Out in the Garden

The best thing about this move is definitely the yard. We lived in an apartment before so we had a small balcony with a great view, but it doesn't compare to being able to work outside in your own yard. The dogs definitely love it too, I can tell a difference in their behavior since they get to spend so much time outside now. Especially Dugg who is normally pretty hyper. 

I have definitely started to develop a love for gardening! We planted several flowers this weekend & plan to slowly start planting more as we get settled in. Of course we are in Texas and it's already hot here most days, but I can't wait til it's officially spring! It's my second favorite season (Fall being the first) I just love all the colors of the flowers that bloom. 

 

These Persian Buttercups are one of new favorite flowers! I just think they are beautiful!

 I love flowers that are full & bright. 

'Nami loves laying out in the sunshine while I work, we just have to work on her bad habit of eating plants! She ate an Aloe Vera plant my mom gave me, and over the weekend one of the new flowers I planted just completely disappeared from the garden! My main worry is she will eat something poisonous.

These pretty little flowers are the ones that are now MIA... I'm bummed. 

She's definitely contemplating what to eat next... lol

Flower is getting older now & so she mostly keeps to herself when we're out

 in the yard, but I can tell she enjoys it as well. 

 These are Hubby's favorite so far! He picked up several of these to plant around the yard, a couple have lost their tops though... can you guess what happened?? lol 

Why hello there!

It's been quite a while since I've blogged. Life has been hectic & crazy, and actually has done a complete 180 since I've been on. Hubby is out of the Navy, we made our journey all the way back to Texas, & we are now starting the next chapter & trying to re-adjust to life in the civilian world. It's not easy since we're used to doing everything the Navy's way, but we're getting there.

Hubby just started his new job yesterday, he's now working with an oil rigging company, which means even longer hours than when he was in the military... I never thought it was possible to see less of my husband, but turns out it is! No more deployments though, so I can't complain!

We've added another new member to our family since I last blogged. This is Tsunami, our Boxer. We've had her for almost a month now & she's definitely a handful! She loves to go out in my garden and eat my flowers... we're working on it though.

Our duggy just turned one year old, he's turned out to be an awesome & beautiful little dog!

Here is our new house, it's a work in progress & it's also very gloomy today so excuse the horrible picture...

I am slowly trying to pretty it up with flowers & decorations, I feel like there is never enough time in the day lol between my business, 3 puppies, and my hubby! 

So far life is pretty normal & not much excitement, but I promise for more exciting posts to come!! [: 

Vacation!

We took a much needed vacation right after the hubby came home. We went to Niagara Falls, NYC, & DC.

We did a ton of sightseeing & touristy stuff, made out under Niagara Falls, we enjoyed the night life in NYC, we had the most delicious Sushi & went to the Smithsonian in DC, and we had a blast driving through 6 states & even crossed briefly into Canada.

We both always wanted to go to Niagara Falls, and it

was breathtaking! I am so glad we finally went

The Rainbow Bridge to Canada

We ended our time at Niagara with some delicious Indian cuisine & yummy drinks at Hard Rock Cafe!

The next night we sat under the stars on top of niagara and watched a beautiful fireworks show.

 

In NYC we had a great time and really enjoyed the night life! We had Malaysian food, & found a quiet little bar on our last night where we had shots of their very own whiskey & pickle juice, it was an interesting combination! Not bad though!

On our last day we walked around DC and had the most amazing Sushi, it was ridiculously expensive, but worth it! They had this drink called Wasabi Cactus, I was hesitant to try it, but glad I did. It was probably one of the best I've ever had.



Life After Deployment

It's been quite some time since I have blogged anything. I feel like I'm just so busy all the time with jewelry, hubby, and the puppy, that I never have time for it. I've really been missing it & the always beautiful Mrs. S inspired me to write this morning!

As of yesterday the Sailor has been home for 2 whole months... the time has really flown by! I never shared our homecoming pictures because we were so busy (get your minds out of the gutter!) here's my absolute favorite though...

It took foreverrrrr to find him in the huge crowd, and when I finally did, I couldn't get to him because there were a group of sailors in the way. I wanted to SCREAM at them! I was patient though, & it was so worth it.

It was definitely an amazing day, just like I had always heard, and I am so happy to have him home safe, even if it's for a very short while.

Tomorrow is his birthday & it's the first time ever that we've spent it together. You never realize how much you can learn to cherish when you live this life. I'm so used to Happy Birthday emails, but for the first time this year he was actually home on my birthday too. Our Birthdays are a week apart so it's even easier for him to miss both.

He's amazing though! I got handpicked cupcakes,

pink Gerber daisies

 this beautiful vintage bracelet

& a bubble bath full of rose petals, but we won't do  pictures of that...

Now I have to figure out how to top that for his Bday. He's been working really hard, so I'm thinking just a relxaing day at home & maybe breakfast in bed!  He's always SO hard to shop for!

Hopefully I'll find a moment soon to blog again, but if I don't know that I love all my bloggy friends and even if I don't have time to comment I do still read your great posts!

Yellow or White??

Sooooo I know it has been WAYYYYYY to long, but guess what?!? It's almost homecoming time and I need your help ladies! I'm trying to decide on a homecoming dress and I've narrowed it down to two! So I need your help with the final decision because I love them both and I really can't decide! lol so here are the final two choices...

MSAD 2011

Happy Mil Spouse Appreciation Day to all my loves! You're all so much stronger and more amazing than you know, you deserve to have this day dedicated to you, and to spend it being pampered. I know a lot of you won't because you have deployed husbands, and kiddos, and jobs, and there is always work to be done, but I hope you at least stop today, and take time to be proud of yourself for all that you have and will accomplish in this life. You're all truly amazing women, and I am blessed to know you! [:

I woke up this morning to a special email from my love, I didn't even know he knew that it was Mil Spouse Day, he never let on. I am also truly blessed to call him my husband, and I will never forget that. 

From My Love:

For the woman that watches my back both at home and afar

Her love always constant like the bright northern star

I love you in ways often not shown

Thinking it enough that our love is known

Fast pace in a hurry; panicking to provide

Rushing to do better for I am husband to my bride

 

You stand alone shouldering burden after burden keeping our house a home

It’s because of you that day after day I can walk proud out here on the roam

So for the heartbreaking silence and the cold swift goodbyes

I apologize with tears in my eyes

You are my friend my love and my life

You help me through the fiery trials you help me through the strife

I love you baby happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day!!

Thank You For Your Service!

One of my absolute favorite things about deployment is the care packages! I love sending him packages, it's so much fun to decorate them, and find different themes to base them on. For Easter I went all our on his package, well technically it wasn't just HIS package. I bought over 100 eggs and filled them with different candies, then i sat and wrote out little notes for each one. The notes said things like "Thank you for your service" and "God Bless our Navy". It took quite a while, but it was so worth it! Amazingly enough, the package actually arrived on Easter Sunday, and they got to pass around all the eggs and enjoy the candy. My hubby said tons of them said thank you and it was nice to even have a little something on the holiday. I was super excited, but I'm a dork like that!

Along with all the eggs, I managed to squeeze in a few things just for my love, like energy drinks a corny ping pong game, some of his favorite snacks, and of course confetti eggs! 

Lately I have been writing him a letter every night before I go to sleep, I just always like to make sure he has something going his way even when I don't have time to do a full blown care package. What have been some of your favorite packages you've sent out?

From the hubby

I haven't done one of these in a while, but the other day I got the most amazing letter in the mail so I had to share his words with you all <3

Hello my love,

I hope that where ever it is that you are reading this that you have plenty of sunshine and a cool breeze. I like to envision you wrapped up in a warm glow of love with golden sunlight washing over you, it's rays splayed between your pretty hair, your eyes beaming down upon my letter reading every word, every syllable so very intently; as if to will a kiss from your lover's lips by doing so. The corners of your mouth upturned in a little smile, that you cannot help but bear, and your cheeks so forced by your smile, hugging your gorgeous hazel eyes. I love you my butter bean and I hope that through all of the unfortunate happenstance this deployment has brought you that you are still very assured of this fact, if not then I beg you, let me know.

Life here on the boat is not as sweet as home life, but it has its rewards, like my new found appreciation for so many things I have left at home like all of my loved ones and the sweet joy of embracing them and talking to them. Sunday morning breakfasts and long lazy weekends filled with lovemaking and laughter. Feeling the press of my wife's warm skin against my own, and the warm unmistakable ache of being inside her, and of simply just having her in the same room as me. Being able to run aimlessly getting lost in thought, and the simple joy of feeling ground below my feet, the salty ocean breeze and bright warm sun bathing every inch of my naked skin. Puppy kisses and the selfless affection given by our little sweet hearts, and OJ! A cold glistening glass of orange juice with just the right amount of pulp. 

There is structure and discipline of being faced with work and assignments every minute of every day (A predicament I have brought upon myself, I know). The chance to be better at those little things that get to be so mundane and mind numbing; a chance to master my weaknesses and to better see and develop the traits I admire and beliefs I hold. Those things that often get lost int the pleasure of convenience. 

Complaining is only natural but I try not to get lost in remembering how sweet my life is, with a gorgeous and loving wife and all! I won't bother you with the every day comings and goings because frankly it would be to long and boring and probably make me depressed. Only three more months, and even less by the time you receive this. I can't wait for that sweet moment when I get to wrap my arms around you and whisper I love you in those cute little ears of yours and inevitably to whisk you away to our bedroom and make sweet love for days! I don't think you'll be able to keep your hands off hubby once I come home not only because I'm good at what I do, but because I'm going to come home looking like a Greek god sculpted from marble. I love you my sweet darling wife, and I can't wait to return to the look in those gorgeous eyes of yours I so desperately miss.

Very deeply in love, 

Daddycakes

He's amazing... *sigh*

Mili Mondays: Getting Out

Today we have a great post about what happens AFTER military life, so leave some love for Ashley over at Adventures in Motherhood!!

Military is in my blood and military wifedom seems to be a tradition. I am a third generation military wife (at the very least, there may be more!). My mother and my grandmother were both military wives before me. My dad retired from the Air Force when I was in the fourth grade and I still remember his retirement ceremony. When I was a senior in high school I joined the Air Force Junior ROTC and then in college I did a semester of Army ROTC. I knew I wanted to join the military, and in fact I was on the path to do just that when I reunited and fell in love with a very tall and charming US Navy sailor - my now husband.

I loved being a Navy wife. Despite the hardships of being 3,000 miles away from family and friends and essentially starting over in a new town, I felt like I was a member of an exclusive club. Or better yet, a family – the Navy family. There’s a kinship among the spouses and family members, they “get it” when your civilian friends don’t. It was comforting to know I had that safety net when I needed it. My husband had already been in for 3 years when we got together; he had just gotten off a deployment and was transferred to shore duty after we got married. I’m sure some wives are jealous because I never had to endure a deployment or a workup but shore duty has its own challenges. By the time the Navy made the decision (I say that because it was not his choice) to honorably discharge my husband he had served 7 years of active duty.

Going from Navy wife to Navy Veteran wife was slightly difficult for me. I suddenly felt like I was booted out of the club, like my family abandoned me. I was afraid and angry at the Navy. I just kept thinking ‘How could the Navy do this to him?’ over and over and over again. Even though my fellow Navy wife friends didn’t treat me any differently, I still couldn’t help but feel this way. To top it off, my husband could not find a job and we had a 9 month old baby and bills to pay. Talk about stress! My husband and I handle stress differently and because of that it causes more stress. So for five months our house was nothing but a giant ball of stress with a sprinkle of abandonment issues on top. Not fun. I don’t know how we got through it but we did. The funny thing is that people have asked us how we did it, how we survived and our answer every time is “We just did it.” 

And then it dawned on me, the civilian world isn’t so different from the military. When your husband is deployed and you’re suddenly a single mom what do you do? You suck it up, take it day by day and just do it because no one else will do it for you. Sitting and crying about it doesn’t help the situation. Being a Navy wife and navigating the ups and downs of the military world has prepared me for anything that life has to throw at me. Suddenly I wasn’t so angry or afraid anymore, I felt stronger and a little braver for taking on all that stress and beating it. I could take on the world if I wanted! So now I happily take on anything that is thrown my way because the Navy has taught me how to deal with it. My husband has earned his title of Navy Veteran and now I finally feel like I’ve earned my title of Navy Veteran wife.

Be Patient...

  "Be patient and be strong; someday this pain will be useful to you."

 

After reading through this post I realized it's really random so bare with me...

Someone posted this quote earlier, and I thought it fit how I was feeling perfectly. No matter what, you gotta just keep pushing through, and everything will be okay in the end. If you haven't already guessed, I had kind of a rough day. Days like these I just wanna hide under the covers and not come out. Now the day is over, and thankfully it's time for bed. Tomorrow is a new day, and will be a much better one! I'm expecting a package from him any day now & I can't wait to get it! It's full of goodies he has bought me so far on Deployment, and I have no clue what any of it is because he won't tell me! So I'll definitely post about it when it finally comes. 

On a better note, some of you may remember when I posted about holding an auction for my friend Kevin who needs a kidney transplant. The auction is over now and I am happy to say we completely exceeded my goals and raised nearly $2,300 to go toward his medical expenses!  and on another good note, we have passed our halfway point of deployment and my donut of misery is now looking a little less miserable! I am so excited to start planning for that day, it's going to be one of the happiest days of my life! I already have a dress picked out, I'm convinced it's way to early for that, but I couldn't help it.  I have a photographer set up already too! It's going to be such a fun day [: I just keep dreaming of running into his arms. 

 

 

It's a lonely night

It's been a few days since I last blogged. I got home safe from Boston, but terribly sick. I've been in bed for three days now doped up on cough syrup, antibiotics, and some other sinus medication... it's not been fun. I have some sort of respiratory infection. 

I haven't heard from my husband since I left Boston,  it's not Navy related, I know he's  just really busy with college and all, but most of you know, that doesn't make it easier. There's a thunderstorm going on outside, and I absolutely HATE sleeping alone when it's thundering. It's very scary, I would say at least I have Dug to sleep with now, but he's just as scared as me. 

To top off the night, I just read the most heart breaking post I've ever read in my life.  Before you ask, yes the authorities have been notified and they are doing what they can to find out what's going on. There is no way I am getting any sleep tonight after reading it, all I can do is pray, and hope from the bottom of my heart that she is okay. When I started reading I couldn't believe it, but as I got further into it my heart shattered for this poor girl. She poured out her entire life, I only pray someone was there to help her when she needed it most, that she just wasn't able to get to the post before it went out. I hope that maybe it was just a cry for help, whatever the case may be, I just pray she's alive and getting the help she needs.

MisAdventures of an Army Wife - A Final Goodbye

I've always been taught a very important lesson in life, that NO MATTER WHAT God throws at you, you never give up. You keep pushing through it, and as long as it takes, life will turn around. I can't imagine what she must be feeling, the kind of abandonment it takes to make a person feel that "A Final Goodbye" is their only option to achieve happiness. I just hope that every single one of you know that no matter what's going on, how far away you are, whether we've met or not, I will be there for you when you need ANYTHING.  I am on facebook, where you can find my email, phone number, whatever you need. I consider every one of you a friend and you've been there to support me when I needed it. Please keep Jessica in your prayers tonight, and hope that she is okay, wherever she may be.

Cheers!

Today is my last full day in Boston, I fly out tomorrow afternoon. It amazes me how fast it went by. I love that time is flying, and this deployment will be over before I know it. I have a few things to start planning, but that's a whole nother post. I have no idea what we are doing today, but I do know we had an AWESOME day yesterday. We started with a tour of the Sam Adams Brewery, and throughout the day we drank lots of beer.

The tour was free which was pretty awesome considering they gave us these cute little beer glasses and even filled them three times with different Sam Adams beers for free as well!

After we finished drinking our beer and got some souvenirs, we headed to a little bar they told us to check out which was the first bar in the world to sell Sam Adams. The bar actually is 125 years old, and several movies have scenes that have been filmed inside including 21 & Mystic River. 

After all the beer drinking we decided to head to Fenway park, by the time we got to the area we had to pee sooooooo bad but no one would let us use their rest room, so we stopped at another bar, called Game On, and we had another beer just so they would let us use the restroom.  Once we finished we headed over to Fenway park, and then realized we had missed the tour since we made so many detours. It was still amazing to be there and see everything though.

After all that beer drinking and touristy stuff, we were pretty hungry so we headed over to Cheers! for dinner. We decided to have clam chowder for dinner, and I didn't realize it would make me sick since I'm allergic to Shrimp, but it did. It wasn't that bad, just really, really nauseous. It was totally worth it though, it was delicious. All in all I've had an awesome time here in Boston and I'm sad that it is over, however I am excited to get home to my new puppy, and my baby flower. I miss them a lot. 

Mili Mondays: Wifey Drama

It's been a while since I've had a Mili Mondays post, you all know I was going through getting settled after deployment and all... and some other issues, but now I'm back! I'm so happy to be blogging again, I've really missed it. So even though it's a short post, I'd like you all to show Kate some love, and make her feel welcome! If you have any advice for her, you're welcome to comment and I will forward them to her!

First off, I want to thank Mrs. Gambizzle for having me write for her blog today. I am so happy to be a part of this!  Second, I am going to introduce myself. My name is Kate and I am engaged to a United States Sailor. I am in college and work part-time so my hands are pretty full! 

The one thing I wish that Military SO’s would learn to do is to keep the drama to a minimum. I have encountered a one of kind of drama, military wife drama. The Military SO drama is pretty much just the women talking bad about one another and creating unnecessary divides between themselves. Sure, not all of us will get along, but there is no need for the drama! I have met many women who create rumors about each other and try to create alliances. Is this needed?! We are all in similar situations and should just be there for one another instead of acting like petty 13 year olds. I hear about women creating lists to pass out to the new wives talking smack about the women they don’t like.  Other SO’s being left out of the “cool group”. Etc. So all of you out in bloggy land can ya do me a favor? If you see or hear about this happening, confront it in a calm way. I want to help stop this nonsense! 

Ya know, all of us Mili SO’s are in this together. Besides each other, we don’t have anyone else who gets what we are going through. So why alienate ourselves from the only people we can associate with? That is just silly. 

On less of a “lecturing” note, how great is it to have a sisterhood of women who can fully understand what you are going through? I can’t tell you the amount of nights that I have spent beyond frustrated and upset and one of my mili friends knew exactly what to say to make me laugh and get over the hump. I love my non-military friends dearly, but sometimes they just don’t understand what my life consists of now. I don’t know when I will see him again. I don’t know where I’ll be in a year. Not many others can say that.  

We’re all in this together. No matter where we are on this journey, we can all offer some comfort and love towards each other.  We need all the love we can get <3

www.sailorskate.blogspot.com