Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Back in the Good Old US of A

    Well Friends, we made it back! And boy what a journey that was! We started off Tuesday at 5am (German time, 9pm Pacific), got ready, packed up the car and made our way to the airport. After some technical problems, our plane finally left almost an hour later. Ugh. Of course. We had a direct flight to California, so we only landed 15 or 20 minutes later than we were supposed to...still trying to figure that one out. Oh the wonders of flying.
    I was both happy and sad to leave Germany. Sad to leave the new friends I made, but happy to return to old friends and family. You know what's really weird about this whole situation? We're not just visiting for a couple weeks, we're moving here! It's so hard to fathom. You know what else is crazy? Tyler's out of the Army! What?! AH! So weird.
    I'm so excited to start this new chapter in our lives. It will take some getting used to, but I bet it will be great! :)

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! I hope you have a great day with family, 
friends, and loved ones. :)

{Via}

Friday, December 23, 2011

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas

    It really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Well, that and Christmas is only 3 days away! Ahhh! Can you believe it?! Where has all the time gone? Wasn't it just the summer? Man, how time flies! It's been a busy year for us...and this week, man oh man, boy has it been busy! I've been sick, we've been packing, cleaning, and buying last minute Christmas presents. So, sorry for my lack of posting. I will try to get back on my schedule after the holidays.
    Today, we had to say bye to our first place here in Germany. It may have been old and falling apart, but it had it's own charm. I'm sad to leave it. The guy who came to clear us came at 8 this morning! It's already been a long day. Unfortunatley for us, the Army only pays for us to have 3 days in the hotel. But, God bless great neighbors/friends who let us store our stuff in her apartment and even spend the night. :)

    This year, Christmas will be a bit different for us. We're not going to be with any of our family, plus, we're going to be in a hotel room on base, oh yeah, and we're in Germany. Weird, huh? Though, Germans do Christmas very well.
    As I've said before, we are blessed to have great neighbors/friends. Several of them are also going to be around for Christmas, so we're all pitching in and having Christmas dinner together. Tyler and I are making green bean casserole and apple pie. Mmm, I'm getting hungry already!
    This would be the perfect year to start some of our own traditions, but it's a little hard since we will be in a hotel and not a home of our own. But, if we do come up with anything, I'll be sure to let you all know.
    When I am in Texas for Christmas, we go to church Christmas eve for the candlelight service. When we were younger, Santa would come while we were at church Christmas Eve, so we would get to open the presents from him after church.
    After Christmas day church, we would have brunch and open the rest of our presents. Then, later in the afternoon, we'd go over to a family friend's house for a big get together. My sister and I usually had a friend or two there, but it could still be awkward. Hey, at least we had each other! I know my parents enjoyed it, and as we got older, we would also chat with the adults, so it became more fun I think. :)
    For the past few years, I have been doing Christmas with Tyler's family. Usually the weekend before Christmas, Tyler's dad's side of the family would get together to have dinner, chat, and do a gift card swap game. You all bring $35 gift cards (from anywhere) and you wrap it up. They kind of play it like white elephant, so you all draw a number, you can pick a gift, trade, etc. I think it's a great idea so you don't have to buy a present for everyone, plus, it's fun.
    Sometimes on Christmas Eve they would go to church, but so far, we've only gone one year. On Christmas day, it's an immediate family affair (this includes grandma and possibly and aunt and uncle). Tyler and I last year served everyone mimosas in the morning with Christmas brunch. The mimosas are definitely becoming a tradition, hehe. Then, after brunch, we open presents (still in PJs of course), and after that, it's kind of a lazy day.
    Last year, since Tyler had just gotten back from Afghanistan, we decided to split our time between the two families. First, we flew to Texas for a few days (and had an early Christmas with my family), then, a few days before Christmas, we flew to California.
    People with both parents in the same state or close together are EXTREMELY lucky. I wish we didn't have to choose which family we get to spend the holidays with, but alas, we do. Since we're moving to California, that means that we will see Tyler's family for holidays more, which is fine, but I would really like to see mine as well. I do have a family afterall. Someday we will have enough money to fly all the time to see my family for holidays. Until that day, we will try to split it up the best we can, or maybe just have some on our own. Hmmm...I like that idea!

    What are some of your Christmas traditions?
    Do you have to split your holidays between families? If so, do you have any suggestions, tips,
    or advice?

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Pressure...ahhh!

1. There's pressure in my nose/head. Stupid cold.
2. There is the pressure of moving and making sure we have everything packed and cleaned up. This is approaching WAY too quickly :(
3. There is pressure, oh so much pressure about finding a car, a job, and an apartment once we get back to the states.

AH! Oh, so much pressure. Now, if you're like me, the song, Under Pressure by Queen is stuck in your head. Please enjoy :p

{Via}

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Weekend Review

    Hello Friends! I hope you all all having a good Sunday. Let's discuss my weekend, shall we? Ok...
    Friday, after I went and rescued my neighbor (long story short, she locked herself out of her car lol), I went and ran errands before our Going Away Party. Friends and neighbors came to our very empty apartment and brought LOTS of food and drink. It was actually a really good time! We were a little sad that some people couldn't make it or just didn't show up, but life goes on.
    The next day, after cleaning up a little more, I noticed that my throat was really hurting. Oh no. Usually what this means is that a cold is coming. Ugh. Great. Just what I need right now. I loaded myself up with cough drops, and went downtown with one of my neighbors to do some Christmas shopping. By the time we were on our way home, my head was pounding, and I felt all cloudy. :(
Once I got home, I decided to take a nap. A few hours later (lol), I woke up and we ate dinner and went and watched a movie with a neighbor. But man, I was definitely not 100%. Best part, we saw Contagion lol.
    Today, my throat felt a little better, but I could tell that I was getting stuffed up. Isn't that worst? Well, ok, it's not the worst, but it's up there. Once Tyler and I got ready for the day, we were off to post to meet the people buying our air conditioning unit and to finalize the selling of our car. Both sold! Great success! After that, we went downtown to the Christmas market and ate delicious food and got some good Christmas presents. Once we got home however, I felt well, not great. Ha. Then I took a nap and woke up just in time to get ready to go to our friends J and B for dinner and gluhwein. Mmmm. It was a pretty good day/night. I just wish I could shake this cold.

Source: google.com via Jessica on Pinterest

I know I don't look like that, but I feel like that. Ugh. I think it's time for me to go to bed before I have to get up and let the maintenance people in to fix our patio shutters.

Goodnight all. Happy Sunday! I hope you all had a good weekend :)

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Wedding Wednesday: Random Photos I Enjoy

Hmmm. I probably should've split up my trip to Madrid into a couple parts...that was a really long post! Oh well.

So, today is Wednesday. And you know what happens most Wednesdays, right? I talk about weddings! Woohoo! I'm obsessed...I might have a problem. Today, I'm not really going to be talking, no, I'm just going to post some pictures I've seen of weddings recently that I really enjoy. I think we can all use a break from my blabbing :p.







I think that's enough for now. I hope you enjoyed these photos as much as I did :)

Our Travels in Madrid and Toledo

    Wow, I feel like it's been awhile since I've done one of these. Anyway, without further aidue, here is the post about our trip to Madrid...

Day 1 - Thursday (Thanksgiving):
   When we got to Frankfurt, we were early, so walked around and looked for something to eat. Nothing looked good to Tyler, so we decided to go to our gate and eat around there, only problem was that out flight didn't have a gate. Hmmm, that's suspicious. So, we asked around, and we were told what terminal and gate it should be. Once we got to the area, we went and ate at McDonalds. Normally, I would rather not have McDonalds, but in Germany, they have these holiday sandwiches, and oh man, let me tell you, they're SO GOOD! I died. After lunch, we went to the gate our flight was supposedly out of, and waited. Tyler and I started to freak out a little because, while our flight was on all the info boards, there was no gate assigned to it. Then, it got to be boarding time...still no gate. WHAT?! Then, about the time we were supposed to take-off, we had a gate! We checked in and waited in the waiting area. Then, in true Frankfurt Airport fashion, we were driven by bus to the plane. Finally we were on the plane! Almost an hour late...ugh.
    Once we landed in Madrid, we met Tyler's cousin Jenna at the airport train station, and made our way to the city center. Once we were there, we then went to meet up with the woman who's apartment we rented for the long weekend via airbnb.com. The lady was so nice, and the apartment was so cute and clean!Thanks Airbnb :) haha.
    After we all chatted and got settled, we walked around Madrid. Thank goodness it was a lot warmer there! haha. We ended the evening at a tapas bar and, of course, had to get ice cream afterwards. Mmmmm.

Day 2 - Friday:
    On Friday, we got up and ate breakfast at this cute little cafe  and got churros with chocolate to dip them in. No, not like the ones you get at Disneyland, but they're similar and delicious. Once we were done, we then made our way on a "guided walk" that would lead us to the Palace. Now, when I say "guided walk," I don't mean those tours you pay for, I mean one that was in our Eyewhiteness Travel Book on Madrid. Man, I love those books. Such great tour guides. Below are some of the sites we saw on our walk:

Puerta de Toledo
Cathedral of Madrid. So cool. The Crypt is so beautiful.
The awesome door of the Cathedral
Palacio Real
The walk ended at this cool Egyptian monument. Has a GREAT view of the city.
    After going on our walk, seeing the Palace, and going to a cool park, we decided to get some lunch. So, we consulted the book. You know what we all were craving? Mexican food, and sure enough, there are some great Mexican food restaurants in Spain. I know what you're thinking, you go all the way to Spain JUST to ear Mexican food? Why aren't you eating the Spanish food? Ok, here's the thing...Jenna lives in Spain, so she has to deal with their bland food all the time. Tyler and I, well, we just miss Mexican food. Plus, German Mexican restaurants are awful (sorry Germans) and Spanish food, well, some of it is good, but I can see it getting old fast. Oh yeah, I was also the only one out of us all that likes seafood, so that limited their choices at many places. Anyway, the Mexican food was AMAZING. We were just so excited about it, we had the waiter take our picture :D
    After our wonderful Mexican food, we were really tired, so decided to go back to the apartment for a little siesta. What started off as all of us reading and watching tv, turned into a couple hour nap! haha. I guess we all needed it, huh? So, by about 10, we make our way out to walk around and eventually get dinner. I felt like a true Spaniard!

Madrid is so pretty at night! :)
Puerta de Alcala









Bank of Madrid




















Day 3 - Saturday:
    On Saturday, we made our way via train to Toledo. There are really no words to describe how cool this city is, so I'm just going to put some pictures and captions. :)
The Fort of Toledo
Such a cool building! Look at all the detail.

El Greco's house. There were even some of his paintings! Epic.
View from El Greco's house.
A church with one of El Greco's paintings in it. Wasn't allowed to take a picture of the painting, but I thought the church itself was pretty cool. Love the arches.
Such a cool cathedral spire




All of us in front of the Cathedral

Bridge of Toledo
Toledo is so pretty, don't you think?
    After a full day in Toledo, which included walking around, an interesting restaurant, a horrible museum, cool houses and churches, we made our way back to the train station. Once we got back to our apartment, we quickly changed and made our way to our dinner and Flamenco show! The dinner was delicious and the flamenco was amazing, even Tyler enjoyed it. I'm so excited that I got to see a flamenco show in Spain!

Day 4 - Sunday:
    Our final day in Spain was museum day. We went to both Reina Sofia and the Prado. Reina Sofia was ok...I'm not really one for modern art (Picasso is about as modern as I can go), so, needless to say, it was not my favorite, but hey, it was free. The Prado on the other hand, I loved! I mean, don't get me wrong, the religious art can get old, but I really like Spanish art and artists.
    For lunch, we wanted to a Cuban restaurant, but because of some random protests, it was hard to get the restaurant. Luckily, we found a way to get there, and I'm glad we did! It was delicious!
    Afterwards, we made our way back to the apartment to pack and cleaned up the apartment a little bit. Then, we made our way to the metro to get to the airport. Tyler thought we were cutting it close for our flight, and I remembered it being later. Just to let you know, I was right :p. Haha. I was sad to leave Spain, but happy to be going home. Unfortunately for us, we didn't get home until about 1:20 am, and Tyler had to be at work at 6am. Yikes! Worth it? Yes. :D

Monday, December 12, 2011

Empty

    Yup. Our apartment is empty, save for the military furniture and 4 suitcases of stuff. The movers/packers came around 8:30 this morning, and boy were they efficient! I feel like this needs to happen every time I move! Haha. Tyler and I awkwardly walked around watching them, until he had to leave to go to the dentist, then it was just me. And I had to have them open up boxes twice (whoops!). Once, for my jewelry, and the second time for a book I'm borrowing. Now, the apartment is all empty and echoy. It's so weird.
    This past weekend, we organized and packed clothes/things we wanted to bring back ourselves, went to a horrid FRG Christmas party (why I volunteered to help I will never know. I don't even really go to FRG meetings.), and, you guessed it, organized some more. Fun, huh?
    Well, with everything organized and gone, I guess I can get back to a semi-normal posting schedule again. :D Hooray! I say semi, because, let's face it, no one's perfect. haha.

Happy Monday Friends! I hope you all have a great week!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Moving, Packing, and Waiting

    Well hello there, friends. And a happy Thursday to you! I'm all dressed and ready to go, waiting, with the hubs, for the inspector to come. We have to get our apartment inspected by the Army before we move out and clear. Weird? I guess it's so we know if we need to fix anything before we move. But, why do I have to fix things?
    Sorry about my lack of a Wedding Wednesday post yesterday, I've just been so busy with trying to get stuff together for the big move. Sorting through my clothes, and seeing what I can live without for a few months is a bitch. Seriously though, you all try and do it. Here's the real kicker...I can't pack up my things. WHAT?! Yes, you just read that right, the moving company has to pack up and box everything for me, otherwise they aren't responsible for what happens to it. This is going to be fun...
    Anyway, I will try to get back on a normal posting schedule, or actually plan out my posts ahead of time (haha...I like never do that, but I really should start). Oh yeah, and I promise that post about Spain is coming soon! It's a wonderful work in progress! hehe.
    Now, if only the inspector would get here, so I can move on with my day. I have clothes and other things to sort! Ha. Moving sucks.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Time to Move On...

    So, I've been forgetting to mention something...Tyler and I are moving soon. No more Army for us, at least, for now anyway. Moving is always stressful, but this move, well, I really don't know how I feel about it. On the one hand, I'm super excited to go back to California and be with friends and Tyler's family, but on the other hand, I know I'm going to miss Germany and the new friends I made here. Plus, I don't even get to see my family or some friends I still have in Texas :(. I feel like there is still more I could do here in Germany, but alas, my time is coming to an end. I'm also scared, well, maybe nervous is more accurate, about finding a job and going back to work.
    Now, along with deciding what things I can live without for about 3 months (that's how long it can take for them to ship our stuff to us ahhh!), I'm looking for jobs, and an apartment. Looking for an apartment is fun, but sucks because I can't go look at any yet. I absolutely hate looking for jobs. There are so many I feel I could do/am qualified for, but according to the requirements, I supposedly am not qualified for the job, sigh. Anybody have any good sites I should look for jobs on? I am using a lot, but I am always open to suggestions.
    Speaking of job hunting, I always thought I was pretty good at interviews, but, 2 or 3 years ago, I was told after one interview I did for my school I wasn't. What?! No one else had ever told me that. And trust me, if I didn't get a job that I really wanted I inquired why and what I could do better next time. Ah well, maybe it was a fluke thing, or maybe I need to prepare more. I do know one thing I struggle with is what questions to ask. Anybody have any suggestions on questions to ask and/or interview tips for me?
     Anyway, I'm excited and yet very scared for this new chapter in our lives. But, ya know what? I bet it's going to be a good one. :)

Monday, December 5, 2011

Weekend Review

    Hello everyone, and happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend. Here's a little bit about my weekend...
    On Saturday, I went to a baby shower/good bye party for one of the other medic's wives. There was a lot of food (I made cheesecake bites and bought some German Christmas cookies) and socializing. Now, I was the ONLY one without a kid, but I still had a good time, and I think she did too :). Now, here's a funny story for you...when I was talking about kids and saying I didn't have any, I guess some took it to mean that I didn't bring my kids to the party. You see, most of the women brought their kids. So, after I say I don't have kids, one woman looks and me and asks, "oh? Are they grown or something?" WHAT?! How old do you think I am woman?! I politely answer, that no, my husband and I do not have any children yet, nor are we planning to have any in the near future. But again, WHAT?! Most people say I look younger than 24, or about my age...I'm confused. Haha. Ah well, just got to laugh it off I guess.
    When I got back home, I cleaned the apartment a little, and got ready to go to the Christmas Market in town. You see, we were planning on going to the Christmas Market with our good friends J and B, but it just kept pouring on and off. Ugh.  After many facebook messages and phone calls, we decided that there was too much rain, plus, it closed earlier than we thought. Closes at 8 on a weekend is ridiculous! But, since J and B we're about at our apartment when we finally decided not to go, they came over and we hung out, watched movies and drank two bottles of gluhwein. Mmmmm.
    On Sunday, Tyler and I relaxed, played computer games (lol), and watched TV/movies. Typical Sunday. For dinner, we went to the Christmas Market. It kept raining, but we didn't care, we wanted to go. Plus, the food is delicious. Worth it. While we were there, we scouted out what we wanted to buy for presents for others as well as ourselves. We just need to go sometime this week or weekend to get some of the things we want to have shipped home.
    Today, I started making a list of places I want to apply, did a great Jillian Michael's workout, starting writing lists of things I can live without for like 3 months (that's how long moving our stuff with take...yay?), watched our neighbors little yorkie...ya know...the usual. Haha. Now, time to make dinner. We're feeling tri-tip. Mmmm...so good.
    Happy Monday everyone!
P.S. A Post about Spain will be coming SOON! I Promise :) 

Friday, December 2, 2011

December!

    Wow! Can you believe it's already December? Crazy, huh? I know I missed the first day (World Aids Day if you weren't aware), but hey, it's only December 2nd! Christmas is right around the corner, as well as Tyler and I moving back to California. AHHHHHH! So much going. We need to get on our packing and Christmas shopping! Yikes. I guess we should get on that this weekend, huh? Christmas markets, here we come! Happy December and happy Friday everyone! I hope you all have a great day! :)

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Being Strong

    What is the meaning of being strong and having strength? According to http://dictionary.reference.com, the definition of strong is...
"1. having, showing, or able to exert great bodily or muscular power; physically vigorous or robust: a strong boy.
2.accompanied or delivered by great physical, mechanical, etc., power or force: a strong handshake; With one strong blow the machine stamped out a fender.
3.mentally powerful or vigorous: He may be old, but his mind is still strong.
4.especially able, competent, or powerful in a specific field or respect: She's very strong in mathematics. He's weak at bat, but he's a strong fielder.
5.of great moral power, firmness, or courage: strong under temptation."
    People call me strong. Why? Well, I am apart from Tyler a lot. When he was my boyfriend (basic training, medic and jump school), my fiance (Germany), and as my husband (Germany, Afghanistan, and other random trainings). There was also that whole deployment to Afghanistan thing. I also flew from LA to Frankfurt by myself, then I took the train by myself to get here to see Tyler come back from deployment. Oh yeah, and when they come back from deployment there's the whole they could have PTSD, triggers, nightmares, etc. So, you have to be strong and help them with that.
    So, am I strong? Maybe. Sometimes I don't feel strong. I just do what needs to be done.What makes me strong? I think it's my faith and the love and support I get from my friends and family. When I started "this life," I didn't really know anyone else going through this (except Tyler's aunt, who had been through it in the past, and this random German girl that was married to one of Tyler's friends. That random German girl, is now one of my best friends :)). Now, I do, and it is one of the best outlets...we all understand each other and what we're going through. I just hope that I can help people even after Tyler is out of the Army. So, again, does this make me a strong person?

    People say, well, you knew what you were getting in to, you knew you had to be this strong. What? How would I have known that? I knew people at the time IN the military or joining the military, but I didn't know many spouses to my knowledge, and I know many of my friends didn't either. Tyler's Aunt was an Army wife at one point, so she would give me some advice, but how much can you really prepare a person for something like this? You can't. Each person deals with things differently. People will also say, well, you chose this life. Ok, well, I knew Tyler before the Army, so I wasn't in it from the beginning. I did however choose "this life" in the sense that I chose to be with him and be his wife.
    So, here's what I think...if you can complain about your life/family/job...so can I. It pisses me off when people say, why are you complaining, you knew what you were getting in to, you chose this life? Well, you "knew" what you were getting in to when you chose that job you have. Now, am I telling you to stop complaining?
 
    I don't mean to be that military wife, but I needed to voice my opinion (for once). I may be strong, but I am human. To sum everything up for you...I may be strong, I may have "chosen" this life, but did I really know what I was getting myself into? How could I know? How can anyone really know what they're getting themselves in to?
   Sorry for such a downer post, but it needed to be said :). Be strong friends, you all are strong, even if you don't know it yet! As the picture says, "You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have."

Wedding Wednesday: Pets in Weddings

    Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wedding Wednesday! :) Today, we're going to talk about involving your pet in your wedding. Fun, huh?
    So you've decided to involve your pet in your wedding, great! There are many ways to involve your pet in your wedding, but before you officially decide to involve them, there are a few things you should consider first...
1. Does your ceremony and/or reception location allow pets?
There are ways to work around venues not allowing pets; you can have them meet you at the doorway as you enter or exit, you can have them in the car, you can go somewhere else to take pictures, etc. But, if you're dead set on having your pet involved in your wedding, I would make sure that your venue allows that type of animal. :)

2. How long will they be there?
Do you want your pet to be there the whole time, or do you just want them for the ceremony and/or pictures? How long they will be there could always depend on how well behaved they are (see below).

3. Who will take care of and watch your pet during the time they are there?
If you are using your pet in the ceremony, you will most likely need someone to walk them and stand with them. It does depend how well trained your pet is, what type of animal it is, etc, but I would have a designated caretaker for your pet for the evening. Animals are unpredictable, so it's best to have someone to look after them. 

4. Is your pet suited to be at a wedding?
Will your pet beg/steal food, go to the bathroom everywhere, bite people, make a lot of noise? Are the friendly or aggressive? If your pet isn't well behaved, well, I wouldn't include them in the ceremony. You could however have them in a few pictures, but it might be best just to leave them at home.

5. What type of role do you want your pet to have in the wedding?
Now, the type of pet you want to involve could help determine their role in your wedding. Most people involve dogs, but I've heard of cats, iguanas, as well as birds being involved. So, for example, if you want your dog to be involved, you can just have them there for pictures, you can use them in the ceremony as a ring bearer, flower dog, a member of the wedding party, or just a guest of honor.

Source: tumblr.com via Beth on Pinterest
   
    When Tyler and I were planning our wedding,  we thought of including his (family) dog, Buddy. Buddy has been such a big part of both of our lives. Even though he is a family dog, he really is Tyler's. When Tyler was deployed, Buddy became "my" dog. He would follow me around, sleep with me, etc. I feel like he could sense that Tyler and I truly loved each other, therefore he had to be with me and protect me. So, when it came to planning our Celebration of Marriage, it was natural to think of including Buddy. We decided against it because even though he is a very sweet and well trained dog, he can get be anxious, nervous, and get overly excited about the amount of people. Not the best thing to have to deal with on your wedding day. Our location was outdoors, and I think would've allowed it (though, I never asked, because we decided not to fairly early on), but we both felt that it wouldn't have been the best idea. I can just see him walking down the aisle, getting too excited/anxious and peeing down the aisle...awful.

{Via}
{Via}
{Via}


{Via}
{Via}

    Now, after answering the questions above and seeing all the cute pictures, have you officially decided whether or not you would like you pet to be in your wedding? What do you think? :)

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Thoughts for Tuesday

Some thoughts and words for today... enjoy :)

Source: tumblr.com via Beth on Pinterest






Winter cleaning?

    With December right around the corner, it's time to do some winter (I guess late fall) cleaning! That and we're moving soon, so I need to organize things anyway. We're supposed to find out today when we leave and when they're coming to ship our stuff! AH! It's a happy and sad feeling really. I'm excited to go back and see friends and family, but I'm also sad because I'm made some good new friends here. I also feel like there is so much more I could do here. Sigh. Also, I'm scared to start working again. I mean, ok, I am excited, because let's face it, I'm going stir crazy and need something more to do. But, I'm also scared.
    This past Thursday (Thanksgiving), Tyler and I left for Madrid Spain. We got to travel around with his cousin Jenna who lives 30 minutes or so outside of Madrid. We had such a great time! I even got to hang out with a old college friend :). We got back to our apartment late Sunday night, well, actually it was more like early Saturday morning...about 1:20am. AH! At least we made it back safely and our flight was on time haha. No worries friends, pictures and blog post all about Madrid to come!

    As you may have noticed, my blog has been going through an update. What do you guys think? I'm LOVING it! It's all thanks to my dear friend Joelle over at Something Charming. Didn't she do a great job? :D Thanks Joelle!
   

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Giving Thanks a Bit Early

    Normally, I would have a Wedding Wednesday post, but since I am leaving for Spain tomorrow (woohoo), I thought I would give you all some updates and write about Thanksgiving.
    Yesterday was my birthday. Happy 24? haha. I feel old, yet very young at the same time. Some of the neighbor girls and I went out for coffee and a late lunch/snack. My wonderful hubby got me flowers and we to a nice Italian dinner. We got dressed up and everything. So much fun :). It was so yummy.
  Anyway, Happy (early) Thanksgiving everyone! I have so much to be thankful for...my wonderful husband, friends, and family. I'm also thankful for this amazing opportunity to live in a foreign country, this amazing opportunity to travel all over Europe, our new friends, our great apartment...the list could go on and on. Like I said, I have a lot to be thankful for. :D

What are you all thankful for? Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope you have a great day and have lots of delicious food.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Jump!

    Today, I got to watch Tyler jump! I was so excited because I've never seen him jump before! :D
They jumped near town in Chinooks (helicopter things). It was so cool. No worries friends, he didn't get hurt or land in a tree! woohoo! Great success! But man, it got so cold! Silly Germany and the sun being totally gone by 5. Ugh.



    Afterwards, my friends, J, Casey and I went to Aldi. I got this CUTE Advent calendar, chocolate (which I tried later is kind of weird...happens), and of course, I had to get more Glühwein. Love that stuff. :) Once I got home and defrosted a little, and man did that take awhile, I prepped dinner and hung the Advent calendar hehe. Once Tyler came home, he made me a delicious birthday eve dinner. New York Strip, some sort of potato thing and broccoli, yummy! Good job Tyler :)


Happy Monday everyone!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Weekend Review

    Hey all. How was everyone's weekend? Here's a little review of what we did this weekend...
    Saturday, we started to cook the Carnitas. Tyler had prepped Carnitas the night before and once we got up, we started cooking them. Oh man, they were smelling soooo good all day. I couldn't wait to eat them. In the afternoon, I went shopping downtown with neighbor/friend Catherine. My goal, to find new jeans and possibly new shoes. I had limit of how much I should spend, and was on my way. Why new jeans and shoes you may ask, well, 2 of my 4 jeans (yes, I only have 4 pairs of jeans right now) have holes in them. Not the cute holes...the ones on the thigh close to the crotch. Naturally, we went to H&M to look for jeans. Saturday was probably not the best day to try on jeans. It's SUPER crowded since most people don't have work and everything is closed Sunday. I did figure out my size (it's not normal European sizing), so that was helpful...yet, I still had problems. I picked out 3 pairs...two in one size and one in another size. Of the two that were the same size, one wouldn't even go all the way up, and the other was about to fall down. WHAT?? The one in the other size fit well, but looked super weird. They were higher waisted then thought...all in all, it wasn't a good look for me. Ugh. I wanted to try on more, but there were just too many people. I think I need to go during the week when there's less people.
    Once I got home, it was almost time for some carnitas and movie night. Of course we were having a movie night. haha.
    Today, I went to the commissary and PX for a few things. Oh man. The commissary was INSANE. There were so many people. So many rude people at that. I could barely get around and get the like 10 items I needed. It was super frustrating. I think most of my time was spent getting around people and standing in the check-out line. Ugh. Everyone was trying to get Thansgiving shopping done I guess. Makes me glad we won't be here. That's right people, no traditional Thanksgiving for me...I'll be in Spain! Anyway, the rest of Sunday was relaxing, watched tv, folded laundry (oh joy), ya know...the usual.
   Well, I hope everyone had a good weekend!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Wedding Wednesday: Choosing Your Colors

    Hello friends and welcome to another wedding wednesday! Today, we're going to be discussing choosing your wedding colors. This can be a difficult and stressful process, but hopefully I can help you with your big decision, or at least give you some friendly advice. :)
    I suggest picking a base color and then an accent color or two. You can also do several shades of a certain color. Color wheels and paint samples can be a HUGE help when trying to pick your colors.
   
{Via}
I suggest starting with one color you like and/or goes with your theme/location and go from there. We chose our colors based off of Tyler's uniform, colors we both liked, and the scenery of our location for the ceremony and reception. Our location was outdoors and was a walnut grove, so there was A LOT of greens, some browns, and other earthy tones. Tyler was going to be wearing his new dress blues, which are navy ish color on top, with lighter blue pants that have a yellow stripe on them. With these things in mind, we decided our wedding colors would be navy and white with pops of yellow. Yellow?! Where did that come from? Well, we both love the color yellow, plus it was on his uniform. Yellow is also a symbol of happiness, friendship, and military support, plus, it's a great summer color. Why not have yellow? And yes, we picked yellow before it became SUPER popular. Oh yeah, did I mention that blue is one of my favorite colors? Hehe...that was just lucky. We also didn't want to do red, white, and blue...that would be a little too much. 
    Now, I'm a fan of paring a deeper or darker color (maybe even a neutral) with a lighter or brighter color, but it's your wedding, so you can do what you want. All pastels, all deep colors, all bright colors, etc. can look good together as well. I love me some coral (peach) and turquoise. Both are bright, but look great together.  Most recently, I'm loving the look of grays, tans, and creams with white and a pop color (something besides a neutral or white) in weddings. When my sister gets married, she's thinking about doing shades of purple with gray and white. I think the shades of purple will look awesome with the gray and white.What do you guys think? I have another friend who wants to do a black and white wedding with pops of red or maybe pink. If it's done well, that look can look really nice, but black and white weddings really have to be done well to look good in my opinion. You have to own that those are your colors.
    Another way of picking your wedding colors, is by the season you are having it in. With spring comes the pastels and the start of bright colors. With summer comes bright and cheery, warm colors. With fall comes the warm reds, oranges, yellows, and browns. With winter comes warm colors (think reds, greens, blacks, darker blues) OR cooler colors (think grays, silvers, light blues). Again, you should do what you want, but I think it's nice to keep season in mind at least a little bit. :) Not EVERY color has to be in season, but maybe choose one that can be season appropriate. Just a suggestion. You do not have to do it...I'm just trying to be helpful. I mean, is the color navy really summery? Ehhhh...it's debatable, but yellow can be a summery color. hehe.
    I really hope that this post was helpful. I know there was a lot of ME and MY wedding in here, but I write what I know. If you have more questions or need color help/suggestions, please feel free to contact me. I love this stuff. I even enjoy picking colors. Weird I know. :p




Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Thoughts for Tuesday

    You might not be able to tell from this blog, but I do enjoy writing and coming up with ideas/stories. Sometimes, it's hard for me to get all the thoughts and ideas in my head down on paper. It has been suggested to me that I get a tape recorder, but then I think about it, and most of what want to say is all in my head, so unless there's something that can read my mind, I think I'm shit outta luck haha. I should write more. I'll work on that. :)
    The Hunger Games. Where was I when these books came out/were popular?! I am just now hearing about them because of the movie coming out. Guess I should look in to reading them. hmmm.
    Now, this is something I'm sure most Army wives (heck, even most military wives) can relate to. I hate folding and sorting Tyler's socks. They're all green, yet, they all seem to be different shades of green...and different sizes...and different styles...UGH! I really dislike washing them and putting them away. It's awful, and there's so many of them. Argh. Oh the small things in life sometimes.

Source: lolhome.com via Beth on Pinterest

This has been happening to me a lot lately...fail...


Haha...that's so true.

    Anyway, those are some of my thoughts for the day. Happy Tuesday everyone :)

Monday, November 14, 2011

Weekend Review

    Last I left you it was Friday, Veteran's Day. Tyler was recovering from CQ and we had a wine and movie night. Good times.
   Saturday, we had our good friends J and B come over for dinner. We made tri-tip with broccoli ad garlic mashed potatoes (mmm), and for dessert, I made cheesecake. This cheesecake looked A LOT prettier than the last cheesecake I made. Woohoo! Getting better! :). They were joking about how they need to come over once a week for dinner...made us feel pretty darn good about our cooking :)
    Sunday is always our day of rest. Stores in Germany are closed, and we just liked to sit, relax, and watch TV. Sometimes we go for a walk or clean, but it's mostly a day for relaxing.

   Before I leave this weekend review, how can I forget about the new game Skyrim. Tyler got it for his computer and he's been playing it sooooo much. I mean, it looks cool, but I'm just not a huge gamer. I played the Sims, Roller Coaster Tycoon and stuff like that. haha. He says it's amazing if anyone is interesting in playing it.

  Have a great day everybody!


Friday, November 11, 2011

Veterans Day

Happy Friday everyone! So, if you didn't know, today is Armistice Day, more commonly know as Veterans Day. According to the 2010 census, 7% of all Americans are Veterans and 0.75% are those currently serving.
I'd like to take a moment to thank all of those who have served, are serving, and have passed on. We appreciate you...we thank you. Also, I'd like to thank my personal hero, my husband, Tyler. Love you baby. Thank you for all you do.





Yesterday, Tyler had CQ, so I was alone all day/night. Plus, the owners of the dog we were dog sitting came home, so I was really alone at night. Worst part was that Tyler had the day off yesterday and today. Ugh. Sigh, happens. We were supposed to travel, but Tyler's CQ shift hindered are plans.
Today, Tyler recovered from CQ and I cleaned house. Thrilling huh? Hehe. Tonight, we ordered take-out (which we NEVER do) and are having lots of wine while watching TV and movies. :) Got to enjoy this time off while we can!
We're not sure what we will do the rest of the weekend, but I'm sure we'll come up with something fun :)

What are y'alls big plans for the weekend? Anything exciting?

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Wedding Wednesday

    Ah, wedding Wednesday. One of my favorite blogging days of the week. hehe. Instead about posting about a certain topic, I'm going to take this time to congratulate my dear friends, Alex and Natasha ...they're getting married tomorrow!!! I'm so excited and happy for them. I just wish I could be there (in MAUI!!!!) to celebrate with them. Congrats you guys! Happy Wedding Day tomorrow!!! :D

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Some Words and Some Laughs

    Pinterest is great for lots of things. You can get great ideas from recipes, crafts/do it yourself projects, ideas for the home, weddings, parties, great quotes, pictures and much much more. Today, I've decided to share some quotes, funny and cute pictures I've found recently. Enjoy.



Source: imgur.com via Beth on Pinterest


Source: imgur.com via Beth on Pinterest




Ok, I think that's enough for now. Happy Tuesday everyone.