The AF Birthday Ball

So, the weekend was super busy and filled with some fun, and not so fun, things.  The not so fun things dealt with term papers and homework, but I did happen to get it all done in plenty of time AND still watch my Dolphins win on Sunday.  Go Phins!

The fun thing that I had planned could have went either way.  We went to the Air Force's Birthday Ball.  Now, I have been to many Army Balls, but not AF ones, so I wasn't sure how they would be different, or if they would even be different.  This one turned out to be...well, ok!  The food was ok, we were in a hanger, which wasn't that great, but worked, and I found out that Tops in Blue is MUCH cheesier than the Army Soldier Show, but I was with my husband, who looked great in his mess dress!  He wore his blues for our wedding because we had a casual ceremony, so this was my first opportunity, and he did not disappoint!  His commander sat at our table and was quite a hoot to be around, and his wife was really nice too.  His First Sergeant came stag and was quite entertaining to see bounce all around making sure things were on point.  We danced, we drank (just a little), and we laughed with friends.  So all in all it was an awesome night!

The only thing that I will complain about is that it is a trend at the army balls to give away the centerpieces.  Well, no one took ours, so at the end of the night we decided to take it.  As we were leaving, they totally stopped us and made us return it.  Busted!  Thanks for being so cheap, Air Force!

A picture of my hair at the end of the night.  Still looked great!

The obligatory "prom pose."

Inside the hanger.

Tops in Blue.

Our awesome friends showing us how to party!

Us, very relieved to call it a night.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #17

It's Friday!  I took the day off of work today to get caught up on school stuff, and much to my dismay the website where I need to do my work is down for maintenance.  It is such a pain to be overseas sometimes, because convenient times for stateside maintenance are inconvenient for me.

So, without further ado, it is...

1. What are some things on your bucket list? (from New Girl on Post)

I don't really have a bucket list, and am fortunate to have done the huge things that I have always wanted to do early in life (such as live overseas, see Europe, etc.), but I guess there are a few more things out there.  I would really like to visit Asia, get my Master's Degree, swim with dolphins, master a new talent, see a Miami Dolphins game in Miami (I know, I know...go Phins!), and own a home.  This makes me want to create a bucket list now!

2. How long have you been a MilSpouse and where have you been stationed so far? (from Raising Roscoe)

I have just been married for five and a half months now, so not very long.  I have only lived in my home state of Indiana and here in Germany.  I should be expanding that list in the summer, though!

3. What is a list of songs that sums up your life so far? (from Confessions of a Sailor’s Wife)

I can't say that there is really a list that I have.  I will say that the song "God Bless the Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts about sums up my love life, though.  Actually, it is Joel and I's song.  I have struggled a lot to figure out who I am and what makes me happy, and it took a long time for me to realize that I do deserve that "dream guy" that everyone always told me didn't exist.  I went through a lot of heartbreak to realize that settling doesn't make someone happy, and traveled down a broken road that let me straight to Joel.  I heart him.

4. What is your favorite kind of pizza?

Nothing will ever compare to the pizza here in Europe.  It is fabu, and I haven't been able to repeat it when I have visited the states.  I love just a good ole' pizza margherita, which is just cheese pizza.  Here in Europe it is so thin and so tasty, I want to take in the cheese, sauce, and crust, and not overwhelm with anything else.  My favorite pizza place back home is a tiny mom and pop place called Ballpark Pizza.  Simply delicious.  But I still stick to just cheese, please.

5. What are three good things in your life right now?
The first is my marriage.  Joel and I have had few growing pains, as I am sure that most couples do, but we are still madly in love in that honeymoon kind of stage.  He still calls me just to say he loves me, we still hold hands whenever we can and are always cuddling, and he sings to me at night when I can't sleep, and tells me how beautiful he thinks I am every morning.  I don't think I could love anyone more.

My family back home.  Even though we aren't very close, and I can't say that I miss them all of the time, we are a tight group that will always be there for each other.  My mom is stubborn as sin, my dad is stall a frat boy, and my sister is sweet and innocent as punch.  But, they are all good people and I have been blessed in my life to be affected by them.  For better or worse, they have made me who I am, and I couldn't imagine having any other family.

My friends.  I may not have a bazillion friends, but the ones that I do have, that I can actually consider true friends, are wonderful.  They are all different, but very caring and good people, and they add a lot to my life.  I feel truly blessed in general :)

Budapest...check!

Ok, so I lied last time.  I swear I will eventually post my pictures from London, but I am still on a "Hungary high."  Budapest was so much more than we expected!  It was a relaxing trip, for once, and I am really glad we chose to go.  It was a really random, last minute trip, but a definite recommendation.

So, here are five things about Budapest!

1.  It is pronounced not the way it is spelled, but like "booda pesht."  We were reminded of this several times throughout our trip.

2.  Budapest has the cutest restaurants/cafes that I have ever seen!  I fell in love with this cafe that we just happened to stop off at right before we left the city.  Best part of our trip.  Also, they make some excellent Italian pizza.  Who knew?

 3.  Budapest definitely makes its money off of sex.  Someone I work with, before I left, said it was called "booty fest."  I laughed it off until I got there.  There were fliers for "free pick up" from the escort service and free champagne with "purchase."  Hmm...  However, I never felt nervous or threatened while I was there.  It is just a part of their life, I guess.

 4.  Budapest is called 'the city of spas" and it did not disappoint!  Spas are different in Europe then the states.  They are not so much about the treatments, but about the water of the pools.  Budapest has hot spring thermal baths that are really healthy for you to just lay in.  We want to Rudas spa, which is a Turkish bath that was built during the 16th century during the Turkish occupation.  We weren't there very long, but I would recommend going to one and just relax.

5.  We thought that the city was very old, and were excited to see, as Joel puts it, "Old Stuff."  We found out that while the city itself is old and while it looks old, it was mostly destroyed in WWII.  So, they decided to rebuild the city exactly how it was before the war.  Small and crazy roads and all.

Is it really October?

Wow, September really flew by, didn't it?  Well, at least we didn't waste the time.  The day after Joel's parents arrived we were busy, busy!  First stop was my favorite fall wine fest at Bern-Kastel Kues.  It is right near the Mosel river, and a beautiful, picturesque little town.  Everyone seemed to have a good time, and we left with our bellies full of good food and even better wine.

Joel's parents and us in Bern Kastel Kues.

The Mosel

The fest.

The entertainment

The crowd

It really was a wonderful time.  After spending so much time with Joel's parents, I really do realized I am blessed to have them as a part of my family.  They are truly wonderful people, and I hope that in forty years, Joel and I are still as happy and in love as they are with each other.

Well, more to come later.  Up next...London!

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #15

Hello all!  I am on a bloggy role!  Two in a row now.  And, I hope to post more posts of substance soon.  I have just been so overwhelmed lately.  Midterms are this week, I haven't felt well at all, I have a friend that has been more drama than friend lately, and Joel has been working a ton of hours in preparation for something at work, so I have just been going to work, doing school stuff, and sleeping.  So, here's for a better weekend!  And, without further ado...

1.  What is the silliest get-up you have ever worn outside of a Halloween party? (from To The Nth)

Have you ever heard of the Rocky Horror Picture Show?  If not google it; I'll wait.  Our base does a production of this show every year and I participate because one, I like acting and the theater, and two, it is a huge fundrasier, and three...well, I get to be silly and have fun.  Well, my favorite part to play is Frank N Furter.  Here is what he looks like.  And yes, I play a man who plays a transvestite.

For those that know me in real life, they KNOW that I am very conservative and that I don't dress in anything this close to scandalous.  So, while it makes me very self-conscious, once the show starts I throw caution to the wind!  This is my rebelliousness that I do once a year.  And also my silliest get-up :)

2.  What is something that you gave up in order to live the military lifestyle? (from Pennies from Heaven)

Control.  This is a big thing for me, too, because I am a bit of a control freak!  I can't control where I live, when I move, or any normal things like that without jeopardizing my time with my husband, which I get less of than I would like anyways.  Is it worth it?  Well, I would give up a lot of things to be with the love of my life.  Is it easy?  Heck no!

3.  If money wasn’t a factor and you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? And why? (from Life and Times of a Displaced Jersey Girl)
This is really hard, because I have been fortunate enough to visit so many of the places that I dreamed about.  So, the big one still lingering out there is Australia.  I would love to visit there.  It looks so beautiful, plus I would like to see all of the natural wildlife and go snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef.  Maybe one day!

4.  If you were going to join the military, what branch would you join? Or which MOS/rating would you choose? (from And You Never Did Think)

The Navy!  They get to be out on the ocean (and I love the water!) and visit some very exotic places.  Plus, they have dolphin trainers!  How cool would that be for an animal lover such as myself?  Of course, this would only be preferable if I was single.  Being married, I wouldn't want to be in any branch.  One service member per household for me, please!

5.  What is your favorite thing to make for dinner? (from Armendinger Party of 4)

This one is easy!  It is a cheese and spinach tortelloni with a garlic and Parmesan cream sauce with smoked salmon bits in it.  Heaven!!!  And, of course, topped off with one of my favorite wines.

OMG, she baked!

Ok, so you will rarely get posts like these, but when my in-laws were in town, I wanted to show off for them, and so I asked my friend Kendra for some help and she gave me an awesome recipe for Oreo Surprise Cupcakes!  They turned out fantastically, and so I wanted to give her a special shout-out and a thnaks for the help.  They were a hit!

The Dark Chocolate Batter

The Creamy Filling

An AWFUL picture of me pouring the middle layer.

The top layer pouring!

The baked cupcakes!

The final touches!

Friday Fill in!

Thanks to Wife of a Sailor as always for posting this.  It sure is fun!  And, when I feel overwhelmed with, well...lief, it still gives me a chance to blog.

So, without further ado...

1. What characteristic about yourself has either been strengthened or weakened due to your experience as a Military Spouse? (from The Albrecht Squad)

I am one of those people that loathe change.  Well, the only constant in the military IS change.  So, I believe the military has strengthened and weakened this.  I feel like I am better about accepting change, but at the same time, it makes me nervous.  For example, we will be PCSing next summer, and we won't know where we will be going until early next year, and I am researching the top two choices like crazy!

2. What is your favorite vacation spot and why? (from ‘Tis the Life of the Army Wife)

Anywhere in the U.K.!  I loved my time in Scotland, England, and Ireland.  So much that I really would like to get stationed there someday.  Yes the food isn't great and the weather could always be nicer, but it is just a beautiful place where you could do nothing at all or everything and be just as content.  The people are great and the scenery is to die for.  I plan on going back at least once more before we leave Germany.  Fingers crossed!!!

3. If you could have any fast-food restaurant in the food court on base/post what would you pick? (from The Only Pink in a House of Blue)

Starbucks!  Ok, that isn't fair because it isn't a restaurant, but the closest one is an hour away (I know, OMG!) and the German ones don't carry Pumpkin Spiced Lattes, which is a fall favorite of mine.  So, to go back to the original question, a Steak N Shake.  I could really go for a steak burger and some shoestring fries right now.

4. Where did you go on your honeymoon?  (from Pennies from Heaven)

Our honeymoon will be in January, because we decided we would rather have a tropical getaway in the winter versus the summer, and so we will be in the sunny Maldives!  It is located in the Indian Ocean and is a sunny 80-ish degrees all year round.  I can not wait!

5. If you could have any job in the world regardless of money, degree or experience, which job would you have and why? (from Proud to Be a Navy Family and The Calm Before The Storm)

It would be a critic.  I love visiting new places and traveling, eating out, and seeing movies, so I would love to have my own magazine or website where I was paid to do these things.  Plus, I am sure some of my friends are tired of me trying to plan their vacations for them!

MilSpouse Friday Fill-in!

Well, I feel like I am batting .500 with this fill in.  I love doing it, so as my husband says, as long as you are at least .500 you're not failing.  So...here goes!

1.  How do you spend your deployment money, do you save, pay off bills or enjoy the extra money while it is there to buy the things you do not normally have? (from Troop Petrie)


2. If you could relive one occasion or moment, what would it be? (from Currently on Land)


Gosh, I really have no idea.  There are many moments that I have enjoyed throughout my life.  I think it would probably have to be the day I got married.  I know, cheesy, but I don't really think I ever stopped to really breathe it all in.  Joel looked wonderful in his uniform, and I don't think I ever took the time to truly admire him and the love we were sharing that day.  Our wedding was very intimate and small, and I had the opportunity, but I overwhelmed myself with the small details.  But, it was still wonderful :)

3. What’s the worst job you ever had and if it was so bad why did you take it? (from Faith and Deploying)

I worked at Liquid Transport Corp. and I hated it!  I was a scanner, so all I did all day was scan documents and classify them.  And, I was young, and worked with a lot of older ladies that I felt just wanted to act like my mother.  Needless to say I did NOT work there very long.

4. If you could play any character on TV, who would you be?  (from Many Waters)

Probably Lilly from How I Met Your Mother.  Grant it, I am only just starting season three, but so far she married the love of her life, has incredible friends that are always there for her when she needs them, got her chance to "find herself" and realized that she already had, and gets to live in an amazing city!  Plus, she seems to love her job and appreciate her family.  Sounds good to me!

5. If you could become the world’s expert in something, what would it be? (from Army of Two)

Finding true happiness.  I think when a person is truly happy with who they are and what they have, then they will be the best at what they are/have to give.  So, I guess the world's best life coach!  LOL!!!Being newlyweds, we haven't gone through a deployment yet together with joint funds, so I cna only answer this one as a hypothetical.  Joel goes TDY a lot and, when he does, we don't spend the money any differently.  We have money in a "fun fund" and long term savings, as well as both of our retirement accounts.  We would probably split the extra money into the two different savings accounts (fun and long term) evenly like we do with his TDY money.

I'm a back!

Every time Joel and I play the new Mario game on the Wii, he is Luigi, and he says the title every time Joel re-uses his lives.  It is so funny, and I need a little humor today.

The in-laws left, and I survived, so all is good.  I will write more later, to include pictures, but right now I am at work trying to catch up on stuff.  I have missed my friends, online and in real life, and I hope to get back into a routine soon!

Friday Fill in!

Eh, so it is a day early, but I won't be able to do it tomorrow because my in-laws will be here!  I am very excited for this.  They are great, sweet people, and I look forward to their visit.  So, without further ado, and brought to you by Wife of a Sailor, here is the...

1.  What is a weird/funny superstition that you have? (from A{muse}ing Mommy on a Pink Park Bench)

Gosh, I really don't think I have any.  I am not a very superstitious person.  There are many things that I am afraid of, but they are all rational, actual things...like clowns.  I guess the only thing that sticks out is that I refuse to not end a conversation with my husband while he is away by saying "I love you."  I have this crazy fear that if I do, something bad will happen and those won't be the last words that I say to him.

2.  What are your hopes and dreams for the years AFTER the military? After all, we aren’t in it forever! (from Stetsons, Spurs and Stilettos)

To stay put!  I hate all of the moving the military makes us do.  I would love to stay put long enough to buy a house and actually feel settled in it, advance career-wise, and make friends that I don't always have to say goodbye to.  I also would like to feel "at home" in a community and get involved, meet the neighbors...that kind of thing.

3.  Since [this] month is National Apple Month (no really!), I’d probably ask: What is your yummiest apple recipe? (from NH Girl Displaced)

What is with the recipes?  I can not bake so I am not very helpful on this one.  Although, since it is fall, I like to dip Granny Smith apples in Caramel.  MMmmm...

4.  How long have you gone as a military spouse without talking to your husband/wife during service? (from A Navy Princess and Her Little Sailors)

Well, I am a newlywed, so this question won't seem so bad.  I think it was four days.  I know it is going to get worse, as I have been working with the army for six years and have seen the horror stories, but right now I can say that I have been fortunate so far.  But, we have only been married for four months...lol!

5.  I occasionally watch When I was 17… on MTV. So, what was something that was significant about your 17th year of life? (from Ashley Amazing)

I just want to say that I have apparently lived in Europe way too long because I have no idea what this show is!

Ok, 17...that was a very pivotal year for me, as I think it is for most 17 year olds.  I guess the biggest thing I decided is that I wouldn't settle.  I took a real look around and realized all of my family basically lived in the same neighborhood all of their lives.  And while I live Indiana and the Midwest, and that might work for some people, I wanted...more.  So I moved to Germany on a whim and decided to see the world while I was here.  I will have been to over 20 countries by the time I leave, and at some point am hoping to get stationed in Asia to see that part of the world, too.  And, by doing all of that, I ended up meeting Joel and getting married.  So, had I decided to always stay put I think my life would be drastically different.