30 Days Of Lists - Day 1

A Few Things About Myself

1. I am kind

2. I love being married

3. I hate fighting/confrontation (even when it doesn't involve me)

4. I drink coffee every morning... black

5. My family = my world

6. I love a quiet night in just as much as a fun night out

7. I love music (all kinds)

8. I enjoy an ice cold beer

9. I am slightly competitive :]

10. I hate deployments



Deployment Update (3 MONTHS DOWN!)

I can hardly believe that we are already 3 months DOWN in this deployment...

This is Brett's "I'm ready to come home face." ;)

Brett is doing great (despite the face he is making in this picture). 

He has been in the same place now for a few weeks and we are EXTREMELY lucky to have access to some sort of communication almost daily.  We both know that this isn't going to last long so we are taking FULL advantage of it while we can.

Skype (something we didn't even know about last deployment) has been THE BEST! It really amazes me how far forms of communication have come! It sure does help though, and for that... I am SO grateful!

His days are still pretty routine and he often reminds me that "it's SO HOT."

But he doesn't complain too much... because he knows he could always be back on ship.

A few pictures Brett has sent since my last update:

This was when he was leaving Hawaii's big Island

He wanted me to see what he looks at every day when he is on ship...

(Pretty much what I expected it to look like lol.)

 Some of the guys.

They don't look like they're having too bad of time do they??

As for me...

This deployment has been WAY easier then I had ever expected (so far).

I haven't had one of those days yet and we're almost halfway done!

I was so worried that this would be so hard, being out here by myself and not having any luck with finding a job (so far) to keep me busy... but I have been PLENTY busy.

I honestly don't think I have had one FULL day of sitting at home doing nothing, which is what I was afraid most of my days would consist of.  I have met some pretty AMAZING ladies and they are great at filling up my calendar with MANY good days.

Not to mention all my friends and family from home coming to visit!!

GREAT SUPPORT SYSTEMS ROCK.

Thanks again to everyone that has been sending mail/care packages Brett's way. He won't be receiving any until he gets back on ship (which is kind of a bummer) BUT he will have a nice pile of goodies waiting for him when he does!

Your thoughtfulness, kind words, and prayers are appreciated more then you'll ever know.

I'm still extremely anxious for our homecoming and also to find out where the Marine Corps will be taking us next, after Brett does return home.

Always so many different things to look forward too!!

Time is really flying by and although I did say that this deployment was easier then expected... don't be mistaken,

I'm still SO ready this is be over & to have my husband HOME.

The halfway mark is so close I can taste it!



Cake In A Jar

Rainbow Cake ... in a jar!

I had recently heard a lot about this "cake in a jar" and how it was a great way to ship something sweet overseas.

I started looking around for different recipes and ideas and I came across this website:

http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/04/08/rainbow-cake-in-a-jar/

Now this was the idea...

Rainbow cake in a jar, for a sweet little Mother's day present.

(Also a trial run before I sent Brett his birthday cake)

I got the ingredients, including some pretty GREAT food coloring

and I got to work.

It was easy, as simple as it would be to make a cake from a box.

The colors were so fun and it even looked pretty BEFORE I put it in the oven, I was excited.

After they baked, I added icing and some colorful sprinkles, tied some ribbon around the lids and they were ready to be sent out!

Off they went... one to Michigan and one to Indiana,

Tightly packaged and marked "fragile" for a safe delivery...

or so I thought.

This is how the package arrived to Indiana

(and apparently the Michigan package wasn't much better)

Pssssshhhh... so much for fragile.

LUCKILY, the mason jar was not shattered, but the cake itself wasn't so lucky.

This is what the cake looked like when it was received

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

LOL

thankfully they were good sports :]

and although the cake may not have looked very pretty,

it still tasted GREAT!

(Cake in a jar turned into cake on a plate)

So now I know a few things I would have done differently...

1. I would use a smaller mason jar

2. I would fill it to the top

(to leave ZERO room for it to move around)

3. Use better packaging material!

It was a lot of fun to make and I will most definitely be giving this another try!!

Operation TONE Up And LOSE Weight

2+ MONTHS and 11 POUNDS down

I have honestly never been so motivated in my entire life.

I can see the transformation on the scale, in my clothes, and in the mirror and THAT only makes me want to work harder. I'm at a weight that I haven't seen in AT LEAST 5 years (I honestly can't even remember the last time I saw these numbers on the scale) and I know that that is a GREAT accomplishment... yet I do find myself wanting MORE.

I am still 9 pounds away from my initial goal and I am at a standstill. On my good weeks, for the first two months I was losing about a pound every two/three days (sometimes more, sometimes less) and now I have been stuck at this -11 pounds for a week. Of course this can be discouraging but I knew this point would come eventually, I knew that it wasn't going to always be "easy"... SO I have started working out a little harder, adding more to my routine. Those 9 pounds WILL come off before September :]

Recipe of the month:

"Waffles Rancheros"

from the ABS diet

Ingredients:

*1 egg

*1 whole wheat toaster waffle

*1 tbs. salsa

Scramble egg on over stove

Prepare waffle according to package

Top with egg and salsa

A quick and easy breakfast!

I started a new workout video this month:

Jillian Michaels: "Ripped in 30"

So far I have only been doing this video for a week and a half and it is my favorite out of any video I have ever done.  There are 4 levels and I am currently halfway through the 2nd level... and I.am.sore.

I was doing Jillian Michaels "30 Day Shred" before and although it was a good workout, I got burnt out easily. This one has WAY more of a variety of workout moves and each level is COMPLETELY different. It is definitely more of a challenge. I can only imagine what level 4 will be like...

I will let you know next month how "ripped" I am after 30 days ; )

My favorite song on my ipod play-list:

Asher Roth - Lion's Roar

Another GREAT song to add to your workout play-list!

The fast pace tempo keeps my energy up!

If you remember from my last diet update, I mentioned that I was going to run a 5k...

well I started running and "training" for that 5k and although I wasn't completely sure of myself I was still planning on giving it a shot (I am SO not a long distant runner)! Then, at last minute my friend informed me that it was NOT a 5k but a 12k... and I RAN in the opposite direction.

I didn't give up completely though, I have kept up with my running and am actually starting to enjoy it (something I thought I would never hear myself say).

I'm going to stick with it... who knows, maybe another opportunity will come my way.

So that's my update! Still working hard and feeling GREAT! I am hoping next month I will be down a few more pounds... September will be here before I know it and I am VERY determined to reach my goal!!

Wee Bit Of Me Wednesday's



{ONE} When was the last time you used a pay phone (if ever)?

I had to think about this one for a while... but if I remember right, the last time I used a pay phone was when I was at Spring Arbor basketball camp. We weren't allowed to have cell phones (if I even owned one at the time) so we had to use pay phones to call home. (and I got homesick easily at that age so I was using those pay phones A LOT! haha.)

{TWO} Did you ever fail a subject in school?

MATH! I never failed it in high school but I would get all A's and then a D in math (except in Mr. Bunker's class... he was the BEST math teacher). Then came college... ugh. I failed 2 math classes and had to retake them in the Summer. The crazy thing about that was that in the Summer classes I got A's... now does that make ANY sense to you? Oh well, I passed!

{THREE} Where do you go to get your favorite hamburger/cheeseburger?

Ruby's! I swear they have THE best burgers!! They have tons of different burger combinations and I have liked every one I have ever tried. (even the veggie burger... and I haven't had many GREAT veggie burgers!)

If we are talking fast food, then I would definitely have to go with Wendy's... my favorite, hands down!

{FOUR} Have you ever served jury duty?

Nope, I've never even been asked!! (knock on wood!)

{FIVE} How old were you when you moved out of your parents house?

I was 20 when I moved out of my parents house. I had just finished my 2 years at a Community College at a school that was close to my home and was moving to Mt. Pleasant to go to CMU.

{SIX} What is your favorite color to wear?

Hmmmm... I have a lot of color in my wardrobe. I guess I like to wear black the most (boring, I know) and I hate to admit it but I do have a lot of pink.

{SEVEN} Do you have a pair of shoes that you wear all the time?

Flip flops. Ever since I have moved to California I only wear socks when I work out and that.is.it. I live in my sandals! I even wear them around my house!

{EIGHT} Do you enjoy listening to talk radio?

Not really... whenever I turn the radio on it's usually for one reason and one reason only, to listen to music!

{NINE} If you could turn one unhealthy food into a healthy one, what food would it be?

Geeeeez, this is HARD! I guess I would have to go with pizza. Since I started working out and eating healthier I have found myself craving pizza about once a week (lol!) and if it were healthy, my problems would be solved!

{TEN} Who is the best speaker you have ever heard in person?

I haven't really heard many, but I would have to say that I really enjoyed listening to Amy Roloff when she came to Central. She was VERY motivational and inspiring!!

Deployment Visitors 3

My Mom and Rick came to see me!!

Rick had to come out here for work and so of course my mom had to tag a long and visit ME!

The first night we went to a little place on the Harbor called "Rockin' Baja Coastal Cantina."

I was SO HAPPY to see them. It's always nice to have visitors!

We had some dinner and some drinks and called it a night!

The next day was going to be the nicest, during their stay so my mom and I each grabbed a book and headed to the beach (After we made a stop at the infamous Ruby's Pier)! It was so nice to just sit there, relax, and enjoy the company of my mom :]

We enjoyed it a little too much and got a little sun burnt!

We then headed back to the hotel that they were staying at and ate dinner with all the people from Rick's work.

Their Hotel... BEAUTIFUL.

They had the "Beatles Suite"

(literally could play Beatles music all day 24/7 if you wanted)

The next day my mom took me shopping for my birthday!

We had lunch at Harbor Fish and Chips and went shopping ALL DAY.

Luckily, I was in the shopping mood (because some days that isn't the case!) and I found some GREAT clothes! My mom is SO GOOD to me.

The next day was kind of rainy so we decided to go to Wilson's Creek Winery in Temecula (Wine Country).

We did a little wine tasting and then had a VERY NICE lunch in the wine cellar.

It was such a great afternoon! I could tell my mom had such a good time and THAT made me happy.

Brittney (a fellow wife of one of Rick's coworkers) came with us!

This is where we ate lunch! It was SO nice!

My mom and I :]

She's so cute!!

The week FLEW by and before I knew it they were headed back to the airport...

it was a really nice week and there was never a dull moment!

ALL visitors are GREAT... but when my parents come, it's the BEST.

Aimee's Troops!

This is my friend Aimee

I met her a couple of years ago on myspace.

She is the wife of one of Brett's friends, who is also in the Marine Corps.

She is one of the sweetest, most easy going, most fun people that I have ever met.

She is also one of the toughest cookies out there...

Not only is Aimee a military wife that deals with all the ups and downs of the Marine Corps but she also is living with Cystic Fibrosis.

Don't know much about Cystic Fibrosis? Click on these links to learn more!

http://breathe4tomorrow.org/

http://www.cff.org/

Instead of letting Cystic Fibrosis run her life, she pretty much does everything she can to "run Cystic Fibrosis."

In my eyes she is the #1 advocate for CF.

She is always updating me and her other 260 Facebook friends on all the new CF news and ways to help.

I very rarely hear her complain about her bad days or about all the treatments and clinics...

(which makes me rethink whining about a measly little cold!)

She is a great supporter of all of her "Cysters" and "Fibros" and is always willing to lend a helping hand in the Cystic Fibrosis community!

In a couple of weeks there will be a Great Strides (taking steps to cure Cystic Fibrosis) Walk here in California. The walk helps raise money to invest in vital CF programs to support research, care, and education!

Aimee's Troops

Picture from last years walk!

If you would like to make a donation and be a part of Aimee's Troops (every little bit helps) please click on the link below!

MAKE A DONATION!

Or if you know someone who you think would like to help... pass this along!

Help in any way that you can!

Aimee's Troops will be walking in the Dana Point - Doheny State Beach walk on 05/14/2011

if you're in the area, COME ON OUT!

Walk for a friend, a breath, a life, a cure <3



Wee Bit Of Me Wednesday's

{ONE} Have You Ever Been Stuck In An Elevator?

Nope, and thank God for that!

{TWO} Have You Ever Ridden On An Elephant?

I actually have!! I was in the 5th grade and went to Flavor Fruit Farms with my family... there were elephant rides there!! My younger cousin was the one who wanted to give it a try and asked if us ("cool") older cousins would ride with him. Well after waiting in line, it was our turn and my little cousin decided he wasn't going to do it! So here we are, the "cool" older cousins riding on an elephant while a line of little kids and their parents look on... LOL!

{THREE} Have You Ever Met A Well Known Celebrity?

Unfortunately, I have not. I have seen a few from a distance but I never have felt the need to ambush them for an autograph or a picture. Maybe I'm chicken or maybe it just has to be a celebrity that I LOVE, I don't know.

{FOUR} Do You Have Any Food Allergies?

Not that I know of and again, thank God for that lol. There was this one random time that I hate raw shrimp and cocktail sauce on Christmas Eve (we had it every Christmas Eve and it was one of my favorites) and I got hives EVERYWHERE! I looked like a monster. My lips and my eyes were swollen and I was so embarrassed. The weird thing is that it only happened that one time!

{FIVE} Do You Know How To Sew?

HA. Can I sew a button onto a shirt? Yes. Can I sew up a hole on a seam? Sure. Will it last for more then a day? Probably not. This is something I REALLY wish I was better at. Brett always brings his cammies to me and asks me to "fix" it... and I try my hardest but I usually end up having to "fix" it again the following day.

{SIX} Did You Get An Allowance When You Were Young?

I did. I cannot remember how much it was but I do remember what we had to do to get it! CLEAN! I had the duties of dusting, vacuuming, sweeping the floors, emptying the dishwasher, and cleaning my bathroom (and room obviously). I used to think I did WAY too much... and now that I have a place of my own, I know that I was so wrong!

{SEVEN} How Often Do You Fill Up Your Gas Tank?

Hmmm... right now I don't drive a whole lot and when I do it usually isn't that far away. So I would have to say once every 2 weeks. Which is SO NICE since gas prices are ridiculous!!

{EIGHT} Have You Ever Been Stung By A Jellyfish?

No! I do not go into the Ocean... it scares me. I do know someone who was stung by a jellyfish though! My aunt did when she was a kid... and what a story that is to tell!

{NINE} Have You Ever Been Robbed?

The closest I have ever been to being robbed was in High School. During our basketball practices we would leave our clothes and belongings in the locker room and one day after practice was over I went to where I had my things and my purse was gone! I found it in a bathroom stall and all of the items that were inside were all over the floor. Luckily I hid my wallet so all that was taken was some loose change and a few bucks. I was still livid though and never left my things in there again.

{TEN} What Is The Worst Haircut You Have Ever Had?

In the 8th grade I thought it would be a good idea to get my hair cut short (even though I didn't own or even know what a hair straightener was at the time) and it was TERRIBLE. I didn't know how to style it right and I looked like I had an afro. For some odd reason... I thought it looked best without a part! It was hideous and it was my fault lol!

(Sorry the quality of this picture stinks! But I had to SEARCH for this haircut... I couldn't resist)

30 Days Of Musci - Day 30

Your Favorite Song At This Time Last Year

B.O.B feat. Bruno Mars - Nothin On You

I remember when I first heard this song on the radio and how after I heard it once, I kept hoping it would come on again!!

They performed this song on just about every award show and I never got sick of it!

I love both B.O.B and Bruno Mars and together... they are even better!!

:]

Hope you enjoyed these last 30 days!

[Chorus: Bruno Mars (B.o.B)]Beautiful girls, all over the world
I could be chasin but my time would be wasted
They got nothin on YOOOOOOOOOU, baby
Nothin on YOOOOOOOOOU, baby
They might say hi, and I might say hey
But you shouldn't worry, about what they say
'cause they got nothin on YOOOOOOOOOU, baby (Yeah...)
Nothin on YOOOOOOOOOU, baby
(Nuh-nuh-nuh-nothin on you babe, nuh-nothin on you)

[B.o.B - Verse 1]
I know you feel where I'm comin from (from)
Regardless of the things in my past that I've done (done)
Most of really was for the hell of the fun (the uh)
On the carousel, so around I spun (spun)
With no directions, just tryna get some (some)
Tryna chase skirts, livin in the summer sun (sun)
And so I lost more than I had ever won (Wha??)
And honestly, I ended up with none (Huh??)

[Bruno Mars - Pre-Chorus 1 (B.o.B)]
There's no much nonsense, it's on my conscience
I'm thinkin, "Maybe I should get it out"
And I don't wanna sound redundant
But I was wonderin, if there was somethin that you wanna know
(Somethin that you wanna know)
But never mind that, we should let it go (we should let it go)
'Cause we don't wanna be a TV episode (TV episode)
And all the bad thoughts, just let 'em go (go!)
Go (Go!) Go (Heeeeey~!)

[Chorus]
Beautiful girls, all over the world
I could be chasin but my time would be wasted
They got nothin on YOOOOOOOOOU, baby
(Nuh-nuh-nuh-nothin on you babe, nuh-nottin on you)
Nothin on YOOOOOOOOOU, baby
(Nuh-nuh-nuh-nothin on you babe, nuh-nothin on you)
They might say hi, and I might say hey
But you shouldn't worry, about what they say
'cause they got nothin on YOOOOOOOOOU, baby
(Nuh-nuh-nuh-nothin on you babe, nuh-nothin on you)
Nothin on YOOOOOOOOOU, baby
(Nuh-nuh-nuh-nothin on you babe, nuh-nuttin on you)
Yeaaaaah

[B.o.B - Verse 2]
Hands down, there will never be another one (nope!)
I been around and I never seen another one (naaaah..)
Because your style ain't really got nothin on
And you wild when you ain't got nothin on (Ha ha!)
Baby you the whole package, plus you pay your taxes
And you keep it real while them other stay plastic
You're my Wonder Woman call me Mr. Fantastic
Stop... -- Now think about it

[Bruno Mars - Pre-Chorus 2 (B.o.B)]
I've been to London, I've been to Paris
Even way out there to Tokyo
Back home down in Georgia, to New Orleans
But you always steal the show (steal the show)
And just like that girl you got me froze (got me froze)
Like a Nintendo 64 (sixty-fo')
If you never knew, well now you know (know!)
Know (Know!) Know (Heeeeey~!)

[Chorus]

[B.o.B - Verse 3]
Everywhere I go, I'm always hearin yo' name (name, name, name, name...)
And no matter where I'm at, girl you make me wanna sing (sing, sing, sing, sing...)
Whether a bus or a plane (plane), or a car or a train (train)
No other girls in my brain, and you the one to blame

[Chorus]

[Outro - B.o.B]
Yeah, and that's just how we do it
Heheheh, and I'ma let this ride
B.o.B and Bruno Mars



30 Days Of Music - Day 29

A Song From Your Childhood

Janet Jackson - Together Again

Janet Jackson's "Together Again" was the VERY first CD that I ever owned...

therefore, it was the ONLY CD that I played on repeat for a good month or so.

(Until I got Robyn's "Show Me Love" single. ha!)

So, whenever I hear this song I think about how EXCITED I was to own a CD and my OWN CD player!!

:]

It's the little things in life.

There are times
When I look above
And beyond
There are times when I feel your love
Around me baby
I'll never forget my baby
(I'll never forget you)

There are times when I look above and beyond
There are times when I feel your love around me baby
I'll never forget my baby

When I feel that I don't belong
Draw my strength
From the words when you said
Hey it's about you baby
Look deeper inside you baby

[BRIDGE]
Dream about us together again
What I want us together again baby
I know we'll be together again cuz

[CHORUS:]
Everywhere I go
Every smile I see
I know you are there
Smilin back at me
Dancin in moonlight
I know you are free
Cuz I can see your star
Shinin down on me

(together again, ooh)
Good times we'll share again
(together again, ooh)
Makes me wanna dance
(together again, ooh)
Say it loud and proud
(together again, ooh)
All my love's for you

Always been a true angel to me
Now above
I can't wait for you to wrap your wings around me baby
Oooh wrap them around me baby

Sometimes hear you whisperin
No more pain
No worries will you ever see now baby
I'm so happy for my baby

[BRIDGE]

[CHORUS]

(together again, ooh)
Good times we'll share again
(together again, ooh)
Ooh it makes me wanna dance
(together again, ooh)
Say it loud and proud
(together again, ooh)
All my love's for you

There are times when I look above and beyond
There are times when I feel you smile upon me baby
I'll never forget my baby

What I'd give just to hold you close
As on earth
In heaven we will be together baby
Together again my baby

[CHORUS (2x)]



30 Days Of Music - Day 28

A Song That Makes You Feel Guilty

Everlast - What It's Like

I am guilty just like most people who have the habit of sometimes judging people before we even know them or their story. It's something I am not proud of.

I don't do it all of the time but whenever I do I usually end up with my foot in my mouth.

No body is perfect and I most certainly have my own flaws but for some reason it's easier for society to point out other peoples mistakes and problems instead of realizing and accepting their own.

You really can't judge a book by it's cover

and if you did walk a mile in somebody else's shoes... you may have a whole new found respect for a person that you once shook your head at.

We've all seen the man at the liquor store beggin' for your change
The hair on his face is dirty, dreadlocked and full of mange
He ask the man for what he could spare with shame in his eyes
Get a job you fuckin' slob's all he replied

[CHORUS]
God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in his shoes
'Cause then you really might know what it's like to sing the blues
Then you really might know what it's like [x4]

Mary got pregnant from a kid named Tom who said he was in love
He said don't worry about a thing baby doll I'm the man you've been dreamin' of
But three months later he said he won't date her or return her call
And she sweared god damn if I find that man I'm cuttin' off his balls
And then she heads for the clinic and she gets some static walkin' through the doors
They call her a killer, and they call her a sinner, and they call her a whore

[CHORUS]
God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in her shoes
'Cause then you really might know what it's like to have to choose
Then you really might know what it's like [x4]

I've seen a rich man beg
I've seen a good man sin
I've seen a tough man cry
I've seen a loser win
And a sad man grin
I heard an honest man lie
I've seen the good side of bad
And the down side of up
And everything between
I licked the silver spoon
Drank from the golden cup
Smoked the finest green
I stroked the fattest dimes at least a couple of times
Before I broke their heart
You know where it ends
Yo, it usually depends on where you start

I knew this kid named Max
He used to get fat stacks out on the corner with drugs
He liked to hang out late at night
Liked to get shit faced
And keep pace with thugs
Until late one night there was a big gun fight
Max lost his head
He pulled out his chrome .45
Talked some shit
And wound up dead
Now his wife and his kids are caught in the midst of all of his pain
You know it crumbles that way
At least that's what they say when you play the game

[CHORUS]
God forbid you ever had to wake up to hear the news
'Cause then you really might know what it's like to have to lose
Then you really might know what it's like [x3]

To have to lose...