Thursday, April 30, 2009

Getting ready for a Welcome Home!!

It never fails to surprise me at where and when inspiration can hit you. As some of you are aware, the dear husband has been away at school for awhile now and I have missed him terribly. Obviously with only about a week left till he is supposed to come home, I am feeling a rising tide of impatience, excitement, a smudge of confusion, and overwhelming joy. As the time has begun to draw closer for his return, I have been wracking my brain trying to think up various things that I could do to make his homecoming memorable. So as I strolled through the bookstore the other day, this little gift box drew my attention and I went over to investigate. The raffia tied box had a hula girl plastered to the front and promised that the music and pages inside could teach you how to hula. Thinking it might be something fun to try, I snagged it up and came home with it and a few other purchases. That's when it hit me...why not throw a little luau party! Even if it would be just the dear husband, our dogs, and myself...it would be fun and definitely not something that he would be expecting. After a discussion with my grandmother(who was also a military wife) and one with my mother, I knew that I'd hit on just the right idea. So today, I set out in quest for just the right decorations and touches to make this luau work. As you can clearly see it was mission accomplished and I am so giddy about the whole idea that I'm having trouble to not continually take things out and look at them. If only there were words that could begin to compare with the excitement and enthusiasm I am feeling...then I could somehow convey these overwhelming sensations. I feel almost as if we are back at the beginning of our courtship and am flooded with the desire and happiness that comes with knowing that you've just found your true love. It may sound so very silly to some of you, but this time apart has made me so much more appreciative of the wonderful and amazing man that I have been blessed to be married to.
With all that in mind, I decided that I wanted to do something new to my hair and try to spruce it up, so I went and had highlights put in. I think it's adorable and the picture truly doesn't do it justice. So ladies and gents...the countdown has begun in earnest! Just about a week left till my dear husband is home and we finally get to be together again. You've no idea how much I can't wait!!

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

A perfect moment....

As crystal shards of prism-colored water flowed from my garden hose, a special visitor lighted upon a fence post and sent inquisitive glances my way. I spoke a soft greeting to my new feathered friend and could not help but to beam him a smile as he cocked his head in left and right turns and fluffed his downy feathers. I made comments on the weather, but cheerily bid him adieu as he took off after other pursuits. His short and sweet visit lingered with me the rest of the evening and I was thankful for perfect moments like these!

Wednesday Wonders

I've got a confession to make...instead of cleaning the downstairs like I should have done, I decided to throw responsiblity to the wind and do some shopping! My first stop was to our wonderful local bookstore where I found some great deals(and something for my next giveaway) and got a cup of the best coffee around. Then I meandered over to World Market and that's where I found some even more amazing bargains! I was able to pick up this adorable woven, outdoor rug for around $20. They had them in a decent color variety, but I chose the green edged one for a nice compliment to the red table cloth and because it also matched the chic pillows I also purchased.
Speaking of the pillows, aren't these just too cute?! They were on sale for 50% off and I couldn't resist! They scream spring and summer to me and at $7.50 each...to much of a bargain to pass up.

I've been so lucky to have found all these great pieces that add up to making quite the outdoor retreat. The dear husband and I are going to have a wonderful place to escape to all summer long and we won't even have to leave our own backyard! Truly some Wednesday wonders!


Tuesday, April 28, 2009

More Spring Smiles

Stretching, yawning, stumbling, I shuffled to the back-door to let the dogs out for their sunrise tour of the yard. Bleary-eyed and with bed-ruffled hair, I let my half-awake gaze roam over the lay of the land and felt a jolt of giddiness surge through me when I looked to my right and, where the night before had been nothing but a quaint little dirt bed, there was now these vibrant,fragile stalks of sown grass. I had given up my hopes that the grass seed I had so loving planted would ever come to fruition, but there they were...as beautiful and fresh as a newly minted dollar bill. Even if the grass has only pushed it's shiny tendrils into a small area...it still brings a spring smile to my heart and a word of thanks to my lips.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

A True Love Story

Her daddy thought that the boy was just comin' round to visit with his sons, a prime example for them of what a good Christian young-man should be. Even if they didn't discuss it, she and her momma secretly knew the real reason he shadowed their doorstep every weekend and she had the letters to prove it. He was a dashingly handsome fellow, with a headful of dark, wavy hair and a smile that could disarm even the most crochety old maid. How it was that her daddy finally had the blinders taken from his darkened eyes and opened to the light of truth no one ever really knew. He'd be damned, however, if he was gonna let that sorry old son-of-a-gun come around anymore. Her daddy told her she had two options...she could either write him a letter and tell him he wasn't welcome anymore, or when the boy showed up the next weekend, he'd tell him. Either way, daddy was determined to put an end to the budding relationship between his little girl and that good-for- nothing-never-possibly- amount-to-anything- so and so. So with a heart breaking clean in two, she sent him out the letter she'd never dreamed she'd have to send. He read over her words with a mix of sadness and a growing determination that he wasn't going to let things go that easily and if she loved him as much as he loved her, he knew she'd not let it either. So, he wrote back to her and told her that if her daddy wouldn't let him come to the house to see her anymore then they were going to have to get married and she would come to his house because he had to keep seeing her. As Christmas time rolled around, her momma, an unspoken ally, made sure she had a new coat and a new dress and two days after Christmas the whole family headed over to Cousin Glady's for a big Hall family dinner. She told them she was just heading out for a walk after that huge feast they'd devoured and smiled a cheshire-cat grin when she saw him waiting at the edge of the clearing. Hopping in the car he brought, they made their escape and after a flying visit to a justice of the peace, just barely made it onto the ferry that would get them into Lousiana. Her daddy was never really happy with it, but she loved her husband right till the end and a more devoted man you could never have asked for. They brought up two fine boys and were loved not only by their children and grandchildren, but by their great grandchildren as well..........

I've been thinking about my family love stories lately and the one that my great-grandparent's had has always stuck with me. We called my great-grandparents Oomaw and Oompaw and two more devoted people you never could find. Oomaw ended up having to be in a nursing home a good many years, at the end, and Oompaw would get in his little truck, every single day and head up there to spend the whole day with her. He couldn't bear the thought of his " Little Nancy" needing him and he not being there for her. My grandparents love story was one of equal love and devotion, but that's a tale for another day.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Tender Graces: A Review

I finally got my copy of Tender Graces a couple of days ago and could hardly wait to delve right into the middle of things. Little did I know just how wonderful and thoughtful this book would turn out to be. For the past few years, I've had a problem where I start a book I'm interested in and then I just end up not being able to finish it. I can assure you though, with this book, that definitely wasn't the case! I believe I got it on Thursday afternoon and by midday on Friday I was reading the last pages. Tender Graces is a book that will draw you in...keep you captivated...and leave you wanting to know more. I'm sure any of you that do read it will agree with me when I say that I can hardly wait for the next book in the saga! Kathryn Magendie's style of writing is easy to follow with a flow that is lyrical and enchanting. I don't often recommend many books, but this is one that I can whole-heartedly stand behind! Ms. Magendie...it's amazing...simply amazing!!

Friday, April 24, 2009

Crazy Dazy Friday

So after reading one of the blogs I follow, I decided to use the idea she had posted for today and make it part of my own.Eight Things I'm Looking Forward To:
1. The dear husband hopefully coming home around the first part of next month.
2. Celebrating our 8th Anniversary together around the end of next month.
3.Finishing reading Tender Graces, because I can hardly put that book down!
4.Hopefully getting to spend my sister's birthday with her and the rest of our family.
5.Seeing the new X-Men movie that comes out on the 1st of May(yeah I know I'm a nerd, but I'm really okay with that:)
6. Going back to the beach with the dear husband and our dogs
7.Getting more plants for our little flower bed
8.Visiting the bookstore again for more books and a cup of their delicious coffee!!

Eight things I did yesterday:
1.Watered all my plants and made sure they got sprayed with the solution I'm using to make sure they don't have spider mites
2.Ran to the grocery store and picked up some more supplies to get me through till next payday...honeybun anyone???
3.Came home to find my copy of Tender Graces had arrived and promptly started reading it
4. Played with my dogs and their new chew toys(okay so what if Bronson likes to carry around his sister's pink little heart while she goes after his duck...their just toys right??!!)
5. Called up my mom crying because I just missed my husband so much and I needed to talk to someone about it
6. Determined to call up my mother-in-law and get the recipe for the Rhubarb pie the dear husband loves so much, but then forgot to actually do it!(today...today I swear!)
7.Watched the birds eating the grass seed I put down a couple days ago( >.<)
8. Read Tender Graces till I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer and went to sleep( Yeah it's just that good!)

Eight TV shows I watch:
1. Ghost Hunters
2.Though it isn't actually a T.V. show, rather a channel, I do watch a bit of TCM
3.Extreme Makeover- Home Edition( I love how they help people out)
4.John and Kate Plus 8
5. Charmed
6. Local news.
7. King of the Hill
8. That 70's Show

Eight things I wish I could do:
1. Go back to school...I really would like to get a better education.
2. Decide just what I want to get an education in and what career path I would like to follow.
3. Learn to play either the violin, the piano, or the guitar.
4. Lose all the weight I need to just by squeezing my eyes really tight and saying, " I think I can, I think I can."
5. Push myself to work more on improving my drawing and painting skills
6. Learn to forgive people for hurts that happened in the past and to put all the anger and frustration that still exists, to rest for good.
7. To be able to find something that I am so passionate about that I am able to not let it just fall by the wayside like I do with so many things.
8. To not feel like I have to hide what I think and who I am from people because I'm so afraid of them rejecting me and turning their backs on me.

Anyways, I hope you all have a great weekend!!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Feeling a bit Melancholy...


So this morning, I am really, really missing my husband. It seems like everywhere I look, there are couples and they all seem so happy together. Yesterday morning, I was waiting for the NEX to open and there were this husband and wife there holding hands and talking with each other. I felt so jealous of them and ended up sitting there just staring at my wedding band with misted eyes. I know that time wise he hasn't been gone that long and it isn't too terribly much longer till he is supposed to be home, but it honestly feels as though it's been years and years! It makes it much worse too knowing how much he wants to come home and how lonely he is there. I think that is what affects me the most because I hate that there isn't anything that I can do to cheer him up more. I can hardly wait to be able to look up into that handsome face of his and see him smiling down at me.... Hurry up May and bring my husband back to me!!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

A New Project For Me

The other day I stopped into our Navy Exchange and browsed a bit, when I noticed a very cute wreath hanging up. I inquired as to how much it was and was a little taken aback when the floral clerk informed me of a price tag of $50! However much I might have liked it...I didn't like it $50 worth! So, when I went to Wal-Mart a couple of days later, I checked out the small craft section and even though there wasn't much to choose from, I grabbed a couple things of silk flowers and the grapevine wreath and determined to try to create something myself. I had intended to use these pretty, bright, pink and yellowish flowers along with a couple of the greenish ones and the hydrangeas, but somehow it took on a life of it's own and I think it came out better than I could have hoped for and all for about $14+tax. Not only was it pretty bargain priced, but I also have the satisfaction of knowing that I made it and there isn't another anywhere just exactly like it! So what do you think???

Monday, April 20, 2009

A Lesson For Everyone....


You may be wondering why I have posted a picture of my vacuum cleaner and so I don't keep you in too intense of anticipation, I'll explain the reason it's here. The other evening, after coming home from walking with a friend, I was on the phone with the dear husband when I noticed a line of ants marching from one of the windows to the front of my couch. Not having any ant spray that I would want to use around my dogs, I knew that I had to get them up, so I rushed, grabbed my vacuum, and started doing all that I could to get the little buggers up. I noticed that there was poor suction and was a bit upset by the thought that my vacuum was breaking down on me and right now I couldn't afford to get a new one. I unattached the hose to nab the ones in the window sill and had no suction at all. So throwing the hose to the floor, I turned the machine off and prepared to see if I had a clog and that's when I noticed something missing. Yes ladies and gents....I had forgotten that two days before I had taken off the whole plastic front part to wash it and the filters and you guessed it I hadn't re-attached any of it. So there I was...trying to vacuum up ants with no filters in, no trash bucket, and let me assure you while I was relieved that the blasted thing wasn't broken, I felt a little silly for forgetting something so necessary. So, let that be a lesson to ya...always make sure you have ALL the vacuum parts attached before you try to get anything up. It just makes life easier in the long run!

Saturday, April 18, 2009

What To Do When Your Saturday Plans Change...

Have you ever found yourself in the position of having to change plans you've had all week because the people you've invited over for lunch decided not to come after all?? Well, if you are anything like me and are prone to feeling a bit melancholy over something not happening that you were really looking forward to, here's some things you can do to fill up that extra time you suddenly have on your hands...
You can call up your grandmother(or mother...friend...distant auntie..whoever)
And wish them a very Happy Birthday(Happy 78th Birthday Memaw!!!)....
You can hang up that picture you were planning to wait for the dear husband to help with, but you figure hey why not give it a shot...
You can finally start working on that puzzle you always ment to get around to, but didn't for who knows whatever reason...

You can have a tea-party for one and go fancy-smansy with the tea-pot, cup, saucer, and hey even a sugar bowl...
You can go ahead and water the plants and the yard because that rain that was promised to be here( and even if it has been cloudy) you still haven't gotten...

You can even go ahead and dead-head your poor rose-bushes because you keep hoping they won't die on you....
All in all, I'm sure there's a million things you can find to do when you're company hasn't come over....now if only it would all really be as fun as it would have been if they had showed up!!!








Thursday, April 16, 2009

Just a bragging day....

I guess this entry is going to be a bit of bragging for me. I haven't really been around much lately because I've actually developed a bit of an active social life!! Imagine that...me...with a social life!! Amazing!! It's kinda funny how it took my husband being away to get me out of my shell and to push myself into meeting new people and trying new things that before would have sent me running in terror! Guess that's just learning how to be a tad self-reliant and a means to keep myself from the insanity of loneliness! This is one of my new friends, Julie, and we took this on Easter. She was down here visiting her sister Christina, whose fastly becoming a valuable and trusted friend. Both ladies are sweet, amazing, and joyful people to be around! I'll have to try to snag a photo of Christina and I sometime soon and seeing as we are going to become each other's work-out buddies, it won't be long till we'll both be looking pretty svelte!!
Okay so the dear husband and I have been wanting some patio furniture for the longest time and I found a great deal on this cute table and chair set at Wal-Mart, so I splurged a little and got it as a surprise for my husband when he comes home. Let me tell you...it was just a ball of fun to try to put together....but hey...I did it!! LOL! Now we've all just gotta hope and pray the few missing nuts and bolts won't matter...>.<

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Happy Easter One and All!!

The Puppies and I just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Easter! Hope it is a blessed time spent with those that you love!





Friday, April 10, 2009

Some Spring Time Color


So this afternoon, while taking the pups for a stroll, my attention was arrested by the beauty and the color of this little "weed" flower. I loved how the bright yellows were mixed in with the crimson reds(the picture doesn't do it justice) and couldn't resist "rescuing" it before it ended up as lawn-mower chow. I can't get enough of the vividness of all the little wild-flowers, the newly budded tree-leaves, and the brilliance of the azure-toned, cloud studded sky. It is a refreshing reminder of why this time of year always makes me feel blessed to be alive!

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Hope Your Easter is Great

I haven't been around a lot the past few days because I've been a bit busy. Wednesday night I was invited to the meet-up of the spouses of my husband's squadron and as it was a pot-luck dinner, I had to hurry and try to figure out something to take. It was pleasant though, and I had a nice time getting to meet other military wives that share things in common with me and that I hopefully can build up friendships with. I think it would be nice to be able to be a support network for each other when our spouses are on deployment. This morning I was also invited to a bible study to meet other women and it was a fun experience as well. I've enjoyed having a reason to get out of the house, getting to meet new people, and having something that has helped me to take my mind off my husband still being away. He might get to come home early, so I'm keeping my fingers and my eyes crossed! Anyways, I hope that you will all have a wonderful Easter and in whatever way you celebrate it, may you be blessed!

What are you planning to do for Easter??

Monday, April 6, 2009

Congrats to the Winner of My Giveaway!!


Well, I would like to congratulate Kathryn from http://tendergraces.blogspot.com/ on being the winner of my first giveaway! I really do hope that you will enjoy it Kathryn and for those of you who entered but didn't win, please keep checking back because coming up soon I'll have a few more fun and different giveaways! Hope everyone has a great Monday!

Friday, April 3, 2009

Just Randomness

This week has been a mix of ups and downs for me. I'm really missing the dear husband, but do keep reminding myself that it'll only be this month and part of next and he'll be home again. It does help too that we are able to talk for a few minutes a day. I have had the pleasure of getting a letter from my sister Mary and a card from my new Blogger pen-pal(you can check out her page here: http://everythingilikecausescancer.blogspot.com/), so that's definitely been a bright spot in my week.

I also finally gave into the temptation and bought a pretty plant for next to my front door. Eventually, I want to get about 6 more planters like the one in the picture and line my front walk with them.

While I'm thinking about it, I want to send out the reminder that the deadline for my giveaway is April 6, 2009. All you have to do is email me once with your email address and on the 6th, I'll use a random number generator to pick the winning number.

I think I'm going to spend most of this weekend getting caught up on the house cleaning that I've been putting off and I might take the pups to the beach.

What have ya'll got planned for this weekend??? Whatever it is I hope it'll be at least some fun for ya!