Ranting

I've seen several different sorts of blogs out there. And I'm always drawn to the ones where I'm not looking at the cute crafts, but rather reading the stories about their lives. I blog-stalk several navy wives, one ex-navy wife, and a few horseback riders. I stalk people's pets, and their kids. In the end, sometimes I just can't get enough stories. Maybe it just comes with being a writer. You want more to write with and their stories get added to my repertoire. Either way, I've decided that I need to do less pictures - and more ranting. Besides, I could benefit from a good outlet, it's not as if I have my husband here to listen to my whining!

1. If you get to do something snazzy. Don't rub it in. It seems all week I've had to deal with people telling me how excited they are to do things that I can't do. "Oh, you and your husband had a great Anniversary dinner? I'm so excited for you." "You get to go to Hawaii? Awesome." "You just won $4,000 at the casino? Splendid." It's not saying that I wont be able to do these things, and I'm ashamed to say that I am guilty of the second complaint, of not more than a month ago. But did I really rub it in?! Maybe I did, and for all of you whose toes I crushed? I'm sorry. Seriously, I'm never telling anyone about my great news. Or maybe I'm just over reacting, and maybe i'm just horrible and bitter, but dude, have a little consideration for those of us stuck at home, not gambling, or with out their husbands!

2. Sometimes I just don't feel like cleaning. My house, at this moment, is a disaster. For those of you who knew me while I was growing up - my definition of disaster has changed a bit. My house looks nothing like my room did in high school, and in general, it's clean. But right now, it's messier than it's been in months... no. Years. There are clothes upstairs and down in various baskets, there are blankets everywhere (honestly, why did I think I needed so many?!) loose socks, books, papers, etc... But I'm exhausted! I worked all weekend, I haven't had more than an hour here and there off in who knows how long. And yes I know I've had all sorts of trips - Missouri, Hawaii, Ember came to stay, but those aren't breaks. Vacations and visitors are nice - but they aren't very good about really making people relax. In general, trips are stressful! And the last thing I want to do when I get home is clean. I want to SLEEP. My house will be clean tomorrow - I've had enough of the mess and I'm ready to overhaul, but for heavensakes I REFUSE to feel guilty because my house got messy for a few days! It's not the end of the world.

3. Just because I miss church for a few weeks, it doesn't mean I'm inactive. I love my ward. They are wonderful. All of them. But as I listed above, I have been going on several trips in the last month or two. Well, for someone who has not one but TWO very important callings, my absence is -always- noticed. I got more "Welcome back!" "It's so good to see you Sister Mooneyham!" and "Been busy?" in church this week then I've ever heard in my entire life! Not that I mind, it makes it obvious that I've been missed, but sometimes I feel guilty enough about missing, can't I just slide by under the radar once? Oh well, I shouldn't complain, I got to see my visiting teacher and my Home Teachers both this week, and everyone knows I could use the company (messy house or no).

Last, but not least.

4. Never write something like THIS at the end of an email:

"Third, I have some huge news to tell you and I can't go into details. Just keep as much money in our account as possible. Thanks."

When I got my *one* e-mail from my husband, I was more excited than I can express. Until I got to the end of course. And now I am just extremely happy that I will be speaking with him this weekend, because if I have to wait another month to get that news I'm going to be hunting down that Submarine myself! I'll keep you all updated... if I can.

Photos and Fun!

Recently I took a trip to Port Angeles with Jenny and her two kids, Nivek and Mackenzie. We had a great time! I found out that fly fishing here in Washington involves catching 10lb steelhead and that Hurricane Ridge is so high that we had to drive through clouds to get to the top! We also got to see all of the hot Twilight spots, like the place that Bella ordered her mushroom raviolli when Edward told her he was 'special'. They even have a dish on the menu called "Bella's Mushroom Raviolli" Who knew?! We stopped and saw Red on the way and got these precious pictures that were touched up by myself and Tina - the third member of our neighbor trio.

Journaling

Today, while listening to conference I decided that I was going to compile all of my e-mails to James into a word document that I could use as a sort of Journal. I've been meaning to do this for quite awhile. As I write to him almost every day, it really is a great way to keep a journal - without keeping a journal! I just finished with 2009, and it's 113 pages! I was in shock! Anyway, while sorting through I found several entries that made me smile. They are a bit long, but I find them funny, I hope you do as well!

3/15

JayJay,

I'll have you know my sweet that I just hauled my comfortable butt OUT of bed to come write you an e-mail. You better be grateful! I know you are though, so that makes me happy. It just means that you get another e-mail from your wonderful wife. Me! So today started out pretty lame. I woke up this morning to a full on blizzard... which was horrible because of course, I had to go to church. Can't ditch out on leading the music! Or teaching my blasted sunbeams! Anyway, so I dragged my sick (I'm on my period too, YAY) lazy butt out of bed and get dressed in a hurry so that I can leave early for church and right as I'm about to walk out the door I get a call from the missionaries: "Hey sister mooneyham, think you can go drive down this road that nobody ever drives on in the snow because it is super steep and twisty and pretty much a death sentence to anyone who drives on it, to pick up the this girl for church?" And what do I say? "It will make me late." They reply that they will lead the music for me if I don't make it ontime. So guess who is suckered into taking the deadliest road ever to pick up some chick? Me. Terrified, but thankful I have the Tahoe, I head out. I get the girl with only moderate slipping and sliding. I prayed aloud just about the entire time... afterall, I was doing the lords work; he HAD to protect me! Sure enough, I get her and we make it to church in one piece, though I walk into sacrament meeting ten minutes late only to see that they DON'T have anyone to lead. They wave frantically at me and I ditch my stuff on the nearest bench and run up to the front just as the organist finishes her intro... she started it as soon as she saw me. So I open to the page of a song that I REALLY didn't pick out and have to figure out how to lead it as we go alone. Ok whatever, not the best start but I'll survive. Song two was easy.. and also one that I didn't pick. Song three was great.. but super difficult to lead, and the organist, bless her heart followed my every move. (BAD IDEA, YOU PLAY, I'LL FOLLOW!) my regular organist and I have this down to a science. Anyway, so after the entire congregation figures out that I don't know what I'm doing and start singing their own tune (I swear that it really happened. I wanted to cry) Finally it ended... and the last song was absolute cake. So the second hour starts and honey.. it was amazing. NO SUNBEAMS! Half our congregation was gone because of the snow and apparently I have less active families in my sunbeams because not a single one was there! YES!! Anyway, it gave me an opportunity to talk to the missionaries and the girl I brought to church and I got to hang out in relief society. It was fantastic.....

It continued, but it got mushy, so I'll leave that part out. Haha.

5/12

(I'm starting this e-mail mid way through too)

.... Today was sad. I had to take my mom to the airport. She came on my dog walk with me, and met that bulldog. It was really fun. We went out to Scenic Beach and the tide was way way out. So it smelled all gross and the rocks were all barnacle-y... if that is a word. So mom and I were just meandering up the beach in the manner that you hate when I almost stepped on one of those pig plushy blobby looking starfish. You know, the purple ones. Anyway, after shrieking in my typical manner when I see sea creatures we realized that there were starfish EVERYWHERE. Seeing movement beneath a rock I decided to kick it over, and you know what I found?! CRABS - not the sexually transmitted disease of course - It was AWESOME! Okay, so really it was terrifying. Combine tiny spiderlike size with swift skittering abilities and my 'favorite' crustacean and you can only imagine what my first response was when that first rock was flipped and all the creepy critters scattered. Yeah. I pretty much screamed like a banshee, and maybe I didn't run a half-mile (which you TOTALLY exagerate by the way) loop around my mom and the rock in question, but it definitely gave me a scare. But the adrenaline was great, so we spent the next hour flipping rocks and shrieking when the crab babies went nuts. In other words. We had a blast! We got squirted a few times by burrowing sea creatures, which was surprising and also terrifying, but I suppose I survived. After Scenic Beach, we hit the Airport and I dropped mom off and then came home. I read that book and watched some shows and had dinner with Tina and Dale. It was fun. :) Anyway baby, I'm off to bed. I love you with every fiber of my soul and I can't wait to see you. MUAH.

Forever yours,

Kara

I hope you weren't too bored! But I thought they were funny and they made me smile! Also, as a follow up. Inspite of my lame attitude, the girl that I picked up from church that day was baptized this past weekend. I'm so proud of our missionaries and the work they have put into that girl for the past year.

Strangers...

For those of you who don't know, I am currently in Hawaii with James. A quick break for the both of us to spend a few precious days together before he heads back out to finish his deployment. Getting out here was a fiasco in it's own right, but it's all been worth it, and we've had an amazing time - Though it was the actions of complete strangers tonight that has made this trip truly memorable.

I'm planning on going home in a few days, and tomorrow night we are going to have Derek (our roommate) hanging out with us. Taking advantage of our alone time, James and I decided to splurge and hit up a fancy hibachi restaurant in Waikiki as a final real date before we part ways again. As with most Hibachi restaurants we didn't have the table to ourselves, instead we shared the space with two older couples who were here for a cruise and a pair of guys who are stationed at the army base here on Oahu.

The conversation was slow, but friendly, and eventually as we all conversed we learned bits and pieces about each others lives. We talked about James' career in the Navy, about the boys across the table and their trips to Iraq. We learned that the older couples knew each other because the men had served in the Air Force together some 50 years ago.

Dinner was great - of course, and expensive. A nearly $80 blow to our checking account - but we could afford it and so neither of us flinched when the bill came - though unbelievably we didn't pay a thing because that wonderful couple next to us took our bill and insisted that they pay instead. Not only that but the other couple paid for the guys in the Army as well. It's hard to express how touched I was as the man took the ticket out of my hand and looking over at us said: "We can afford it, and you are out there doing so much more for us. Please, let us give back to you."

James and I were both shocked, and I was touched to the point of tears. These complete strangers, did something so overwhelmingly compassionate and kind. Not because they felt obligated but because they truly just appreciated the time and effort that James sacrifices. It is people like them that make all of this worth it. I will have seen James less than three months this entire year by the time he gets back in for awhile. I can't talk to him, or get e-mails, and most of the time i don't even know when he is coming home. But I can honestly say, that tonight, it hit me that I'm doing this for people like that couple next to us. I can only hope that there are more people out there who appreciate and understand the sacrifices that James makes, and the strength it takes to hold a marriage and a family together when you spend most of your time apart. We are truly blessed to have met such wonderful people, and it is their simple actions that will impact me most when I think back on this amazing experience.

Bento Bust!

I was planning on writing a blog about my trip to the Pacific Science Center, but then I realized that while I'm sure it was exciting to me, how on earth does that help everyone else? So what if I got to see all sorts of Gross things and the Grossology exhibit, and that I rode a bike on a tiny little rail two stories above the ground (terrifying - you gotta try it). What's most important is what did I learn? What can I possibly share with my tiny group of readers that will protect them in the future? I have one resounding answer.

Never eat Sushi with fruit in it. EVER.

Hmmm. I'll start from the beginning.

Jenny (neighbor and close friend) and I had decided earlier this year, when we realized that both of our husbands would be absent for most of the summer, that we would go all out exploring the surrounding areas. Afterall - why should we sit inside just because they aren't here? Seattle was first, and the military has great deals for a City Pass that allows us to go to several of the big Seattle attractions for a flat rate of $50.00. Seeing as how the Space Needle alone is somewhere in the range of $20.00 per person, this is a great deal if you use it.

For the next week we have four days planned crammed full of Seattle adventure. But aside from the actual activities we didn't plan for much else (food). Isn't it rather easy to find food in a big city? Of course it is. Our day was no exception. Not 5 minutes off of the ferry and we passed by an adorable little shop boasting Japanese Bento Boxes! CUTE!! YUM!! Okay, well, Dinner is settled. We'll go do the Pacific Science Center and then pick up our Bento Boxes as we head back to the Ferry and munch happily on our delicious rice balls and sushi on the ride home. Such a good plan!

After passing up Gyros (ugh they looked so good), and a Phoenix roll (shrimp Tempura, BBQ eel, and flying fish eggs all in one roll!), we somehow managed to make it back to the Bento place with empty bellies and full wallets. This was it! We walk in and are greeted by a little layered refrigerator ( you know, the kind that usually display deli sandwhiches and drinks in the airport) with probably a dozen little 'Bento Boxes'. And... that's it. Okay... so... not much of a selection - I guess I'll go without the rice balls... but that's okay! What are our choices? A little Japanese lady joins the mix with her charming smile and half-understandable english.

"So... what do you have?"

"Salmon with cream cheese, Tofu with omelet and ??, Oh, and of course our Pickles and asparagus!"

We determined that the mystery agreement above was something that she apparently didn't know the english name for and it looked completely unfamiliar to both of us. We were only slightly daunted by the lack of options, but the kids would never go for the Salmon... and I'll be honest, I wouldn't either!

"Ah... which would you recomend?"

"Oh.. Tofu omelet is great. So yummy. You will love."

Sold. But what for the kids? Tactfully I mention to Jenny that the kids probably wont go for the tofu option and she agrees that she will probably have to stop somewhere for else for them. This is when our Japanese sales lady pipes up.

"Oh! You must try fruit Sushi! So good, like candy! Kids will love."

Jenny: "Are those Mangos?"

Sales Lady: "Yes. Mangos. Very sweet. Very good."

Like Candy you say? Yum. So what if it sounds weird? If the sales lady says it's good then it MUST be good! Though.. why is there Wasabi and Ginger in there? Ah... oh well!

Sales Lady: "Also, you must try these with the nuts! They have pecans and walnuts in them. Delicious!"

Well.. now that she mentioned it, the nuts -do- look good. So into our pile they go, and we happily check out. What a great buy! Okay... so we basically just bought every option that the little place had, but they all look so good! I mean, who would ever have thought of fruit in sushi? I'm sure it is very innovative, and very authentic Japanese. I already feel posh with our little bags as we head down to get the kids something else to eat. Because I feel a bit starved I end up getting a little something at the Ivar's Fish Bar too (great food btw). Just so I get something substantial on top of the Sushi of course.

Now that we are all sitting down, Jenny and I are having our doubts. Fruit in Sushi? Wrapped in seaweed? Why did we think this was okay? I tried a pickle roll... and it was pretty good! I say as much and so we both get a little bit more brave. Nivek (her son) decides that he wants Mango so he eats it first (he may have had a little encouraging from us...). He manages to get it down with little to no effort, with only a mild grimace. Jenny and I are looking at eachother. Daring one or the other to go first. She caves and eats one with... prunes? fat raisens? figs? anyway, she tries it and her face tells all. Oh dear. My turn.

I pick a friendly looking roll at the top. It has cherries? Or possibly dried cranberries. This looks promising. BAD IDEA. Why ANYONE thought that fruit, seaweed and rice go together I'll never know. I'm relatively positive that the little Japanese lady woke up in the morning 10 Bento's short and decided to scrounge the house for options. I don't think that anyone would willingly eat these. I sank my teeth in.. chewed twice and spat it back out. I NEVER spit out food. Ewwwww! Surprisingly... the tofu omelet wrap was pretty good. And the mystery ingredient didn't ruin anything (thank goodness). The nuts were... edible. That's about all I can say about them. They didn't make me want to stop eating for the rest of my life, but they didn't really encourage the idea either. Maybe this is why everyone is so skinny in Japan!? Well... we are heading to Seattle several times in the next week... I dont see a stop at the Bento place in the future.

Obviously, the kids agree with us...

Just a little fun Outback.

Last night (as it's been for most nights this week), James and I went out to dinner, but we let Derek tag along. He is a part of the family now afterall. Don't get me wrong, I still cook, but we enjoy going out together and since we get to do it so rarely we like to cram in as many nights out as we can in the short time he is in. It also keeps the house considerably cleaner. Which means, more cuddle time, less clean time. I think both of us agree that this is a good decision.

So, we all stacked into the Tahoe for the quick ride to the Outback! But before we left I grabbed the camera. I've been slacking on the whole "bring the camera" thing in general. So with camera in tow, we went to dinner, ate, and returned home, without a single picture taken. Ugh. Oh well! Quick remedy? Photo shoot on the front steps! Only, I had to take the pictures, so here are Derek and James after our date night.

Date nights and Car Accidents

Yesterday was just one of those days. I have an entire week and a half off of work, and I'm enjoying the quiet time with James ( who has roughly that same amount of time in port). I truly treasure the simple conversations and the giggling that we share as newlyweds. It seems that whenever we are together there is always something to laugh at, it's kept my spirits up even when I know that he will be leaving again soon. At least I get to look forward to more inside jokes and exciting events when he returns. We decided that last night would be date-night. Though really, every night this week has been date night. It's almost like a honeymoon. I've saved up this paycheck so we have plenty of money and we enjoy going out and doing things that we don't get to do as often as we should. Simple things like walking around the mall (which always leads us to a video game store - or Barnes and Noble, both of our weaknesses), or going out to dinner. Last night was no exception. Red Lobster, followed by a quick trip to Target (me) and Game Stop (him) and then to Chucky Cheese for a birthday party. We only stayed an hour or so before we had to get back for a movie!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It's very funny. It is a bit lacking in excitement, but it definitely gives a big finish and the anticipation for the next movie that it should. James loved it as well. We both had a blast even though the movie theaters are lousy and we pay tons of money to sit in seats where you can't see past the person in front of you. I guess not everywhere can be as great as Utah when it comes to movies. It's just about my one complaint with the area here in Washington. Really lame Movie Theaters.

After the show it was around 10 and we were headed back using the back roads. I hate driving on the freeway at night. I feel blinded by the oncoming cars in my little escort, and though the thing runs like a trooper, I just don't like the mild panic when you literally can't see a foot in front of your windsheild. The back roads are a little better, though as I turned onto one of the roads near our house, a lady decided to exit the parking lot of a gas station right in front of me. Smart. We came within about 2 inches of her passenger side door before I was able to swerve slightly to the side and into the parking lot of the local bar, dodging parked vehicles and pedestrians alike and stopping. Completely white knuckled and terrified. The lady in the other car didn't even look at me. I'm sure she was embarassed, but I was worried more for her safety. Was she okay? James and I were in one piece after the near collision, but was she? Apparently: she drove off without a second thought for me in my little car. Nice.

It's been a long time since I was in a near accident and I hope that it's another long time before I'm in another one. I couldn't shop shaking on the way home, even though James assured me that had we hit her he would have made sure to break a bone so that he could be kept home from this underway. Blast. Is it healthy for a couple to cheer injuries? Probably not, but I know we aren't the only ones that do it, I think it must be a military thing. Either way, I'm glad that James and I are safe, and am more than greatful that we just replaced the brakes on the escort. This is the second time that little car has saved me, I think it will have a home with us forever. Thanks Dad. :) I guess no matter where you are, you are always watching out for your little girl. Sometimes it takes an accident to bring out focus on what's important. James and I are safe and healthy, and that's all that matters - as James said: "Objects are replaceable, you aren't." Buckle up everyone! Love,
Kara

Blog Prisoners - UNITE!

So much has happened since my last post. I started feeling overwhelmed and behind on updates. My pictures keep stacking up on the camera and in the meantime absolutely nothing gets done. Well.. I'm a blog prisoner no more! I'm liberating myself by doing an all inclusive update. And then I can start with a clean slate. I know that others of you have the same problem, so... I'm encouraging you to do the same. Shed the shackles of Blog Blues... and be free. Like me! :) Sooo, Update number one:

I no longer have a roommate!
My sweet Marissa actually left a few months ago to head back to Utah. I miss her lots but it was good to get a few days with James to myself when he got home. Which leads to update number two!

James was home for a whooole month.
We went to Seattle for Sushi, got a pet peacock (not purposefully it adopted us for a few days before it moved on to a neighbor who lives a few houses behind us.) We bought an X-box 360 and a new 40 inch TV - all James's idea of course. I think he's pretty happy to show off his new "toys". So I couldn't help but throw in a little snippet about it. I'm sure I'll get pictures up soon... cause the entertainment stand is beautiful...




We got a NEW roommate!
Derek Nichols is one of the guys on James's boat, and they work together in the same division. He's made a fun addition to the family. Because they are only going to be in port for two months of this entire year he didn't want to waste money on an apartment and instead decided to crash in our extra room. He may just have a matress on the floor and an old dresser, but he has a place to stay with nice people who care about his well being. He seems pleased to be apart of our little family, and James and I love having him around. I have a feeling that this arrangement will lead to having a life-long friend. Having a roommate isnt' too bad - especially because he doesn't mind being kicked out occasionally so that James and I can have our alone time. ;) Which probably happens more often than not! We fondly call him the family pet.


I got a Promotion!
For those of you who don't know I work for a company called: Spoiled Rotten Pet Sitting. ( Check out the website @ http://www.spoiledrottenpetsittingllc.com/ ) I'm officially a pet sitter, and now I'm also the Client Coordinator! This means I handle all customer service and set up jobs from scratch. Its a lot of fun but -really- busy, and I'm sure if you talk to me regularly you've heard me complain about it. Really though I have a wonderful job and I get paid to make sure that animals are taken care of.

My Horsie is coming in August!
I have a horse. Her name is Red. She lives in Utah, and I live in Washington. Well.... Not much longer! I found her a great barn called "Painted Valley Farms" and it's wonderful. The people are great and I found a fantastic price to get her shipped out here. YAY!










James lost a bunch of weight!
I figured that if -I- had lost a bunch of weight, I would probably blog about it, so I should do the same for my adorable husband. He had a busy underway for the first half of this year and while he was gone he started working out and never looked back. He lost over 3 inches around his already svelt frame, which left me wondering where on earth my husband went?! I'm not complaining though - he's always been cute. Now he's just that much better. ;)


Well, that just about rounds out the most important things, so I guess I'll say farewell until tomorrow... or later on this week as I already have a blog idea that I know I'm going to do. Hope you enjoyed reading my updates as much as I enjoyed being liberated from my chains...

Easter Festivities... and DDR.

I had a great Easter with my spiffy friends who made just about the most scrumptious dinner. Between Jenny's ham, Raymond's honey-butter, my rolls, and Tina's cheesecake we were ah... well, we were all full within about 5 minutes. But all the rest of the food LOOKED delicious. And we all pined about the fact that we were too full to eat it.

So after our meal.. we decided that we should burn off the added calories and busted out the wii fit. I WISH I had my camera for that, but I didn't make that mistake twice and made sure to pick it up later that night for DDR. For those of you less electronically minded... you may know this as "Dance Dance Revolution." Or as I like to call it: "Dance Dance Ridiculous!" It was fun! Haha, I had forgotten how absolutely crazy that game gets, and we were only playing it on beginner! It made me long for the days when I used to be able to tear those mats apart with my mad "dancing" skills. It's been a long time... apparently. Because the only thing I was tearing were my pants when I fell all over myself (I didnt' really tear my pants.. I wore stretchy ones.. for ease of movement). Raymond ducked out early, so we made it a girls night and took some time getting some good pictures... it took awhile....

Hmmm.. not quite...

Ah.. Nope!

Definitely Not

FINALLY! A cute pic!

It was the perfect end to a fun day!

Blog stalker... that's me!

So the other day while I was meandering between all the blogs on my list for the umpteenth time I discovered that several of my regular stops had tracers. Curious, I scrolled down the list of "hits" where it says the name of a the fellow blogger each time they look at your site only to see that my name showed up more than anyone elses.

This particular friend isn't one that I'm close to, she just leaves hillarious posts and I enjoy to browse. She also updates rather regularly, so I find myself stopping in several times a day to read up on her witty remarks.

Well.. that's weird! I didn't think of myself as a someone who browses blogs that often! This must be some mistake! I don't have that much time... do I? A careful exam of all the similar apps on my friends and families blogs have the same result.

I'm a Blog Stalker.

I found that it's making me incredibly shy! I find myself making sure I'm not logged in so that I can sneak around the blasted app so that people don't know that I reading up on them. But how creepy is that?! I'm practically sulking around in the bushes!

Well.. I'm not hiding any longer! I am a Blog Stalker, and I'm proud of it! Well.. who am I kidding.. I'll still probably sneak a bit, but at least you all know now that i'm doing it. And I will not EVER add such an app to my account.

Fellow blog stalkers, come and go as you wish!

I wanted a change...

AND I GOT IT!













I went red! Well.. okay, so it's mostely brown, but it's as close to a fiery redhead as I've been and I LOVE it. And how hot am I with bangs?! I keep being told my the hair-color is making my eyes "pop" I can't say I dissagree.. I mean.. they've always been blue, but I suppose I'm noticing them more? Anyway, This is my sweet awesome haircut, done by a really good friend of mine; Bree Carlson. She rocks, obviously... who knew my hair could have so much bounce and body? Enjoy!

VERY IMPORTANT UPDATES... well.. sort of.

First off, my husband is cute:












Secondly, I learned how to shoot guns!











Thirdly, It was my birthday, and I have great friends!






















Fourth, My husband remembered my birthday too!










Fifth, I went to Forks!












And La Push










I adopted some kids.. so that I could get pictures of them











And last.. but definitely not least, I HAD A BLAST!

This spring has pretty much rocked my socks so far. If I don't get to hole up in the house with my favorite new series (shout out to Sookie Stackhouse!) then I spend my time exploring my beautiful Washington. I'm only a few months into James's deployment, and I miss him like crazy. Still no contact from his end though this was expected. For now I just occupy my time by staying busy and trying not to sulk. I'm doing a pretty good job so far!

Updates and Manchester State Park

Well, I've been really neglecting my poor blog, since it's already been two months since new years! Where has the time gone? James is back out to sea, and I've been spending most of my time just hanging out with my new roommate! Marissa Curtis moved in with me into our spare room. She was my roommate back in college and happened to find an internship here in Washington. So while she keeps me sane, I drag her all over exploring Washington's coast. Last weekend we hit up Port Gamble and then stopped by a place to eat called the "Grub Hut" It was great! And this weekend we took a trip to Manchester where we saw: A deer, an eagle, a camel, and starfish! And tons of Green anemones that I'm sure we squished while we were trying to climb over the rocks. We had a blast! Here are just a few pictures to keep everyone occupied!

New years shananigans

For New Years this year we spent a lot of the evening at home before we went over to Dale and Tina's where Ray and Jenny and their friend Sheila came over. It was so fun! I love my friends, they are fantastic people! James and I had out our sparkling cider and demonstrated that you don't have to drink to have fun. We had a blast playing Guitar Hero and just chatting with eachother until we finally headed home around 1:00. I have wonderful neighbors. I hope everyone had a great holiday!

I think James stole the show when it came to the pictures, he is such a cutie!