Yours Truly Is A Writer, Kind Of

Yes, I know we all enjoy writing or we wouldn't blog, but not all of get published in a Chicken Soup book! Am I right, or am I right?

Okay, so I know it's not the biggest deal in the world, but I am pretty dang proud. The fact that I can say that I was paid to write is a dream come true! I have such a passion for the written word, but I rarely think I'm good enough to go any farther than this blog. To say I feel blessed is an understatement, but I'll have to go more into that soon.

I'm happy to report that we have made it through five days of not talking to Will, and this is how I've occupied myself:

1 | Ladies Night Out with the co-workers!
Hence the hangover on Monday.

2 | I recently took up crocheting, because I already don't have enough on my plate.
I'm making a baby scarf for my new neice!

3 | Another present from Will: Dri-Fit ARMY pullover.
You saw the matching shirt in the last video. I promise I won't wear them at the same time.

4 | A. Buck {Our favorite third wheel} took me for a Birthday massage at Massage Envy.
Didn't think I was sore, but my whole left side was a big knot from favoring my right side.

4 | B. And then he really spoiled me with Chik-Fil-A. 
We were just glad we thought to go on a day that it wasn't Sunday!

5 | I hate candy corn, but the M&M version is my FAVE Halloween candy.
If you have never tried them, you better scoop 'em up if you see 'em!

I can't even tell you how many people make fun of me for being a 90 year old woman in a 19 year old's body, and now the crochet thing is totally giving them more evidence. DILGAF? For now, I am simply enjoying this week with friends, and then next week I will be right back into hibernation mode until Pensacola. I still can't believe that I will be there in eleven short days, and I will get to spoil this little nugget.

Le sigh...my daddy is so good with kids. I can't wait to squeeze them both!!
Well, I'll catch you on the other side of twenty-eight, and can't wait to see everyone's costumes. Anyone doing a link up for a costume reveal? Could be fun ;)

If You Want To See What Hyper Janna Looks Like

Confession: I went out drinking last night.

I know, it made no sense, and even less so now that I am barely avoiding this hangover.

See what had happened was...

I had to learn how to close the restaurant last night in preparation for my closing manger shift next weekend, and I was tricked into drinking a little too much after work. I honestly didn't drink that much, and even made the bartender cut me off, but miss-low-tolerance-over-here just can't hang like she used to!

Since it's already Monday afternoon, I will just share this little gem of a video that I recorded for y'all last week. You will have to watch it to get the full idea of my mental state at the time...If you want a sneak peak of  my Halloween costume, get a peek at a few Birthday presents, and find out my favorite sub shop, then you should probably check it out. I swear I only sound ditsy because I'm hyper. At least I'm pretty sure I don't sound like this all the time. Those of you that know me IRL, do I always sound like this?

This was my first time playing around with the transitions and jump cuts, so feel free to point me in the direction of a good tutorial, 'cuz I obviously need practice!

Lesson learned this round: 

No background music, and I should probably quit using the camera on my computer.

Anywhosit, Will and I usually chat it up about our day, work, and other goings on when we get home, and since he's not here, you guys are my stand in. Do you know how hard it is to have a million things to say to someone, and only the dog to listen? Six days left! I hope.

Handsome, Intelligent, And Shopped Pinterest For My Presents? Unbelievable.

Okay, so I know my Birthday isn't until the 31st, but in my eyes, it already happened and by far surpassed my own imagination. Picture it, Prince charming cooking your dinner, dipping fresh strawberries in chocolate, followed by a cake that HE baked, and presents that he found on your Pinterest board, while you take it all in from the fireside of the mountain cabin he secretly reserved for the weekend. I shit you not, I have THE PERFECT husband.

For three years, I have wanted to see the leaves change, and every year I am left unfulfilled. That is, until Will took charge and planned our weekend getaway in Florissant, Colorado. Welcome to our humble abode for the weekend {insert Vanna White hand wave}.

After a leisurely afternoon stroll through the autumnal paradise, Will hopped in the kitchen to make those fresh chocolate covered strawberries and one of my favorite meals. Even though we ran out of propane in the middle of cooking the steaks, they still came out perfect. To be honest, the whole dinner reminded me of one of our first dates and the beginning of our relationship in general. Just like the days of our humble beginnings, he made me Steak Au Poivre in the skillet, and it still melted in my mouth.

After dinner, he banished me to the bedroom, and I wasn't allowed to come out until the following was set up. Take special note of the Coconut Carrot Cake that he made from SCRATCH. Apparently, he went over to Buck's to bake it that morning he disappeared. 

Well played, sir.

Our third guest didn't seem thrilled, but this party wasn't about him. His birthday isn't until November, and now I know that I don't have to wear a party hat for his birthday.

As I sat there taking it all in, I was completely in awe. 

With tears in my eyes, I read the letter he wrote to me...

To my love,

I don't even know where to start. I spent all week trying to come up with the right thing to say, but it wasn't until tonight that I found the words. Something you said this evening struck me.You said, "You are so amazing...like a fairy tale", and I thought to myself, I have never found myself to be that incredible. I do these things because you deserve nothing less. You are my rock, my launchpad out into the world, and my safe haven when I push it a bit too hard. You sacrifice so much in support of me and the Army, so this weekend I wanted to be sure you know just how incredible YOU are. I'd be half the man I am today without you, and I can't wait to spend my life with you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY QUEEN.

I love you,

Will

I won't go into details about what happened next, but I will tell you that there was a Jacuzzi involved, and I properly rewarded him for making me feel like a princess. Or queen, as he called me. I'll take either title.

Come Sunday, the fun wasn't over. 

We got the inside scoop on a local spot, and ventured out to find "The Falls". They really do keep the secret quite well, because even the directions are quite confusing. Like the parking was just a "pull off on the left, past the house with the moose statue". For reference, we never found the moose, but the good news- is that we did find The Falls!

We were kind of expecting something along the lines of Niagara Falls with the hype this place got, but we still weren't disappointed by the beauty of the hidden gem. It might have been the tiniest waterfall I have ever seen, and yet, even the rainbows managed to find their way to greet us.

Afterwards, we decided to relax and soak in the Jacuzzi one more time. I feel so blessed that we can spend every moment together, and then still lay back and talk for hours. After five and a half years, we still chat it up like when we are dating. Possibly more, actually...he intimidated the shit out of me when we first got together, so I might have talked less back then ;) Sssssshhhh, don't tell him I admitted that.

Now, we have a week until my Birthday, and I already feel incredibly fulfilled. Thank goodness, because the Army took all their phones away for the next nine days, which lends me on the empty side. That means I may or may not get a birthday message or call from him, but I can only hope that he can call me {without getting into trouble} on the day I will need to hear his voice the most. Only time will tell!

Have a great weekend, all!

The Last Birthday That I Actually Spent With My Husband

When I was trying to figure out what I'd like to reminisce about today, I  pondered spooky decor, haunted houses, and slutty  college costumes, but I thought...No, I'm just not feelin' it. Then, like a zombie hand had guided me, I stumbled upon the pictures of the last Birthday I spent with Will three years ago.

It was the beginning of October, and we were stationed in Augusta Georgia. We were missing our friends, so we tossed around the idea that we all meet up in the cute wittle mountains in Northern Georgia for a fun-filled weekend. Considering everyone else lived in Tennessee, Maryland, and Virginia, we knew it would be a feat, and yet somehow it all worked out, and the stars aligned.

Our cabin was amazing, the boys cooked up some amazing food, the jacuzzi was a hit, and we even attended a few festivals. What I didn't know, was that the weekend was actually planned around me. We came home from the Apple Festival on Saturday, and the whole house was decorated for Halloween! Not only that, but everyone had brought costumes for our middle-of-nowhere Halloween party.

I can't even put into words how perfect the weekend was, and it didn't end there. As most of you know, I am pretty much obsessed with Benihana's, but what you may not know is that I have sucked down that fried rice for my Birthday for nine years in a row. It's usually a drive to find one near us, but the one in Atlanta was on our way home from the mountains. Just take a gander at the plate in front of me...

*Hopefully, I can make it to Benihana's for the tenth birthday in a row. My Sami Girl already said she'd go with me, so I'm seeing a blate in our near future! Woohoo*

By the time we actually got to my Birthday, I thought we were all partied out, but we had one last hurrah. Will knows my love for horses, so he took me out on the trails! I can't even tell you how excited I get around pretty ponies, and riding them is definitely second nature. True story: I could ride a horse before I could walk.

To round out the amazing month of festivities, I got to pass out candy for the first time EVER. Most of the kids were super cute, and I just hid when the big kids came by or the ones that kept trying to loop back around for a double visit. I wasn't letting those conniving little suckers clean me out before I was ready to call it a night. Plus I wanted leftover candy. 

Hey, it was my birthday.

If you don't make fun of me for my candy-passer-outer-attire, then I will tell you ALL about our secret getaway on Friday. You know you like my banana hat, anyways ;)

PS. Please excuse the photo quality. These were obviously taken before I became bloggerific. I know better now. Teehee.

GUILT FREE Peanut Butter Dip

Wait...is it Monday? I wouldn't know because I'm off!
I'm kind of loving this new schedule of mine. I may work more in the coming weeks, but this has been the most relaxing and restful weekend EVER. I don't know if the ol' hip is healed, but it is most certainly better.

Other than making one breakfast casserole that helped me use up all the eggs and vegetables that were going to go bad because Will is gone, I mostly snacked because I'm lazy. One has to be careful while snacking, so I tried to stick to my go-to healthy options. I marvel in the yumminess of some of them, so I figured that I should share some of my secrets. Secret numero uno, is a guilt free peanut butter dip!

 I used to eat peanut butter and fruit all day, e'r day, which sounds healthy, but it adds up to too many calories for a 'snack'. A mere two tablespoons of  good ol' PB boasts 200 calories *ouch* and that's IF you actually measure it out. I knew that there was no way that I could give up my PB addiction, so I decided it was time to revamp my go-to snack.

Ingredients:

Yopa Greek Yogurt With Dark Chocolate Chips, 120 Calories per serving.

Truwhip Natural, 30 calories for 2 Tbs.

Powdered Peanut Butter, 45 calories for 2 Tbs.

Optional Add Ins:

1 Tsp. Cocoa Powder <10 calories

1 Tbs honey = 64 calories

1 Tbs Carob Chips = 35 calories

1-2 tsp water 0 calories Adds volume, creaminess and ZERO calories!

I'm sure you are all like, "What the heck is powdered peanut butter?", so let me just tell you...it's my new favorite thing. They {someone really smart} figured out that you can slow roast peanuts, press the oil out, and find peanut powdered gold. Is it exactly like peanut butter? No, but it is perfect in recipes like this or smoothies because you get the flavor without all the calories.

As this recipe stands, you can make two servings for only 120 Calories each, but you can play around with it and it will still be around 200 calories based on what products you use. I started out with regular peanut butter {because that's what I had in my house} and modified it from there, so don't be afraid to make it your own. I usually dip Granny Smith apples in it, but that's negotiable too. The options are endless!

Now, I'm going to eat some baked pumpkin french toast I just whipped up! For the easiest breakfast ever, get Pepperidge Farm Swirl Bread, dip it in Egg Beaters, place it on a piece of foil {edges rolled up}, and bake at 375 until browned. My favorite part is tossing the foil and not having to scrub a skillet. Holler! Told you I was lazy ;)

High Five For FRIDAY!

In all my three years of blogging, I have never participated in a 'High Five For Friday' or '5 On Friday' post. Realizing this has me wondering why it has taken me so long to figure out that sometimes you just need to rejoice that the week is over and in my case, try to find the positive in a bad week. So here goes...

One
I got to start my week by taking a Monday off with my soldier, and we spent it cuddled up on the couch watching PS. I Love You. Cried through the whole movie, of course.

Two
I have gotten to eat all kinds of goodies this week- chocolate covered bacon, pumpkin bread, and homemade coconut carrot cake that Will made for my 'birthday'. However, this is also a TERRIBLE thing, because I can't work it off until this leg heals, and I'm pretty sure I have to trump this up to stress eating. Yeah, that's a good excuse, we'll go with that.

Three
I had a coupon to Vanity AND they were having a big sale. Funny story, I thought that I bought this one jacket a few weeks ago, planned an outfit around it, and then realized that I passed it up. That seemed like a sign that I needed to go back for it, and low and behold, it was ANOTHER 50% off. Totally worth the wait.

Four
I contributed to Helene's 10 Things That Are More Important post on Thursday. She is flippin' funny, and I feel blessed that she featured me as one of the ten stories. I won't tell you what it is, so you will just have to go over and find out. Just be excited.
  Ding Ding Ding Da Da Ding Ding.

Five
I have all of YOU, and I mean it when I say that YOU helped me get through this week and the past three years! I appreciated every comment on the last post, and they definitely helped me make it through the past two days. As a matter of fact, I'm going to try to apply all the advice for the next four months, because if I candle this...I can handle anything.
I WILL persevere!

There is snow on the ground this morning, so I'm pretty sure that I will be in full on hibernation mode this weekend. Let's see if I can manage to not leave my house and heal this leg! What's the weather like in your neck of the woods?

Catfish Is Not Just My Favorite Fried Fish Anymore

Ooooooooh boy.

I'm back, the trip was amazing, and it just might be the best birthday I've ever had. Too bad the recap is going to have to wait; a few things have gotten in the way...

+ The incessant crying from Monday was a big problem.

You'd think that I would be good at saying goodbye at this point, but instead I get worse. The only thing I can figure is that I love him MORE with each passing day, so the goodbyes just get harder. He left Tuesday morning, and I've had nothing but anxiety since he left. I don't want to make this harder on him so I will hold myself together, but did the Army really have to take him "just to reach their training numbers"? Aren't we supposed to be spending less money these days?

+ My new iPhone came in a day early!

Not that I'm complaining, but I spent Tuesday night at Verizon trying to get everything transferred over and the new Lifeproof case installed. I still didn't get my pictures switched over, but this is why I back everything up on the computer, as well. I can't just count on iCloud. Actually, I don't trust iCloud at all. Oh well, I now have a fresh, clean phone with lots of memory available!

+ My childhood friend was on Catfish last night!
I honestly used to think the show was about fishing for catfish (I was raised on fried catfish), but upon further review, I just thought it was a bunch of weirdos. That is until I found out my dear friend Michael B. was going to be on the show! It aired last night and I was thoroughly impressed with how he handled the situation. He pulled off looking like a caring, concerned, sweetheart instead of a male ego with his head stuck up his rear. Obviously he's single, ladies! This was from the last wedding we were in together:

+ I have a pulled Hip Flexor. Well, I'm hoping that it's just pulled.

I haven't gone to the doctor, but it seems pretty clear cut that it is something to do with my hip flexor. Perhaps I shouldn't have run 4 miles on Friday or hiked on Sunday, but I really didn't realize how bad I had hurt it. Now instead of being healed in 2-4 days like it was supposed to do, I am having to take it easy for a good week. Especially since I slipped in the kitchen at work and tweaked it even worse. I barely take recovery days, so a week of no workouts is going to make me go nuts.

Other than that, I am trying to wrap my mind around working at my current job for the next four months. We all know that I love my job, but I don't always love every location that I work at. This current store has gone back and forth as my favorite and least favorite for many reasons (mean girls, bullies, corporate nonsense, and a rotating door for managers), and right now...it's hard to go to work sometimes. There is SUCH a negative vibe that I have nightmares about this place. I've even thought about moving to a location that is farther from my house, so that I could make it through this final time without having a mental breakdown. Let's just hope I don't cause too much ruckus in the near future. I tend to get myself in trouble while Will is gone, and this time I have a bunch of people egging me on. We are all at our wits end.

How do you guys deal with a tough work environment? Do you put up with crap because the money is worth it? How can I ignore the negativity and press on? I really don't want to quit before we move, so talk me off the ledge!

PS. What are your favorite apps? I am not in the know when it comes to the best apps.

If I Don't Blog Wednesday, Send A Search Party

Saturday morning, as I peacefully sipped my coffee... Will barged in, told me he was leaving, instructed me to pack, and said to be ready at noon. He disappeared as quickly as he came, and left me without an inkling of what we were doing or what to pack. In true guy fashion, he only told me to pack for "medium warmth" and to bring a bathing suit. Um...what?

Obviously, I don't have time to reveal the fun today, because I only have one day left with my soldier, but like I said...If I don't post on Wednesday, you may need to send a search party because I really have been wifenapped! Although, I wouldn't complain about that. WinkWink!

The Army Can't Take Away My Birthday

Every now and then I'm off on a Friday if we are on vacation, but I usually HATE missing Fridays at work. My best regulars come in, I make the most money, and yeah...it's about the money. However, when Will told me that he would have a four day weekend, I didn't hesitate to scam and get today off. That's how much I love him, haha. I think he will make it worth my while, though. He ordered my birthday presents early and has more surprise plans for this weekend! I guess you could say that my birthday is already happening.

Take THAT Army.
You can take him away for a month, but you can't take away our spirit!

In other news:
+We got our orders! We will be heading to Alabama in February, and we will now be counting down. We are both so ready for this move for many reasons.
+I booked a flight home to see my newborn niece! I knew I couldn't wait until February to see her, so Will leaving was the perfect excuse to head home for a long weekend.
+I get my 5S next week. I already have my new lifeproof case, so it's time to put it to good use. Now, if only my sweet-wonderful-devastatingly-handsome-hubby can help me get everything updated/saved before I have to switch phones. *hinthint

And a few random questions. Feel free to answer whatever pertains to you:
1. I hate mopping, so what is the best mopping device to make it easy?
2. Have any of you lived near Fort Rucker? We need to start looking for a house {to rent}!
3. Can anyone help me find my lost boot? I have no clue where it went, but somehow I lost one boot. Who does that?

Alrighty, now it's time for me to get spoiled by the hubby. In case this is the last time we have together for a month, it's all about us. Peace out!

If You Don't Appreciate Romance Or Beautiful Scenery...

You should look away.

The rest of you can enjoy the beautiful Colorado backdrop that we will miss when we move. For those of you that asked, we are moving to Fort Rucker, Alabama, and it will probably happen within the next six months! We are still waiting for orders {instructions and dates for our move}, so now we are just soaking up  every last drop of Colorado that we can.

Colorado, you have treated us well the last three years, and we promise to make the most of you in our remaining time! Now, we need a whole new bucket list for Colorado...

+A Colorado Blogger meetup

+At least one more trip to Denver to see Sami.

+I want to try out these Hot Springs I keep hearing about.

+Seven Falls, weather permitting

+The Broadmoor for the tree lighting and brunch, of course.

+Uwe's German Restaurant

+My FAVORITE little bistro, Coquettes

+Mona Lisa Fondue

+The Sunbird. We just went, but we have a $50 GC left.

And I'm sure I will add a few more as we go along.

Now I just can't wait to spend another surprise weekend with Will coming up! You see, there is a big possibility that he will, in fact, miss my Birthday for the fourth time in a row. I may have already cried a few times about it, but he's going above and beyond to make this time special for me. He will be gone for a month again, so this last week is dedicated to us. I even told him that if they make him go to work on Friday, I will be working right along with him. If they think they can take him from me for a month for no gosh darn reason, then I won't give up the days that he's supposed to be off. Don't think I won't. They are just lucky that I'm not planning to stow away on the bus, and boy would that make a good story for the blog. Hmm...I'm pretty sure I could fit in his duffel bag...