Baby Fever...

Well, it would probably not be a shock at all to most of the people I talk to on a regular basis, that I'm very interested and really looking forward to the day Chad and I (and God of course) decide to try and have a baby (times 3...hopefully). Not like triplets cuz that would just be crazy, but 3 in all, maybe 4 if the 'accidents', such as myself (seriously, I was one), continue to run in my family. haha.

I know we aren't 'all set' to start a family right now, but I sure do have days when it's really on my mind and my heart wants to have one. Babies are such a beautiful and wonderful blessing. They're warm and snuggly and are accomplishments that change your life in the best way possible. I see little boys and girls ALL of the time on base and in our condo complex and it makes me very jealous. If we found out tomorrow that I was pregnant, there'd be no problem. There would be two extremely large smiles on faces around here. I'd be happy as can be. And so would the future daddy. :) But, I don't feel that our day is here yet. It'll come when it comes, and when it does, blessed be the day. *sigh*

Oh yea, and happy 75th post anniversay to me! :)

MMM...Rain....

Today, it is rainy. It's dark outside, everything is wet, and the air is clean. Sometimes, I just love a good rain. It's cleansing and refreshing and it smells so nice. Chad had PT (physical training) this morning and I will admit, I was a little jealous of him. They were forced to work out outside and he came home soaked from head to toe. That might sound silly to some, but I miss those days of going outside and playing in the rain, or being forced to do so for soccer. Being wet and muddy from head to toe...there's nothing like it. I think I'll go sit on my balcony with a blanket and some hot tea now. Enjoy your day, rain or shine! :)

The beautiful Ft. Davis Mountains before it rained.

And then AFTER it rained...Remnants of the last time I REALLY had fun in the rain & mud. We were DIRTY! :)

Husband for Chef...

I just thought I'd let everyone know that my super-duper husband is currently in the kitchen making dinner for us tonight. It's not because he's done something wrong, not because I can't cook well, but only because he's so great. He WANTS to cook for us. He ENJOYS cooking for me. And this is why (just another reason to make it more true) I love him so much. Pork chops and seasoned potatoes here I come! MMM...

Now we shall decide what the rest of tonight has in store for us!

How sad it is the flowers pass...

I'm upset to post that the beautiful bouquet my wonderful husband brought home to me last week has officially gone ka-put. The only thing I hate about having pretty, fresh flowers in the house is that they start out gorgeous, but slowly fade into a very depressing state of death. They get limp and the color fades. The water is murky and they shrivel up. It's upsetting to see the life get stripped out of them as the days past. I would appreciate anyone who could come up with a solution to this depressing process. I must now leave you to go throw away the remains of what, at one time, was more than the highlight of my day...it was a smile on my face and a light in my heart. :(

Road Trip...

Chad & I just returned from a short road trip to Columbia, South Carolina. We drove down by way of Myrtle Beach to pick up his sister, Cathy, and continued down the road until we hit USC territory. If you don't know about USC (which is the University of South Carolina when you're talking about the east coast), it's Chad's alma mater and the home of the fighting Gamecocks (which is a really funky looking, angry rooster...the ones people raise to fight each other and bet on...don't ask...:)). Where blood runs garnet and black and the mascot runs around and answers to "Cocky". And I have to do this, just for my hubby...Gooooo Cocks! :)

Anyways, back to the subject. Our primary purpose for going to Columbia, minus the chance for Chad to be back in his 'heaven' for a day and a half, was to celebrate his brother, Chris', 25th birthday. We showed up around 12:30 on Saturday, went to eat lunch at a place called Harper's, went to buy some MORE Gamecock gear (because we can never leave without something new :)), and headed to the house to chill for a bit. We eventually proceeded to dinner at a place called Wild Wings, but not the 'Buffalo' kind. The food was really good and so we headed off to the first bar location. We ended up at a place called TLC (The Loose Cockaboose) to hear a band play and to chill for a bit. Unfortunately, it rained and the concert was cancelled, but we sat inside and jammed out to the music for a while anyways. We then headed to a pub called Kelly's. No, not my place, but a cute little place to hang out and dance to music. Then, even though we were exhausted, we jumped over to the last location called Sharkey's. It was a bigger club with two levels of different music playing. At this point, we were beyond tired and feeling slightly grumpy so we got our groove on for a little while longer and headed home. It was a good night. Here is a pic of us at dinner and then having some fun at some of the other places.

And that was the end of a great weekend. Happy Birthday Brotha-Man! :)

Girlfriend Chatter...

I got to spend some time on the phone with my best friend Elya today and it was very refreshing. She is one that never stops. She is going, going, going from morning til night. She works 30 hours a week for a church in Abilene while she attends Grad school part time. She has more projects and papers and sit-in appointments than I've ever seen, and I would know, I visited her for a week last semester and it was pure chaos. Her life isn't chaotic because she does a good job of keeping everything straight and organized, but just as soon as you think you're gonna get to sit down and rest, up you go again onto the next thing.

She has many friends and a wonderful fiancee. That word in itself is enough to make all married or engaged women understand what she is going through, four months before her wedding. If she's not working or at school, she's planning. Gotta do this, gotta do that...and you gotta do them in order, UGH! Does it ever end (is what goes through a girl's mind as she plans the biggest and most important day of her life)?!

Let me release your tensions, Elya. Yes, it will end. Yes, the wedding will be magnificent. Yes, you'll look gorgeous and you'll have the time of your life. Yes, you will feel like a princess and the greatest guest of honor. Yes, you will make the strongest and most deep promise you've ever made in your life (and in public). Yes, you will cry. Yes, the cake will taste good and the guests will feel blessed by your wedding. Yes, the decorations will match the ambiance and the wedding party's dresses/tuxes. And yes, it will be all over in what feels like just a few short moments.

Most importantly, you have found the perfect ONE for you and you two are going to live happily ever after. You're just too good at everything you do to have anything otherwise. Good luck with it all and you know this bridesmaid is right by your side! I love you and I had a great time catching up with you.

My Sweet...

Ladies, prepare yourselves to be envious. My husband came home from work a couple of days ago with a beautiful bouquet of my favorite flowers...and for NO special reason except that he knows they make me happy and because he loves me so much. They caught me off-guard, but in a very good way. Not many people have ever surprised me with things so sweet in my life. Needless to say, I really appreciated the thoughtfulness. Their smell reminds me of our wedding, and what a wonderful day that was! I'm so thankful to have such a wonderful husband. I love him. So bright & cheery! MMM, and they smell so pretty.

Overload...

Well, I may currently be experiencing the beginning of an eye infection or something of the like. I don't think I've ever had a sty on my eye (excuse the rhyme) so I'm not sure what that would feel like, but I do know that my left eye-lid has a spot that's very sensitive and that occasionally itches. It's been a while since I've had my last eye infection too, so who knows what's going on?! All I know is that it's always a pain to have any kind of eye problems when you wear contacts. My glasses make my eyeballs burn. I think I need new ones. Anyways...

On top of that, I've been a rather irresponsible student when it comes to the amount of time I've taken to study our weeks-worth of information. I'm trying to play catch-up as we speak...well, actually, I'm typing my blog as we speak, but you're my break if you know what I mean. It's interesting stuff and I really want to learn it, but it's really hard for me to look beyond the distractions and get it done. Also, as soon as I start reading, my eyes tell me it's naptime. It's crazy how fast I can fall asleep after just a couple of sentences. In my favor, my instructor cancelled tomorrow's class because he has continuation training of his own today and tomorrow, so we meet back up again on Wednesday. I guess that gives me the rest of today and all of tomorrow to get all souped up to learn even more on Wednesday. Yay! Let's see how I do!

In the meantime, I must get some good studying done and get ready to go work out when Chad gets home. Yay for being productive...or trying to be anyways. Adios for now!

Cats+Kelly= No Thank You...

So, this past week I have been going over to a friend of our's house while she was out of town to check on her cat, Jose. Nothing wrong with helping a friend out...even though I really don't enjoy cats, haha. Nothing against those that do like/love cats, but I've been allergic to them since I was little and just have never created a bond with them like I have for dogs. They really aren't BAD creatures and they definitely trump iguanas and snakes as pets anyday, but a little furry thing that pretty much just lurks around the house rubbing up all over your legs and what not when you walk...call me anti-kitty or whatever, but at least you know my view on them now, I guess. They are rather fun to watch chase a string though...they'll go crazy for that little piece of entertainment. Cheapest pet toy out there! I can guarantee you that! :)

I did my duties well though. I filled the food bowls, the water container and even cleaned out the kitty litter...for the first time in my life, haha. The only slight problem was that I never saw Jose. I went around the house "kitty-kittying" and...nothing. He's no where to be found. Kelly starts to get a little nervous. I then realize that there is a kitty door not only into the garage, but OUT of the garage into the 'prowl-world' as a kitty would probably refer to it. So, WHEW!, I'm saved. Then I talk to her later that day only to find out that she didn't want him to be able to go outside because he's only been with her for a week. She had placed the huge trash can (which was empty, mind you) in front of the 'prowl-world' kitty door before she left. Man, that kitty must be a strong one, because it was definitely turned on it's side when I got there. Talk about determination! Maybe he has a secret kitty-cat of his own, if you know what I mean ;) Anyways, long story short, I have been relieved of my kitty duties because she has returned (not because I lost the cat).

I just hope Jose can find his way back home after such a long and strenuous week out on the town. Come home Jose!

My True Love(s)...

Oh, the things I can't live without...
-Chocolate Chip cookies.
-Homemade Oatmeal cookie dough...yes, I said the dough :).
-Husband hugs.
-Soft blankeys.
-Sunshine & the occasional refreshing rainstorm.
-Chicken...the kind you eat.
-Music...it's on ALL of the time and makes life worth dancing to.
-Julio's chips & salsa...I'm going through TX chip and salsa withdrawal if you can't tell.
-Cinnamon rolls on a Sunday morning. (heck, really ANY morning ;))
-French toast with extreme powdered sugar....MMMMM!
-Goofy & gaudy travel picture frames.
-My digital camera to capture the greatest moments in our lives.
-Our wonderful set of professional Wusthof kitchen knives.
-Buttercream flavored Yankee candles.
-Guitar Hero...just call me master of the medium setting...I don't wanna brag, but I'm moving onto bigger things, like 'Hard'. haha.
-Birthdays & the splendid parties we throw.
-Shopping...when I have money to spend of course!
-Candy. Nuf' said.
-Pillows, pillows, pillows when I sleep. Chad can't usually find me for my pillow fortress, haha.
-Hot bubble baths accompanied with my Mood Aromatherapy candles from Victoria's Secret. I love them!
-Cute purses.
-The occasional spontaneous trip out of town.
-Dr. Pepper and/or Coca-Cola in a frosted mug....Yum.
-Kissing & cuddling with my hubby. Yum again.

*Notice, most of them are food/drink related, haha. Good luck to me on that workout plan! :-P

Bad Habits...

Here are just a couple of things I realized Chad & I do on a daily basis (some irrelevant, but funny) that should probably be limited and maybe removed, if necessary, from our daily lifestyle:

*Drink a Coca-Cola each every day. No, NOT diet, just regular, very caffein-y, bad for your teeth, sugary Coke. Anti-diet move right there. It takes about a mile and a half of running on a treadmill to burn off the 140 calories plus sugars conveniently provided to us in one 12 oz. can. It needs to be replaced by something healthy, I know...but what?! We like the bubbles :).
*Excessive TV time. We sit and watch all of our shows every night. That's like 17 hours in front of the TV Monday through Sunday. I'm not implying I want to stop watching any of our shows, but maybe use our time more wisely. I'll take this second to go ahead and say thank you God for the blessing of the DVR. Life made easier. (oh wait, maybe that's our problem....hmmm...nah! :))
*Ever seen Along Came Polly when Jennifer Aniston breaks Ben Stiller of his 'decorative pillow on the bed' habit that his first woman made him do? Well, Chad & I also have about six pillows on top of the three we use on a nightly basis on top of our bed when it's made. It's pretty, yes, but it seems especially silly to make it up everyday. We take the time to assemble the pillow tower only to have to take it back down 15 hours later when we crawl in bed. Mind you, Chad & I are 99% of the time by ourselves, meaning we are the only ones that enjoy seeing the pillows perfectly placed everyday. Maybe one day we'll get the knife to the pillows like they do and just let the feathers fly!
*We drink hot tea likes we were England-bred. We love it and consume at least one mug a day, sometimes two. Also bad for your teeth, but good for the soul ;). Barry's Tea Gold Blend from Ireland is the best hot tea on the planet. Not found in stores, but Yummmm.
*Every dinner is eaten on our lovely TV trays that we just couldn't do without. I'm telling ya, that TV is always on! And we're gonna get fat for it! :)
*Workouts are becoming more regular and intense, but I'm not seeing all that many results yet...at least we're making the effort though, right?! (had to praise us for something!)

On another note, the first day of class was great today. Talk about an information overload, but it was really good. My instructor is captivating, and 8 hours went by surprisingly fast. It's going to be a lot of work, but a fun challenge. Yay for that! Onto tomorrow!

Work it Out!

I just got back from the gym...and I went by MYSELF!! You might not think so, but that's a feat for me! Chad & I usually go together and push each other to do stuff better and for more weight, etc. But I actually got my chubby butt up and got through a really good workout that has left my body feeling much like spaghetti. It's kind of a good feeling to have though, oddly enough. Makes me feel like I will see results...at least that's what I hope anyway.

Tonight I have a little tv to watch then comes a really hot and long bath to relax the muscles and body. I have to get in bed at a decent time tonight because I start school in the morning. I'm kind of anxious. It's like the first day of college when you want to get to class extra early so you get to pick your seat and then you get to watch everyone else walk in. Scopin' out the other subjects interested in real estate. It's nice being early so you don't end up being the one that everyone stares at that walks in right before class starts. Well, I must make me some dinner and off I go! I'll catch you up on my first day tomorrow!!

On a Sunday...

Yesterday turned out to be not as boring as it could have. I got a call from our friend Felicia wanting me to come over and hang out last night. We took some time to stuff her wedding invitations and that was fun. That's definitely not a job you want to take on by yourself. Talk about tedious. Proper etiquette is so overrated, haha. They were pretty though.

We then ate some pizza, bread & cheese, and drank a little wine while we watched a couple of movies. One being Becoming Jane with Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy. It was a good, old-timey love story about how Jane Austen came into being such a great novelist. Then we ruined the lovey-dovey mood by watching The Brave One with Jodie Foster. She was a bad-booty in that movie. I've never seen so much killing by a little blond woman. Kinda crazy, but a pretty good movie if you're into the intense ones!

Today, I've been watching the end of the America's Next Top Model marathon and it's finally over. I don't know why I like that show so much, but I do. I just envy them for the cool places they get to stay and visit. London, China, Japan, etc. One day I'll get my chance. For right now, I'm gonna get out of the house for a while and maybe work out later. Adios!

Time Alone...What to do?

Chad left a little earlier to drive to Missouri for another training class, so I'm left here alone to do...whatever I want. Problem is, I don't know what that is. I think I'll go get a movie, maybe go shopping for some work clothes, possibly dive into the America's Next Top Model marathon on MTV...something like that.

My first time alone for multiple days in our house in NC. Pretty crazy! The whole bed to myself (not as good as it sounds) & no one to cuddle with during the movies (dang). He'll be back soon though.

I have a whole day ahead of me, so I guess I'll go try and do something interesting...see ya on the flip side! :)

Career Path...

Well, I am pleased and excited to announce that I just finished enrolling into Real Estate school, here in Fayetteville. I have chosen to get my broker's license (which is the same thing as a sales license, just a different term) here in North Carolina.

I never thought I would actually say something like what I'm about to say, but here it goes. I am actually very excited to get back into a schooling routine again. I have really missed the challenges that the classroom can present and also having something to judge my accomplishments (like tests). Although being a housewife is great for my lazy side, I really do like to feel like I accomplish things throughout the day, and until I have children, I think that cleaning the house and keeping it maintained gives me little of such feelings.

It's a five week course, going Tuesday & Wednesday from 9:00-5:00. Those sound like they're going to be some long days, but hopefully it is at least interesting! The adventure starts Tuesday, April 8th so wish me luck! :)

Let's Play Catch-up...

Well, the reason I've been slacking on the postings is for a couple of reasons. #1 is because Chad & I spent last Friday through this past Friday en route and actually in Arkansas and #2 because for the little time we have been home recently, I haven't had the time to actually sit down and get one done. Sorry it's been a while but allow me to take you on our journey halfway across the U.S. We found ourselves in Arkansas because Chad had simulator training there for three days so we were lucky enough to get to spend some good, quality time with our friends Dom & Shannon. We had an awesome time cooking dinner together, baking apple pies for Easter, and playing spades while drinking wine, almost every night. Dom's family was sweet enough to allow us to eat with them on Easter Sunday after the church service. It was great. We even got to hide eggs for his little nephews. Fun stuff!

We made several great dishes while we were there. It started with Teriyaki Burgers the first night (mucho flavor!), Stuffed Shells (an Italian delicacy), & then finally, we grilled out & cooked steak & potatoes (classicly yummy dish). It was some scrumptious stuff! Here's a pic of us taking a break from our hard labor in Dom's kitchen.

I found a new favorite sparkling white wine called Marco Negri thanks to Dom & Shannon. It's an Italian wine which is where most of the wines I end up enjoying are from. Two bottles I think were drank strictly by me while we were there. Good stuff, you should check it out if you're interested in finding a new, very smooth, sweet & sparkly wine. It's a little pricey, sitting at about $18.99 a bottle, but it's worth every drop :)! I also developed a new liking for Camembert soft cheese. We ate some with bread at every meal. Yea, we don't mess around! MMMM to carbs!

We were sad to have to leave. But on our way home, we made a stop in Asheville, NC, known mostly for it's small town charm, beautiful landscapes, and the largest American Estate known to man, The Biltmore Estate. It's only about 4 1/2 hours of a drive from Fayetteville to Asheville, making it a slightly long, but doable trip for the weekends, if so desired. We decided to buy a year long pass so we have unlimited access and even some discount privileges when it comes to staying at their Inn, visiting the winery, doing outdoor activities, and bringing guests. We figured it was a good investment because there is always something to do there and it's supposedly one of the prettiest places to be during the Christmas season, so I'm excited to check that out!

Chad & I decided to enjoy some hot tea, cappuccino, & a chocolate-almond torte to satisfy our sweet craving in the little bistro cafe they have there. It was delicious & just hit the spot!

We then were about to walk through the gardens when we saw a pretty tree to take a picture by, so we asked a gentleman nearby to help us out and take our picture. Thank you for your services nice man. :)

We then finally made it back down to the gardens and took a couple of pictures of flowers we thought had a capturing quality. They were beautiful.

This was our favorite tree in the whole place. It was a Sleeping Higan Cherry tree and it was so pretty blowing its pink little flowers in the wind. We hope to have one at one of our houses in the future. We just have to stay in one place long enough to watch it grow big and enjoy it.

This was also one of my favorite flower trees. The picture turned out even better than I thought it would.

Anyways, enough about plant-life. We spent the day real laid back and in enjoyment mode. We saw some parts of the estate we'd never seen before & it was great. We look forward to planning a weekend to go and stay actually on the estate grounds. It'll be great.

We caught lunch at one of Chad's favorite pizza joints, the Mellow Mushroom. It's a really hippy-fied atmosphere with great pizza. Chad got his personal pan pizza and I got a calzone large enough to feed three people. It was really good and we got to sit outside and enjoy the outdoors for a little while. We took a picture and tried to get the sign in the background, but I don't think that worked out too well. Here it is anyway...

So, to sum things up, we had a great time in Arkansas & on our trek to and from. We were very sad that the time we actually get to make a good trip practically for free through the government's orders, we didn't even get to spend a second of it with the Webbs. I guess that's what you would call just really bad timing! Maybe we'll get lucky again sometime soon. Thanks for coming on our journey with me...