Anchor Habits

I was reading Holly's blog, and her post about Anchor Habits really stuck with me. Anchor habits are those habits that we develop that keep us steady and feeling secured, and as a creature of habit in general this totally made sense! I've never been one to have any 'vices', so I guess these are what keep me going. Plus. this was further proven when I looked back at a Day In The Life post that I did and I pretty much have the same anchors two years later.

Daily, it is an absolute must to start my day with coffee while blogging, I have to follow the exact same face wash routine, and I either workout or find some way to be active each day.

Financially, I balance our accounts at least once a month and adjusting our budget really makes me feel at peace. I've blogged about my budget obsession, so of course this is an anchor.

Marital-ly, isn't a word, but you know what I mean. Most of these could fall in the 'Daily' category, but their significance falls here. I text Will "Morning lover" every morning without fail, we have dinner together at the dinner table without distractions every night, we put away social media while we cuddle before bed, and I always go to bed with him. Even if I stay up to blog, watch tv, or get up after he goes to sleep to work on something I always try to be there as he goes to sleep. Add in date nights, and you have the anchors that really form our relationship.

Now I know things are going to change drastically here in the near future, but I will still love my coffee even if I have to drink it cold, budgeting will be even more important to me, and I hope with all my heart that we can maintain the habits that Will and I share after Charlie comes. It's strange to think about how much things are about to change, but I'm looking forward to creating new habits that include her. What are your Anchor Habits?

This. Weekend. Was. Perfect.

Will got off early and we made it to PCB in time to check in, soak in the beautiful condo, and get ready for the maternity pics. I might have struggled with the new falsies I tried to put on and spent a little too much time on my hair, but all that matters is we still had to wait on the lighting to cooperate negating my lateness. Sadly, I don't have any pictures from the shoot because we really maximized our two hours of sunlight with tons of poses, three outfit changes (I seriously hope no one looked close as I straight up changed on the beach while Will tried to hold a towel), and the 500+ pictures we did manage to take.  The wind was TERRIBLE, so let's also hope she got some where you can see my face in spite of the wind whipping it around. Hence why my hair had no curl by the time we went to dinner:

But yeah...the real fun was Saturday when we hit the beach! 

Carrie drove down to enjoy the fun in the sun with us and it couldn't have turned out to be a better day. We laid out, I took them to a few of my favorite spots: Pompano Joe's for lunch, Hook'd Up for beverages, Kilwin's for ice cream, and even got some pool time in back at the condo before we finally called it a day.

I envisioned brunch, shopping, and another day of fun on Sunday, but let's be real...we couldn't hang that much in one weekend if we tried. Instead, I woke up to flowers, a delicious breakfast, and we spent the rest of the day watching Disney movies, napping, grilling wings, and calling all the maternal influences in our lives to send them our love.

It's weird to think that this could have been the last time we catch some zzz's on the couch as just a couple. I thought for sure we wouldn't fit or that I would be too uncomfortable in my state to sleep, but I think that was the most comfortable I have been in months; snuggled up and wrapped in his arms. Pretty soon it will be Charlie snuggling on the couch with him, and I guess that's okay too ;) She just better recognize he's mine first! Teehee

Five Years Of Marriage

I was never the little girl that dreamt of a wedding growing up. Sure, I played house when my friends wanted to, but that was the extent of my outlook for the future. For some reason, I never saw myself growing up or becoming an adult, so marriage was the last thing on my mind. Maybe if Pinterest had been around back then I would have a wedding board with a million pins, but as it were, up until I met Will...I could NEVER wrap my head around marrying someone for a lifetime that I couldn't even see myself in.

Seven years later and five dedicated to a marriage with the man better than my dreams, it's impossible to imagine life without him. Even though we were both young and all over the place when we met, some outside force took two kids on completely separate paths and turned our lives upside down. Using the word 'love' doesn't seem good enough, and 'true love' is uber cheesy, but unless you know the effect that love has on two people firsthand,  it's impossible to comprehend the connection it creates between two strangers. From strangers, to our own family unit and now our love and our family are still growing...

Dear Will, 

I could never tell you enough how proud I am of you, and I hope you know that no one in the entire world compares to you in my eyes. With each passing year you continue to amaze me, but most importantly, you still manage to love me and we continue to grow together. We make the world's greatest team {IMO}, and surpassing each milestone, each set of goals, and tackling every new adventure with you makes marriage, and life in general, more fun than I ever thought it could be. We are embarking on what I think might be our greatest {and scariest} adventure with CQB, but I know that we have an immeasurable amount of love and dedication to each other and her that will get us through. There will be times when she takes over our hearts, but I hope, no I PROMISE, to remember that I'm a wife first. Always and forever. Happy five years, lover, and cheers to 50+ more!

Choose Your Own Adventure

I've always wanted to participate in Steph's linkup for the simple fact that I used to LOVE Choose Your Own Adventure books. Does anyone remember those?

March's theme was relationships, and I can't explain how appropriate this was for me. With this whole...transition going on, relationships with family and friends are forefront in my mind right now. Most significantly, I'm finding this pregnancy has brought me closer to family and friends {especially the ones with kids} while taking our marriage to a whole 'notha level, but that doesn't mean I want to get so wrapped up that I lose other relationships.
o far, everything has been a positive shift that I never expected,

My main goals have been and still are:
Make sure that not everything revolves around conversations of CQB. It's so easy to let every conversation {and blog post} involve her, but I know that could end up allowing us to miss other important subjects in each other's lives, as well as put distance between us and our non-parent friends. It's easier said than done, especially when everyone else brings her up too, but I still think it's necessary. Luckily, we still have flight school, upcoming parties, travels planned, music festivals, and impending moves to discuss.

Continue to foster the relationships that have strengthened because we got pregnant. It is absolutely amazing how you automatically feel a stronger bond with family and friends just from getting knocked up. My childhood best friend and I now text daily, it has brought out a new side of my baby sister I've never seen, my grandmother that didn't speak to me after we eloped has already showered us with gifts and well wishes, and even just other mom's that are complete strangers will take the time out of their lives to give me their advice and wisdom. When they say there is a 'mom club', they are serious, and somehow we all gravitate towards each other. Don't ask me how, but sweet baby jeeeeeeesus I'm thankful.

 Will and I need to maintain an 'adult' relationship. In every sense of the term 'adult', I hope to maintain the mental and physical aspects of our relationship and always remember that we were 'we' before we were 'three'. Other than talking about her a lot, not too much has changed, but I really want to create the bucket list I talked about to make sure we are still making memories to share between just the two of us. I also feel like he's been doing so much for me during this pregnancy, and I want to step up my game and take care of him before she comes. I know it will be more difficult to juggle it all then, so I need to do everything I can now.

                        NO EXCUSES.                     

April's theme is finances. This is obviously important for us right now because, hello, we have a baby on the way. A baby on top of me being a stay at home wife the last year, buying a house, and an impending move. The mortgage is covered by our renters, but our savings did take QUITE a hit when we decided to put down 20% on a house before knowing le baby was on the way. As such, my current goals are:

Create a Baby Fund.
Build a House Emergency Fund on top of our regular savings.
Track every penny spent on CQB, and try to stick to the plan of buying the majority of the things we need after the second shower.
Sell everything that's not nailed down in this house.

If any of you have tips on relationships during pregnancy or finances, you know where to comment. I am so thankful for every bit of advice y'all have given me, and I WANT MORE! ;)

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.

I'm Still Alive

Hello my dears! Hope everyone is having the best holidays EVER and getting some much deserved relaxation. We haven't had any relaxation yet, nevertheless we are having a great time so far. It's funny, most people say they get annoyed with their spouses after too much time together, but we have spent every moment together, and I swear it makes me love him more. He really is my {sexiest} bestest friend.

I didn't plan on taking a blogging break last week, but it was pretty nice to just be in the moment and enjoy the family time and excitement. If you follow via Insta, then you know that we basically bought a house this week {more on that later} and the rest was filled with holiday parties and playing with our Christmas toys. Oh, and every yummy holiday food one could hope for, plus Red Robin because we love RR and don't have one near us.

Tonight, my in-laws showed up to hang with us for a day or two, so that will be awesome as always, and we will try to make the most of the week we have left. I see naps on the couch, cuddling while watching movies, lots of pillow talk, and hopefully time at the gym to work off the holiday poundage. We ate pretty good, but considering mom sent cakes and sweets home with us...who knows how we will feel when that's all gone.

In case we don't chat before the New Year, I hope you all have a wonderful and SAFE NYE celebration! Don't drink and drive, don't ride with someone who drinks and drives, and beware of other vehicles on the road. You know nights like NYE are amateur nights, so please take care of yourselves and your family. I care about every one of you!

My Veteran

It's 10:15pm, and I'm just starting this blog post. I swear I really was planning on starting it this morning, but I woke up sick. Then I was going to work on it this afternoon, and the dog distracted me because he's having heart problems {super sad face}. Finally, I planned on starting when Will went to sleep, but he fell asleep on me. Not that that's unusual, it's just that he usually rolls off after fifteen- twenty minutes. An hour and a half later...

I can't even tell you how many pictures I have of him like this. Several appear throughout my Instagram already, and I'm sure there are more to come. We've spent so many nights apart in the last almost seven years, that I still appreciate every moment of snuggles, and I hope it never gets old.

I've been a little sick off and on this week, and he's made me meals in bed, doted on me, and helped around the house. We have our 'moments' just like any other couple, but I can't be anything but thankful for my Prince Charming. If I wasn't already, I'd totally marry him again.

Well, now that this has gone completely off tangent, I will go ahead and wish a Happy Veteran's Day to all the Vets out there. You are all pretty great, but he's my fave.

Hope you all have a Happy Veteran's Day, and eat lots of yummy food. We've mapped out our meals based on the specials in the area, and I'm feeling pretty confident that our guys are going to be FAT and happy afterwards. It seems like an odd way to celebrate, but hey...I'm not here to argue when it comes to free food. Speaking of, remember that your food may be free, but the service isn't. Don't forget to tip and for gosh sakes don't be a cheap @ss. Secondly, for all the military spouses- DON'T get all offended when establishments don't give you free food. YOU weren't the one living in a dessert, eating MRE's, crawling with bugs, and in danger. I'm not saying it wasn't hard, but this is NOT your day. Mmmmmkay?

I don't care what those viral posts say, thank a Veteran!
PS. If you are a Blog Designer or interested in sending Care Packages to soldiers, I have TWO female Veterans that you can support. Please let me know if you are interested, and I will be happy to work with you!

The Marriage Advice I Live By

I have been given a lot of advice in my life, and unlike most, I soak up every bit of it. The good as well as the bad can teach you about life and humanity, as long as you can decipher between the two. My favorite advice, though, involves anything to do with marriage. No matter how much love you have, it takes effort and communication to find the fairy tale.

You may find this hard to believe, but a preacher bestowed this gem upon us:

"When you and your spouse are in a fight, juuuust get nekid. No fight can last when someone's in their Adam & Eve suit." Amen to that brotha'!

And the other bit that runs through my mind constantly is the idea that Our husbands aren't out to get us. When I first started blogging I followed a lovely blogger named Megan, and one day she retold a story about a fight she had with her husband. She shared it because it made her come to the realization that her husband was not out to get her, even though we all seem to jump to that conclusion. It makes marriage so much easier when you connect the dots and realize that your spouse isn't trying to piss you off when they do things like leave the dog food container open, leave his drawers on his dresser wide open {ahem...obviously my pet peeves}, or any old thing that happens during an argument really.

To add my two cents, I list off the wonderful things about my husband when I'm upset, which allows me to calm down before I 'communicate' my issues and maintain a level head. Try it, it's really hard to be mad at someone while you think about how hard they work for your little family, that they work on your truck, pose for all your couples pictures, do the dishes, and specifically ask to have dinner and date nights with you while other husbands go to happy hour. I'm not saying you should just forget about your problem, but don't approach it with the mindset that he's 'out to get you' or even wrong. There is no right and wrong person in a marriage as long as you put each other first and care about the needs of one another.

What is your favorite marriage advice?
Linking up for #Blogtober14!

Nine Months Or Three Weeks, I Still Miss Him

I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that this homecoming was harder than the last deployment. You'd think nine months would trump a measly twenty-one days, but I was able to talk to him throughout the deployment, had an idea of his mental state, and didn't have three weeks of irrational thoughts and fear running around my brain.

But let's go back, because the planning for the homecoming actually started before the school began. As we've been learning lately, his new position comes with spousal responsibilities that I have not had prior experience with, and one such 'job' finds us responsible for throwing a homecoming for the class. It was a little surprising to know that a group of about ten of us would have to come up with the funds, plan, and execute a homecoming for 80 soldiers, but it turned out to be a bonding experience and helped us pass the time while they were all gone.

As usual, I also spent weeks working on his pile'o goodies, and I may have outdone myself...The beer selection was impeccable, there were snacks galore, and I pricked my fingers a million times on those dang roses. You know my motto: "Let the wife make the husband glad to come home & let him make her sad to see him leave." 

Obviously, I take it seriously...

I found the banana idea on Pinterest, but my little sayings are the best part. Just sayin'. "Report for booty and peel me like a banana" and "Your Banana is banana's for you" are quite appropriate if I do say so myself.{ Insert self high five}

Okay, so after we spent a month and a half working on this homecoming, guess what happened? It stormed all morning. We were already extremely nervous picking up our husbands from the hardest training they will EVER experience, and we probably weren't even going to be able to show them what we had worked so hard on. You'd think after all the planning, volunteering, baking, and legitimate blood, sweat, and tears we would be devestated, but between the relief of having our soldiers home and realizing that the whole process brought us all closer together, we understood that it was all worth it regardless.

And you know what? Seeing the smiles on their faces when they laid eyes on us showed that we were what they were looking forward to, and then hearing that thoughts of us were what got them through the rough times made it ALL worth it. It was clear that the traditions and goodie bags were the last things on their mind, and we really can't complain about that. You can't complain about much of anything when they wrap their arms around you ;)

You'd think I couldn't love my husband anymore, and then he goes and slips the following into a conversation we were having: "As I walked through the woods talking to a Tech about being away from you, I told him 'I was thinking it sucks to be away, but then I get to fall in love with her all over again when I come home."

I mean, I feel this way every time he comes home, but I didn't know he did or at least that he would have voiced the feelings to a stranger in public. Just when I think he can't be anymore perfect on the scale of human perfection, he makes me woozy like a school girl... That's how you keep love alive, people!

One last final shout out out to thank Chik-fil-A for their amazing generosity in donating thirty gift cards to a bunch of soldiers that had to forage in the woods for weeks at a time. They were happy when they got to eat in the DFAC {dining facility}, so you can only imagine how excited a warm, hearty chicken sandwich could make them. And to the Army...you may take my husband away more than I like, but I can't deny that I enjoy falling in love with him over and over again. 

Passionate Sense

I found a quote a few months ago, and it has stuck with me ever since.

It actually takes me back to the beginning of our relationship where Will liked to look at everything 'logically', and I had to inform him on several occasions that  love transcends common logic. As anyone who has loved or dreams of love knows, there is no linear 'sense' in love, and that is part of the magic. When people ask me how I knew our love was real, I now tell them that for the first time, I was truly immersed in passionate sense.

Just remember...it's as simple and as complicated as a mathematical equation. You can't just present the solution, you have to show your work, and it takes both partners to reach a point of symmetry. Love is easy. It's the staying in love part that people have issues with. You must make the conscious decision to rip off the logic and make passionate sense above all else. Passion is what life is all about when you really get down to it, and I love making passionate sense with my husband, even on the odd days.

I Fell In Love With His Sense Of Humor

And today, I will show you a peek into how he makes me laugh on a daily basis. Get some tissues, because you may laugh till you cry. Just sayin'.

Will: What are you doing?
Me: Documenting the funny shit you say for the blog.
Will: I never agreed to this, you trollop.
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Will: Where's the remote? Move your big butt.

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Will: When you're gone {read: dead}, I'm going to buy every car I've ever wanted.
Me: You know I plan on dying first, so what you do with the money is all on you.
Will: Don't worry, I'll leave them to your brother when I die.
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Will: You know how I know I love you? I went makeup shopping on MY Birthday.
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Will: So what is Universal gonna do with the Harry Potter park now that the movies are done?
Me: Um...it's never not going to be a 'thing'.
Will: But there aren't anymore books either?
Me: And you call yourself a Harry Potter fan, tsktsk. You think you know a guy...
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Will: I kinda love you.
Me: I kinda love you too.
Will: I know, I just have to keep you in check or you will get a big head.
Me: You better love me.
Will: Of course I do, remember that time in 2010 where I said I love you?
Me: You mean the time I told you I loved you and you didn't say it back?
Will: No that was 2008, and you sprung that on me. I meant the time we got married, now you are just making it weird.
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Will: I just need you to be cold, because if you're cold, I'm comfortable.
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Me: I don't get as mad like I used to because you've calmed me down.
Will: You're welcome.
Me: No, you're welcome.
Will: I feel like you walked me into that...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Me: Have you ever been in a helicopter?

Will: How do you think we got everywhere while we were deployed?

Me: {Hangs head in shame} Wow...what a blonde moment.
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On the way to Denny's after we called the cops on our drunk neighbors...

Will: You can speed through here. All the cops are all at our house.
Buck: There were only 2 cop cars.
Will: That's all the cops Fountain has.
Upon reaching Denny's...

Will: The cops were just at my house.
The hostess: You must be doing illegal things at your house.
Will: What I do at my house is my business.
Hostess: Booth or table.
Will: Both.
Hostess: {takes us to a half booth with chairs}
Will: Well played, madam.

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Will: I wanna do pizza tomorrow night.
Me: Okie doke
A half hour later....
Will: And I want a burger.
Me: Ok
Will: But we can't do them in the same day.
Me: Well technically, we can get a cheeseburger pizza from Papa Johns'.
Will: Don't change the subject- I want Cheeburger Cheeburger. {exasperated sigh} Great, I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight thinking about Pizza and burgers!
Me: Good job, champ.
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Neighbor: {Revs engine}
Me: Seriously, where is he going?
Will: He's a 20 something year old man, he's going out. Calm down.
Me: {dumbfounded look}
Will: First of all, it's 9:30 and we used to go out late at night too. Second of all, quit acting like you are a 60 year old woman, and calm the eff down.
Me: Takes one to know one.
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Joel: Why do I burn myself on pizza EVERY time?
Will: I used to be that way, but since I don't have the fortitude to wait for pizza to cool on my own, my wife just won't let me have it until it's cooled.
Joel: If only I had someone to care about me that much.

And here's why I wonder how this SAHW thing will go...

Will: It's your responsibility as a SAHW to keep me fed.
Me: I'm still working for another month.
Will: FEED ME.
Will: Oh, and my second stipulation is that your uniform is a bikini.
Me: So what happens if I say no?
Will: You get a write-up.
Me: Three write-ups and I'm fired?
Will: No, silly. Three write-ups and you lose an article of clothing.
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Will: For the first time since I met you, I'll be making more money so you do as I say.

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Will: You need to stop stressing about the move, and start worrying about what you are making me for dinner.
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Will: You owe me big time, SAHW.

Me: Huh?

Will: I packed our moving truck in below zero temps.

Me: Exhibit A- I was outside packing and cleaning in zero temps too, and B- this move is for your career not mine.

Will: Well, I'm your boss now so my career pays your salary.
Me: Seriously?

On the flip side...

Will: {opens the fridge} You already bought and re-stocked beer?
Me: Yep.
Will: I apologize for underestimating you, madam.
Me: Don't let it happen again.
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Will: Woah...you're really painting.
Me: What did you think was going to happen after we shopped for paint and primer at Lowe's?
Will: I thought it was going to be a project we planned on doing that never actually happens.
Me: Now that I'm an SAHW I can do things like this.
Will: That is a very valid statement. I happen to love all of your projects, and I'm just happy that I don't have to be the one doing it.
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Will: Where are you going?
Me: To check the laundry, make you lunch, and set the coffee maker.
Will: That sounds like a lot of work.
Me: You are a lot of work.
Will: I find that it's a yin and yang kind of thing. I outweigh the negatives with the positives.
Me: One of the hardest jobs I have is keeping your negatives in check.
Will: That's why I married you. Duh.
At least he knows...

At least I can say that there is never a dull moment in our house. He's been making me laugh since 2007, and it's a good thing, because I find a sense of humor extremely sexy. 

How 'bout you?

This New Life Comes With New Issues

From the moment we found out that Will was accepted to the Flight Warrant Program, a seed of fear was planted in me. I knew that with this amazing opportunity, lots of responsibility would follow, and it would be a completely uncharted territory for us. As of right now we are less than two months in, and we are already having to find major ways to adjust, and this weekend was a big indicator of just how much compromise is going to have to happen. We are still in the 'easy' part of all of this training, and yet he's already inundated with classes and tests. So much so, that 95% of the things I've said in the last two weeks have gone in one ear and out the other. I felt guilty getting upset about it because I know that he's not doing it on purpose, but after keeping my mouth shut for those two weeks, I finally had to speak up.

I'm not gonna lie, Will has had it pretty lucky the last four years because I've refused to be a 'nag' or drill things in his head. He's an amazing husband, so I don't want to disrespect him by taking on the nag role that society tells us is okay. That being said, now that he has so much on his plate, I'm going to have to find a way to vocalize my needs in order to have peace, and luckily, this weekend we started working on that process. He's come to understand that tunnel vision isn't going to work for the next year and a half, and I'm beginning to accept that I may have to snap him out of it when he ends up back in that state. This is going to take a team effort, so I'm just thankful we make a great team.

Just as I thought, this was not a relaxing weekend, but it was a fun one. Other than the powwow that Will and I had to have, we had time with friends and family, enjoyed paradise, and we still found time for Will to study. I guess if this has to be the new normal, it could most definitely be worse. All that matters is that I'm happy to have such a great husband to support, and we are making our marriage even stronger while learning to adapt to this new situation.

I was about to type good luck on the test today, but I'm happy to report he scored 103! He never ceases to amaze me. One test down, a year and a half more to go. We've got this!

The Best Four Years Of My Life

Yesterday, was our four year anniversary. FOUR YEARS!  It is passing by in the blink of an eye, but holds the memories of a thousand years. It's so strange that neither of us ever daydreamed of marriage growing up, and look at us now- we wouldn't be who we are without this union. We've both always been 'happy' and content people, so we weren't looking for happiness in another person, and yet, we are now celebrating the happiest four years of our lives.

Is this to say that we haven't had our fair share of problems?
Absolutely not, and you all know that I enjoy telling you about the lows just as much as the highs, because I cherish the good as much as the bad. Every problem has added richness to our story, and I am so thankful that I have the capacity to see it that way. As Will put it to me once, you don't have truly funny tales to tell without a bad situation from whence they came, and he couldn't have been more correct.

As a matter of fact, we have a new story...

Scene 7:00AM on the morning of our anniversary.

Will: Momma and I are going to the store to get tea, and it'll give us some time to hang out.

Me: We have plenty of tea here, so don't go buyin' me anything.

Will: {deer in headlights, thinking how did she see through me?}

Me: {cue tears, assumes the worst}

Will: {swoops in, envelopes me in his arms} Yes, I'm going to Walgreen's to buy you a card, but I swear I ordered your present last Monday and didn't forget.
Me: {cue more tears, mostly of joy with a dash of shame}

Moral of the story guys? Waiting to say 'Happy Birthday' or 'Happy Anniversary' could bite you in the butt. Even if you haven't bought that card yet, make sure you recite those salutations so she knows you at least remember! He's not the only one that learned, though. My lesson is not to underestimate my wonderful husband. The man has been living in barracks for five weeks, under intense pressure, building our future, and he STILL remembered our anniversary. Shame on me for underestimating him...How did I get so flippin' lucky?

Now that things have calmed down around here, we'll be hittin' the town tonight to celebrate his promotion, being reunited, and our marriage all in one. I don't know if we can do it all justice in this little town, but we are sure going to try. As long as I get to make some more memories with my prince charming, I'll be one happy girl. Cheers to sixty more years, my love!

I Call BS On Conscious Uncoupling.

Dear Gwyneth Paltrow,
I have no problem with divorce. I would much rather someone get a divorce than remain in a bad or loveless marriage, but glorifying divorce so that you can make it 'cool' is wrong. You can tell the media that you are doing this for your kids until you are blue in the face, but it's pretty obvious that you are simply trying to validate your choice for the 'Big D'. It would be nice if people took your lead and had amicable divorces for the 'kids', but I forsee couples giving up on their marriages instead of putting effort in 'because Gwyneth Paltrow did it' and Conscious Uncoupling becoming the cool thing. Especially when you tell people that we aren't meant for monogamy. THAT IS NOT YOUR PLACE TO SAY JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE A CELEBRITY. You need to stick to following scripts that are written for you, because you are not the screenwriter for our society.

Dear Anyone That Ever Gets Married,

Be in a relationship that you would want your children to have. If you haven't found your life partner, look for the caliber that you would want for your children, and don't settle for what you think you deserve. I can guarantee that you deserve more than you think. If you have found your life partner, you {both} need to put the effort into have a good relationship, and you need to make sure that you are achieving a marriage that will show your children what they deserve. People say that our marriage is 'perfect', and even though there is no such thing as perfection, what we do have is because we WORK for our marriage. We put in 1000% effort, because the more effort you put into the marriage, the more love and happiness you get out. It's a proven fact, people.

Dear Husband of Mine,
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for sharing this magical adventure of true love. I really can't think of something to call it other than magical or true, because I don't know how we have reached this euphoric level of love, we have become one heart, one brain with two bodies, and we defy all odds. No matter what life has thrown at us: debt, distance, immaturity, ego, fear, deployments, etc., we have found a way to work through it, and I am happy that we can give hope to others. LOVE IS REAL, and I can honestly say we prove that. As my cynical friend Todd says, "If you two don't work out, there is no such thing as love. Don't f#$% it up for the rest of us." I know we will never let Todd down, and that is the most comforting bit of knowledge I've ever come across.

Feel free to forward this on to Gwyneth, I'd love to have a few choice words with her. If she can tell the world that monogamy isn't real, then we should be able to prove to her that it is. Mark my words, she will eventually find her soulmate, and she will be eating this crap she's spreading around. Mark my words.

Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do... but how much love we put in that action. ~Mother Teresa

Always BELIEVE

I'm going to give you two truths and a lie as to why I almost forgot to post today.

#1 I'm still tired from NOLA

#2 I forgot was day it was

#3 I was distracted by ridiculously good sex with my husband last night

#4 Too many margaritas

Okay okay, so maybe this is a trick...there's no lie ;)

All I can say is that this was an amazing weekend. Great times, scrumdiddlyumtious food, good friends, a new toy, and we even had time to create the most amazing margarita mix that no one has ever seen or tasted. You just wait until I get the pictures loaded.

Uploading and blogging is going on my to do list with the rest of this:

+ Get the closet room set up.

+ Pick up some of the items we need to set up the new house.

Bathmats, rugs, shower caddies, storage drawers, etc.

+ Run, run, RUN, to get ready for a 5K on March 8th!

+Finish editing pictures from my last two photo shoots.
Only one a few pictures left, and I love how they are turning out!

+Still make time to relax together and soak in the new place.

You know how we are all waiting for the 'other shoe to drop' or the next disaster? I  think we should all be waiting for the next WONDERFUL thing, and I saw a  quote this morning that reinforced it. I'm going to actually try to begin wondering "What amazing thing is going to happen next" instead of imagining the worst, because things don't have to be 'too good to be true'. Yes, our lives are peppered with sadness, trials, and unavoidable problems, but that doesn't mean we should be in a constant state of worry. I'm going to amend the following quote by adding the latter, and I'm going to adopt it as my new mantra. Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength...

Always
BELIEVE THAT
Something WONDERFUL
IS ABOUT TO Happen.

Now  I must bid you adieu. I suggest you now go read this article about love and marriage from the New York Times. Boy, is it on the money! We have the capacity to have better marriages than ever {if you are with the right person}, but you have to put EFFORT into it. For those of you that always ask how Will and I have such a great marriage, here is some insight.
You can thank me later.

A Little Insight

I woke up in my own bed this morning, but we both agree that this still doesn't feel like home yet. As long as we have each other we are happy, but it's a process turning a new Military installation into 'home'. Plus, we know that we will only be here for two years, which makes us hold back on getting settled. Oh the joys of this life! 

Recently, sweet Caitlyn tagged me in some questions, and I love Q&A's. They just save the day when you don't have the energy to create a Pulitzer winning post, but still have the desire to share your words with the world. Don't ya think?

What is your dream job?
Author and/or Life Coach
Tell me about your first kiss.
His name was Kyle Black, and it was in the dark bathroom hallway. We were badass first graders, you might say.
Do you have a favorite song?  What is it?
I don't have one favorite, but Don't stop believin' is my go-to Karaoke song.
What is at the top of your bucket list?
Travel, travel, travel.
I'm obsessed with dinosaurs.  What are you obsessed with?
Food. No joke.
When is the last time you took a bubble bath?
Last Thursday when I was dying. I already knew Epsom Salt was good for muscle soreness, and then I read that it's a good way to up your Magnesium intake. All important stuff, and I felt much better.
Would you rather live without TV or music?
I would ditch TV for sure. I didn't even want to get cable when we moved.
Where is your favorite place to shop?  Can be an actual store or online.
Any place that has a sale. I'm a TJMaxx/Ross/Marshall's champ.
Who is your bloggy crush?
Too many to name. I just love YOU ALL.
What is your favorite Mean Girls quote?
Um...I suck at quoting movies. I guess whatever the 'fetch' one is?
Are you excited about anything?
I'm excited for Will to start this new journey in his career, and taking that time to figure my future out. At this rate, our marriage can never grow stale, and that's pretty dang exciting in itself.

As of today, we have one month until WOC {Warrant Officer Candidacy} school, and that means we have one month left of just us. No work, no Army, just family time. Do you know how I know I love my husband? He's the only person I can be around 24-7, and it's still not enough. I just realized that 'Food' was the wrong answer to that obsession question. 'My husband' would probably be the more obvious answer. #SorryI'mNotSorry

He {Almost} Tricked Me For Valentine's Day

Now that I don't feel like I'm dying anymore, let's recap a perfect Valentine's Day that I didn't think was going to happen. I didn't tell y'all because the internet wasn't hooked up yet, but last Wednesday was the anniversary of the day we began dating and our proposal. We usually do dinner, cards, and such, but this year the 'rents were in town and we had a million things going on. I got him a card, and he got me a big fat nothing because he didn't remember. I didn't make a big deal about it, but I definitely let him know that I was disappointed.

Cue to Valentine's morning, and I woke up half expecting a card, flowers, or some other indication that he didn't forget. Instead, he comes in, mumbles happy Valentine's Day, and asks if I want to do anything tonight. Ummmmwhaaaaa? I was instantaneously PISSED. He forgot Wednesday, put ZERO effort into VDay, and expected ME to come up with some type of plan as an afterthought? I think not. I sat there boiling and unwilling to say anything, but as I usually do when I'm mad, I typed it up in an email and sent it to him. This may seem strange, but I can be more clear, honest, and not so mean if I communicate via written word in moments of anger. You could say it's our 'love language'.

Guess who was trying to trick me and had everything all planned out? Guess who also learned that it's not a good idea to pretend like absolutely nothing was planned? That's right, sir William. He apologized for lending me to believe that he had forgotten, and {for once} he didn't give the surprises away, just told me to be patient. {For once} I was patient, and simply enjoyed the rest of the day. It wasn't extravagant, but it couldn't have been ANY more perfect. I guess you could say that the crisis was averted!

In other news, we hopped in the truck, and this post is coming to you live from Pensacola, Florida. Spending the weekend at home was definitely the icing on the cake, and we still have two days here. Cheers to the simple life, sweet tea, home-cooked meals, and front porch sittin'. The next two years are going to R-O-C-K.

How was your Valentine's Day?

I Can't Wrap My Head Around It...

Tell me, how has January flown by already? Not to mention, how has so much happened in such a short period? Seriously...mind-blowing. Based on how things are going so far, I'm leaving 2013 behind as the last year of what I thought was my youth, and now I seem to be headed towards a year of rebirth.

+ The impending move

+ Will's new job

+ A new balance in our relationship

+ Taking the time to find myself

+ Overall transition

Change is terrifying, and yet everything seems to be falling in to place. I'm going to go out on a limb, and say that I think this means that we are right where we are supposed to be in our life. I still don't have a career at 28, but Will says that I'm not 'allowed' to stay at Hooters, because it's my turn to take my time figuring out who and what I want to be. More importantly. he demands that I not stress about a thing.

This is why I married this man...
He's the only one that can boss me around and doesn't bow down, which fits my theory that women don't really want the bad guy. They want a take charge kind'a guy and one they can't manipulate. An equal, but one that we can look to with the problems that seem impossible. Cue cheesiness: He's not just my husband, he's my hero ;)

Three days left, and I'm out of a j-o-b. Or as Will puts it, I'll be taking care of him, and that really is a full time job. I'm looking forward to the challenge!

PS. You can get a double dose today, so head over to Sparkles and Shoes! Kelly had surgery, so go wish her well.

Proof That We Are Getting Old

I'm going to take you back to last Saturday night.

We knew we wanted to go to dinner, and then when we were invited to an MMA Fight, we decided that a full night out would be fun. After some deliberation, we decided to try out a Mongolian BBQ called HuHot, Buck came over, and off we went.

We happen to love Mongolian BBQ, so all was going smoothly...
That is, until Will suggested we go by the Super Liquor store and Redbox instead. We went from ready to party to even more ready to chillax on the couch in about two-point-five seconds, and this is when I realized that we are officially old. I mean we've been cancelling plans for years, but cancelling them after we are already out? That's a whole 'nother level. At least we were rested for Sunday Funday!

We went to lunch at one of my favorite places {cross that off the Colorado bucket list} and attempted to hike one more time since the weather was sunny and 50's.

We didn't actually take into consideration that the sun would hide behind Pike's Peak cutting our hike short, but we were proud that we braved the cold for at least a little bit in spite of our shorts. Lesson learned, mind the sun, and always layer.

Tuesday night, I made Cheeseburger Pizza which is Will's favorite, so that turned into his cake. I'm going to pretend that Cheeseburger pizza is healthy{er}. Yeah, let's go with that.

As you know, Will's actual Birthday was Wednesday, so we took the dog to our favorite park, and it was very nostalgic. We have spent a lot of time in this park for the last three years, and are definitely going to miss it when we move. It has become somewhat of a 'secret' place, and I think every couple needs a secret place.

Other than an accidental nap I told you we were old, Will loves Mexican so we planned dinner at Hacienda. It was another place we hadn't tried yet, but we loved every bit of it!

The plan was that I would have one margarita and drive, so that he could drink it up. However, as we were walking to the truck, I realized that I shouldn't be driving. Thank goodness Will only had two, and he got a kick out of me not being able to drive after one. Hey, safety first people! As I look back on the last week, I am filled with warm fuzzies. We were able to experience new things, revisit some places for the last time, and it practically felt like we were dating again. It was a fun, flirty, Birthday week, and his Birthday celebrations aren't even over.

We may be old...But we are ridiculously happy, and I wouldn't change a single thing.