Random Thursday

So, I am going to try something a little different this Thursday.  Instead of trying to catch up with my last blog challenge (note to self, don't do those around the holidays, I am going to participate in...

This week's topic is:

We are having a fairly low key New Year's.  In other words, we are boring people.  We plan on going out to a nice dinner for NYE, toasting with mimosa's at midnight (if we make it that long...ha!) and having brunch in the morning.

As far as plans and hopes for the New Year, I plan on making it the year of "me."  I know that doesn't make much sense, so I will try to explain it the best I can.

I tend to put other's first.  Not in a completely selfless way, but in a way like "hey, Joel's home.  Let's do nothing but hang out together" kind of way.  I need to start doing things that improve me, even if they mean spending a little more time apart.  Our time together is precious, because often the military likes to take him away for short and long periods of time, and I am great at taking care of myself when he is gone.  But, when he's home, I throw all of that away to just be with him.  And while that's great, I need to keep taking care of myself.  So, next year, I vow to (try) to:

- spend more time doing what I need to do with class stuff to avoid the last minute freak-out

- spend more time at the gym taking care of my fitness

- pay more attention to the food I put into my body, and making sure it is more healthy and natural

- make time to call friends more, rather than just sending a text

- spend more time reading for pleasure, and not just for school

- be more active with my pups

- spend more time giving this blog the attention it deserves

- take care of myself better - hair, teeth, nails, skin...I'm old(er) now, and I can't take that kind of stuff for granted anymore

- become more spiritual - attend Mass more, delve into Bible studies / religious reading

What are some of your plans for the New Year?

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Happy (belated) Christmas!

So, I've been a bad blogger lately.  I've been off of work since Friday, and have just enjoyed that time off with the hubster and our pets.  Low stress, lots of relaxation, and I may have enjoyed it so much that I will refuse to travel for Christmas ever again.  We'll see if I get so lucky.

My family heritage is German, and so growing up we always opened presents up on Christmas Eve.  And yes, we even had the Weinachtsgerkin (Christmas pickle) on our tree.  I carried both of these traditions over for me and Joel, but first things first: our Christmas (Eve) dinner.

The spread.

Our scrumptious ham.

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I believe I did a pretty darn good job.  The ham was the best I had ever made, and was slightly reminiscent of a certain "Honey Baked" ham company or other.  I was pretty proud of myself, but I might have overdone it.  I think we will have leftovers for the rest of the week.

After dinner we opened our first gift.  We always got new jammies growing up, and Joel and I will continue that tradition as well.  We wanted to get comfy before we tore into the rest of the gifts, so we immediately put on our new jammy jams.  Joel was happy to sport his new look for you all.

Joel, with a photobomb courtesy of Pugsley.

Joel did great with the gifts this year.  I went to Indiana University, so he got me one of those collegiate letter things with pictures around the University spelling out Indiana.  He also got me a pair of topaz solitaire earrings, and a few new pairs of shoes.  And of course regular stocking stuffers and such.  I really felt blessed.  I think Joel liked his gifts.  I have to remember to take a picture of one of the toys my in-laws sent.  Joel went to Oregon State, and we got an OS baby toy.  Hints, much?  Not really sure what that was all about, but never fear.  There are no babies in our near future.

Our cat, Jaeger, getting in on the Christmas fun.  He just might love the boxes more than his Christmas gifts.

After all that was done, we settled in for the night with a fire going and some good movies playing.  It was probably one of the most relaxing Christmases ever.  I decided that I deserved a break from the normal holiday stresses, and am so glad I did.  Even though I missed family, the travel foes both ways, you know?

Anywho...Christmas morning we got dressed in our Sunday best and headed to Mass.  We haven't been going as frequently as we normally do, and I realized how much I missed it once I was there.  It's like the gym.  You hate getting up to go, but it feels so rewarding afterwards.  Joel's family has a tradition of bagels on Christmas  morning, so after Mass we did our bagel breakfast.  Then, more relaxing.  Have I mentioned how awesome this holiday was?

I am glad I took some "me" time on this break, but I have a lot of ambitions for the new year.  I am looking forward to digging in and really working on improving on many aspects of my life that I simply forgot about once Joel returned from his deployment.  Now that life feels "normal" again, it's time to stop with the excuses and start on the hard work.  Nothing great in this life comes easy, right?

A moment of silence

These things I have spoken to you, so that you may have peace in me. In the world, you will have difficulties. But have confidence: I have overcome the world.

-John 33:16

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

So, now that finals are finally over, I have begun to get in the Christmas spirit.  The decorations (what little we have) are out, the tree is up and decorated, and we got our holiday photo with Santa.  See below.

I love my little family!

I know I'm not the best decorator (or fashionista, or crafter, or chef...), but in the efforts of keeping with the Christmas spirit, I thought I'd share my Christmas decoration photos (so far)!



The stockings are hung on the chimney with care.

We're kind of not traditional with our stockings.



Our tiny, yet lovable tree.

Some of our decorations from our time in Germany.

Our lights.  Good job, Joel!

It was the freaking weekend, and I had me some fun!

Why does the weekend go so quickly?  I feel like it was just here and now BAM!  It's gone.  Just like that.  Now that the pouting is done, I'm excited to announce that two out of my three classes have bit the dust!  I have one paper left to write and one chapter review due, and then I can feel like a normal human being for four weeks.  Then the pain starts all over again in January.  Meh...

So the weekend.  Friday was interesting.  I've been trying to get Joel to go to a yoga class with me just to try it out and see what all it is I do (when I have time to go).  A guy he works with told him about a couple's yoga class at a place I hadn't been to, and he was willing to try that out.  Well, it wasn't really a yoga class at all.  It was more like a massage tutorial.  We may have done a whole 90 seconds of yoga in the 90 minute time frame, but it was still a fun experience.  It was quiet and calm, and we really got to spend some one on one time together, so it wasn't a total failure.  He still owes me a real yoga class, though.  Afterwards, we went out to grab some pizza and I may have discovered a new favorite place.  Yeah, the pizza was good, but check this out:

Excuse the crappy phone pic.

Yes my friends, what you see before you is a martini flight.  They had a gazillion martini flavors, and I couldn't just pick one.  I picked four.  I'm not a huge drinker or anything, but I do love me a good martini.  Or in this case, four.  Joel also tried a beer flight that he was pretty pleased with.  We will be back.

Saturday was a fairly restful day.  We were supposed to go on a local "cookie walk" in our town, but my foot was (and still is) acting up, so we skipped out on that one and did some Christmas shopping.  Afterwards we went down to the Central West End in St. Louis, which is one of my favorite spots, to try out a new place for dinner.

It was called the Sub Zero Vodka Bar.  Joel likes sushi, and much to his dismay I can't stand it, and this place had burgers and sushi.  A win-win, even though the concept didn't leave us expecting much.

Blurry Vodka Menu

The first thing to note is that the place has the largest selection of vodka in the U.S.  I know, crazy random, right?  And while I'm not one for shots of vodka, I did partake in a martini that the waiter recommended.  Not only was it tasty, but it came in the cutest little glass!

And Joel was pretty impressed with the Sushi.  He's kind of spoiled since he lived in Japan and all, and while he said it was a little pricey, it was definitely much better than he expected.  He splurged on his favorite sushi treats, and was pretty satisfied with the meal.

As far as my burger goes, it was pretty decent.  I've had better, but I've had much worse.  It had a really good flavor, and the cheddar I got on it was delish!  I'm not a fan of massive burgers, but if you are, then this would be the burger for you.  It was pretty thick in my books, but if Joel had a sushi craving, I'd be more than happy to go back and have another burger.

I didn't get a picture of my actual burger, but this one was found here from another Sub Zero review.

All in all it was a great weekend.  Sunday was filled with homework and football (per the norm) and getting ready for work on Monday.

31 Days pf Blogging - Days 6, 7, 8, 9, & 10

Ok guys.  I have learned finals and blogging challenges don't mix.  T minus five days and this semester is dunzo!  On to a quick fill in.  I swear I will have much more exciting posts after next week.

Day 6- Favorite super hero and why
Hmmm...this is a tough one.  I am going to go ahead and say Professor Xavier.  He's just awesome in so many ways.

Day 7- What's in your bag
Hmm...right now I have my planner, lip gloss, my wallet, a gazillion pens, a pocket hairbrush, my change wallet, vitamins, my migraine meds, an my emergency girly things.  Pretty standard, actually.

Day 8- Short term goals for this month and why
Well, as always it is to get healthier.  Two weeks ago I worked out three times, but only once this past week.  I have a thing going on with my foot (it hurts like a mutha!), so hopefully that gets straightened out.  I think it is obvs why I want to work out more.

Day 9- Something you’re proud of in the past few days
Umm...that I finished one of my final projects, which was the one I was stressing most about, with a 100%!  That was about 25% of my grade, so I am pretty stoked.

Day 10 - Songs you listen to when you are happy, sad, bored, hyped, mad
When I am happy, I don't know why, but I love me some Pitbull.  He is so upbeat, and it makes me want to shake my tush a little.  Also anything by Cascada.  When I am sad, I listen to sappy love songs.  Kissing you, Gone, Marry Me, and Wanted are my top faves at the moment.  Definitely Dirty Diana when I want to get hyped.  When I am mad, I like Wide Awake by Katy Perry and So What from Pink.  Pink is always good for some angry music.

Pujols Family Foundation - O Night Divine

My big event Saturday?  It was the O Night Divine Christmas celebration that the Pujols Family Foundation puts on each year to raise money for the impoverished people of Albert Pujols's home country, the Dominican Republic, and for the families living with Down Syndrome in the St. Louis area.  I attended as a volunteer, and it had to be one of the best events I have ever seen.

 

Joel and me all fancied up out front

It was held at a fancy schmancy hotel in one of my favorite parts of town.  It's called the Chase Park Plaza, and they put on quite a beautiful event.  There were over 500 people that attended, and a lot of famous St. Louis faces were there to help the Foundation raise money for such a wonderful cause.

 



Matt and Leslie Holliday



 





Mike Matheny





Albert and Dee Dee Pujols



 And of course some very special guests.







Some of our STL Families









A really special guest:  A boy from the DR in town for life saving heart surgery.



 

A great night was had by all, and I was really moved by the outpouring of giving, love, and acceptance.  I saw God in so many ways that night, and I was truly touched.  I went home feeling blessed with all that I have.  And selfishly, happy with silent auction swag!

 

I love me some Dan Marino!

 

 

 



31 Days of Blogging, Days 3, 4, 5

Ok, let's get this out there.  I suck at being productive during finals.  I feel like I am so behind on this challenge!  So, I hope no one minds me combining some of the days.  I promise I will get better after next week.

Ok, Day 3- A picture of you as a child.

Well, I don't have a scanner and I don't have any digital ones.  I will need to do this someday, but today is not that day.

Day 4 - A habit that you wish you didn’t have.

There are two, actually.  One is I am an extremely picky eater.  Don't get me wrong, I love food.  I just didn't grow up in the healthiest of families, so there are a lot of foods that I should eat, but I don't.  I have gotten better over the years, but it's hard to get out of my comfort zone.

The second habit is that when I am stressed, I tend to shut down and become the biggest procrastinator.  Take why I am so stressed this week as an example.  I could have been working on my final projects throughout the semester.  But, oh no, not me.  At least I tend to work well under pressure.

day 5- A picture of somewhere you’ve been.

Ok, now this one is tough.  When I lived in Germany, I traveled like crazy!  Why don't I post a few of my favorite places...



Dingle, Ireland

Santorini, Greece

The Maldives

Cairo, Egypt

Me at a mosque in Cairo

London (and a cameo by Joel!)

31 Days of Blogging, Days 1 & 2

Gosh, I already messed up with day 1.  D'oh!  I got back much later than expected from my secret event Saturday night.  I can't wait to share it all with you!

So here goes. 

Day 1:  Recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself.  Ok, here's an awful phone picture and sneak peek of what I wore to the event Saturday night.
 

15 facts about myself.  Not sure if they're interesting or not!

1.  I am an Aries, and while I use to personify my astrological sign, I feel like I am getting less and less away from it as I get older.
2.  Even though I am married to someone in the military, I am a pacifist.  War is so hard for me to conceptualize, and even though I am very pro-military, I am anti-war.  Does that make sense?
3.  I have tiny feet, and it's really hard for me to find shoes!  I am a 5 or 5 1/2, and when I was in Germany, I was a Euro 35.  Sometimes they didn't make women's shoes that small, so I often had to wear kids shoes!
4.  I have always had big dogs growing up.  We had a Pitbull, Rottweiler, Great Dane, Collie...but, once I rescued my Pug Pugsley, I knew that Pugs were the breed meant for me.
5.  I love living overseas more than I like living in the states.  I love to travel, and miss being so close to everything.  I think I might have been a European in my past life.  (Kidding!  Maybe...)
6.  I drive a VW Beetle, and I love it.  People always tell me that they're not surprised I drive one, and I have yet to figure out what that means...
7.  I hate conflict and I avoid it at all costs.
8.  I may have an unhealthy obsession with white chocolate.  I'm waiting to hear the health benefits of it, because dark can't be the only healthy chocolate!
9.  I have a lot of anxiety over change.  And while we are talking about anxiety, I hate when I am faced with two good decisions.  I always feel like I am going to pick the wrong one.
10.  I may also have an unhealthy shoe addiction.  I have about 6 or 7 pairs of boots alone.
11.  I absolutely cannot go to the gym looking like a slob.  No, I don't do my hair or make-up, but putting on something I'm not embarrassed to be seen in public in is a motivator for me.
12.  I miss my hometown of Indianapolis.  I'm not sure what I long for there, but I am so content when I am home.
13.  If I could have any job, I would be an attorney.  It's all I wanted to be as a kid, and I'd still like to go to Law School.  Looks like it just isn't in the cards for me anytime soon.
14.  I really wish Joel would get out of the military.  I hate being a military wife, and would give up the job security (for him, not me) if it meant I never had to go six months or more away from him again.
15.  I am the biggest cry baby.  I cry over sad songs, movies...you name it.  I would even cry at a funeral for someone that I haven't ever met.  But, I am a bad consoler.  When people tell me sad news, I tend to cry right along with them.

Day 2:  The meaning behind your blog name.

Nothing significant, really.  I haven't found a name I've just loved yet, so this title is a working one.  I'm always up for better suggestions.

Friday Findings

Ok, so I am not the most creative gal when it comes to post titles.  Hence, you get to see weird ones like this one.

It's Friday, and I for one can't be any happier.  I just got done teaching my last lesson for the semester (holla!), and I think it went fairly well.  I taught low to high functioning students with Autism how to cross the street.  While it didn't go exactly as planned, it was a gorgeous day (hello, 62 degrees in November!) and no one got hit by a car.  Sounds like 'winning' to me.

Secondly, I've decided to try a little bloggy challenge.  It's 31 days of blogging, and here's the how the challenge goes:

day 1 – recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself
day 2- the meaning behind your blog name
day 3- a picture of you as a child
day 4- a habit that you wish you didn’t have
day 5- a picture of somewhere you’ve been
day 6- favorite super hero and why
day 7- what's in your bag
day 8- short term goals for this month and why
day 9- something you’re proud of in the past few days
day 10- songs you listen to when you are happy, sad, bored, hyped, mad
day 11- write a bucket list of things you want to do before you die
day 12- what I would find in your bag
day 13- your 5 favorite books and why
day 14- a picture of you and your family
day 15- put your ipod on shuffle: first 10 songs that play
day 16- a picture of yourself
day 17- someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why
day 18- plans/dreams/goals you have
day 19- write about a sweet memory from your past
day 20- write a letter to someone
day 21-a picture of something that makes you happy
day 22- what makes you different from everyone else
day 23- something you crave a lot
day 24- post your favorite quote or verse of scripture and why
day 25- favorite holiday tradition and why
day 26- list 10 things that you are thankful for
day 27- my day job verses my passion
day 28- cruise a thesaurus and pick out 10 words you like the sound of
day 29 – favorite tv shows and why you like them
day 30 – movies you can watch again and again.
day 31 – what is your wish for the new year?
I know I have been super busy with this semester, and even though my teaching is done with, my classes still have a few more weeks to go.  So, at least with the challenge I will at leats be able to write something.  That's the plan, anyways...

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!  Can't wait to recap what I'll be up to Saturday night.  Here's a hint:  I may or may not be rubbing elbows with sports celebrities in St. Louis, all in the name of a terrific cause.  Any guesses?

Accountability

Well, Thanksgiving was wonderful.  I have no pictures to share, unfortunately, as my parents don't really like photos.  Shocking, I know.  But, while I am thankful to have had the time with them, I have a different kind of Thanksgiving post to write.  We will call it a "pre" New Year's resolution.  Better known as the "post" Thanksgiving resolution.  And like most women, it involves losing weight.

My weight has always been a struggle for me.  Well, at least in my mind.  I was always thin in high school.  I never thought I was, but looking back, I was at a really healthy weight.  I was 5'4" (still am) and about 120 lbs.  I always thought I was the fat girl, but what I wouldn't give to be at that weight today.

Before Joel deployed, I promised myself that I would lose some weight.  And I did.  In six months, I lost 17 pounds.  I felt great, bought a cute new wardrobe, and was finally content looking at that girl in the mirror.

That's me about to run a race in July.  And yes, it was a costume run.

Now, post Thanksgiving, I realized that I have gained back ten pounds in just a few short months.  I feel disgusting, I can barely fit into my new wardrobe, and all of my pants are nearly unbearable to wear because I tossed all of my fat pants in the trash.  But, no more.  Starting today, I am making myself accountable.  Today is day one.  I did 20 minutes of kettlebells, and can't believe the step back that I have taken.  Below, if you are brave enough to look, you will see my "before" pictures, as I like to call them.  I will lose this weight again.  For good.  I will be a more active person and I will eat better.  Because I refuse to look like this much longer.  I just need to believe that I am not meant to be the fat girl.  Because for most of my life, that is who I have seen in the mirror.  And I need to make sure that "she" doesn't define me.  I control my destiny.

Yes, I have a bra on.  It just happens to be the same color as my top.

My last before pic.  Gross.

Any tips, hints, or suggestions are recommended.  I want to make this weight loss sustainable.  No more fad diets for me.  I know the only was to keep the weight off is to make a lifestyle change.  I want to be a fitter, happier, and yes, thinner me.

Happy Thanksgiving!

True advice, for reals.

Yes, I know it is only Wednesday and not actually Thanksgiving, but because my parents moved to the middle of nowhere, Indiana from my fabulous hometown of Indianapolis, and therefore do not have any internet of any kind (please pray for me), you get this post today.

This year, in spite of all its challenges and frustrations (at times), I am thankful for so many things:

I am thankful that my husband made it back from his third deployment safe and sound and that we are spending the holidays together.

I am thankful my old man pug, who is about 16 now, is still with us through another holiday season.  I am also thankful or other little guy is such a good fit with the old man.  They totally wub each other.

I am thankful I am gainfully employed, and I am thankful that I am nearly done with my Master's Degree.

I am thankful for the roof over my head and for the fact that we bought the house we live in so I can do whatever I want to it.  New floors and countertops?  Yes please!  New bathroom?  Working on it...

I am thankful for the opportunity to write this blog.  It has given me the opportunity to discover so much about myself and "meet" some pretty awesome people that I may have otherwise not known.  And I am thankful to all of you that follow me.  Makes me feel special.

I am thankful for the relative health of my family and Joel's family, and I am thankful that I am blessed with some pretty amazing in-laws.  They're really good people.

And on a silly note, I am thankful to all the Housewives franchises, New Girl, Modern Family, and the NFL and NCAA seasons.

There is so much more that I know I am thankful of, and even though I didn't do the "30 Days of Thankfulness" like most people, I feel blessed every day I get another chance at life on this earth.  It really is an amazing life, and through all of its challenges, life is really a lot of fun.  I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving wherever you're at and with whomever you're with.  Enjoy it.  In the words of Usher (holla!), "you've got one life, just live it."  And I thank God for every breath he allows me to take.

Weekend Recap

First of all, can we talk about this adorable little guy?  Gomez, our youngin' pup (he's almost two now) scared the bejeezus out of his.  To say that he is a spirited pup is an understatement.  This little guy is always abounds with energy 99% of the time, and then crashes at the end of the night.  He's a great pup, but Friday morning was acting like a mere shell of himself.  He just kind of moped around, didn't get excited as we came/went from work, and barely lifted his head up for food.  This is a dog who has never missed an opportunity for food.  We were super worried, and monitored him to make sure that he was ok.  Luckily, the next morning he was back to his normal self, and we couldn't have been more grateful

I took a trip with Outdoor Rec (an outdoor travel kind of place on the base) to St. Genvieve, MO to do a wine tasting trip.  We went to a couple of vineyards in the area and sipped on some of Missouri's finest.  Now, maybe because I am a wine snob because of my past European living situation, or maybe because this area was inspired by French wines (and I prefer the German variety), but I wasn't impressed by the wine.  The Riesling didn't taste anything like it should, and a large majority of the wines had too much of a citrus-y taste (i.e. lemon-yuck!).  Although, one particular winery, Crown Valley, had some fantastic fruit wines and the best Peach Sangria.  Yummers!  But, I haven't lost all hope in finding a great Riesling.  There's still a German area in Missouri with vineyards (I think it's called Augusta) and I haven't given up hope on that, yet.

Oh, and I failed to mention one of the most important things that happened this weekend.  Umm...Notre Dame is ranked #1!  Yes, I know I didn't atten Notre Dame.  But, as a Hoosier I always take the time to recognize when another Indiana school makes their way through the rankings.  So long Oregon!  There's a new tam in town.  For now...

Photo found here.

Sunday was just hanging around the house and almost dying of carbon monoxide poisoning.  Well, that last one may be a tad dramatic, but our detector totally went off late last night and I woke up in a panic to get to fresh air.  I think Joel just shut the chimney a little too early after our fire, but still.  Scared the hell outta me.

This weekend I am heading back to Indiana for Thanksgiving (I know, I am as shocked as you are that it is here already) where I will be spending some much needed bonding time with the best sister in the world.  I will not, however, have Internet.  My parents left wonderful Indianapolis a few years ago and moved to the middle of nowhere, Indiana where Internet does not exist, except in dial-up land.  And I do not do dial-up well.  Patience is a virtue that I have not yet mastered.  That's ok, my dysfunctional family is (mostly) entertaining enough.

Sisterly love.

It's OK Thursday

 



It's ok that I am spending Thanksgiving at my family's house this year.  It will be the first time in eight years that this has happened.  Even though we have a dysfunctional relationship, it will be good to spend the holiday with them.

It's ok that the semester is almost over and I still have so much left to do.  That just means after the next four weeks are up, I get four weeks off.  And somehow I always pull through.

It's ok that I dream of being Jess on The New Girl.  Who wouldn't want to be as cute and quirky as she is or have a hilarious friend like Schmidt.

Found here.

It's ok that Joel is exactly like Phil Dumfy on Modern Family.  Most of the time, anyways...

Found here.

And finally, it's ok that I have been slightly obsessed with my DVR lately.  Sometimes it's all the energy I have.  And comedies these days have been hi-lar-ious!

Ok, one more.  It's ok that this blog is short and sweet today.  For goodness sakes...next week is Thanksgiving!!!  I better get it together.

Weekend Update

Happy Monday (err...Tuesday) to everyone!  I was happy to get a respite from work yesterday.  I have been feeling so overwhelmed and busy with school and everything else, so taking a break from the norm to do a little relaxation and shopping was just the ticket I needed.

Oh, and can I say, wow?  I hit triple digits!  I see that I have hit 102 followers (and hopefully counting), so I just wanted to say thanks for the support, everybody.  I feel so blessed!

So Saturday was...interesting.  We woke up and headed into Forest Park, one of my favorite STL spots, for a 5K known as the Cupcake dash.  basically, you run the 5K, and at each kilometer, you ate a cupcake to shave time off of your run.  Sounds great in theory, but after the third cupcake, the bloat definitely kicked in.  And throwing up was a disqualification, so I knew I had to keep it down.  I am glad I did it, but probably won't be making this one a repeat.  Oh, and I gained a pound from the experience.  I'm not sure that's the point...



Pre-run smiles

Saturday night was dinner out at a new restaurant.  It's called Tavern on Main, and it's located in Belleville, IL.  All I can say is...I wouldn't eat there again.  A 25 minute wait ended up being close to an hour, they didn't take call aheads, they were out of a few different beers that the guys wanted (and were told was on tap), and the food was just "ok."  The kicker was they had a ton of TVs, but with all the sports on, they were just showing mostly random TV dramas (that you couldn't hear anyways because the place was so loud).  When I asked them to turn it on the Notre Dame game, they said they would, but it never happened.  Not cool for us sports fans.

Sunday was filled with errands, school work, and a little relaxing.  We had dinner at one of our favorite local farmhouse restaurant called Eckerts (I swear I do actually cook sometimes) and we took advantage of Family Video's offer for a free rental for the miltary and had a movie night in.  Considering we went from 70 degrees to 40 degrees in a matter of a day, we decided that starting a fire in our fireplace was in order.

Monday was a little pre-holiday shopping and lunch at California Pizza Kitchen.  They had an offer for service members to have a free pizza and soft drink, and the pizza fiend I married couldn't resist.  We thought it was a great gesture on their part, so we made sure to tip well.  If anyone from there reads this, thanks for thinking of our men and women (both past and present) in uniform.

And speaking of Veteran's Day, I was busy spending time with my vet, but it made me think of friends whose husband's are serving overseas and friends who had paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country.  Free meals and a day off work are great, but let's never forget who we have to thank for making our nation what it is.  Joel always feels odd when people thank him for his service because he says that it should be a thankful job, but if I see someone in uniform outside of the base, I try to always tell them thanks.  They should know that someone out there cares and remembers.

Fill in the blank Friday!

Link up here!

1. I like snuggling up with my pups in the evening, finally getting back to working out (although no one can tell yet) and the fact the the red cups are back at Starbucks and they still have my beloved PSL.  Don't judge!

2. A life goal of mine is  simply be happy where I am at in life.  I can always point to something that I want to change or improve, and although I think you should always strive to be better (because, hey, no one is perfect) for just once in my life I want to be happy exactly as I am.

3. The last thing you would ever expect me to like (even though I secretly do) is trashy reality tv.  Yes, I may claim my undying love for it on my blog (sometimes).  But, in real life, unless we are super close you'd never know how obsessed I am with people that I have never (and will never) meet.

4. Some wise words that I love are "be still, and know that I am God." (Psalms 46:10) Pretty powerful stuff, and something that I struggle to be at peace with often.  I totally have control issues.

5. Most mornings you will find me  barely awake and trying to fumble myself around to get to where I need to go (work, etc.).  I am not a morning person, so unless I have had that first (or sometimes second) cup of coffee, it's best that we don't speak.

6. Right now I am super into  all that fall has brought.  I love the cooler (not cold) weather, my comfy sweaters, pulling out my boots, pumpkin everything, the fireplace crackling, and hot cocoa.  I heart fall.

7. Right now I am super over people who think that their opinion is the only one that matters and stereotypes the other person for believing in something different.  I am beyond over this.  People seem so judgmental lately!

It's ok Thursday!

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Hey you out there in blogland!  It's Thursday, and I can not wait until this work week is over.  I have been so overwhelmed with this semester coming to a close at school, and I am not being very successful when it comes to time management lately.  Joel likes to say that if you wait until the last minute that it only takes a minute, but I'm finding that one minute is pure torture.  But, it's Thursday, so...


It's ok that I am not ready for the holiday season yet.  I am just going to pretend that Thanksgiving is not in just two short weeks.  And I will not succumb to the Christmas music all around me.  No sirree, store.  I will walk right out of you!

It's ok that I am super excited that I got my PSL at Starbucks in a red cup.  Red Solo Cup, meet your match!

It's ok that the elections didn't really go my way.  The people spoke, and that's how Democracy works.  Right?  Right???

It's ok that I avoided Facebook yesterday.  The pure hatred I've seen regarding other people's views was enough to make me sick.

It's ok that I am in full sweater and boots mode.  While I am not a fan of the cold, I am a fan of boots.  And sweaters, and hot chocolate, and bonfires.  I am not a fan of snow, however.  Stay away, snow!

It's ok that I am participating in a 5K this weekend when I know I won't be able to run the whole thing.  While I am sad that I had a major setback in my run time, I am just happy to be back on track.

It's ok that I have been struggling with some major decisions lately.  These are major decisions, and shouldn't be taken too lightly.  I just wish I didn't always have an internal struggle regarding my life's path.  Anyone have a crystal ball I can borrow?

Southern Nights

I know that I am a Hoosier (and darn proud of it!), but I think I am a true Southern girl at heart.

 

I like long nights with a cool glass of sweet tea.  The only real kind of tea.

Image found here.

I live in my blue jeans.  And having at least one plaid shirt in the closet is a must.

I break out my boots whenever I get a chance, but apparently never get good photos of them.

 

I like my gentlemen callers (AKA my husband) to have manners and charm.  A military man, no matter how Northern, will do.

 

I like my music country (as well as a lot of others), I like the great outdoors, and nothing beats watching the sunset on a big wrap around porch with a pup in your lap, wrapped around in a blanket on a cool, fall eve.  As much as I love my home in Indiana (Hoosier Hospitality is a close second), and the big cities of Chicago and NYC, I had a fabulous, better than expected time on our most recent trips to Kentucky and Tennessee.  If we don't get to go back overseas I hope for a new home in the South.  You here that, Air Force?  I'll take Charleston next, pleaseandthankyou.