always enjoyed the stockings my mom did for us as kids, so this is like an extended version of that. =)

2. What is your favorite book and why?

Oooh. This is a toughie! I love to read... I have a lot of favorite books. I think for this question I'm going to choose The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks. First of all, I just love Nicholas Sparks' books. Second, this book isn't quite the usual "boy meets girl, girl pushes away from boy, boy keeps trying and finally boy and girl get together" story. =) It starts off very somber, gets sort of happy and then things get all suspenseful when the main character starts dating a newcomer... I love the little twists and turns in it!

3. What is the best vacation you went on?


Best vacation... I have two choices here: 1) Our honeymoon or 2) the mini-vacation we took to Charleston, SC before we moved to Hawaii. I think I'm going to choose Charleston because it was our first real vacation since we'd been married. Plus, we had tons of fun in the very short time we spent in Charleston.

4. What is your favorite brand of clothes or store to shop at?

I think I have to vote American Eagle on this one. =)

5. What is your favorite quality about yourself?

Yikes, what a question! I'm not sure if it's my favorite quality of myself or not, but I realized today that I'm very eager to help people when they need it/ask for it. I'm volunteering at the museum, and I really feel like I'm needed there. I just got asked to help out with the spouses' club here on post because they need someone and I said yes... If any one of my friends here needed a ride to the doctor or anywhere else, I'd be happy to help. What can I say? I like to feel needed. =)

6. How do you and your spouse/significant other continue to make your relationship special?

Oh gosh. I don't know! This is kind of hard to answer without him here... We haven't spent time together in 3 months!! I'm trying to think of things and I just can't right now. Is that terrible?!

7. What's your favorite thing to do on the weekends?

Sleep in, watch football, hang out with the girlies (at least while my hubby isn't here), relax and worship my Jesus on Sundays in church!

8. Why do you blog?

Ooooh. Why do I blog? Well, it started out as just a way for me to write down my thoughts and feelings. I've always kept a journal... It's always been my outlet. One day at work, a friend of mine joked that I should write a book on "counting Sundays" because that's what I counted while Joe was in basic. A book seemed too overwhelming, so I decided to blog. That night I sat down at my computer, Googled "blog," clicked on blogspot and created my blog! Although I still blog to get my thoughts and feelings out there, I also blog for other reasons: my bloggie friends, keeping in touch with family, and learning and sharing crafty things. 

So, that's it!!

Because I've already done like 3 of these things I'm going to stop!!

I hope you enjoyed reading my answers, though!

Tag, You're It!

It looks like I've been tagged by Flip Flops and Combat Boots do answer some questions! I guess this will serve as the usual get to know you Sunday post. =) The idea of this game is to answer the questions of the person who tagged you and then come up with your own and tag other people. Make sense? Ok, good. Here goes!

The questions from Flip Flops and Combat Boots:

1. What is your favorite no-frills meal?
Hm. Well, lately a lot of my meals are no-frills. My favorites of the moment are: Campbell's Broccoli and Cheese Soup, Mac & Cheese, and Macaroni Grill's Alfredo {the box kind. No Macaroni Grill on the island.}

2. What is your favorite picture? Post it!
Hm, well, this is a tough one!! I'm going to narrow it down to favorite picture of me and Joe. My favorite is a candid picture of us at our wedding. I don't know why I love it so much, but I do!

Oh, and I really love this one from our wedding too. =) {I got a little carried away while I was searching for my favorite one. Hehehe.}

Quick kiss before the reception. =)

3. Do you prefer flip flops, boots, sneakers or heels?
Flip flops. Seriously. Even before I lived in Hawaii I owned a ton of them. Now I just have a really good reason/opportunity to wear them all the time. =D

4. Where is your favorite place to vacation?
Since I've only been on a few real vacations in my life, I have to go with Sunset Beach, NC. Joe and I are hoping to do some real vacationing of our own when he gets back, so maybe this answer will change.

5. Do you sleep on your back, side or stomach?
Well, last night I slept on all 3. =) But, I usually can't fall asleep unless I'm on my stomach. I toss a lot so sometimes I sleep on my side. Occasionally I'll wake up on my back, but that's pretty rare.

6. Do you own any television series box sets.
Why, yes. Yes, I do. =) We have Smallville and Grey's Anatomy. I'm working on getting Army Wives, and Joe is starting a collection of his own in the sandbox.

7. Do you have any hidden talents?
Ummm, I guess? I can sing fairly well, but haven't sung onstage since I was in college. Does that count? Not sure how "hidden" singing is. =P

8. Who is your best friend?
Joe, of course! I tell him pretty much everything and we have the best time together.

Alright, now for my questions:

1. What is your favorite sport? What's your favorite team in that sport?
2. What's your favorite color to wear?
3. What do you spend most of your free time doing?
4. If you could spend one hour with one person - past or present - who would it be and why?
5. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you "grew up?"
6. What is one place that you've always wanted to visit but haven't been able to yet?
7. Name one movie you could watch over and over and over again and never get tired of.
8. What does your dream house look like? You can post a picture or "paint" a picture with words. =)

I'm tagging...

Mrs. G.I. Joe @ ACU's, Stiletto Shoes and Pretty Pink Tutus
JG @ Me and My Soldierman
Goodnight Moon
Amber @ The Survival Guide for the Young, Fabulous and Newlywed
Katie @ Words by Katie
Jessica @ Me, Him and the Army

I'm sure I was supposed to tag more people, but it's so hard to pick! If you got tagged, You're it! It's your turn to copy, paste and answer my questions in a blog post. Just make sure you come up with some of your own questions and pass along the fun!

Happy Sunday!

Get to Know You: Family Edition

Since MannLand5 will no longer be hosting the Get to Know You Sunday meme, I decided to come up with a little something of my own for this week. I've seen a 30 day meme out there in blogland and part of it is about family - siblings, parents, etc. So, I'm taking the two and smooshing them into one very unique post. ;-) Get ready to take a trip down memory lane!!!

From left to right: me, my mom, and my brother.

I was about 10 here. Note the intense dorkiness. 

That haircut is the #1 reason why I will NEVER have short, short hair again.

{The glasses and space in between my teeth - not a missing tooth - don't really help my look either.}

I freakin' love this picture. If for no other reason than it really embarrasses my brother. =P And yes, I was a cheerleader...for one year...in 5th grade.

Left to right: Rachel (family friend), me, and Andrew. Haha.

I was 12 in this picture and finally growing out my hair.

I bet you were about to wonder where my dad was! He's not much of a picture-taker. I was 13 in this one. It was taken in Carthage, Missouri at the Precious Moments Chapel.

This one should be titled "Most Awkward Sibling Picture Ever."

I was 15/16 here. 

Finally one of Mom & Dad!

I was about 16 when this was taken.

This was at my Nana's house on their patio.

This one was taken at Mom & Dad's house my sophomore (?) year of college.

Look at that hotness! {Me, not my brother. Lol!}

Nana, me & Papa at my first birthday party. 

Just in case you were wondering about them, too. =)

And now for all 6 of us [plus my hubby]:

This is the most recent picture of all of us.

I'm thinking I may need to remedy that soon.

In case you were wondering why on earth I'm the only redhead of the bunch, I'll give you a little background on us. =)

My mom was married once before, and had me. My father was in the AF and he was stationed in England. A year later, I came along and 8 months later my mom left him. Long, emotional story (more for her than me) but in the long run it was probably better for both of us that she left. When I was... 1 1/2, Mom married Dad. My father was never around much, so he's who I call "dad." And right after I turned 3, my mom had my annoying crazy pain in the butt little brother. ;-) 

Oh, and my grandparents (in the pic above) are my mom's parents. They've been married for 52 years. Just 3 days before my own wedding day, they celebrated their 50th anniversary. =) And yes, I did plan my wedding that way. I wanted to honor such a strong and long-lasting marriage by getting married so close to their anniversary. They had known each other for about 3 months when they eloped. Papa was a SSG in the Army and deployed to Korea not too long after they were married. Once he came back, I believe they were at Ft. Bliss for a while. Then, they were at Ft. Chaffee (which is on the outskirts of the town I grew up in) until that post was closed in the early '60s. I think that's when it was closed. Don't quote me on that one. 

So, that's my family!! 

Hope y'all are having (or had, for those of you not on the west coast or in Hawaii) a great Sunday!

Glory Days

All this talk (and watching) of football this weekend has had me thinking. Thinking about when I was in high school and on that football field every Friday night. Ah, yes, the Friday night lights. =)

From the time I was in 8th grade, I was in the high school marching band. {Our band included 8-12th grade.} I attended every.single.football game. Early on, I decided that if I was going to be attending every game, I might as well know what in the heck is going on out on the field. My dad was happy to help. Haha. =) Anyway. Last night, I was thinking about all of those nights out on the field during half time. I lived for it. Marching onto that field, all eyes on us, marching to the beat of the drums and the songs we played. The snap to attention. Listening to the cheers from the crowd as we marched off the field. Enjoying a 3rd quarter full of snacks, chit chat and fun. I loved every minute of it. Especially my senior year, when I was drum major. 

My senior year was my favorite. It was exactly what I hoped it would be. There were ups and downs with our moody band director (who was a female *sigh*) and other goings-on. But, when I was out on that field on a Friday night, leading "my" band out onto that field, calling them to attention, getting up on that podium that I was always afraid I'd fall off of, directing them and feeling goosebumps when everything went the way it should...I never felt better. Oh, I miss it. Sometimes I wish that I could go back and relive just one of those nights. =) They were so fun! A lot of times, I'd yell so much during a game that I'd lose my voice for a day or two. My choir director didn't like that very much. I was very passionate about band and football and when the two combined... Bye, bye voice. =)

I will never regret being in band in high school. It definitely was NOT the most popular thing to do, but I enjoyed it. Plus, I have some great memories from that time in my life. Being on the bus on the way to and from a game, going to a competition, early morning practice, late night practice, yelling, screaming, laughing...it was definitely worth it. I sometimes wish I'd gone to a bigger school and been in marching band there. And then I remember that I met my husband in college and forget about the "shoulda, coulda, woulda." 

So, on this College Gameday, I will share with you some pictures from my "glory days" just because. Hope you enjoy them!! =D

This was my 8th grade year. You know I love you guys, because I'm sharing this awful picture. 

This was my sophomore year. {Excuse the bad scrapbooking skills, please.} That's me with the braided pigtails and bandana. I was in color guard that year and I still played in the stands. On the left is Anna, my bff in high school. 

I'm toward the back, talking to the group of girls and putting on chapstick. Pre-game warm up. ;-)

Directing! =)

Possibly my favorite band related picture ever. This was taken right before our early morning practice. I think it was for the big football season booklet. The band room is detached from the main school buildings. This was taken in the "breezeway" in between the high school and band room. There were only 3 seniors in band my year, so that's us!

Collage from my senior memories book.

And again. =) The top picture there was taken at a home game during our 3rd quarter break. 

OBA is a BIG band competition in Oklahoma. 7th place for our itty bitty band was a HUGE deal.

Me with the trophy. =D Oooh yes!

This one is not from high school. It was taken in my parents' front yard my sophomore year in college. this is just to show my love of football. =) I was playing catch with my dad or brother...can't remember now. See that blue car in the back? That was my 2nd granny mobile. The one that I destroyed in NC. ;-)

I hope you enjoyed my little jaunt down memory lane. I sure did! =D

Happy Gameday!!! Oh, and BOOMER SOONER!! =)