Mustard and Plum

I know everyone has been all "Pumpkin spice this, and apple cider that...", but somehow Fall still snuck up on me. Other than a 10 degree difference during the twilight hours, it's a far cry from the beautiful Colorado change of season that I'll always miss.

However...I am not complaining that I got to kick off the first day of fall in a sleeveless top, while some states have already gotten snow. I think it will be some time before I actually miss the snow. Maybe by the time a sweltering Southern Christmas shows up, I'll be retracting that.

It's funny, I found that top in an antique market and my dad looked at me like I was crazy when I just had to have it. Little did he know, I would get compliments on it all day! I think Mustard really is an amazing, versatile color, and I have a feeling you will be seeing a lot of it from me.

What are your go-to colors for fall? Would you rock mustard?

Happy Fall!

T-G-I- M-Effin'-FRIDAY!

And the best part is that it's the first day in three weeks that I can sleep past 5:30AM. It's been fun being a working girl for a couple of weeks, but I'm happy that it was only a short contract. It's ca-razy how much harder it is to juggle work and Will now that we are in this flight school situation. Shout out to my sweet hubby for keeping the dishes done and cooking me dinner a few times in the past couple weeks. Every little bit helps.

Driving four hours round trip in a 24 hour period by my lonesome didn't exactly help, but quality time with my family just can't be beat. Not to mention... reason #1583937 that I love being so close to home is getting to witness my niece grow up. I am definitely soaking up every milestone for her that I can, and her first birthday party can be checked off my list.

Yes, I know...owls are following me everywhere.

My Brother and SIL did an amazing job on everything, and it was awesome to catch up with extended family that I haven't seen in years. I got a lot of "You were suchandsuch age last time I saw you, and you still look suchandsuch age!" What none of us could believe is our little princess is already one! As such, we had the essential cake smashing, and it doesn't matter how many times I've witnessed this, they crack me up every time. A baby on a sugar high with terrible motor skills is one of life's greatest gifts. I mean...just look at that face!

She's one of life's greatest gifts on her own. She's just SO CUTE I could EAT HER UP. A'ight. Now it's time for me to get an actual nights sleep. Boy do I need it! I hope you all have a great weekend, and we will most likely be back to regular scheduled programming next week!
Ciao for now ;)

I Got Volunteer Of The Month!

I'm happy to report things are looking up since my last venting sesh. I got some much needed family time, a girls night out, and I found out I am the Volunteer of the month for the FRCSC!

That is nuts to me because I just started this volunteer thing. I didn't even know there was a volunteer of the month when I started painting those owls, and now I've gotten this awesome recognition. To some it may not seem like a big deal, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't tear up a little. I've been working my butt off lately, and it's really nice to know that it's not going unnoticed. As a matter of fact, I mentioned to Will that he gets all these special homecomings, and I get nada when I come home. He needs to recognize I'm VOM now ;)

Girl time is also getting me through these days. I haven't really had many 'girly nights out' since I've been married unless Will was deployed or in training, but the paint party we just went to at All About Art was a big stress reliever. Wine, painting, and girl talk? A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

It was awesome that our group took up half the room, but I don't think our teacher liked that very much. In the words of Carrie, don't tell us to bring wine and then get mad when we end up drunk tipsy. Let's be real...all that matters is that we can maintain a paintbrush.

Whatevs...our paintings turned out great, and even though I didn't really want to paint a peacock they were really cute, I made that ish my own, and my teal color scheme totally worked. I don't want to make a habit of losing time with Will, but there will definitely be another painting party in our future. Hhhmmm...maybe I should just make them all come to my house and have them help me paint/stain my benches, coffee table, and sofa console. I won't even charge them the $30 bucks! What about y'all? Any takers?

A Little Venting Sesh

“A happy woman is one who has no cares at all; a cheerful woman is one who has cares but doesn't let them get her down.” - Marie Dressler

Man, Fort Rucker is keeping BOTH of us busy these days. I know, I know, the whole world is busy. What's new. However, I was so busy that I ended up with 'severe dehydration'. I'm on a new stupid medicine (for hormones) that is a diuretic a.k.a. 'drink tons of water or you get kidney stones', and I guess I didn't take them as seriously as I should have. Thankfully, I do not have kidney stones {yet}, but I did start puffing up like a blow fish with pain so bad in the mornings that I couldn't use my hands. It's official. I'm getting old.

My truck broke down twice last week, and three times if you count last month. I just typed out a paragraph about what was wrong with it, but realized no one would read it or understand, so all you need to know is that I correctly diagnosed my truck twice! Toyota-0, Janna- 2

Everyone keeps giving me crap now that Will is an 'officer' saying I need a fancy car, but I am still rocking the shizz out of my truck, and I have a sexy mechanically inclined husband, so there is no way I'll buy a new car that will eventually have repairs that will cost more money than my whole truck. Ain't she a beaut'?

We've been so busy that we forgot to celebrate We-Man's birthday. Just kidding, we've never actually celebrated his birthday. However, it did just pass, and we should have celebrated it because of the heart murmur we recently found out he has. It's not life threatening, but we are now spending more for him in meds than an eighty year old man. I'm just happy that we figured out his heart problems were what was causing him to have coughing fits where he sounded like a seal. Poor thing was pitiful, and we felt helpless.

He's SO lucky to have his Aunt Katie here in Enterprise to take care of him. How cute is this? They put his picture on his meds, and she writes little love notes. I just love this girl. If you love animals, you should check out her Instagram.

Somehow I've managed to have dinner on the table every night, but I'm loving when I can find an easy option. I've been craving a Cobb Salad lately, so I decided that would do. It covers most of the food groups, it's purdy to look at, and you can make it your own.

Romaine Lettuce || Ham ||Turkey || Bell Pepper || Onion || Cheddar || Bacon
 ||Avocado ||Dressing || Optional: Hard Boiled Egg, Cucumber, Tomatoes, etc.

You are welcome, and more importantly, thank YOU for allowing me to ramble today. It's just one of those days that I need to get it all out. You know? Now don't forget about the Blog Auction. It goes live at 9AM Central Time, and on that note...Good night, moon.

Set An Alarm Tomorrow! The Blog Auction Will Be LIVE

Did y'all see Helene's Blog Auction last month?

I thought it was such a cool idea that I had to try it out. I didn't know what the heck to offer, so I figured I'd offer up my best skill: My Psychic Abilities Life advice. Some people offer Blog Consultation, which is cool, but I'm offering a Skype sesh or two with me where we can talk about ANYTHING and everything. Talk about blogging? Sure. Need help with your diet? Absolutely. Need some motivation to work out? Heck yes. Relationship advice? Got you covered. It's a "Choose Your Own Adventure" kind of consultation, and I'm just crazy enough to offer it up for Auction. That's just how I roll...

Won't you come have some fun with me? Please don't let me be the only thing that isn't bid on. The bid starts at like $2, so you'll get your money's worth, haha.

See you tomorrow, Helene!

My Travel 'LUST' List

If I made a Travel Bucket List of every location my heart desires, it would be about 10,000 items long, but that wouldn't do for a blog post. Instead, I'll take a cue from Helene and I'll just share my Lust List a.k.a. the places that I won't feel complete until I've visited.

Mykonos Greece || There is just something so seductive about the Grecian coastlines, their lust for life culture, and the food? Don't even get me started on how much I LOVE Greek cuisine. I just want to eat some Spanakopita, drink some Ouzo wine, and dance on some tables.

Italy || Has always been intriguing, but after visiting Napa I knew I was going to have to graduate to visiting the Italian wine country.  The desire grew even more now that we have a few friends living there. This is why we planned to go for Christmas this year, but the Army has us on lock down, so I'm not sure if they will allow us to go during Flight school :(

Either way, it WILL happen sooner or later, and I've mapped out my ideal route. We can start out in Venice visiting mi amica Adair in Venice, then Vicenza to catch up with il nostro amico Jon who is stationed there, and then I'd love to bounce all the way down to Venice. It's only 1,078 km, which is nothing when you talk about breaking it up as a train or road trip. Our last road trip was double that. Ti amo, Italia!

Ireland || I've been to Scotland, and while it was amazing in it's own right...Ireland is where it's at. Holly Cross Abbey, Blarney Castle, Dublin, and more specifically the Guinness Storehouse are just a few of the reasons why Ireland is a must.

Thailand || A few years ago, I had a friend go teach over in Thailand, and I fell in love with the paradise portrayed in her photos. To explore the culture, nature, and lay out on those gorgeous beaches while eating Thai food would just put me over the edge. White girl mode...I can't even.

Morocco/Egypt || I've been entranced by Morocco and {mostly} Moroccan food for a few years as well. I'm a little scared to go there at the moment, but some day we will visit both Morocco and Egypt. I want some authentic Moroccan cuisine, dance in the streets of Casablanca, and ride a camel with the pyramids in the back ground.

via

Australia || I actually don't really know what draws me to Australia, but it just seems fun. Everyone I've met from there is a cool cat, and it seems full of adventure.

England || When we went to Europe, I was so sad that we were so close to England, but didn't have time to go there. I even have family there, and yet I haven't checked out Big Ben, ventured to Stonehenge, or frolicked in the land of Chaucer and Shakespeare.

Paris, France || Eiffel Tower...City of love...'nuff said.

Port Elizabeth, South Africa || My best friend Dani happens to be from P.E. You can see her down there chillaxin' with an elephant on a safari, and if that doesn't make you want to visit, then I don't know what will. Her dad owns hotels and and a few businesses down there, so he'll show us a good time, as per usual.

My whole family loves to travel, but there are two people that have really influenced my love to travel: Dani and Papa. Dani and I have the type of relationship where one of us says "Let's go to the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, The Bahamas, Mexico...etc.", and the other says "When and where, I'll be there." It makes for mucho excitement. Papa, my {very young} grandfather might be an even better travel partner because he foots the bill *winkwink.

In all seriousness, it's Papa's birthday, so I wanted to dedicate today to him. Isn't he a handsome devil? He has been there for us in spite of anything thrown at him, and he has truly unconditional love. I don't have a single bad memory of him because he always keeps his cool, and if he does slightly lose it...that person brought it on themselves. Thank you, Papa, for being a great example for us all and putting up with Tata. {I say that out of love, because my beautiful grandma is a handful.} Hope you have a wonderful birthday, and know that I miss you terribly! Hope to see you soon, because it's been far too long. Love you!

We Don't Even Have A Target In This Town!

  When we first moved here, I thought my life was over when we didn't even have a Target! No mall, no Starbucks, no Costco, middle of nowhere, and they still smoke in restaurants. I may be from right down the road, but it was a culture shock coming from progressive Colorado. I was going to post an inappropriate picture about just how progressive it is, but Will vetoed it. It's really strange when he's the responsible one, but alas...I need a reel-in every now and then too.

Alright, so if Perception Is Everything, I had to find ways to like this town real quick. Luckily, it has been easier than I even imagined, and it fits like a perfect pair of new pumps which I still haven't found. Living at a lower altitude {from 6,000' down to 358'} has all kinds of perks- our vehicles run better, baking is easier, less dehydration, friends won't get altitude sickness when they come to visit, and my eyebrows have finally started growing again! It's also nice to be in a small town. Going from a population of 439,886 to  27,775 makes life so much easier! No waiting in line to eat at a restaurant, I haven't had to use my horn a single time, there are no strangers- only neighbors, and this is the kind of place that you can leave your door unlocked. We don't leave it unlocked, but it's nice to trust your neighbors, ya know.

Why do I think you care about any of this? Well...you may or may not, but it's my blog and I want to remember how wonderful this place is. I can't believe we've only been here since February, but it feels like we have made years worth of memories. We will most likely return here throughout our military career, and I want it to always feel like a home.

Sidenote: Can you believe Will is now flying those things? He has a solo flight on Tuesday, and yours truly is freaking out. I know he's amazing and all, but two weeks of flying doesn't seem like enough to take over the whole thing! Please pray for us.

Fort Rucker is the "Home of Army Aviation", which basically means that it is our home away from home. Aaaand the Southern food doesn't hurt either. Just remind me of this when I get the itch to move again. I hate PCS'ing, but I always love a new adventure.

Have you guys lived in the same place your whole life or have you moved around?

The Lone Soldiers

We all do it...We all try to put our best feet forward on our blogs, but today I'm going to give you a glimpse into the craziness that was my kitchen on Saturday.

That's what it looks like when I'm baking three brownies pans, two chicken pot pies, breakfast quiche, and Carbonara {with spaghetti squash} for the first time. It was worth it, though, even if it took days to tackle those dishes. Our friend Joel was coming home from the same training that Will was recently subjected to, and as a single soldier with no family around it was up to our new 'Rucker family' to step up! Everyone deserves a Homecoming.

I'm most proud of the scrapbook we made him. You'd think we would put together a thoughtful montage of the past few months to show him we care, but that just wouldn't do. Instead, Will came up with the idea to go to his house while he was gone and party it up in 'his honor'. This involved doing anything fun we could think of and capturing it for the scrapbook. Moral of the story, we may have strange ways of 'house sitting' and showing you we love you, but you can't deny that we are creative in our methods and we really do care!

On a serious note, it breaks my heart when some soldiers are deployed and they don't get a SINGLE care package, when they come home and no one is there to show them that their sacrifice was worth it, or when they have to spend the holidays completely alone. It's everyone's responsibility to do what they can to make up for that, and every little bit helps: Invite them for holidays, send care packages, attend a homecoming, or just send a Christmas card. The secret is that it will make you feel just as good as they do when receiving. Promise.

Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.- Sun Tzu

I'm A Habitual Offender

Habitually, I am....

+ An Overacheiver. We all know this.

+ Buying things I don't 'need'. Sure, I'm spending my allowance and enjoying the heck out of it, but it gives me anxiety when I get home and think about moving again in the next couple years.

+ A month and a half behind on emails.

+ Writing blog posts an hour before midnight.

+ Late cooking dinner. It's gotten to the point where I tell Will to always influence me to start before I think I should, because even then it's probably going to be late.

+ A worrier. I am a big "what iffer". It's gotten more manageable once I was forced into the military life, but I still have my moments. Hence why we still haven't committed to a house.

+ A pot-stirrer. I try so hard to keep my personal opinions off social media because all it does is cause drama, but MAN I just have to give my two cents at times.

In case you don't want to watch the video, the point is that this chick decided to make a line of  of modest suits, and this is her way of promoting it. I really enjoyed the history of the bikini and found it was thought provoking, but what really made me share the video was an uncomfortable situation we came across in Panama City. There were NINE YEAR OLDS bumpin' and grindin' to the Cupid Shuffle and Wobble Baby in BIKINIS, and it HORRIFIED me. I know it's none of my business what other people do with their children, but if voicing my opinion helps one parent put their child in a more appropriate suit, then I have accomplished something.

No one vocalized an argument about kids in bikinis, but out of nowhere it turned to 'women don't deserve to be raped'. Excuse me? Did I say anything about women or rape? Now of course, no one deserves to be raped, but that had nothing to do with my argument for children dancing inappropriately while scantily clad. Then they took it further saying they can't go to the beach without getting stared down because men can't control themselves. In my annoyance that people were ignoring my reason for sharing the video, I had to play devil's advocate. Not many women were happy when I pointed out that men are sexually charged to keep them interested in the opposite sex. For example, I know for a fact that my husband wouldn't put up with me during my crazy times if it weren't for the sex, which is nature at it's finest.

I'm not going to delve too far into this heavy subject because I'm not in a pot stirring mood today, but feel free to mull it over for a while. Women and men tend to have a hard time living together, dealing with finances, and/or finding common desires. Let's be real...there has to be some common ground other than love to overcome all the obstacles.

Sex...keeping marriages together since Adam And Eve.

On The Shores Of Panama...

Thanks for voting! It was 50/50 on the votes for the Six Word Short story, but that's okay. Homeboy did use a semicolon like a boss, but since mine was actually an original idea, I still feel better. As for the sandwiches, you ALL voted correctly! #2 and #3 were BOTH my creations, and way better than that boring old Portobello. I mean, Italian dressing makes a great marinade, but where is the creativity in that? I swear that contest was rigged.

In case you are tracking my wrist situation, it's Tendonitis, so now I'm rocking a sweet brace. At least I didn't have to wear it on vacation, because it totally would have clashed with the sand and sun. No wrist pain was going to get in my way of this...

We were supposed to have 7-8 people, so we got the biggest condo at the Shores Of Panama Resort. Come the week of, we were down to five which meant we had three rooms, three bathrooms, and a HUGE condo all to ourselves. No one was complaining.

Gulf Coast Jam was our reason for going and while we loved Carrie Underwood, Big & Rich, Dierks Bentley, and Blake Shelton, we most definitely spent more time in the condo and at the beach than anything. People kept telling us it was going to rain, but it was PERFECT all weekend, so how can you not soak it all in? Mimosas, anyone?

Yes, we planned to dress alike. They boys have their bromance <see below>, and we have our...er...womance. There was another term I could have used, but the one I looked up is way better, haha. We got those shirts last time we were in PCB and they say "Unsinkable". The boys were away in training, so it signifies our support of them and how we can never be defeated when it comes to taking care of them! Plus I bartered and we got'em cheap.

The food was amazing, as always, but we tried new places this round. The goal: Eat as much fresh seafood as possible. Mission accomplished! Pineapple Willy's was our favorite lunch spot, Saltwater Grill was our big kid dinner, and Liza's Kitchen was one of the BEST brunches in town. We also went to the All American Diner, but you gotta be drunk for that.

Full of mimosas, we decided to visit Race City to let our inner children out. We played in the arcade, batting cages, and had a blast on the double decker go kart track without any major injuries. We may have had one person do the walk of shame when they got kicked off the ride, but my husband was on his best behavior! For once...

Then it was back to the beach. One of the best parts of the whole weekend, was when I found out my best friend from Elementary school was also in town for the weekend. I haven't seen Jess in fifteen years, and it was crazy to get to run and jump on her! She hasn't changed, I haven't changed, and we picked up right where we left off. Will said she was kind of shy, but I assured him she wasn't. She's just very chill and go with the flow. I love that that hasn't changed about her, and it reminds me of my roots.

Between the festival, out of this world seafood, booze, and the biggest condo I've ever stayed in, I think this may have been the most expensive 48 hours of my life. Too bad I don't regret it one bit. You just can't put a price tag on making such amazing memories, connecting with old friends, and getting to spend quality time relaxing with my hunny.