New Years Eve at the Beach

We made it back to Pensacola Tuesday night. What a long drive that is. I'm glad we don't have to do it again until we move. The dogs were excellent...all the humans did well too. There wasn't a sign of snow or rain this time. My sister is here visiting for a week and a half-ish. Very exciting! Today it was so warm and sunny that we went to the beach, took off our shoes, rolled up our pants and walked along the waters edge picking up sand dollars and other shells. There were more people than I thought would be at the beach and many more in the water. Lots of kids swimming and building sand castles. I often wondered where these people have come from to think this weather is so hot that they will get in what I think is freezing cold water. I mean are they from say North Dakota where today was truely a hot day. Anyways, just a thought that pops in my head. 

Tonight, we are going to downtown Pensacola to watch the Pelican Drop. It is a mini version of the ball droping in New York. There will be music, food, activities and fireworks. funfun!

Happy New Year!!

Virginia Beach Vaca

I can't believe it's Christmas Eve! We made it up to Virginia just fine last Saturday but the snow storm that we drove through was just crazy. Luckily VDOT was prepared this time and there were plenty of snow plows and salt trucks out. The worst of the storm was in the DC/Richmond area. That's where we used to live and never had any snow!

We had an early Christmas celebration with the in-laws. It was a lot of fun. We celebrated birthdays in the afternoon. My someday SIL's is the 13th, mine was the 17th and E's is Jan 5th. Then I went to a cookie exchange with my mom in Virginia beach. I think it's fun to spend time with old friends we don't see very often. After dinner we celebrated Christmas. Let's just say I will be making some fabulous scrapbooks come the new year!

We spent tuesday in Va Beach visiting friends and family. E's brother just bought a house there so we had to go visit it! One of E's best friends had a baby in and we haven't seen the little cutie since she was two weeks old. So of course I got my baby fix in. She is just adorable. We went to outback and passed her all around the table and she stayed happy the whole time. I wish I had been smart enough to take picture but I wasn't.

Last night we went to the celebration of lights in Newport News. My mom told me that 24 years ago when I was first born she wanted to take me to this christmas event. And this is the first time we have been able to do it....we haven't always lived around here so that's why it took so long. That's the life of a military family.

I think we are about half way through our vacation and having lots of fun. I'm really writing all this so next year when I can't remember what we did...I'll have this to remind me of where we were.


I really hope everyone out there is has a little time off from work and has a chance to relx, enjoy some cookies and enjoy the holiday season!

Today I'm 24

Today is my brithday! and everytime I say the number 24 it weirds me out. I get that a year has passed but I don't feel any older. I actually feel like I should still be around 18...I mean who is this grown up that graduated high school and college and got married. I'm pretty sure I will forget and tell someone i'm 23. I believe though that you aren't really a grown up till you have kids of your own. In this point I will not count my lovely animals as my babies...even if I treat them that way. I am not a grown up.

Why is being a grown up such a bad thing? When we are really little everyone says don't be in a rush to grow up, enjoy it. It's as if we are programmed from very early not to want to be an adult and have responsibilities and all that goes along with it? But I suppose really we should embrace it because no matter what it happens...and I suppose it's not so bad. So here are some great things about being a grown up. At least I think they are great.

* Living with my husband and all that implies ;)
* Making my own schedule
* Being able to eat dessert first
* No bed time
* No curfew
* Alcoholic Beverages - all kinds
* Money - at one point I made a lot more then I did at 17. One day I will again.
* Family -  I think you appreciate them more as you get older or at least can show it in a more productive way.
* My own house and car  - to keep as clean/dirty (more on the clean side for me) as I want

One thing I do miss terribly from when I was say below the age of 19 is the feeling that you are invincible that you can do anything and you don't stop and think about the consequences. At some point you start thinking before you do and that's when you become a grown up.

Happy Bithday to anyone else born on this special day!!

 

A Soldier's Christmas Poem

My mom sent this to me and I just loved it so I had to post it! It came in perfect timing because I am baking cookies for my adopted soldier. :)

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,


HE LIVED ALL ALONE,

IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF

PLASTER AND STONE.



I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY

WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,

AND TO SEE JUST WHO

IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.



I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,

A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,

NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,

NOT EVEN A TREE.



NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,

JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,

ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES

OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.



WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,

AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,

A SOBER THOUGHT

CAME THROUGH MY MIND.



FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,

IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,

I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,

ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.



THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,

SILENT, ALONE,

CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR

IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.



THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,

THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,

NOT HOW I PICTURED

A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.



WAS THIS THE HERO

OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?

CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,

THE FLOOR FOR A BED?



I REALIZED THE FAMILIES

THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,

OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS

WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.



SOON ROUND THE WORLD,

THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,

AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE

A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.



THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM

EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,

BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,

LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.



I COULDN'T HELP WONDER

HOW MANY LAY ALONE,

ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE

IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.



THE VERY THOUGHT

BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,

I DROPPED TO MY KNEES

AND STARTED TO CRY.



THE SOLDIER AWAKENED

AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,

'SANTA DON'T CRY,

THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;



I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,

I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,

MY LIFE IS MY GOD,

MY! COUNTRY, MY CORPS.'



THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER

AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,

I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,

I CONTINUED TO WEEP.



I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,

SO SILENT AND STILL

AND WE BOTH SHIVERED

FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.



I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE

ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,

THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR

SO WILLING TO FIGHT.



THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,

WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,

WHISPERED, 'CARRY ON SANTA,

IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.'



ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,

AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.

'MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,

AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.'



This poem was written by a Marine.


GOD Bless Our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen This Christmas!!!

Raining Cats and Dogs

It's raining here...it rains a lot more than I ever thought it would. I normally hate rain and would rather have pretty snow than rain but the past couple of days the low has been 65* so I'll take warm rain. The biggest problem with rain is that I don't take the dogs for a walk...selfish I know. So here we are the 4 of us all all couped up in the house. This gives me time to work on some projects and make sure I have things in order before Christmas vacation. This gives the animals time to go wild! Bear is the only one brave/dumb enough to want to spend the same amount of time outside as if there isn't a torrential down pour happening. He seems to actually enjoy it outside. It's like one huge water bowl outside. *Yum*

This is early in the afternoon. This was the first outing in the rain I can't believe how flooded it is!

Obviously Bear wasn't sure what to think at first.

Nothing like the taste of muddy water!

And my two little girls who refiuse to get their paws wet watch from inside.

Notice all the towels there to help dry him off.

While I'm not a huge fan of the rain at least I have something to amusse me

I won!

Near the end of November I posted about an ornament giveaway hosted by Leslie at A Blonde Ambition! I love ornaments that mean something to you or handmade ornaments. Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with a couple of plain round ornaments but there's just something special when you have a story to go along with the ornament. Anywho, when I saw this I knew I had to enter because well I already told you I just love ornaments! One of my sorority symbols is the Dove and so therefore I am slightly obsessed even as an alum with Doves. **Born and bread Sigma Kappa**

I just got the ornament in the mail yesterday and I love it! It is much bigger than I expected but perfect nonetheless. I hung it on the tree immediately. And here's the picture.

 

Thank you Leslie!!!

I got the job!

I just got a phone call and I got the job. :)

I really wasn't expecting that because they told me at the interview if I didn't hear from them on Monday than I wasn't choosen. Since I didn't get a phone call on Monday I just assumed that they picked someone else and that was that. Ony my way home from the gym today I got the call saying they picked me! So exciting. in just a few short weeks I will be a working woman again. And it's a job that uses my degree. Can you tell I'm really happy!