Now let's see if I can do this without repeating myself...
101. I collect postcards. I have have at least one or two from every place or destination that I have ever visited.
102. People who know that about me sometimes send me postcards from places that they have visited.
103. The collection fills one and a half shoeboxes.
104. Steven is fasinated by antique maps.
105. My favorite animals are frogs. Yes, frogs.
106. I have been known to chase after and catch them.
107. We used to have three tree frogs as pets.
108. My favorite one was named George.
109. They all died tragically.
110. When we have the money we plan on buying a new frog family.
111. I am a pianist.
112. I have played in three weddings.
113. In college, I minored in piano performance.
114. Steven played the trumpet through school.
115. He was so good that he played with the NC Symphony on a few occasions.
116. Now the trumpet sits, unplayed, on a shelf in the closet.
117. I really wish he would start playing again. He is just that good.
118. I have a soft spot for trumpet players. Both my dad and brother also play.
119. If our children are not musically inclined I will be very disappointed.
120. When we build a house I want a sitting room with a baby grand piano. A Baldwin baby grand piano.
121. Steven's favorite phrase is "Adapt and Overcome."
122. A majority of the time my name is "Princessa" or "Beautiful" to Steven.
123. I am the very proud wife of an American Soldier.
124. I flew to Oklahoma with his parents for his Graduation from Basic Training. In Februrary. It was freezing.
125. Steven joined the Reserves first so that he could marry me.
126. He took me to the jeweler before he left for BCT and let me design my own ring.
127. He didn't propose until after he got back.
128. My diamond came from Israel. I think that is freaking cool.
129. I have a love affair with raspberries.
130. And yogurt, I eat it every morning. Every. Morning.
131. I have had atopic dermatitis (a type of eczema) for years and didn't know it until this past summer when I went to the dermatologist.
132. It only occurs on my hands and feet. And it looks like poison oak but obviously, it's not.
133. Apparently it flares due to allergies and heat. So on our cruise, to Mexico, in the summer... my hands looked like I had a disease.
134. Now I have to put this special lotion on my hands and feet every time I take a shower or wash my hands.
135. Steven is picky about what shampoo and conditioner we use.
136. So picky in fact, that I have to take him to the store to pick it out. Otherwise, I'll buy the wrong thing.
137. This is ironic because he has no hair.
138. He can smell a person's hair and know by the scent what brand of shampoo they use.
139. Steven is a huge Harry Potter fan.
140. He has drug me along to many a midnight premier.
141. I have all seven seasons of Gilmore Girls.
142. I could probably quote a majority of it.
143. Steven has a list of movies called "The Man List." Consisting of things such as: Gladiator, Braveheart, Robin Hood, etc.
144. Viggo Mortensen and Johnny Depp are my favorite actors.
145. The most watched movie in the Volker house is The Count of Monte Cristo. Usually it is Steven who picks it out.
146. When I was little I had a black tooth.
147. This was a result of falling on the sidewalk and killing all the nerves.
148. I have never broken any bones.
149. Steven has.
150. I have a functional heart murmer. I've had it since I was born.
151. It fascinates Steven, he likes to listen to it.
152. I can tell when a new doctor hasn't read my chart competely, cause they freak out for a second.
153. The fact that they can miss a piece of information like that while skimming a chart kind of scares me.
154. I have been to the emergency room.
155. I smashed my fingers in between a boat and the dock.
156. Had to have an x-ray too.
157. Steven had appendicitis his senior year of high school.
158. He "had a cramp" and to him that was cause for a doctor's visit.
159. Since they caught it so early he had trichotomy appendectomy.
160. He rarely ever gets sick.
161. When he does it's always something strange.
162. Like the pig flu for example.
163. I had walking pnuemonia at least once a year growing up.
164. I try to drink half my weight in ounces of water every day.
165. If I don't stay hydrated I'll get a migraine.
166. Steven loves the water.
167. Me, not so much.
168. I can't swim.
169. I don't like getting my face wet. Not even in the shower.
170. That is one of the biggest reasons why I was terrified of being baptised.
171. It all drives Steven insane.
172. I am an introvert.
173. Steven, very much an extrovert.
174. I have a tendancy to act like an extrovert around our friends and family.
175. But this only lasts so long and then I crash for a few days. I don't talk, don't do social events, nothing.
176. This is usually why the car ride home from Georgia is very quite.
177. I didn't meet my father-in-law's parents until the day before our wedding.
178. I didn't meet my mother-in-law's father until a few months ago.
179. Other than his grandparents, an aunt and two uncles, I have never meet his extended family.
180. He has met almost all of mine.
181. Steven likes to fall asleep to music, usually something along the lines of Enya.
182. Now, when he's gone, I can't sleep without it.
183. I have a copy of his dogtag that I like to wear while he's away too.
184. I LOVE getting cards and letters in the mail.
185. There's a stack four or five inches high, tied together with a ribbon, of letters that Steven wrote to me while in Basic Training because he could only use the phone once a week.
186. My idea of camping is a multiple room tent, in a campgound with power hookups and restrooms, and an air mattress.
187. Steven's idea of camping is carrying everything in a backpack way out into the woods.
188. For obvious reasons we have never been camping together.
189. I have had not one but three oral surgeries.
190. Steven has perfect teeth.
191. And better than perfect vision.
192. I on the other hand, am practically blind without my contacts/glasses.
193. I pray often that our children get his teeth and eyesight.
194. I cannot kill roaches.
195. I have been known to keep an eye on them until Steven got home so he could kill them.
196. Camel crickets scare me, I usually run as far away as possible.
197. I always have my toenails painted. Always.
198. I hate the cold.
199. Seriously, Virginia was too cold for me.
200. Steven on the other hand loves it.
02 December 2010
01 December 2010
1000 Things...
So I got this idea from some friends and it sounds like fun. Since it's mostly family and friends that read this blog, I thought it be interesting to see if I could come up with facts about me/us that yall didn't know. So here goes...
1. My legal name is Courtney Michelle Volker.
2. I did not keep my maiden name after getting married. My parents named me Courtney Michelle for a reason and Courtney Michelle it shall stay.
3. My last name used to be Gravley. No one ever could spell or say it correctly.
4. Growing up my nickname was Courky, my family still calls me that sometimes.
5. When I got older my friends starting calling me Court.
6. When I'm lazy I sign emails that way.
7. My husband's name is Steven Richard, not Steve or Steve-o, it's Steven.
8. He thinks he name sounds kingly.
9. Speaking of kings that's how he wants to be buried, like an ancient king. Burned on a pyre of fire in the woods.
10. When I was little and playing pretend, my pretend boyfriend's name was always Steven. Not even lying.
11. My birth certificate says Atlanta, GA.
12. Almost my entire extended family lives in Dalton, GA.
13. Even though we moved to NC when I was three, I still feel like GA is where I'm from.
14. I love North Carolina, I think it's the prettiest state.
15. Steven is from Texas and proud of it.
16. If he had it his way, we'd be living there right now.
17. Take the road to the edge of town and drive another 15-20 minutes and that is where I would ideally like to live.
18. I hate the hustle and bustle of the city.
19. I could live in a one stop light town and be perfectly happy.
20. When Steven retires we want to build a house.
21. Steven wants a basement with a bunker and a gun collection.
22. Don't tell him, but he's not getting said bunker.
23. I love moving.
24. I get restless after a few years and need new surroundings.
25. I guess that makes me a good military wife. :)
26. Out of all the stateside bases with Special Forces units I like Fort Campbell, KY the best.
27. That's probably because I can afford a better house there.
28. I would live at the bases overseas in a heartbeat.
29. Steven's short term goal is to join the Special Forces.
30. His long term goal is to become a commissioned officer and climb as high as he can.
31. He wants two kids, I want three... we'll see who wins.
32. He only wants two kids so that he can take his family on vacations or out to eat, etc. without it being a financial burden.
33. I graduated college in 3 years.
34. Steven takes classes online when he has time. It might take him 10 years, haha, but at least he's working it.
35. I have a Bachelor's degree in Visual Communication Arts.
36. I hated school, I wanted to work, and I don't regret getting out early.
37. There's only one college friend that I still talk as much as I can to, her name is Jess.
38. I still talk to/see friends from high school.
39. One of my best friends, I've known since fifth grade. Her name is Kimberly and she's awesome.
40. We roomed together for a short time in college and contrary to the stereotype, we're still friends.
41. Steven and I went on a cruise this past summer, it was his first one and my third.
42. I got sick and had to see the on board doctor.
43. We went to Disney World for our honeymoon and had a blast. It was his first time and my third. (I'm sensing a pattern...)
44. I got sick then too. On the last day I got an ear infection but didn't know that's what it was until the plane ride home. Felt like someone stabbed an ice pick in my eardrum, it was less than fun.
45. The only vacation that I didn't get sick on so far was our first anniversary trip to Gatlinburg.
46. We've been married for two years and love it.
47. On our first anniversary, we had a mouse in our apartment. I caught it with peanut butter.
48. While I was trying to catch a mouse, Steven was making a delicious dinner.
49. He's actually a wonderful cook, but not a good baker.
50. He also has the ability to smoke up the kitchen without burning anything. It's an art.
51. I can make biscuits from scratch with no recipe... thank you Mom!
52. I can't eat certain foods because they give me migraines.
53. Mainly that means sugary things and things with lots of msg.
54. Despite that fact, there is always... and I mean always, ice cream in our freezer.
55. Steven eats ice cream, or something sweet, at least once every day.
56. But he doesn't gain a single pound, it's disgusting really.
57. Even though I can't eat a lot of it, sometimes I get in baking moods.
58. I don't know how to turn on our grill.
59. Cleaning the kitchen sink makes me gag.
60. Now that we have a townhouse my new least favorite chore is vacuuming the stairs.
61. I can get almost anything out of carpet. Mud, paint, coffee, sweet and sour sauce...
62. The above statement may be a slight exaggeration but seriously, I am skilled at carpet cleaning.
63. Speaking of coffee, I drink it everyday.
64. Sometimes twice a day.
65. You pretty much can't speak to me in the morning until I've had at least one cup.
66. It drives Steven crazy because he's a morning person. I... am not.
67. This is usually how our Saturday morning goes down - Steven: "Good morning!", Courtney: "Coffee.", Steven: "Good morning!", Courtney: "You are way to happy."
68. I jumped up and down when they discovered that it was okay for pregnant women to have one cup of coffee a day.
69. The bolder the coffee the better.
70. We used to outright own a motorcycle.
71. I say we because it wasn't paid off till I took over the finances.
72. For a year and half it was Steven's only vehicle.
73. Yes, I used to ride it. But only occassionly.
74. My helmet is pink, I look like a power ranger when I wear it.
75. Steven had to lay the bike down to avoid a driver with a stupid sign.
76. Later we found out it was totalled.
77. He decided to buy a car instead of replacing the motorcycle.
78. We will outright own the new car in January.
79. When we pay off the car we will be debt free!
80. I actually wouldn't mind if Steven got another motorcycle in the future.
81. When our children are old enough to drive, Steven wants each of them to help him build/rebuild a car instead of us just buying them one.
82. I am driving my car until it dies. When it does I want a cross-over SUV.
83. I have chronic migraines, and I have had them for as long as I can remember.
84. They weren't diagnosed until I was 16 or 17.
85. I have literally tried every migraine prescription there is to date. Nothing works.
86. After tracking them for several years, we discovered I get 6-12 in a month.
87. Despite that, I hate taking the pain medication.
88. It makes me feel like I'm just watching my life instead of living it.
89. Even though I have perfect blood pressure, I currently take a blood pressure medication.
90. It's supposed to help lessen the intensity and frequency of migraines.
91. I'm still getting them but the space between them is longer and I feel better in the spaces than I did before.
92. I cut Steven's hair. It's like sheering a sheep.
93. Christmas is my favorite holiday.
94. I'm a frugal person, but Christmas decorations are my weakness.
95. I start listening to holiday music at the beginning of November.
96. Steven requires that we have a real Christmas tree. Which is just fine with me!
97. Steven's birthday is three days before Christmas. He hates it, with a passion.
98. We are both allergic to cats. I'm worse than he is though.
99. Steven will eat anything except pretzels.
100. I have a collection of miniature navities from different countries or made in unique ways.
1. My legal name is Courtney Michelle Volker.
2. I did not keep my maiden name after getting married. My parents named me Courtney Michelle for a reason and Courtney Michelle it shall stay.
3. My last name used to be Gravley. No one ever could spell or say it correctly.
4. Growing up my nickname was Courky, my family still calls me that sometimes.
5. When I got older my friends starting calling me Court.
6. When I'm lazy I sign emails that way.
7. My husband's name is Steven Richard, not Steve or Steve-o, it's Steven.
8. He thinks he name sounds kingly.
9. Speaking of kings that's how he wants to be buried, like an ancient king. Burned on a pyre of fire in the woods.
10. When I was little and playing pretend, my pretend boyfriend's name was always Steven. Not even lying.
11. My birth certificate says Atlanta, GA.
12. Almost my entire extended family lives in Dalton, GA.
13. Even though we moved to NC when I was three, I still feel like GA is where I'm from.
14. I love North Carolina, I think it's the prettiest state.
15. Steven is from Texas and proud of it.
16. If he had it his way, we'd be living there right now.
17. Take the road to the edge of town and drive another 15-20 minutes and that is where I would ideally like to live.
18. I hate the hustle and bustle of the city.
19. I could live in a one stop light town and be perfectly happy.
20. When Steven retires we want to build a house.
21. Steven wants a basement with a bunker and a gun collection.
22. Don't tell him, but he's not getting said bunker.
23. I love moving.
24. I get restless after a few years and need new surroundings.
25. I guess that makes me a good military wife. :)
26. Out of all the stateside bases with Special Forces units I like Fort Campbell, KY the best.
27. That's probably because I can afford a better house there.
28. I would live at the bases overseas in a heartbeat.
29. Steven's short term goal is to join the Special Forces.
30. His long term goal is to become a commissioned officer and climb as high as he can.
31. He wants two kids, I want three... we'll see who wins.
32. He only wants two kids so that he can take his family on vacations or out to eat, etc. without it being a financial burden.
33. I graduated college in 3 years.
34. Steven takes classes online when he has time. It might take him 10 years, haha, but at least he's working it.
35. I have a Bachelor's degree in Visual Communication Arts.
36. I hated school, I wanted to work, and I don't regret getting out early.
37. There's only one college friend that I still talk as much as I can to, her name is Jess.
38. I still talk to/see friends from high school.
39. One of my best friends, I've known since fifth grade. Her name is Kimberly and she's awesome.
40. We roomed together for a short time in college and contrary to the stereotype, we're still friends.
41. Steven and I went on a cruise this past summer, it was his first one and my third.
42. I got sick and had to see the on board doctor.
43. We went to Disney World for our honeymoon and had a blast. It was his first time and my third. (I'm sensing a pattern...)
44. I got sick then too. On the last day I got an ear infection but didn't know that's what it was until the plane ride home. Felt like someone stabbed an ice pick in my eardrum, it was less than fun.
45. The only vacation that I didn't get sick on so far was our first anniversary trip to Gatlinburg.
46. We've been married for two years and love it.
47. On our first anniversary, we had a mouse in our apartment. I caught it with peanut butter.
48. While I was trying to catch a mouse, Steven was making a delicious dinner.
49. He's actually a wonderful cook, but not a good baker.
50. He also has the ability to smoke up the kitchen without burning anything. It's an art.
51. I can make biscuits from scratch with no recipe... thank you Mom!
52. I can't eat certain foods because they give me migraines.
53. Mainly that means sugary things and things with lots of msg.
54. Despite that fact, there is always... and I mean always, ice cream in our freezer.
55. Steven eats ice cream, or something sweet, at least once every day.
56. But he doesn't gain a single pound, it's disgusting really.
57. Even though I can't eat a lot of it, sometimes I get in baking moods.
58. I don't know how to turn on our grill.
59. Cleaning the kitchen sink makes me gag.
60. Now that we have a townhouse my new least favorite chore is vacuuming the stairs.
61. I can get almost anything out of carpet. Mud, paint, coffee, sweet and sour sauce...
62. The above statement may be a slight exaggeration but seriously, I am skilled at carpet cleaning.
63. Speaking of coffee, I drink it everyday.
64. Sometimes twice a day.
65. You pretty much can't speak to me in the morning until I've had at least one cup.
66. It drives Steven crazy because he's a morning person. I... am not.
67. This is usually how our Saturday morning goes down - Steven: "Good morning!", Courtney: "Coffee.", Steven: "Good morning!", Courtney: "You are way to happy."
68. I jumped up and down when they discovered that it was okay for pregnant women to have one cup of coffee a day.
69. The bolder the coffee the better.
70. We used to outright own a motorcycle.
71. I say we because it wasn't paid off till I took over the finances.
72. For a year and half it was Steven's only vehicle.
73. Yes, I used to ride it. But only occassionly.
74. My helmet is pink, I look like a power ranger when I wear it.
75. Steven had to lay the bike down to avoid a driver with a stupid sign.
76. Later we found out it was totalled.
77. He decided to buy a car instead of replacing the motorcycle.
78. We will outright own the new car in January.
79. When we pay off the car we will be debt free!
80. I actually wouldn't mind if Steven got another motorcycle in the future.
81. When our children are old enough to drive, Steven wants each of them to help him build/rebuild a car instead of us just buying them one.
82. I am driving my car until it dies. When it does I want a cross-over SUV.
83. I have chronic migraines, and I have had them for as long as I can remember.
84. They weren't diagnosed until I was 16 or 17.
85. I have literally tried every migraine prescription there is to date. Nothing works.
86. After tracking them for several years, we discovered I get 6-12 in a month.
87. Despite that, I hate taking the pain medication.
88. It makes me feel like I'm just watching my life instead of living it.
89. Even though I have perfect blood pressure, I currently take a blood pressure medication.
90. It's supposed to help lessen the intensity and frequency of migraines.
91. I'm still getting them but the space between them is longer and I feel better in the spaces than I did before.
92. I cut Steven's hair. It's like sheering a sheep.
93. Christmas is my favorite holiday.
94. I'm a frugal person, but Christmas decorations are my weakness.
95. I start listening to holiday music at the beginning of November.
96. Steven requires that we have a real Christmas tree. Which is just fine with me!
97. Steven's birthday is three days before Christmas. He hates it, with a passion.
98. We are both allergic to cats. I'm worse than he is though.
99. Steven will eat anything except pretzels.
100. I have a collection of miniature navities from different countries or made in unique ways.
Cars, Houses, and Jobs
I realize it's been a long time since my last update. We've been quite busy, what can I say! So here are the three biggest updates from the past few months.
We moved! No more five hundred square foot apartment. No more dining table in my living room. No more computer in my bedroom. No more will I have to wait for the toilet. (sounds weird but you know it's true!) Back in August when we got our notice that our lease was up in October we decided that it was time to move. We liked our apartment but we felt that at this point in our lives/marriage we needed a bigger space. Only problem was that I refused to live in another apartment and while we don't know how long we'll be in Raleigh for, we knew for sure it wasn't long enough to be worth buying a house. So we (and by we I mean me) started searching for a house to rent, which proved to be a difficult task in this area. Most houses for rent (that are worth living in) were well over $1000 a month. Crazy. But we finally found it. The perfect townhouse at an affordable rate. In a beautiful and safe neighborhood, so that I don't have to worry about being by myself. It's 1400 square feet, two bedrooms, dining room, two and half baths, and the kitchen is a-m-a-z-i-n-g. It's privately owned and in a neighborhood of houses, not a complex. The owner's have been awesome, super nice, and they let us paint the walls. I have pictures, just need to get them off my camera!
In other moving news, my sister-in-law and her husband have moved to Asheville. Quinn got a job as a chef in a resturant in Biltmore Village. Sounds like he's enjoying it and I know that they are loving living in the mountains. Hopefully sometime we can go up for a visit!
Right after we moved Steven was rear ended on his way home from work one day. Big 'ol SUV smashed right into him. It was pretty nasty looking, but he was okay. The car is now fixed and everything's back to normal!
Now for the job update. First of all, I got a new job!! Friday is my last day answering the phones at the Volvo dealership. I can't even contain my joy. Don't get me wrong, I have really been appreciative of this job but the boredom is driving me insane. Starting sometime next week I will be working for our jeweler and friend Kerry Catherine. I've been doing some freelance work for her for several months now, but a couple of weeks ago she and her husband offered me a full time job. After talking it over with Steven and the four of us sitting down and talking about it together, I decided to take her up on it. They are still trying to come up with a title but I'll basically be doing all things creative. All the graphic design, advertising, marketing, photographing custom pieces, setting up display cases, etc. We are super excited about it!
Steven has a job update too. He has officially been released from the Reserves! Now he has to go back to a recruiter and sign a new contract with an active duty unit. He has until I think early Februrary to get that done. So when he signs his new contract he should (in theory) have the opportunity to do what's called "re-classing." Which basically means, train for a new job specialty. We're hoping that he will be able to re-class to 18X which is a Special Forces Candidate. That would be the ideal scenerio anyway! So we'll see what happends next.
Currently, Steven is at Air Assualt School. From my understanding he's going to learn many things, but the main event of the training is learning how to jump out of helicopters with no parachute, just sliding down a rope. Apparently that's fun. I got a chance to talk with him last night and they're kicking his butt. They had to complete an obstical course yesterday and a two mile run in 16 minutes, and anyone who failed it was sent home. Apparently they don't want just anyone jumping out of helicopters. Luckily Steven is in incredible shape and had no problem with it. He sounded crazy tired though.
We moved! No more five hundred square foot apartment. No more dining table in my living room. No more computer in my bedroom. No more will I have to wait for the toilet. (sounds weird but you know it's true!) Back in August when we got our notice that our lease was up in October we decided that it was time to move. We liked our apartment but we felt that at this point in our lives/marriage we needed a bigger space. Only problem was that I refused to live in another apartment and while we don't know how long we'll be in Raleigh for, we knew for sure it wasn't long enough to be worth buying a house. So we (and by we I mean me) started searching for a house to rent, which proved to be a difficult task in this area. Most houses for rent (that are worth living in) were well over $1000 a month. Crazy. But we finally found it. The perfect townhouse at an affordable rate. In a beautiful and safe neighborhood, so that I don't have to worry about being by myself. It's 1400 square feet, two bedrooms, dining room, two and half baths, and the kitchen is a-m-a-z-i-n-g. It's privately owned and in a neighborhood of houses, not a complex. The owner's have been awesome, super nice, and they let us paint the walls. I have pictures, just need to get them off my camera!
In other moving news, my sister-in-law and her husband have moved to Asheville. Quinn got a job as a chef in a resturant in Biltmore Village. Sounds like he's enjoying it and I know that they are loving living in the mountains. Hopefully sometime we can go up for a visit!
Right after we moved Steven was rear ended on his way home from work one day. Big 'ol SUV smashed right into him. It was pretty nasty looking, but he was okay. The car is now fixed and everything's back to normal!
Now for the job update. First of all, I got a new job!! Friday is my last day answering the phones at the Volvo dealership. I can't even contain my joy. Don't get me wrong, I have really been appreciative of this job but the boredom is driving me insane. Starting sometime next week I will be working for our jeweler and friend Kerry Catherine. I've been doing some freelance work for her for several months now, but a couple of weeks ago she and her husband offered me a full time job. After talking it over with Steven and the four of us sitting down and talking about it together, I decided to take her up on it. They are still trying to come up with a title but I'll basically be doing all things creative. All the graphic design, advertising, marketing, photographing custom pieces, setting up display cases, etc. We are super excited about it!
Steven has a job update too. He has officially been released from the Reserves! Now he has to go back to a recruiter and sign a new contract with an active duty unit. He has until I think early Februrary to get that done. So when he signs his new contract he should (in theory) have the opportunity to do what's called "re-classing." Which basically means, train for a new job specialty. We're hoping that he will be able to re-class to 18X which is a Special Forces Candidate. That would be the ideal scenerio anyway! So we'll see what happends next.
Currently, Steven is at Air Assualt School. From my understanding he's going to learn many things, but the main event of the training is learning how to jump out of helicopters with no parachute, just sliding down a rope. Apparently that's fun. I got a chance to talk with him last night and they're kicking his butt. They had to complete an obstical course yesterday and a two mile run in 16 minutes, and anyone who failed it was sent home. Apparently they don't want just anyone jumping out of helicopters. Luckily Steven is in incredible shape and had no problem with it. He sounded crazy tired though.
28 May 2010
Graduation and Vacation
My sister, Kristin, is officially a UNC grad! Graduation day was really long but it was great. We started off the morning with the big ceremony at the stadium. It was quite chilly at first but as soon as the sun got a little higher in the sky it warmed up nicely. Since she was a double major we had two departmental ceremonies to attend, that's what made the day long. But we had fun! Funny story from the day: We had to high tail it from one departmental ceremony to the next or we were going to miss it. If we walked we wouldn't make it but we had more people than seats in the van. So... I sat on Krisitn's lap and Tyler and Steven sat in the trunk... and found the bags of chips from lunch... and proceeded to have a snack... in the trunk of a van... priceless.
The next stop was Belize City. It was a very disheartening place to visit. We got on a tender boat and when we pulled up to the tender pier there was a collection of shops right there by the dock, just like most other places. We started walking around and trying to find a way out to go visit the actual town. But then we noticed that the entire port area was surrounded in fencing. And I'm not talking just a picket fence, I mean very tall serious fencing. Barbed wire and all. And then we noticed that there were more than quite a few locals sticking there arms and faces inside any hole they could find in the fence trying to get our attention and get us to take a carriage ride or what not. And at every exit we saw (which there weren't very many) there was at least one posted armed guard. We decided to stay inside the fence. I wasn't interested in braving the actual city. It was really quite sad.
But we did find a small art gallery. Inside the fence obviously. That had all kinds of things made out of different types of wood found in Belize, and they were really pretty. I brought a small vase home with me!
Steven and I just got back a few days ago from a wonderful cruise! We both were getting really stressed with work and life, and he's about to leave for training soon so it will be a couple years before we take another vacation together. In my boredom at work I came across an awesome last minute deal on a Carnival cruise to the Caribbean. It didn't long for us to decide to go! We went for seven days, visiting: Cozumel, Belize City, Roatan Island (Honduras), and Grand Cayman. Let me tell you, it was a much needed vacation! We both came back much more relaxed, and in better moods. I think we just needed a break and to get away for a few days.
The boat was really nice. We had an inside room but that didn't bother us one bit! Steven preferred to be out on the deck anyway. I think at least twice a day I heard him say "this is a REALLY big boat." It made me smile! There was great entertainment onboard, including a comedy club which we frequented almost every night. Steven made friends with our stateroom steward, but I mean, does that really surprise anyone? Arifin was his name, and every time we saw him Steven would yell out his name. The guy even knew our names by the time the week was over!
Cozumel was fun. We've been there before, with his Grandparents when they took us to Cancun. So we kinda new where to go. We took a taxi downtown and did some shopping. Then we stopped for a bit of lunch, we shared a few Cokes in glass bottles and a plate of fajitas. Oh were they delicious! I got a beautiful new pitcher for sweet tea. It's stoneware and is painted with the Mexican pattern of blues, greens and reds... I love it!
The next stop was Belize City. It was a very disheartening place to visit. We got on a tender boat and when we pulled up to the tender pier there was a collection of shops right there by the dock, just like most other places. We started walking around and trying to find a way out to go visit the actual town. But then we noticed that the entire port area was surrounded in fencing. And I'm not talking just a picket fence, I mean very tall serious fencing. Barbed wire and all. And then we noticed that there were more than quite a few locals sticking there arms and faces inside any hole they could find in the fence trying to get our attention and get us to take a carriage ride or what not. And at every exit we saw (which there weren't very many) there was at least one posted armed guard. We decided to stay inside the fence. I wasn't interested in braving the actual city. It was really quite sad.
But we did find a small art gallery. Inside the fence obviously. That had all kinds of things made out of different types of wood found in Belize, and they were really pretty. I brought a small vase home with me!
Roatan, Honduras was my favorite place! They could have left me there and I would have been perfectly fine. No really, I'm not kidding. It was beautiful and green, with plants everywhere, even on the beach. And it was warm, so warm! Basically it was perfect. While sailing away we kinda rode around the island and there seemed to be some rather large cities with some beautiful houses. There's even a small airport, I mean what more could you need? Could I live on a tropical island, heck yes I could! We did some shopping here. I found a pearl store, and they were having a "sale." I fell in love with a strand of Tahitian peals. It sits right at my collar bone and in the center there's a big white pearl. Then I found a pair of drop earrings with a single Tahitian pearl. Steven let me buy them :) he's such a good hubby! We also went to the beach. A beautiful beach lined with lounge chairs and tropical trees. And warm beautiful, clear blue water with no waves. Absolutely divine!
The next and last stop was in Grand Cayman. And it rained... all... day. On top of that I was sick. Oh so sick. I swear I had strep throat. My throat had been sore for a few days, and I was achy, and had chills, and a fever. Steven had to take me to the physician, kicking and screaming mind you, who gave me amoxicillian. I felt better after that but I was miserable on Grand Cayman day. So maybe it was a good thing that it was raining. We still got off the boat though and took a bus through town which was kinda neat. We got to see parts of town that we wouldn't have otherwise saw. Sidebar: there are chickens EVERYWHERE. You think I'm kidding but I'm not. They're in store parking lots, roaming around people's yards, on top of cars and fences, CROSSING THE ROAD. Brings a whole new meaning to "why did the chicken cross the road?" Okay moving on, Steven wanted to go to Hell. Yes, I said Hell. There is a place in Grand Cayman called Hell and probably for good reason. It really does look like a spot of earth spontaneously combusted into fire leaving nothing but jagged black rocks behind and unable to support plant growth. Kinda creepy actually.
I wasn't kidding about the chickens!
All in all, it was a great week and an awesome vacation! We're already planning for another cruise after he completes SF training. Hopefully to the Mediterranean... we'll see! I will now leave you with some awesome sunset photos.
03 May 2010
Weekend in revue
Well this weekend was quite exciting. Friday night I came home to a b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l bouquet of flowers, since it was birthday and all. That husband of mine really knows how to put together a stunning bouquet! After putting on a pretty dress we went downtown for dinner at Bogart's. There was a live jazz band playing and the atmosphere there was just wonderful, definitely going to be added to the list of favorite places. Perfect birthday date!
It was also drill weekend, which means that I got all the cleaning/grocery shopping/organizing done, yay! This month at drill they had to do a PT (physical training) test. As you know Steven has been going to the gym with Dwight about four times a week, give or take, for the past several months. He ended up scoring the highest he ever has! The test is out of 300 and he scored 290 something, I can't remember the exact number. He had the second highest score in the entire unit (a few hundred people?) and he was the highest scoring enlisted member. I am so so so proud of him, and he is absolutely thrilled! As a result he got noticed by someone pretty high up in the food chain and they are now going to try (emphasis on the "try,"... I'll believe it when I see it) to get him promoted to Sergeant before the drill in June! We're trying not to get our hopes up, cause the Army can make a lot of empty promises, but we are definitely going to be praying really hard for this. If anyone deserves a promotion, Steven most certainly does, he works so terribly hard! So proud of my man!
It was also drill weekend, which means that I got all the cleaning/grocery shopping/organizing done, yay! This month at drill they had to do a PT (physical training) test. As you know Steven has been going to the gym with Dwight about four times a week, give or take, for the past several months. He ended up scoring the highest he ever has! The test is out of 300 and he scored 290 something, I can't remember the exact number. He had the second highest score in the entire unit (a few hundred people?) and he was the highest scoring enlisted member. I am so so so proud of him, and he is absolutely thrilled! As a result he got noticed by someone pretty high up in the food chain and they are now going to try (emphasis on the "try,"... I'll believe it when I see it) to get him promoted to Sergeant before the drill in June! We're trying not to get our hopes up, cause the Army can make a lot of empty promises, but we are definitely going to be praying really hard for this. If anyone deserves a promotion, Steven most certainly does, he works so terribly hard! So proud of my man!
30 April 2010
23
I am officially 23! I've had a wonderful day so far. Started out with my dear sweet husband whispering Happy Birthday in my ear, he thought I was still asleep. What a great way to start off a birthday! I got to have lunch today with some friends which both fun and delicious. Had a grilled pimento cheese sandwich, my absolute fav. Tonight Steven is taking me out to dinner downtown at Bogarts. I get to put on a pretty dress and go someplace nice, I'm so excited! We don't eat out very often so this is definitely a treat. Most of my family has already called and sung happy birthday, it's just been a great day so far!
29 April 2010
Veritas et Libertas
We recently got some new Special Forces information. I'm not really clear on the chain, but I THINK Steven talked to a friend at work who has a brother that's in the Special Forces and that's how we came about our new info, or something like that. Either way, this guy who is in SF emailed Steven some information about training and what not. The header at the top of the document states that it comes from the command center at Fort Bragg so I think it's probably the most reliable source we've found yet. We added up all the weeks last night for each individual phase and it came out to being about a year long, which is about 6-12 months shorter than we thought. Like I said, don't know the accuracy, since everything we look at says something different I don't think we're going to know anything for sure until he's actually there. So I guess instead of planning on him being gone for a year and half - two years, we have start thinking that he'll be gone a year - a year and half. To be honest, I like that a lot better! However, this guy did confirm what the recruiter had told me several months ago. That during certain phases (the longest phases) Steven will get to come home nearly every weekend. That will make this way way way easier for me (and him too even though he won't admit it). So I guess you could say we got some good news last night about SF!
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