Merry, Merry Christmastime

      

Merry Christmas!

Since school wound down for the semester, we have been prepping for our First Christmas as Mr & Mrs. Here's what we've been up to...

We put up our tree, figured out how to work the fireplace, and planned a Christmas party with our other newlywed friends (the longest married couple was only a year and a half, and the freshest was two and a half months).

We mingled, had dinner....then faced off on couple-teams for a Gingerbread house decorating showdown. Far from the usual "candy cottages" our Gingerbread houses were things like The Titanic, a Time Machine, an airplane, etc. (we chose subjects out of a hat to which we had each contributed ideas). Unfortunately for the rest of us, one of the couples happened to both hold degrees in fine art....they won with a very convincing airplane, while the rest of us struggled to hold our respective structures together with the icing-glue.

The picture does not even begin to do it justice. 

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, we also brought order to the study:

This is where I am now blogging. It used to be a horrid blue color (our first painting attempt) but we fixed it with a neutral tone. Added armchairs, stained the end-table, built and stained the large bookcase.... It is becoming a functional study room.

The lighting is a bit off in these photos-- they were taken in the evening, just after we finished putting the room together.

Of course, there was shopping and decorating to do...

    We went to the outlet mall- craziness there so many people. Dang last minute shoppers... (like us!)

But we scored a gift for his sister, and his mom, and I snapped this handsome photo while he was distracted. He is so cute. He also discourages me from constantly taking his photo, but with that face it is hard not to.

To my everlasting delight, we took a break at Starbucks, which, despite their overpriced drinks, is one of my favorite hang-outs. He doesn't much care for coffee shops, but settled for a large hot chocolate. Brace yourself for this: he would not share, not even a sip. I had to content myself with my own Skinny Latte. Which was not nearly as delicious, undoubtedly due to significantly less sugar. It was a nice break from the business, but did not last long.

*Friends, this man spoils me.*

After Starbucks, he took me to the pet shop where we played with this cutie:

Look at those eyes! A fluffy husky 

she was and I was in love. 

No, we did not buy her (I don't approve of pet store puppies anyway), but it was fun to play with her and what is more Christmasy then a husky puppy? Nothing, that's what. 

     Last Friday, I went to see a performance of the Nutcracker Ballet with a girl friend. It was a charming experience and I gave in to the pressure to buy a little nutcracker for our Christmas tree.

Christmas party at his work. We didn't
 notice the photo was fuzzy until we got home.
Oh well, it's a holiday memory nonetheless. 

I will conclude now and, in the spirit of the season wish 

Peace on earth, good will towards men, and may God bless us, every one.

And if you have not, you simply must read 

Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol

September/October Happenings

Hi everyone. I miss blogging, I really do.
 I am counting down until summer when I will get my degree and be done with school! (for the time being at least). I have a growing list of plans, such as "Start a Bible Study for the Middle School Girls in my Church" and "Get Back into Blogging" and "Develop a Workout Routine". I love learning, but sometimes I just want to live a little. In fact, I should be writing a paper right now, but I couldn't bring myself to it-- I've been trying all afternoon... I'll start the MOMENT I finish this post....probably.
Here's a quick update of my life over the past month or so:

1. AKC DOG SHOW. We went to a dog show, just for kicks. Here is a sneaky snapshot of the Shiba Inus (still the hubby's favorite): 
They were cute, for sure, but naughty little buggers, the whole lot. I preferred the Shelties one ring over.

2. PUMPKIN SPICE COOKIES. I think I made them up. I made these delicious Pumpkin Spice sugar cookies last night for my Sunday school kiddos. Improvised and, dare I say, improved on the classic Sugar Cookie recipe. I made two dozen and, needless to say, it hardly satisfied them. Also, you can see in the photo on the right my lovely, red tea kettle that my Lt bought me "just 'cause"-- so now I can make proper tea (Peppermint brewing as we speak). It whistles. :)

He hid beside the dryer for like a week before he
came to the conclusion that we would not, in fact, eat him.

3. WE GOT A CAT. Ever since we made the very grown-up decision to wait on getting a dog until we are home more, I have been on the prowl (pun intended) for a pet that would be happy in our apartment until we got home each day. We went to the shelter "just to look" (yeah. right.) and found this 6 1/2 year old Maine Coon mix. For those of you who are more dog people (like me) a Maine Coon is a big furry cat. We now own one. Or at least I think we do-- he doesn't like the whole "being a pet" thing very much; in fact, he was quite bitter about the dragon wings I put on him yesterday. I can't imagine why.

He slunk around until I took them off. Little did he know his slinking made for
a perfect Dragon Walk.   He does not like staying still for photos. I'll work on it.

Wait, wait. I know, you're dying to know his name. I'm an English Literature fan. My husband is a history buff. We both like classical music.... 

so the cat is Beowulf Wolfgang.

We call him Wolf. He thinks we're racist against felines. 

I think we are too. 

Alrighty folks, that's enough procrastination. Time to work on my paper. 

Goodnight bloggers, until next time.

Bake Sale Plans!

There is talk of a bake sale at the office next week to raise money for a Heart Disease charity walk that is taking place in a few weeks. I am scheming and scouring Pinterest for treats that would sell like mad yet be easy to make and easy to take to work (and minimal mess).

Here are some ideas:

• Petite Pumpkin Spice Donuts
• Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes
• Peppermint Oreo Pops
• Nutella Stuffed Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Apple Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
• Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

 I don't know which I shall choose, but I noticed a theme in my picks: Autumn! Pumpkins, cinnamon, apple spice, oh my! I am so excited for fall. The First Day of Autumn- and a Pumpkin Spice Latte!- is coming up next week!

I'll post pictures of whatever I choose.

                                       ~Rebecca

It's a Wonderful Life

Well, hello, old buddy.

       I'm taking a study-break tonight for some coffee, dark chocolate, and a little blogging. Being Labor Day, I did not have work or class today, which was such a blessing! I slept in and my hubby made walnut/raisin oatmeal for breakfast (he's on a health kick-- which I fully support [I say as I eat chocolate]), then I went shopping for most of the afternoon. Hobby Lobby had their fall decorations on sale. My darling spouse isn't a fan of cutesy decorations, but I couldn't resist so I compromised and only bought a little sign that says "Happy Harvest".

Despite the beginning of what promises to be a busy semester, I have a couple of DIY projects up my sleeve. The first is the makeover of our bland study. We painted it blue this weekend (though the shade didn't turn out quite as dark as we had hoped) and bought a desk. Next we are going to stain the bookshelf we (cough.cough.myhusband.cough.cough) built earlier this summer. Piece by piece, that room is coming together! We are both excited.

Next on the list is pillows! I picked up my sewing machine today (a birthday present from my mother) and some dark red suede to match the living room. I had intended to make pillows for the chairs in the study, but the red matches the lamps in my living room so well. :)

Readers, my life is so blessed. Three weeks in and I still love y new job, two weeks into school and it's not so bad, and my husband, my gosh, I love that man. In celebration of my first paycheck, a new friend and I went and got pedicures. Twas my first time and it was oh-so-nice! 

Life is good, so good. 

And. And it is almost Autumn! I had to share this from a friend's blog:

(Note: Jack is her dog. Replace that one with "read a book at the park")

In the next few months, I plan to do all this and more. 

                                     Life is grand, don't you agree?

Savoring Summer

Only a few days left of freedom; school starts Wednesday. I am excited, but nervous- I always am at the beginning of a school year.
Still no progress on the puppy plans, but another breed to consider when the time comes: the Shiba Inu.
Here are some pictures, enjoy :)

They are a small Spitz type. I like it.

Look at that grumpy little face.

My husband loves this breed, which is a plus. It isn't the fluffy type that I like (think Cavapoo etc), but it is a cutie, and quite portable.
We'll see. I'm a little worried that a puppy would be miserable home alone. Of course, I'd come home at lunch and it would get lots of attention during the mornings and evenings, but I think it would be lonely as a baby home alone. Anyway, we still have some time to decide.
Well, looks like my DIY projects are going to be quite limited for awhile, which probably means blog posts will slow down- I don't want to bore anyone with mundane matters. ;)
Here's to the last few days of summer and a productive semester after that!

Weekly Report

Well, it's Thursday. My new job started on Monday and- phew!- I have a lot to learn! I have some very sweet coworkers though and another "new girl" who started Monday happens to be a military wife who lives in my neighborhood! We carpooled to work today. ;)
The semester kicks off next Wednesday. I am super nervous. Can I handle four classes and a full time job? We'll see I guess.
Today my husband's unit had a bake sale. I made 2 dozen cupcakes and- errghh!- forgot to take pictures. The recipe was from Taste of Home and these Cream-filled Cupcakes were a hit! I actually made 48, but only filled and iced 28 (my husband ate four). I also added chocolate shavings to the top of mine- used a Hershey's "Cookies & Cream" chocolate bar. Delicious.
Tonight I made a yummy, buttery chicken dinner and afterwards realized how incredibly unhealthy I have been cooking. So, yeah, diet restarts tomorrow. Bad timing for a diet though: my birthday is this week. Yay for birthdays: Oh No! for cake and sweets. I think I will forgo our American traditional birthday for a healthier Angel Food Cake and Strawberries dessert. Again, we'll see.
Still want a dog. Still no dog.
No real crafting to report, but am planning on buying a sewing machine soon. The only trouble is, I don't know if I will have time to use it this semester!
Good news: I bought a fantastic skirt for work--> it.has. POCKETS.
Time to go: my cookies are burning. And, no, they are not for me. There is a potluck at work tomorrow.... Maybe I should start my diet next week.
Uhgh! Pray for strength!

Love,
 A Happy, Busy, Unhealthy Military Wife

At this time I would like to note that "wife" was accidentally typed "wide" but lately that feels appropriate.

Oh, p.s. my mouth is healed! No wisdom teeth troubles ever again!

And so, for one 1/2 hour, I don't feel guilty for not working out...

Inspired, I did some sit-ups and "plank pose" then walked to the nearby gym: completed 7.7 miles on a bike in 30 minutes. I have no idea where that falls on the good/bad scale, but apparently I burned 200 calories, plus it got my heartrate up for an extended period. Then I walked the neighborhood (15 minutes) I'm gonna say it: winning. ;)
(Say the following outloud in a movie announcer voice. Because we're cool)
This shall be the beginning of a new era of fitness!

Motivation?

How stupid is it that I wear workout clothes and look up fitness plans on Pinterest without actually getting down and dirty to workout?? I am a horrible self-motivator! I don't challenge myself nearly enough- or at all. I need to DO HARD THINGS, get SWEATY at the gym, make like a Nike and just do it!!

Yes, I am wearing workout clothes. No, I have not worked out today. Yes, I was just on Pinterest.

...But I did finish the laundry. So that's a win.
Okay, play time is over. Now I need to

"Work Like A Beast To Look Like A Beauty"!!

...Yes that phrase is from Pinterest.

Also, this may be somewhat provoked by the fact that I found out today that the majority of 2012 Olympic gymnasts are 4-6 years younger than me. Depression right there.

Alrighty, I'm going to go workout until I can't move. I've heard it takes 4 weeks to see results; that means the week after labor day. Let's do this thing!!

Hoy Es Miércoles

Nothing much to report. Today has been a particular "housewife-y" day. I got excited when I finished all the laundry (washed and dried, but not yet folded, mind you), and finally have a clean, empty sink. I also brought lunch to the husband at work and visited with him for a little while. And I bought milk and plastic sandwich bags. And I studied a whole lot of Spanish (hence the title). Fun day, huh? Yup, I am definitely turning into a housewife.

But then we ordered pizza for dinner and the clean laundry is piled on the couch waiting to be folded.  Wife Fail.

However, starting Monday I will be (for the first time) a 40 hour/week employee and, ten days later, also a full time student. Pizza dinners and laundry on the couch are about to get very common around here.
Now when am I supposed to find time to work out and cook healthy foods? Help me.

08-09-12 Edit: For those wondering, I had leftover pizza for breakfast this morning and the laundry is still waiting for me on the couch. I am regressing as a productive house-maker.

Summer Smoothie- You're Welcome

Day Four of mostly liquids and I have quickly tired of my usual fare of applesauce, yogurt, chocolate milk, and healthy banana smoothies. It's lunchtime and desperation drove me to do something I rarely do successfully: experiment. The result of this experiment was a sweet, pink smoothie; if you would like one, you will need the following ingredients (along with a blender).

• 1/2 frozen banana
• 2 cups of ice
• 5 large strawberries
• 1 cup of milk (I made a cup using one cup milk and 1/3 cup dry milk powder- I ran out of milk last night and haven't been to the store yet. I'm lazy, I know.)
• 1 container of Yoplait low fat, vanilla yogurt
• 1- 2 tsp of vanilla extract (obviously you will use one teaspoon for a lighter vanilla flavor or two teaspoons for a stronger vanilla flavor)

1. Put everything into the blender. 






2. Blend until smooth. 

See, I told you it was easy. 

NOTE: For my smoothie, I added the vanilla extract afterwards and simply stirred it in with a spoon. I don't know if this affected the flavor or not, but mine was a yummy experiment, so I'm sure yours will be delicious however you decide to blend it.

Also, I am sorry for the lack of "In Progress" photos. I was not confident that the result would be photo/blog worthy, so I only have the finished product. Although I do not think it is that difficult to imagine a blender and all the ingredients going into the blender whole and coming out as a delicious Vanilla Strawberry Banana Smoothie.

If it is a nice day (as it is here) you have my permission to enjoy your smoothie outside. I cleaned up my mess (oh wait, no I didn't, but I will in a minute) and took my laptop and smoothie out on the porch. My husband keeps the house ridiculously cold- I'm convinced he's part polar bear- so I am literally out here to warm up. But now that you've reminded me of my smoothie mess (gee thanks...though the mess isn't a bad one) I'm off to clean up the kitchen (and maybe get seconds of this smoothie). 

Oh yeah, for you curious souls, this recipe makes about 3-4 cups. I can't give you an accurate measurement because I "tasted" it before I saw how much smoothie I had made and the "taste" turned into a very large drink. 

This was me: *cautious sip* (surprised) "Mm!" *larger sip* (still surprised) "Mmm!!" *no lying gulp* "mm, mm, mm!!" *Pours glass* Thinks "I should share this very rare success with the Internet!" 

So I did. You're welcome. ;)

Sleep Shenanigans

My sleep schedule is going to be so screwed up after this weekend. I haven't gone to bed (in the sense that I have climbed into bed and turned out the light) since Thursday night, but I have gotten more sleep (on the couch) than, well, any weekend I can remember. Today, for example: my mouth was hurting (the healing process from having your wisdom teeth out is apparently a painful one) so I took some extra strength Tylenol and cuddled with an ice pack as soon as I got home from church/lunch- about 3pm. I slept for about four hours, until my sweet husband woke me up in passing with a gentle forehead kiss. I got up, took more pills, and went back to the couch. I didn't wake up until 11:30 pm. Even then, it was only for an hour to watch the "Curiosity" land on Mars (!!!). My husband joined me on the couch after we finished watching the NASA landing and we both took a 45 minute nap. Poor guy; that was probably the only sleep he's getting tonight (he's up working on a paper). Then I slept for another stretch.
See what I mean? CRAZY amounts of sleep. So I'm up at- what is it now- 4:13 am. I'm tired, because me body is freaking out that it is four am, but I know I have had enough sleep. Boy, wisdom teeth are a bummer. I think I'll grab my ice pack and hit the couch for awhile. Or maybe read. Probably to sleep, but we'll see.

Summer is ending; I don't have the luxury of sleep shenanigans anymore!

No More Wisdom

Well, it is finished. I had my wisdom teeth (all three of them) taken out this morning. After the surgery, I didn't- as I expected- have a crazy drunk-like experience. I just woke up, and was like "Ok, yeah, that was fast." Only nasty bit is my mouth is un-numbing (the worst part) and the pain is setting in. My husband is being a dear and very attentive, but there is really nothing he can do to stop the bleeding or the pain. Gross part is, I'm not allowed to spit (nor could I with my mouth being so numb) so I have to let the blood kinda drain out. I look like a vampire.
Fun stuff.
But, at least the surgery itself is over and I survived with minimal embarrassment. My hubby bought me a protein smoothie (NO STRAW!!) on the way home so I won't starve. We are also stocked up on yogurt, applesauce, and smoothie ingredients for our blender. It will be an interesting weekend. I'm so glad it's Friday and I am so thankful for a husband who will take the day off to hold me all afternoon...even though I now sometime drool.

That Darn Achilles

Seven weeks before my wedding, my then-fiance and I signed up to run a 10K that was the weekend prior to our wedding (I know, crazy us). For him, this was no big deal; as a military guy running is nearly second nature to him. For me, a city girl, this was HUGE. I couldn't even run one mile- let alone the 6+ that are in a 10K. But I figured I would be motivated so, what the heck. Two weeks later I was running 2 miles every morning and most evenings for a total of 4 miles a day. I was pretty happy. I even splurged on some fancy/functional running shoes (Asics). Then I went home for spring break, which meant no more gym, which meant no more treadmill...which meant running outside. I thought it was no big deal, but after only one run I was in so much pain I had to call a podiatrist (foot and ankle doctor). My appointment the following day came with some bad news: I had (have) Achilles Tendonitis and the very early stages of heel spurs. Basically, the tendons in my heel are only in the 75 percentile-- too short. Normally, I wouldn't have noticed a difference, but running strained them to pain. The developing heel spurs were a result of the unnatural distribution of weight on my feet and ankles when I run with not-completely-functional tendons.

Long story short, I am forbidden to run for one year (seven months left now) and I also can't wear high heels. I have to daily stretch my calves and ankles, and wear custom insoles in my shoes. Lots of hassle, no fun... and no 10K. (Secretly, friends, I was a tad relieved at not having to run it, but totally bummed about the rest of the prognosis).

Why am I telling this story?

Well, I was looking rather dismayed at my lack-of-abs tonight and, after a talk with my workout savvy husband, realized I needed cardio along with the ab workouts. Cardio, aka running. Well, we know that's out, so what's left? Yeah, I don't know either. Swimming? Bicycling? We'll see. Ideally, I'll lose ten pounds this month. Hey, it is August first, why not have a month goal?

Also, I saw some New Balance running shoes that I now want.

My Favorite Bit of Yesterday

Heads up, this first one doesn't really count as a DIY project. I did "Do It [My]self" but it was more of a follow-the-pictures-and-put-it-together project. I am still proud of myself though. ;)

Yesterday I snagged this bookshelf from Big Lots for only $19! I was pretty thrilled. Of course, when I opened the box, it looked like this:

I sent this photo to the hubs at work. The text just said "Help."
He called me a pansy, so of course I had to prove him wrong by
building the thing.

About an hour later (sorry, no in-progress photos- I was focused!), I had a bookshelf! It is certainly not the sturdiest thing (come on, what do you expect from Big Lots), but it works perfectly for what I bought it for: holding movies, Xbox games, and so living room paraphernalia:

When my husband got home, he reinforced the 

shelves so now it is much better :)

Other than the bookshelf, I did some other- more legitimate- DIY crafts: I hung some cork tiles in what I affectionately call the "Hobby Closet" (it is a desk in a double doored closet type thing-- pictures later), repainted a pegged mini-coat rack, and built a craft shelf out of some leftover wood and plant hanger/hooks. Pretty successful day as far as crafting is concerned.

Today I need to get some brackets to hang the shelf, and finally purchase a glue gun- I really need one. The project of the day is these fabric covered storage boxes from a blog I discovered yesterday called "Make It, Love It". A happy little coincidence since I was out yesterday looking to buy such boxes and couldn't find any I liked. These homemade ones will be perfect! Can you guess what I'll be using for the inner cardboard? Yup, the box the bookshelf came in! ;)

...Confession: I lied. I was claiming the success of my first putting-together-a-bookshelf was my favorite part of the day, but it wasn't. 

Favorite part of the day (for real) : Around midnight, my husband found me asleep on the couch and, rather than waking me up, just scooped me up and tucked me in bed. *Sighs* So sweet. (How do I know he did this if I was asleep? Well, first, duh, I woke up in my own bed rather than on the couch. Secondly, I am a pretty light sleeper and I felt him picking me up, but I decide to just lay my head on his chest and let him carry me. Can you blame me?). I love married life.

My Husband

I just wrote a rather bragging post about my amazing husband, but I decided- since he is, after all, part of the reason I am blogging anyway- he should get a page rather than just a post. See it up there on the top bar? It says "My Mr. Lt"? Yeah, that's new. Check it out and try not to fall in love. Man, I was so against having a relationship before I graduated college and, look at me, married at 20. Sheesh. What can I say... I was swept off my feet by my very own Prince Charming. ;)

Friday Night- Aunt Becca Style

"Aunt Bucca" (Ben's best pronunciation of "Becca") is babysitting tonight! Not the most glamorous Friday night, but definitely a busy one. I brought only a Spanish book so I would study once the boys went to sleep...so of course I'm blogging from my phone. Evie, who is now two months old, had juuuust fallen asleep (and I to blog, with her sleeping in my lap) when James yelled "Aunt Becca, I'm thirsty!" He's not thirsty, for the record, and I am pretty convinced he planned it so that he would wake her up. Because he did. This blog post is going to be sorrowfully cut short, I have a wailing baby to attend to. Luckily, she's a rental and I- unlike her parents who are enjoying a brief respite at the movies- will get to sleep later tonight.

Later...
As you can tell from the photo, those kids did a number on me... It is scary thinking this could be me with  my own kid in a couple of years (like ten). Anyway, Evie eventually fell back to sleep (with her mouth hanging wiiide open. haha) and I quit Spanish- which I managed to study for approximately five minutes- to watch the Olympic opening ceremonies. From then on, it was smooth sailing. All the kids stayed asleep and Evie and I cuddled. The London 2012 Olympic's had a great start- though the American announcers were a tad ethnocentric.

Good night overall. :)

"I Can Do That!"

Humans crave creativity.

DIY projects are exploding in popularity, as is healthy cooking. Of course, this means blogs combining the two have popped up all over the internet. However, not all blogs are created equal. There seems to be some factors that directly correlate to a blog's success. In a nutshell, here it is:

Ingredients For A Good Blog:

1. Good, clear, bright photos (especially if they go with some sort of directions)
2. Something fun to do or make (example: wall art or a delicious meal)-- NOTE: Especially popular are easy things. What can I say, humans are lazy.
3. Good writing. Okay, this one seems obvious, but a good, engaging writer with a vivid writing style will do wonders for a blog's popularity.
4. Cute animals and/or children. What? We're all suckers for 'em and you know it.

There are other things of course (such as layout and minimal ads- we all hate scrolling through ads trying to find the real blog), but the above four seem to be at the heart of every good blog. As my husband told me the other day "You gotta have something to talk about." It's true. Nobody wants to read a random blog in which I do nothing interesting and do not relate to you in any way. We crave relationships. We want to relate to something. I talked about this earlier in my post about human heartstrings and what evokes emotion. The same idea goes for passion and popularity. We want to want what the writer has- crafts, projects, home improvement, yummy food- and anything that says "Hey, look at this wonderful _______! You want it? Here's how to get it/make it!" will naturally get attention. We like wanting things- we like it more when those things seem attainable, and DIY crafts and meals are exactly that: something you see, like, and can then make and have. Good blogs are a way to encourage you to CREATE SOMETHING. And, let's face it, we all need that.

Blogging has, in many ways, improved me: I have started cooking (and they are good meals!) and my apartment is looking lovelier every day with new DIY artwork and improvements, inspired by the blogs I follow. 

I love sharing in the creativity of people all over the country through their blogs (look at my favorites on the left-hand side of this post and you'll see what I'm talking about). Their blogs have inspired me and continue to develop my own creativity and skill as a crafter, DIY-er, baker, and cook. At the very core of every good blog lies one crucial element: Inspiration. We all want to be inspired; we all want to feel capable. Blogs that inspire us with good, clear ideas and pictures to follow, garner admiration and, therefore, popularity.

Humans crave creativity. Blogs that inspire creativity win our hearts. And that, my dear Watson, is simply elementary.

The Secret of Our Heartstrings

What pulls on our heartstrings? In light of the recent Aurora, CO shooting, I have been thinking a lot about what makes human emotions tick. What I am about to say may sound like a "duh" concept, but how many of us have stopped to think about, really, what is our general method of judging who- or what- gets remembered and labeled "tragic"? Dozens of people die daily of old age & disease and it's sad but okay, but when 14 die from a shooting, the whole world reacts. Why? Because we can relate. We don't understand, for the most part, what it is like to be old or diseased and dying, sure we sympathize, but it is with pity that we glance upon those stories-- and move on. The Aurora Shooting was different, why? Because we all go to the movies. It could have been us. My husband and I saw that movie for our Friday afternoon date. As I sat in the theater, I glanced nervously at the Emergency Exit door, glowing ominously from the corner. "It could have been here."  I thought. I realized then that our ability to relate to something or someone directly affects how- and how deeply- we respond. For things like the horrible Aurora Shooting, relating to the victims has fueled our hatred against the shooter, and our media coverage of the event. When we heard about the men in that theater who threw themselves on top of their female friends and ultimately sacrificed their lives for women, how many of you saw yourself in that theater and saw your dad, husband, boyfriend, or brother push you to the floor and shield you from death with his own body? I saw a victim interviewed on the news yesterday. Her boyfriend, a Marine, gave his life to keep her safe. I couldn't help the tears as I watched her 7 minute long interview. Yes, I was sad for the poor girl and her heroic man, but I cried because I know, had that been me in that theater, my husband would have been covering me in a moment, and I would be the girl on the news. The starving in Africa invoke momentary sympathy, but these 14 victims, and especially their lunatic killer, will be remembered. Why?

Because it could have been us.

The Semester Storm Approacheth

Boy! What a crazy flip-flopping couple of days it has been! Thankfully though, I finally have my degree plan sorted out and classes for this Fall. This semester I will be taking only twelve hours (four classes) BUT I will also be working full time and all four are hard classes...especially Spanish. This will be Spanish 3. I still don't know any Spanish. By some miracle, I made an "A" in Spanish last Spring- I think it was because I baked the teacher and her assistant pinata cookies for Cinco de Mayo. It is not sucking up. It isn't. Anyway, I'm going to be quite busy this coming semester. I hope to continue blogging, but, we'll see, this project may be put on hold for awhile-- like all the DIY crafts that are waiting for me on Pinterest.
I think I will go read my dogeared copy of Spanish For Dummies (best $5 I ever spent on Amazon).

Also, prayer appreciated, I have a dentist appointment on Thursday for ex-rays. My wisdom teeth are coming out! Wooo baby! (*terrified*)

News! 2

Okay, people, I'm back.
So I think I need a new laptop. Mine is about 3 years old and is acting really strange lately. I need to backup all my files, just in case.
Other news though, first off, I am a failure. I tried to make one of those "melted crayon/umbrella silhouette" pictures. Major Fail: my crayons wouldn't melt and kept breaking. I used generic crayons though, and I think that might be the problem. I may try again this afternoon with some good ol' fashion Crayolas. Pictures to follow.
Best news of the weekend: I GOT A JOB! (**happy dance**) Good hours, good pay, for a company with opportunity for upwards mobility. I am excited. (I also fell in love with a bunny at the pet store. She is so precious. This dog savings plan is taking longer than I thought it would and I grow impatient. My little sister in Dallas wants a rabbit so here is my plan: I could have a rabbit while I save money for a dog, then when I go to get my dog from my parents, I can trade the rabbit for the dog. It is brilliant: I get something furry to dote on, while I still keep my promise of "no dog before the savings goal" and "no more than one pet at a time". Plus, all animals involved have good homes. What's not to love? Anyway, that is neither here nor there, so on we press.)

Hubby enjoying the view. He was there at 7 to fish and got
a lovely farmer's tan in the process. Gotta love 'im. :)

The squadron picnic was yesterday. Despite the slightly incliment weather, it was fun. I met a bunch of military families, had some bbq, and- my favorite- saw a dolphin! A bunch of the guys were fishing (the picnic was by the bay) and spotted a dolphin enjoying herself of their would-be catches. I was thrilled, but the men weren't so happy. Unfortunately, my pictures didn't turn out that great because she was too far away and I never knew where she'd come up for air.

Little Miss Dolphin, eating all our fishes. She was pretty though.
Great, now I want to be a Sea World Trainer (mostly kidding).