2009: A year in review

2009 was a huge year for us! Let's review, shall we?

January

I started really worrying about my comprehensive exams...

but then I passed! (so did Kat and Kari, the most awesome study partners ever.) Austin started class at Supply School and met some great guys who would be our groomsmen a few months later. Annnd, one of my best friends, Diana, had her beautiful baby girl - Emma Grace - who I got to meet in...

February

What a cutie.

March

We got 6 inches of snow in Athens! Craziness abounded as people in cars such as Honda Civics tried to drive through 6 inches of snow on unplowed and unsalted/sanded roads. Two days later it was 76 degrees, all the snow melted and the drought was almost cured!

April

April was crazy. We found out that Austin would be stationed on the Arleigh Burke, and that we would be headed back to Norfolk, VA. Grad school and supply school were wrapping up and wedding plans were right on track...until the last day of the month, when all went awry.

We found out that Austin would be deploying and all of a sudden our lives were really accelerated.

May

I graduated.

Ashley graduated.

And Austin graduated. and I went to Wisconsin to re-plan our wedding in one month as we decided to move it from July 17 to June 12.

June

We got married. People came. It was awesome.

Then, from June 12-30 we:  left Wisconsin, and left Athens, and arrived in Norfolk. And then we house shopped, and found one, and put in an offer, and it was accepted. And then Austin went to Helo School and then we waited to find out when he would go. And then...

July

Austin left for deployment and to see the world. He went all over the place. The Seychelles, Kenya, all sorts of little islands, South Africa, Spain, etc, etc, etc.

I pretty much hung out with friends in Norfolk and started job searching...and counted down to our end of August closing on the house.

August

Ash, Bings and I moved into the house, with plenty of help from friends and family.

Ashley started grad school.

September

Was filled with house projects. It was my goal to have the whole house as done as possible before Austin came home. Painting, installing ceiling fans (with help from Justin and Haley), mowing my first lawn, unpacking, getting rid of boxes...whew.

October

Austin came home! Best day in a long time.

We carved, pumpkins, celebrated Halloween and had an awesome week off together.

Oh yeah and I got a job!

November

We started work and caught up with life. Thanksgiving came and we spent it with family - I baked pies.

December

First Christmas in our new home.

So, 2009 was intense. To think that a year ago I was worrying about comps is a crazy realization of how much has happened this year! We are excited about 2010 though - a honeymoon (finally), a trip to Europe with our best friends, Harry Potter World!, maybe a new puppy and no deployments! (knock on wood).

Happy New Year!

Georgia on My Mind...

I have been feeling pretty nostalgic lately for the good ol' state of Georgia, more specifically for Athens. Maybe it is the cold here (it never seemed this cold in Georgia...at least in my memories). Or maybe it is the fact that friends that I used to get to see every day by default are now flung about the country, but today has been especially winsome.

So, I bring you "Things I miss about Athens":

• All the cute boutiques with all the cute dresses a girl could ever want
• Getting to wear dresses all the time because it never got really cold
• Barberitos, Taqueria del Sol, and Agua Linda. I could rotate Mexican restaurants every day and still feel like I was eating different food.
• Cookies and Co. Chocolate Chip Cookies. Yum.
• Walking the campus of UGA and knowing that so much history had happened there
• My students, friends and colleagues!
• Wait for it - class. I know, I never thought I would miss class either, but I do! If I could sit around and talk all day with people that diverse and smart and awesome again, my life would be awesome. If we got paid. I still don't miss homework though.

Ok, whew. Just had to get that out of my system. I do love being back here in Hampton Roads and more specifically in Norfolk, (being back here with more financial assets than I had in college is awesome...it's like a whole new city!) but Athens will always hold a super special place in my our hearts.

Photos of the Navy Bungalow: Holiday Edition

Since there is clamoring among the troops, and let's face it because I am so excited about Christmas decorations - here are some photos of our little Navy Bungalow, all decorated for the holidays (even without my new camera).

Left side of the living room:

Before

(read: at the home inspection - this is not our stuff)

Hey Dennis!

After

We have refinished the mantle and finally broke down and painted the fireplace. Don't get me wrong, I love brick, but this brick was flat...and red. So red. So, we painted.

It is not the end of our fireplace adventures. We have grand plans for it, but decided to hold off until after Christmas since the fireplace takes a central role around this time of year.

Happy Holidays everyone!

If you have the time...

read this somewhat lengthy article. Interesting.

http://chronicle.com/article/Faux-Friendship/49308/

House Pictures!

Haha...I bet you all thought that meant I would finally post some - didn't you?

See here is the thing. I have a secret agenda.

I want a new camera. A really nice new camera. One of those DSLR cameras that I have been eye-ing for, um, 2 years or so.

I am withholding photos in an attempt to show my husband how important it is for me to get this camera and show even more beautiful photos of our home than the ones that our old camera can produce.

In any case, that is the deal. Besides the fact that now it gets dark at 4:00, which puts a severe damper on the lovely sunlight that is in our home during the day. Seriously - we have 23 windows in our house.

So, house photos will come shortly. Either I will get my new camera as a late birthday present (since Austin was gone he didn't get me anything...hmmm...) or I will finally relent and take some photos this weekend.

Just thought you should know.

The Nicest Places

We have dinner in the nicest places, now that we are officially a DINK family (dual income, no kids).

Like last night, we ate right here:

No, seriously. Austin has this overnight duty way too often for both of us, but apparently I am allowed to go visit so long as he is not actually on watch at the time I am trying to visit. Who knew? So, last night after work I picked up some Moe's (glamorous I know, but hey, Moe's knows burritos) and headed to the ship.

We ate dinner together in the wardroom and watched our Monday night TV lineup on CBS / Monday Night Football. I had the chance to meet some of the people he works with that I often hear so much about, and was escorted off the ship before curfew (hehe).

Did I ever think I would be eating dinner with Austin on his ship? Nope. But, it was so fun I am sure we will do it again soon...like in three days.

Business as Usual

Well, it has been almost two months since my last post. That is disgraceful.

Let's do some life updates, eh?

First - AUSTIN IS HOME! Wooo!

I will get all the photos together to do a real Homecoming post, but in short, it was the best day. We had beautiful weather (I even got a bit sunburned) and everything went splendidly.

{This is my friend Leigh Anne and I on the pier waiting for our hubbys! Funny story - we got married on the same day, at the same time - and then both of our husbands left for the Burke. Look at those smiles!}

Since he has been home it has been pretty much business as usual.

{Normal fun family stuff, like carving pumpkins, and you know trying to keep the dog from eating it}

Austin had leave for about a week and a half after coming home and we did tons of fun things, like hanging shutters on the house, installing new lights in the bathroom and hallways...you know, totally glamorous. We did manage to get to Busch Gardens for Hallow-scream, where Austin forced me to do all of the scary stuff. All of it. And carve up some pumpkins, when Haley came to visit!

{Guess who did which?}

On the 2nd of November we both started working again! Woo! It had been a long break for me, not so long to Austin, but a ship in port is a whole different ball game that he hadn't experienced yet. He is really enjoying it, though we are both getting a little tired of the overnight watches already.

I was offered and accepted a job at Regent University as an Incoming Student Advisor for Undergraduates. I love it! I started on the same day as my new friend Brianne, and she and I have been having fun in training together. I will be academically advising a whole section of incoming undergraduate students, both Freshmen and Transfers. To see me being a professional click here. There I am, bottom right! Soon I will have a bio up on the page links on the right as well.

So, we have been doing a lot of work on the house, and trying to get in the groove of being a family in the same city, while working and taking care of a dog and a grad student adopted child (ha! if you haven't heard, my sister Ashley is attending grad school at ODU and living with us. We love having her here!)

Now that I am back to a semi routine, I am hoping that blogging will return to normal! It was so much harder to get things done when I had, well, little to do. Though I had a lot to do once we got into the house. You will see when I start updating on the projects!

Until then, I am glad to be back sharing our life -- accelerated. ;)

I am alive!

Seriously. So is Austin. I talked to him for an hour today.


Now that we have internet, I will be back to regular blogging shortly...once my to-do list gets shorter.


In the mean time, here is a little preview of what has been keeping me busy!


Taking this:

{cute, right?}

To this:

Sorry for the crappy photo quality (phone only until I find my battery charger...wherever that is!) Granted it's not all done yet, I still have pictures to hang, etc. 


Buuuuuut, hopefully this appeases the masses for now, until I can reveal more projects! (and find the batteries for my camera!)

A new address!

Tomorrow morning we c-l-o-s-e on our new {to us} dream bungalow!

We are so excited to move into our 82-year-old little home...after closing I will head to the house to clean it from top to bottom, a la Barb {my mother - cleaner extraordinaire}, and do a little happy dance in every single room.

After that we will begin the moving and painting process. U-haul on Saturday, Navy Movers on Tuesday, {DirecTV set up on Wednesday - yay for having DVR back!!!}. I am beyond excited to get to sleep in my own bed again for the first time since May 9th!

I will try to keep everyone updated on all the projects and things we are undertaking - with tons of pictures - but until we figure out internet and such my blogging will be touch and go.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who have helped us get to this point {you know who you are} and let this serve as an open invitation to all our friends - starting Tuesday, Guest Room AVAILABLE!

Fun Birthday Present!

The second of August was my 25th birthday. Oy! When did I get so old? ;)  I got such fun presents and messages from all sorts of people, but I wanted to feature one present that will look so nice in our new house!
    

  

"Oh! You have the camera out...

  

  

  

...that must mean you want a picture of me!"

     

     

No Bings, actually, just the sign.

    

    

   

There we go.

    

Thanks Corey for the awesome gift!