Won't You Be My Neighbour?

I did something slightly crazy yesterday. Well, okay, maybe not crazy. But it was definitely outside of my comfort zone, and it sort of made me feel like a true, blue, Suzy Homemaker.

I made brownies and took them to our neighbours.*

We've lived across the street from these people for the past year, and I barely know their names. We wave when we're outside, and we may even have a short conversation, but that's it. It's really not unusual, and most of the time I'm okay with that kind of distance. The problem is that I've been feeling extra lonely and...distant lately. 

I'll be the first to admit that I'm an introvert with hermit tendencies. This is most of the reason why being a one car family hasn't bothered me all that much. I digress. Knowing my introverted, hermit ways, I basically have to force myself to make friends. Somehow, it wasn't all that difficult in Hawaii. I guess it was because I made most of my friends through blogging, and then the rest just sort of fell in my lap because of the Army. We had fantastic neighbors - one couple who brought me dinners while Joe was in WLC and I was 9 months pregnant with Charlotte, and another who took photos of our family and watched our house/car while we were gone over Christmas.

Much to my dismay, there aren't many military spouse bloggers in these parts. Or maybe they just don't advertise. :P Don't get me wrong, I do know people here. I just haven't found that friend here yet. You know, the one who you can call up and say "wanna come over and hang out?" The one who doesn't care what your house looks like or when you last showered, and helps themselves to whatever is in the kitchen. The one who will even invite themselves over - or offer to babysit. Or whatever.

I tossed around the idea of leading a mom Bible study thing over the summer, but that honestly seems a bit overwhelming. I've got so many other things to keep up with... I don't think adding another activity/responsibility is going to help me out. I thought about doing several other things before I suddenly remembered a sermon series our church did recently - on being a good neighbor.

I realized that there's a family across the street with a baby about a month older than Millie. The mother of that baby is home pretty much all the time {except they have 2 vehicles #jealousy}. There's a family next door to them that has a little boy maybe a year or so older than Charlotte. Suddenly, I realized that there is a potential friend living across the street. Why do I keep looking for community - for friends - when there are people all around me?!

Maybe it's the distance that made me forget. It's not like living on post, where you can make fast friends because you already have something in common - the military. We shared walls and garages with our neighbors in Hawaii. It's pretty hard not to make friends with your neighbors in those situations. But here? It's a little bit different. And now that I have kiddos, I feel like it's even harder to make friends. Because naps, and feedings, and tantrums, and life. 

I don't know if those brownies will kickstart a friendship, but at least I can say I did something. I stopped feeling sorry for myself long enough to bake some goodies, slap a note on some tupperware, walk across the street, and pray to find a friend.

*I know that's the UK spelling, but the American version just doesn't look right to me at the moment! Also, I really hope you have that song stuck in your head now. ("Could you be my - won't you be my neighbour?") Charlotte has watched Daniel Tiger like crazy lately and it's on repeat in my head. You're welcome.

"Keep in Touch"

We all say it. Most of us probably mean it. Half of us fall of the wagon and lose touch with once-close friends. Sadly, it's far too easy to do in these busy lives we lead.

I often wonder why I lose touch with friends I once spent so much time with. We shared memories, good times, and bonded. Weeks, months go by and....nothing. It's not like this is something entirely new to me, but that doesn't really make it any easier.

For the most part, I'm a people pleaser. I want people to like me {even though I'm terribly awkward sometimes}. I want people to want to spend time with me, spontaneously or not. I mean, I don't want to hang out with all people, all the time {hi, introvert over here!}, but I do want friends that I can spend time with. So, when friends leave or move on, it's often difficult for me to accept that I'm no longer a part of their life.

There are few people that I've actually been great at keeping up with. However, these are the people that also keep up with me. You see, it's a two-way street. It can't be wholly one-sided. Recently, I've felt very one-sided in a couple friendships. Reaching out, sending emails, cards, etc., only to barely receive a "thank you." Maybe it's unintentional. Maybe it's got nothing to do with me. But the over-analyzing, introvert me thinks, "it must be me." And then goes on to try and figure out what I did wrong to cause this problem in the first place.

Basically? It's more than a little hurtful. If I reach out {which does take a lot for me -- #introverprobz}, then it means I want to maintain a close relationship with that person. It doesn't mean I just want to keep in touch for the sake of knowing what that person is up to, and nothing more. It means I genuinely care. To not have that reciprocated is frustrating and upsetting.

For the past couple of weeks, Mrs. C has called a time or two. They moved from Hawaii a few months before we did, and I think we've done very well at keeping up with each other. We text, call, and have even Skyped once! {Which was a totally new experience for our relationship, considering we'd lived within 30 minutes of each other for 3 years.} I had honestly worried when they moved that we'd somehow lose touch. At least so far that hasn't happened, and I'm very thankful for it! I'm really thankful that she remembers to call me, too, because I can be very bad about that sort of thing. 

How do you keep in touch with friends who have moved away or moved on? Are you good or terrible with keeping in touch?

Saying "See Ya Later"

It's tough, isn't it? Whether it's to family, friends, or our husbands saying "see ya later" just never seems to get any easier. 

This weekend, our closest friends left the island. While I'm so happy that they're going to be able to see family and will be much closer to them once they get to their next post, it's still difficult to see them go. They were our first friends here and they've stuck with us ever since. 

I actually found Mrs. C through her blog while we were still living in GA. {Surprised? Yeah, me neither.} We "met" via a phone call because we were having some Army-related paperwork struggles with our move. Her hubby was able to give Joe some advice which was golden. We sent several emails back and forth talking about moving and Hawaii.

After Joe and I got to Hawaii and settled into lodging, we were finally able to meet up! They picked us up at the hotel and took us out for dinner. All 4 of us clicked right away, which is really rare. After dinner, they invited us to get out of the hotel and stay with them for the night. I know what you're thinking, and looking back I still can't believe we did this! We ended up staying the weekend with people we'd never met before...and people we met online. =P I think all of us were a little bit crazy!

Mrs. C and I. I'm pretty sure this was the weekend we met. I could be wrong, though.

The Joes. :)

All of us just outside Margaritaville in Waikiki!

It's crazy to think all we've been through together in nearly 3 years. My Joe deployed. Mrs. C helped me unpack the rest of the house after Joe left. She kept me company frequently while he was gone. They invited me to church with them, for dinner...kept Jasper for me/us several times. Oh! We locked ourselves out of the house one day and had to pull boards off the fence... And then Mrs. C broke the screen door on the patio! That was a fun afternoon! She took pics of us when he came home for R&R. And I'm fairly certain we all hung out while Joe was home, but I don't quite remember it.

Holidays. Birthdays. Pregnancies. Births. Girls and guys nights. So many things.

Our girls. 1 month & 8 months.

LOVE.

Charlotte thinks Mrs. C's hubby is hilarious!

I'm glad that we were able to spend a few days/nights together before they left. I know it's difficult getting out and about with a newborn! 

Daddies & daughters = melty mama hearts.

I know it isn't the end - we'll see them again, even if we have to make an extra effort now that the Army has separated us. But it sure is tough to think about them not being nearby during our last few months on the island...and then again when we move to GA.

So much happens in just a few years' time... The ending of our time here in Hawaii turned out to be a little bittersweet after all.

Attitude of Gratitude: Day 5

Friends

That's what I'm thankful for today. It may sound cliché, but I'm very thankful for the few amazing friends I have. In particular, I'm thankful for these people God has put in my life:

Melissa & I at Christmas last year.

First and foremost, the bestie. She's my sounding board, my personal shopper (seriously important when you live thousands of miles away!), my advice-giver, crafty inspiration and about a million other things. I don't know what I'd do without her! Actually, I do. I'd go crazy. =P She's the only person other than Joe that I trust with absolutely everything. I'd even ship my daughter to her for a couple of days if that were an option. Well...maybe... ;-)

Anna & I at the beach...summer 2011.

{Anna, we need an updated photo!!!}

She may be my SIL, but she's also one of my closest friends. We don't talk on the phone all that much, but we do FB! We think a lot alike (which is probably why she's also become friends with Melissa) and have a great time when we're actually in the same zip code. =P This also makes me so thankful I married Joe...because I got a great friend/sister out of the deal too! I'd probably leave Charlotte with her too. And actually....Anna, you may be babysitting at Christmas! =D

Mrs. C & I just a few weeks after we moved to HI in 2010.

Last - but definitely not least - is my closest island friend, Mrs. C. She was the very first friend I made here in Hawaii and has stuck with me ever since! She's about to meet her baby - hopefully sometime tonight or tomorrow - and I am so excited for her and her hubby! It's been quite the journey we've been on for the last 2.5 years. We met through blogging... Our first week on the island, they picked us up, took us out to dinner and then let us hang out at their house for a weekend! That picture was taken just outside of the hotel Joe and I stayed in before we moved into our house. Yep, they came to hang out with us at our hotel room! During the first month(ish) of Joe's deployment, we unpacked the rest of my house, organized and hung up pictures. We locked ourselves out of my house. We went shopping a lot. We went to church together. She spent tons of time at my house, keeping me company. She took pictures of us when Joe came home on R&R... We've chatted many hours away while our husbands played video games, card games, or talked about computers and zombies non-stop. She was one of the first people to find out I was pregnant...and that Charlotte was a girl. When we found out they were expecting just a few weeks before Charlotte arrived, we were thrilled! Now they're about to meet their own little miracle... They'll be PCSing to the mainland around Christmastime, and we'll be following soon after. She's my first (and possibly best!) Army wife friend. We'll both be on the East Coast for our next duty station. I hope we can keep our best intentions and meet up. I don't know how I'll make it through the next 4 years of Army life without her nearby!

I have a whole lot more friends (especially if you include all my bloggie friends!), but these are the few constants in my life. I am so thankful to have each of them. They're all quick to offer a kind, encouraging word...and even a word of truth when I need it the most. I wish I could hug all 3 of them right now!!

What are you thankful for today?

Best Friends Day

Apparently, tomorrow {or today for those of you reading this a few hours from now} is Best Friends Day. Who knew there was a day dedicated to that?! Obviously not me. So today, I dedicate this post to my closest friends. =)

First up, is the hubby. I know...it's sort of corny to say that he's my best friend, but it's the absolute truth. I would rather spend time with him than anyone else and he knows pretty much everything there is to know about me. I like it that way. =) Plus, I can be an absolute dork around him and never even think twice about it. I love that!

circa 2007

See? We're a big 'ole pair of dorks. =) I feel sorry for our kids already, ha!!

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Next up is my bestie. =) We haven't always been best friends {we've had our moments} but I've known her since I was 11 years old. We've been through a lot in almost 14 years!! Middle school, high school, boys, college, marriage and now babies. {Well, a baby. She had one...I haven't yet. Obviously. =P}

circa 2004

circa 2004

2009

2010

Not only does this girl know pretty much everything about me, she also knows the way I think. I can call her up at {almost} any time and I know she's there to listen to me vent. And if when I need it, she's always there to speak God's truth into my life. She's also taught me how to sew {via Skype}, given me tons of books, and gone shopping at Hobby Lobby for me a few times. =) Oh, and we can't forget that she traveled about 7,000 miles last year to spend my birthday with me because Joe deployed. Seriously, I have the best bestie ever! 

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Little did I know when I got married that I'd also gain another best friend. My SIL, Anna, {whose name frequents the blog} is definitely one of my best friends. =)

2010

Our personalities clicked almost immediately. Fortunately, Joe and I lived about a mile away from her when we lived in NC. Joe and I spent quite a bit of time with her and her husband while we lived there. And when he went off to basic, I was able to spend lots of time with her. Of course, it helped that she was pregnant with my niece and wasn't allowed to do much. =P We don't get to talk too often because she's busy raising my niece and nephew...and she has some sort of aversion to the phone. =P Haha! That's ok, though. I love her anyway!! I can't wait to spend some time with her at the beach {in NC} this summer!!! Oh, and since I know you're reading this, Anna, we need a new picture of us!!

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Next up are my island besties. =) I've met quite a few people since moving here and only a few of them have stuck with me. First is the girlie I wish I'd met earlier in this deployment - Annie. We've been having a blast together lately! I can only imagine how much her company would have helped in the beginning of this deployment.

Then there's Miranda...because you just can't help but love her!! Oh, and she has the cutest little boy ever and is due to have what's sure to be a very cute little girl in October!

Then there's Mrs. C who helped me unpack the rest of my house after Joe deployed, and helped me find a church. Not to mention she kept me company in the beginning of the deployment and watched Jasper for me when I visited family over Christmas. =)

And then.... ;-) There's Chantal who introduced me to several great girls along with the spouses' club on post!! Oh, and we also went to the Daughtry concert together and the end of a surfing competition. =)

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And I can't forget about my blogging bestie, JG. =) We've never met, but we've shared a ton of text messages - mainly about OU football games - and many conversations on Twitter. I'm determined that one day we will meet! =)

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What can I say? I've been blessed with friends, even if I don't get to see or talk to them every day! I'm lucky that I met and married my very best friend... I'm lucky that I met my bestie when we were young and that we were able to work through all of our junk. I think it only made us better friends now. =) I'm lucky that I've met so many great friends since moving to Hawaii, mostly thanks to blog land. Blogging has allowed me to "meet" so many great friends even if we never meet in real life.

Happy Best Friends Day!!

Happy Day

I really thought that today was going to be the hardest day of this deployment. You know, celebrating our anniversary solo for the first time ever. I must have had a bunch of people praying for me because it turned out to be an amazing day! 

I went to bed last night feeling all sad about our anniversary and really missing my husband. I think it had more to do with the fact that it was night time {when I'm always the loneliest} and that I'd just seen some Army related stuff on TV. 

I was woken up by my sweet hubby {via the cell phone, of course} at 0200. =) I was soooo happy to be getting a phone call! I'd hoped he would call but I had sort of given up on it. It wasn't a very long call, but it was so nice to hear his voice. He's been very busy trying to get everything done there and hasn't been able to call or email me for 3 days. On top of that, the poor guy has a cold. =( I repeat, he has a cold. In 130+ degree weather. I wish I could give him a hug. Colds in the summer suck enough as it is without adding in the extreme heat of the sandbox and, well, the sand. Not to mention he has to be awake for probably 2 days straight. My poor hubby. But the good side of this is that he's coming home when we thought he would!!! No more guessing!! Well, as much as is possible with the Army. =P Talking to him made me feel so much better about celebrating our anniversary apart. 

This evening my deployment sister, Annie, took me out! I told her that I was sort of sad about our anniversary a few weeks ago and she offered to go to dinner with me. =) How awesome is that?! So tonight, she picked me up and we went to Cholo's on the North Shore for some yummy Mexican food! Mmmmm! 

After dinner, she decided that she wanted to show me one of her favorite beaches here. Since I still don't know where all of the best ones are, I thought it'd be a great idea. But of course, we couldn't get through Haleiwa without stopping for shave ice!!! Unfortunately Matsumoto's was closed, but we found a place that was open. =)

I big, pink, puffy heart shave ice. I have no idea what in the world I'm going to do when we PCS. I've been spoiled and shaved ice from the mainland just is not the same. *sigh* After a quick stop we got back in the car and spent the rest of the evening here:

It. was. beautiful. It's been a while since I've seen the sunset on the beach. Add in a ton of sea turtles {aka honu} and I'm a very happy girl. =) There's really nothing like being at the beach. Even if there's a bunch of people around, it's still very peaceful.

And I really can't get enough of these guys!!! How cute are they?! I may have to get a honu tattoo before we leave here... Hmmm... ;-) We also did an impromptu sunset photo shoot. I'm a little excited that I have a photographer {professional or not!} for a friend. LOL!

It was a really gorgeous sunset. And I had a fantastic evening with a great friend. I'm so thankful she took the time to hang out with me and make sure I had an awesome day instead of a sad one. The only way this day could have been better is if I'd been able to spend it with Joe. Until then, I'll take more awesome days with great friends. =)

Memorial Weekend

I hate that I'm just now getting to this, but I was so worn out yesterday!! It was a very busy weekend, with yesterday being the most full day of them all. I was so glad that I got to spend most of my weekend with Annie. Saturday, we had our own little cookout accompanied by a mini Harry Potter marathon. =) I still don't know how Annie has gone this long without seeing any of the HP movies!! Anyway. Sunday, I didn't do anything other than going to church. Church is always a must. =) Then yesterday, I participated in the Lantern Floating ceremony!

We headed out around 1130 to go stand in line for our lanterns. After finding what we thought was the end of the line, I hopped out of the car to stand in place and Annie went to find parking. {Parking? Downtown? Ha!} Apparently what we thought was the end of the line was actually the beginning. A local Japanese man was kind enough to inform me of that. He was actually a lot nicer than you'd expect someone at the front of the line to be. =) I was fully prepared to get yelled at after he said it was the front. So then I walked allll the way to the end of the line and got in place....and pulled out my umbrella. Yep. I hated looking like all the other Japanese women there, but I just knew I would get burned if I didn't - even if I was wearing SPF 50. White girls just don't do sun.

We finally got our lanterns and sat down to decorate them when a random guy came up to us. He asked us if we wanted VIP seating. Duh! Who turns that down?! We were pretty stinkin' excited even though we were pretty sure he just approached us because we're white. And you know what? I'm pretty sure we were the "token white people" in the Japanese VIP seating. Haha!

After that, we walked across the street to the Ala Moana mall to do some shopping and get lunch. Not in that order. =) By this point, food was a major priority for both of us. Usually I'm the one begging to eat lunch because of my blood sugar issues. Thankfully it wasn't an issue that day. We lunched and shopped, and finally headed to get our VIP seating. And VIP seating it was! SO amazing.

Annie and I in our VIP seating!

Yay for deployment sisters! =D

Annie gets photo credit for this.

My sad little camera didn't get such a good shot. =P

I didn't realize going into this ceremony that it was presided over by a Buddhist priestess... Obviously, I'm not Buddhist and I do not agree with their beliefs. Fortunately {for me} she didn't speak any English and as long as I didn't look at the jumbo screen for translation, I didn't understand a word she was saying. It was nice to experience something from a different culture, but.... I don't know. I guess I'm sort of funny about things like that. Anyway.

Me with my lantern.

Notice all the Japanese people behind me.

The drummer guys did their thing, there was a hula performance which I absolutely loved, and some singing. Of course, there were a few speakers and they did interviews with some people participating in the ceremony too. Overall, it was a nice ceremony. After the beautiful sunset, it was time to release the lanterns!

More photo credits to Annie. =P

Even though it was something very different, I am so glad I participated. It was a great way to just remember all the sacrifices made, and even a great way to remember family and friends that have passed away in the last few years. It's something that you can physically do to remember and honor them. I also wrote a prayer on mine. It was a very somber ceremony...and so peaceful to see all of those lanterns floating in the ocean. There was a plane flying out just around the time the lanterns were released. Can you imagine the view the passengers got as they were leaving?! I bet it was amazing. =) Just to give you an idea of how many people attended, here's a photo.

I think they estimated about 40,000 people. On a small stretch of beach...that is a ton of people. It also goes to show you how many people want to remember someone they loved and lost. It was really a fantastic day, even though I was hot and sticky for most of it. Definitely the most worthwhile thing I've done in a while! I'm so glad Annie invited me to go with her. It's something I know I'll never forget.

The Day After

Today was a much better day...albeit very busy.

I never sleep very well the night after traveling. My body is always confused about what it should be doing. I ended up getting up at 0700...not really of my own accord {mom's dog was barking/howling} but I couldn't go back to sleep either. Might as well get up. It was really strange to be awake when the rest of the US is awake. I guess after a year of being 5-6 hours behind everyone else, I've adjusted. So when I wake up in the morning, there's always a ton of FB and Twitter updates to read, not to mention emails and blogs. Waking up to basically nothing was just odd.

After I got up and around, I drove over to Melissa's house. =) After feeding baby Jorja, we headed out for some shopping! We went to a fabric store, where I ended up shelling out around $30 for fabric... But it's not like I can get it in Hawaii!! Plus, I don't have to pay shipping. Then, we went to lunch at Olive Garden. Mmmm. I know Olive Garden isn't much to talk about, but I do miss not being able to eat there...especially the salad and breadsticks! Haha!

Then, we drove to Hobby Lobby. {insert Allelujah chorus here} By this time, the clouds opened up and it starting pouring...and thundering. The thunder I enjoy. Rain? Not so much. Anyway, I took Jorja {who also has red hair} inside while Melissa parked her truck. I would have, but, um....yeah.... And wouldn't you know that three old ladies walked up to me and told me how cute she was, asked me how old she was.... Haha! I know the child has red hair and blue eyes, but...her face looks nothing like mine! I guess most people wouldn't really catch that though. So, I just played along and let them think what they wanted rather than spilling the whole "my best friend ended up having a red headed baby" story. Haha. And I won't even say how much that didn't help the baby fever. Anyway, as luck would have it, Hobby Lobby just set out all their 4th of July decor.... I may or may not have spent around $50 on stuff for the living room. ;-)


Then, made a quick stop at a store so Melissa could get something baby-related, and then we made our final trip to Target. I needed a few things, and it's always nice to look around Target. Once we were done, we loaded up the car and headed back to her house. It wasn't until after we got to her house that I realized both of our umbrellas were still in the cart in Target's parking lot. FAIL. I don't know how we both forgot that... I'm just hoping Target found them... "My" umbrella wasn't even mine, it was Mom's. She left it for me to use today and what did I do? I left it at Target. Way to go, Sarah. Geeeeez.


And then I came home to get ready for the rehearsal dinner. {I told you it's been a busy day!} The rehearsal went well...for the most part. It seems like there's always a snafoo at rehearsals. I just hope the problem gets solved before tomorrow or it could make for an awkward day. And a not so good one for my BIL and his soon-to-be wife. I'm so happy for them. They've been together for what seems like forever. {They've known each other longer than Joe and I have.}


I really feel bad for my BIL too. I mean, his only sibling here is his oldest sister. The other sister is recovering from birth and his brother is deployed. He's handling it well and I know he's thankful that at least one of them is there, but I know it's really hard for him that Joe isn't there. It's hard for Joe too. I think it's hard on the rest of us as well. I know it is for me. My FIL asked me tonight if this {the rehearsal} was bringing back memories. Oh, it definitely is. I didn't realize it was going to be so hard on me emotionally to go to a wedding {let alone his brother's} without him. *sigh* 


And then there's the whole not being in the wedding party, but still being at the wedding with the family thing... I don't know why, but it sort of feels weird. I'm not needed, but I'm still there...you know? It's hard to explain how I feel... I'm glad I'm here, but at the same time it's like, "Why am I here? No one needs me to be here." Maybe it's just because I like to know what I'm expected to do. Blah. 


I feel like I'm rambling. =P I probably am. I think the sleep depravation is catching up with me now. Or maybe my body is in the correct time zone now. Either way, it might be best to get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day! Though, I'm sure it will be a happy one.

Happy Weekend!

Ketchup

Geesh. I feel like it's been a million years since I blogged last!! And we know exactly who to thank for that: Blogger. For me, it was on the fritz Wednesday night and Thursday all day. Grr. And I don't post on Fridays anymore because I realized that no one reads/comments on the weekends. And, let's face it, I live for comments. ;-) So, we have lots of catching up to do. 


Wednesday, the power went out at 0930. I was right in the middle of IMing Melissa and reading blogs. And the power goes out. Grrrr. Fortunately it was daylight so I didn't need to break out the candles. That is until I needed to take a shower. I have people on either side of me (think duplex, but quadriplex) so no window in the bathroom. After I killed some time reading blogs on my phone and doing my Pilates video via Netflix on my phone (seriously, what would I do without my iPhone?!), I gave in and took a shower in the dark. Ok, not complete dark. Candle light. Hello, 19th Century. {Well, almost.} I actually succeeded in taking a shower in the almost dark. Here are some photos from that lovely event.

Good times, I tell ya.

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Friday night, I had a little girl's night out with my lovely friend, Annie. We started with dinner at Chili's where I had a fantastic margarita (it had been way too long!) and a yummy burger. =) I told Joe beforehand that it seems a little crazy to me that we both worked there for so long and we still love the food. Anyway, after dinner we walked over to the theatre where we saw Something Borrowed. O.M.G. It was so great! Definitely a great flick to see with a girl friend. =) And I saw previews for several other movies that look good too. {*cough* Harry Potter *cough*} After the movie, we went to a very crowded Walmart for a few little things. Finally, we went back to her house... I stayed there until well after midnight!!! I forgot how much fun late night chatting was. =)

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Not much happened yesterday... Except that I had to drive 30 minutes one stinkin' way {which I know isn't that far, but it is for just one thing} just to get Jasper's dog food. The commissary has been out of it for three. weeks. now. I repeat: three. weeks. How is that even possible?! Don't they notice that there's something on that shelf that is missing!? Or do they just not care? Thanks to them, I had to drive all the way to Petco just to spend $5 extra on his food. And let's not even talk about wasting gas. Do you know how much gas is here?! $4.40. A gallon. So basically, I spent about $10 more than I would have if the commissary had been properly stocked. Grrrrrrrrrr.

Today was nice though. =) I got to talk to Joe on Facebook for a little while this morning. For the last two weeks, we've just been emailing so this was nice for a change. 

Church was amazing. We had a guest speaker from Kiev (Ukraine), but it sounded like he was Russian. He was an amazing speaker and had a great message. About having a spirit of appreciation. Would you like to guess who needed that message today? ::raises hand:: Yeah, I totally needed it. I get in the "I hate life" mode a lot... And I know y'all have heard me complain about living in Hawaii. I should really be thankful...for everything I've been blessed with even though my husband isn't here. It's very hard for me to be thankful for living here and for everything else when I can't enjoy it all with my husband. Very hard. Like I said, I needed it.

After church, Annie came over for a little sewing party! Miranda was supposed to come too but she's been feeling bad lately. Sad face. I'm hoping she got lots of rest and gets to feeling much better soon! We did have a good time chit-chatting, eating, sewing and playing with my crazy puppy who kept wanting us to play with him. Seriously, y'all, I have never seen Jasper so attached to someone before. Jasper loves Annie!! It's too cute. And I guess it's a good thing since he's going to be with her for the next week. 

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As luck would have it, just as I typed that last line the HUGEST roach I have ever seen crawled out from under my couch. I saw something moving behind my computer screen {I blog from the couch, duh.} and moved it to see. The following occurred:

Oh. My. God. 

Oh my God!!!!! 

::runs to the kitchen for Raid with laptop, while yelling::

::Jasper looks on from the couch::

::Raid sprayed, roach scurries across living room::

::yelling/squealing::

::standing on the couch::

::holding Jasper on the couch::

::more Raid sprayed 'cause the thing won't DIE::

::panicking/crying::

::Jasper tries to get away from the crying, freaking out woman::

Finally I decided that the thing needed to get out of my house. The vacuum won't suck it up (because it no longer sucks, well not on hardwood anyway) and my Swiffer sweep vac is to puny. My last option? The broom. I opened the front door (hey, it ain't stayin' in my house!), grabbed the broom, swept it up and ran to the front door. Think hockey. That just happened. Then I grabbed the mop to mop up the Raid on my hardwood floors. Crying ensues. Jasper decides this is definitely the time to hide and runs underneath our bed. I joined him (except ON the bed) after I mopped the living room for a good cry.

Here's a picture in case you doubted me.

Huge.

I'm just tired of this. Tired of having to do everything by myself. Tired of having to deal with everything by myself. Tired of wondering when I'm going to hear from him. Tired of eating and living alone. Just tired. And don't you tell me "he's coming home soon." Don't even think about it. I realize that I don't have much longer to go in this deployment. But after nearly a year, the thought of still having weeks left isn't that comforting. {Yes, I know I should be thankful that it's just weeks now.} It's still just as hard. And do you know what makes it harder? Seeing all the other homecomings and homecoming photos being posted all over Facebook. It's hard. So don't you dare downplay it by telling me "it'll be over soon."

::end rant::

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Tomorrow I start packing for my voyage home. I don't leave for a few more days, but it's always good to not procrastinate. I need to grab a couple things that I forgot from the PX and I think I'll be all set.  

Ugh, I think I still need to calm down from this whole roach debacle. I'm going to call maintenance in the morning and get them to come spray. I can't  handle ginormous bugs. No siree. 

Hope y'all had a great weekend!

What I Love About Sunday

It might possibly be my favorite day of the week. It always seems to go by quickly, and I'm never more encouraged than on Sunday. When I get to hang out with friends after church, it's even better! Today was one of those days. =)



Thanks to Mrs. C for reminding me of this song. I hope my kids remember that about me: "Mama's hands raised up high..." =)

Mrs. C, her hubby and her neighbor came to church this morning and afterward, we went and grabbed some food on my side of the island. That's always nice for me since we live on opposite sides of the island and the church we go to is much closer to "their" side. The boys rode up in her car and we took my car to Cholo's. Apparently, we've been favoring Mexican food lately. 3rd time in 8 days!

We had a pretty good time at lunch and afterward, we made a commissary run. The guys aren't much on grocery shopping (seriously, it must be a guy thing because Joe can't stand going with me), so we went while the guys did... Well, whatever they did. =P I thought that the parking lot didn't look very full, but apparently the parking lot can be deceiving! It's official: there is no good time to go to the commissary. We wandered around, getting things on her list... And kept being completely in the way... I threatened to take away her driver's license because she kept running into things, lol! We decided that maybe she should have had that margarita with lunch that way she'd have a real excuse to be so clumsy. Haha! 


It sounds like a very simple afternoon, but I really enjoyed it. I guess it's the little things. =)

I came home and watched The Grown-Ups on Netflix. Mrs. C said she really loved it and I had just put it on my instant queue so I figured why not?! I had plenty of time to kill before Army Wives came on... ;-) It was a super cute movie! I don't have kids, but sometimes I feel like some of those characters... Like we need to focus on the littler things in life rather than the busy, busy of it all. It's not the best family-oriented movie, but it was really cute. And stinkin' hilarious!!!

While I was watching the movie, I realized that I'd left my lunch leftovers in the car. I paused it and ran out to the car. Then, I was greeted by this guy:

See that thing on the wall back there? The black, moth-looking thing? That, my friends, is a freaking BAT!!!!!!!!! Let me just tell you right now that I am not okay with having a bat in my garage!! I knew that bats lived on the island, but I never expected to see one in or near my house!!! I totally flipped out. I ran to the car, got in, reached for the food and ran back in the house. Then, of course, I went and got my phone so I could take a picture. =P That's just too strange not to share with the world. I just really hope he doesn't stay here long. Geckos I can handle. Bats, not so much.


In other news, I'm really glad Army Wives is back! I wasn't a huge fan before this summer, when I started watching it via Netflix. Then I ended up borrowing seasons 2 and 3 from a friend because waiting for the DVDs was killing me. I also downloaded season 4 because I didn't want to wait for it to come out on DVD. Impatient much?! =P Suffice it to say that I am a HUGE fan now. I wasn't extremely impressed with this season's premiere, but I know it'll get better. The previews for the next episode(s) makes me anxious...


By the way, thanks for all of your comments on the tattoo post! It's good to know that I at least have your support and understanding. =) I still don't know exactly what I want to do about the tattoo situation, but I've got a while to figure it out. Joe wants to go with me when I get it, so it will have to wait til then. Thankfully, that isn't too far away. See?

Oh, donut. I am liking you more and more every week! I especially like that pretty green color taking the place of the angry red color. ;-) I can't wait to have my hubby back!!! I watched Coming Home tonight too, and one of the wives said something about how her family was finally going to be whole again. Yup, that's exactly how I feel. He's my other half and it's just not the same without him here!


Hope y'all had a great weekend!!

Terrific Thursday!

I had such a great, busy day. I'm so tired I can hardly believe I'm still awake. I am a night owl, though, so I probably shouldn't be surprised. =P

This morning began with a lot of rushing and a little bit of frustration all balled into one. I got up a little early, hoping that I'd get to talk to my hubby before rushing off to the spouses' club luncheon. I had to be there early because I was going to be working a table for voting on our little constitution. Anyway. I waited, and waited... I had breakfast and waited some more. I complained to my bestie. I waited some more. Finally, I set him a message saying what I was going to be up to for the day. I found out tonight that there was a power outage. Go figure.

The rushing around was mainly due to the fact that we were supposed to dress in our "favorite" decade for the luncheon. Well, I wasn't about to buy an outfit/costume just for the luncheon. I figured I'd find something in my closet. Around this time last night, I was running around my house trying to put an outfit together. By this morning, I had basically figured it out but I wasn't too happy with it. I had decided on the '50s since I have a '50s-ish dress. I did some Googling, rummaging and lots of hair-curling and finally wound up with this:

This was taken after the luncheon, so my hair is less curly in the photo. I was seriously running out the door this morning so no time for a photo op. Sad face. Oh, and I wore these shoes:

I thought it worked for the '50s. I think there were 3 people dressed in '50s style: me, Chantal and another lady. Chantal and I decided that I was dressed for a wedding/party (in the '50s of course), she was dressed to go to the ice cream parlour and the other lady was a teenager (she was wearing a poodle skirt). The luncheon was super fun. We learned some dance moves, which was pretty fun. I'm just about the world's worst dancer. I can find the beat, I can count it for you but moving my feet and hips at the same time? Ha. My husband? Awesome dancer. He tried to teach me the Waltz once... I stepped on his feet a bazillion times. *sigh* Anyway, not the point. We had good food, danced and got prizes!! This is what I won:

Yay for Scentsy!! I put like 3 tickets in for that thing. Sooo glad I did! =D

It's a plug in. =) Very Hawaii, too. I'm thinking it'll go in the hallway.

I got this scent with it, but I'm not a fan. I'll be purchasing a different one soon. =)

After the luncheon, I suggested that Chantal and I hit up a surfing competition in Haleiwa! (Don't try to pronounce that in your head... Just don't. ;-)) By the time we got there - like after 2 - it was pretty much over for the day, but I did catch some pictures. It was pretty fun too! They're supposed to be back at it again on Sunday and I really want to go. I mean, why not?! I'm in Hawaii and when am I going to have this chance again? {This is the Army... We can't count on being here too long. =P}

The photos I took aren't that great. I left my camera at home, so they're phone pictures. Plus, the weather wasn't too awesome today... It's a little hard to distinguish the water from the sky. Hopefully, you'll be able to see the guys in the water. You can always click on the picture to make it bigger too. 

Cool, right?! I was so excited to go! I think next time we go, we'll need to get better seats. =) Although, because we were so late we got a pretty awesome parking spot. I guess it evened out. And by the time we were heading out, it was starting to rain. Perfect timing! After that, we ran by an ice cream shop in Halewia... Yum!! We both got Chocolate Macadamia Nut ice cream in waffle bowls... Chocolate just makes everything better. Especially knees that hurt because of less-than-perfect weather. (It's raining now - FINALLY - so that helps too.)

As I was talking to a friend of mine from home [who just met up with my bestie], I realized how much I love and appreciate the friends I've made here. She mentioned how great it was to have someone just completely understand what you're going through - what your life is like. Immediately I thought, "Yep. I totally know that feeling" and all I could think of are the girls I get together with once a week for dinner. Their hubbies are deployed too. I just love it. I honestly wouldn't have met them if I hadn't met up with Chantal a couple of months ago for this whole spouses' club thing. I'd probably be ok, but I'd be much less ok than I am now. I don't hang out with them all the time, I don't talk to them 24/7 but just knowing that they're here for me and they know exactly what I'm going through helps so much. 

All in all, it was a pretty stinkin' great day! And if you wanna see a decent photo of me and Chantal at the surfing competition today (as if you need more proof I was there =P) you can check out her blog. =)

The post for the Fall Foto Contest will be up tomorrow (well, later today for most of you) and I will attempt to keep the poll open longer. Honestly, I haven't figured out what time zone the poll thinks I'm in. I'm pretty sure it has a mind of its own. So, keep an eye out for this week's photos and be prepared to vote! =D