Happy Birthday!!!

Our sweet puppy is one year old today!!! Happy Birthday Kojak, buddy:) He really has brought so much to our lives, pets can become your family members, and he certainly has. He has kept me busy during this deployment, so this handful of a puppy accomplished what Jason intended by getting him for me. He's such a good boy and he has so much love for everybody. We couldn't have gotten a better dog.

My ABC's

A - Age: 27
B - Bed size: Queen
C - Chinese Food Dish: Eggrolls, crispy noodles, or fried rice, that's about all the chinese I like.
D - Dentist name: Dr. Doris Black
E - Early Bird or Night Owl? Night Owl
F - Favorite color: ALL COLORS!
G - Gold or Silver: White Gold
H - Height: 5'6"
I - Ink as in tatto's you have: Zero
J - Job title: Domestic Diva/Photographer Hopeful
K - Kitchen Meal or Restaurant? Kitchen Meal...made with love:) But eating out once in a while is nice too!
L - Living arrangements: Living with my sweet sissy and family for another month, and then moving into my new house in Beulaville!
M - Month of birth: June
N - Nicknames: Chris, Babe, Christie Belle, Shnookie
O - On time or late: On time!
P - Pet Peeve: Let's not get me started.
Q - Quote from a movie: "I am no one special. Just a common man with common thoughts. I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but in one respect I've succeeded as gloriously as anyone who ever lived. I've loved another with all my heart and soul and for me that has always been enough." - Duke from "The Notebook".
R - Right or left handed: Right
S - Siblings: 2 younger, beautimous sisters.
T - Time you wake up: Usually around 8.
U - Urgent thing on your to do list: Make an eye appointment, finish packing, move.
V - Vegetable you dislike: Brussel Sprouts, Beets
W - Wishing for: Don't wish, pray...and praying for lots of things.
X - X-rays you've had: Chest, Head, Back
Y - Yummy food you make: Everything I make is yummy:) My best dish is probably Shepherd's Pie.
Z - Zoo Favorite: Elephants, the big cats, and the bears.

Our New House!!!

We move in November 6th. This is the first house we saw, and the last. I didn't even have to go anywhere else. This was the one:o) I knew it from the minute we walked in. All the rooms are big, it's 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths. A walk in laundry room, and a walk in pantry. A 2 car garage. A huge master bedroom with a walk in closet. A garden tub and separate shower in the master bath, a humongous backyard for Kojak that is fenced in, and all nice stainless steel appliances in the kitchen. It has a fireplace and a dining room. At the top of the stairs there is a bonus room big enough to be another small den or living room. I LOVE this house and cannot wait to make it our home! Pictures will follow next month;o)

A Change of Plans

Mom and I are going a week from today to go find a house back in Jacksonville. There are a lot that I like, and I'm pretty sure they will be going like hotcakes. I'm so excited and praying for God's direction on where we find one and that it will be what we are looking for. Some things we'd really like to have are 1) a fenced in yard for the dog, 2) a fireplace, 3) a laundry room, and 4) a decent sized kitchen with a pantry, oh..and 5) a garage (Jason's request). I've found several that have these qualities, but some of them are in the next town over, giving Jason a 25-35 minute commute depending on traffic. So, I'm just trusting God will show me the house we are supposed to have, and that it won't take looking at 100 houses to find it! We will be leaving Monday and have until Thursday to find one. We're staying at the Holiday Inn Express, which is centrally located between all the little towns, and is nice and clean, and with free hot breakfast to boot:) And, it's nice that it worked out that I got one of the remaining rooms for that week that qualifies for the military discount. I will hopefully be posting lots of pictures of our new house next week!

Pets

Kojak is totally spoiled rotten, don't ya think!?

And Vader (Matt and Ashley's cat), hates Kojak, as you can tell from the hissing face. Kojak gets this from him on a daily basis, but the funny thing is, Kojak still loves Vader and is always wanting him to play...if we could only hear what they are thinking...

Pets...gotta love 'em.

I Wasn't The Only One

That missed Jason like crazy!

Austin wouldn't let go of him once he got him:) It was so sweet.

Austin and Uncle Jason:

And then there was the greeting from our pup, he wanted to sit on his head:

A little calmer now, he didn't leave his side:


I think it's safe to say we all missed Jason so, so much! Everyone else got their hugs in too, and he was surrounded by love from the whole family. We spoiled him good to get him through the rest of the deployment. Which, by the way, has been SHORTENED!!! YAY! Instead of Feb. or March, I will have my sweetie home before Christmas. They are scheduled to leave in the first of December! Mom and I will be going house shopping the first week of November, and we are hoping to move me in the weekend of November 20. A busy rest of the year ahead, and I can't wait!

New Hair:)

Before (Kissin' my honey!):

After:

It was time to update from summer blonde to autumn brunette. The new color is actually very close to my natural. The consensus so far is the new is better! It took a few days to grow on me, but now I'm lovin' it!

Jason's Leave Homecoming

50 Things About Me...Idea Stolen from Ashwee

Since I am a nervous wreck waiting on Jason to arrive for his 2 week leave from Iraq, I am trying to find things to take my mind off of it. Ashley just did this on her blog, so I figured I would too. Here we go...

1. I am a hypochondriac. Seriously. I just had an EKG and chest xrays on Friday just to be sure it was only a pulled muscle. Seriously.

2. My closet grouped into colors. I'm a neat freak/super organizer.

3. I have more purses than I can fit onto the top shelf of my closet and more shoes than I can fit on my shoe rack.

4. I have multiple sunglasses hidden in purses and in different parts of my car. I am constantly finding pairs I had forgotten about.

5. I have dyed my hair every hair color on the "hair color spectrum" except for red.

6. I, unlike my dear sissy, have to have freshly painted, un-chipped toenails. It makes me feel pretty. I like pretty feet.

7. I have moved 5 times during our 4 year marriage. About to be 6. That's the military for ya!

8. I have a bad habit of picking at my cuticles. If it hurts, why don't I stop!?

9. I am also a germaphobe. Refer to number 1..it goes hand in hand.

10. I'm a firm believer that "everything has it's place". Organization freak.

11. I am picking at my cuticles right now as I'm thinking. Dang it!

12. I'm a super planner. I aggravate myself with this. I have made 4 or 5 lists this week already.

13. I love primitive decorations.

14. I love autumn.

15. I love Christmas.

16. I want to live in the mountains in a log cabin.

17. I want to be a mommy, and I would also love to adopt.

18. I have the most loyal dog ever. When I take a shower, he waits by the door. When I'm cooking, he lays by my feet. If I'm in my room, he is laying by me on the bed or sitting at my feet. If I'm doing laundry (in the basement), he follows me down. I'm not even kidding.

19. I may be living in Texas next year for a while.

20. I'm going to Tennessee in 2 days! Yay!

21. I can water ski, and have been able to since I was 7.

22. I used to wake board, until a really bad fall. I don't believe in the theory "get back in the saddle".

23. I acted, sang, and performed in high school. Now, almost 10 years later, I have developed stage fright.

24. I enjoy doing hair, but could never do it professionally.

25. I love photography, and the feeling of capturing that perfect shot.

26. I hope to take off with the photography "bit" once we get settled in somewhere.

27. I love blue jeans. I don't even know how many pairs I own.

28. I have worn contacts since I was 13, and glasses since I was 12.

29. I have had a weak back for years, and since my wreck last year, it hurts almost everyday.

30. I totally fell for my husband on our first date.

31. I've been a "juvenile"/type 1 diabetic since the age of 12.

32. I was saved and baptized at the age of 8.

33. I was baptized by my daddy.

34. I love my smile, I consider it my best feature.

35. Everything I'm thinking or feeling shows in my face. And those who know me well can tell exactly what's going on with me by that.

36. When I get nervous or am in pain, I bounce my leg up and down.

37. I not only pop my knuckles, I pop my toes as well. I know, I know, not good for them. Another one of those bad habits.

38. I love to dance, and just recently discovered that I can still take it to the floor and get back up. I was proud.

39. I enjoy scrapbooking. There isn't a neater way to preserve your memories.

40. I am an accessory queen. Necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, toe rings, watches, headbands...the list goes on and on. Ashley frequently "shops" in my room.

41. I'm a sucker for new products. I cannot watch QVC, infomercials, or go down the "As Seen On TV" aisle at Bed, Bath & Beyond, nor can I let myself be stopped by the unrelenting kiosk gremlins in the mall. My newest purchase? Bump-Its for your hair. They actually do work if you were wondering.

42. I'm learning to knit. I'm still working on my first scarf. I started it last fall. I'm not very fast.

43. I love writing pens. But not the fine tip ones, the wider the better.

44. I have the most wonderful husband and family in the world. They are my best friends.

45. I love soaking in a warm bath, candles, and Norah Jones playing in the background.

46. I love movies. Top Gun, The Notebook, Twilight, Napoleon Dynamite, and Transformers (1 and 2) being some of my most favorite favorites.

47. I can read for hours on end.

48. I really want to see New York as well as all of New England.

49. I don't like anything in clusters. It makes me nauseated. I love grapes, but can't eat them unless I pick them and put them in a bowl.

50. I love to laugh, and am making a conscious effort to do it more often.

Ok, now I'm done with this. I'm still not sleepy. Maybe a little Spider Solitaire and some Nick at Nite. Anything to calm the huge bat sized butterflies in my stomach...

Excitement and nerves. Not good for sleep. I feel like I need to scream!

A Little Adjustment

So, Jason finally signed his leave papers, and he will be flying out a day later, but that puts him here by Thursday, hopefully. ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited I can't stand it! We got his welcome home signs made and I will post pictures once we get them hung on our houses. He is trying to finish up his reenlistment paper work before he comes home next week. The job he is trying to switch to, he is really excited about, so PLEASE pray that everything goes through smoothly and he is able to switch without any problems. If everything goes the way we are hoping, he will be back in training for 9 months when he returns, and we would be living in Texas for that time. I am excited about that, as we will only be 3 hours from my long time friend, Mandi:) Plus, it's drivable to come back home! I've always wanted to see Texas, so this may be our chance (crossing fingers!). So, alot of stuff coming up and in our future. Alot of things I'm excited for and about. I will be scarce come next week, but I'll be back with lots of pictures! 7 DAYS, YIPPEE!!!

Some Things

For those of you who haven't noticed the countdown at the top of my page. We now have only 18 days. 18!!! And that is just until he gets here, he will leave in approximately 16 days!!! I am so excited, I don't know what to do with myself!

I have so much left to do yet. I've been tanning for a week and a half. Gotta love the fact that my great grandmother was full blooded Cherokee Indian. I got the skin that tans fast. I'm looking more and more like a ginger cake (as my grandmother so fondly refers to it). Plus my Daddy tans really well. He's even darker than me (but I'm quickly catching up!).

Next week, I start buying supplies for our sign making party. Our plan is to put big welcome home signs on the front of Daddy and Momma's house, Grandma's house, and Matt and Ash's house. Plus we will be making smaller ones to have at the airport.

I have my hair appointment for the 8th. Fresh highlights and a cut. Not drastic, just some layers for a better curl factor. Then, Ash, Laina, and I are going to have a sister pedicure date a few days before. It'll be nice. I can't believe we talked Laina into it! It's a girly thing, afterall! She's becoming more and more girly (although I don't think she'll ever shed her horse loving, tomboyish ways completely). She's kicking and screaming as I'm dragging her into womanhood, but it's finally coming along:) I'm determined to make one of my sisters somewhat girly, lol. At least Laina tolerates shopping with me now. I don't think I'll ever win Ash over to my side when it comes to the wonderful world of shopping.

Momma and I will be going shopping in the next week or two for a new homecoming outfit. Gotta have something new that he's never seen!

I'm so excited for J to "re-meet" Kojak. When he left, Kojak looked like this:

And now, THIS is my furbaby!

He's not going to know it's his dog! Kojak still thinks he weighs the same as in the first picture. But, I assure you, when he hurdles through the air and lands smack dab in the middle of your chest, he feels like he weighs all of his 40 or 45 lbs. plus another 40! We fonly refer to him as "fat butt". We had to teach Austin that that was ONLY a Kojak nickname. For, we quickly found out that Austin thought it was funny to call his Daddy that. Oops.

I have totally had the "dropsies" lately. I can't seem to hold onto anything. As I was applying my face bronzing lotion at the tanning bed this morning, the lid flew out of my hand, in my effort to catch it, I slung tanning lotion all over the mirror (which, by the way, I am not fond of having a full length mirror in the tanning bed booths, that is so cleverly positioned that you HAVE to see yourself as soon as you get out of the tanning bed. I don't even like looking at myself fully clothed in a full length mirror. WHAT were they thinking!?), and all this is happening as the stupid little 3 minute timer is beeping that my prep time is almost up. I really don't think they give you a full 3 minutes to get ready before the bed turns on. I barely make it everytime.

We had a fun picnic at the park last night with some friends. They have a little boy close to Austin's age. They had a blast playing super heroes on the big mound of dirt (well, it's sand actually). Why is it that a big pile of sand is more appealing than 2 swingsets, a jungle gym with slides, bridges, and climbing walls. Boys;o) At least Austin is no longer afraid of sand. That was a fun beach day :op

Ashley and I totally had a flashback last night. We decided to take a drive last night at about 9. Windows down, moon roof open, music loud. We now have a new favorite song. It's called "I'm A Gummy Bear". If you have never heard this song (which I'm guessing nobody has), I strongly recommend the download. We laughed EVERY time we played it on my Ipod. It's by Crazy Frog. Plus, I think the security guys will be laughing for a long time if they were so fortunate as to catch Ashley's rendition of the "river dance" to the song "Hot Stepper" on their parking lot cameras. Again, if you've never heard this song. Download it. So totally not a river dance type of song. But, leave it to Ashley to make it one. I am still laughing.

Ok, I need to go play with my puppy, he is growling at me from the foot of the bed. He's not the patient type.

18 DAYS!!!!!!!!

Just In Case You Were Wondering...

29 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!! That's all we have left....29 DAYS!!!! Yippee:):):):)

It's TOtAlLy Already July 13th!!!

1. 30 Days until Jason comes home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!

2. I've gone back on Weight Watchers. Hard core. I so took about a month break from counting. I finally got back on the scale yesterday. I was shocked. In a good way. I have actually maintained. No loss, no gain. Sweet!

3. I think I'm going to go to the tanning bed tomorrow and start getting a little color before J comes home, and before vacation;o) We have a mountain-side cabin, all to ourselves.

4. We've decided to go to Gatlinburg, TN for a week when he gets home. I love it there. I'm so ready for vacation!

5. My new phone is awesome. I got the enV touch. It's like an IPhone without having to have the super expensive media plan. Plus, it has a full keyboard inside! If you're with Verizon, I highly recommend it.

6. Kojak has finally mastered roll over. And then I just find out that he peed on the rug. What the heck?! No accidents in well over 2 months, and now?

7. Did I mention...30 DAYS TIL JASON COMES HOME!?!

8. I saved enough of my daily points for a 3 Musketeers bar tonight. Chocolate has been my secret lover since Jason has been gone;o)

9. I am so behind on answering emails. But yet, I am blogging. I'm a slacker.

10. I have been working on a new blog for my photography, I will be posting a link soon!

11. Speaking of photography, I got my portfolios in the mail today. I will be filling them up quickly! Next...business cards, hehe!

12. We had an awesome thunderstorm last night. Made me miss my honey even more.

13. I'm organizing a sign making party the week before homecoming. Signs, signs everywhere! I know, I'm such a planner. It annoys me too.

14. Speaking of planning, I already have my hair appointment set up for a few days before J flies in, Momma and I are going shopping that week too. Gotta have the perfect outfit. Then a mani and pedi to finish the prep work up. I think the last one is more for my benefit.

15. I am so into "So You Think You Can Dance". I'm super excited that they are doing a fall season too this year! Don't tell anyone that I practice what I see every week in my room.

16. I hate personal trainers. Especially mine. Her goal is to kill me. Seriously.

17. Oh! I saw an old friend from high school at the grocery store yesterday. We were really close friends in high school, and we just lost touch. It was great to see her (and her 2 year old!). We are setting up a coffee date soon. It's funny that we both grew up and married men (not related) with the same last names.

18. My bee eff eff from forever is coming home Friday from Texas. Mandi, the one who married a man in the army. I haven't seen her in a year and a half. I'm stoked!

19. I've been experimenting with destroying my jeans. I like the look and I'm pretty good at cleverly placing the holes.

20. Even though I'm mad at Kojak, I have to say he's doing exceptionally well with staying in the yard without his leash. He's really a smart dog. Until those little brain washing critters crawl in his ear and tell him to piss all over the rug. Excuse my use of the word piss. But that was what it was. It wasn't a little "oops, I tinkled" or "oops, I had a little excited squirt". It was a full out, squat down, empty your bladder, piss a puddle on the floor incident.

21. Oh, yeah. Guess what? 30 DAYS, 30 DAYS, 30 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Happy Birthday to the most wonderful father in the entire world! We all love you so much. You have provided such a wonderful life for your family. You have been a man that all of your daughters look up to, and now your sons and grandson. With your love, guidance, and patience, you have been the rock of this family. I hope this year is a wonderful year for you. I love you, Daddy.

Happy 4th!!!

Happy 4th of July!!! And a big thank you to all the men and women serving our country in Iraq (especially CLR-27! We miss you guys...especially one in particular;o)). They continually fight to keep our freedom safe. It's what this day is all about. Let's not forget that! I love you so much honey, and I will see you so very soon!!!