Catch Up

I realize it has been a while since my last post, so I guess I have some catching up to do.

First of all, Kevin and I have recently discovered our new favorite show (too bad its not on air anymore)- Prison Break. With Netflix, you can watch certain movies immediately through XBOX Live, which we had forgotten about for a while. During one of our MANY rainy days, we were flipping through the movies that were available and came across that show. Kevin made a comment about how he had always wanted to watch it, but just never did, and it looked interestingly enough for me, so we began Season 1. We were hooked after just one episode, and now we are only 4 episodes away from being done with Season 2! There are 5 total, so as long as it continues to rain, we will continue to breeze through these seasons.

I also must admit that we have been going crazy without our shows (Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, Smallville, The Biggest Loser, Modern Family, and The Middle). It really is sad how much we watch TV, but that is the great thing about DVR... we can watch them whenever it is convenient for us. And let me tell you... I am getting pretty pumped about some of the shows that are about to start up this next week or two! I'm hooked to "The Secret Life of an American Teenager", and I'm super anxious to see what this new "Kate Plus Eight" is going to be like.

In other news, I had a job interview this past Friday! I feel like it went really well, and I've been praying pretty hard that I get it. It would be prefect!! It is with the Child Development Center (basically daycare) here on the Coast Guard Base. It is literally across the street from my house, so I could walk to work if I got it! It is full time, and the pay is right in the range I have been hoping for. I'm hoping to hear something this week, so I will let you know as soon as I hear something.

And lastly, this month I will pretty much be MIA from all social outings. I've decided that this month I am going to really focus on ME. I plan on focusing on getting healthy and taking better care of my body. I also want to spend some time working on this "house" (if you can call it that). I am beginning to realize that we will more than likely live here the next 3 years, so I am trying to figure out a way to make it feel more home-y. I've been looking at some paint colors, and have a few pieces of furniture that I would love to order, but all of that depends on when I get a job.

All in all, things have been great around here. Kevin and I have been able to spend a lot of quality time together lately, and are looking forward to the weather improving, and getting to really experience some great outdoor activities here in beautiful Kodiak!

It's Like Christmas!

Let me begin by stating that today was an absolutely gorgeous day! It hasn't rained for a few days now (THANK GOD!) and the Mr. Sun was out to say hello today. It's starting to warm up- all the way to the mid 50's maybe 60's! woo hoo...NOT! At this point in time if I have to read another facebook status update about someone being at the beach, floating the river, or laying by the pool, I may have to delete my profile. All I want is for it to be HOT! Not "warmer", but 90-100 degrees kind of hot! But let me stop complaining, because as long as the sun is out and it's not raining I'm a pretty happy girl.

So besides the weather, one of the many other adjustments Kevin and I are learning to face is the lack of shopping around here. Thankfully there is a Wal-Mart, but other than that, we have learned (very quickly) to do the majority of our shopping online (preferably on Amazon.com). When we first got here, we ordered a few things such as my camera, and a new mirror for Kevin's truck. I can remember how excited I was when Kevin came walking in the door carrying those packages. Everyone knows how much they love getting mail (letters, not bills) but packages are like 1,000 times better!

Yesterday we decided we would grill some fajitas, and had one of Kevin's A-school buddies over for dinner. We were hanging out on the deck, and Kevin decided to go check the mail. First he pulled out a small box, which I immediately started yelling "Who's it for"?? Then he pulls out an even bigger box! I am jumping up and down at this point. It was like Christmas morning. We weren't expecting packages at all, and the best part was they were both for ME!! YAY!!!

The first one I ripped into was a book my mom ordered for me. I thought that she was going to be sending me her copy once she finished reading it, but she decided it was a good enough book that it would be beneficial for us both to have a copy. It is the new Beth Moore book called, "So Long Insecurity". I am so excited about reading this book! I am at a point in my life, where this book is something that I really need. I was able to read the first chapter on Amazon a few weeks ago when my mom first told me about it, and I have been dying to jump right in and read the whole thing. (My poor mom didn't know about Amazon, and actually paid $20 to have a book shipped to me!! Isn't she the greatest?!?)

After I wiped the tears away from my eyes, I ripped into the next package. I had an idea of what it was going to be, but wasn't positive. Once I got to the shoe box I knew... it was the pair of rainboots Kevin's mom had ordered for me! We had been emailing back and forth about rainboots and which ones I liked the best, and she decided she wanted to order a pair for me (isn't she sweet!!). I had no clue that they would get here so fast (Thank You Zappos), so I was really shocked when I saw they were already here. Now if I could just find a few puddles to play around in!

All in all, it has been a good couple of days. Kevin and I have become obsessed with the show Prison Break (thanks to Netflix) and have almost completed Season One. Kevin works nights Wednesday and Thursday, and then he is back to days for two weeks... YAY!!! This weekend is the infamous Kodiak Crab Festival, and we are both anxious to see what all the hoopla is about. One a sad note... the two guys Kevin went to A-school with, and have become our "family" are leaving on June 3rd for three months! I'm so thankful I don't have to worry about Kevin going underway, but it is going to be so weird to have our two closest friends gone for pretty much the whole summer. We plan on spending as much time as possible with them within the next week, which means the 4 of us are guaranteed to shake Kodiak up, and get into a little trouble! ;)

Rain Rain Go Away, and Please Don't Come Another Day!

OH. MY. GOODNESS!! I am so sick and tied of rain! It has rained EVERY day this week. And not just a few showers in the morning or the evening, but a miserable drizzle all day long. And to make matters worse...the sun decided to tease me today. When I woke up this morning to take the dogs out, it was bright and shiny and beautiful. I ran inside to put on some clothes and tennis shoes, not sure what I was going to do, but it was going to be something outdoors! And guess what... by the time I stepped back outside it was dark, gloomy, and raining again! ugghhhhh!!!!

And you want to know the worst part... it is expected to rain all next week too! I am definitely starting to understand how people get "cabin fever". In a desperate attempt to keep my sanity, I drug Kevin into town last night to walk around WalMart! Seriously... WALMART!! And trust me... it's not one of those humongous, fancy, "Super" Walmarts... it is a rinky dink type of Walmart, but it is my saving grace! I seriously could walk up and down every single aisle if it means getting out of the house for an hour.

Thankfully I do have some ammunition hidden up my sleeve for this weekend. Tomorrow afternoon I have a birthday party to go to, and plenty of cooking, cleaning, and laundry. And whatever I don't get done tomorrow afternoon, I can do on Sunday. And don't forget the gym! I plan on spending a couple good, long hours there! In addition, I think this weekend might require laying in the "solar therapy" room (aka- tanning bed) for 10-15 minutes.

In other news, I got to sit and visit with my mom and my dad earlier today. It had been a while since I had talked to either of them, and it was great to just get to catch up.

My dad went in on Thursday for a procedure to check up on his heart. He ended up having a pacemaker and defibrillator put into his chest since they considered him to be an ideal candidate for a massive heart attack (he has had issues with his heart since I was in the 2nd grade). I can't express how much of a shock this was to hear, but how thankful I am that they were able to take care of it early on. My dad's doing great, and should be able to go home tomorrow.

My mom and I just sat and talked about anything and everything. Things with her and Bruce (the guy me and Kelli set her up with) are still going great. The marriage convo seems to come up a lot between the two of them, but until Lauren is out of high school my mom wont even consider it. I'm so glad that she has found somebody to spend time with and that makes her happy. She deserves to be happy and to be loved, and I think she has finally found that. We also got a good laugh about how Lauren picked up a pair of Bruce's (clean) underwear out of the dryer and nearly threw up all over the place!

I'm hoping to catch up with Lauren tomorrow afternoon so she can give me a few lessons on how to use my new camera. She just got the Canon 50D and is an amazing photographer! Here is a link to her facebook page, with her first "photo shoot". I can't wait for her to take some family pictures of me, Kevin, Winston, and Charlie (whenever she gets to come to Alaska!). I can't believe she is about to finish up her junior year of high school...and then she will be a senior!! I can't believe how fast she is growing up, and that she will be going off to college before I know it.

Where does the time go? Even though there are weeks like this one that seem to drag on forever, for the most part I can't seem to keep up. 7 weeks in Kodiak, 10 weeks since we left Texas, 8 months since the miscarriage, and almost 2 years of marriage!

I hope everyone has a great weekend, and that it is a LONG, relaxing one!!

Tomorrow- You're Only a Day Away

Lately I have felt like Kevin and I are slipping into a horrible rut of a routine. With his work schedule and my lack of any schedule, we are getting to where we do absolutely nothing all day long. You see, Kevin works a swing shift- two weeks of day shifts, and two weeks of night shifts. I'm sure his body is in shock, but even on his days off we are getting into the habit of staying up late, therefore sleeping in late.

This wouldn't be such an issue, except I am extremely worried about what kind of effects this will have on our bodies. I'm already worried about how we will handle our first winter here, since it is pretty much dark for months. We have been told that it is very easy to slip into depression, and to make sure that you stay busy and out of the house. It has been about a week since I started feeling sick, and I can honestly say I have only left the house three times in a week! How sad is that?!? And to make matters worse, it's not like I am doing anything special at home. I am sitting in front of the computer and TV for hours at a time.

After watching tonight's episode of The Biggest Loser, I realized that it is time for change. Kevin and I really need to get our priorities in order, and we need to start making a better life for ourselves. Since we have been in Kodiak, the only form of social activity we get is at the bar. And the cherry on top... the bars don't close until 5 am here! So you are guaranteed to feel like absolute crap the next day. We sat and talked a while about this, and have come up with a list of things that we both want to "fix".

1.) Go to the gym. There is no reason we shouldn't already be doing this. It is on base (30 seconds from our house), and is a great way to get out of the house.
2.) Start a healthier lifestyle. This goes hand in hand with going to the gym. We want to start eating healthier, not drinking as much, and getting outside more often. This includes taking the dogs for a walk any day that it is not rainy.
3.) Keeping the house clean. Our house is always "tidy" but I would like to get into the habit of doing a good cleaning at least once a week. That includes dusting, scrubbing the tub, mopping, and steam cleaning the carpets.
4.) Keep up with the laundry! It seems like we put this off until the very last minute, and then have 10 loads we have to do! I want to start doing a load midweek, like on Wednesday, and another on Sunday. This way it never piles up so much that it is overwhelming.
5.) Cooking and Eating together. We have already started cooking together alot more, and we both really enjoy it. The problem is, we then go and sit in front of the TV on the couch to eat our dinner. My new goal is for us to start actually eating at the dining room table.
6.) Find a church. Pretty self explanatory.
7.) More intimacy. Lately it feels like the only time we are "close" is when we think I am ovulating. The rest of the time I am usually so upset that we have not gotten pregnant, that I don't want Kevin to even touch me. This one really bothers me, and yet I don't have any set plan on how to improve on this.
8.) To just live a happier, healthier, stress-free, and more active life. This is what all of these adjustments will eventually lead to.

And on top of all of this- I put in a job application today, and I have 3 more to drop off tomorrow! Woo hoo! Now, if I could just get a job and start already! I'm sick of sitting at home all day and would really like a little bit of structure to my day. I will also be calling the doctor tomorrow to set up an appointment for the end of the month to discuss fertility issues.

So all in all- tomorrow is a big day. I feel like it is the start of something new... a new and improved way of life and love and happiness! Here's to me and my lists! Cheers!

Home Sick

Six Weeks... That is how long Kevin and I have been in Kodiak, Alaska so far. Some days it feels like we just stepped off that ferry and everything is still new and exciting. Other days it feels like we have been here long enough, and it is time to pack up and move back home.

Don't get me wrong. Most days I thoroughly enjoy living here. The people are outstanding, and have made us feel right at home. Kevin seems to love where he is working, and the people he works with. He is already going through the paperwork and study materials to become a supervisor, and has started on his packet to become an OS-2. His opportunity for advancement here seems great, and he is very willing. There are roughly 4 jobs at this point in time which have caught my eye, and I will be putting in applications this week.

The day-to-day life here in Kodiak isn't bad. It isn't Kodiak that makes me homesick. We could be living in Orlando, Florida and I would still feel this way. It's a feeling of abnormalcy. A feeling of wanting to be able to live your life a certain way, but it not being an option. When Kevin signed with the Coast Guard, we knew we were kissing certain things goodbye. We knew we would be moving all over, and on an average day we are both amazed and thankful for the adventures we have been able to experience because of the Coast Guard. But everyone has an "off" day, and those days are the days where I wish more than anything that we lived back in Texas close to our families.

When I was little and would think about what my life would like when I was married and grown up, all I wanted was for my children to grow up around their family. You see, my sister and I lived 30 minutes away from my dad's side of the family, yet we only saw them maybe 3 times a year (Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas). My mom's side has always been spread all over the place, and we are lucky if we can get everyone together once a year. Now that I'm married, I look to Kevin's family as well. They all live in the same city (30 minutes from my Dad's side of the family) and have each other right around the corner if they were to ever need anything. I love going to visit and seeing everyone together.

I have always envisioned what it would be like when Kevin and I have our first baby. Before, I used to think about a waiting room so packed solid that some people would be forced to stand since all of the chairs would be taken. I saw a solid stream of visitors coming in one after another to check on Kevin and I, and to meet the newest edition to our family. I saw us driving up to our home, which would have a big stork in the front yard and lots of decorations that everyone put together for us. But the reality of things now is that Kevin and I will be alone. We will bring a baby into this world without a single family member in the waiting room. We will be lucky to have any visitors, and if there is a stork in the yard when we pull up, it will be because Kevin stuck it there on one of his trips to let the dogs out during our hospital stay.

This past week my baby sister got her braces off, went to prom, and got the camera of her dreams. I wasn't there to celebrate any of that with her.

My In-Laws will be renewing their vows after 32 years of marriage in August- with Kevin's 90 year old Grandfather as their officiant. We won't be there to celebrate that with them.

Proposals, weddings, graduations, class reunions, birthdays, funerals, and holidays... we won't be there to experience any of them without being forced to pick and choose which is the most "important" and when we can afford to go.

This is the life that I must now envision, grasp, and hold onto. Like I said before...on an average day these sorts of things don't affect me like this. I love my husband and the life that we are making together. I know there is a reason we are where we are, and that God has great things planned for us. (If only God could maybe make it a little easier to visit home- Please and Thank You!!)

Can it PLEASE be June 30th!

This past weekend Kevin and I went to see Iron Man 2 (everyone who knows me understands Kevin's weird obsession with all things comic book related!). I was shocked that it was even showing at the movie theater here in town since everyone has told us that it takes about a month for new realeases to get here. I'm guessing the "big time" movies somehow get here with no problem at all... We had been told that New Moon showed the first day it was out and was sold out for over a week, so I have already been trying to come up with my game plan for when Eclipse comes out.

As you can see over there to your right ----> I found an AWESOME countdown for the Eclipse movie, so there is no way it will slip my mind! Although I'm sure that could never happen.

So while I have been feeling pretty crummy the past two days (fever, sore throat, and achy body) I finally ventured into the living room today to wash a few dishes, fart around on the computer, and watch some TV on the couch like a normal person. So after getting a little cleaning done (I still feel yucky by the way, but my loving husband called me Peg Bundy for sitting around all day doing nothing so I had to be productive so I could shove it in his face!) I sat down and started flipping through the channels. I rarely watch Oprah... as my grandmother stated once, "She is the anti-Christ". Her reasoning-She has so much "power" and "say" over what people do and think, and yet she is totally for Obama, and isn't a Christian. So anyways... I saw that Oprah only had 30 minutes left, and clicked the little info button just to see what she was doing on today's show. Well, much to my surprise she has the Twilight Saga cast on her show today!! I'm so mad I missed the first 30 minutes! I paused the show because Kevin called, and I immediately went to Stephanie Meyer's website. I have only found myself there once of twice before, but will all of this free time I need something to consume my mind other than babies.

After watching an interview with Stephanie Meyer on Oprah's website, I think I have decided I want to read her book "The Host". Has anyone read this? It seems a little weird, but in her interview she said this is her favorite book she has written, more so that the Twilight Saga, so it has to be good! It is also being turned into a movie, so I need to get the reading out of the way before it hits the big screen. She is also releasing a short book called "The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner" which kind of goes hand-in-hand with Eclipse (it is mainly about the newborn vampires perspective on things). You can actually read it for free online here between June 7th and July 5th. But if you are like me, and want a copy to add to your collection, $1 of every purchase will go to the Red Cross.

Well, now that I am all jazzed about this, I am going to unpause Oprah, and enjoy the last 30 minutes with the Twilight Saga cast! Have a great day- tomorrow is Friday! WOO HOO!!

This is My Luck...

First of all, some of you may have noticed that my P90X blog no longer exists. Although Kevin and I do the workouts about 3-4 times a week, I didn't feel that I was fully committed, and didn't have very much to write about on that blog. I've decided that I will still try to post updates once a week on here once I get back into the swing of things. P90X has been put on hold temporarily, but I swear, one of these days I will be going full force again.

Secondly, I feel like my life totally sucks right now! I finally heard back from my job and it wasn't good. They can't hire me due to my credit... aka- Student Loan Debt. It is just absurd to me that they wouldn't hire me considering the job isn't even full time. So after my day long melt down, I have started to look for jobs all over again. I dropped off a resume this afternoon, and I will more than likely be going to the career services center on Monday to drop of my resume and take a typing test. Lately I have found myself constantly wondering, "What is my purpose..." I know that I'm just in a slump right now that will pass, so this weekend I will be trying everything in my power to have fun (even though Kevin works the whole time). Any suggestions on how to have fun all alone and indoors due to rain??

Still Waiting

Exactly two weeks ago I received the phone call offering me my new job. I was so excited, mostly because a job will keep me busy and out of the house. Sadly, I have still been waiting to start this new job, due to how extensive the background check is. It's so frustrating because this is just the first half of the paperwork...I still have another packet and fingerprints to do once the background check comes back and I'm cleared.

So while I am still waiting, I continue to sit at home BORED out of my mind! Naturally, when Kevin is home I want to spend time with him, so the day to day upkeep of our house seems to fall between the cracks after a long weekend. Thankfully today I have lots of cleaning, laundry, and grocery shopping to keep myself preoccupied for the 12 hours Kevin is gone.

We have also started talking about competing in a swim meet! Every year the Coast Guard holds a big competition of different events call the Captain's Cup. Kevin have been talking about signing up to swim a few events, but I didn't really think anything of it. One night we were talking to some of our friends, and 2 of the guys mentioned they wanted to sign up to swim as well. They began discussing the medley relay, and who would swim what stroke. The only problem is they have to have one female on their relay...so guess who is getting sucked in? That's right... ME! Thankfully the one stroke nobody wanted to swim was the breast stroke, which just so happens to be what I swam in high school. The swim meet is May 17th, so we don't have very much time to prepare, so for the next 2 weeks we will be hitting the pool and "practicing". I'm actually pretty excited, and although I'm sure we will look more like the "Bad News Bears" it ought to be fun and a good experience.

Other than that, there isn't a whole lot going on around here. I haven't had the opportunity to really use my new camera very much, which is driving me crazy! I think tonight we may go out and take some pictures for a little while, and then again on Wednesday when Kevin is off.