It's House Closing Time!

The day of of Closing on our new home has arrived. This involves a very large Cashier's Check {oy vey}, dropping money on Homeowner's Insurance, purchasing new blinds for the new windows, and a new lawn all in one weekend. To say this is going to be a busy weekend is an understatement, but we will be making time for family {they are bribing us to hang out by taking us to Coffee Cup our favorite breakfast joint}, services for my friend that passed, and hopefully a sleepover at Grandma's. I really want to go to Ulta too, but I'm not holding my breath. Perhaps if I demand to go to Fresh Market for groceries, I can sneak next door. 

A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do!

Today, I played with a Weimaraner, and it got me thinking about Weiser. We actually had a little 'going away' shindig for him to celebrate his life, which I'm sure sounds super strange, but it made us feel better. He got a huge T-bone out of the deal, so it most definitely made him happy. He may look sad in this picture, but once we let him hide in the guest bedroom to chow down in private, he was probably the happiest I've ever seen him. It was beautiful.

If that's not adorable, then I don't know what is. We miss you We-Man!

Wish us luck today...We're gonna need it.

Dirty 30: White Trash Brunch

Boy oh boy, I look back on Saturday and I'm quite satisfied with the festivities. Will said it was 'life altering' and the best brunch he's ever had, so obviously he approved. The decor was easy, the food really was divine, and we had our amazing group of friends there. You really can't ask for more than that. Check out my solo cup lights:

Food really is the key to brunch and it happens to be my favorite part of any party, so making brunch was super fun. Labor intensive as always, but I prepped most of it the night before which helps. Everyone thought we had too much food when we put it all together, and yet it was ALL gone in a matter of hours. I wanted some leftovers, but nope...didn't happen.
Menu: Vanilla Bourbon Bananas Foster French Toast Casserole, Eggs Benedict Casserole, Texas Shaped Pancakes with Strawberry Compote, Bacon Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls, Sausage Quiche, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, Breakfast Potatoes, Banana Bread English Muffins, Bloody Mary Bar, and Bellinis.

You are going to need to try to make the French Toast and Eggs Benedict, so you should probably pin those recipes. Make note, though, I used Hawaiian loaf and added 1/4 cup of Toasted Caramel Whiskey to the French Toast, and to make the bernaise you can use the packet, but ONLY if you use whole milk to make it rich and creamy. Make up for it by cutting out a third or fourth of the Canadian Bacon and switching to Whole Grain English Muffins. Just know, these are the two best breakfast dishes I think I've ever had.

The rest of the party wasn't as classy. Will's shirt says #1 Daddy/Husband, while my shirt says #1 Daughter/Wife, and in front of him you will notice a HUGE Bloody Mary with birthday candles. He's not a big sweets eater, so a Bloody seemed like the perfect vessel for his candles.

All in all, it was awesome to see him so happy all day, have everyone rave about the food {thanks ladies for all the help!}, and enjoy fun with friends that lasted up until 10PM that night. I mean, who lasts that long?! I was sober, and I barely made it...They are champs.

As the month comes to a close, I'm officially married to a thirty year old. I love you, old man, and it was fun celebrating it to the fullest with you. You are my favorite thing to celebrate. Always and forever.

I'm A Card Carrying Member

To the Chick-Fil-A Calendar Club, that is!

No clue why, but I always wanted one.Well, not the actual calendar, but I want those freebies from being part of the 'club'. However, I could never bring myself to pay money to get free stuff, which is also why I won't pay for coupon inserts- it doesn't make sense to pay money to save {some} money to me. Luckily, we played Dirty Santa this year, and I stole this from my momma. {Sorry Mom, but I'm not sorry}.

Without getting to deep or morose, I got some bad news about a friend on Sunday, so we took it easy. I hung with the boys, we went out to lunch, and watched movies on the couch through our eyelids. It's always going to be hard when it comes to that, but being surrounded with love and laughter is the best medicine. I also watched my new favorite video multiple times, and I may or may not have cried through it. Twice.

Now, I'm getting yelled at to make dinner. Will wants one of my specialty Garlic Sourdough Smoked Turkey sandwiches, and it's still his birthday month, so I will happily oblige. Plus the kitchen is my happy place and can always clear my head. Then hopefully I can recap the brunch on Wednesday, because it was a doozie!

UPDATE: Has anyone ever had an infection in their Pancreas or Gallbladder? I'm having weird back pain that reminds me of when I had a Kidney infection, only the pain is higher up. It's been ongoing for over a week, so now I'm starting to question it. Thanks for any info!

"Touch Has A Memory"- Keats

The CUTEST thing just happened. Sure babies and puppies usually take the cutest award, but no babies or puppies here. Anywho, I got up to make my late night snack and as I turned around, I noticed Will moving in on my side of the bed. Selfishly, I thought "Oh great. He's going to steal my pillow again", but instead he only pawed at my empty side looking for me. It was heartwarming and sad at the same time. So sad that I almost hopped back in bed to cuddle, but like I said, I was REALLY hungry. I'll make up for it by making sure we snuggle extra tonight.

Did you see the birthday sign I made for Will?

He's my favorite person to celebrate! {sorry everyone else} I can't wait to spend a lifetime of Birthdays with you, old man ;)

A photo posted by Janna renee (@jrbogert) on Jan 22, 2015 at 7:52am PST

I saw something similar on Pinterest and ran with it. It worked to surprise him this morning, and I will be using it for his party Saturday. It's almost too classy for the White Trash Brunch we have planned, but decor is like fashion...it's better to be overdressed than under.

Speaking of brunch, has anyone made an Overnight Crockpot French Toast? Brunch starts early on Saturday, so I'm trying to get as much started Friday night as possible. I just don't want anything to end up tasting like leftovers or {heaven forbid} get dried out. I like the concept of French Toast in the Crock, but the last thing I want is crusty bread when I'm going for an ooeygooey Vanilla Bourbon Bananas Foster Pot'O Goodness.

Before I go, one more adorable thing- Will started to breath heavy in his sleep (like he was upset, get your mind out of the gutter), so I put my hand on his back, and his breath slowed immediately. I obviously had to test it, so I took my hand off- fast breathing, put it back- slow breathing. Don't worry, though, I eventually let it rest there until he calmed down. It's crazy the power that a simple touch can have, and Veronica says it best:

“We are not people who touch each other carelessly; every
point of contact between us feels important, a rush of energy
and relief.” ― Veronica Roth, Allegiant

Someone's Turning The Dirtay Thirtay!

Tomorrow my hunk of a husband will officially turn THIRTY!

He is far from old, but it kinda puts things in perspective. He may have beat me to thirty {I call him my old man}, and yet it already has my gears turning about the significance. It's just a number, but it does signify a new stage of this road we call life. 
He makes me proud on the daily when I see his compassion, he washes the dishes, and I watch him transfer into this crazy pilot, so I didn't even have to think very hard to come up with the amazing things he has to be proud of thus far. Stealing my heart and creating a wonderful marriage is at the top of that list, but what else has he accomplished?

+ He played College Soccer.

+ Opened a restaurant as a GM at twenty-one.
+ Honorably joined the Army

+ Excelled in the Army (Soldier of the Brigade Status whoopwhoop)

+ Was selected for Flight School

And he's only just begun. He reaches higher and higher, and there is no limit in his mind.

 He may be my old man, but thirty is the new twenty. I don't really know what that means, but I'm pretty sure we don't have to grow up for another five to ten, and I'm cool with that. Maybe it even gives me more time on this Earth with the most incredible man I've ever encountered. If that's the case, I don't ever wanna grow up. I love you with all my heart and Happy Birthday sweet husband of mine! I can't wait to celebrate this weekend and for the rest of your life.

It's Friday, FRIDAY!

Thankfully I can report that this week has been much better than the last. I've only cried like twice this week, so that's real progress. I've just kept myself busy this week. I've been cleaning, cooking, and working on Publicity stuff, so it keeps my mind off things. Other than that:

+ We've started planning our {second} annual trip to the McGuire's 5K, and I'm pretty excited about it. It's not until March, but you really need that long just to mentally prepare. Plus, the hotels are already booking up- it's that serious. Cross your fingers that I can get the cottage I want booked before someone steals it! If I do, you are all invited. *winkwink

+ I ordered my THIRD pair of booties due to my new obsession. I didn't actually keep the first two pair because I'm so indecisive- one was too flat, the other too cheap- but I think I'm really going to like these. I also have to order some Ariat's because I won a $250 gift card from them, but man...I never thought it would be this hard to pick. I feel like if I'm spending that much on shoes it needs to be a pair that I will get the most out of, but my favorites either don't have my size or the color I want. I've tried to contact the company to find out when they restock or whatever, but I feel kind of weird saying, "Hi. You gave me free money, but I don't like anything you have that fits me. Kthxbye."

+ I made a new friend yesterday. I went to see the movie The Judge with the Spouse Club, and a new chick showed up that doesn't know anyone in town. They connected her with me so that I could get her all the FRG information, and before I knew it...it was like a really good first date. Have you ever been on a date where it went from lunch to coffee to dinner and maybe more? Well, that's exactly what happened. We watched the movie then migrated to Starbucks, and Will even invited her to dinner because he liked that I had friends when he was locked away {by the Army, not jail for the newbies}. We probably would have talked all night, but we had to break away at some point. Now I'm hoping our 'second date' won't be awkward, but we all know how the real colors start coming out as the 'dates' progress.

Well, I hope you all have a great three day weekend or at least that you have a three day weekend. We don't have any plans, and that is perfectly fine with me. We will probably watch football on Sunday, but I won't tell you who I'm rooting for. I have a really great story as to why I'm rooting for this particular team, but I don't want to ruffle any feathers until I can elaborate. Any of you have a team playing? 

The After Christmas- Christmas

Well, I would first like to say thank you for all the kind words from Monday's post. It felt good to get it off my chest and every comment meant the world to me. To us. I still haven't told family and many friends, so your words of encouragement are all we have, so again, thank you.

This will be the only Christmas we have in this house. I'm surprised I even realized that, but it made me happy that we made the most of it. I put up more decorations than I ever have, we had our first real tree, and we had our own belated Christmas morning, which was filled with just as much excitement. After all, Christmas is a feeling, not a day.

We had already exchanged gifts, but we both saved a few good ones for this occasion.  A little back story is that when the guys make it through Flight school they give their spouses their own 'set of wings' to thank them for putting up with them all the help and support. I don't particularly like chain necklaces, so he got me wings that are more my style from Nomades. It's a little early to get my wings, but I'll take it ;)

PS. This is not an ad. I just really love the company! MilSpouses definitely need to check them out. They have all kinds of military charms and are just like Pandora! I even switched some of my Pandora charms to this bracelet because I like it better.

When Will saw that I put multi-colored lights on the tree he thought I was crazy. He knows I'm not a multi-colored girl, but something came over me. For our first real tree I wanted to go super nostalgic, and although I'll probably never use multi-colored again, it was fun while it lasted. Technically it lasted until today because I'm still getting decorations down, but don't judge me. I'd leave them up all year if I could. One day...I will be that old women with a Christmas house year around. Then you have permission to judge me.

Warning: This Is A Sappy, Sad Post

I wasn't ready to talk about this on the blog {if at all}, but I got a concerned call from Weiser's previous foster mom and it touched me. It was with a heavy heart that I messaged her with the news that he's finally gone, hoping that would be the end of it. I mean, I felt obliged to inform her and thank her for sharing in his life, but I really didn't want to rip the wound open all over again. However, thirty seconds after I hit 'send', she called me and turned it all around. She actually thanked Will and I for giving him a chance when no one else would and reminded me that he had been shuffled through shelters and foster homes for months before we came along. First off, I can't imagine how anyone could say no to this sweet face:

But the most touching thing she reminded me of was that Weiser came into our lives at just the right time. As if he were sent to us, he appeared in our lives just in time to be with me while I endured Will's first deployment. He kept me safe, kept me busy, and gave Will the peace of mind that I wasn't alone. "It's those amber eyes," she said, "those are the special souls that are here to take care of us. Even if that makes me sound batty, it's what I believe."

I'd like to believe it too. I'd like to believe that he was here for a purpose, he fulfilled it, and now he's off to help someone else. In my mind he's the Timothy Green of dogs, and he filled a hole we had in our life that we didn't even know we had. I can only hope that we repaid him with enough love, and at least we can say we spoiled him rotten.

As cheesy as it sounds...we don't save rescue dogs, they save us.

Okay, now that I've cried for the umpteenth time and you probably all think I'm loony, it's time to get to bed. I'm ready to wake up and start a fresh new week, because last week was a doozy.

Seven Year Itch

On this day seven years ago, Will and I had our very first date and according to the old adage 'the seven year itch' we should begin declining interest in our monogamous relationship pretty soon. Psychologists call it a titular phrase {which is way more fun to make up the meaning than the real one}, and still I must say I think the seven year itch isn't going to be an issue.

The other day, I realize I've told you about the actual first 'date' we had, but I never told you one of my favorite parts. On Will's way over, he called a bit nervous, and said "Don't judge me for my truck." With no clue what that meant, I simply replied "Don't judge me for my house."

You see, I was living in the "Mother-In-Law Suite" at my grandmother's house, so as my automatic wrought iron gate cleared to reveal his 'GEEP' pickup with the top cutoff...all we could do was laugh, and not a single judgement was made on either side.

I'm thankful that we were two crazy kids that appreciated our differences as much as our similarities even though that was hard to see at first. No, I'm not talking monetarily because a) that would be repulsive and b) he wasn't poor and I wasn't rich in spite of first impressions. What I'm talking about comes from his use of logic and my habit of er...a more emotional approach, little things like my love for Jack Johnson which he didn't share, and especially his free spirit that had him moving every few years while I never wanted to leave Florida. Those things could have and almost did end things before they even got started, but I am truly grateful everyday that the very things that could have torn us apart actually brought us closer together. Well with a bit of compromise, of course.

"Who wears the pants in our relationship?' We prefer when neither of us wear pants." That, my dears, is the secret to it all.

OUR House!

Until 6PM on Tuesday, we weren't actually sure we were getting this house, so I felt like talking in depth about it would jinx it. Technically, we still won't own the house until it closes, but we have offered, signed contract, inspected, negotiated, and signed a whole new contract, which means...we pretty much have a house!

Teehee just joshin'! That was the half a million dollar house we got to check out on our way to lunch with the realtor. It was fun to look at, but this purchase is an investment to rent out. NOT our fantasy home. Actually, it's kind of weird that we found this house and we really did fall in love with it against the cardinal rule of "don't fall in love with an investment house". I don't actually know if that's the cardinal rule, but we've most certainly heard it a lot. 

So what made us fall in love with it? It was built in '73, but renovated this past year. They took it down to studs and replaced everything from the ground up, including expanding the square footage. You walk in and it feels like a a brand new house. New walls, floors, windows, HVAC, appliances, bathrooms, fixtures, roof, and the list goes on. A list of things that we would have to replace in all the other houses we looked at. Basically, an ideal investment for newbies like us, and that's why it was hard not to fall in love.

Did you get a load of that kitchen?! We will own ALL new EXPENSIVE appliances and we'll never even get to use them. A cryin' shame! As a matter of fact, anyone need an oven? I'm thinking a $3,000 oven is way too good much responsibility for tenants.

I guess you could say it's been a really fun process with ups and downs, which I will share along with the best advice we received along the way, but I think that should wait until we actually have the keys. Admittedly, we love this house, but we are also standing our ground on the few demands we have left after the last inspection. Like I said, we have signed a new contract including those contingencies, and still...we aren't putting our eggs in one basket. 

Momma didn't raise no fool.

Our Christmas Angel

When I started this post, I planned on just recapping some of our Pensacola Christmas, but once I had the pictures uploaded I realized there seemed to be one star in all the photos. Not surprisingly, my favorite little princess {my niece for anyone new around here} stole the show, and as usual, stole my blog for the day. It's not her fault she's so darn cute.

The whole trip home was spent with all of our wonderful family, but Christmas evening we started a new tradition. Now that my brother has started his own family, they wanted to host dinner and considering how good he and his wife can cook- NO one was complaining! They made a FIFTEEN pound Ribeye cooked to perfection and Paula's Red Velvet Cake was out of this world. I would kill for more of that cake...

Maddie doesn't really get the whole unwrapping process yet, but somehow having a kid around makes Christmas that much more special. I already love every single thing about Christmas, and we truly embrace the years that we aren't stationed thousands of miles away. Next year we could be as far as Korea, so every memory is absolutely priceless. We are blessed to have such wonderful families, and we hope to never undervalue how precious the time together is.

The Year That Was 2014

You just can't finish out a year without a good round up, am I right or am I right? Usually it takes me all of fifteen minutes to pick my favorite shenanigans to share and call it a day, however, this past year turned out to be a doozy. It just goes to show, you never know where life is going to take you if you are open to experience it.

January || Had us packing up all of our household goods, saying goodbye to breathtaking Colorado, and retiring my orange shorts. All in all, it was a pretty big month for us full of many changes that were exciting and scary at the same time.

February || Moved to Enterprise, Alabama! Actually more exciting than it sounded, and now we never want to leave. We want to find out what Will is going to fly and chill here.

March || We ran the McGuire's 5K {mostly for the free booze}, and I was able to spend two glorious weeks at home with family and witness my niece's baptism.

April || Was my proudest month as Will graduated from WOCS and became a Warrant Officer, the first step on the journey to becoming an Army helicopter pilot. Mmmm mmmm....I love my man in uniform!

May || With warm weather came lots of outdoor activities, and our new favorite was by far tubing. The beach was fun, but you really can't beat hopping in a river on a whim and heading down your own Redneck Riviera.

June || I got to see my baby brother graduate from High School. Ten years my junior, I begged my mom to let me do anything and everything for that sweet baby, so it seems so surreal that he's an 'adult'. Eh...he's still a baby to me!

July || Will was safe in my arms after three weeks of zero communication while he was in Survival School, and I got turned away from a bar for my 'fake id' in Destin, Fl. Oh, and I shotgunned a beer like I was 21 again.

August || I painted a lot of owls.

September || We soaked up the last bit of summer in Panama City for Labor Day.

October || Man, oh man...if I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be October. We spent the month planning our big Halloween/Haunted House party {that I still haven't blogged about}, attended the good ol' Ten Year Reunion, got new ink done, had a blast with all of our besties in Jacksonville, actually had my husband WITH me for my big day, and possibly had the best Birthday month of my life. I never wanted it to end.

November || Celebrated Veterans and raised $1,000's for Charity {$23,000 to be exact}, which still makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

December || We took a leap and started the home buying process. We area learning the ups and downs and waiting to see if our house goes through {inspections on top of inspections}, and trying to remember to enjoy the process. We are learning, we are growing, and embracing this adventure...at least we are in it together!

If we didn't have all this fun stuff to look back on, I wouldn't believe 2014 even happened. It went by WAY too fast, which I say every year, but that doesn't make it any less true. I don't know what 2015 is going to bring us or if it can hold a candle to 2014, but I am most definitely looking forward to enjoying the South while we are here, Will graduating, and BOTH of us turning 30 this year. I guess that means I'll be leaving the 'Twenty-Something' blogger club soon. Oh well, I ain't scurred. Age before beauty ;)

Peace Out 2014...It's been real!