Just Set It Up FOR Me!

I don't claim to be a technical person. Yes, I have a Master's in Applied Technology, but that's in EDUCATION, big difference from some of these crazy everyday gadgets they have now. I resist jumping right in to anything new because sometimes I just wonder if it's really worth it. Then, I slowly get sucked in.

Take for example the Nook by Barnes and Noble. I love to read. I can sit down a read a book in a day if I really wanted to. It drives my husband crazy. I will go to Target or some other store, see a book that peaks my interest, buy it, and finish it in 24 hours. My husband has begged me to get a membership to our library as it would be much cheaper. He wanted to buy me the Nook for Christmas, and I said NO. I just couldn't imagine not actually holding a real book to read. What fun would that be? Then I caved. Part of the reason was because the books are frequently much cheaper...at least half the price sometimes! As much as I read, I would make up the price of the Nook in no time. Slowly I fell in love.

I think part of the problem is that I am intimidated. I mean how many contraptions do you really need on a phone? I just want to call for the love of pete. Once again, my husband convinced me to get the Blackberry so I could receive e-mail anywhere while he was deployed. I said I would get rid of it when he came home. That was almost 8 months ago and I still have it an all it's apps. Just when I was getting used to it though, I was up for a new phone. And so the great debate began, Blackberry again or Droid?

Again I resisted the Droid because I knew nothing about it and I already knew how to use the BB. Of course, I lost this battle as well and now my Droid is finally here. I am sure it is cool and all, but until I figure it out, I could care less. My husband, on the other hand, couldn't wait to open the box. I went to work, and he set it up. I wanted nothing to do with it! I am sure once I figure it out I will love it, but until then, as long as I can make phone calls it's good enough!

Anyone else have the Droid? Any good apps you might suggest?

I'm Baaaccckk!

On Saturday, we returned from our wonderful 9 day cruise, much to the happiness of our four furry kids! We really had a great time, and I would recommend taking a cruise to anyone! It was great having our meals already paid for but still being waited on and having a huge variety of options. There was entertainment every night, including comics, singers and jugglers! Visiting the four islands was also very nice. I still love St. Maarten and found a new love in St. Thomas!

Our cruise ship, Explorer of the Seas. It was huge! On board there were over 3,000 passengers, not including crew. I must admit, my fears of sea sickness were not founded. You could barely feel it!
Every night there was a different towel animal on our bed! Here is our elephant. My favorite was definitely the lobster! I am trying to convince my husband to do this for me, but so far no luck.
This was the night we decided to eat in the nice Italian restaurant on board. Love my family, even if my brother needs a haircut!
We toured this fort in Puerto Rico...the Fort of San Juan. I swear we walked about five miles that day, but it was worth it. The buildings were beautiful!
My brother and sister-in-law played Bingo on board almost everyday. It wasn't cheap either...$55 a game. Bingo certainly has changed over the years. You can see they are holding a blue board. The days of marking the numbers is over! Instead this is an electronic hand held that can keep track of 30 cards for you! You don't do anything but sit there! Crazy! Even though they paid so much, it was worth it, because on the last day Sarah won the jackpot prize of over $2,000!
Our last night on board ended with a gorgeous sunset! We couldn't have asked for a better ending to our vacation. I have so many more pictures (over 400 to be exact), but I would be here all day! I will try to post some more throughout the summer.

For now, it's back to work here. Michael has only 8 more days off until he reports to the unit and works for them for the remainder of the summer, and meanwhile I am still at the restaurant. I still plan on relaxing as much as possible and gearing up for a new school year! I can't believe how fast the time goes. Maybe I will plan my next cruise too!

6.30.07

Today is our three year anniversary! I still remember our wedding day like it was yesterday. Everything was perfect, and I couldn't have been happier. We were lucky enough to be surrounded by friends and family as we made our commitment to each other, and promised to be each others forever.

Our first year together was spent planning for an upcoming deployment, our second was spent apart during a deployment, so hopefully our third will have nothing to do with deployment!

Michael,
I love you more now then I did the day we were married. You have been my shoulder to cry on, my strength when I needed it more then ever, and my best friend. You are loving and always know how to make my life just a little bit easier, whether it be taking care of the dogs, or vacuuming while I have to work. There is no one else I could imagine going through that deployment with other then you. Even though I know it was hard on you, you were always supportive of me and put on a very brave face. I am so thankful to have you as my partner, and I can't wait to see what the next year brings. I love you.

Always.

FINALLY

Tomorrow, we will be setting sail! I have to say, after getting my butt handed to me at work the past couple nights, I am more then ready for it! I am excited and a little nervous. I am so excited to head back to the crystal blue water that Michael and I swam in on our honeymoon. We will be swimming with dolphins (my dream!) in Bermuda, snorkeling in St. Maarten and St. Thomas, and taking a tour of a castle in Puerto Rico. I plan on getting a tan and relaxing!

I have also seen the movie Poseidon, so in the event of a rogue wave I am pretty sure I can figure out how to crawl through to the propeller. (Yeah right!) I don't want to be sea sick, or worried about running into a rogue wave. The sea sickness medicine is packed, and, well, if there is a rogue wave, I guess I'm screwed! My imagination doesn't help at all!

Even though I am so excited, I have to say I will miss my boys and girls at home. The good news is, the best man in our wedding is actually staying at our house and taking care of them. I know they are in good hands, and they love their Uncle Dale, but I will still miss them :(

I will see you in 9 glorious days!

Happy Birthday to ME!

Today is my birthday, and I turn the big 2-6! For some reason I really don't like that number. 26 and 27 get me. My loving husband keeps reminding me I am closer to 30 then I am 20 now. Lovely.

Unfortunately, with our upcoming cruise, I have to work tonight. This past weekend has been crazy between the weekly beach traffic and Father's Day. Last night was just insane. I just keep telling myself this is the last summer I am working. I have had summer jobs since I was 16 and have always said I wanted to do as much as possible, work as much as possible until we had kids. Well, regardless of whether or not we have kids next summer, I am NOT working! Don't get me wrong, the money is GREAT ( I made $295 last night alone!) but I am exhausted!

Today, in preparation for our vacation, my mom, sister-in-law and myself are going to get pedicures, and then have a birthday lunch with everyone at my parents, then it's off to work :( Oh well. In three days I will be sailing south to warmer weather with the sun on my face and a drink in my hand!

Again?!

I follow a blog of another Army wife whose husband was deployed the same time as Michael was, and happened to return about two weeks before him. I loved reading her blog because she was going through the same ups and downs I was, seemed to have many of the same characteristics as me (read Type A organized and a planner), and even got to experience R&R about two weeks before me.

Her husband was planning on getting out of the Army next Spring when his time was up, and was barely going to miss his unit's next deployment. Unfortunately, they received news that the deployment was moved up and instead of barely missing it, he will have to join them on it. It breaks my heart.

I can't imagine what she is going through. She has had her husband back the same amount of time I have had mine, and I don't know if I would be able to prepare myself so quickly for another year apart. Another year of sleepless nights and plastering a smile on my face when people asked how Michael was doing. My heart aches for her.

I know that there is always the possibility of Michael going again, but so soon? From what I have read, she is a very strong woman, and they will get through it again, but it doesn't make it any easier. Tonight, I think I will hug my husband a little tighter and be thankful he doesn't have orders.....yet.

A Summer Cold?

Apparently you can catch a cold in summer because I have a full on one. Instead of trying to soak up and pre-cruise tan today I am inside sniffling and rubbing my poor nose red with tissues. I went a whole year with little ones and hardly got sick, now I'm not even around them and I have a cold! What in the world?

It doesn't makes things any better that I have been working for four days straight now. I guess I should have expected that since I am asking for 9 days off beginning next week, but hey, I still need a little bit of a break! The bad part is, I am actually scared to call out because they are so weird about it. Asking for a day off is like asking for their first born, it's quite ridiculous.

I have been loading up on Vitamin C and other cold remedies so hopefully by tomorrow I start to feel a little better. At least it is happening now and not in 9 days when I leave on a big boat! I am sure I will feel better by then.