alot o' curls and a high&tight

tragedy;; perfect word

2010-12-14T21:38:00.002+01:00

do you know zac efron and vanessa hudgens?

ive heard the names. they go to fisher?

um no, they were in high school musical together (1-3)

oh, continue

they were dating for like four years. broke up yesterday. i don't believe in true love anymore

oh boy. what a tragedy

tragedy, that is a perfect word to describe this. although i feel like you are being sarcastic and i am not

have you been searching for the perfect word all day?

yeah when i can handle thinking about it

well im very sorry for your loss. did you see the thing about the jets coach who tripped a player and got suspended for the rest of the season?

yeah stupid nobody cares. like... zac and vanessa break up and thats what you are worried about - there is no good left in the world anymore.

say it isn't so Zac and Vanessa..

xoxo.

instant tears.

2010-12-09T14:51:00.006+01:00

This morning I walked into the chapel to regretfully attend another memorial for a fallen soldier. As I walked in, one of the rear-D guys handed me the program for the service, I glanced down at it, and instantly welled up and fought back tears (more than I already was).

The full name of the fallen soldier is eerily similar to Dave's. Let's just say both men have six syllables in their full name, four of the six were exactly the same. And as many MilSpouses can attest to, all of these guys look somewhat similar in their regiment pictures. If you glance at them quickly, you may not even be able to register who it was that you just looked at.

So, as hard it is to just see something like that, I knew in about 45 minutes, after a touching and unavoidably sad service, I would have to hear this name said out loud (with no response to symbolize the fallen soldier) during final roll call. It was way closer to reality than I ever would have liked to go.

But during the service, which really is an honor to go to and be able to pay tribute one final time, I turned my head to look outside. And it had started snowing, but not the ugly, heavy snow from the past two weeks, it was the pretty, dainty, light snow. And it brought a smile to my face because it was so beautiful to watch it fall and cover the ground, the trees, our cars.

It made me think of this holiday season that is upon us and while so many of us are listening to holiday music (Glee Christmas album, thank you), wrapping presents, snuggling, and drinking hot coca, and are truly able to enjoy the holiday season, there are still plenty with loved ones gone or far away to keep mind. Even though we all would love to be with our loved ones during the holidays, sometimes this is just not possible.

And I MUST give a special shoutout to my bubba, Patton. He just seems to always know when his momma can use a little bit extra loving. Either that, or he is just using me for extra cuddles, which he loves.

xoxo.

Happy Birthday, Meatball!

2010-11-27T19:31:00.004+01:00

Happy 2nd Birthday Meatball!

well, technicallyyy Happy Day After Your 2nd Birthday Meatball! But we were WAY too busy - playing in snow, getting new toys, eating yummy foods, having friends over, skyping with dad (!!), dancing to music, and enjoying birthday bone - to blog about it yesterday!

So here are some pictures, since Meatball has so many fans out there just dying to know what her day was like!

Meaty and Patton playing with some of Meaty's new toys. I love that it captures both of their personalities so well. Patton has grabbed his toy and is biting it (I do love how he crosses his paws). Meatball is barely touching hers and licking it oh so gently.

Meatball (while skyping with Dad) playing with her toy she just opened from us!

birthday banner and birthday ribbon on her collar (it's a hand me down ribbon - Dana made me wear it on my birthday!)

the obligatory party hat shot.

Yesterday was the first day that it snowed and actually stuck to the ground. It was like a birthday miracle for Meatball - she loves snow and has so much fun trotting around and rolling in it.

<3

Happy birthday girl? Check!

and in case anyone is wondering - the latest music selections in our household.

Hope everyone had/is having a Happy Thanksgiving weekend and caught some good shopping deals (if that's your thanggg!)

xoxo.

happy engagement-versary.

2010-11-16T17:47:00.005+01:00

today marks the two year anniversary of Dave ~~proposing~~... hoping to propose to me...

... but I knew he was going to do it so I kind of ruined it - but hey, we got the same outcome and it's a fun story to tell!

FLASHBACK TO NOVEMBER 2008::

Thursday, Dave says something along the lines of, "Hey, don't you want to go back to Brockport (about 1hr15mins-ish away from where we were living in Buffalo) and hang out with Michael for the weekend?"

Michael is my cousin, and at the time, he was 2 and a half years old.

And in case you were wondering - yes, I did want to hang out with him for the weekend. But at the time, I was already watching him atleast 3x a week and spending every other weekend at my Aunt/Uncle's house. So when it was 'my weekend' with Dave and he was willing to give up the weekend together, I knew it was something sketchy, and I was going to get to the bottom of it.

(Michael and I at the zoo about a month before Dave proposed)

Dave didn't make it very hard on me because on Saturday when I texted and asked him what he was doing he said (through a few texts) "shopping.. for something shiny.. at a store in the mall that we never go into when we go together".

Now, we knew someday we were going to get married. We had always known that, but we never explicitly discussed a time line, an engagement, or even rings.

But I immediately fired back, "You're buying me an engagement ring", to which I immediately received back, "YOU CAN'T JUST ALWAYS GUESS". (I have a very long, steep history of being able to accurately guess and figure out surprises - just two months before, I figured out Dave was taking me on a secret trip to NYC to see the Yankees play their final series at Yankee stadium [among other fun things]).

So Sunday rolls along, my Grandmother and I make our way back to Buffalo for a day of lunch and shopping - where my suspicions were further confirmed when Dave's phone kept ringing and as my Grandmother left, she coyly smiled and said "make sure to call me later".

Us at the zoo about a week before

Then Dave and I made our way to the Buffalo Zoo (we had a season pass. our apartment was like two blocks away and it was always nice to just walk through there when we had some free time and the weather was nice). More or less, when we made our way to the bridge over the sea lions (one of my top 3 favorites), I noticed Dave starting to clam up, he was holding something, I grabbed it, opened the ring box, and said yes.

the accent stones on my ring are square, but you get the picture. He bought me some nice bling.

Spectacled Bear
my favorite animal at the Buffalo Zoo (not in general, just this zoo)
how adorable is he?

xoxo.

absent no more.

2010-11-04T14:14:00.009+01:00

as one of my 'besties' pointed out a few days ago, I have not blogged recently! And it got me wondering - "why haven't I blogged?!".. so here is a look back at the past couple weeks of my life.

baseball playoffs.

let's just acknowledge the giant elephant first. the yankees lost in the ALCS. in five games. the only thing more pathetic than that is losing in four games. deep down, I knew this was coming months ago if we were to face the Rangers. I may be an extremely loyal Yankee fan, but my head is not in the clouds - I am an extremely loyal, realistic Yankee fan. I was seriously depressed for about 36 hours after the loss. First my husband abandons me - but atleast I had my boyfriends. Now the abandon me World Series-less?! Onward to 2011.

kitten.
I've been trying to convince Dave that I Meatball needs a kitten. Patton can be a smidge rowdy for her sometimes. A friend of ours has a cat that had kittens 3 weeks ago. Can't you just picture her cuddling up with a cute kitten? Like a picture from a Hallmark card. I've attempted many techniques to convince Dave - I have given the kitten a name (Quinn Fabray), talked about the kitten as if it were Dave's idea (to him), and subliminally inserted the kitten into the middle of sentences when we talk. The picture above is not the kitten that I have picked, but similiar. Except ~~mine~~ Meatball's is a bit of a darker gray, and cuter obviously. AND, isn't a dark gray kitten the perfect way to round out both Meatball and Patton's fur coats? I think so, too.

Halloween.
Easily my least favorite holiday, but it's the holiday that Dave's squadron has sort of "claimed" for fund raising. We had quite an extravaganza a couple of weekends back that was our big money maker for the year. So I was busy volunteering at that and attending a handful or two of other Halloween (and non-Halloween) activities on post. And Halloween itself was CRAZY with Trick-or-Treaters. Each of which was obviously ringing the doorbell to see their BFF, Meatball the Monkey. Chunk-a-Monk had a blast with the Trick-or-Treaters. Patton the Turtle wasn't too thrilled with all the doorbell ringing, but Mr. Turtle sure did love running around (especially outside so he could show it off) in his costume (he had flippers - 'nough said).

home decorating.
I've just about got all the 'finishing touches' on the house done. which is great seeing how in less than month, I will be pulling out all the Christmas decorations. I foresee myself not putting up too many decorations. It took just over three months for me to decorate the house, I can't dismantle it already! I am stoked for flannel sheets and down comforter though.

Modern Family.
one day while perusing hulu, I decided to watch the Season 2 premiere of "Modern Family". Hilarious. I did not watch any of the first season last year 'cause there was so much hype about it, that I figured it can't be that good. After watching my first episode, I immediately added season one to my netflix queue and anxiously awaited each eight down turn around until the next disc arrived. I have made my love for Jim Halpert pretty clear through the recent years (he was even my Halloween pumpkin choice this year), but Phil Dunphy is creeping up at a close second.

Christmas shopping.
done. It's November 4th. done.

season changes.
Meatball is LOVING this weather. I don't know if she likes the crunches of the leaves or not sweating (she is a big boned girl!) or maybe a little of both, but she just loves walking around outside until I force her to go home (in the summer, she steers herself right back home after 10 minutes). She's been so good about it that once we get close to home, I take her leash off and she hops and skips (one of my most favorite sights) right to our door. Patton, not so much. How dare the Earth think they can make his paws wet and filled with dirt!?! I frequently find him under a blanket these days - or with his nose in my armpit. Currently, it's smushed into my thigh.

David.
(photo courtesy of Mrs. Dana Goodrich)
Since Dave switched companies in August, we rarely talk. But particularly this week, it's been great 'cause he is going to be goneee basically all of November, so he was back at the bigger FOB for 3 days preparing and we were able to chit chat, kitten debate, and catch up. And by we, I mean Dave, myself, and Meatball. Meatball loves when Dad calls.

FRG leadership.
With Dave switching companies, the opportunity arose for me to step up into an FRG leadership position. So myself and another wife are now the co-leaders of the company. With the holiday season, we have been busy planning many activities for the families here and ways to send our love to the boys down range.

xoxo.

wedding spending 'etiquette'

2010-10-21T20:27:00.004+02:00

so this morning as I was streaming my absolute favorite [hometown] radio station, 98pxy, they brought up the topic of: WEDDING GIFT GIVING, and how much is "appropriate" to spend. This immediately grabbed my attention 'cause I (and alot of us) are at that age where best friends, high school classmates, and first, second, and third cousins are getting married (it seems to be left and right for me) - so here is what it broke down to (according to an outside article).

Wedding

close friend//family member: 100$

friend: 70$
acquaintance//colleague: 70$

Bridal Shower

close friend//family member: 35$
friend: 30$
acquaintance//colleague: 30$

Engagement Party

close friend//family member: 25$
friend: 20$
acquaintance//colleague: 20$

Bachelorette/Bachelor Party

close friend//family member: 5$
friend: 5$
acquaintance//colleague: 5$

An additional couple of tips:

If you are attending the events as a couple, DOUBLE the amounts (which I found slightly ridiculous!)
If you are in a big city with a higher cost of living, add 25$ to your gift amount
If these amounts are too much or you are thinking differently: Figure out the total of how much you would like to spend, and give 60% of that as the wedding gift (my favorite tip of the day!)

Then the DJs started debating over "What is the purpose of the engagement party?" and opened it up to the listening audience

To invite those who you can't/won't invite to the wedding (Which got a mixed response of 1) selfish and 2) weddings are expensive to host!)
Giant gift grab
Invite only immediate families of the bride and groom, and let it be an occasion for the families to get to know when another

Thoughts?

xoxo.

headlines: dumb, intriguing, and hotness

2010-10-12T18:42:00.009+02:00

While perusing the latest headlines from the NY Post today, a handful grabbed my attention enough that I thought I would share them.

dumb.

"Bourne Legacy" movie confirmed to be Matt Damon Free

WHAT!? Not only is it Matt Damon free, but rumors are that it is Jason Bourne free - D.U.M.B. (a prequel to the first three). Ever since the summer of 2007, I have been crossingggg my fingers for the latest [now] five books (it was iffy because they are not written by the original author) to be turned into movies - but since the original triology's filmmaker said he wouldn't be involved, that basically sealed the fate for us Damon fans who said he wouldn't appear in another without Greengrass directing. Looks like Matty wasn't messing around.

I will keep my fingers crossed for a Damon appearance in number five. The Bourne series is one set of movies I can say truly got better movie after movie, but with this formula, I predict: epic failure.

But seriously, how do you have a Bourne movie without...

the answer: you can not.

intriguing.
Damon and Affleck to reunite for Yankees movie?

" "The Trade," a real life story of two Yankee pitchers from the 1970's who swapped wives. No shock here that this scandalous tale would come from boys who are lifelong members of Red Sox Nation -- although Ben promises there won't be any cheap shots"

To be honest, coming from an extremely loyal Yankee fan, these two boys would make me laugh if they did decide to throw in a few cheap shots. I found the whole "Yankee clipper" gag in "The Other Guys" to be funny (Mark Wahlberg aka RSN member) and if you can't laugh at yourself, then you've got a problem.

hotness.
Minka Kelly named The Sexiest Woman Alive

Minka Kelly [mingk-a kel-ee]: proper noun: 1) born the daughter of a former Aerosmith guitar player in 1980 2) worked as a scrub nurse 3) landed the role of wholesome Lyla Garrity on Friday Night Lights in 2006 4) struck up a romance with a well-loved baseball in 2008 and has coyly been dating him ever since 5) proclaimed The Sexiest Woman Alive in 2010.

I've always openly claimed the bubbly, fun-loving, blonde Kate Hudson as 'the girl I'd go gay for' butttt she ~~may~~ have some competition in the all-american, intellectual, adorably hot, brunette Minka Kelly. Ironically enough, the two supposedly did not get along very well when they were both dating Yankee superstars at the same time last year (shhh - it's rough for me to talk about).

How can you not love Minka Kelly once you get to 'know her'? And just for clarification purposes so that we are all on the same page...

... Minka has spent the last four-ish years filming one of the greatest TV shows ever in Austin, Texas (I beg Dave often to request to be stationed in Texas), filming hot and steamy make-out sessions with only one of the most awesome TV characters of all time, Tim Riggins

... AND AND AND she is the girlfriend (~~rumored fiancee~~) of *gasp* Derek Jeter

YEP. she is hollywood me.

xoxo.

thank you Grilled Cheesus

2010-10-06T16:26:00.009+02:00

as far as I am concerned, Glee could have ended after the first six minutes last night, and I would have been 110% completely satisfied.

(hit "watch on YouTube" - hopefully it doesn't get taken down, I apologize if it does)

other thoughts:
1) disappointed Quinn did not get a solo this week - would have been perfect with her storyline (atleast she had more screen time)
2) "One of Us" needed to be extended
3) Can Finn Hudson get any more "cute boy" lovable?

ps. I apologize if within the next week or so something crazy or random gets typed, I am on a different (older) computer (waiting on laptop charger) and I think I am clicking in one place and start typing and come to find out I am doing something completely different. Tad annoying - but better than nothing.

xoxo.

a carrot a day...?

2010-10-01T16:55:00.003+02:00

I bet almost all of us grew up hearing that ever popular phrase - "an apple a day, keeps the doctor away"... which isn't entirely true because I still had/have to see the doctor once a year which is once a year too much for me (I've gotten more mature about this with age)... but hey, I guess anything to make the young'ins eat their fruits and veggies, huh? But have any of you heard "a carrot a day, keeps the dentist away"? For as much as I don't like the doctors, I enjoy going to the dentist even less and I see no maturing any time soon.

Maybe it's having latex fingers in my mouth -or- how after they put their latex fingers in your mouth then then proceed talk to you with these latex fingers in your mouth and wait for your answers to their questions -or- how they ask you what flavor of cleaning stuff you want and they have all these wonderfully sounding options (you know - berries, bubble gum, punch) and you always end up picking one that sounds like it'll make the trip a little more fun, but then as soon as they put it into your mouth, all you can think of is "MINT. should've gotten mint to go with the toothpaste!" -or- how after a certain age, you stop getting prizes for going. Pick one.

So when I heard this adage for the first time this morning, on the Dr. Oz show, I immediately thought "now why didn't my family attempt to dupe me with that one? I would have totally taken them up on that offer."

Dr. Oz suggested that after every meal, we eat a carrot. That's it:: enjoy meal - eat carrot. The reason being that the carrot is a "natural toothbrush" - it is crunchy, it breaks down into the small crevices, and helps clean our teeth of cavity/decay causing bacteria. Simple enough. Meatball is already on a carrot-treat diet to lose 5pounds, so why don't I join her in blissful carrot enjoyment.

He also demonstrated an idiot proof, self-administrating cavity test to save us some buck-a-roos (the average cost of a dentist visit is 200$, if cavity screening is involved it is about 250$). I won't give it away but you can read about it right here (along with a few other tips).

Happy Carrot Eating!

xoxo.

quarter men

2010-09-21T15:02:00.005+02:00

within the last few days, we reached the quarter mark (!!) for this deployment! three months physically husband-less. three months of going to bed solo, cooking for one, double dog walking... you get the point. but since my man is gone, I think it is not only fitting, but fun, to dedicate this post to the men who "helped" me endure these first three months with Dave so far away.

Joey Lawrence
I don't do well with new television shows - I stay very loyal to my core handful of shows. But ABC Family's Melissa and Joey is a w e s o m e. It immediately brings me back to the younger days of Boy Meets World and Full House, but the producers are smart and know that the BMW/FH generation would be tuning in and took out a pinch of the corny and added a dash of adult.

So You Think You Can Dance's 3rd place ~~should've been top two~~ finisher Robert Roldan
Any time I watch one of his performances from this summer, it is like a mini-two minute-escape.

The Last Song's Liam Hemsworth.
His and Miley's kiss on the beach may be one of the most romantic movie kisses I have ever seen, plus how can you not just love his character, Will? He was hands down the best thing about the movie.

Channing Tatum
Immediately after Dave left, I loaded up my netflix queue with Channing movies (my favorites: Dear John and Coach Carter). What woman wouldn't feel better looking at his face for two hours? An absolutely insane one that ~~probably~~ doesn't exist.

they need no introduction - my ~~pseudo~~ husband and ~~pseudo~~ boyfriend - Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez.
Only two weeks of regular season baseball left. My heart is already a little sad.

Mark Salling
I've had not one - but two - glee marathons since Dave left. Sure - there's the laughs, the music, the tears, the heart warming moments, and then there's Noah Puckerman.
FYI: glee season 2 (!!) starts tonight. I am already crossing my fingers that Hulu posts the new episodes or I will be forced to purchase them on iTunes.

One of the best Big Brother/reality TV show contestants ever - Lane Elenburg.
Big Brother is my annual summer guilty pleasure and this season, the producers gave us all a gem: Lane. ~~Funny~~ Hilarious, cute, lovable, smart but pretends to be a do-do, charming, Texan, tough guy Lane. The finale was not even a week ago and I already miss seeing him three times a week.

xoxo.

one-eighty.

2010-09-19T14:12:00.003+02:00

happy church-iversary to us! aka we had to get married seven months earlier thanks to the Army, last minute, and then have our church ceremony and wedding celebration at a later time. but hey, we did it. And, I have to say the fact that we were already married absorbed a whole layer of stress that otherwise would have (most likely) been there.

Dave and I taking the day serious. NOT. Our whole attitude for the day was "just have fun".

...
...
...

everyone, please say an extra prayer when you lay your head down tonight for those soldiers in Afghanistan. Our squadron is filled with several heavy hearts today as we have learned of a death of one our extremely beloved soldiers. He and his family hold a special place in many of our hearts, and I don't think I can find the right words at this time to express the loss.

GNOdeux

2010-09-13T20:44:00.009+02:00

Today was the big day - Patton became a little bit less of the man he never was. And since he would be otherwise preoccupied for the morning and afternoon, Meatball and I decided to jump on the opportunity for a girl's day. I had been talking to her about it all weekend, and (although ~~I know~~ she can't understand me) she woke up this morning and had an extra pop (I should say "hop") in her step. I have to admit, I love watching her hop around. Every now and then she gets alot of air and then her fat bum just plops back down on the ground, and I get a chuckle.

So, I dropped Patton off this morning at the vet's office. He was uber excited to go there (both of my pups love going to the vet)! If only he knew what he had in store for the rest of his day!

Came home and made a girls only breakfast for Meatball - peanut butter toast! Shhh! Don't tell Dad!

Meaty waiting for the toaster to pop up with her toast!

Then we had to immediately do the one thing no girl's day would be complete without...

... wind. I took Meaty on a nice drive through the German countryside. Then we stopped by Meaty's friend Nala's house to pick up some shoes for Alex (Nala's mom)... Meatball looked and looked for Nala - but sorry Meatball, Nala is currently in Florida - the same place these shoes are going.

After that, we went home and showered and did pretty girl things. Then we ran a few errands together (aka more wind). Came home and grabbed some of our recycling items and walked them over to the big bins on post, and then continued our walk - in the rain! Surviving more than a two minute walk in the rain with Meatball is a huge accomplishment.

We decided it was now time for lunch and laundry. By this point, Meatball was a bit wiped out and scheduled herself a little nap while I caught up on last night's Big Brother.

Sadly, girl's day was almost over and we only had enough time to go grab the mail at the CMR before I had to go pick up Patton. Meatball got the latest issue of Vacations magazine.

But Meatball gladly waited at home for him and welcomed him home with open paws - even if he was less than enthused.

Picking up Patton, I was a bit nervous because when he had another procedure done in Georgia, when we picked him up, he pee'd all over Dave when he saw him - for about two minutes. The vet left to get clean up supplies, came back, and said "oh, he is still going!". But all I got was a very happy boy who ran right up to me (yayyy, no hard feelings)!

Patton was so excited to get home. When we pulled in the driveway, he ran straight to the door and then waited by the bed for me, and we had an intense cuddle session! We had a whole seven hours to make-up for!

PS. Isn't it insane that they sent him seven hours after I dropped him off (there were nine surgeries today (I think he was number 7 on the list) so it's unlikely he had his surgery immediately when I dropped him off)! Oh well, I am happy he is home - even if the vet's orders are "no jumping, running, or long walking" for fourteen days. I definitely know Patton will not be to accomplish this - I feel like no dog could!

xoxo.

no words.

2010-09-11T19:01:00.002+02:00

holy hiccups!

2010-09-08T20:19:00.003+02:00

Does anybody else ever get the hiccups and immediately worry that they won't go away and someday, maybe weeks and weeks or years and years, down the road you are going to wake up and Good Morning America is calling you to see if you can come on the show and give an interview on what it's like to suffer from chronic hiccups?

Mmmm... 'cause I do.

One man had them for SIXTY68EIGHT years (1922 - 1990). I've also more recently read/seen interviews of people who had them for five weeks, one year, three years, and seven years.

What is your favorite/most reliable way to relieve yourself when hiccups attack? Here are some I found online...

being scared
sticking your finger in your mouth
holding your tongue
drinking a glass of water upside down
drinking a glass of water through a paper towel
eating peanut butter (i never heard of this one before..)
drinking a teaspoon of vinegar (i never heard of this one either!)
holding your breath

xoxo.

dancing with the weather in Autumn at the Emmy's?!

2010-08-31T13:48:00.007+02:00

Today is August 31st. It was 46 degrees at 10AM (it is now about 2PM and 56* with a forecast of 40* tonight). Yesterday it was 49*. Two days ago, it was August 29th and I am not quite sure what the temperature was - but I do know that it started raining the night of the 29th and did not take break until early this morning, again - the 31st. And it wasn't just rain 'cause believe me, I love a good rain, but it was freezing cold rain. Growing up in upstate Western New York, you get used to the crazzzziest shifts in weather and out-of-place (and possibly unwelcomed) storms, showers, and sunshine. That is exactly what Germany weather reminds me of. I feel like I am a weather trooper.

Whenever it does stop raining, I do try to sneak one of the pups out for a walk, but 4 out of 5 times, within 10 minutes of our walk, it will start raining again. mmmm... Patton does not do rain (how dare you even ask!). and Meatball.. well Meatball just decides to lock all four of her paws and hope that if she stays still, the rain will go away.

But I love Autumn. I love the colors, the scents, the crispness of the air, the drinks/foods (pumpkin everything, please), the holidays, the months, the crunchiness of the leaves,the weather (give me 50s/60s and I will be set), Meatball's birthday, the start of a new TV show season, playoff baseball is around the corner, football games ... *sigh* I am really going to miss Tim Hortons this Autumn, and all the delicious pumpkin treats and drinks they constantly tempt my taste buds with this time of year.

Any Emmy watchers?! I was hoping Glee would pull off a few more wins than they did (specifically Lea Michele for lead actress and the show for comedy series), but they did win four, so not too shabby for their first go-round at this. I was also super, super rooting for Friday Night Lights because it onlyyy took FOUR seasons for them to be recognized. My roots were not fulfilled.

And question of my life: how come Olivia Benson is the only one ever nominated and not Elliot Stabler?! If any year was Elliot's, it was this year.

I do have to say that Lea Michele (Rachel Berry, Glee) and Jayma Mays (Emma Pillsbury, Glee) rockedddd the red carpet though. I wanted to be them. They were hands down my best dressed of the night (Lea Michele won E's best dressed of the night too, but obviously that is nothing compared to my vote).

And - any thoughts on the new Dancing with the Stars cast? I feel like the show's kind of gone down hill and become a little hokey (more than it already was) the past couple of casts/seasons. I am most excited for Kurt Warner this season! I hope he carries on the DWTS trend of power athlete dancers. I hope Rick Fox doesn't give him a run for his money!

I think Audrina (from The Hills) may be a surprise hit or a total dud like season 7's Kim Kardashian. The Situation and The Hof - seriously?! *roll my eyes* Brandy is the token former dancer who is without a doubt going to be good, but will she be final four good or winner good? I hope Bristol doesn't catch too much flack, she will be an easy target, unfortunately. Jennifer Grey is going to have the Dirty Dancing stigma - could work for her if she's great and against her if she is bad. Then there's Mama Brady for the older crowd and Kyle Massey for the young guns. I predict Michael Bolton and Margaret Cho being the first of each gender to be voted out.

Not going to lie though, I was hoping ABC would carry on the trend of the past two seasons and carry over the Bachelor/ette contestants, and one of these two lovely faces would be shaking their groove thang on the dance floor, but no.

My favorite from seasons past are season 8 champ - Shawn Johnson (her cha-cha to MJ's PYT is ~~quite possibly~~ my favorite dance of the series) and season 7 runner up Warren Sapp (each was teamed up with one of my two favorite pros - Mark Ballas and Kym Johnson).

xoxo.

left side. strong side.

2010-08-29T01:18:00.003+02:00

I've mentioned in a way earlier post that whenever I am having just one of those days, Dave will always pop "Remember the Titans" into the DVD player. No questions, no comments, no warning - it just heavenly appears on our screen. Sometimes, I don't even realize I need it, but he does and four years later, it still astonishes me.

In fact, I remember so clearly the very first time he surprised me with it when we were dating and how incredibly happy it made me for him to notice something so minor yet specific to my 'needs'. Maybe it sealed the deal for me?!

The reason I am posting about this is because I've had two standout 'enh so-so this year is royally going to suck' episodes since Dave has been gone (nothing serious - don't you worry). 1. the weekend after he first left, and 2. two days ago.

The higher powers out there work in funny ways because after both, I turned on the TV Guide - and taaa-daaaa, waiting for me on our one and only movie channel is... "Remember the Titans". It is absolutely fantastic. Not only does it reassure me that Someone is watching over us, but it makes me smile thinking of Dave, and it gives me it's ever faithful lift-me-up.

I tried finding a clip of one of the scenes shortly after the one below, but I couldn't. This one is still a good one. It is the catalyst for the laboring of my tear ducts for the next 10-15 minutes of the movie, without fail.

PS. I notice that I have a handful of new followers - please say 'hi!' so I know who you are - I hope you are enjoying the blog!

PPS. (or.. PSS?) Apparently Patton's feel good movie is "Bolt", which I wish I could sneak up and get my camera without him moving (but he is, of course, laying on me), because he is locked in a trance right now watching it.

xoxo.

this face & that face...

2010-08-25T20:16:00.008+02:00

this face...
... is the love of my life. by the time night rolls around and I climb into my bed - all I want is for him to come cuddle next to me and give him endless kisses (which are usually reciprocated with some forceful face licks, as if he was saying "I get it, Mom. I love you too").

and this face...

... is my best friend. She is always so happy, even when I'm not. Just looking at her and watching her interact with the world around her immediately brings a smile to my face. We like to hang out, Meatball loves to give kisses, we play games that only the two of us will ever understand, and sometimes we just look at each other and it's like we know what the other is thinking (granted, we will never truly know - but usually I say it is, "Why is Patton is so crazy?!").

oh, and then there's this face...
... which is going to leave me financially and emotionally broken. okay, I am just kidding about the financially part - but maybe not so much emotionally. In a couple weeks, I have to bring him to the veterinarian (he's never been there before), drop him off for the day, and pickup my brand new neutered pup eight hours later. I worry that as soon as I hand him over and he realizes that I am leaving him, he will freak out, and then all these thoughts run through my head -
1) Will the vet know how to handle him?! (he is quite the special pup), 2) Am I going to cry?!, 3) He knows I am coming back, right?!, 4) Why can't Dave be here to drop him off?!...
Last fall he had to have surgery on his eye and when I dropped him off, he ran right up to his favorite ~~girlfriend~~ vet (Ms. Brandi Hilton - I really hope she is still there when we go back to Columbus//Benning), didn't even say bye - but this time, instead of going somewhere he has been five or six times, it will be somewhere brand new...
Not going to lie, when the vet called this morning and said that there was a change in price, I was hoping it would be something absolutely outrageous so that I would be able to go "unh-uh, nope", and then *poof* no more neutering, but it wasn't (If you can't tell, this is not something I 100% want to do... but it's what Dad wants...)

and who can ignore this face...
... that keeps me up til atleast 130am.. a couple times a week it will be closer to 3.. sometimes 4. I am not sure if she sleeps, but what she does do constantly is want to play. And if she doesn't want to play, she wants to be scratched. And if she doesn't want to be scratched, she wants to lick your face. And if she doesn't want to lick your face, she wants to wag her tail as fast as possible. And if she doesn't want to wag her tail, she wants to climb on top of your body. But then I look at this face, and you can't get mad at her, no matter how dense she is. Nope. She is just precious.

And then I see these faces...

... playing with their 'daddy doll' I got them, and I am reminded that we are all going through this together. Every time I hear a loud exhaust on a car, I smile 'cause it makes me think of Dave's Titan, but the pups run to the door and wait for him to pull into the driveway. Every time I hear his voice on the phone, I smile 'cause I know he is holding his own out there and we are one stop closer, but the pups cry and run around (Patton) and jump around (Meatball) the house looking for him.

... I wish I could explain to them what was going on, and that Dad will be home "soon", but I can't. If only I could get one of those dog talking collars like Doug had in 'Up', then maybe I would feel better. As for now, I will let them Skype with me and put their ears up to the phone when he calls. Every now and then, I will talk about 'Dad', just to keep the sound of the name familiar to them, and I still have some of his dirty clothes around so they can smell him. But, none the less, we are a pretty dynamic, loving trio - who make one heck of a team.

sidenote: please ignore the hideous bedset in the pictures. because the dogs sleep with me, I have swapped out our beautiful white and green set for our old dingy neutral tone set.

and one more exciting note: about a month ago, I found out that I had won a gift certificate to an absolutely lovely shop - The Vintage Pearl. Erin and Co. make absolutely beautiful hand stamped and personalized jewelry and keepsakes. Below is the "heart on my wrist" bracelet (which I had been admiring for a few months) that I picked out (and I got a couple other goodies!) and I just got it in the mail yesterday, and I LOVE IT!

xoxo.

darkness fails.

2010-08-18T21:43:00.006+02:00

before Dave left, there were a handful of please, please do-not-happen what if 'scenarios' that ran through my mind. And every time each of them did, I would think:

1. Can I really go a *year* without this happening? Pffft yeah, this doesn't happen often!

2. How many times did this happen in the last year? Can't be too often, right?!

3. What do I do *if* it happens?! But it won't! 'cause they don't happen when Dave is here so why would it happen when he was gone and I am a l l a l o n e.

Good thing I ~~prepared for~~ thought about it because I would say one of my top 3 'scariest' what-ifs happened. You know, I've always told myself to be a 'think logically, act quickly and calmly whenever panic ensues' kind of person. Enh, you win some, you lose some.

So there I was last week - laying in bed, cuddling with Patton, and Miss. Meatball laying across my feet. The hallway light and my TV were on. I had been tossing and turning all night. I was fighting a slight stomach bug. It was humid and no matter how high I turned the fan on, it did not help - at all. If that was not bad enough, there was some sort of field artillery training (read: continuous loud, house rattling BOOMs) that was going on 24/7 (literally) for the past two weeks-ish.

Around 330am, there was a loud boom and immediately, I saw the hallway light flicker. But then it turned right back. Ignoring the loud boom, I automatically thought, "great, now I got some Paranormal Activity shiz going on. I am going to see a demon creature's shadow on my wall and it's going to call my name."

About 45 minutes later, my TV quickly went from SportsCenter to static to off. And then all the lights followed. The power was out. And then I heard (and felt) more loud booms - thanks guys.

AWESOME.

not. Immediately, I took the four wide steps from the bed to the dresser to grab the flashlight that Dave had given me in case the power ever went out (which why would it?! that never happens, right?).

Now, normally, I would have gotten up, walked over to the fuse box, flicked them back and forth a little bit, and hoped for the best. (Or so I would like to think). This is much easier said than done for two reasons -

1. At our old house, the fuse box was in our bedroom, so I would not have had to travel too far. Now, it is outside the bedroom, down the stairs, to the right, down the hall, and in a lone room near the front door.

2. I am petrified of the dark. pet-ri-fied. And, it is a recently developed fear (circa November '09).

I want to elaborate on reason #2 because this is why I was crossing my fingers the power would not go out when Dave was gone -

I used to LAUGH during scary/horror/suspenseful/thriller movies. I would only want to go see them in the movie theaters cause I thought it was 'fun'. That all changed when I watched a little ~~gem~~ terror known as The Last House on the Left. There is this horrible, disgusting, words-cannot-convey-it's-repulsiveness 'torture' scene in the movie of two teenage girls. I cried. Hid my eyes. Cried some more. Let it be known that I barely cry during sentimental movies, so this was *huge* for me. For the next couple of nights, I had nightmares (which were greeted with a "It'll be okay" *snore* whenever I tried waking Dave up).

A week or so later, we watched another random horror movie. I thought I was 'back to normal' - but then one Monday morning, within five minutes of Dave leaving for PT - all of our power went. Look out our window, all of our neighbors and the parking lot lighting fixtures still had power.

"MMMMM... Nope, I have seen enough scary movies to know that if my power is the only one that is out, somebody is trying to get me!"

So, I grabbed my keys and cell phone, jumped in my car, and drove to a lighted parking lot down the road. Waited until I knew Dave would be done with PT, called him, and had him come meet me. I explained to him my theory and said "what if they got the pups?!". He thought I was crazy and tried consoling me by saying "They would bring them back" (wait? is he implying nobody would want my pups?!). We went home to discover that it was just our breaker that was out and he flipped it over, and waaaa-laaa - power was back on.

After that, he said - "What has happened to you?".

I am not sure. But when I am sure of is - i hate darkness.

So what did I do a few days ago when the power went out? I did not go down to the fuse box like I had mentally mapped out. That was far too risky in the dark (even if I did have my flashlight). Instead, I took the flashlight and walked over to the window - I saw that every one's power was out (good, so I am not the *only* target). Climbed back in bed, grabbed my cell phone, messaged Lauren and told her "I decided I am just going to lay in bed until the sun comes up then I will go down to the fuse box", and positioned the flashlight to shine out my bedroom door. She tried tricking me to get out of bed by telling me that I could get a Coke if I went downstairs (nice try Lauren). All the while with Patton barking incessantly because apparently he too is afraid of the dark.

And I won. About 45 minutes later, the power came back on (and then off again and then on - for about four hours) - but the sun light was breaking in through the windows, I could hear the birds chirping, Meatball draped over my feet, Patton climbed back on to the bed, we cuddled and drifted off to sleep.

Power Outage - 0.
Me - 1.

I feel pretty darn good about myself for getting through it all on my own, even as wimpy as it sounds. so take that, darkness!

just don't happen again... okay? thanks.

xoxo.

who's that guy?

2010-08-13T15:59:00.005+02:00

David update:
he is doing absolutely fabulous!
(as best anyone can given the situation)
AND!

as of this weekend, he will be heading over to a new platoon.
he will be leading his very own rifle platoon.

it will be a challenging yet welcomed (by him, I haven't decided [keep reading]) step up from the PL responsibilities he currently has.

jingle truck.

you know how the soldiers are?
they like to get their 'hands dirty' and be in the thick of things.
he will have plenty of opportunity to do so here -
you know, without the luxury of running water, toilets, lighting...
he is excited to get g r i m y.

I've already told him,
"When you come home, you can have the guest bathroom until you start practicing civilized hygiene habits again..."

village made of mud.

but with the good comes the bad.
less communication.
maybe, 1x/week. whaaat?
yes, we've been spoiled thus far with the FOB right on the road with all the cell/internet towers.
now he is going farther away from this area.
we were told this change wouldn't happen until October-ish.
So I planned for having lots o' talking for approx. a third-ish of the deployment.
try: one-sixth.
welcome to the Army.

there he is <3
don't stop smiling.
stay safe.
keep your head down.
you're making us proud.
miss you.

we, as in me and the pups, were able to pseudo-skype with Dave this morning. We could see each other but not hear each other, so we had to use the text box to "talk". You could argue that the pups were more excited to see him than I was. They were FIGHTING over who could get closer to the computer, and at certain points - Patton was pushing me out of the way. I know this is what they were doing, 'cause they showed the exact same behavior every day when Dave would come home from work and walk into the house. It was great for all of us.

xoxo.

alternate Savannah, maybe?

2010-08-11T22:38:00.009+02:00

ever wonder what a group of ladies use their intellectual abilities to discuss when deep in conversation? well my friends, I am going to clue you in (and you're welcome) - sometimes, we ~~are~~ like to think that we are casting directors by day and film critics by night... and as of late, especially with the husband's gone, we have been seriously analyzing the film, Dear John.

For the record - when I say 'we' in this post, I am referring to myself and a handful of some of my closest buds.

I am sure a lot of the fellow MilSpouses out there too love John as much as we do, and their hearts smile for him and then break for him as much as ours do. Is there any emotion in that movie that us MilSpouses cannot relate to? From falling completely head-over-heels in love with a soldier, to having to reluctantly say goodbye (or as John and Savannah so sweetly say it "I'll see ya soon then"), to the anticipation of getting that hand written letter in the mail and reading it so fast that you have to re-read it seven more times to soak it all in, to Savannah telling John that every day without him is like a marathon for her, and finally to everyone's favorite - the moment of reunion.

As much as we love the movie, the story, Savannah and John, more so John (er.. Channing Tatum).. at different points, we have each brought up, "Do you think somebody else could have played a better Savannah?". As great as Amanda Seyfried is, we feel she didn't 100% complete the role of Savannah. We can't exactly point our finger on it (bad critics, I know), so instead... we decided to just come up with a list of people who potentially could have played Savannah. The only criteria is:

must be blonde
must have a 'good girl' image

that's it. you'd think it'd be simple - but below, you will find what many and many thought provoking hours of brainstorming and debating has produced... and we have narrowed it down to three wonderful actresses. And since we are each partial to a different selection - we were wondering what your guys' consensus was?

John and Savannah played by Channing Tatum <3 and Amanda Seyfried

option #1: Brittany Snow
you know her from: TV's American Dreams & movies: John Tucker Must Die, Prom Night, and Hairspray.

option #2: Dianna Agron
you know her from: TV's glee. - the former b**chy captain of the Cheerios, Quinn Fabray, who you can't help but love by the end of season one.

option #3: Hayden Paniettere
you know her from: TV's Heroes & movies: Raising Helen, I Love You! Beth Cooper, and Remember the Titans.

thoughts, anybody? other than we are absolutely crazy (which we are fully aware of). Dana, Alex, and Erin - this ones for you guys!

and ps. if you haven't seen Dear John, do it now. I know Nicholas Sparks' stories can come off ~~a little~~ really cheesy sometimes - but I argue that this movie is rooted with a beautiful story and raw emotion.

xoxo.

i heart Boston.

2010-08-07T19:55:00.006+02:00

okay well, I have never exactly been to Boston (gasp!) - would love to go some day (some day when I have braced myself for the ~~Yankee hate~~) and just explore, but it just hasn't happened yet!

but what I do love is the whole 'Bostonian movie' scene - if it is fair for me to use that moniker... the actors. the movies. the accent. the attitude. ... it's an impeccable combination.

the actors.

Mark Wahlberg is my #2 favorite actor (Sean Penn!) but also ~~one of~~ the most gorgeous human beings on this plant.
John Krasinski is hilarious and charming - and I can not wait to see what he does in the future.
Matt Damon is also one of my top 5 favorite actors, has an incredible sense of humor (can you tell I like a funny man?), and although I am not a blonde haired/blue eyes kind of gal - I do not mind staring at him. Plus, I think Jason Bourne is one of the. greatest. movie. characters. ever.

the movies.
favorite movie ever - Mystic River.
&& The Departed, The Boondock Saints, Gone Baby Gone, Good Will Hunting, newly released - Edge of Darkness and Shutter Island, My Best Friend's Girl... on and on...
and yes - I look forward to this autumn's release of The Town, starring another great Bostonian - Ben Affleck. And even more excited for a potential 2012 release of The Departed 2 starring Mark Wahlberg.

the accent/the attitude.

and I have decided that my favorite celebrity couple is officially Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner. He just simply adores her and I love that.

anybody else have a specific theme/style of movie making/performing that you seem to be drawn to?

xoxo.

pride. power. pinstripes.

2010-08-04T20:26:00.008+02:00

it's been 57 games since Alex Rodriguez hit homerun #590 (May 31st), and I decided that I would make it a personal mission of mine to watch. every. single. game. and see. every. single. homerun. until #600 was hit - hey, you do what you need to 1) keep you busy, 2) give you small goals, 3) make you happy, and 4) take your mind off of the war - while your husband is gone.

and now I can happily and with pride say that I watched him hit his last 10 homeruns live (I know what some of you are thinking - and I am going to argue that watching a highlight is not the same as watching it live) on the march to 600 (minus #599 thanks to moving... shhh) and finallyyy hit 600. It was worth the wait between 599 and 600 (twelve games) to watch him hit it in the Bronx.

Maybe it's more exciting for me because I did this while stuck in Germany - which meant most of the games did not even start here until 1:05am. Thank goodness they did not go on any west coast roadtrips 'cause then the games would not have started until 4:10am (I think at the point I would have gone to bed, and woken up early for the games).

You may think it's a sickness. I understand, but I see it this way - a Yankee fan's got to do what a Yankee fan's got to do. And I am even more grateful he hit it today because I was on my last bag of beef jerky - he must've known.

By the way, the negotiations for catching that baseball - first: you would have been offered an autographed baseball, hat, bat, and jersey. NO DEAL. Would you have taken it? How could you resist that? I'll tell you how - the next offer would have been lunch with Alex. Don't ever take the first offer, he wants that ball, you are going to get a bomb deal somewhere in there. PS. a security worker caught the ball and handed it right over. Lauren and I have decided we are going to make it a goal to catch one of his milestone baseballs.

Back in March when I posted that I bleed Yankee blue - I was not bluffing.

Atleast now Miss. Meatball and I can get back on a normal sleep schedule. This pretty young thing will NOT go to bed before me. She stays up with me until the wee hours of the night to the point where you may argue that it's morning. She's such a team player and I love her tremendously for always keeping me company.

Know who's not a team player?!

Yep, that is Patton - laying completely horizontal across the bed so that I have to physically lift him to get in. And then when I do, he just plops down (horizontally) on top of me, such as now, and is a very heavy dead weight. When Dave was here, Patton would lay perfectly vertical next to me and would even scoot over (one of the cutest things ever) when Dave got in to bed (he only slept in bed with me after Dave left for work;; but on mornings when Dave had extra time, he would climb back in to bed with us)... I can only imagine what it is going to be like when Dave comes home...

xoxo.

a few of my favorite (summer) things!

2010-08-03T00:29:00.009+02:00

Seeing how yesterday was August 1st! - it got me thinking, wow is summer really halfway over already?!? Not that I am complaining about time flying by, but who wants summer to end - seriously? So here are a few of my favorite things thus far about this summer..

dill.
the greatest spice ever. is salt a spice? 'cause then that would be the greatest spice ever - but me and Lauren have decided that salt is the greatest mineral ever.

blackberry jam.
i've always been a very little to no jam/jelly on my PB sandwiches kind of gal, but I had to use this for a cookie recipe, and with 90% of the jar left over, I've had started happily piling on the jam. delish.

big brother 12.
it's the ultimate summer guilty pleasure and four weeks ago when it started, I wasn't impressed (this coming from a huge BB11 fan). here I am today telling you that some of the people on this show make me cry from laughter (even if the game play has been b-or-ing)... so thank you Brit, Lane, and the man pictured below - Enzo (or as he calls himself, Meow Meow)

beef jerky.
is it bad that I eat almost a bag a day? don't worry though, I am on a tight flavor rotation.

my hibiscus.
Dave planted a vegetable and gorgeous flower garden for me before he left. Most of it I ended up leaving at the old house. But not my wonderful hibiscus (which started blooming again, today) - and my sunflowers are still coming in.

baseball.
summer wouldn't be summer without the smack dab middle of baseball season. athletes shine, pennant races speed up, you can feel the summer air, and I am up until almost 4am every morning to watch those Yankees.

so you think you can dance.
not only am I beyond stoked that all three of my favorites have made it to the top four (Lauren - green shirt, Kent - plaid, Robert - light blue tank), but this has been a brilliantly beautiful season.

For all you MilSpouses and MilFamily out there, I urge you to watch the video (only 3 minutes!) of contestant Robert Roldan (with all-star Kathryn) performing a magnificent contemporary routine. It's premise is having to leave a loved one when they are going off to war. I watched it on the show and my jaw dropped, and I have watched it three or four times after and it gets me misty.
(ps. when I hit the 'play' icon, it says that embedding is disabled? no clue. but if you click 'watch on you tube', it should take you right there)

If you enjoyed that, then I suggest you also sneak a peak at two more routines from this season. Another mind-blowing and emotional contemporary piece from Robert from a couple weeks ago. This time the premise is about Travis' (the choreographer) mother's battle with cancer and how he has fought with and for her. And then a breathtaking contemporary collaboration from Lauren and Kent about young, first love. I highly doubt you will be disappointed in spending time watching any of these. Please enjoy.

xoxo.

double awards!

2010-07-31T20:40:00.004+02:00

Since I had been MIA for a couple weeks, I never got the chance to blog about the two awards that we received!

First, we received The Sunshine Award from Michelle - she is such a rad chick (who should be popping out a baby any second now) and I love, love, love reading her blog!

I will passing this sunshine-y award to:
my fellow blog swapper - Stacie at Just to Breathe You in I am Satisfied

Then, as if that wasn't enough - Kara gave us the One Lovely Blog award. You seriously need to check out her blog - she has giveaways, weekly freebies, and wonderful insight into the life of a Marine Wife.

This one I will be passing along to one of the newest blogs I follow, but that doesn't mean I love it any less - Rachel at Observations of a Token Yankee

Both awards ask that you list seven tidbits about yourself.. well here is 14 from the last two awards we received. I am horrible at the "about yourself" task... horrible.

Not much else happening with me - my house project for the week was curtains. Took a couple of days just to decide what I wanted to do - buy them online? buy them from the *limited* selection at the PX?.. but I was impatient and wanted curtains right away, plus after shipping - we really don't save much money by buying online - and once we get back to Georgia (!), we want to go on a shopping spree at the lovelyyy Ashley furniture (read: couch, master bed set) - So luckily, I ended up finding a style that had an available color for every room of the house. And then it took me a couple of days to get them all hung up (I was very unmotivated after having to put blinds up on all of them as well). This house has 14 windows - our apartment in Georgia had 4, so that's probably why it took me a while. It's amazing how much more home-y the house looks when you have curtains up.

Next project? Hanging everything on the walls. I also need to finish the guest room aka the Army room with all of his Dave's uniforms, awards, etc. And I need to find lamps. The lighting in the house reminds me of two (maybe three) star hotel lighting. I chalk it up to the Army's way of paying as little as possible for our electric bill - but hey, atleast they are paying it!

Although I have purchased all the glee episodes on iTunes - I just finished watching the AFN broadcast of the Power of Madonna episode - is it September 21st yet? 'Cause I need more glee in my life. And I am stoked about the Britney episode!

Dave is doing well. Talked to him not once but twice today. I hadn't talked to him in a handful of days so it was a treat. He is doing well and hey - tomorrow is August! Can you believe it? We are just about 1/6th of the way there.

xoxo.

summer swap and summer move

2010-07-28T01:23:00.008+02:00

hey everybody! I know that I have been MIA these past two weeks, and apologized for it last post, but I *think* I am back now!

Last week, I received my summer swap package!! from Mrs. Stacie! Even though we live on the same post - it just seemed that we never had a chance to meet up with each other! So we ended up "mailing" them to each other..

I am super stoked about my beach towel! All of our beach towels are "boy" beach towels, so I am so excited for my own (I have actually thought about getting one a few times, but never made actions out of my thoughts) - and, it has flip flops on it! I LOVE flip flops. I love flips flops when it's sunny, rainy, snowing. If I can't be barefoot, I am wearing flip flops. If I can't wear flip flops, well... that would never happen. She also got me some super summery nail polish - I had had some colors circled on an Avon page to order, but she took care of that for me. A few adorably cute garden ornaments - which I can not wait to use once I weed my new garden (that'll be a weekend project)! And then a fantastically fun bubble set. I foresee myself and the pups having quite the youthful time with this one. Thank you Stacie, you rock!

~~We are~~ I am all moved into the new house now. And when I say moved in, I just mean that all of our stuff is in the house. Movers came five days ago. The first four days (+ the day before), I went at the unpacking and organizing hardcore, plus getting the old house cleaned. Yesterday, I took the day off. My body just wanted sleeeeep. I woke up, went to have the old house inspected before I handed over the keys (such a great feeling), came home, took a nap, talked to Dave and ran a few errands, took another nap, tidied up the house, layed (ps. I know it's 'laid' but I don't like that spelling, so I took it upon myself to change it. Please forgive me, Mr. Webster) in bed for the night.

And when I woke up this morning, I felt amazing. That feeling was quickly swept away when I arrived at the memorial. I wish I could confidently say that I would never, ever have to feel that way again - but I can not and it's such an upsetting feeling to know that this is something I will more than likely, unfortunately have to face again at some point.

The pups have been super helpful with the move. NOT. The counters are lowered here and Patton is a growing boy, so Patton has decided to take it upon himself to eat any and every thing he can get his paws on (two days: german chocolate cake, 11 cookies, crab quiche, beef jerky, blue cheese, and wrappers... yes, wrappers). We don't have a fenced in yard (yet) so whenever I take one of the pups out, the other one sees it as their opportunity to run a half marathon (we have a screen door but it's useless). Meatball has become much more vocal since Dave left. She has barked, whined, and growled more this past month and half than she did her first year and a half of life. We have stairs now. Patton loves running up and down them, Meatball will use them by invitation only. While unpacking, I have naturally begun to re-organize Dave's clothes, uniforms, office supplies, etc. The pups love taking as much as this stuff as they can. But I do have to give them credit, they are being troopers with me and are great cuddle bugs at the end of every night.

"Hey Mom, were you going to organize the closet? 'Cause I was thinking I'd just play with my bear in here. It plays music. Want to hear? Want to hear again? Again? I'm just going to stay here. I doubt I am in your way"

xoxo.

loveyourboys

2010-07-20T00:51:00.007+02:00

So today (the 19th) is.. my birthday! But, before you get too excited - hold onto those pretty horses of yours - today is also::

the one year anniversary of Patton officially becoming a part of our family!

one year ago we were thrilled, anxious, and beyond excited to have brought home this little bugger that had stolen our hearts

and here we are, a year later, and I am in so completely in love with this pup. He is my baby boy, my comic relief, and my protector for a year.

and to mark the date: he pee'd like a 'big boy'! I wouldn't hold my breath on it lasting though. every now and then he does so but it never becomes a habit he sticks with.

I will post more about my wonderful birthday (thanks to Mrs. Dana) in the next blog. It is late here and I still have a handsome soldier to write to tonight and two pups to cuddle with since I have been gone all day.

But if you want a little tease as to how wonderful it was - just know that my BFF Lauren told me that Alex Rodriguez was waiting to hit a home run in last night's game until it was my birthday so that my day could start off great. And at 12:14AM (in Afghanistan time for my husband who unwillingly couldn't be with me) ... BOOM!

on a much, much heavier note. This morning we found out about a fallen soldier in Dave's company. Please, please keep him and his family in your prayers. And remember to support, cherish, and never, ever take for granted your soldiers.

xoxo.

rollcall.

2010-07-17T18:21:00.009+02:00

I apologize for not blogging this week!

Hopefully the following sentence which I blubbered (I cry when I am sick) to my husband when he called will explain it all:

"I've been sick. For four days... and... and then, George Steinbrenner died".

Which Dave so gentlemanly responded, "Oh boy, you've had quite the week!".

Chhyea I have! Not only have I been battling an awful cold for six days now (finally feeling good enough to be productive) but also -

I got my hair cut.. and unwillingly, much shorter than I wanted it. Instead of only four inches being cut off to look like this...

... the German beautician working at the salon on the US Army Post did not understand what I wanted, after several explanations and her repeating it back to me - my hair now is similar to this.

and spread out through the week was FRG meetings, FRG classes, and appointments for the move. always a joy.

the MLB Mid Summer classic (aka the All-Star game) and all the events surrounding it were earlier this week.. and just because I am in Germany does not mean I would be missing it. Albeit, staying up til approximately 5am to watch the Home Run Derby one night and then the game the next night probably was not very beneficial to overcoming my cold, but that's what naps during the day are for.

Dana and I went on an excellent date to dinner and to see the first showing (here) of Twilight: Eclipse. I venture to say that it was the best movie of the series, yet. I did find Jacob to be ~~obnoxiously~~ a little bit whiny and annoying at points, and usually this gem goes to Bella. And the question you are all dying to know the answer too - I am Team Edward.

My favorite summer guilty pleasure is here finally - Big Brother. Although I highly, highly doubt that any contestants (ever.) will be as beautiful, funny, entertaining, or just all around AWESOME as last season's Jeff and Jordan, I will still watch and probably be thinking.. you guys don't even compare!

so with all those oh-so-exciting activities going on plus juggling a cold, getting the house organized/cleaned for the move, and keeping the pups happy - the blog got lost! I would like to say next week will be better, but I can't make any promises - it's my birthday (any guesses on how many candles will be on my cake?) and finally, the big move! But definitely the week after that!

hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

xoxo.

funny nowhere.

2010-07-12T21:14:00.007+02:00

know what is not funny? not even in Afghanistan...

... where you may think hearing my husband's voice might arouse a slight chuckle in me. nope.

jokes, comments, references, false truths about my beloved favorite baseball players being "gay".

I only bring this up because approximately once a month, with either Dave or one of his friends, I will have an exchange of dialogue that goes something like this...

"Guess what I heard/saw/read on the news/radio/ESPN...?"
"WHAT?!?" (this part always gets me, because I want to know what they know!!)
"Derek Jeter got caught in the men's bathroom over the weekend with another duuuude."
"Bite it"

Today, when Dave called, I quickly filled him in on the latest sporting news .. such as Nick Swisher being in the Home Run Derby, LeBron James' 'big decision stunt' (gag), Alex Rodriguez being 3 homeruns away from 600.. yadda yadda... and then this came (courtesy of Phil and his brilliantly believable voice)

"Did you hear about A. Rod?"
"Huh? What!!?" (see... getting excited again... per usual)
"What?! You didn't hear? It's all over the news here and we are in [insert city in Afghanistan]!"
"WHAT!?"
"He's gay."
"No."

for the record: 1) it is possible for the boys to know some sort of sporting news because they get to watch ESPN in the defact 2) more often than not, Dave is the one NOT making these jokes because he may have been a Blue Jays (WTF?... I know) fan back in '06, but he has slowly transitioned to a Yankee fan thanks to my ways :)

it's okay soldiers. laugh and make fun of these beauts all you want... 'cause I have this...

xoxo.

one can dream...

2010-07-11T11:28:00.005+02:00

I will always remember sitting on our couch, watching the American Idol Season 7 (David Cook!) finale two years ago with Dave by my side, hearing Ryan Seacrast introduce Carrie Underwood who was back! to perform her latest hit single! Last Name. Trotting out in the number below, the next thing I heard was from my [then] boyfriend's lips... Yeahhhhh. I whipped my head to the left where Dave had the look on his face of a criminal getting caught red handed.

Later that summer, when he left for LDAC, I made sure to include a picture of his beloved Carrie in with one of the letters I sent him. So, when I read yesterday that she was marrying hockey player Mike Fisher last night, I didn't know if I should be excited for me to have the competition out of the way (hey, you never know..?) or feel sad for Dave that his celeb crush was now officially off the market (expect for me to have a 'personal day'.. or two... when Derek Jeter gets married).

I started to gloat a little bit, until I woke up this morning, karma came around, and I immediately knew that I should feel sad for Dave.

My beloved Jim Halpert (The Office;; real name: John Krasinski) also got married last night, and to the gorgeous Emily Blunt (always makes my best dressed lists).

Atleast we still have eachother *sigh*... just joking! These couples will be lucky if they are half as happy as Dave and I are.

xoxo.

solace.

2010-07-07T12:57:00.004+02:00

you can't help but feel and know that "somebody" is watching over you and your beloved soldier, when you finally take to them after a handful of days and know they are okay, end the conversation, set your phone aside, turn the radio on, and the first thing you hear is "that" song...

you know, the song that you play approximately five to.. uh, a million times a day to make you feel better... the song that you listen to every time you start to feel like "it's only been two weeks, am I really going to do fifty more?"... the song that every single word in it makes you feel comforted when you hear it... the song that you've never heard on the radio before, until today.

yeah, somebody definitely is taking care of us.

thankyou.

xoxo.

Flashback Friday: 4th of July

2010-07-02T15:13:00.004+02:00

Flashback Friday: 4th of July 2009

The first 4th of July in four years that Dave and I got to spend together (I would like to take this moment to thank work schedules, basic training, and LDAC), and I was super stoked last year that we got to celebrate it together because it is my favorite holiday. The weather, the spirit, the fireworks, the food, the fact that my birthday is two weeks later... everything just coalesces so well.

We were stationed at Ft. Benning, GA, and spent the afternoon at Robin Lake Beach.

Robin Lake was going to have a fireworks display but we had been there for hours already, it was packed, the sun was beaming down on us, and were missing this furball we call Meatball. So we drove home, looked up the time for fireworks over the Chattahoochee River, and loaded Meatball up into the car.

We parked the car a few blocks over from the river, got some Doritos and drinks, and just hung out for a few until the fireworks started. I remember the young boy in the car next to us (Griffin!) kept asking me and Dave, 'how old are you guys?!', and then his parents would tell him 'that's not a nice thing to ask'. To this day, I am not quite sure why he was so fascinated by our age.

Then the fireworks started which Meatball LOVED. She hopped right up into Dave's lap and watched the whole show. We were anxious to see how she would respond to the loud noises and such, but she was champ. She loved every minute of it.

Then she watched the fireworks the entire ride home..

And got to end the night enjoying a brew-ski with Dad.

As for 4th of July 2010? Let's go ahead and add 'deployment' to my list of thankyou's I mentioned earlier... we are batting .200 for 4th of July's, but hey - we can't all win the batting title every year can we?... but, I do know somebody who is getting a pretty awesome 4th of July care package in the mail..

Hope everybody has a safe, fun, and Happy 4th of July

xoxo.

on a desert island..

2010-06-27T23:01:00.005+02:00

this afternoon my phone rings.. after a few 'hey babe' 's, exchangings of how the past day has been, quick pertinent questions to ask rather than wait for an e-mail (or snail mail!) response, share a funny story or two... my wonderfully, amazing husband then blurts this statement out...

"You'd love it here..."

mmmm. Afghanistan? really?

And this was after he was telling me all about the sand that blows around in their faces (or the moondust as he and Phil refer to it)...

what is wron - is he alri - maybe the weath - maybe to be toget - ? In a few milliseconds,before he could answer for me, my mind was racing with a million theories as to way he'd think that I would love it there.

"... they have Coke ... and a giant Yankees sign out front".

Yep, he's right. I would love it there. Favorite drink. Check. Favorite pastime. Check. Favorite person in the entire world. Check. It'd be like if somebody asked me that age old question, "If you were stranded on an island, what three things would you bring?". There ya go.

At least I know he can find reminders of me wherever he may be or whatever he may be doing, even if it is over in a yucky, foreign land. It made my day.

& pats on the back for successfully making it through 1+ week of deployment.

"Even though you're not here and nowhere to be found, my heart says you're still here and everywhere to be found."

xoxo.

Favorite Friday

2010-06-25T20:44:00.003+02:00

I could simply not resist - Today, I will be participating in Jen's Favorite Friday: Celeb Couple that did NOT make it.

Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe

It's been 4 years, but it feels like so much longer. That's how sad their break-up made me. As my college roommate told me (along the lines of) when Dave and I got married, "Ever since Ryan and Reese broke-up, I've had no faith in love... but you and Dave have made it better".

And Ryan and Reese's break-up made her break-up with Jake even harder for me to accept. I thought.. finally, she has moved on from Ryan with an even better (as he is portrayed) guy. I still have hope for these two though. That is why they are not my official answer. haha.

close second::
Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt
why Brad, why?

well that was my guilty pleasure for the day...

xoxo.

lets go.. a GNO!

2010-06-23T22:24:00.007+02:00

Today was a girls' day. Just Mom and Meatball. That's right - we put Patton in his house for the day, and off we went.

After finding Meatball (the other day) sitting on the side of our driveway with her toys, I knew she would greatly appreciate and love having a girls day out.

break my heart a little bit more, Meatball

So off we went. First, we had to make the 25-minute, windows down-so-her-nose-could-feel-the-wind drive to stop by the housing office to sign some paperwork and pick up the keys to walk around our newly offered on-post housing! Meatball was so excited to be there that she started marking her territory right away. Nice try Meatball though, you went in the neighbor's yard.

Oh, and by the way - meet our neighbor, DANA! I believe some of you fellow MilSpouse bloggers also already read her awesome blog. That is right, Dana and I (and our husbands...) will be sharing a house, a car-port, garbage sheds, a backyard (which is great cause we have Patton and Meatball and she has Kingsley, a Great Dane, who is just younger than Meatball)!!! How awesome is it that we happened to be offered the housings right NEXT to eachother? It will definitely make this deployment so much easier!

Then, we had to run to lunch. We enjoyed some Popeye's Chicken (shhh.. don't tell Dad). Then had to go pick up the mail and run to the bank (neither of which Meaty enjoyed being stuck in the car for). Run back to housing to drop of the keys and deal with some technicalities. Drove over to the self-help store with Dana so that we could be prepared to see what they have to offer us, and Meatball got to walk around and enjoy the sunshine a little bit... but, then she decided she would just sit in Dana's car and smell her boyfriend, Kingsley.

Then, we went and visited our friends Leon, Megan, and Christin. Meatball loves them all. We had to make a quick trip to pick up Christin's car at the car care center, which Meatball loved walking in to. But when we got back to Christin's, she played with the next door neighbor's four month old beagle, Charley. But he bored her, so she moved on to Leon.

And when that bored her, she moved on to licking Megan's feet, and cuddling up to Christin. Boy did she love Christin!

But quickly dinner time came, and we had to go home so Meatball (and Patton!) could eat. But not before, Meatball got to enjoy some more wind as I drove home.

I would say it was a fun-filled day for the girls. Currently laying behind me is a snoring (almost as bad as you, babe), sprawled out Meatball. Here's to more GNOs (girl's night out), Meaty, my love!

xoxo.

ps. to all our upstate NY family and friends, I did find Meatball under the sink last night. I should have warned you about the earthquake.

double ps. we know have a button on the right side of our layout for any blog friends who would like one :)

bittersweet

2010-06-21T22:29:00.007+02:00

I mentally prepared for it for a long time. I knew it was coming. I was ready. Not as well as I thought. And as much as you mentally prepare for it, I have found out that your heart does not care... Which shouldn't surprise me. I know that your head and your heart think, feel, and act completely different from one another. I'm one of those people who lives by my heart.

I know that I am going to miss him terribly...

... but knowing I have these two crazy, cute, lovable pups who also miss Dave and that need me, comfort me, will protect and love me, and stay by my side night and day, makes me smile and know I won't completely be alone ever.

isn't she cute? with her favorite toy, Fluff.

I wasn't going to mention this next thing because I thought I was just being totally ridiculous but after talking to Dana (happylifeasanarmywife) earlier today, I found out that I am not the only who is 'totally ridiculous', and maybe some fellow milSpouses can agree with us... but, yesterday, I refused to clean my kitchen. Even though it was grimy, the sink was full, and the frying pan was still on the oven with residue from the breakfast I made Dave in it.. I refused. I knew that if I cleaned up that kitchen then I would have no tangible way of knowing that Dave was here. But I finally caved in because I knew I would have to do it eventually. Now the question is.... how long am I allowed to leave his dirty laundry out? *sigh* It's all baby steps for now...

ps. I added a few new things to the blog! On the left side, you should see a clock and weather widget for where I am and where Dave is. And the amazing Army Wife Prayer. On the right is a new 'inspirational' blinkie. Added a new page up top. And at the very bottom is another surprise too!

xoxo.

food is the best medicine?

2010-06-19T18:37:00.004+02:00

So, that time is just outside the reach of our finger tips. by tomorrow morning, we will be separated for a year (minus R/R) courtesy the duty of the United States Army. The longest we have ever continuously been apart is 90 days (aka 1/4 of this journey), and we were 'long-distance' for a year (but we saw each other).. so the one element we are most struggling to grasp is - what do we do on those days were we just miss eachother terribly? Any of our military friends out there have any advice/tips/tricks? We'd greatly appreciate it!

Speaking of, food is a source of comfort, right? So it is fitting that today's our 30 day project is...

day 21 - a recipewe actually made this tonight, and Dave loved it! it has a great punch to it with only a handful of ingredients.

Grilled Cream Corn

6 Servings
Prep: 10 min
Grill: 15 min

Ingredients:
8 ears corn, husked (we just used the big size of canned corn and let it heat in a frying pan)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/4 cups milk
3 tablespoons cream cheese
Salt and black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:
1.Preheat a grill to medium-high. Arrange the corn on the grate and grill, turning occasionally, until the kernels are golden-brown and softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, remove the corn kernels from the cobs; discard the cobs. (You should have about 5 cups kernels.) Lower the grill temperature to medium.

2.Heat a large cast-iron skillet over the grate. Add the butter to melt, then whisk in the flour until combined and foaming, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and cream cheese and cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the corn kernels; season with salt, black pepper and the cayenne, if using, and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.

tips:Sweeten with honey and spoon over biscuits or pancakes.
Mix with salsa for a creamy dip.
Use as a filling in enchiladas or burritos.
Stir into mashed potatoes along with some cheddar.
Serve as a topping for chili or baked potatoes.
Thin with milk, then heat with frozen veggies for a corn chowder

xoxo,

all I wanna do...

2010-06-18T23:21:00.006+02:00

day 20 - hobbies

Ashley

decorating
I love picture frames (Dave has told me no more until I get rid of some first). I love wall vinyls. I love wall hangings with inspirational quotes. I love color schemes. I love candles. I love flowers. I love unique trinkets. I love finishing touches.. and on, and on, and on...

learning
by any means possible.. classes, reading, news, conversation...

Dave

working on cars
such as the beaut of car, 1967 Pontiac Firebird, which he and his dad worked on right after he turned 16. built it up, painted it, re-made the classic.

video games
primarily xbox and computer games. but hey, let's not be picky.

together

movies

we are movie people. if there is a movie out, we've probably seen it. we love a date out at dinner and movie, or a night in cuddled up on the couch watching movies and binge eating.

board games

sometimes... we have to go on board game hiatuses because neither of us like to lose... our current favorite: Yahtzee!

being outside
we love being outside and outdoor activities. as mentioned a few posts back, the zoo is one of our absolute favorites. but that's just the beginning - parks (of all sorts), walking around, anything with water, gardening, outdoor restaurants, maybe athletic activities (depending on the day)... anything to enjoy the fresh air together.

xoxo,

our calling cards

2010-06-17T22:27:00.004+02:00

day 19 - talents

Ashley

cooking

not to toot my own horn, but I am pretty good cook. I am also rather gifted at seeing a recipe and, without ever trying it, knowing exactly how to alter it for our liking and still make it taste delicious. One area of expertise I would like to get better at is familiarizing with the smells and uses of the vast array of spices out there.

The last few months, we have been on a pizza kick (come on, we are from upstate New York!) so since you can't get good pizza to save your life in Germany, we've been having fun making our own. A few examples are shown below - loaded baked potato pizza, cheeseburger pizza, and meat lovers pizza.

memory

I also have an excellent memory. I remember very specific dates. I remember the tiniest of details. I remember the most random sports statistics and pop culture trivia. I remember school notes the first time I hear them.

As Dave has said, in response to me asking him about a night out and being baffled when he didn't remember after I gave him not only the date but also what everyone was wearing, "I have no doubt you will never forget what we had for lunch today". Which was Friendly's by the way. We were sitting in a booth, my back was to the door. And I ordered a BBQ Honey Chicken Finger Sandwich.

attention to detail

Dave came up with this one when I asked him what my talents were. He said "You're very tidy. You pay attention to detail, and I like it. I like the way you make the bed. I like the way you fold my clothes. Everything is just right".

Dave

rhetoric

This was actually the first thing that popped into Ashley's mind when thinking about my talents. She says, "You have a way with words. You're very persuasive and convincing when you talk. And you're charming about it, and have no shame talking in public".

leadership

All I have to say is, it's probably why I am so darn good at my job. I have always been a leader, not a follower for my whole life.

xoxo,

wordless wednesdays together tickle our fancy

2010-06-16T17:00:00.005+02:00

day 18 - whatever tickles your fancy (on Wordless Wednesday - by capitolizing it we just made it an official holiday, right?)

We tickle each other's fancy, especially today when we find out the Dave's deployment has been pushed back 2 1/2 days. It was a bit of a relief to know see ya laters won't be as soon as we thought and we feel not only lucky but spoiled, at the same time, we know that if he were coming home and it got pushed back 2 1/2 days, we would be frustrated and annoyed (which we can expect..). But for these extra 2 1/2 days, we will simply make the most of it together.

By the way - know what does not tickle our fancy - World Cup. Nope.

Mykonos, Greece

xoxo,

tell them, "i'm not artsy"

2010-06-15T17:13:00.010+02:00

our 30 day project

day 16 - a song that makes you cry (or nearly)

Ashley

as I promised on day 1, my favorite, favorite song would be revealed, and yes it makes me cry.. as soon as the opening notes of the song are played I instantly well up... and this song is:

Black Balloon - Goo Goo Dolls.
you may, and should, listen to it here
I am a GGD junkie. I love all their songs, their cds, and their 6+ concerts I've been to (& wish I could go this summer with Lauren) but this song takes the cake not only as my favorite GGD song but my favorite song. I was trying to pick a favorite line from the song to share on here, but I can't. I love every word starting with "baby's black balloon makes her fly"... to the very end with "i'll become what you became to me". it's just the greatest.

and...

So Small - Carrie Underwood/Matt Giraud
when Dave and I first got engaged, I immediately was like 'wedding song - So Small'. And a few months later when I heard American Idol 8's Matt Giraud's version (click me), I was like it's a sealed deal. Carrie sings the song beautifully but Matt Giraud gives the song soul (and I love soul). The song makes me cry on a bad day, like when Dave is gone (I know it's hard on a rainy day, you want to shut the world out and just be left alone... time's flying by, moving so fast, you better make it count 'cause you can't get it back) and the song makes me cry on a good day when I am more in love then ever (and then you figure out love is all that matters after all It sure makes everything else so small). Either day, it reminds me of how lucky I am.
ps. not our wedding song

Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson
"when the rain would fall down, i'd just stare out my window, dreaming of what could be, and if i'd end up happy.. i would pray"
and that's just the first four lines of the song... enjoy here

Dave

Dave said no song nearly made him cry, but I remember a few years back he told me that Kenny Chesney's I Go Back pulls at his heart strings (maybe not in those exact words, but hey).

And I go back to the loss of a real good friend
And the sixteen summers I shared with him
Now, Only The Good Die Young stops me in my tracks
Everytime I hear that song, I go back

day 17 - a piece of art (drawing, painting, sculpture)

neither of us are really 'artsy' people. we appreciate it and find value in it, but it's not a true interest for eath of us.. but when we were in Corfu, Greece, both of us loved this statue of Achilles dying. So that counts, right?

xoxo,

day15: fanfic & cruise:: p2

2010-06-13T18:11:00.010+02:00

Today's Our 30 Day Project assignment might be the toughest one yet, but we are not quitters and we will make due!

day 15: a fanfic

A lot of people aren't sure of what a fanfic is, so we googled it real quick and here's a short, simple answer:

'A "fanfic" is a story written by a fan based upon the characters, concepts, premises or events of a TV show, a movie, a book or a comic book.'

Neither of us are fanfic people.. don't read them, don't write them.. so the only way we could find an answer for this question was... Glee. When in doubt, Glee.. right???

After a few moments YouTube-ing, we found two popular movie trailers (aka the previews you watch before the movie you just paid 9$/ticket to see comes on) substituted with the cast of Glee.. and they are actually worth a watch.

Cruel Intentions trailer - Glee Style

Twilight trailer - Glee style

cruise: part 2

So when we last left off, we were leaving Croatia and heading to Greece. Before we ever left for the cruise, we were most excited to visit Greece, and we spent three amazing days in Greece.

Our first stop in Greece was the tiny town of Corfu. Corfu is known for it's quiet, peaceful, clean beaches.. which are in Southern Corfu. Our port was in Northern Corfu. Although Corfu is tiny, it is more so tiny East to West, and a distance North to South. So, with five days left on the cruise, we figured we would be able to visit a beach some where else, and made our way to the Achillean Palace.

The stunning palace was built in the late 1800s by the request of the Empress of Austria. Originally, she picked Corfu as the location for her palace because she found Corfu peaceful and beneficial to her health. But when her only son died, she dedicated the palace to Achilles. In and outside of the palace, there are countless paintings, figures, and statues depicting the life and story of Achilles. Our favorite was the one of Achilles' dying by way of the spear hitting his ankle (3rd picture). Behind the palace are these amazing Italian gardens that overlook the entire town of Corfu.

After the palace, our cab driver (who was very informative and funny, having grown up in Corfu) took us to a ledge where we could take pictures of Mouse Island (the island is in the shape of the mouse). We aren't sure why Mouse Island is so popular, but it is.

Then we got dropped off closer to our port and found this absolutely fabulous ocean front restaurant (pictures below), so of course, we and the Goodrich's had a delectable lunch there. We split a Feta pizza (with onions, olives, and tomatoes), the most delicious Greek salad you will ever find, and then some tzatziki (cucumber yogurt dill dip).

After lunch, we reluctantly left, and made our way through the Old Town. We bought this stellar olive-wood carved oil and vinegar holder with a vine of glass grapes inside an open glass bottle, so the oil and vinegar appear to overlap, but they don't!

Our next stop was supposed to be Athens. We were all ready, researched, and geared up for a trip to the Parthanon, Acropolis, Zeus' Olympic Stadium, and more. But at dinner on Corfu night, an announcement was made that due to a port authority strike in Athens, we would be re-routing to Mykonos. And thank goodness we did, because it was the best day of the entire cruise.

When we got off the boat, we saw that the island was rather spread out, so the three of us couples rented mopeds and cruised around the city, which was beautiful. It was the picture-esque view of Greece with the white cube buildings and the bright blue painted doors surrounding by the clearest water you will ever see in your life. We rode to one beach right away and hung out for a few minutes, but a lot of other people started to show up, so we decided to scram and find a new one.

After scoping out Paradise beach and Super Paradise beach (they don't sound tourist-y at all!), we decided to make the half hour trek up, down, and around the mountainous roads of Mykonos, which eventually brought us to Agrari beach. There we ate another divine Greek lunch. We split a chicken and scalloped lemon and butter potato meal, and of course - tzatziki (it's Dave's favorite).

After hanging out at the beach for about an hour soaking up the sun, seeing some nude old men, sitting in the comfortable sand, and admiring the luscious water, we headed back towards the main city. There we found the four huge windmills that Mykonos is known for. After a few photo ops there, we walked into the nearby village and had THE most delicious ice cream we will ever, ever find in our life. It was home made with fresh goat milk. Dave had cheese cake, Ashley had four kinds of chocolate, Dana had watermelon, and Wes had lemon. All were delicious and nothing will ever compare. Every single lick one of us took, all you would here is "mmmmmmm.... soooo good". And yes, we all tasted one another's flavors.

As if the lunch and ice cream weren't enough, we found a little mom and pop bakery and enjoyed baklava. Also another reason to go back to Greece, just for that. Mykonos will always be one of the greatest days we've experienced together. We'd like to see another vacation try to beat it, but it won't be able to.

Coming off the high of Mykonos, the next day we ported in Argostoli. Our research prior to the cruise brought us very little information, and when Dave asked a cruise employee what there was to do there, he replied, "Argostoli, not much to do here. There is the town a few hundred meters that way. There are forests over there and over there, and a bridge that connects them". So do you get the vibe?

But our research did send us towards a highly recommended restaurant. Again, delicious. We split chicken souvlaki and ta-daaaa - tzatziki. After that we walked around and headed towards the market. On our way, we got a classic butter and sugar crepe then fell in love with a little puppy that the girls named Simba (still rude that the boys wouldn't let us bring her home). At the market we got a handful of knock-off goods (Armani belt, Foakley's) and knick-knacks for the house. Although Argostoli didn't excite us too much, it was nice to be able to shop and find a few souvenirs.

On our way back to the port, we walked down a few more side streets and made our way across the pier. On the road, we saw (and interacted with) a swan! It was surreal. Then as we were walking across the pier, we saw a family of swans, the parents and three precious babies (again, the boys wouldn't get them for the girls). And of course, before we left Greece, we had to eat one more time. We enjoyed an amazing gyro and chocolate covered baklava.

So long Greece, you're the best.

cruise:: p3 (and final) - Montenegro and Italy.

xoxo,

steak on a stone? yes, please!

2010-06-12T21:24:00.010+02:00

Tonight, we went to dinner at Gasthof Schuettersmuehle, or as we call it around here 'the steak on the stone place'. It is infamous among the military community and we have heard countless recommendations for it. It has been on our to-do list since April and finally, we checked it off the list (with the intentions of dining there several more times).

It is this fantastic German restaurant that serves you your meat on a molten hot stone and you cook your own meat to your liking. They serve traditional beef and salmon fillets as well as some not so traditional choices of wild boar, wild hare, bison, ostrich, kangaroo, and crocodile.

Aside from their meat fillets, they also have a great selection of and well made appetizers, desserts, and traditional German entrees. Also, the service is super, super friendly. The portion sizes are bigger than you'd expect. The menu's are bilingual. And, the best news of all, it's reasonably priced!

So tonight, we most certainly enjoyed a peaceful, delicious, and memorable dinner in a pleasant outdoor garden at the Gasthof Shuettersmuehle. We ordered our drinks (one dark beer and one Coke, please) and started off with a hefty helping of smoked salmon with horseradish sauce. Then Dave enjoyed a kangaroo fillet with the delicious German garlic butter we discovered a few months back. Ashley had a schnitzel (thin-sliced, breaded, pork) covered in an awesome cheese sauce. And for dessert, we shared a slice of strawberry pie. And..... it was under $50! Can you believe that?! If any friends or family come visit us in Germany, be prepared to dine here!

PS. Meatball is wagging her tail vivaciously and sitting right here saying 'hi' to all of you!

our 30 day project

days 13 and 14: a fictional and non-fictional book

Ashley

fictional book

"Clear-eyed and spirited, Taylor Greer grew up poor in rural Kentucky with the goals of avoiding pregnancy and getting away unlike the rest of her high school classmates. But when she heads west with high hopes and a barely functional car, she meets the human condition head-on. By the time Taylor arrives in Tucson, Arizona, she has acquired a completely unexpected child, a three-year-old American Indian girl named Turtle, and must somehow come to terms with both motherhood and the necessity for putting down roots. Hers is a story about love and friendship, abandonment and belonging, and the discovery of surprising resources in apparently empty places."

non-fictional book

judge, judge, judge me all you want but I love Tori Spelling. I love her reality show. And, I love her books that are so unbelievably candid.... they make you laugh out loud, tear-up, smile, think, and realize she is human like the rest of us, and yes, I would be her BFF if the opportunity presented itself. Her first book, sTori Telling is the story of her childhood, her relationship with her parents (ie. Candy and the inheritance scandal), 90210 and her struggles afterward, her mistake-filled love life, and her struggles with herself. Mommywood is the story of being a mother in Hollywood where the limelight is always on you, but in Tori's case, everyone knows all too well the struggles she went through with her own parents. Uncharted TerriTori (being released Tuesday) will share stories about a whole bunch of other issues that Tori has dealt with like the media scrutinizing her weight, her mother publicly attempting to reconcile with her, and more. Keep 'em coming, Tori.

Dave

fictional book

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

non-fictional book

Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat by James R. McDonough

xoxo,

a date at the ZOO!

2010-06-11T21:11:00.010+02:00

One of our favorite pastimes together is to go to the zoo. We have had season passes to the zoo. We have visited a handful of zoos with the goal of visiting so, so many more. And we got engaged at the zoo. We are zoo people.

Maybe it's because we can walk around, outside and aimlessly, holding hands and exchanging laughs. Maybe it's because we each love something different about each animal that every exhibit we go to, the conversation never ends. And then when you leave, you can compare notes about what your favorites were&your memories. Maybe it's because you never know when a baby animal is going to pop up or as you approach each exhibit, you have no clue what the animals will be doing. Maybe it's because a date to the zoo is a date you don't have to dress up for and you can also get a tan. Maybe it's a little bit of everything, and more.

But it shouldn't really be of any surprise that on Dave's last weekend as a 'free man', we decided to take a day trip to the Nuremberg zoo (about an hour away). And, it was an awesome trip to the zoo! Nearly half of the exhibits had a baby animal in it (makes it that much more fun)! It had, hands down, the greatest kids zoo we've ever seen. The weather was gorgeoussss and we ended up walking around together for almost four hours. And there weren't that many people there (isn't that always the best?). Here's a little recap of the highlights of the day....

giraffe born April 2009

they reminded us of Meatball and Patton

can we have one?! puhlease.

born April 28, 2010

notice the newborn monkey on the left with it's Mama

since this post is rather lengthy and we want you to enjoy the pictures, we are going to do Our 30 Day Project:: days 13 and 14 tomorrow since they are very similar.

happy weekend everyone!

xoxo,

promotions tickle our fancy

2010-06-10T15:05:00.008+02:00

our 30 day project

day 12 - whatever tickles your fancy

Is it fate or just a coincidence that today we got to talk about whatever tickles our fancy? ...because doesn't Dave getting promoted earlier today just fit in so perfectly here! That's right - Dave is officially a First Lieutenant in United States Army. He has gone from a gold/butter bar to a black bar.

throwing away Dave's 2nd LT patch...

...and putting on the 1st LT patch

LTC doing the same but to Dave's stetson (Ashley is not a fan of the stetson, so she chose his ACUs)

salute and being told how awesome he is (he is the LTC's PL)

the only picture of us. One of Dave's friends was taking the pictures and not too familiar with our camera, so he missed our embrace and captured this unattractive moment

Then after the ceremony, Dave had to give the company their end of the work week safety brief to demonstrate what a great leader he is and how deserving he is of becoming a 1st LT!

Also, if you noticed how miserable or not thrilled we may appear in the pictures... it is not an accurate assumption of our mood. Please know and consider that it was 85* outside (feeling like 102*) and we were in the middle of a large black top parking lot. Needless to say, there was sweat everywhere! A week ago it wouldn't stop raining, now the sun won't shining. What a great change! Doesn't it usually take your body about a week to acclimate to drastic weather changes? Well we are on day 4.. over halfway there.

We've actually been eye'ing fans for the past few weeks. At the PX they have two different yet extremely similar table fans that are 30$, which seem terribly overpriced especially for the simple quality of the fan. Last night, we went to OBI (German Home Depot - no joke, down to the color scheme except OBI has a bakery in it) and saved 10$ and is one of those stand-up, rotating, three speeds fans. Not only does Dave love it, but so do the puppies who will always sit, sleep, and relax right in front of it. As soon as you get up to do something, without a doubt, one of them will steal your spot.

Anyways, the sun is shining, we have a fan so we can enjoy the weather and stay cool, the puppies are running around the yard, we have a BBQ to go to later with some friends, Dave has the day off tomorrow, and he is one step further in his Army career - today is a good day, and most importantly - cheers to First Lieutenant David Enderton.

xoxo,

wordless wednesday , day 11, & cruise:: p1

2010-06-09T19:13:00.016+02:00

wordless Wednesday

With Dave leaving shortly, the pups decided to show their support and wear matching, yet gender unique Dad-is-in-the-Army necklaces.

our 30 day project

day 11 - a photo of you taken recently

Ashley&Dave

taken Monday night at Patton's BBQ for the Boys

cruise:: part 01

we apologize for the size of the pictures (even with the 'large' size selected, they still are a little tiny).

On Sunday (the 16th) morning, we and the Gilberts dropped off our pups' at the kennel, which went a lot smoother than we had expected which relieved a ton of worry for Ashley (we had never left Patton before). After that, we packed up the truck and headed off towards Igls, Austria (which is right near Innsbruck - the site of 1964 and the 1976 Winter Olympics, anddd will host the first Winter Youth Olympics in 2012). Shortly after we drove into Austria, we could see the Alps - which were awesome at the time, but later on you will see how we 'got over' the initial awe of the Alps.

All in all, it was about a three and a half hour drive. The air in Austria is so pure, you can just sense how clean and fresh the landscape and atmosphere there is. We ate at this tiny (like three tables fit uncomfortably), immaturely decorated restaurant, but Dave enjoyed a nice helping of deer shoulder for dinner. Then, we found out our priceline.com reservation was basically useless and that the price of our room would be doubled, but due to Dave's amazing negotiating skills, we only ended up having to pay 20$ more than we booked it for.

We had no choice but to go to bed early. It was Sunday so everything was closed. The only channel on the TV in English was CNN and after watching two cycles of the same news, we were bored. We didn't think to bring any games. Our cell phones had no service. And the radio didn't work. We hope to visit Austria again soon - and as you will see, we do.

view from the inn

Monday morning, we left for Venice, Italy. What was supposed to be a three and a half hour drive turned into an almost seven hour drive. Jeremy had just gotten his smallpox shot and had a severe reaction to it. We needed to find waterproof bandaids. After coming across about the 4 or 5th pharmacy, we finally found one that was open. We got about an hour away from the inn in Austria and Dave realized he left his phone there. We needed to call the inn and tell them when we'd be back for it. Nobody would let Dave use their phones. No businesses, no personal phones, no pay phones without an extremely outrageous charge. Thanks to the Gilberts spending 35Euro on bandaids, the pharmacy let Dave use their phone.

Oh, and our Navigon decided to have us take a very, very extreme scenic route through the Alps rather than drive on the autostrada. How could we forget about that? We literally drove up, around, through, and down a mountain in the Alps. We could reach out and touch snow. It was amazing yet sickening at the same. We were driving around and around and around to the point where some times you would have to look away in order to not throw-up. The mountain cut about 5km off of our 300+km trip and added about 2 hours to our trip. And once we got to the bottom, Dave pee'd on the Alps. Ahh, to be a leader in the United States Army.

view from the top of the mountain

We departed from Venice on Monday afternoon. Initially, we had planned to spend the day in Venice, but with our detour through the Alps, we had just enough time to check our bags and our selves into and onto the cruise, and board the ship. And! to buy our ridiculously priced drink packages. Yep, even the 'specials' were unbelievable but hey. We had our muster station training. Enjoyed a drink on the pool deck as we sailed away.` And then we (us, the Gilberts, and the Goodrichs) also had to go to the Maitre d' and have our dinner table, restaurant, and times switched to all be the same. Even though we had called ahead of time and had our names referenced for this very reason, MSC missed the memo. We ended up having the late dinner - 930 - but atleast we all got to eat together. It actually worked out great because most days, we didn't get back on the boat until 6ish so we had enough time to unwind, nap, and get dressed (we couldn't wear shorts or tank tops - even on casual night). So we ate and then went back to our rooms to unpack and gear up for the festivities to begin the next day. Also, we loved that every day a different movie or two played, this night we watched Up in the Air.

Tuesday morning we arrived in Dubrovnik, Croatia. It's a UNESCO heritage site so we spent most of the day in Old Town. It took us about 35 minutes to walk there from the port and saved 10Euro a person to not take the shuttle. That day we were one of the only groups to not take the shuttle, but as the cruise went on, more and more people realized what a rip off the shuttle was! We were amazed at the marble streets - so shiny, so smooth! We each enjoyed an absolutely delicious slice of pizza and delectable ice cream (banana flavored) then perused through a local market. Ashley had read ahead of time that Dubrovnik was known for their brandy, so the boys tried some.. just a little sip, and now they say that they have a hole in their heart.

We decided to climb up and around the city walls. They are defensive stone walls that were built in the 7th century to protect citizens from maritime seiges. Between then and the 17th century, several modifications and additions were done, mostly in the 14th and 15th centuries. The walls are the main reason why Dubrovnik is an UNESCO site.

then we got back on the boat, got ready for and enjoyed formal night together.

well, that is all for tonight. on the next cruise post - Greece! everybody have a great Wednesday!

xoxo,

happy 1st birthday Patton!

2010-06-08T19:57:00.012+02:00

Patton with four of his NINE new toys

That's right, our baby pup is no longer a baby pup anymore. He may still be the baby of the family, but now he is just a pup (you're allowed to call them pups until they are two, right?). Due to a faulty weather forecast that said there would be thunderstorms today (which meant 80s, sunny, blue skies, and humid) we had Patton's Birthday BBQ for the Boys last night.

The idea started out to just do something fun for Patton (in all fairness because Meatball gets THANKSGIVING as her birthday), but then it turned into 'hey let's do a BBQ for you [Dave] and some of your friends since you are leaving soon'.

So BBQ we did.

We invited over three-couples of our bestest friends here in Germany (and their pups too) but since the BBQ got pushed up a day, only two of them could make it - still, a very fun time! We had a whole bunch of yummy foods (for people and puppies!) and just let the pups run wild in our yard.

Patton's birthday cake - peanut butter and honey vanilla cake dyed green ('cause he's in the Army too!) with a carrot yogurt frosting, and frosty paws ice cream.

Patton made out like a bandit.. everyone brought him presents, we got him presents, and his out-of-town relatives sent him presents. Even Meatball got presents, even though she has claimed Patton's new stuffed dragon, Fluff.

Meatball trying to sneak into the 'adult section' of the party, and walking around with Fluff.

We can't believe Patton is ONE. He was a terror when we first brought him home. A rebel. Stubborn and set on doing what he wanted to do (this was before we found out about his separation anxiety and love of authority - great combination). When he was about three months old, we agreed that if he didn't behave better by the time he turns one, we sadly may have to consider finding him a new family. Obviously, the very next day he was a new boy.

We look at him and all we can say over and over is he is not that puppy we picked up 10 and half months ago. We can't even see the puppy in him! He grew big, tall, and strong by the time he was four months old. It's insane. Meatball, on the other hand, you can look at her and remember what she looked like and how she acted when she was a puppy - not Mr. Patton. It's surreal. If you'd like to see his progress, we have charted it above on one of our tabs or just click here.

our 30 day project

day 10 - a photo of you taken over 10 years ago

Ashley

I, unfortunately, do not have on the computer of me from over 10 years ago. I physically have a handful with me in Germany, and on my to-do list today was to hook-up the scanner so I could get them on the computer - but Dave came home early, so as you can guess, I did not do it. But I will post a picture before these 30 days are up. Promise.

Dave
time to run - Patton is looking from somebody to cuddle with, and you can't say 'no' on his birthday! Does anybody else do anything special to acknowledge their pups' birthdays? We say we aren't going to continue the celebrations every year, that their first birthday is enough, but who knows - any reason to party is always welcome!

xoxo,

a quick day nine

2010-06-07T21:28:00.005+02:00

This blog is going to be super quick! We just finished up Patton's Birthday BBQ for the Boys (look for that post tomorrow!) and we are zonked! hopefully our eyes will stay open long enough to finish this blog..

our 30 day project

day 09 - a photo you took
these are from last summer in good ol' Georgia

Ashley

Dave
until tomorrow...

xoxo,

finally a little variety (and day 08)

2010-06-06T18:43:00.009+02:00

Once a week, we give the pups canned food (or special food, as they know it) just to switch up their diet a bit. Special food day is also a major reason that we could not wait to switch the pups over to adult food - we would finally have a selection of flavors and meals to choose from!

As pups, there are two varieties of canned food (from Iams) that we can find: 1) chicken (which the pups love) and 2) beef (which Meatball doesn't care for). So for the past year, about 85% of special food days have been 'chicken and rice' and recently we found Pedigree's lamb cans. Whenever we would see the what seemed like enormous selection of canned adult food, our eyes would go wide and we'd start making all sorts of hypotheses about the pups and the opportunities their taste buds would get in the future. "Oh Meatball is going to love this one", "Patton will devour that", "They are going to go nuts over it".

While at the commissary today, we entered the pet aisle excited to finally pick out something new and with the goal of buying two cans of wet food for the pups - but, we ended up leaving with... six! Here's what we left with..

country stew

chunky turkey and bacon

beef and barley

anybody care to venture any guesses as to which ones the pups will love? like? be okay with? not care for? dislike?

important note: we are an Iams family, but the Iams canned food selection in Germany is practically non-existent so we feed the pups Pedigree - but only on special food days.

our 30 day project

day 08 - a photo that makes you angry/sad
we decide to answer jointly today

personally

although this picture itself isn't sad or angry, it's the premise behind it that fits the criteria. this picture was taken right before Dave left for training and thus we had to spend the summer apart from one another. any time we have to leave each other, it's a sad, sad day.

globally

any type of animal abuse is just heartbreaking yet so frustrating that it motivates and inspires you to love even more the animals you have and any animal you have the pleasure of meeting. puppy mills, animal fighting, animal negligence... all examples of the stupidity, greed, and disturbances that are unfortunately in this world.

xoxo,

day seven

2010-06-05T21:27:00.011+02:00

Sorry if this disappoints anybody but - today, there will only be one of us participating in the Our 30 Day Project. Dave is having a boys day/night and attending the Rock in the Park concert where he is seeing Jay-Z, Slash, KISS, and many more! I wanted to go see KISS but in order to catch the train home, the boys have to leave shortly into the KISS show, so I decided to skip out and let boys be boys today. I just made him promise that when KISS sang "Beth", he would not only think of me, but also think of Noah Puckerman (yeah Glee fans?).

day 07 - a photo that makes you happy

Ashley

October, 2008.

Dave, his family, and myself took my two year old cousin Michael(who calls me 'Mom') to the Buffalo zoo.

There was (and is) always tension between Dave and Michael, because when I moved out of my Aunt's house, it was Dave who 'took me away' from Michael.

Michael never hid his feelings about this - he would call Dave a 'bug', call me and tell me to drive away in my car, refuse to let Dave and I sit together (or alone) at any family function, so on and so on.

So, when we took Michael to the zoo and he asked Dave to carry him around, we thought - awww how sweet. Maybe they can be friends now?

Not exactly.

Michael - 1) wanted Dave's Sprite, 2) wanted to be as high as possible and Dave was his best venue of accomplishing this, 3) would plug Dave's ears when somebody was talking to him (as pictured), and 4) would cover Dave's eyes when he wanted to see something - and that's only in this picture.

We had a blast at the zoo, took some great pictures, made some happy and funny memories, and brought Michael and Dave just a little bit closer.

I'd write more, but the Yankees game is on, and we don't get very many of those over here so I am going to go enjoy it :)

xoxo,

VBA! && day06

2010-06-04T19:06:00.012+02:00

We have received our second blog award, and it's even more exciting than the first! It's so awesome to know that people out there read our blog and even better, they enjoy it! We are so touched that Sarah over at Diary of a Navy Wife thinks we are worthy of this award!

The Versatile Blogger

with this award there are some rules, which are as follows:
1. Thank the person who gave you the award
2. Share seven things about you
3. Nominate 15 newly discovered blogs that you think are fantastic
4. Let your nominees know about the award

Thank you so much, Sarah! If you haven't checked her blog out yet, you need to! I [Ashley] discovered her blog through the Military Spouse bloghop about a month ago, and could not help but follow her blog! Her latest post about her ventures with a military spouse brunch (Let's Do Brunch!) is sure to make you all smile!

The last award our blog received, we did seven things about Ashley... so it's only fair that we do seven things about Dave (plus he whined a little bit about it when he wasn't included the last time..)..

1) I really enjoy my job, so much so that only 16 more years until I retire.
2) I am a movie junkie - at home or the theater, I love both.
3) My xbox 360 broke two months ago and I miss it alot. But with deployment coming up, I had to settle for just playing our Wii.
4) I have a 1967 Firebird waiting for me in the states.
5) I attended four different colleges and still graduated early.
6) I would love to coach football someday.
7) Last but not least, my favorite part of every day is spending time, relaxing with my wife and my dogs.

Here are 15 blogs that we think are fantastic, and of course - versatile!
1) Michelle @ A'etonu Family Adventures
2) Pamela @ Troop Petrie
3) Dana @ Happy Life as an Army Wife
4) Kate @ Cowgirl and Combat Boots
5) Abby @ Dogtags and Pearls
6) Whitney @ Everything Happens for a Reason
7) Alexis @ Happily Household 6
8) Mrs. Little @ Boonie Caps and Tiaras
9) Ann Marie @ Household 6 Diva
10) Mrs. S @ The Adventures of Mr. Superman and Mrs. S
11) Emily @ Scatterbrained Wife of a Soldier
12) Alison @ One Lucky Monkey
13) Aimee @ Mommy. Army Wife. EMT
14) Mrs. Sergeant @ Air Force. Wife. Life
15) A Marine's Wife @ Flip Flops and Combat Boots

our 30 day project

day 06 - whatever tickles my fancy

With Dave's deployment coming up, I feel it's important to address the issue of security and the impact we can have on it. It is just one more way we can support Dave while he is gone.

Ann Marie @ Household 6 Diva posted an absolutely awesome blog about OPSEC and PERSEC. As spouses, family members, and friends of Military members we must always be aware of what information we discuss with others - whether it be over the internet, on the phone, or face-to-face. It's a crazy world we live in and unfortunately, not every one out there is a 'good' person. People are constantly listening through all venues of communication and looking for the vulnerabilities of the men and women we love.

For those of you who don't know what OPSEC and PERSEC is, don't worry - Ann Marie does a great job of explaining it. And if you already know about it, we recommend reading her post anyways - can't hurt to refresh your mind about it.

And finally, here is the post - please read! and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask! (And again, thank you Ann Marie!)

OPSEC and PERSEC

So now you know, if we get asked questions about Dave and his job, and we answer vaguely or with 'code' words, it's not because we don't want you to know, it's because we want to Dave to be safe!

xoxo,

welcome, green bag (and day05)

2010-06-03T20:39:00.013+02:00

Typically, Meatball does not put her mind to anything or commit to much (other than being happy!), but tonight, after dinner - Meatball had a change of pace.

We fed the pups around 5:45. By 6:00, they were full and had relieved themselves. Patton was ready to take his after dinner nap. Wondering where Meatball was, our worries were answered when we heard her asthmatically breathing in the kitchen - but it's Meatball, so of course it can't be anything bad, wrong, or evil - maybe dumb, but that's it.

About 18 minutes later, we still heard her in the kitchen. So we grab the camera, slowly walk over, and sneek around the corner.

"What is she doing?".. "I dropped some of their food before, she always has to get them all".. We sit back down.

21 minutes later, "Is she still going!?".. "Yep". Check again... "Awww... she's - wait a second"

"Can you get the duct tape?"

Meatball hardly ever has any 'genius' moments, so we just laughed about it, gave her a pat on the head, and know that this most likely will never happen again.

It only took her three days, but Meatball has officially become a fan of green bag. We named her Meatball for a reason. And more importantly, welcome to the family green bag.

our 30 day project

day 05 - favorite quote

Ashley

"pay it forward. simple things change the world. be the difference you want to be or the difference you want to see in the world today" -sam malek

"don't let somebody else's ignorance dominate you" - Derek Jeter

"life comes without guarantees... except that smiling will brighten your face, laughing will enhance your eyes, and falling in love will change your life"

"what you feel is what you are, and what you are is beautiful" - Goo Goo Dolls, Slide

"Do you ever feel like the whole world's got a plan, except nobody told you?"
"Yeah, all the time" - JJ and Meg, American Dreams

Dave

"Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you - Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom."

xoxo,

day four

2010-06-02T19:29:00.009+02:00

hey followers! not too much to say today - except that we went through all of our cruise pictures today, organized them, but are just filtering through which are share-worthy.. so that means that they are closer on their way!

our 30 day project

day 04 - favorite book

Ashley

The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
For high school, I had to read four books a summer and even more than during the year. At the time, I didn't enjoy it very much, except for this book (although I would like to re-read some of the others now that I am older, wiser, and not forced to). I even wrote a paper in the 11th grade featuring Phoebe Caufield. And who doesn't love Holden's sarcasm and rebellion?
currently reading:
not anything right now (spending as much time with Dave as possible because I cannot put a book down once I start) but I do have a major deployment goal of tackling many of Kristen Hannah's, Jodi Picoult's, and Nicolas Spark's books, the rest of the Twilight series (1/2 way through the first), possibly re-start the Harry Potter series (stopped at book 4), and a handful of others while Dave is gone.

Dave

The Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling

Platoon Leader - James McDonough, House to House - SSG David Bellavia, and We Were Soldiers Once and Young - Lt. Gen. Harold Moore and Joseph Galloway
currently reading:
Once an Eagle by Anton Myrer

000000000000000000065832 <--- a message from Patton

xoxo,

alot o' curls and a high&tight

tragedy;; perfect word

instant tears.

Happy Birthday, Meatball!

happy engagement-versary.

trending topic.

absent no more.

wedding spending 'etiquette'

headlines: dumb, intriguing, and hotness

thank you Grilled Cheesus

a carrot a day...?

quarter men

one-eighty.

GNOdeux

no words.

holy hiccups!

dancing with the weather in Autumn at the Emmy's?!

left side. strong side.

this face & that face...

darkness fails.

who's that guy?

alternate Savannah, maybe?

i heart Boston.

pride. power. pinstripes.

a few of my favorite (summer) things!

double awards!

summer swap and summer move

loveyourboys

rollcall.

funny nowhere.

one can dream...

solace.

Flashback Friday: 4th of July

on a desert island..

Favorite Friday

lets go.. a GNO!

bittersweet

food is the best medicine?

all I wanna do...

our calling cards

wordless wednesdays together tickle our fancy

tell them, "i'm not artsy"

day15: fanfic & cruise:: p2

steak on a stone? yes, please!

a date at the ZOO!

promotions tickle our fancy

wordless wednesday , day 11, & cruise:: p1

happy 1st birthday Patton!

a quick day nine

finally a little variety (and day 08)

day seven

VBA! && day06

welcome, green bag (and day05)

day four