The Best Tropical Vacation!

Random Holiday Pics

2009-01-18T07:38:00.000-08:00

Chris and Sarah

Ty and I

Our Quagmire that got so sick and died over the holidays, despite a $150 vet bill.

Sarah and Josh enjoying sweets

Chris and I being strange

Sarah and I cooking for a new years eve party

Zandra and I by the pool. I had just sprained my ankle, hence the icy dip in the pool.

Our Christmas Tree.

Me, winning Phase 10, Chris looking worried, and Sarah looking angry. Ha ha!!! Victory will be mine!

Josh took most of the pics, so he's not in that many. I'll post more when I transfer them from the camera.

Blessed

2008-11-30T18:21:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking lately about the greatness of God: How He is good, and how He is faithful. Amid my pondering I realized that when we are not happy, it becomes so easy to let our thought processes slip into a skeptical, antagonistic way of thinking, and that that way of thinking will really mess us up.

The skeptical, antagonistic mind has trouble recognizing God as being faithful. When we are not where we'd hope to be in life, we begin to call God's faithfulness into question. I realized tonight that though we may not happy in some areas of life, whether it be spiritually, physically or mentally, that we need to stop being passive and lazily pointing a finger at God for the status of our situations, when God has fully equipped us with what we need to improve our situations.

A memory from my childhood surfaces: I was dog tired and trying to sleep one night, but was kept awake by a bug crawling on a piece of paper in my floor. The bug made so much noise, but I was so sleepy that I didn't want to move. I ended up praying that God would just strike the bug dead so that there would be silence and I could sleep. Upon ending my prayer, I heard "I gave you hands. Use them."

Of course, there are situations physical and spiritual that need divine intervention from God, but in the smaller aspects of day to day life, let us put forth the effort and use what God has given us to improve our lives in the areas that need to be improved upon.

Randomness

2008-11-25T19:25:00.000-08:00

I've got to this post by thanking God for an answered prayer: Traci and Bill found our wedding video on their hard drive, and were able to send me, not one, but two copies of our Dec wedding! Yes, I am very happy!

I've been excited about the anniversary coming up, that I have given in and given Josh a couple early gifts. I brought him a huge bamboo plant that he has been wanting, but I didn't go small. With the help of two plant nursery workers, we crammed over 10 feet of bamboo plant into our vehicle. Needless to say, Josh was shocked. He didn't expect one that big, because they usually cost $85.00. I got this one for half price, too! Here's the top half of it. A year from now, it will have huge stalks. You can see how tall it is in comparison with our roof in the background.

On the things to be happy about list, the next in line would be the holidays being upon us.

Josh and I couldn't wait until after Thanksgiving to buy a tree, so we bought a Douglas Fir from a small family Christmas tree stand last night. The tree came together beautifully. In the background, you will see three puppy stockings belonging to Ben, Joe, and Ty. Jack Sparrow, the cat will soon have his very own stocking.

On this tree are some ornaments that just deserve being noted. Several State of TX ornaments are on the tree. They are badges of honor that attest to my strength for surviving working in a terrible place. I got one for every year I worked there, so now that I'm no longer there they just gleam so brightly on the Christmas tree every year. The second one is a dog that looks like Ty, all rolled in a strand of Christmas lights. My mom gave this to me last year. Still a favorite.

My next favorite thing about the holiday season is a chance to dress up for Christmas parties. I went shopping and came home with two dresses. My plan was to return the one Josh didn't like, but he liked them both. So what to do? I ridiculously took pictures of myself in the dresses and held a "Vote for the Dress" poll on my facebook profile. Below are pics of the winning red dress.

I learned that taking pics of myself is really difficult....and that I make strange faces in the process.

Now, we just have to figure out if Josh is going to go all out "big pimping'" in his white suite from Okinawa or not. We will be sure to post some pics soon.

OK, so this blog was kind of boring, but that's all I've got for now. We will be having Thanksgiving dinner with our neighbors, so I will post pics soon.

2 Years Already

2008-11-14T09:21:00.000-08:00

December 3rd will mark officially mark two years that Josh and I have been married. Our two years have been good, wild, crazy and quite an adventure.

Josh has been a very good husband and I couldn't have found a better man to share my life with. I'm thankful for everything I've been given through our relationship.

I was so blessed to be able to have our wedding in Texas, in the beautiful hill country, and then a wonderful tropical wedding with family in Saipan. Two weddings. What more could a girl ask for? I still remember shopping for my wedding dress with my mom, and planning some details for the Saipan wedding with my future mom in law. Those were exciting times.

The sad thing is that I am hormonal right now, and really depressed to the point of tears, because I wanted to be able to watch our wedding DVDs on our anniversary, but the DVD of our wedding in Texas is still gone, MIA. It has been gone for two years now, and along with it, the original footage. All I have are some pictures. Before our trip to Saipan, Josh thought he copied the wedding DVD into our computer before we left. We left the DVD in Saipan, and returned home to find that Josh had not copied the DVD after all.

I am still scratching my head, thinking why wasn't more than one DVD made? Why did Josh think he had copied it onto our computer? Why is the original footage gone? Why haven't I been able to solve the case of the missing DVD in two years?

If anyone reading this knows where the wedding DVD might be, or has any footage of the Texas wedding, can you please, please, please let me know?

Pumpkin Carving Pics

2008-11-08T09:19:00.000-08:00

I went to Walmart to have the tires on our car replaced, and during my three hour wait there I came across pumpkins on sale. I haven't carved a pumpkin in a while, so I brought two home with me.

This would be me, trying to capture a picture of excitement.

Here is Josh, having fun. Sorry I forgot to rotate the pic before I loaded it.

Gotta love my outfit. lol It was cold outside.

That's it!

Dog Beach Time!!!

2008-10-24T18:30:00.001-07:00

Here are some pics from last weekend. We took the dogs to their favorite dog beach to burn off some energy.

Happy boys on their way to the dog beach.

Ty and I in the middle of a swim race. We're getting ready to turn around and go back to the beach.

I let the dogs win at the end. I wanted to stay in and enjoy the water.

Here's Josh's crazy hair. Yes, he finally has hair again!!!

Enjoying the sun.

Random Pic of Skyway Bridge

Another random Florida view on the way back from the dog beach.

Hillsborough County Traffic Cops

2008-10-24T17:52:00.000-07:00

Working within the legal system on a daily basis, you find yourself weighing the justice in each situation you see. One of the sad injustices I've come across while in working within the legal field in Texas, was misuse and abuse of authority. Namely, favor being secured by "generous" contributions to certain campaigns.

Anyway, today I came across another blatant misuse of authority. When my husband was in Hillsborough county, stopped at a traffic light, the cop behind him decided he was bored and would run my husband's plates. He then proceeded to pull my husband over and tell him he was writing him a citation for expired vehicle registration. Our registration was still valid, as reflected by the vehicle stickers. This cop was obviously bored or just felt like harassing someone. Upon realizing his mistake, and that he couldn't write a ticket for expired tags, the cop began to survey our vehicle, and wrote my husband a citation for a burnt out light bulb. The cop told my husband that the fee would only be $7 if paid within 30 day. My husband made the ridiculously long drive to the sheriff's office to pay the fee within the 30 day period, and it turns out the cop had obviously lied to my husband, or was simply dumb, because they charged my husband $91.00. Yes, $91 freaking dollars for a burnt out light bulb! My husband and I didn't even know the bulb was burnt out, so it must have happened that day. What about a warning? Not a $91 ticket, just because you accidentally pull someone over by mistake?

So, stupid Hillsborough County got nearly $100 out of us by abusing their authority. I can't stand people who are supposed to represent justice being unjust.

A New Season

2008-10-21T16:42:00.000-07:00

I have been enjoying the cool breezes of fall, but the fall breezes have more to bring with them than just relief from the warmth of summer. Along with them comes the fragrance of life unfolding the wonder of a fresh, new season. The fall winds have caused my mind to stir, just like the trees, rustling in the winds' blissful wake.

The newness in the air has awakened my senses to a newness in life. Following that parallel, I have been challenged to analyze the spiritual, mental, and physical status of myself, and to strive to create new life in each of those aspects. Just as a tree cannot go year around without dropping leaves, neither can a soul go on holding onto each "damaged leaf" it bears without those leaves slowing sapping life out of them. There are some things we have to let go. Only after letting those things go will we find the motivation, grace and strength to grow in other areas.

There have been times when I've associated my damaged leaves so closely with my identity, that I've mistaken one for the other. I have damaged leaves that I am in the process of dropping. So many, in fact, that I'm thinking if I were a tree, I'd be naked of leaves and wondering if I was still a tree. Yet, I'm aware that hanging onto damaged leaves causes decay, even in our relationships with our spouses.

Whether it be spiritually, physically, or mentally, I think there are some damaged leaves the Lord would like to see us drop, so that He can revive newness of life within us.

27th Birthday

2008-10-11T08:19:00.001-07:00

I really enjoyed my birthday yesterday. Thanks to all of you who contributed to making my 27th b-day so wonderful. Below, is a pic of me expressing my excitement. (yes, that is a Christmas bag. Josh had to use what we had :)

Thanks to my awesome husband who spoiled me with a 3 day birthday weekend, and made me feel like a queen.

It all began on Thursday night, when Josh gave me some pre-birthday gifts.

My very thoughtful and wonderful husband drove all the way to the Tarpon Springs sponge docks to bring me this beautiful necklace and earring set. He also gave me a lotion that one of the shops at Tarpon. I commented on the lotion once, and Josh remembered. What a great guy! And the other gift in the bag was a gift card to America Eagle. Yay! Not to mention, Josh had booked a massage for me.

Here are beautiful birthday flowers sent from my family in Saipan.

Below is Joe giving me some birthday love.
We ate lunch at Cracker Barrel. I love their kids vegetable plate! I was talking to my sister while trying to pose for a quick picture.

Josh and I split the Apple Dumpling dessert. Though it was soooo good, I just couldn't finish my half.

After lunch, we went to the mall where I bought some new pants. At last, I have pants that aren't falling off of me. Thanks to Brit and Steve for the Old Navy gift card, and thanks to Josh for the American Eagle gift card. Thanks to my Mom, my Dad, Mamaw, Debbie, and Sarah for the spending money. Thanks to Saipan Mom and Dad for the beautiful birthday flowers.

After I got a massage, we went out for a pizza dinner since I haven't had pizza in a very long time. This is how I look with part of my head chopped off. lol

We ended the night with a dip in the swimming pool, which was the perfect end to a perfect night.

Thanks so much Josh for working so hard to make my birhtday memorable and wonderful. I'm blessed to have such a loving husband.

Life

2008-10-05T16:52:00.000-07:00

I'm supposed to be cleaning the house right now, but I decided to take a break to do a new post. Josh and I have been working ourselves so much that we seem to have worn ourselves thin. Me with working extra hours, taking care of home repairs, house upkeep, grocery shopping, and taking care of our zoo. Josh with work, school finals, home repairs, pool maintenance and also caring for our zoo. We've gotten tired lately. Our marriage has grown to the next phase where instead of having excessive physical affection to express, we're just fall down in an exhausted heap together. Happy that at least we're together.

Though Josh had to work this weekend, we managed to make a quick get away to Tarpon Springs on Saturday for a lunch date. We ate at a lovely little Greek restaurant, right off the water. Our time there was reminiscent of when we had the time and the freedom to play earlier this year. It was also a good reminder to, whatever happens, make sure we both take a few minutes just to play together, and enjoy being together.

This would be me, making the stupidest face possible for the camera. This has become a common occurrence.
Here is Josh, rejoicing over the bed of lamb meat before him.

I must say that I married well. Despite how worn out we get, Josh still makes me smile. I am happy to be married to him.

The chaotic schedule of life lately has made me aware of how often we forget about the blessings in our life, just because we get too busy to think about them. I'm praying that even though I'm busy, I don't get too busy to thank God for every day that Josh and I have together....and that I don't forget to enjoy the little things, as well as the big things.

Josh's Birthday

2008-09-24T18:23:00.001-07:00

At long last, I'm finally posting some pics of Josh's 25th brithday party. We had a great pool party here at the house. Plenty of meat was thrown on the grill, as we gathered with neighbors and friends to celebrate. Below are Shannon, Eric, Lindsay and the birthday boy.

Here is Zandra. She was a friend of Harry and Kelli's, but we stole her :)

The birthday cake just would not have been complete without all 25 candles!

12 of the candles were trick candles, but they didn't re-light. My evil plan went awry.

Joe was pretty happy with his odds of getting a bite of birthday cake.

And then Monday came, which was Josh's real official birthday. We celebrated at his restaurant of choice, where he was in Heaven with lobster tail and steak.

Austin Pics

2008-09-22T19:20:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics I took on my trip to Austin. Enjoy!

The hurricane Ike didn't affect any of my flights, but it sure did mess with Texas. Sorry, Taco Shack, but your sign didn't work.

Here is a pic of my mom, not impressed that I snapped a quick pic without warning.

Below is a picture of Cholesterol on Wheels. Yes, this is what it appears. A cupcake stand that packs enough sugar to kill a horse.

I had to take a pic of the capitol while I was in Austin. Being from there, I had never taken a pic of the capitol. I thought I'd play the tourist for once.

Below are some ravenous creatures found in Traci & Bills kitchen.

Then Brit and I played in mom's old hippie clothes.

Perspective

2008-09-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

I am back from my trip to Austin, and the visit triggered much thinking. I recall how while preparing for the trip, fond memories stirred in my head. Memories of being near family, the nostalgic places I wished to revisit, as well as the fond memories of my income level the last few years I lived there. Yes, Austin was my home base. It was something familiar, and something I knew well.

When God moved us from Austin to Florida, I struggled with the emotional pain of not having easy access to family members, as well as frustration about having to leave behind the state in which my massage therapy license was valid. I had many things to give up, and I fought with God about many of them. Even when I finally "surrendered to what God was doing", I found that I had the occasional root of bitterness spring up in me from time to time due to those factors. Through this, I realized that a sacrifice made out of love and obedience is a beautiful thing, but one made out of half heartedness and bitterness is an ugly thing.

I still have a soft spot in my mind for Austin, and I enjoyed seeing family. All of that aside, the trip made me realize something. It made me realize that I'm not exactly who I used to be. I began to wonder what has changed in my identity.

Many times I've heard people talk about "Finding yourself". I discovered, through much pain, that by yielding to the will of God, giving yourself up, giving your identity up, giving your income potential up, while not holding any bitterness for what you've given up, will give you a different identity. A better identity. I am still striving towards that better identity. The path isn't always easy, and there are many demons that mock along the way....so threatened by seeing a human being conforming to the image of Christ.

Love is a funny thing. We like to equate it with feelings of happiness and our needs being met, but all along, love is the opposite of selfishness. So, sometimes it hurts.

There are two kinds of people. 1) People who can, through God's strength, love even though it hurts and not be bitter and 2) People who love, but are bitter about the pain it causes, and therefore spend the rest of their lives miserable because they feel someone they "loved" did them wrong, or didn't do what they would have wanted.

The latter of the two are angry people. They are angry about what they have given up in the name of love. They are angry. Very angry. Not able to forgive, their faces grow bitter. Their anger turns outward. Part of them loves, while the other part of them causes destruction because of the pain of love. They are in constant battle with themselves.

If love is supposed to be a selfless thing, then why do so many of us try to love selfishly? What is the motive behind our love? Why are we still trying to hang onto things to be bitter about?

May God place within our hearts the ability to love like He has love us... And the strength to give up any bitterness or resentment that we have been holding onto. Grace and love are still there, if only the angry person will accept it.

Hopefully this post makes sense. I came back from the trip sick as a dog, and I'm writing with a fever.

The whole point is: What is the motivation behind your love?

Josh Turns 25

2008-08-29T17:08:00.000-07:00

As I write this blog, I sit back and smile. After Josh's relentless teasing about me being older than him, I am counting down the days until September 8, 2008. Why? Because, that is the day that Josh will turn 25 years old. No longer on the down side of 20, but rather on the upside. I am hoping that this will stifle at least some of Josh's comments about me being old.

These pics are from Josh's 24th birthday.

With limited kitchen supplies, I managed to provide Josh with a birthday cake....as funny looking as it was. Then I settled for a big taper candle since I didn't have any small ones.

The dogs were eager to help devour the cake. I just had to get in on the action.

Looking back at those pics brings back good memories, but also reminds me of just how much has changed in one year. We have had many good times, and challenging times, but I am happy that I have gotten to share in a year of Josh's life so far.

When I think about where we were at this time last year, compared to where we are now, I am made aware of how hard Josh has worked to give us a better life. I am also reminded of how many times he has made me laugh in just one year of his life.

So, maybe he will spare me the teasing.... at least until October hits. Then it's birthday time for me. (Maybe without the sombrero this year :)

Getting older really isn't such a bad thing. Thanks for all the good times, Josh. There is no one I would rather grow older with than you.

Happy 25th!!!

Happy Things

2008-08-06T18:50:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling a little emotional lately, because I'm missing family members, along with some other things, like my career in the gym back in Austin, my hometown.

It's amazing how volatile emotions are...how they can so easily make you overlook the fact that there is more good in your life than there is bad. One negative thing can distract you from enjoying all the things God put in front of you, and that is a sad thing. I am learning to be grateful for the way things are in the here and now, because the day may come when I realize how much I miss what I have now. I can't let myself become saddened to the point that I fail to be joyful for what I have.

Sometimes emotions cause us to forget logic. My mind has come to accept something as logic, and it is this: God has given me just the right amount of strength to make it through everything I've been through in the past. So, He will give me the strength and comfort to make it through these emotional moments.

And so this emotional moment beget inspiration. I have decided to write about things that make me happy.

1- My husband. He is goofy, pesky, and gassy, but altogether wonderful. He makes me laugh and smile a lot. He is the biggest blessing in my life, and has been a rock for me during my emotional "I'm falling apart" moments. He inspires me to be a better person, and he loves me faithfully. He is thoughtful even in the little things, and makes my life so much better than I had imagined it could be. He makes every day an adventure and is my best friend.

2- Family back in Texas- Sisters, Bro in laws, kids, Mom, Dad, fried okra made from the okra plants grown in the backyard. They always offer up what they have as community property, and man does Dad make the best fried okra. And then there is always Mamaw, with a nice bucket of iced tea and love. I am grateful that God has provided the funds for me to be able to hop on a plane and take the short flight back home. (note: I can't find the pic of the whole family to post)

3- My own personal zoo! - Yes, that would be my 6 animals. They sometimes they annoy me, but they give me more happy moments than bad moments. Featured above are 4 out of the 6 pets in our household.

4- Flowers- I really love flowers, especially the orchid plants growing in my back yard. Tropical flowers have always been a favorite. Getting married in a circle of flowers was a happy moment for me. How could it get any better than that?

5- Great in-laws that I really hope to get to know better and spend more time with in the future.

6- Mango Tangos for Breakfast- My best vacation memory was going on a cruise with my cousin Brandi. I was celebrating my 25th birthday by taking myself on a cruise. Brandi and I had a blast, thanks to Royal Caribbean Cruise liners. The memory of having a Mango Tango for breakfast, poolside every morning still makes me smile. I'm holding onto hopes of another Royal Caribbean cruise....and Brandi better be on that boat with me, because we know how to have fun together!

7-Tea- Beautiful tea. It makes me so happy to have a good cup of hot tea.

8- Starbuck's Coffee- A Venti Iced Americano with nonfat milk will always put me in a good mood.

Things and Stuff

2008-07-29T16:21:00.000-07:00

Josh and I haven't been taking enough pictures of individual events for me to have enough blog material for a single subject posting, so today I'm going to cover several random things going on in our lives. That is why the title of my blog is "Things and Stuff". Very profound and grammatically correct ;)

1- Return of the Bicep: The newest addition to my exercise DVD library is Tae Bo Amped. The workout is like an advanced tae bo workout, but the workout is done with a weighted bar. I've only been doing this workout series for about 2 weeks, and already Josh is noticing my biceps popping out. Josh has begged me not to make my biceps huge again, as they were some years before he met me. But, this is just what happens with a weighted bar. Sorry, Josh.

I have really been enjoying the series of 6 DVDs that kick my butt. They've been a great stress relief for me. Josh and I are happy to be back to a regular workout schedule, compared to our two month worth of spotty workouts here and there during the move. I did an 8 mile run last night, so I'm hoping to be back at 11 mile runs before too long.

2- Ty's 2nd birthday- Our black lab, Ty, just turned two years old on Sunday. All of the dogs, and the cat were glad to down the strawberry cupcakes I made in celebration of Ty's special day. We took the dogs to the dog park, and to Petsmart for some dental chews and new bones. Very happy doggies!

We got some great video of Ben getting a cupcake stuck to the roof of his mouth. Josh will post that video on our website soon.

3- New attempt at bonding with my husband: This weekend, I decided to bond with my husband by learning how to play one of his favorite sports: Tiger Woods PGA Tour on the PS2. We stayed up late one night playing nerd golf....something I thought I'd never do. Here we are being nerds:

Below is a typical "Josh Face".

And this would be the metro-sexual looking goofy guy that Josh designed himself. I made the mistake of saying that this guy looked metro-sexual before I knew that Josh created him. Again, sorry Josh.

Well, that's all that is new with us for now. Actually, it isn't but the pics are taking too long to post on here so I'm stopping the post.

Time to go do Tae Bo ;)

Weekend Fun

2008-07-21T19:18:00.000-07:00

Josh and I decided to make up for lost weekends all in one weekend. Saturday, we loaded up and made the drive to Venice beach. Along the way, we just had to stop at an aquarium to see Snooty, the manatee celebrating his 60th birthday. After saying happy birthday to Snooty, and getting my picture taken with a strange guy and a bird, we headed on to Venice Beach.Upon arrival, the weather was absolutely beautiful, without a single rain cloud in the sky. We quickly donned our snorkel gear and set out for some shark tooth hunting. During my snorkel, I came across what I swear was a baby black tip shark. Josh still doesn't believe me, but I've never seen a normal fish look like that. I followed it for a bit to get a closer look, then decided I'd rather not be anywhere near anything that might be a shark, so I headed back inland.

I hit the shark tooth jackpot at a narrow strip of shoreline, but had to fight off nibbling fish to get the teeth. When our backs were sufficiently red, Josh and I met on shore to compare our finds. I found the biggest tooth of the day!

Then our camera battery died, so I didn't get any pics of Josh. So, we headed home.

Sunday, we headed to the dog beach, and picked up our neighbor Shannon, and her two dogs, George and Gunner along the way. Ben, Ty and Joe were very happy to see that their dog friends were joining them on a trip to the beach.

Shannon was kind enough to bring along her Sunpass for the toll booths. Here is Josh, finally going through the Sunpass lane!

Fun Florida Fact: You get fined $1,000 if you go through a toll without paying.

After some good time in the sun and water, we headed back home. Shannon was stuck in the back with 5 very wet, salty, and exhausted dogs. George got the energy up to strike a cute pose for the camera.

We dropped Shannon off at her house, and then wound down for a relaxing end to our weekend. And then Monday came!!! Ahhhh!!!!

Fence Goes Up

2008-07-07T17:43:00.000-07:00

Since buying a house, I've become quite impressed with my husband's constructive abilities. He successfully completed a rather complex ceiling fan installation, built a small fence, installed a dog door, and built the Taj Mahal of Guinea Pig cages, all in a 2-3 week period. On top of all this, he has gone to work, battled his way through 2 college classes, and much more. I think I married Super Man.

Our 4th of July weekend began with wonderful date night on Friday. When Saturday rolled around it was time for another project: Installing the 3rd section of privacy fence surrounding our backyard. Josh began the day by taking measurements, and then we headed to Lowe's.

Concrete in hand, Josh began the daunting task.

Holes were dug, and posts were put in place, fixed with quick set concrete, since it's rainy season here.

Here is Josh applying some finishing touches after a long day of work. Look at what a nice gate he made :)

Then it was time to stain and seal the wood. I felt more confident with a paintbrush in hand that I did with assisting Josh in the fence construction, so I was happy to begin a project so simple. Paintbrush in hand, I went to work.

During the course of applying the stain, I started to feel a little happy. Nice stain fumes.

Obviously, I had way too much fun with a simple task. This would be what happens when I want Josh to put the camera down.
The fun didn't stop upon completion of our project. Next came a rewarding dip in the pool, and then Josh grilled some meat for dinner. He was very happy to have some red meat, since that isn't something that's usually in his diet.

I attempted to make up for his red meat mortal sin by cooking a spaghetti squash so that he would have something healthy to eat for dinner the next day.
Our day ended with a nice dinner together. Josh made it a candle light, TV tray dinner. Very romantic, and very odd. I guess that's what attracted us to each other in the first place.

Anyway, we are both very happy that the fence installation project is over.

Captain Jack Sparrow

2008-07-03T18:44:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a while since I updated my blog, because Josh and I have been really busy with life in general. Now that I find myself at the start of a 3 day weekend, I figured I better sit down and post something new.

In the last week, we have installed a dog door. The dogs are very happy about that, and so is a little kitten named Captain Jack Sparrow, an indoor cat with garage/outdoor potential.

We are providing shelter to this little kitten, until I rule out how my allergies do with him. If I get into too much trouble, he will have to stay on the other side of the dog door, or find a new home. In the meantime, I'm having a lot of fun playing with him. Below is a pic of the day he came into our house.

Since being separated from his litter, he adopted our dogs as his new litter. I think he really must think he's a puppy. He plays with the dogs, and will curl up to them when it's time for a cat nap.

He must have been a very hungry kitten from the start, because whenever I'm cooking, he picks up the scent a mile away, and rushes to join me in the kitchen. He eats everything, from bread to cheese. Oh, and cookies. I baked a big batch of cookies for the neighbors, which attracted the poor, starving kitten into the kitchen. Jack wouldn't stop meowing until he has been given his fair share.

After he has pillaged our kitchen, he licks his lips and his expression reads "Pirate". Instead of coming to commandeer a ship, he has come to commandeer our kitchen.

That's Jack Sparrow...I mean Captain Jack Sparrow.

Just Not Right

2008-06-19T07:47:00.000-07:00

Between Josh and I working, Josh's school, normal affairs of life, and stuff that just keeps us crazy busy, we've been missing out on our relaxing beach days together. I think it's just not right that I live 10 minutes from the beach, but haven't made it out to the beach in about 2 weeks. I think my tan is fading.

This pic was of my last beach day, a couple weeks ago. I enjoyed a beautiful sunset, while Josh enjoyed my rear, I guess. lol
On the topic of things not being right, the fact that right now I am drinking coffee without one granule of sugar in it falls under that category. No time to make it to the grocery store, so I'm drinking bold coffee with unsweetened soy milk in it, instead of cows milk. Obviously, I need the caffeine quite badly. Maybe I just need a job that doesn't involve mental clarity? Hmmm...

Amid our chaos, Joe, our littlest dog has been mad at me for returning to the work world and leaving him home. He has deemed it necessary to pour his wrath upon me by tearing up my clothing. Mainly my pants, and sports bras. During this post, I just lost another sports bra. So, now another article of clothing to hit the trash can. Yet, he can look so innocent.

I know this is a short blog, but I've got to get ready for work. I have determined to have a fun and relaxing weekend at the end of this work week, so I will take lots of pics and make a nice post soon.

Looking forward to Fridays, bright skies and beautiful days~

That's it for now.

A Dog Day- Literally

2008-06-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

Ben at the Dog Park, trying to catch a squirrel.

Okay, so I'm sitting at home trying to kick off the start to my weekend, and Josh is still stuck at work, which makes my night pretty boring. I already took the dogs to the dog park, and got stuck in a horrible down pour of rain and hail on the way back home. Ben doesn't like storms and has been climbing into my lap and shaking out of fear all night.

Here is Joe, begging to go to the dog park.

And here is Ben, being a complete chicken about the thunder and lightning.

I had started to put together another posting, that would have been better than this one, but before my posting saved, Ty managed to bump the power off button on the computer, thereby turning it off, and losing my post. Thanks Ty.

Since Josh is having to work late again, I had dinner by myself again. Joe was happy to eat my left overs, plus his own food. You can see how serious Joe is about his food.

The last couple nights, Josh and the guys on his work team have been having to work 10-15 hour shifts, so I'm happy I have the dogs to keep me company tonight. I've been working lots of extra hours myself, so I'm looking forward to the next time that Josh and I finally find ourselves having time off at the same time. It has been a very long, exhausting, and frustrating week for both of us, and he still has to work this weekend :(

So, tomorrow I'm going to take the neighbor to the beach with me. Hopefully I'll manage to snap a few pics for a new post.

For now, I will cuddle up on the couch and end my night by listening to Joe bark every time a door bell rings on television.

Fun Weekend in St. Pete

2008-05-31T12:49:00.001-07:00

Today, we visited the weekend street market in down town St. Petersburg. St. Pete is a very dog friendly town, so we loaded up our all too eager dogs and headed out. Along the way, we passed some picturesque views of St. Pete waterfront.

You can find just about anything at the street market, from plants for your garden, herbs, pottery, gourmet dog treats, imported teas, upscale quality bakery items, orchid stems, bamboo stems, fresh squeezed orange juice, and freshly cut pineapple. On the way to the market, Josh picked up a scent and became serious about his driving.

Upon arrival, it was confirmed that his nose served him right. It was Thai food! Josh was a very happy man when he sat down to eat his lunch. I wasn't hungry, so I enjoyed a glass of wonderful Thai Iced Tea instead. Ben, Ty, and Joe were happy to eat the ice from my tea. And, yes, I took a picture of Josh's food. lol

After finishing up at the street market, we took the dogs to a dog park. There were no dogs at the down town dog park, so Josh and I made a quick stop by Starbucks, and then headed to another dog park. Thankfully there were dogs at the second park. Ben, Ty, and Joe had quite a long and exhausting day. Here is Ben in the car, ready to go home and take a nap.

When we finally made it home, the animals crashed out on the couch with me. Quagmire, the guinea pig was content to cuddle with me, after I bribed him with a carrot. The dogs, guinea pig and I were happy to settle in for a relaxing evening on the couch.
And then Joe had to get some love from "Daddy" before settling in for a long nap.

The night ended by joining the neighbors for dinner, and going for a walk, so now we're ready to crash like Joe.

Ready for a Weekend

2008-05-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

I've had a crappy string of events unfolding in my life since last night. I thought you guys might be humored by these incidents, so here we go:

Last night, Josh and I were supposed to pick up a chase lounge that someone was selling. The seller agreed to hold the lounge for us, so we made the long drive to pick the item up. Upon arrival, no body was home. I called the phone number the seller had given me several times, only to be forwarded to voice mail. So, Josh and I decided to head down the road to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner. During what turned out to be a 30 minute wait for our food to get to our table, I finally got in touch with the seller of the lounge, who informed me he had "just sold the lounge". The butt freak didn't even have the common sense to notify me before the long drive. So, I tried to brush off ill thoughts of wasted gasoline, and get back to sitting there waiting for our food for the rest of eternity. We finally made it home around 8:15 pm. I thought that was just one strange event....little did I know that string of "luck" would follow me into the next day.

This morning, I put in my Tae Bo workout DVD. I was pumped, and had my heart set on a good workout. 11 minutes later, I just had to stop the workout, because it's not a good time of the month. Certain objects on my chest hurt too bad to continue the workout. Ugh! Frustration! Today was the start to my least favorite time of the month. It took me longer to select an outfit for work, since I didn't want my little bloated tummy to be showing. After picking what I thought to be the perfect outfit for today, I decided to make the best of my time by going to the farmers market. I've been needing to restock our produce for a while. In a moment of insanity, I took a picture to illustrate how important veggies are in our diet.

I told the dogs we were going on a car ride to the farmer's market. They got very excited, and started barking and jumping around. I dug through my purse for the car keys and couldn't find them. A sick feeling of dread began to grow, as I considered where the keys might be. I walked outside, to the locked vehicle only to have my suspicions confirmed. The keys were in the cup holder, inside of the locked vehicle, as you will see.

This was especially a pain, because I needed to use the car to drive to work. As I was standing outside, looking at the car, trying to figure out how to break into it, the neighbor approached me. Just happens they were going to the area of town I work in. So, seeing my predicament, they offered me a ride. After deciding upon a time to meet at their house, and head out, I then went into the house to try to find shoes that matched my outfit. I pulled out the pair I had planned on wearing that day, and the buckle was broken.

So, I pulled out the next best pair to match my outfit and discovered that the bottom of the shoe was peeling off. What to do? Hmmm..... maybe glue would be my shoe's salvation. Would Elmer's Rubber Cement do the job?

Nope. Didn't work. The next attempt would have to be something better....

With thumb tacks, I created my own pair of tap shoes. The tacks wouldn't stay in place, so I ended up wearing black shoes with a brown outfit. Yeah. Times are rough for my shoes....

So, I loaded up in the van with the neighbors, and their 2 yr. old grandson. It was an awkward drive, because on the way down they needed to pick up their daughter in law. So, I introduced myself to their daughter in law as the neighbor who had to bum a ride. Also, the 2 yr. old boy kept trying to talk to me, and I couldn't for the life of me tell what he was saying.

Finally, I arrived at work, for the rest of a semi-normal day. Josh was supposed to get off work at 3:00, and come pick me up, but ended up having to work until past 4 pm. Needless to say , I had to hang around after work for him to show up and take me home. Thankfully, by the end of the day I was reunited with my beautiful car keys.

I am so ready for a relaxing weekend!

So Long Vacation

2008-05-19T08:10:00.000-07:00

Today, I woke up earlier, exercised earlier, and started going about the tasks of life earlier than usual. All of this, was done in preparation for my first day at my new job. The thought of getting a paycheck once again makes me smile. I welcome the opportunity to challenge my brain, which has seemingly digressed into a million pieces from not having been used in a while.

Everything about today, sends off the unmistakable message that vacation is over. While I could view that as disappointment, I feel anticipation instead. Anticipation to get back to the task of pounding out another billion miles on the treadmill, taking care of the house, doing laundry and all that stuff. I find comfort in knowing that I'm working on what God gave me. A satisfaction that horribly lazy people will never understand is the feeling of effort, rewarded.

Every good thing in life takes effort to maintain. Thank you Brit and Steve for putting forth the effort to come visit Josh and I. I am left with many happy memories, and am looking forward to next time.

Tarpon Springs

Tarpon Aquarium

Steve, Brit & Kate at Crystal River

Gator's

Sister Time on Reddington Beach

Josh and I at The Hut

Kate being Kate

Family Visit

2008-05-17T18:22:00.001-07:00

Today was the last day of my sister, bro in law and niece's visit . We had a really great time. The trip, however, would not have been complete without a stop at The Hut. It's a restaurant on the water complete with a massive, steaming "tiki god" holding 2 bottles of beer.

Me and "Thither"

We took so many nice pics of our trips, including Tarpon Springs, Crystal River, Reddington Beach, Madeira Beach, and Venice Beach. I could sit here and post nice pics, and make a nice blog, but that's not nearly as fun as what I'm about to do :) I decided to elaborate on the not so good pics. Much more entertaining. I'll save the good pics for another post.

The picture above is Josh's brand new razor phone, and wallet that took a dip in Crystal River. The phone never recovered, but the wallet made it out of ICU. It turns out that ruining razor phones by going into large bodies of water with them, is a genetic defect. Like father, like son.

Yes, this is what it appears. We had to stop the pontoon boat to let Britany contribute to the water levels of Crystal River. No wonder we couldn't find any manatees. No one wanted to reach in to pull the ladder up, either.

This ice cream went in blue, but came out florescent green. Very strange and yucky.

Hmmm.... I hope Steve isn't lactose intolerant.

The Lion King's "Circle of Life" Debut.

A really strange dog napper

This is what happens when you tell Brit and Steve to look happy after a stressful morning of packing.

Here is Kate, chowing down on Gator Nuggets. If she knew it was alligator, she'd be pretty upset. We spent forever convincing her that our gator head came from a gator whose head had just fallen off. Silly gator. lol

Let my arm pit serve as a prime example of what happens when you let Josh have the camera.

My beach bathtub.

That's all for now!

My Best Friend

2008-05-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

The thing on my mind today is my husband. We've recently undergone a time of transition in our lives, from moving to a new state, separating from the military, to both of us stretching our skills to get good jobs. Seeing how my husband has handled so many tense times and situations has caused my admiration of him to grow in leaps and bounds. I'm realizing to a deeper extent just what an incredible man I married, and how God gave me even better than what I ever knew to pray for. Josh is truly my best friend. He has seen me at my very worst, and still loved me in spite of it. My heart still feels happiness every time I look into his eyes, and I know that I am blessed.

I didn't think it possible, but I'm more in love with him today, than I was the day I married him.
He is a good provider, and he makes me proud of who he is. He is gentle with my heart, and very thoughtful. Even in the midst of a crazy, busy schedule, he still makes sure I feel loved and appreciated in big ways, and small ways. I could not have been given anyone better to spend my life with. Thank you, Josh, for being everything you are to me. Thank you for still making me smile.

Venice Beach & Pool Party

2008-05-10T17:44:00.000-07:00

The first item on the to do list for today, was a trip to Venice Beach, which just happens to be my favorite beach that I've been to in Florida so far. We had plenty of fun, and lots of beautiful sunshine. When we jumped in the water for a quick dip, we were greeted by a large school of silver fish that swam near us, undisturbed.

Here are Steve, Kate, and Britany enjoying the beautiful, blue water.

It was soon time to pack up and head to Pam's house (our landlord and friend) for a pool party! But, on the way back to the car, Josh and I couldn't help but stop for a "romantical" moment....

And then, we arrived at Pam's pool party, which was the most awesome pool party setup I've ever seen. Complete with fruity drinks, a hot tub, and everything you could want. Josh was one happy camper.

Britany, Pam, Pam's Husband ( I forgot his name ;) and I

Kate and I played, and played, and played some more....

While "Mommy" chilled in the sun.

Half way, through the day, Josh and I had our brains so fully cooked by the sun, that everything, at least to me, seemed pretty funny, as you can tell. I am writing this hours after this picture was taken, and I feel even more out of it. So, if this blog is strange, blame it on too much sunshine and exhaustion.

Family Visit- Days 1 & 2

2008-05-09T19:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I picked my sister, her husband, and daughter up from the airport. We emerged from the airport, luggage in tow, ready to head into St. Pete, and get the vacationing started. This process was somewhat delayed, however. You see, I thought I had parked on level six of the parking garage, when I had really parked on level seven. A true blonde moment. I looked and looked around level six, and took a few moments to ponder the possibilities of my car having been towed... or if I had just lost my mind, altogether. At long last, I finally found my car on level seven. At least losing your mind is free, as apposed to having to pay towing fees, so hey, it can't be that bad, right?

We made it to the house, soon after that. We had a nice fish dinner, coconut rice, and grilled veggies, and then settled in for the night.

And then.... the sun rose, and it was BEACH TIME!!!!

(Left to right: me, Britany)

I really enjoyed being on the beach with my sister again. It reminded us of many family visits to Corpus Christi, in Texas. (although the water is prettier here)

As we were having fun in the sun, we spotted a manatee coming near the shoreline to feed. Or maybe he was lost...I have no clue what he was doing, though he seemed pretty content to hang around the shoreline for a while.

Kate

Kate had a lot of fun playing with her sand toys, making turtle and crab shapes in the sand, only to stomp them into unidentifiable bits. Then she became consumed in a game of chasing a sand piper all of the beach.

Later, she and I sat in the water, to let the waves to splash us pretty good. We both got loaded down with sand in our drawers. Thankfully the camera wasn't around for that.

A highlight of the day was when Kate accidentally called Josh "Auntie Josh" instead of "Uncle Josh".

Britany & Steve

After our beach visit, we went to John's Pass (a popular tourist attraction near the water) where we ate the most expensive ice cream ever, thanks to Steve.

Continuing our journey, we came across a fishing boat that had just docked. The fisherman began cleaning their fish, and throwing the left over fish parts to Pelicans who were eagerly awaiting their daily feeding.

Then, we had dinner at the Green Iguana. Kate had fun with "Uncle Josh", watching ducks swim in the cove below the pier. She fed them lots of tortilla chips.

Then we ended our day with a trip to the park. Britany really enjoyed it.

That's it for now. More to come soon!

Sister to Visit

2008-05-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Left to Right- Britany, me, Traci (sisters)

Britany is my middle sister. We are close in age, so she frequently played the part of my co-conspirator during childhood. I have good memories of dying our feet in cool aid. Also of sneaking to the creek behind our school for a swim while waiting for my Mom to pick us up from school. Upon Mom's arrival to pick us up, Britany was ever faithful to stick to the story that we hadn't done anything....despite the fact that we were standing there dripping wet, and Britany was missing a shoe. Good times! Also, she once assisted in carrying out an evil plan: scooping used cat litter into a brown paper bag, tying it by a string to our swing set and telling the neighbor boy that it was a pinata. Yeah, we were bad, but it was soooo funny. After the boy busted the bag and ran home crying, Britany and I ran inside our house and hid in the closet afraid that the boy's dad would soon be over for a visit.

Britany was also the one that gave me a thorough critique of every guy I ever brought around. The first day she met Josh she kept telling me "I like him". "He's cute". "He's really nice". " Josh had her vote from day one.

And then, there is my sister Traci. A Pastor's wife. A loving mother. A girl who once sold tea leaves rolled in paper to kids dumb enough to buy them at her high school. Traci is cute, and very funny. She just needed a little extra money during her high school years. Probably because Britany and I wouldn't stay out of her closet, running around in her high heels while she was away from home. lol

Traci also has a distinct component of her personality that sets her apart from the rest of the crowd. She loves to make up dumb songs, and will sing them whenever and where ever she is. This includes singing songs about going to the bathroom while the stall of a public restroom. I still remember the "I'm so glad I got rid of my pee pee, Thank God I got rid of my pee pee" song. She has also been known to write with a permanent marker on her husband's tidy whiteys.

Somehow, we all manage to look innocent :)

The photo was taken in mid February this year at my Parent's. Yes, they still had their Christmas tree up for multiple reasons. lol

Anyway, I will be picking up my sister Britany from the airport tomorrow. She and my bro in law, and niece will be here for vacation. New pics, and blogs about our adventures are coming soon.

Temp Goes Up, Josh's Hair Comes Off

2008-05-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

In Josh's last blog post, he covered the story of our dog, Joe, getting his summer hair cut. Well, Josh couldn't stop at the dog's hair cut. He went a little crazy with the shaving. You may have noticed that from a couple pics that I posted in my previous blogs.

Anyway, before I share Josh's new hair, or absence of, I'd like to share some of Josh's glorious hair moments with you all. Below, you will find him as a strawberry blonde. As Josh's dark roots started growing back in, we picked a dark brown dye to color his hair with. The dye reacted to his last bleach job, and made his hair really black. Not being discouraged by that little setback, Josh continued growing his lovely locks.

I began to wonder if having an MCSE, MCT, and working towards his bachelor's degree was literally affecting his head....Giving him that crazed Albert Einstein look.

Hmmm...or maybe the troll doll look.

Then, thankfully, the hair came off! This was the first time in our relationship that I have encouraged Josh to shave his head. I think there may be a good reason that the military enforces regs on hair, although maybe the enemy would be struck with the element of surprise if they had a troll doll army coming at them.... hmmm..

OK, for the new hair do: This isn't the best pic I have of him, but it's the only one with his head shaven. And now a note to my side of the family: No more telling me that I'm not feeding my husband enough. He is well fed, despite the hungry look he has in his eyes while looking at the crab.

Beauty

2008-04-30T07:31:00.000-07:00

Venice Beach

I decided to write about pretty things....things that make me happy....things that make me feel alive. Being surrounded by so much beauty is something I can't even begin to take for granted, and I hope that I never get to the point where I can ignore all that is around me.

Passion Flower (from our backyard)

One experience that I hope to repeat soon, was swimming with the manatees at Crystal River. In our little swimming adventure, we followed a vein of water that emptied out into the most tranquil, beautiful cove. On the way to the cove, manatee families would pass just beneath me, pulling themselves along the sandy bottom. Time seemed to stand still. Tears built up in my eyes as I looked through the crystal clear waters, at the massive tree roots on each side of me. The boulders beneath me sparkled, and schools of fish were dotting past me here and there. I knew I had lost all perception of time, and thought of just how wonderful Heaven must be.

Crystal River

Ft. DeSoto Dog Beach

Trips to the dog beach are always a treat, too. Something I really look forward to. It's not beyond the dogs to enjoy God's beauty, so then what is our excuse, as humans?

Venice Beach

2008-04-26T17:15:00.000-07:00

Josh and I just got back home from Venice Beach, where we had a shark tooth hunt competition. In the end, I came out with 10 more shark teeth than Josh. Ha! Though, I'll admit, I only got a few big teeth. The rest weren't that impressive. Josh did manage to get some good sized teeth in his collection. Below, is a pic of me at Venice Beach, with my trusty ziplock bag, ready to fill it up with shark teeth. Oh, and if you noticed that I lost some weight, it's only because I've been running like 5 billion miles a day on a regular basis. That's a sick hobby that I'll have to write about another day. lol

Though the hunt was on for shark teeth, Josh initially emerged from the water with a crab, instead. (and some really nice biceps :)

Once satisfied with the lobster shade of red on our backs, we decided to take a break from hunting shark teeth, and explore the nature trail at Venice Beach. We were in for a treat. We stumbled upon a very pretty cove, with a friendly and very curious bird, kind enough to let us photograph him.

Just as I was about to leave the cove, I noticed something really strange in the water. I was trying to make out what it was. An alligator? Maybe a mysterious sea creature? Oh, wait, it's Josh!

We continued our journey, walking through a field of pretty wild flowers. Of course, I just had to pick one and give it to Josh. It made him real pretty!

But, the fun was just starting, for we happened upon a playground!!!!
Like my ship?

We ended our evening with dinner at the Green Iguana. A beautiful end to a beautiful day!

Introducing Moses, the Bunny

2008-04-24T13:44:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know Josh won't be shocked at the fact that we, once again, have 5 animals in our household. That's right. 3 dogs, a Guinea Pig, and the newest addition: Moses, a black bunny rabbit. We got him as a companion for our Guinea Pig, who has been lonely since saying goodbye to his ex roommie, even though the roommie tried tear him into shreds. I think I've adjusted well to being a Zoo Keeper's Wife. It's not unusual to find me walking around the house, doing chores with a Guinea Pig, or rabbit tucked under my arm. The dogs, rabbit, and Guinea Pig start off their mornings with a fresh carrot breakfast, thanks to the guinea pig who whistles until he has been given a carrot. Here's a pic, and pardon my boxer shorts ;)

Frequent activities within the zoo include trips to the dog beach. A day at the beach is a wonderful way for the dogs to burn off some energy. Ty, our lab mix, is always eager to follow her "Daddy" out into the waves.
Going to the beach:

Returning from the beach:See how taking the dogs to the beach can result in a nice, quiet night for Josh and I?Now that you've formally met Moses, I'll close with a pic of Moses, and his best bud, Quagmire.

Blalock Legacy Addition

2008-04-21T18:45:00.000-07:00

I received a comment earlier from Harry Blalock, who stated:

"This post is completely bogus. If you didn't notice, there are no pictures of the oldest living male patriarch of the Blalock clan, me. And why not? Because I'm perfectly normal and sane and exhibit none of those traits. I happen to be mature, rational and reserved. I believe I've made my point." End quote.

Harry's post above, provides a prime example of how the virus can mutate as its host ages. These mutations often result in dementia. Harry, being the oldest living Blalock, has been exhibiting signs of a phenomenon known as selective dementia. He sometimes forgets his abnormalities. The 3 exhibits below, show Harry in his natural element, which he has forgotten due to selective dementia.

As stated in the previous article, women associated to the Blalock's by marriage can look normal in photos, as demonstrated by the beautiful Mrs. Harry Blalock. (above)

This should disprove Harry's comment.

A Blalock Family Legacy?

2008-04-21T11:19:00.000-07:00

When I first exchanged vows and took on the Blalock name, I had yet to meet the rest of the Blalock's. I always knew Josh was a little uhm, shall we say, different. I thought that maybe he just had a unique way of expressing his personality. Little did I know, that he was just one from a long line of the Blalocks, exhibiting odd behavior. Please refer to exhibit 1, below.

I thought it possible, that I could take on the Blalock name, while keeping my individuality and maturity safely in tact. However, it turns out that what I thought was a Blalock genetic mutation, is actually viral, and highly contagious. Though I am not related by blood, I seem to have contracted the very same virus, plaguing the Blalocks for many generations. Please see exhibit 2, below.

Archives of medical journals, and multiple medical text books are all lacking identification of this particular virus. Though medical technology has advanced, there isn't sufficient funding allocated to research of the Blalock virus.

I have concluded that it may be passed from a male host, bearing the Blalock name, to the unsuspecting female counterpart, also known as the wife. It is then passed down to the children.

While the Blalock women by marriage are able to maintain some form of normalcy from time to time, their ability to lead normal lives in brought into question. If you look closely at the picture, you will realize something is not quite right. Exhibit 3.

How the virus affects one sibling more than the other is not completely understood at this point. It is believed that the male sibling is affected to a deeper extent, however, that remains to be determined. You will see the female Blalock sibling below, in exhibit 4

I have contacted many medical research teams, seeking answers to the age old "what's wrong with the Blalock's" question, but they will not come into contact with me, out of fear of contracting the virus. This subject is therefore pending further investigation.

The Blalock Saga Continues

2008-04-18T22:04:00.000-07:00

In December '07, Josh was outprocessing the military, and seeking employment, without much luck. Adding to the pressure, the lease on our apartment was ending, effective midnight of New Years Eve. Without a place lined up to live, our apartment was neatly packed into rows of boxes.

Just getting the boxes is a story in itself. It involved Josh having to pee in a Starbuck's cup, on our anniversary. But, moving on, we found out 3 days prior to our move that Josh landed a promising job in Florida. After much prayer, and agony, we made the move. Josh drove a 26 ft. long Penske truck, towing my car behind it, while I drove the SUV, loaded down with household stuff, 3 dogs, and myself. We drove over New Years Eve, and New Years day. With a stop in Mississippi, where we spent the night at Josh's ex girlfriend's cousins' house. LOL Very sweet and wonderul couple put us up for a couple nights to give us a break. Then we finally arrived in FL, and it was then that an avocado green bath tub became beautiful in my eyes. Not for it's color, but for the hot, salt bath it offered my weary shoulders upon arrival.

So many things have transpired since our move 1) Josh is out of the military! 2) He and I now have GREAT tans! 3) We've both shaped up, since we changed our lifestyle to working out and keeping a healthy diet. 4) Poor Joe, our youngest dog recently lost his manhood 5) I ate GATOR for the first time. Probably for the last time, too.

Josh and I are now doing good. We are enjoying living near beaches, and playing in the sunshine. Additionally, my health has markedly improved, since leaving San Antonio.
The dogs are thrilled about having a yard to run around in, and are enjoying frequent outings to the local dog parks and dog beaches.

To celebrate Josh being out of the military, we bleached his hair blonde...or shall we say strawberry blonde. Turned out pretty crazy. His hair is back to black now, but I'll post a blonde pic for entertainment purposes.

OK- that's enough for now. Enjoy the pics.