The Crazy Life of a Navy Wife

New Blog

2011-08-20T15:20:00.000-07:00

Hey all! I have started a new blog since I am no longer a Navy wife!
If you're interested you can find it here:
http://pcosttcandme.blogspot.com/

Later!

Contest!

2011-03-19T06:48:00.000-07:00

Check this out! It's The Origional Scrapbox's Facebook page where you can go to WIN a scrapbox!
These things are AWESOME! If you are a scrapper or you LOVE organization, you MUST go enter to win!

Extreme Makeover

2011-02-17T18:44:00.000-08:00

Extreme Makeover HOME Edition was in Virginia Beach a few weeks ago and I had the chance to go see the house under construction!

Dan and I had volunteered to help build the house, but there were SO many people that volunteered we were not needed. I was REALLY bummed because I was so excited to help out. I was obsessed the week they were here and wanted to be near the house the whole week!

One day during the building they had a "pep rally" and "march" the the site for all of the people who volunteered to help and did not get the chance to. I went with a few ladies from work and had a blast! I got to "meet" the producer from the show and Ed and Xzibit the designers. Here are some pictures from the day!

Ed... he's hot :)

It was FREEZING that day and they told us we had to wear out t-shirts on top of our coats!

Me and Xzibit!

Hello?

2011-01-31T17:26:00.000-08:00

Does anyone even read this?

2011 Resolutions

2011-01-07T16:14:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!

I realize I'm a few days late, but it's better late than never, right?

I started thinking about my New Year Resolutions the other day and thought it would be a good idea to write them here. That way maybe someone will hold me accountable?

1. Drink at least 40oz of water a day. (about 1 of my pink ODU water bottles)
This one will be tough for me since I find it SO hard to drink water all day long.

2. Run at least 12 miles a week.
Ultimately I'd like to run more, but I think 12 is a good number to strive for even on those tough weeks.

3. Run the Virginia is for Lovers 14k (8.7 miles) in 1 hour and 30 minutes or less with the husband.
Ok, so this is shooting high, but I will be SO proud of myself if I can accomplish this one!

4. Read more books!
I don't have a set number here, but I've just rediscovered my love for reading and want to read ALL OF THE TIME! I even joined a book club!

5. Make and send Birthday cards to all of my nieces and nephews this year.
I always say I'm going to, but never get around to it!

6. Take more time for me.
I would LOVE to put more time aside to do things I love. Scrapbooking and card making have really been thrown out the door since I started teaching. I REALLY want to make it a point to do more this year. (Especially since I got a PINK Cricut Expression!!!)

7. Take and conquer things one at a time.
Maybe this will help relieve a lot of the stress in my life.

8. Be a better friend.
I have wonderful friends and I'm really bad at keeping in touch with them.

9. Be a supportive and loving wife.
I already have this one under control (hehe), but it's important that I continue with all of the changes that may to us this year.

Ok, so my husband just laughed at me and said, "It's funny that you want to take things one at a time, yet you have 9 goals."

*sigh* I guess he's right. That one may have to be erased :)

Holiday Gift Giveaway: Twilight ECLIPSE DVD

2010-12-09T19:13:00.000-08:00

Holiday Gift Giveaway: Twilight ECLIPSE DVD

This is the movie of the holiday season!! Twilight Eclipse will hit stores on December 4th, 2010 and you can win it here!!

Just go to Country Girl, City Life's blog and enter to win!!

Girls on the Run

2010-12-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

In September a friend and co-worker of mine decided to coach a Girls on the Run team at our school.

"Girls on the Run® is a non-profit prevention program that encourages preteen girls to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles through running. Our curricula address all aspects of girls' development - their physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual well-being. "

*Taken from the Girls on the Run website*

It's an amazing mentoring program that incorporates running. I loved the idea when my co-worker asked me about it and we set out to start the club at our school. We were allowed to have 8 girls for our first season. We decided to start with the 5th grade girls that would soon be moving on to Middle School.

We met twice a week for 90 minutes and learned valuable lessons about how to love and respect ourselves. At the same time, we trained for a 5k race (3.1 miles).

This past Saturday was our race! It was the first race for 7 of our girls! What an exciting day it was! We ran the Jingle Bell 5k race at Old Dominion University.

EVERY girl finished! I am SO proud of what these girls have accomplished and am looking
forward to our Spring season!

Our team signs!

The team BEFORE the race

Our team AFTER the race
The girls with their finisher medals

Creative Scraps Challenge Week 4

2010-11-23T19:31:00.000-08:00

Hello there! I decided I wanted to try taking part in a card challenge this week! I've been stalking blogs for months and have never attempted to enter any of the challenges. Anyway, I didn't have much time (or creativity) this week, but here's what I came up with...

This card was created for the Creative Scraps Challenge at Scrappin 5 Little Cupcakes. The challenge was to create a card using the colors blue, black, and ONE other color. We were supposed to use the Cricut cartridge Life's A Beach, but I don't have that one. I used my Everyday Paper Dolls cartridge. I chose to add yellow to my blue and black since there are a lot of "blue and gold" schools out there. My stamp is from Stampin Up! Warmest Regards. It's not my best work, but for the lack of time and creativity I think it will work!
Thanks for looking!

Squeeeeeal

2010-11-22T17:00:00.000-08:00

Say hello to my little friend......

**AMAZING**

My first project :)

Dan said I should make a LARGE snowman... so I did :)

How to Build a Jungle Tree!

2010-09-12T06:25:00.000-07:00

Hello blogging world! It's been awhile and I'm sorry for that. Life isn't all that interesting when you don't have kids to talk about :p Now that school has started though I have 22 of them to talk about!

Before getting into the year I HAD to make my classroom look amazing. I love walking into a fun, creative, welcoming classroom each morning and wanted the kids to feel the same way. The school's theme for the year is SAFARI. I decided to go with "Jungle Safari" because there was a lot more "out there" for Jungle. The first thing that popped into my head for decorations was: A TREE! I wanted an awesome tree in the reading corner. In my head I planned this tree for months. How tall would it be? What would I make it out of? What should I hang on it? Will the kids like it? Will my room stand out from everyone elses? (I like to be different.... I wanted my room to be the "cool room" this year!)

So, the night before school started for teachers (I know, I successfully put the project off ALL summer!), my husband and I went to Lowes. We spend about an hour looking at materials and setting up a game plan. We came home and got working!My husband is fond of his garage and his tools. This project gave him the perfect excuse to use both.

Here is how we made the tree (along with pictures!)

Materials:
1 2x4
3/4 inch plywood (or any plywood would work)
screws!
1 PVC pipe (as tall as you'd like the tree)
4 10 foot skinny pvc pipes (in the plumbing aisle)
Butcher paper to decorate with!

The first step: making a wooden tree stand so that the tree would not fall over!

Dan got to buy a new tool for this so he was excited.

Next step: Putting the "frame" together!

Stick small pvc pipes into larger pipe. Stick into stand!

It's starting to look like a tree! The next step was the hardest (for me at least!) Decorating!!
I used brown and green butcher paper and about 6 hours to complete my tree.

Trunk is covered!

Branches!

Next, I needed leaves! I added huge leaves first. It definitely didn't look right so I added a bunch of smaller leaves. I also added a blow up monkey and some cut out bananas and coconuts.

I still wasn't happy with it.The branches were too droopy and there weren't enough leaves. So, I continued working!

I used fishing line to tie the branches to the ceiling. I also added lots of leaves. I used pipe cleaners on the leaves to get some of them to stick up.

The rest of my room looks something like this:

Looking in through the door.

To the right. My Guided Reading table and "Good Work Board"

Attendance and Behavior

My desk area. Sloppy... I know! School hadn't started yet :)

"Front" of room.

Math and Centers Board

Sign outside my door

The beautiful quilt my mother-in-law and sister-in-law
helped me make out of my students work! (Outside my door)

That is it for now! I hope you enjoyed my tutorial and my classroom tour! More to come at a later date!

3 Years and More to Come

2010-06-12T14:17:00.001-07:00

I'm a little late on this post (almost a month actually), but I figured it's better late than never!

Dan and I celebrated our 3 year wedding anniversary on May 19th. After work we went to the Japanese Hibachi to celebrate with delicious food! We came home and enjoyed an amazing cookie cake that Dan had ordered.

*we aren't sure why they put 'Be Mine' on the heart*

I can't believe it's been 3 years! As corny as it may sound, I love my husband more and more each day. I keep finding little things about him that make me fall in love all over.

Here's to many more years babe!

*us after dinner*

Spring Break with (Part of) the Family!

2010-06-03T16:52:00.000-07:00

My goal for the next week is to post a few blogs that I've been meaning to post for a LONG time. Please forgive my LONG overdue rantings and pictures.
To start off the blogging week I wanted to write about my Spring Break here in Virginia Beach. My mom came down for the week because she hadn't been here in over a year. I wanted to show her all of the house updates and I missed our mother/daughter bonding time. She came down the Tuesday of vacation sick as a dog. The doctor had just diagnosed her with severe bronchitis. I felt awful for her, but was SO glad she was there. We goofed off and spent a few days together before my brother, his girlfriend at the time, and his daughter came to join us. I hadn't seen my niece since Christmas and is was awesome to see her again. Children grow up SO fast! I couldn't believe how big she had gotten! She's talking and walking and has all kinds of personality!
It rained one day so we decided to take a trip to the Virginia Aquarium. What a great time that was! Elizabeth absolutely loved all of the sea life and it was a lot of fun watching her interact with the different exhibits! Enjoy some of the pictures I took!

Lizzie wasn't afraid of anything! She cried when we had to leave the petting area!Turtles!HAMS :)My brother is a nerd!

Hope you enjoyed our trip to the aquarium! I hope to be back soon with more adventures!

Blogging is Hard to Do

2010-05-13T06:08:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in a long time and I'm sorry to those of you who actually read this. It's been a busy year and blogging hasn't been on the top of my priority list.

I am no longer a Navy Wife. I guess I should start a new blog, but I think I'm too lazy for that sort of thing. My husband got out of the Navy in September. He is now a full time student at ODU. He should be finishing up his Civil Engineering degree next Spring. He's working REALLY hard to finish up.

I have been teaching. Teaching, teaching, teaching. I started a program at school called Read 180 this year. A lot of work and time, but the kids really loved it and grew a lot in their reading.

More to come at a later date.

Blog Candy!!!!

2010-05-13T05:59:00.000-07:00

WOW! Check out Debbie's Birthday Blog Candy here! She is offering an amazing collection of rafting supplies to 1 lucky winner! Head on over to her blog to enter!

Hurry! You have until May 26th to enter!

New Moon Blog Candy

2010-03-26T11:38:00.001-07:00

Twilight fan????

Want to win a paperback copy of New Moon along with the DVD???

Go to Country Girl, City Life's blog and enter!

I have :)

AWESOME Blog Candy Alert!

2010-03-18T17:21:00.000-07:00

So I want to win this blog candy! I bet you will too!

To celebrate her Ippity Adventure, Vicki is offering up a SWEET Blog Candy Package with a potential to up the Booty!!!! One lucky winner will get all the loot, including Sweet Thoughts of Spring from Ippity Stamps, The latest SU border punch from the SAB Catalogue (the punch shown here is just for depiction purposes, the SU punch is set to arrive in the next day or so). Additional Stamps from Hanna Stamps, Stamping Bella. MFT, Clear Stamps are in this initial prize package along with Journals and Stickers from Making Memories, Rub ons from Crate Paper, a Cuttlebug embossing folder, some cards from Rob & Bob Studio, Stickers by Jolee and some assorted Ribbon.

Now, how can you win? Enter a comment on this post and if you are not a follower, please add yourself in. Entering a comment and becoming a follower on her IPPITY BLOG will give you another chance to win.

NOW GO!!!!!!!!!!!

Cute Giveaway for Little Girls!

2009-10-31T09:50:00.000-07:00

Piggy Paint Review/Giveaway: Breast Cancer Awareness Edition

Stay-at-home-mom Melanie Hurley created Piggy Paint for two fashion forward daughters.

“One day while we were painting nails over a foam plate, my daughter dropped a glob of her solvent-based polish onto the plate. Shortly after, the paint began to bubble and “ate” through the plate. I looked in dismay at the hole in the plate and decided to test all of her other “kid” polishes o

n the foam. Within minutes, ALL of the solvent-based polishes began to bubble and eventually left big holes in the plate. From that day on, I decided that any flammable substance that could eat through foam was unacceptable for my children’s fingernails, which would inevitably end up in their mouths.“

Why is Piggy Paint the best choice for your little girl?

Non-toxic
Odorless
Water-based formula
Hypoallergenic
Fun, vibrant colors
Dries to a hard, durable finish
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Piggy Paint is no stranger to the effects of breast cancer. and dedicates not only the month of October, but every month to raising money for the cause. A portion of the proceeds from the Piggy Paint “Fight Breast Cancer” pack is donated to Susan G. Komen fund. During the month of October, they take it a step further by donating a bottle of polish and remover to a woman currently undergoing breast cancer treatment. Click here to purchase your kit now!

Want to win this adorable Breast Cancer Awareness set? Visit Country Girl, City Life to enter!

Another Giveaway!

2009-08-25T14:14:00.000-07:00

Beibi Shoe Review & Giveaway

"Wee Squeak Children’s Shoes are footwear that's fun to wear! Comfortable and stylish, these little shoes are great for any season. With a variety of styles and colors to choose from, these children's shoes are a great gift idea as well as a way to help children learn to walk properly without even realizing they're being taught. Traditional Mary Jane’s, along with a wide variety of boys sanals, children’s tennis shoes and girls sandals in several different colors and styles, Wee Squeak Shoes has a very diverse selection. Wee Squeak shoes are designed for children and parents alike. Our shoes actually make a fun squeak sound as the child walks. A cushion in the heal squeezes air through a tiny nozzle making the squeak sound. For those occasions when the shoe needs to be silent, the squeaker can be removed very simply by an adult."

Well, WeeSqueak has done it again! Beibi shoes are created for "eager little feet". These shoes are unique to the brand as they do NOT squeak! They have all the style and comfort of your traditional Wee Squeak shoes and are available in sizes 0-24 months.

I won the Wee Squeak shoes during the last giveaway and they are ADORABLE! Be sure to visit Country Girl, City Life and enter for your chance to win!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-12T09:51:00.000-07:00

A long Update!

2009-07-15T07:28:00.000-07:00

So it's been a long while my friends. I wish that I could say it's because my husband came home from deployment (which he did!!!), but alas, it's because I'm lazy!

I've decided to share the last few weeks of my life with you in pictures. So, here we go!

At the end of June I said goodbye to my crazy class of 3rd graders. My coworker, Sarah, and I threw the class an awesome Luau party to say our goodbyes. We were impressed with our decorating skills (there was more than you can see in the pictures!).
And, ss much as they bothered me towards the end, I will truly miss those kids next year!

My class plus the special ed teachers!

My in-laws came down for Father's Day weekend so I decided to make and decorate a cake.

I was feeling a bit like Betty Crocker and decided a week later to make my first pie! We have a blackberry bush in our backyard so the hubby collected berries for me. He was really excited for a pie.Concert 1 of the summer was Kenny Chesney. Can we say total hottie? Yum. I went with my friend and coworker Sarah at the end of June. We had a good time.

Dan and I finally made it to Busch Gardens! We've been wanting to go for years, but have never made it up there!

Concert 2 of the summer was Toby Keith. What a fun time! Sarah and I met up with our Assistant Principal and a few coworkers to enjoy the concert.

Dan and I also met up with his brother and sister-in-law in Norfolk for the Harbor Fest. It was a lot of fun! The boats were awesome!
I can't have an entry without sharing pictures of my Elizabeth :) I can't wait to go home in August to see her and our new niece Diana!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

Lizzie loves her grandpa!

Card

2009-06-08T17:11:00.000-07:00

I made this card for my friends 3 year Anniversary!

My Attempt

2009-06-04T18:30:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is "Goodie Day" at school (because teachers loooooove goodies!), so I thought I'd take on a goodie that I've been dieing to make. If you don't read Bakerella's blog you REALLY should! Anyway, I got the idea to try making her Cupcake Pops without the pop.
Here are what hers look like:

Really cute and awesome right? I thought so.
After 4 hours of working in the kitchen, here is what I came up with:

Not NEARLY as cute and awesome, but they'll do.
I wish I would have bought the M&Ms for the top. That would have helped. I'm not sure how Bakerella gets hers so perfect. I seriously spent 4 hours working on these and THAT'S what I came up with. Horrible right? I shouldn't even try!! Hey, at least it gave me something to do tonight :)

Another Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-03T12:47:00.001-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-27T17:21:00.001-07:00

Enough said.

Wee Squeak Shoe Giveaway (HERE)

2009-05-09T07:12:00.000-07:00

Wee Squeak Shoe Giveaway (HERE)

Wee Squeak shoes was recently in contact with mean bout giving away a pair of their super cute shoes… and who am I to resist giving things away?! The following is a little bit about the company and their adorable shoes….

“Wee Squeak Children’s Shoes are footwear that's fun to wear! Comfortable and stylish, these little shoes are great for any season. With a variety of styles and colors to choose from, these children's shoes are a great gift idea as well as a way to help children learn to walk properly without even realizing they're being taught. Traditional Mary Jane’s, along with a wide variety of boys sandals, children’s tennis shoes and girls sandals in several different colors and styles, Wee Squeak Shoes has a very diverse selection. We even have accessories to go with our “Wee Snap” shoes…clip on flowers to dress up the shoes, as well as Crystal Crown accessories in white or pink. These decorative additions to our Wee Snap line will put a sparkle in any girl’s eye when she sees them gracing her toes!

Wee Squeak shoes are designed for children and parents alike. Our shoes actually make a fun squeak sound as the child walks. A cushion in the heal squeezes air through a tiny nozzle making the squeak sound. For those occasions when the shoe needs to be silent, the squeaker can be removed very simply by an adult. Shoe sizes range from 3-12. We have a wide variety of shoes for boys and girls, and we have expanded our collection for Spring and Summer 2009. Please also visit our website for a detailed listing at www.weesqueak.com.”

Winner will receive shoe shown above in a size 5

Don't have a little girl in a size 5? Enter anyway... these make great gifts!

Head on over to Country Girl, City Life's blog and enter to win!

update!

2009-04-14T20:29:00.001-07:00

This is what I've been up to lately:

She is absolutely AMAZING. She loves her Aunt Caiti and her Aunt Caiti adores her!

Welcome Elizabeth Rae!!!

2009-03-24T16:11:00.000-07:00

My brother's baby was born this morning at 11:06am!!
Welcome to the world Elizabeth Rae! I love you SO much and we haven't even met yet!!!

Win a FREE paperbag scrapbook!

2009-03-21T12:05:00.001-07:00

Want to win a FREE paperbag scrapbook handmade by my awesomely talented sister-in-law??? Just go here to check out how you can win!

http://andbabymakesfourperrine.blogspot.com/2009/03/paper-ba g-scrapbook-giveaway.html

I am a Mommy!

2009-03-18T16:59:00.000-07:00

To 2 baby chicks! Welcome to the world Peanut and Bob!!!!

The 3rd grade classes at my school decided to incubate chicken eggs this year to teach the students about life cycles. I have to admit, I was scared out of my mind. That's a lot of responsibility! What's going to happen?? Aren't they disgusting when they hatch? What if they die??? What if none of the eggs hatch??

Well, being the awesome teacher that I am, I decided I wanted to take on the challenge for my class. Each room got 12 eggs from the 4-H club to incubate. Our job was to roll the eggs 3 times a day and keep the incubator at 99-100 degrees for 21 days. Easy right? It is when you have 22 kids screaming at you to roll the eggs at 8:30, 11:30, and 2:30 each day!

*Warning: Some of these pictures are gross. LOL*

Here they are about to hatch on the 21st day!

Here comes Peanut!!!Hello world!!!!

Slimy, gooey, and sort of freaky looking.
My cuties!

He looks mean, but they're sooo cute in person!

Bob #1 actually ended up dying about 15 minutes after he hatched :( It freaked me out and I almost cried. He ended up having a hernia and it killed him. Shhhh the kids don't know. I told them that Mrs. McClaskey was taking care of him until he felt better. Luckily, that night another egg hatched. That morning I told the kids, "Bob felt so much better and wanted to come back to our class!!!!" Thanks Bob 2 for standing in :)

Great Song

2009-03-15T07:22:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqfGqOx2iDQ

Snow???

2009-03-05T17:22:00.000-08:00

So last week we had some snow! Can you believe it? Snow in Virgina Beach??? Weird. What's incredibly ironic is that a few weeks before we had a "snow day" from school where there was NO snow. We were supposed to get a bad storm that never came; so we got a day off for nothing. Well, we were punished for that by the city and were made to work on Presidents Day. *gasp!* Well, we wake up on Presidents Day to this:

No joke. Snow on our snow day makeup. Did we get called off? Nope. The city wanted to prove a point I suppose. There were a lot of angry school goers that day.... the ONLY schools around to be in session.

Anyway, a few days ago we got a liiiiittle more:

and guess what?? We got a 2 hour delay. Does that make ANY sense at all?
I didn't think so.

Happy Birthday Beth!!!

2009-03-02T13:16:00.000-08:00

I hope you have a fantastic day!!!!!
Love you!!!!!

Here We GO!

2009-02-21T15:01:00.000-08:00

124 days to go! That's it. 124 days until we're out of the Navy and free to live happily and enjoy our marriage together. Today is Dan's 2,000th day in the Navy. Wow. When I think of 124 days compared to 2000, it's nothing. When I think of it as a little over 4 months on the other hand....

Here we are the night I dropped him off at the ship. One last picture for me to stare at.

I'm doing much better than I had thought I would. I had a few hours this afternoon of, "poor me, what am I going to do?" time, but quickly realized, that is not the attitude I want to have for the next 4 months.

This morning my sister-in-law and I went to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and watched the ship deploy. I wasn't sure if this was a good idea or not, but figured I'd kick myself in the butt years from now if I didn't. It was very cold outside, but beautiful. The bay is amazing and watching the ship go by gave me a sense of pride. My husband was on that ship; giving another 4 months of his life to defend and protect our country. Those men and women said goodbye to all they loved. What a sacrifice.

I of course, being the scrapbooker that I am, took many pictures. Here are a few of the good ones.

Here they come!!!

Closer!!

CVN 69 Deployment 2009

Please forgive me. I've been sick for days and it was cold and windy!!!Valli with the ship.See you in 4-5 months!!

Blah

2009-02-20T20:01:00.001-08:00

He's gone.

I'm still sick.

I've been in bed for 2 days.

The 4-5 month countdown begins.

I will write more when I'm better.

Thanks for all your support.

It's been a long long time....

2009-02-16T16:49:00.000-08:00

I have been a terrible blogger and I apologize.

My husband is deploying on Friday.

I promise to update my blog more once he's gone.

I'll need a place to talk.

This sucks.

Navy Life

2009-01-25T17:53:00.000-08:00

Name:
Caiti

Age:
23

Sex:
:: female

Name of spouse:
:: Dan

Age of spouse:
:: 24

What Branch of the Military is your spouse in?
:: US Navy

Have you ever been in the military or are you currently in the military?
:: military wife is as close as i'll ever get

Has your spouse ever been deployed, if so, when and where to?
:: He made an 8 month deployment right before our wedding (Oct 2006-May2007) to the Gulf Area. He will be making his 2nd deployment here in February.... hopefully our last!!!

If your spouse was deployed, how badly did you miss them?
:: It's indescribable. It hurts.

If your spouse was deployed, how long were they gone for?
:: 8 months for the first and about 4-5 for this next one.

If your spouse was deployed, did they get R&R, and if so, what did you do for it?
:: Nope

Where are you and your spouse currently stationed?
:: Norfolk, VA, but we're living in Virginia Beach

Do you like the benefits you recieve as a military dependent?
:: Of course, who wouldn't like the incredible pay and free health care??? The commissary is amazing as well. It's going to suck getting out for those reasons!!!

Do you appreciate what your spouse's job entails?
:: Yes

Do you support your spouse as member of the United States military?
:: 100%

Do you like military life?
:: I can't say that I do. I just wasn't cut out to be a military wife. I need my husband home with me. It's too incredibly hard to say goodbye so many times and for such long periods. I love that it gave us the excuse to move away from our families for the start of our marriage. It's really made our relationship strong and has made us appreciate each other.

Do you and your spouse have children, and if so, how many?
:: no kids.... yet

Do you think your spouse looks good in uniform?
:: My hubby looks good in anything, but ESPECIALLY his uniform!!

Do you think military life is more advanced then civilian life, why or why not?
:: I'm not really sure about "advanced" but you get to experience things you wouldn't otherwise and you really learn to appreciate your spouse and you learn real quick that most things aren't worth fighting over because you don't get to see each other as much as it is and you need to value that time together. That's one thing a lot of civilian couples take for granted. (I copied this answer from another navy wife because it's exactly what I was thinking!!!)

Do you think your spouse's job in the militay is respectable amongst other people in the military?
:: I think they are all very respectable. We need all military jobs in order to succeed and defend our country. I do believe that my hubby's job sounds real important though :)

Do you ever use your spouse's place in the military to your advantage?
:: Absolutely not.

Do you ever use your spouse's rank to your advantage?
:: Never. I'm not that kind of a person.

What do you think about other military spouse's?:
:: ummm I try to stay away from them. :)

What do you think about women who get out of the military after becoming pregnant?
:: I wouldn't want to leave my child for 8 months.....

What do you think about people claiming to be gay to get out of the military?
:: It's really stupid when they lie just to get out. It's cheating the system and I don't like people who think that's ok.

Do you think it is right to be forced out of the military for being gay?
:: Not at all. I don't see why it makes a difference.

Did you know that it is military law that you can only have sex with your spouse and only in the missionary position but isn't an enforced law?
:: haha I actually didn't until my husband told me a few weeks ago that it was a law in the military.

What do you think about that law?
:: There are ALOT of people breaking that law.

What do you think civilian people don't know about the military or military life?
:: Just how hard it is. People try to understand and they're very sympathetic and we REALLY appreciate that, but you don't understand until you've lived it.

What would you want civilians to know about the military or military life?
:: I just wish they could live in our shoes even if it was just for a month. It'd really make them appreciate their significant others, not to mention the military in general.

There are some people out there that still do not support our troops or have any respect for them. These amazing people who serve have made the ultimate sacrifice of giving up seeing their family members and loved ones, not to mention just every day joys for months at a time. They deserve our upmost respect. (again, I agree with the previous poster!)

When you see movies about the military, do you notice when things aren't right?
:: Sometimes, but my hubby ALWAYS points out things that are wrong!

When your spouse sees movies about the military, do they notice when things aren't right?
:: See above!

Are you and your spouse currently, or have you ever been stationed to overseas Europe?
:: Nope

If you are or ever have been stationed overseas, do you know what AFN is?
:: Sure don't

Where did your spouse go to Basic Training?
:: Crap, I knew this.... we weren't dating when he went so....

Where did your spouse go to A School?
:: Pensacola, FL

Do you think being a military spouse allows you to travel easily?
:: No, I haven't experienced any traveling.

If you and your spouse are stationed away from home, do you miss it?
:: Every day. I miss my family and friends. I miss the familiarity of home. I hate missing all of the big things that happen throughout the year.

Where are you and your spouse origionally from?
:: Canton, Ohio

Did either you or your spouse grow up as a military child?
:: No. Dan's dad was in the Army, but before Dan was born.

Do you think being a military spouse is a job, why or why not?
:: Not for me. I have my own full time job. I do believe that the military wives who's spouses are in for "life" have a job. They pretty much take care of the family and house while the man is away.

B is for Baby

2009-01-18T17:35:00.001-08:00

No, I'm not having a baby. Yet. Someday, but for now I just made a baby card because all of my friends and family are having babies! I got this awesome "B is for Baby" stamp set from Hanna Stamps and just had to start playing :) I'm excited about how the card turned out. Enjoy!

New card

2009-01-15T16:47:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile. I apologize for the lack of posting, but now that Dan is gone I've buried myself in my work. I come home exhausted and grade papers, lesson plan, make games for school, watch a bit of tv, and then sleep. I wake up at 6:20am and do it all again.

Life is so much better when my husband is around. I'm doing okay this underway, but I'm so bored and lonely. I'm not really happy. I'm not sad or anything, but I'm just not myself. I can't wait for this all to be over.

Anyway, my principal's son passed away over the weekend and the services are tomorrow. I'm going to the open house after school so I made a card for the family. I bought this new set of stamps from Hanna stamps and was excited to use them. It's my first Hanna stamps card :) It's pretty simple, but I like the way it came out. I've got a ton of new stamps that I hope to play with this weekend :)

Dan the Tool Man Porter

2009-01-02T18:45:00.000-08:00

When you let your husband spend $800 or so on tools, you get this:

Introducing my new ribbon rack!!!!! I've been asking Dan for MONTHS to build me some sort of ribbon organizer for my scrapbook room. My ribbon was in boxes everywhere and I had no idea what I owned and what I didn't. This is what he came up with and I am MORE than pleased with it!! Now all that's left is buying more ribbon to fill it up :)

My awesome hubby also built this for my mom :

My mom's due to have her first grandchild in April so she was really pleased to receive this rocking chair for Christmas. I told Dan I wanted one for our house :)

I'd also like to show off the great gingerbread house we made on Christmas Day. Dan did most of the structure and I had fun with the decorating. I will have to admit that Dan made the sweet flag :)Lastly, I'll post a few pictures of the gifts I made for the teachers at school. I was pleased with the way they turned out.

That's it folks. I hope you enjoyed my update :)

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T08:26:00.000-08:00

Dan and I will be celebrating Christmas together by making some homemade pizza and a gingerbread house. We will close the night by snuggling by the fire. It will be awesome to have my husband home for the holidays this year!!! My thoughts are with all the soldiers and their families who will not get to celebrate the holidays together. Thank you for your sacrifices.

Ike Christmas Party

2008-12-07T15:31:00.000-08:00

Friday night Dan took me to the Eisenhower Christmas party. It was our first year attending (and our last chance to go) so I was pretty excited. The party was at a hotel in Portsmouth so we decided to get a room there and not worry about getting home late at night. We met another couple there and headed over to the party around 8:30.

The party was full of eating, drinking, dancing, and laughing. I had a blast. Everyone we went with was so much fun. It was REALLY nice to have a night out. We don't get around to doing it that much. Enjoy the pictures:
Here I am in the hotel waiting for the shuttle to pick us up!

The IKE ice sculpture. Awesome.

My hubby and me at the dance.

The hottest man on Earth.

Dancing with Danielle.

A self portrait to end the night:

All in all it was a GREAT time and I'm so glad we went!

Now for some fun Christmas pictures. Our tree:

Our house all lit up!! We bought the LED lights this year and they're a big hit! People stopped by the house today to ask Dan where we got them. They said they had driven by before and loved them and wanted to find them!! The picture just doesn't do them justice!
That's it for now. I hope you enjoyed the update!

Happy Birthday Amy!!

2008-12-02T03:44:00.000-08:00

It's my sister-in-law's birthday today! HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMY!!!!!

Yes, she shares the day with Britney Spears. Is it horrible that I'm excited for her CD? Yikes. I might just be the only person over the age of 12 that's excited. Oh well!

Have a great day everyone!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T17:02:00.001-08:00

I like my Cuttlebug again. Now that I've learned to use it I'm ok with it :) It's really a lot of fun when you know what you're doing!

I finished my Christmas cards today and am SO glad they're finished. They took forever and had a lot to them. Next year I will make a card that's not so labor intensive.

Thanksgiving was a lot of fun. Dan's parents came down from Ohio and joined us for the weekend. I learned how to make a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner :) We also got a lot of work done around the house. I'm also pretty jazzed that Dan's mom brought me a sewing machine :) Now to learn how to use it.....

Well, that's about it for now. My life is pretty boring at the moment :)

I Hate My Cuttlebug

2008-11-18T17:21:00.001-08:00

Or maybe it's my Nestabilities I hate. I can't decide. I can't get the nestabilities to work with my Cuttlebug without it ruining my plates. Every website I've looked at (and I've looked at SO many!!) that explain how to use the 2 together say the same thing.... when I do what they say it doesn't work for me! I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I'm annoyed and pissed off because I spent $60 on the nestabilities and was SO excited to start using them. They have caused me nothing but pain!!!!! aaaah

Rubber Stamps

2008-11-18T16:06:00.000-08:00

Are you a stamper???
If so you have to check out Denise's blog here.. She has decided to open her very own rubber stamp business and has ADORABLE stamps!!! Her company is called, "Whimsy Stamps". All the info you need is on her blog!!! Please go check it out!!!

Christmas Cards

2008-11-14T19:27:00.001-08:00

So I managed to make my first 2 Christmas cards! I was playing around to see what I wanted to make to send out this year and these are the 2 cards I came up with:

So which do you like best? I'll take the winning card and send them out this year :) I think I'm also going to make a package of both for my Etsy account. I'm also thinking I'll change the "Merry Christmas" to "Happy Holidays" in case people would want that instead.

Yay for being productive tonight!

Navy Strikes Again

2008-11-14T14:56:00.000-08:00

Dan has been gone for a week and was supposed to come home today. He called around 3 to let me know that they wouldn't be home until tomorrow due to the bad weather we've been having. Go figure. They're only home until Sunday night anyway. They might has well not even let them come home. I am sick and tired of the Navy. I am not cut out to be a military wife. I am dealing with it now because I love my husband more than anything, but thank God he wants out of it as badly as I do.

I stayed home from school today because I was feeling pretty run down and pathetic. I would have been really short with the kids and made everyone's day miserable had I been there. I've had a sore throat and stuffy nose for a few days so I went ahead and took a sick day. I woke up at 10 and cleaned the whole upstairs. It took me a few hours, but this half of the house looks and smells amazing. I spent the rest of the day napping, showering, reading, and watching tv. Pretty exciting huh?

I've started looking up flights to go home to Canton for Spring Break. Dan will be on deployment and will have been gone for 2 months so it's a great time to fly home. It's also a few days after my brother's baby is due. I'm pretty excited that I'll get to be around to experience his first child with him. I hate living so far away and missing out on important family events.

Enough of the sad story here. I hope you are all doing well.
God Bless.

A Big Hit

2008-11-09T10:51:00.000-08:00

Dan asked me the other day to come up with 2 thank you cards for the chief on his boat that was leaving. I was annoyed that he asked for them at 8:00pm the night before he wanted them. I asked him what colors etc he wanted and he told me that his chief is from South Carolina and loves the Gamecocks. I decided to go with the South Carolina Gamecocks colors, but did not have a chicken stamp. I found an alligator stamp and Dan said that would work (I can't remember his reasoning and I don't know a lot about South Carolina). Here's the card I came up with:

The next day Dan came home from work and said one of the guys in his division LOVED the card. Apparently it was a huge hit since this guy asked me to make him a set of these cards so that he could send them out for Christmas! He's buying me a chicken stamp to use instead of the alligator. He also said he thought his family would be interested in purchasing some as well.

I'm pretty excited since he will be my second customer. Who would have thought a simple than you card for a chief would bring in some business????

Rainbows and Lollipops

2008-11-08T11:22:00.000-08:00

Well, just rainbows..... Check out what I just saw outside my scrapbooking window:

I ran for my camera and snapped these pictures before it quickly went away. I have never seen a rainbow so big and bright! Amazing!

The pictures just don't do it justice.

Have a great day!

Finally, pictures!

2008-11-04T16:25:00.000-08:00

So I'm sitting here watching the election results and I thought it would be a good time to post some pictures. The first are pictures of the candy boxes I made for the other 3rd grade teachers for Halloween. I saw a sample of these boxes on another blog and decided I had to try making one. I made one and loved how it turned out so I made 3 more :)

A closer look:
I made the boxes out of paper from DieCuts with a View. I then used transparency sheets that I found at school for the clear window. I found some crazy spider rub ons at ACmoore to decorate the front. I then filled the boxes with scary chocolate eyes that I found at the dollar store and wrapped them with fun Halloween ribbon!

I put the boxes together with some Halloween paper pads and made cute tags to go with! The tags were cut from my Cricut machine and then embossed with my Cuttlebug. I stamped the pumpkin, colored it with my Stampin' Up markers and then added some black Stickles to make the hats shine. I love how they turned out!

Here is the pumpking Dan and I picked out:

I know, it has character :) I love it! Dan spend 15 minutes while we were passing out candy carving it. Here's how it turned out!

I hope you enjoyed my picture show. I have more, but I don't want to bore you too much :)

A Quick Update

2008-11-03T17:53:00.000-08:00

Dan is home until Friday. We've been hanging out which explains the lack of posting.

Today was a staff day at work and I had a lot of fun getting plans together and making copies.

Tomorrow is Conference Day. I am not looking forward to it since I have to tell my parents that their kids are lazy and need to study more.

I made some awesome Halloween candy boxes for the teachers at school. I will post pictures as soon as I get a chance.

That's about it.

A Better Me

2008-10-26T18:05:00.000-07:00

I am a horrible blogger. I started this thing so that I would have a place to go when I was lonely. To express my thoughts, vent my frustrations, and keep myself occupied. Little did I know that school would keep me crazy busy during the week and that on the weekends I'd have nothing interesting to say!

Today Valli came down to do some shopping. I haven't been shopping in months so it was really nice to get out. I bought a few skirts and a cute top. How exciting! Is it terrible that I love to acquire new things? I hate that about myself and I'm trying to change it, but I don't see that happening right away.

My countdown calendar says 166 left. How awesome is that? I've already colored 6 boxes! I feel like I just made the countdown yesterday. Wonderful!

I've started reading a new book. It's called, "Become a Better You" by Joel Osteen. I'm hoping he'll help me dig deep into myself. I hope that I can start to understand who I am so that I can be a better me. I've heard good things about the book so we shall see how it goes!

Another Blogoversary!

2008-10-26T06:15:00.000-07:00

So remember when I posted about some awesome blog candy a few weeks ago? I told you you should enter for a chance to win it. If you didn't, here's another chance!

Denise is having her Blogoversary this week and is offering a chance for some amazing blog candy! Visit her blog HERE for a chance to win and to see her great projects!

I Voted Today....

2008-10-24T12:57:00.000-07:00

and I voted for McCain/Palin.

Flame away :)

I know...

2008-10-21T18:09:00.000-07:00

I promised to write once Dan was gone, but I had no idea I'd be so busy/tired! I get home from work around 4ish and am exhausted. I spend about an hour on the couch catching up on Days and other shows from the night before. I cook dinner and eat and then grade papers or lesson plan. By the time I'm finished I shower, dry my hair, and fall asleep with a book in my hand. I also feel that I don't have much to talk about.

Dan left on Saturday morning. I dropped him off at the base airport. He flew onto the ship and won't be home until next Thursday or Friday. *sigh* another 2 weeks without my husband. On a positive note, we only have 4 more goodbyes in the Navy. I can count these on one hand and that it exciting. I made a countdown calendar as well. There are 171 blocks for me to color in. That's 171 more days/nights alone. Coloring in the blocks is amazing. (Can you tell I'm trying to be a more positive person??)

I haven't been able to stamp or scrapbook in a few weeks. Sad. I miss it and can't wait until I have time to create again.

That's it. See, I'm boring these days!

MIA

2008-10-15T03:39:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry that I've been MIA.
Dan came home last Thursday and I haven't had much time to sit on the computer!
He leaves again either today or tomorrow so you can be sure I'll start writing again.

Here is all I will Say...

2008-10-07T17:20:00.000-07:00

about the election.

I am not one who normally talks about my political views and I am not going to say who my choice for office is, but I would like to say this:

People who try to shove Obama down my throat irritate me to the fullest extent. If I am going to vote for Obama, I'm going to vote Obama and your rants are not making any difference. If I am going to vote McCain, your yelling and insults are not going to change my mind. Infact, the more people shove Obama in my face, the more I want to vote McCain just to make people mad!!!

I completely understand voicing your opinion and feeling strongly about the candidate of your choice, but come on people, enough is enough. People will vote for who they think will do the best job. Your rantings are not going to change peoples minds or opinions.

Ok, I know I will probably get assulted for this blog, but it had to be said. It's been annoying me for a long time.

How many posts is this Today??

2008-10-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

So I know I've posted about 3-4 times today :) My apologies! Anyway, I made this spread tonight and wanted to post it so Valli could see it :)

I will be posting it on my Etsy account tomorrow!

Tell me what you think. Honest opinions only please!!!!Do the 2 page backgrounds go together? I can't decide if I like them or not. Maybe it's just me. Should I have used a plain black instead of the polka dots?

Here's a closer shot:

So Fitting!

2008-10-03T16:24:00.000-07:00

It's so fitting that I made this card last night:

Why so fitting? I found out this morning that my sister-in-law Beth is pregnant!!!! Remember my post about the adorable nieces I have? Well, she's the mother of 2 of them. She's pregnant with her 3rd and I couldn't be happier for her!!! So, a huge:

CONGRATULATIONS BETH, DAVE, KARILYN, and HEIDI!!!!!!

(I am secretly hoping it's a boy since we already have 4 girls. Little boy clothes are SOOOO cute!!!)

Beth- I would send this card to you in the mail, but I've already posted it on Etsy :p

I WON!!!!!!!!

2008-10-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

Remember my post about winning the Penguin Antics set by Hannah Stamps????

Well, I followed the rules and was entered into the drawing and I won!! I am so excited!!!!!
I also won another blog candy stamp set last week!! Boy am I getting lucky this week! YAY!!!!!

Wake Up Little Suzie

2008-10-02T17:02:00.000-07:00

Because she was the best roomie in the entire world and she froze our dead turtles...

Bam-a-Lam: I LOVE YOU!!!

I made the biggest mistake of my life when I chose to move into the sorority house instead of rooming with you a second time. What was I thinking and why didn't you try harder to stop me!?!?!? I would not be the person I am today without you. I truly believe that. As corny and cheesy as it sounds, I feel like our being paired together freshman year was fate. I miss you like crazy and hope to hang out with you again soon!!

Penguin Antics!

2008-10-02T03:52:00.000-07:00

Want to win the Penguin Antics stamp set from Hannah Stamps before you can buy it!!!???
If so you need to go here and follow the rules of how to play!

So get to it! I know I am!!!

The Moment You've All Been Waiting For

2008-10-01T17:36:00.001-07:00

Ok readers. It's the moment you've all been waiting for... the reveal of my great find last weekend! (I know you've been on the edge of your seat waiting!)

My sister-in-law, Valli, and I went to ACmoore last weekend for some fun shopping around. I didn't plan on buying much, but their Sandylion embellishments were on sale for $1 so I had to check them out. As I browsed the aisle I was very disappointed in their sale selections. I found 1 embellishment and hated to wait in line for that. Then it happened! I turned the corner and entered the final scrapbooking aisle. There... at the end of the aisle... I spotted it.

The Cuttlebug.

Now, I have been wanting a Cuttlebug for a VERY long time. It's been killing me not to buy it, but I told myself I couldn't buy anymore scrapbooking things (big things...) until I sold something. I also found that it's price had been raised from $89.99 to $98.99 at ACMoore and I couldn't stomach that. I could use a 50% off coupon, but that's still around $50. It must have been my lucky day because the price had DROPPED to $79.99. I had a 50% off coupon and snatched it up for $40.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was thrilled. I couldn't even find it online (ebay, amazon, etc) for until $60. I couldn't stop smiling! So, that's it my readers. I am now the proud owner of a Cuttlebug.

Yes, I took a picture of my first embossing :)

I will also go on to show you the projects I have been working on this week. Here is one I made for the "Secret Ghost" at school. You, "Boo" a person and leave them a gift and it goes throughout the school. I made this and then checked my sister-in-laws Etsy account and saw something VERY similar. Now I feel like a goof because it looks like I copied! I swear I had it started before I saw hers!!! (I promise Amy!!!)

The cards were put inside the box for an adorable little gift. I also put some candy in a cute Halloween baggie. I think they'll like it!

I also made another package of Halloween cards for my Etsy shop. I like these ones better than my last. I guess practice does make perfect (or just better in my case!)

And lastly, my first gift from a student this year:

Dan comes home in 8 days :)

School Days

2008-09-30T17:16:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the lack of posts. I thought with Dan being gone I would have more opportunities to write. Boy was I wrong. What I didn't realize was that school was going to take over my life.

Tomorrow grades and comments are due for progress reports. This is the worst/most stressful time for a teacher. We are required to put all of our assignments and grades into a program on the computer. Thankfully, the computer will average all of the grades and tell you what letter grade the student has earned. That saves me a ton of work! No longer do I need my calculator! The downside is that I have to transfer all of my grades from me "paper grade book" to my "computer grade book". What a pain. I found that I was a bit behind in my grading today, so I stayed after school to finish my grading, put my grades on the computer, and to start my comments. Comments are the worst. I never know what to say. I never know how to put, "your child is rude, disruptive, and out of control" into nice, kind, helpful words. It takes me a very long time needless to say.

I love those kids who I can say, "Great start to the year! So and So works hard and gets all of their assignments completed on time!" to. Why can't they all be that way? If you're a parent, make sure that's you kid :p

Anyway, I'm starting to miss Dan like crazy. I can't stop thinking about when he'll be home (next Friday) or when he'll be out of the Navy (Sept 1, 2009). It's so close, yet so far away. I think the closeness of it makes it harder for me since I'm so anxious. If only I could stop thinking about it. Fat chance.

Well, I was hoping to post about my awesome over the weekend, but I don't feel like hooking my camera up to the computer to upload pictures. I guess you'll have to wait until later.

**It's not that exciting.

A New Addition

2008-09-24T17:57:00.000-07:00

I am a proud aunt to the 4 most ADORABLE little girls.

Laura:

Heidi:

Karilyn:

Lindsay:

(Thank you Beth and Amy for the pictures :) )

These little darlings are the spawn of my sisters in law. I love them to death!

On my side of the family there are no grandchildren.... yet. I have wanted so badly to give my parents their first grandchild. I figured there was no competition since my little brother doesn't have a girlfriend, my older brother Brian had just broken up with his girlfriend of 6 years, and my oldest brother and his fiance are no where NEAR where they need to be financially/emotionally to have children. Score for me! Here I am, happily married, financially stable (with lots of savings!), and wanting to have children. Looking good for me right?

Wrong. A few weeks ago, one of my older brothers called me. I knew something was up since he doesn't call me very often (we both work a lot!) He proceeded to tell me that I was going to be an aunt in 8 months. "Excuse me?" I said. He repeated himself. My jaw hit the floor and my eyes sprang a leak. I know it's selfish and stupid of me, but the first feeling I had was sadness. I wasn't going to give my parents their first grandchild. I then got over myself and listened to my brothers story. To make it short, he got a girl he went out with a few times pregnant. She's older than he is divorced with 2 kids (13 and 10). Obviously it was totally unexpected and threw their worlds upside down. We talked about how this was not the ideal situation, but that he was excited to become a father. He's wanted this for many years now (and was ready to settle with his ex... long story) and is ready. I am happy for him. He and the girl are trying to make things work. They are getting to know each other and are seeing where things go. They are not going to rush into marriage.

It took awhile for it all to sink in. Never in a million years did I think something like this would happen to my family. We are all concerned for my brother and for his unborn child, but we're excited for a new addition to the family. I will have my first "blood" niece or nephew to spoil and play with. I only wish I lived in Ohio again so that I could be a bigger part of his/her life.

So, will I add to my "collection" of nieces or will I get my first nephew? You'll have to stay tuned to find out!

My New Love

2008-09-21T15:38:00.000-07:00

That is all :)

Day 5

2008-09-20T17:39:00.000-07:00

And what a good one!!! I had an awesome day today!

I woke up this morning at 7am with a major headache. This was not going to stop me from having fun today! I got dressed, ate some breakfast, hopped in the car, and drove to Newport News. While there I took some Equate for my headache and began a shopping spree with my sister-in-law Valli.

We drove to Williamsburg to shop at the Outlets. They've added a ton of stores to the outlet mall making it HUGE and awesome. We started by going to JCREW where I proceeded to but my husband a pair of plaid shorts and a polo to go with. Very cute. He will be excited! We then went to the Gap outlet where I bought a pair of dark brown corduroy pants for work. I'm pumped about these pants because they fit nicely and are comfy for work! We walked around many other stores and chatted up a storm. I bought a measuring cup for Dan (he's been wanting it for awhile :p) and a totally awesome corduroy skirt from BASS. My friend Keisha and her friend Victoria met up with us and we tackled the best store of all:

COACH!

Keisha and Victoria were buying 2 purses each and I felt left out. I found the purse I had really wanted at the NEX a few months ago but missed out on. I decided to buy it and return the one Dan bought me for my birthday. He had wanted to get me the one I bought today, but it was out of our birthday price range so he got me the smaller version. The outlet price was just $20 more than the price he paid for the small one so I thought, "What the heck??" and spent the money. Hopefully we can return the small one to the NEX and I can keep this nice big one :) We shall see. My husband may just kill me :)

After shopping we decided to eat lunch/dinner at the Olive Garden. This was a grand time. We ate, chatted, and laughed a lot. "Would you like some boiling water?" Oh my.

We finished our spree with a trip to the Yankee Candle store. Very enjoyable and I didn't spend a penny!

All in all it was a fabulous day out with the girls. I really needed today and hope we can all do it again soon. I sure do miss my husband, but says like today make his being gone a little easier!

Day 1

2008-09-16T17:42:00.000-07:00

Day 1

Today was 85% better than yesterday. Everything that could go wrong went wrong yesterday. I cried all morning as I got ready for work, I forgot my lunch at home and had to spend $3.50 on a tiny disgusting salad at school, my class was full of disrespectful children, and I had to drop Dan off at the ship that night for 24 days. I'm glad that day is over.

Today my class was pretty well behaved, I caught myself having FUN teaching *gasp!*, and I got to catch up on all of my DVR shows!!! I did have to remind myself an hour ago that I'm not going to be sad, but all in all it's been a pretty good day. Now I'm getting ready for the Big Brother Finale and bed. 2 of my favorite things!

Here are 2 cards I made recently. Enjoy!

Valli: When someone starts buying my things off Etsy I will gladly post more :)

I'm Still Alive

2008-09-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

I'm here! I haven't forgotten about my blog. Dan's been home for a week and school has been in full swing. When I get a free minute I'm snuggling on the couch with my hubby or trying to create a new handmade card for my Etsy shop. I promise to update more starting Tuesday. Dan will be gone for a month so I'll have plenty of time for blogging and hanging around on the computer.

Hanna

2008-09-07T13:42:00.000-07:00

Pre-Hanna:

Notice the 2 huge tomato plants next to my cucumber bush. See how large they are??? They have lots of tomatoes on them....

Post- Hanna:
The lost branches and tomatoes....
My sad garden :(
The good news: I still have 2 healthy tomato plants! Woo!
They let Dan come home Friday evening because news was that Hanna wasn't going to be as bad as they had predicted. I was elated. We had some heavy rain and winds for about a half hour to an hour on Saturday morning, but nothing like what they said we'd get. That afternoon Dan and I were out and about in Virginia Beach with no fears of Tropical Storm Hanna. So much for the state of emergency and evacuation plans!!!

I HATE the Navy

2008-09-04T13:30:00.000-07:00

I hate hate hate hate hate the Navy.

Dan JUST got home from being gone for 15 days and now they're taking him away again. They gave the IKE a 72 hour warning that they could be called at any time to go underway because of HANNA and IKE. Dan just called and told me they're going underway tomorrow morning and he doesn't know when they'll be back.

Does that make sense? Taking husbands and fathers away from their family when there is a Tropical Storm and a Hurricane coming for their families? What am I supposed to do??? I'm all alone in this huge house... in this huge city. How am I supposed to know what to do or how to keep myself safe? All I want is my husband beside me to tell me every thing's going to be ok. This has got to be the worst thing the Navy has ever done to me.

To top it all off, Dan leaves for a 25 day underway on Sept. 16th... he's home for 4 days... and then he goes on a 13 day underway. COME ON!! Really? Must they do this to me???

Etsy!

2008-08-28T04:22:00.000-07:00

I have finally created my Etsy account and posted my new creations! If you're interested in purchasing any handmade cards or scrapbook pages, please please take a look! If you know anyone interested, please please send them over! I would loooove to sell something :)

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5804061

or go to www.etsy.com and type in username "cporter519"

Thanks ya'll!

Awards!

2008-08-27T12:24:00.000-07:00

I was so very lucky to receive this award from a fellow blogger/friend. Colleen thinks I'm cute and a good enough blogger to deserve it :p You should check out her blog. She's got awesome "caption it" days where you can win prizes. She has also quit smoking and is very inspirational :)

Now it is my turn to return to pass on the blog award!....

1. Baby Fat- Erin is one of the sweetest girls I know (and I don't technically know her!) I met her on a wedding website a long while ago and love her to death. I love to read her blog to get updates on her TTC.

2. Tenacious V- This is my sister-in-law so I'm a little bias. I love her blog because she's super funny and always has interesting (and sometimes deep) things to talk about. Her latest post (7 things you didn't know) had me laughing all the way through.

3. Stamp Owl- I'm not sure how I found this blog, but I'm super glad I did. I LOVE to scrapbook and make cards and this blog gives me motivation to do so. Frances is an extremely talented stamper and card maker. Her cards are beautiful and full of technique. I hope to someday have half of her talent.

4. Are you Listening?- I also "met" Andrea on the wedding website. You really get to know people on chat boards!!! I've been following Andrea's journey through life and love the strength that she has. She found out recently she's expecting and I can't wait to read about this journey!

5. Under the Pear Tree- Again, a bias, this is my sister-in-law who just started her blog. She is also an AMAZING scrapbooker and card maker. Her etsy shop is full on incredible work. She blogs about her life, scrappings, and her adorable daughters.

I love all the other blogs I read, but had to choose 5!!!!

Now Ladies, time to pass it on…

1. Add the logo of the award to your blog.
2. Add the link of the blogger who awarded you.
3. Nominate at least 5 other blogs.
4. Add those 5 links to your post.
5. Leave a message for your winners on their blogs.

For Babe-A-Labe

2008-08-26T19:11:00.000-07:00

So this one's to you Babe-A-Labe. You should feel loved.

My life has been crazy hectic the last few days. I started work on Monday and never imagined in a million years I'd have so much to do to get ready for the first day of school. As many of you may know, last year I started teaching mid-October. I did not have to get my classroom set up or plan for the first week of school. I did not have to come up with rules and procedures for every little thing the child does during the day. This year, I am in charge of all those things. You wouldn't believe some of the things you have to plan for. How are they going to sharpen pencils, where are their school supplies going to go, how should they ask questions, what color reading groups should I have. It's a mess. Yes, my classroom is set up and ready to go (Pictures hopefully to come tomorrow), but all those little behind the scenes details are not.

I tried planning for the first day of school today and almost pulled my hair out. Explain this, demonstrate that, get to know you, show this procedure, tour the school, etc etc etc. So much to do and no time for much instruction. It's going to be crazy and there's really no way to actually plan it all. So here I am... scared of the shark infested waters, but running and diving in wearing a red one piece.

Is this to your liking Meredith? :P

Boring

2008-08-25T16:49:00.000-07:00

It's been a few days so I thought I'd post.
I don't have very much to say other than I started work today and I'm already exhausted. Tell me why I opted to spend the rest of my life going to school???

My classroom is ready to go. I have a lot of little administrative things to do before next week, but as long as the classroom is ready, I'm ready! I love the way it turned out and couldn't have done it without Valli. Thanks Valli! I'll be sure to post pictures tomorrow.

Dan comes home Thursday. I'm super excited about this. I've been missing him like crazy! he won't be home for long, but at least I'll get something.

I told you this wasn't going to be a good one. I promise a better post next time.

Trick or Treat

2008-08-23T17:31:00.000-07:00

So tonight I decided to spend an hour and a half creating a Halloween scrapbook page. I had a lot of fun making it, but didn't realize it would take SO much time! I can't wait to see if it sells on etsy!

Check it out.

Left side:

Right side:

Close up:

I'm pretty proud of myself. Now cross your fingers that it sells :)

Update on Life

2008-08-22T19:11:00.001-07:00

I figured I'd post since I hadn't in a few days. Not a lot has been going on over here. I've been going into school to get my classroom ready for the kids. It's pretty much the way I want it with the exception of a few posters I still need to make. I'm pretty excited now that it's come together. I'll get some pictures on Monday and post them. My room is about half the size of the one last year. It's depressing. Oh well. Move on Caiti.

They hired a new first grade teacher yesterday. I guess there were too many 1st graders for just 3 classes, so they gave our school MY position back. (If you don't know the story: My 1st grade position was cut at the end of last year because of funding. My school wanted me to stay with them so they offered me a 3rd grade position. I didn't want 3rd grade, but decided it would be easier than switching schools. When I heard my position might be coming back I asked for it. My principal gave me a long speech about how he wanted my personality in 3rd grade or something... I'm bitter)

I was livid when I found out we got the position back and he didn't give it to me. That was my position! I was hired there into that 1st grade position. I should have had the option to take it back. I guess in the long run it's probably better that I stay in 3rd. They'll probably cut the position again next year and then where would I be? I guess the big Man knows what he's doing. It just stinks that I could have had 1st grade again.... I would have known what I was doing and would have so much less stress going into the first day. *Sigh* Everything happens fro a reason right?

If you could, please think of and pray for my sister-in-law Valli. She's been having some random pains and has been told she may have Endometriosis. Pray she won't need surgery and if she does that it all goes smoothly. She really wants to start having kids soon, so pray this will not interfere.

Dan called today. It was good to hear his voice. Just 1 more week until he's home again!

Slumber Party!

2008-08-20T11:04:00.000-07:00

It's been a really long time since I've participated in a Slumber Party, so when my sister-in-law suggested we have one I was totally in.

Valli came over around 3:00 on Monday to start the fun. I was really excited to spend some time with her since Dan had been gone for 6 days. We began our slumber party with some late lunch and chatting. We're very good at chatting. We then decided to take a trip to ACMoore to buy a few items for our card making night ahead. When we got home, we went to my scrapbooking room and began the "all night card making" event. We began around 7pm and concluded the night a little before 1am. Here is what we have to show for it:

I made these two after seeing this sketch on another bloggers site. I loved the sketch and decided it was perfect for this stamp set. One is a birthday card and the other is a card for a friend.

These are the 2 Valli made. One is a "Thinking of you" and the other a birthday card.

These are the Halloween cards I made:

I hope to get these cards posted on Etsy sometime soon. My goal is to try to sell some things so that I can buy more! I vowed I would not buy anything else scrapbooky until I have sold something. Wish me luck!

Didya Know?

2008-08-19T20:23:00.001-07:00

So some of my blogger friends have posted a "Didya Know" thread today. I thought I would play along. Feel free to play along too if you'd like.

7 things about me:
Did you know.....

1. My 2 worst fears in life are being alone and not being able to have my own children. I HATE being alone. This is the reason I had serious/long term boyfriends throughout high school (only 2!) and was never really single. I get anxiety and depression when I'm alone. It's terrible. I also want more than anything to experience having my own children. I fear that I won't be able to do so when the time comes.

2. I have terrible self confidence. I doubt myself at all times and don't believe I am good at anything. I'm working on this.

3. I had an unhealthy crush on Nick Carter in middle school and had posters of him all over my bedroom. I also have a copy of his first (and maybe only??) CD.

4. I fell in love (or thought I did) with a boy in Ireland and almost purposefully missed my flight back to the US so that I could stay with him all summer. A year after I returned to the states he declared himself gay (or maybe bisexual...I can't remember)

5. I have worked for many different places and have despised them all. I was not made for working. I was a hostess at a small bar and grill, cashier/sales person at Sears, Kauffmans, Bath and Body Works, and Aeropostale, and I was a preschool teacher at Childtime. Now I am an elementary school teacher and I'm not liking it any more than those other places.

6. I have an obsession for buying scrapbooking things and hording them. The reason I don't use my things is not because I don't have time or talent, but because I can't stand the thought of using things up!!! I own thousands of dollars of scrapbooking/card supplies and don't do much with them :x Don't tell my husband.

7. In Kindergarten I was popular with all the boys because I could tie my shoes super fast. I learned to do so to impress a boy and he bragged/showed me off to the rest of the class :)

Hope you had fun learning a little about me. Now it's your turn!

The Bathrooms

2008-08-17T20:07:00.000-07:00

I promised a few people out there before and after pictures of the bathroom I fixed up last time Dan was out to sea. It's been a few weeks since the "makeover" so I figured it was time to post the pictures. I didn't get a good before shot since I was so eager to get started. Please forgive me.

The before color was a very ugly brown. The after, a calming blue that we bought at Lowe's for $3. Yay for us!

Before and After:

I am sad I couldn't get a better before picture. It really was an amazing change!

When we bought this house I told Dan that the first project we were going to work on was the guest bathroom. Here's the before. Do I need to day more?

Are you saying, "Oh Caiti, the stripes aren't THAT bad?" Well they are. If you were in the bathroom looking at them you would see streaks of white and stripes that were not straight. It was a nightmare. Oh, and might I add that above the sink were these:

Please tell me who in their RIGHT mind would do this to a bathroom? Here are the after pictures:

Ahhhh much better.

I hope you enjoyed my picture show. Leave those comments and let me know what you think!

A Day at the Beach

2008-08-16T18:34:00.000-07:00

My absolutely adorable nieces came to visit last weekend. Dan and I hadn't seen them since Thanksgiving (maybe Christmas...) so we were excited for them to come down. Laura is 6 (almost 7) and going into 1st grade. Linds is almost 4. They're little people now and it's amazing! I had a lot of fun playing with them and making yummy brownies:

A few times during their stay I had a wonderful maternal feeling. We were baking brownies together and it made me SO happy! I can't wait to have my own children to bake and cook with. What an amazing feeling.

We took them to the beach as well. You can't visit Virginia Beach and NOT go to the beach! This was Linds' first trip to the beach/ocean so I was excited to see her reaction. When we got to the beach she was SO excited. She kept clapping and giggling. She went to the water and did the same until a wave broke and came up to her. As the water was washing away it made her lose her balance and she face planted into the water. Needless to say, she was NOT happy and said she did not like the beach. This is how she spent the rest of the day:

And just for fun, a picture of my lovely husband:

God, Grant Me the Strength

2008-08-15T13:57:00.000-07:00

Written August 2, 2008

***Warning: This post may sound whiny and selfish. Do not read if you can't handle it.

Dear God,
Why is it that everyone around me is having children, or has already had them, when I want one of my own so badly? Everywhere I look I find someone who is pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or has just had a child. I find myself getting so jealous of these people. I stare at their bellies or children and wonder why I don't have what they have.

I am such a lucky person. I have an amazing family that loves me very much. They are supportive, encouraging, and caring. I have in-laws that anyone would be lucky to have. They love me like their own and support me in everything I do. I have a great house, a wonderful job, and awesome friends. Most of all, I have a the perfect husband. Dan is everything I've ever dreamed of and more. He is loving, respectful, hardworking, intelligent, supportive, encouraging, funny, and an amazing spouse. He loves me so much and shows it in so many ways.

With all of these wonderful things in my life, why am I jealous of the mothers around me? Shouldn't I be perfectly content with all of the great things I've been given? Why do I feel like such a horrible person for being so jealous? How can I change my feelings?

Here's the story. Thus far it sounds as though Dan and I have been trying to conceive and have been having difficulties. This is not the case. Dan and I (more so him than me) have decided to hold off on having children until he gets his Bachelors degree. This is the smart thing for us to do. I know this is the best thing for both of us, but why is it so hard for me to accept? I love my husband more than anything. I want to support him in all his decisions and dreams. I want him to be happy. I want US to be happy (and we are... don't get me wrong!) I don't want him feeling guilty for getting his degree, but I also want him to know how badly I want children now. How most of the time I don't want to put off my dreams of being a mother so that he can have his dream of getting a Civil Engineering degree. I feel as though I have to hide my feelings so that he won't feel guilty and give up his dream. I don't want to hold him back, but I don't want to put my dreams on hold either. What in the world do I do?

I am asking you God for guidance. Please guide Dan and me in the right direction. I know you have a plan for us. Please grant me the ability to accept it and to be happy and content with my wonderful life. You will bless us with children when it is my time to be a mother. Please help me with my journey and give me strength.

Farewell

2008-08-14T22:02:00.000-07:00

So here's how the Navy does things (or at least the USS Eisenhower!)

I dropped Dan off at the ship last night at 10:30pm. They were required to be on board by 11:59pm to go underway at 9am the next morning. Okay, I got over the whole, "be here the night before" thing since I know how stupid they can be. It was horrible. Saying goodbye is always depressing and I knew I had 2 long and lonely weeks ahead of me. I drove home crying and went to bed.

This afternoon I got a call from Dan saying the ship had not left and that they could go home for a few hours. I was SO excited! I hurried to the ship and got there around 2:50pm. Dan said they had about 15 minutes of work left and he'd be right there. About 2 1/2 hours later he came out. I was irritated, but extremely excited that we had a few more hours together. We ate and went home to watch the Olympics. At 10:00pm I drove him back to the ship to say goodbye again. There's nothing like 2 painful goodbyes in 2 days. Oh well.

So here's to a long 2 weeks alone. Feel free to leave some love and keep me company :)

Back in the Game

2008-08-13T20:42:00.001-07:00

Dan left again today for 2 weeks. This means I will have a lot of time to blog. Lucky you right? I'm exhausted and ready for bed so I'll leave you with a few of my thoughts:

1. My cat is a loud sleeper.

2. I wish the Navy didn't fly jets right over my house at midnight.

3. I'm hungry.

More tomorrow.

So Sorry!

2008-08-06T15:44:00.000-07:00

I promise readers, that I will have a new post up soon. I spent a week in Canton and then drove the 9 hour trip back to VA on Monday. Since then I have started a class for work and Dan finally came home!!! I just picked him up from the base so now we need couple time :)
I have a post written, but need to find time to type it!!!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-08-01T22:06:00.000-07:00

On this day (Aug 2) 23 years ago:

1985 - Delta Air Lines Flight 191, a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar crashes at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport killing 137.

Also, I was born :) Something good came out of that day!

Here We Go Again

2008-07-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the lack of entries lately. I really do have a reason!

Dan came home from being out to sea for 5 days on Thursday. It was awesome. I went to the base to pick him up and ran to him like he had just come home from a deployment. The joy, relief, and love I felt at that moment was amazing. I had made it through the first work-up! I was still alive! Dan and I spent an amazing weekend in each others arms and saying corny little "I love yous" to each other.

On Monday morning at 4:15am we woke to the alarm yelling, "It's time to rip your heart out again!!! WAKE UP!" *Sigh* Somehow I rolled myself out of bed, packed the car, and drove my husband to the ship again. This time he would be gone for 2 weeks. 14 days. It doesn't seem like much until you go through it. I drove to the pier and stared at the huge hunk of metal that would be taking my husband away. Half of me felt pride and love for our country and those who serve while the other half felt disgusted, hatred, and annoyance. I sucked it up, hugged my husband, cried a bit, and watched him walk away. Now it was time for a 9 1/2 hour drive to Canton. I'll be here for a week so please excuse the lack of posts.

Tomorrow I will be visiting my beautiful God daughter Caelan for the first time. I cannot wait to hold her in my arms and tell her how much I love her.

Check It Out

2008-07-28T18:12:00.000-07:00

So to my readers out there, you have got to check out this blog:

http://monogramchick.blogspot.com/

She's got the CUTEST things for sale that she monograms. I LOVE monograms and plan to order somethings for future mommies I know. I'm so excited. What's even better is that she has a Friday Freebie going on right now! Visit her blog and leave a message to be entered in the drawing. Be sure to tell her I sent you :)

My New Therapy

2008-07-23T19:53:00.000-07:00

Today I spent a few hours in the bathroom. Painting it. When Dan and I moved into this awesome house I new that I HATED the bathrooms. The previous owner decided to paint them all a depressing (and hideous) brown and peach. To make matters worse, she painted uneven stripes in one. YIKES! So, I decided that I was going to paint the downstairs bathroom while Dan was gone. We had seen a $3 gallon of "as is" paint at Lowes that we really liked and picked it up. It's light blue and we were shocked it was on the as is table. We figured we'd go ahead and try it for $3. It was originally $32 paint. Anyway, I've never taken on a project by myself before and was a little nervous.

While painting (and sweating... it's a tough job!) I realized that I was feeling a lot less stressed and lonely. Being stuck in the tiny bathroom with a paintbrush was taking my mind off of all my "problems" and was relaxing me! It also made me feel great about myself because I was accomplishing a task on my own. This is a big step for me.

The bathroom looks great. I love the color and proud of my paint job. I am awesome. (Pictures to come later)

Dan is supposed to come home tomorrow. That will be awesome.

Sisters

2008-07-22T19:47:00.001-07:00

It's been a few days since I've written. I just haven't had the motivation to do so. Does anyone read this? Does anyone care? If so, please leave a comment and let me know. I sure don't want to blog for myself.

Today was a great day. Had you asked me 3 days ago if today would be great I'd have cried and hid under the blankets in my bed. I have to acknowledge my sister-in-law for the greatness. She drove drove down from Newport News to spend the afternoon with me. She knows what it's like to be a crazy Navy wife and to be alone all the time. She also knows how important it is to have human interactions every so often.

We went to Panera for a delicious lunch. Might I say that their chicken salad sandwich is to die for? Love it. After lunch we headed back to my house and spent some time wandering through the baby nursery designs on HGTV.com. This only making my yearning and desire for a child even worse. That story is for another day. We spent the next few hours sitting on the couch chatting away. I never thought I could sit and talk to someone for so long, but it came so easily. I realized (not that I didn't know before) that I am SO lucky to have her as a sister. I grew up with 3 brothers and always wanted a sister. I was mad at my parents for robbing me of that "sisterly bond" everyone always talks about. Now I have what I always wanted. Sisters. 3 to be exact :) So, thank you Valli for spending the day with this crazy Navy wife and letting me talk your ear off until rush hour began :)

2008-07-19T18:25:00.001-07:00

2008-07-19T18:03:00.000-07:00

No one said it would be easy, but no one said it would be this hard either.

I knew when I said "I do" that I was saying it to a military lifestyle. That I was saying it to many nights alone, many fears about my husbands safety, and the unpredictable-ness of the Navy. I knew I would be frustrated with the underway schedules, depressed about the deployments, and extremely emotional. I also knew that I loved the man standing in front of me more than life itself. I knew he was the person who made me live, laugh, and love. I knew he was worth it. What I didn't know, was that it was going to take every ounce of strength inside me to get through it.

For the past 6 or 7 months Dan's ship has been docked at a local shipyard for maintenance. No underways, no deployments, just me and my husband at home together. It's been amazing having him home all of this time. Yes, the occasional duty day (24 hour work day) sucked, but I knew he'd be home the next day. Today started a year full of Dan being gone. The ship is getting ready for a deployment in February which means many months of preparing for it. They'll leave for 2 weeks, come home for a few days, and then leave for 4 weeks. It's a constant in and out and they're out WAY more than they're in. On top of that, they change the schedule so much you never know what's going on. It's frustrating, irritating, and stressful.

Dan's gone until Thursday. He'll be home for 2-3 days and then he'll be gone for 2 weeks. Dropping him off at the shipyard today was one of the worst feelings in the world. I felt like crawling into a ball and crying myself to sleep when I got home. I hate being alone. This will be a very very difficult 11 months.

[IMG]http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x187/ktbabez03/4r0ewc4.jpg[/IMG]

2008-07-15T19:37:00.001-07:00

So here it goes. A blog. I swore I wouldn't give in to the craze, but alas! I have done it. I figured it might be a good way to vent my frustrations, fears, joys, and tears. No, I did not mean to rhyme that.

Hang on tight readers (if there are any of you out there) because you're in for a ride. (Not really, but it sounded good).

I guess I should start with an introduction. They're always so boring, but we'll get it out of the way. My name is Caiti and I'm almost 23. I'm a 3rd grade teacher in Virginia Beach, VA. I am married to an amazing man named Dan. Dan is 24 and has been a sailor in the United States Navy for almost 5 years now. We went to high school together and began dating shortly after. We dated for 6 months and new instantly that we were soul mates. He asked me to marry him on December 17, 2004 and we were married on May 19, 2007. It was a long and grueling engagement, but completely worth it in the end. As cliche and corny as it is, I married the man of my dreams and my best friend. We just bought a house in Virginia Beach where we love to fix things, hang out by the water, and BBQ. I am a daughter, a wife, a sister, an aunt, a friend, a God mother, and a teacher. Life is grand.

The Crazy Life of a Navy Wife

New Blog

Contest!

Extreme Makeover

Hello?

2011 Resolutions

Holiday Gift Giveaway: Twilight ECLIPSE DVD

Girls on the Run

Creative Scraps Challenge Week 4

*Squeeeeeal*

How to Build a Jungle Tree!

3 Years and More to Come

Spring Break with (Part of) the Family!

Blogging is Hard to Do

Blog Candy!!!!

New Moon Blog Candy

AWESOME Blog Candy Alert!

Cute Giveaway for Little Girls!

Piggy Paint Review/Giveaway: Breast Cancer Awareness Edition

Another Giveaway!

Wordless Wednesday

A long Update!

Wordless Wednesday

Card

My Attempt

Another Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wee Squeak Shoe Giveaway (HERE)

update!

Welcome Elizabeth Rae!!!

Win a FREE paperbag scrapbook!

I am a Mommy!

Great Song

Snow???

Happy Birthday Beth!!!

Here We GO!

Blah

It's been a long long time....

Navy Life

B is for Baby

New card

Dan the Tool Man Porter

Merry Christmas!

Ike Christmas Party

Happy Birthday Amy!!

Thanksgiving

I Hate My Cuttlebug

Rubber Stamps

Christmas Cards

Navy Strikes Again

A Big Hit

Rainbows and Lollipops

Finally, pictures!

A Quick Update

A Better Me

Another Blogoversary!

I Voted Today....

I know...

MIA

Here is all I will Say...

How many posts is this Today??

So Fitting!

I WON!!!!!!!!

Wake Up Little Suzie

Penguin Antics!

The Moment You've All Been Waiting For

School Days

A New Addition

My New Love

Day 5

Day 1

I'm Still Alive

Hanna

I HATE the Navy

Etsy!

Awards!

For Babe-A-Labe

Boring

Trick or Treat

Update on Life

Squeeeeeal