Pumpkin Eater

There is no nice way to put this & I hate that it has come down to this but I have to ask please do not use any graphics from my blog (other than buttons in the sidebar of course) without my permission. I work very hard on these and I would really appreciate it if you would like to use them that you ask me first, or at least give credit to where they came from. I only say this because I have seen my header and other graphics in a couple places where they don't belong. I have been very generous in making free buttons and graphics for people in the past and only recently started charging because it got overwhelming. Please just ask...

Thursday Five

Good morning everyone, it's time for Thursday Five again! Don't have any clue what I'm talking about? Well it's only the best meme ever! All you have to do is think about everything that made you feel any of the five words below. Then just lsit them as I have below & come back here to link up using the linky at the bottom so everyone can share their happy thoughts! It's a great way to reflect on the week (even if it wasn't so great) and try to make the best of it! I tried to change things up this week so I hope you all enjoy it just as much!So grab a button and link up.

Main Entry: joy·ous
Pronunciation: \ˈjȯi-əs\

Function: adjective

: experiencing, causing, or showing joy
 
Main Entry: ju·bi·lant

Pronunciation: \ˈjü-bə-lənt\

Function: adjective

: filled with or expressing great joy or triumph

Main Entry: ex·u·ber·ant
Pronunciation: \-b(ə-)rənt\

Function: adjective

2 a : joyously unrestrained and enthusiastic

Main Entry: thank·ful
Pronunciation: \ˈthaŋk-fəl\
Function: adjective

1 : conscious of benefit received

Main Entry: mer·ry
Pronunciation: \ˈmer-ē, ˈme-rē\
Function: adjective

2 : full of gaiety or high spirits

I have so much to be thankful for this week it will be hard to contain my list to just five! 

1. I am celebrating a very special day tomorrow, the day I met my husband one year ago
2. I get to have him home for two extra days before he leaves 
3. I have the most adorable dogs in the world
4. The return of several of my friend's husband's from a 7 month deployment made me very happy
5. I received some custom jewelry orders to keep me busy the next few days

I hope you all are having a great week and will join in on this week's Thursday five!

Summer Swap

Okay finally I feel like I can write about my package. I participated in Nicole's Summer Essentials Swap & I felt so bad because I wasn't able to ship out my swap partner's package until last Friday which was a week late... I was having such a hard time getting to the post office cuz of my love's schedule. Anyway I got my package a while ago and it was packed with goodies. My partner was Lindsay from "Lindsay Writing" apparently her daughter is enjoying all the goodies I sent her, she's too cute. Here's what I got in my package...

 

I got this adorable little mini takeout kit

Lovely blue sunglasses

My favorite from the package this headband with anchors

Cupcake flavored mints & a heart shaped headphone holder

Adorable little make up kit which I almost got for her as well!

Jewelry sale!

Be sure to check out my other blog Gambizzle Jewels where all earrings are now on sale buy one pair and get a second pair of your choice free! Be sure you like Gambizzle Jewels on facebook as well so you don't miss any of the upcoming jewels!

Just look at some of the cute earrings you can choose from! many more options available on facebook & you can email me for custom designs! MrsGambizzle@yahoo.com

While your here be sure to grab the button for my other blog so you can spread the jewels around!







<center><a href="http://gambizzlejewels.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/xx142/MrsGambizzle/gamjewelbtn.jpg" /></a></center>

Daddycakes

 (From our Scrapbook)

I'm his Butterbuns, he's my Daddycakes. 

I'm tired of referring to my hubby as just hubby. At home we have tons of pet names for each other, but the ones we use most are Butterbuns & Daddycakes. So that's who he will be from now on. I wasn't going to blog about this until Friday on the actual day but I'm just so excited I couldn't wait. This Friday will be a very important day, it's one year ago on this day that I met my Daddycakes for the very first time. Who knew only four months later we would be married! I remember the first time I saw him he looked so good I remember everything about that night. A friend of his introduced us, we hit it off right away and ended up sitting up on a hill talking for hours. I have to say I was mesmerized with everything about him. I was in love by the time I left his side that night... or morning since it was close to 5a.m. when I finally started on my way home. We spent an absolutely memorable week together before I found myself driving with him to the airport. As I was leaving the airport I found a little sticker on the ground, and it couldn't have been more perfect, it said "I'm gonna marry that boy someday" two days later I knew it was true when he called me to me tell me he loved me.

(The first picture I have of us together along with the sticker from the airport.)

He is the one I waited my whole life for, he's the knight I dreamt of as a little girl, he's the one I will love forever I truly believe he's my soul mate & I'm so lucky to have found him so young so that I may enjoy so many years by his side. So I want to do something special for him this weekend since it's the last one we will spend together for a while. I will save all that goodness for the weekend though so I don't spoil all the fun!

 (Our refrigerator)

That's Military Life

 (Scrubs & running gear)

This week was supposed to be a short work week for hubby, he's leaving soon for an underway and I was looking forward to spending the extra time with him. He was supposed to be off today, tomorrow, and Thursday. He got the highest scores in his command on the last PRT so he was awarded a three day leave for it, but I guess his senior chief felt that he was needed at work because of the upcoming underway. I'm sad because this will be the longest one we've gone through yet & I will hardly get to hear his voice at all because they will be super busy. I kinda wish I was back in Texas again, but I will just have to find something to keep me busy. I'm very excited because Miss Brittney from "A Day in the Life of a Navy Wife" has just arrived here in Virginia & I can't wait to meet her. She could possibly be adopting our little Tulip.

I've been debating whether or not I should even blog about this, but I decided I would go ahead and do it. I know I haven't mentioned much about it, but my hubby LOVES to run. Last week his new boss mentioned something to him about joining the Navy Track & Field team. He really wants to try out for it, and I don't think I have any reason to tell him he can't. Who am I to tell him he can't go after something he loves so much? The problem I have with it is that we would have to go to San Diego. Yeah, that's 2,750 miles from where we live now. It's no big deal as of right now because he hasn't talked to the athletic director yet, but I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I mean I did just move here less than 6 months ago & drove 28 hours to get here, I don't know how I would feel about packing everything up and driving twice as far so soon. I guess everything will work out how it's meant to.

I do have some exciting news coming up this weekend, I'm planning something special and I can't wait to tell you all about it!

Absolutely disgusted.

After such an amazing post this morning from Star on Mili Mondays I was disgusted when I came across this post today. I am absolutely disgusted by this. How can anyone be so careless with other people's lives? We have OPSEC for a reason & I do my best to follow it, not only for the safety of the sailor in my life but for every single man and woman who is defending our country & their families as well. I couldn't live with myself knowing that because I couldn't keep a date or a location or some simple detail to myself I put someone's life in danger. Oh and feel free to leave her comments I encourage you to, maybe if enough people tell her how wrong what she is doing is she will realize it, probably not, but I can hope right?

Semper Spouse: Ah, OPSEC.

Mili Mondays: Redefining the Fairytale

 I'm am so excited to present the first "Mili Mondays" especially since she's one of my favorite bloggy loves, Star Spangled Stockings, who has an amazing story to share with you all. I'm sure many of you already follow her lovely blog, but if not be sure you check out her blog to show her some love! She writes some of the most amazing posts & I absolutely love reading her blog. She went through a lot to get where she is and this isn't your typical fairytale, but I wanted someone who could show the other side of things. So here's her story, Enjoy!

Let me tell you a love story. 

It doesn't end the way a good love story is supposed to. But sometimes we have to redefine the fairy tale. 

There was a hot Marine with a Trident commercial smile who sat next to a city girl at a dinner party. She thought he was so charming and handsome. He was totally smitten with her. :) They talked for hours over a bottle of wine after the dinner was over and everyone else had left. She had to leave the next day to go back home to the opposite coast. He asked for her number, said he'd be out her way for training for a month and would give her a call. She thought, I don't know if I'll hear from him again, but maybe I'll get a free dinner out of this so why not. He called two days later, then the day after that, then she called him...and sooner or later, they were talking almost every night. He sent flowers on Valentine's Day. A few weeks later he came to her city for his training. 

Their first "date" was him helping her move on the day he arrived on a red-eye flight. Much to her embarrassment, she didn't greet him in perfect makeup, perfume and high heels. More like grungy jeans, smudge, sweat and boxes and boxes of crap. The first kiss? In her parking garage as he was leaving that night. They were both already sweaty and tired. But when their lips met, the earth moved. They kissed until a car came down the ramp and they had to part (or get run over). Her legs were shaky as she walked away and waved goodbye. 

Over the next month, he took her to dinner, she cooked for him, he charmed her friends, she made him laugh. They went to church, went on a weekend road trip, met some of his old friends. 

She didn't want to fall in love. He lived so far away. He was going to Afghanistan. He saw the world so much differently than she did. He had been trained to follow orders without question and to accept black and white. She had been trained to ask "but why?" hundreds of times to get to the root of an issue and to be comfortable with relativism. But, they learned, love doesn't always make sense. Despite her best efforts, she fell hard. When he had to leave at the end of that month, it was a very painful goodbye. 

He came back again a few weeks later. And a few weeks after that. They went on a wonderful and romantic vacation to Brazil where they told each other I love you, he bought her a necklace on the beach, they ate at fancy restaurants and he told her how special she was to him.

But the ideological fissures became more noticeable the more deeply involved they became. "Women shouldn't lead in church," he said. "I'm going to be ordained as a deacon," she replied. "Wives should submit to their husbands," he said. "I don't think so," she replied. "What's your ring size?" he asked. "This talk scares me and I wouldn't be ready to make this commitment until I've known you at least a year," she responded.

They returned from vacation. He mobilized. He called her two days later (at work) to break up....saying it wasn't working for him and she'd interfered with his relationship with God. 

Her heart shattered.

She cried, she hurt, she wondered why. Why he said he loved her, why they got together in the first place, why she fell so hard, why wouldn't the pain just stop? She wondered if he missed her. She stopped exercising but also stopped eating full meals and lost 6 pounds. On the breakup spectrum of easy to hellacious... this one was hellacious. She's a grown woman so she didn't know why she couldn't just get it together and get OVER it. 

In the midst of that first, intense, heart-stabbing pain, she started to pray. To pray for him, to pray for her, to ask for direction, and for relief from the agonizing pain.

And then Something Happened. The Good Book says, "blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." She never really understood what that meant until she experienced moments of sweet bliss and comfort that came out of nowhere through the hurt. Her faith grew. She started to ask new questions...this time about how to understand God better, and how to love His people better. She read all sorts of religious books, started to think more about God, started to pray more. The hurt didn't entirely go away. It still lingers. But new understandings replaced the hurt. Understanding that just because she's proud, independent and likes to control her environment...she's not really in control. And that's good. Understanding that she can still like him and wish him well without needing to be with him. Understanding that she has to trust God to direct her path, and He will, if she'll listen for it. Understanding that God loves all people, not just the ones she agrees with.

On the one hand, this is a love story gone wrong. A love that didn't work out, a story of pain and heartbreak. A relationship that failed. But it's also a story of reinvention. Of how hurt and pain can be the gateway to insight and the opportunity to rebuild your heart and your life. 

It's a powerful lesson of self-worth. Of figuring out who I am without him. Of not defining myself as A Marine's Girlfriend, or now, A Marine's Ex-Girlfriend...but me. Just me. A child of God. A quirky, strong, funny, smart, passionate, tender person. A friend. A writer and a seeker. A daughter. A deacon. A traveler. 

Thank you, Mrs. Gambizzle, for giving me the honor of being your first Mili-Monday guest blogger and letting me share my unconventional story. I hope you and your readers have windows full of sunshine on this beautiful Monday.

Love,

Star Spangled Stockings

Be sure you grab the Mili Mondays button from my left sidebar to spread the word & email me at MrsGambizzle@yahoo.com to be featured!

Is It My birthday???

Nope not for another month, but I feel like its my birthday already! I got my package in from Nicole's "Summer Essentials Swap" but I'm not blogging about it yet, you'll learn why later. I also received my clutch from the giveaway I won which you can read about HERE from the Anchor's Away Etsy shop! OMG it's adorable I love it!

She even personalized it with a little tag, Thank you so much I love it! Check out her shop she has great stuff.

My hubby got home a few minutes ago and decided to go for a run, which I also have news about, but thats for a whole new post. So I took the opportunity to come read more blog updates, and to start on this tub of goodness which contains 3 quarts or Margaritas! Oh I'm in heaven right now!

What else has made today such a great day? I won another award! It's the "One Lovely Blog" award which I am very thankful for winning, of course I owe my thanks to lovely Nicole. I've worked very hard on my blog, and it's become an important part of my life because of all the friendships I have made through it.

TO accept it I have to list seven things about myself, and pass it on to nine more lovely blogs.

1. I love Margaritas. They are my favorite alcoholic beverage :)
2. I'm a neat freak seriously. 
3. I also love not working like Nicole. for the same reasons as well. I love being home for my hubs at the end of a long day.
4. I have come to love designing graphics so much I want to take classes or something and get more into it. 
5. I've always wanted to go to California, and might soon get the chance.
6. I don't watch TV, and don't have cable in my house.
7. Express has become my favorite store, I wish I was there now. shopping.

As for my nine blogs, this gets harder and harder each time because I try to choose new ones to make sure I spread the love to everyone. I love all the blogs I read.

1. Confessions of a Sailor's Wife
2. The Adventures of Mr. Superman & Mrs. S
3. Star Spangled Stockings
4. Goodnight Moon
5. Mannland5
6. The Annoyed Army Wife
7. Being a Better Wife 
8. A'etonu Family Adventures
9. Semper Gumby

I have gotten TONs of requests for "Mili Mondays" be sure to check it out and email me to be featured on it!

<center><a href="http://lifeasasailorsgirl.blogspot.com/p/mili-mondays.html"><img border="0" src="http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/xx142/MrsGambizzle/Buttons/milimonbtn-2.png" /></a></center>

The Brand New Edition of Thursday Five

Say hello to a brand new version of Thursday Five! When "Mannland 5" posted that she would no longer be hosting it I was sad. It's one of my favorite weekly posts! So I decided I had to continue it. If you don't have any clue what I'm talking about then I'll explain. All you have to do is list five things that have made you

Happy

Joyful

Appreciative

Giggly

or

Excited

Sometime this week, then you can come back here and link up using the linky tool at the bottom of this post that way everyone who joins in will be able to see each others lists. So what are your five?

Here are mine!

1. I'm appreciative of the way my hubby kisses my eyelids before I fall asleep at night
2. I'm giggly because I've never been so in love
3. I'm joyful because I feel blessed
4. I'm excited because I'm about to meet some bloggy friends!
5. I'm happy because my life is finally coming together

Buttons Galore!

It's not even seven here yet but I've been up since 4:30 like usual, and I'm already working hard. On what you ask? BUTTONS! I had to create a button for the new "Mili Mondays" I will now be hosting every Monday, then I decided I didn't like my button so I made a new one of those too. I also saw yesterday that Mannland5 will no longer be hosting Thurday 5 which I absolutely love, so I've been working on a button for that too so I can continue to play, as well as any of you who would like to join me! So here they are

Here's what I've come up with as my Mili mondays button, feel free to take one and spread the word for me. It would be greatly appreciated!









<center><a href="http://lifeasasailorsgirl.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/xx142/MrsGambizzle/Buttons/milimonbtn-2.png" /></a></center>

and this is my new button for the blog, feel free to grab this one as well!









<center><a href="http://lifeasasailorsgirl.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/xx142/MrsGambizzle/Buttons/red_button-1.png" /></a></center>
and finally here are the ones I have come up with for "Thursday Five" I will be hosting this every week from now on so I hope many of you will join in it with me!


<center><a href="http://lifeasasailorsgirl.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/xx142/MrsGambizzle/Buttons/Thursdayfive.png" /></a></center>


  
<center><a href="http://lifeasasailorsgirl.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/xx142/MrsGambizzle/Buttons/Thurs5.png" /></a></center>

Any Ideas?

I got several volunteers for the new segment featuring military significant others, I'm super excited to get it started but I'm having trouble coming up with a catchy name, any ideas? I have made a button and banner for it already.

As you can see they are both blank... So I need help from my lovely readers. What should I call it? The only thing I can think of is Mili Mondays. It doesn't have to be on Monday though I haven't decided exactly what day I will feature it, it just needs to be catchy! Looking forward to your suggestions!

Will you participate?

I came across these poems this morning and I was inspired. I was hoping I could get my readers to participate in this with me. I want to start doing a segment here once a week, where I will feature a military significant other. He/She can post whatever they like, your favorite pictures, artwork, a poem, a story, a song that helps them through the rough times, even just some advice for others, or be creative and share them all! Will any of you participate? If you have something you'd like to share be the first one to participate! E-mail me at MrsGambizzle@yahoo.com. It will be a great way to share your blog, and your story with others. I will feature your blog along with whatever it is you want to share, so start emailing me I can't wait to share your goodies!
 

:Navy:

My darling husband
My dear brave sailor
We must stay strong
To keep us together

The days may be long
The nights become later
We must stay focused
To keep us together

The sea is calling
And sooner or later
We must pray
To keep us together

When you come home
It'll be better
We will embrace
Our lives now, together 

  

~Army~

            Some people wonder why I do it

Why I wait for this man

It's because I'm proud of what he does

I love him because I can

This "toughest job" they speak of

I volunteered for it

I promised I would support him

He knows I'll never quit

Camouflage from head to toe

he's my hero through and through

Standing here so tall and proud

I love my soldier it's true

while he's gone

The days grow long

The nights are even longer

I tell myself everyday

the distance will make us stronger

It matters not how far he is

Nor how long he is gone

I'm waiting here with open arms

Whenever he comes home

but for now I patiently wait
I take it a day at a time
It's all worth it
To call that soldier mine

*Marines* 

You can keep your Army khaki

You can have your Navy blue

I have the world's best fighting man

to introduce to you

His uniform is different

The best you've ever seen
The German call him "Devil Dog"
His real name is Marine

He was born in San Diego

The place where God forgot

The sand is eighteen inches deep

The sun is blazing hot

He gets up every morning

before the rising sun

He'll run a hundred miles or more

Before the day is done

He's deadly with a rifle

A bayonet made of steel

He took the warrior's calling card

He's mastered how to kill

and when he gets to heaven

St. Peter he will tell

One more Marine reporting sir

I've served my time in hell

So listen all you girls

To what I have to say

Go find yourself a Marine

To love you every day

He'll hug you and kiss you

He'll treat you like a queen

There is no better fighting man 

Than a United States Marine

Grown up Stuff

Yeah we're really grown up huh? We stole the 3D glasses from the theater then went out, consumes massive amounts of alcoholic beverages, and wore the glasses all night. haha, but for the first time in my life I feel like I have developed somewhat of a routine. I Wake up at 4:30, take the "kids" outside to pee, then I usually "conserve water" (as Nicole would  put it) lol and shower with the hubby. Then I make him breakfast, pack his lunch, and we say our goodbye before he's off for a long day at work. The first thing I catch myself doing after he leaves is to jump on the computer, and start my daily bloggy reading. I think I'm addicted seriously. Hubby has even dedicated "No blogging" times such as weekends when he's home, and at night when he gets off work. lol Is anyone else as addicted as I am? I really hope I'm not the only one! Things are really looking up though, I'm very excited I feel like we have more control over our lives. WE are still working on the "future plans" though. We can't seem to decide what we want. I want him to stay in the Navy, he wants to get out. We both want kids, just not now. We can't decide where we want to go if he does get out, stay here, go back to Texas, or start somewhere completely new? There is so much to decide on!

I stress over money a lot more than my husband does. I think it's because I don't work & if anything goes wrong, or if we ever come up short I feel guilty. I feel like it's my fault because I don't bring in a whole lot with just the jewelry. We like it this way though, we spend lots of time together being silly, the house is ALWAYS clean, he gets three home cooked meals a day (most of the time), and he never has to do anything when he gets home, he can just relax. My husband, up to this point has been the one to manage our money, but I feel like it's too much for him to deal with working all day & the stress of taking care of the financial stuff too. So we have begun to switch over so that I can take care of the bills and budgeting. So far I think I'm doing a good job, I've already managed to put money in our savings account, take care of all the bills, and still manage somehow to have plenty left over for the ENTIRE week of his family being here when they wanted to go out every single day.

I also started a list. It contains all the important stuff we need to take care of before the Big D. Stuff like getting me on the car insurance since I have FINALLY learned how to drive the Mini Cooper. I plan to move back to Texas while he is away I just feel like I would do better being around family. I am nervous about it though, I really like it here in VA. Have any of you ever done this before? How did it work out? I would greatly appreciate any advice!

Tuesday Tag Along

 

and a few songs I'm enjoying this morning :)

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Two hearts, One love.

I couldn't fall asleep last night because the people above us were up until 3am playing video games which I could hear loud and clear in my bedroom. So instead I was just laying in bed resting my head on my husband's chest, listening to his heart beat as he slept. It's the most relaxing sound in the world to me, when I'm there it's peaceful. I don't have to worry whether he's safe, or when I will hear his voice again, I can just relax. I started thinking about deployment though, how it's slowly creeping its way closer into our lives. In less than 6 months my heart will be torn in two when half of it has to go away for so many months. It terrifies me. So for now I will make the most out of the time we have together before he leaves. Right now we have a couple weeks left before he will go underway again, the longest one we've been through yet. Ugh.

On a lighter note, we had a great time this weekend. His cousin Sarah came on Friday night and we took her out to lunch & to a club on Saturday night. Sunday we all went shopping and I got some really cute stuff from Express.

We also took Mojo to Pet Smart to get him some new toys and more puppy food. He found this cute little carrot toy, and we're having trouble getting away from him now. He won't let the other dogs play with it either, he takes right out of their mouth anytime he sees them with it.

Gambizzle Jewels Winners

Today is the day, my giveaway has ended! Keep checking back for more great giveaways though! I have some awesome ones planned. So just a reminder here were the prizes to be won:

First prize was this "Love" bracelet and earrings set:

 Second Prize is this "Wish Upon a Star" necklace:

Third Prize is this "Hope" charm bracelet:

Here is the final count of everyone's entries:

Nicole @ Flip Flops & Combat Boots: 17

Brittany @ My Life as a Sailor's Princess: 22

Brittney @ A Day in the Life of a Navy Wife: 6

Kendra @ Kendra Diaries: 3

Sarah @ Confessions of a Sailor's Wife: 13

Jamie @ Stuck in a World of Blue & Camo: 3

Miss E @ Home is Where the Heart is: 4

So first prize goes to BRITTANY!
                 Second goes to NICOLE!
                        and third goes to SARAH!

Congrats ladies! Make sure you email me so I can get your information and get your packages sent out!

Email me at: MrsGambizzle@yahoo.com