Day 19 - A recipe

I looove baking and decorating, and now that I am a stay-at-home wife, I also really enjoy cooking. Lately, the hubby and I have been on a pumpkin kick: pumpkin latte from starbucks, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin egg nog, pumpkin candles, pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin. Howeverrrr, we weren't pumpkin-ed out enough to not have pumpkin pie for thanksgiving! Plus, with it being my first time cooking thanksgiving dinner (which was pretty successful fyi) a pumpkin pie was a simple dessert. Heres the recipe I used:


1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices and salt in medium bowl until smooth. Pour into crust. Bake 15 minutes.

2.Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Cool. Garnish as desired. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

I only baked mine for the first 15 minutes, and then 20 minutes instead of the 35-40, and it came out perfect! I made home made whip cream (it really does taste better than store bought!), and we ate the whole pie within 3 days. I did take the easy route and bought a pre-made pie crust, and the graham cracker one was an amazing pairing!

Heres a delicious and simple dinner recipe from the amazing Paula Deen: Chicken in wine sauce. My only tweek was next time I am going to use cream of chicken that is low in sodium because the dish was really salty, even for me even though I love salt.

One more thing.. Since I didn't take a picture of the pie I made for thanksgiving, heres a picture of a cake that I made for my hubby as a welcome home gift. It was white chocolate (his favorite) with raspberry filling, white chocolate buttercream, and decorated with fondant. Okay, I'm done bragging : )

The time of year to be thankful

Tomorrow is thanksgiving, and boy do I have a lot to be thankful for this year. Besides having a roof over my head and food on the table (or the bar since we haven't gotten a dining room table yet), I have a lot of amazing people in my life.

To my Mom, thank you for supporting me. Even though you felt like you were losing your little girl, you still knew that trying to stop me would only push me away. You even told me not to listen to anyone else, that I "had to learn things on my own," and that you were on my side even when no else was. It makes me so happy to know that you have accepted Chris into our family with open arms.

To Katey, thank you proving to me that friends do not always come and go. I know that your one of a kind, that our hugee differences force each other to look out from a different window, and that our LTF (long term friendship) will always be there.

To the Navy, thank you for turning my love from a boy into a man. Without you, we would have had to wait much longer to get married, and we wouldn't be where we are today. There are times when I despise you, but then I remember to count my blessings.

To my grandpa, thank you for being the strong fatherly figure in my life and for holding on until you could pass my hand to the other man in my life. I know you won't physically be able to walk me down the aisle, but you will be there in spirit. I will always be your little flower.

To my husband, thank you for the love that you show me. I am reminded everyday about why I fell in love with you and why I will always love you. You support me, listen to me, encourage me to come to you with my problems, make me laugh, make me feel loved. You are everything that I need.

To God, thank you for the life you have given me. I never expected to be where I am today, but you had your path set for me, and now I can see how perfect it is.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Day 18 - Your favorite movie

In our relationship, my husband is the movie buff. He always quotes movies that I have never seen before, and then gets really surprised when he finds out I haven't seen it (even if we have talked about it before : ).. And even if I have seen the movie, I still don't remember the quote until he explains which part it was from. He remembers details like movie and song quotes, I remember details like dates etc. Oh, how opposites attract..
With that being said, my favorite movie changes all the time. Right now its Secretariat since I grew up around the track (and I also love the message of female empowerment, even though I am in now way a feminist lol).

Also, one of my all time favorite movies is Cry-Baby, one of Johnny Depp's first movies:

Day 17 - Your favorite book

Yay, a topic I can actually talk about!

My two favorite books of all time are:

The Pact by Jodi Picoult. This book is heartbreaking and eye-opening. Jodi Picoult is my absolute favorite author and I recommend any and all of her books!

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Also a love story, but this one is a classic!

I love books. Right now, I'm reading The Bride Quartet by Nora Roberts.

Day 15 - Cravings

A few weeks ago, I was watching Dr.Oz, and he did a mini newlywed game. He asked the husbands questions about what their wives craved when the were stressed, or about to start their cycle, etc. I started thinking about it.. and I can't think of anything that I crave when I'm going through different situations. When I'm stressed, I usually lose my appetite. And when I'm about to start my cycle, I never know what I'm going to get. lol. However, I crave chocolate and dessert anytime, and all the time. I am a pretty health conscious eater, but thats my one bad habit. Oh, and bread, I loveee french bread. What do you crave?

Day 14 - Someone you’ve drifted away from

I've drifted away from a lot of people since high school and also since moving away.
After high school, I went to University of Arizona (for only a year) while a majority of my friends went to NAU and ASU. Basically, I lost touch with most of my group of friends even though we had plenty of ways to keep in touch... Only getting together for a party every once in while when we were all home for breaks.
Luckily, my two best friends also went to UofA, one of them even living in my dorms. All three of us were extremely busy, but we managed to stay close. Today, I really only keep in touch with one of them, and I consider her the best friend I have ever had.
It was really hard for me as I saw my friends slipping away, but now I accept the fact that our lives went in different directions. As cheesy as it is, I guess I really did find out who my true friends were!

Day 13- A first

Instead of talking about a first I had in the past, I'm going to talk about a first thats going to happen in about 2 weeks: I'm going to make my first thanksgiving dinner.
I would consider myself a decent cook.. I cook dinner almost every night, and 80% of the time its either home-made or semi home-made. Chris always says tells me that I'm the best cook, but he is my husband so I think he is a little biased. Luckily, its just going to be us two this thanksgiving, so I don't have to worry about impressing anyone else!
Did I mention that I'm going all out for thanksgiving? Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, sweet potatoes, deviled eggs, and pumpkin pie. Did I forget anything?

Day 12 - Something that makes you cry

I really can't pinpoint anything specific that makes me cry- I have a bit of a temper, but I'm also very sensitive. I guess you never know what your going to get!

When the hubby is away, the waterworks gets even worse- military commercials, love stories, letters, emails, songs!

Day 11- Something that makes you feel better

This is a pretty easy one, and I bet you know my answer already.
My hubby, duh!
Chris is pretty amazing at knowing what I need when I'm upset- He knows whether I need to talk, to be hugged, and he is even learning about when I need to be left alone for a little while. He is such a sweetie and has to fix everything and anything! (unless its something around the house, like our doorknob.)
I'm also a hugeeee chocolate addict. I eat it when I'm happy and sad though lol
Short story- The night before Chris left for bootcamp, we stopped at a gas station to get energy drinks, and Chris wanted a candy bar 'since it would be his last one for two months.' Since then, we have made it a tradition to eat a candy bar the night before he goes underway. I know its a little dorky, but its one of those things that make it a little easier to get ready to say goodbye!

Day 10- Something that upsets you

As I was sitting here trying to think of what to write about, this commercial that came on while my hubby and I were watching tv popped in my head.
It was a commercial for the ASPCA, and they showed animals (looking straight at the camera with very sad eyes) and gave a little description about the abuse they had received. Before it came on, the hubby and I were laughing and talking, but then we went silent for the long commercial.. It was heartbreaking! We were already talking about which charity to donate to this year, so it kind of put it in stone that this year we would do an animal organization.
I love animals. I was the little girl who tried to rescue all of the baby birds and take in all the stray dogs. In fact, I still am that person. The last incident happened when Chris was home on leave after a-school.. We were driving to his mom's house when I saw a little dog (looked kind of like a large chihauhua lol) running down the street, and after a bit of coaxing, we had her in the car. Even though I was driving, I insisted on holding her since she was scared, and after a few minutes, she suddenly stopped shaking, and just relaxed in my arms. We walked around the neighborhood for a good 20 minutes (with her still completely relaxed in my arms) talking to neighbors, and trying to find her home. Finally we figured out whose dog it was and left it with their neighbor.

Day 9 - Something that you miss

This one is pretty easy; I miss being around horses, and, especially, having my own.
This is Ollie:

I got him the summer before my sophomore year of high school. After about a year of searching, I finally found the perfect horse through a rescue organization.. I handed over the money without even riding him or watching him run, which I knew could be a huge mistake, but somehow I just knew he was the one. And I was right : )
I started working at 15, a few months after I got Ollie. It was about my junior year when my dad stopped paying for the boarding fees, and I had to help my mom. By my senior year, the responsibility was completely on me. And a horse is no way near cheap! Not to mention other bills as well.. In order to make ends meet, I took more hours, even ended up getting a second job.
I thought about selling Ollie, and even put up an ad, but took it down a day later. I didn't have the heart to sell him. It got even harder to afford him in college, but I just couldn't let him go. I'm glad I didn't, because when I got home from school, and Chris went on deployment, my horse and working out were the two things that kept me sane.. I got back into the routine that I had the first year I got my horse.
I sold my horse to a wonderful family about a week before I moved. I miss him like crazy, but I know he is in good hands.

Day 8 - Your favorite birthday

Honestly, nothing is coming to mind...

It's not that I haven't had any good birthdays, but I just don't have any that really stick out.. So I will talk about last years birthday:
Chris was at bootcamp.. So he wrote me "Happy Birthday" in quite a few of his letters, since he didn't know when I would get them. He also wrote to one of his friends and asked her to call me and tell me happy birthday from him. I thought it was cute. (He sent the same friend money to buy my flowers and take me to a movie on valentines day : ) My two best friends both decided to decorate my dorm-room door, without speaking to each other, so it was done up twice lol. One friend covered my door in sticky notes that had jokes between us on them, and the other friend did balloons and streamers..





They all stayed on my door and the wall for a few months..




That night, my friends took me out to one of my fav restaurants- Oreganos! They have this amazing thing called a pazookie.. Look it up, they are deliciousssss!

Day 6- Your definition of love

Real love is unconditional.



What does love mean to me?
Love means an overwhelming warm, tingling feeling you get thinking about someone. Theres nothing you can use to compare the feeling of love.



So what is love?
It's loving in good times and in bad; loving the bad things just as much as the good things.
It's wanting to do things for your significant other to make them happy; little and big.
It's being able to talk about anything and always having someone to lean on.
It's wanting to be a better person so that you can make your SO happy as well as yourself.
It's talking and listening, and taking an active role in your relationship.
It's dreaming of your future together, and looking back on all the good times.

Love is amazing thing, and I don't know where I would be without the love of my husband. He is patient and kind, and loves me in all the ways that he can. He is my definition of love.

Day 4- Your best friends

My hubby is my first best friend. I know, its typical of me to say that. However, I really do mean it. We talk about anything and everything, and I can always be completely open with him. We laugh until we can't breath and act like little kids sometimes. I absolutely love how close we are.

I have already mentioned the fact that I'm not very good at keeping girls as friends.. I have had a few close girl friends come and go, but I do have one that I know I will always keep- Katey. We met 6 years ago (wow) on our high school's distance track team. Our friendship actually took quite a while to develop; we were friendly towards each other, but I'd say it took about a year for us to actually become friends. What made me realize that we were 'best friends' was when she left for college (she was a year ahead of me) and our friendship only grew closer during that year. We like to say that we "grew together while growing apart." It makes sense to us lol. Even today, living in different states, we still talk a few times a week.

Katey and I have a lot in common, and just as many differences; which we both agree is what makes us such close friends. We both look up to each other, for different reasons, and I feel like that is something to really treasure in a friendship. We both know that our lives are going to, and have already, taken completely different routes, but that we will always be able to meet in the middle.

Day 3- My Siblings

Technically, I have four siblings. But when people ask, I automatically say two.
I have an older sister and brother- by 12 and 14 years.. They are considered half-siblings, since they have a different dad, but I don't like that term.
My brother is the life of the party and any party. Just like my dad, my brother has been working with horses his whole life. At 16, he started his career as a jockey. After numerous injuries and hospital visits, my brother has finally decided on a change of pace and is now an agent.
My sister is the hurricane- she never stops. She recently moved back from Florida to our hometown, and is now expecting a baby boy! We have always been extremely close, and she is the one who I go to for advice.
I also have two sisters from my dad.. My half sister who I have never really built a relationship with, and my younger step sister.
Just another reason why my family is so unique!

Day 2- My parents

I have an interesting family, to say the least. I won't go into specifics- no matter what, they are my family, and I would never air our dirty laundry like that.
I used to think my mom was a superhero growing up. She did what all the other parents did, but there was only one of her and two of them. I think she loved me twice as much to make up for there only being one of her. However, we have gone through some pretty hard times. She gave me an awesome childhood, but I became an adult quickly. I was forced to learn a lot of life lessons all at once, and even though it wasn't easy, it made me a better person. Despite her faults, I can still say that she was a great mom and is now one of my best friends. I love her. 
My dad has been in and out of my life ever since I could remember. Right now, we are at the stage where we haven't talked in months, actually a year, if you don't include the merry christmas and happy birthday texts. I've tried so many times to tell myself that he hasn't affected my life, that I don't care. But after many many emotional moments, I have realized that it has impacted me significantly, in more ways than I could explain here. I don't think my dad is a bad person; I've met so many people who have nothing but good things to say about him. He works hard, and has overcome many things in his life. Everyone makes mistakes, but not everyone knows how to deal with them. He made a few very big ones- and our relationship was one that couldn't be fixed.
My dad was never around, but my grandpa sure was. I was always closer to my grandmother, but when she passed away, my grandpa and I built an inseparable bond. He moved into our guest house, and I used to carry dinner back to him no matter the weather, and watch baseball games with him at night. My grandpa was the most stubborn man I ever met, but I was able to get to his soft side. In February, my grandpa underwent heart surgery. He made it through ok, but spent the next month in and out of the hospital because his body was too weak to recover. There were many times when I rushed home from school two hours away to be with him. When it was his time to go, my grandpa held on just long enough for all of my family to make it in time to say goodbye.
I never got to tell my grandpa that I got married. It was a few weeks after his surgery, and my family and I decided that it would be too much for him to handle. He knew that I was going to do it sooner or later, but he used to lecture me about being too young. I always planned for him to walk me down the aisle, so it broke my heart even more that I couldn't tell him. I am so thankful that I had him as a father figure growing up.
I know, this was a depressing entry. But thats my life. You have to go through a lot of sad times to get to the happy ones. Right?

Starting to feel like home

It's been a while since I have posted, so let me update you: I'm loving life.
Chris took a 10 day leave, and we enjoyed every minute of it. We shopped for our apartment, explored San Diego, went to the beach, and just enjoyed each other's company. Now, he is back to 12-15 hour work days, with a confusing work schedule that I just now figured out. However; his ship is getting ready for a big inspection so he won't be having any days off for quite a while.

We are putting our apartment together piece by piece. For the first few weeks, we ate on a box on the floor and used our bed comforter as a couch. Everyone has to start somewhere, and I know that we will have a good laugh about it in a few years. Plus, it encouraged our families to tell us their funny stories about their first place. Now, we have upgraded to bar stools at the kitchen bar, and the day before yesterday we got a couch.
I love taking care of the house and cooking dinner. I'm still learning how to cook, but Chris eats everything I put in front of him. Sometimes I don't know if its because he's not a picky eater or because he doesn't want to hurt my feelings haha. We finally found an internet company that will service our apartment (we need fiber optics) so that I can start my wedding planning certification course online! I'm also going to start looking for a part time job so that I can help save for our wedding.
Without the navy, we wouldn't be living in our beautiful apartment in beautiful san diego, so that's one thing I am grateful for : )

We survived our first deployment

Chris is home!!!!

I have been working so hard to get the apartment ready for him. I only had 4 days to do it, and not only were there a ton of boxes to unpack, but there was a lot of laundry (because Chris left almost a whole sea bag worth of dirty clothes at his mom's house), dishes and pans to be washed (because they were brand new), and tons of errands to run. The good thing was that it gave me something to do to keep me busy and not thinking about how long it was until he got home.
On Monday, I woke up early, drove to the base, and got the decals for my car. On my way there, Chris called me and said they were pulling in 4 hours early. I had just enough time to go home and get all dolled up before coming back to meet him : ) Unfortunately, Chris is still on FSA, so I had to wait a few hours for him to finish taking out the trash (and I have the sunburn to show it), but it was all worth it! He surprised me.. He wasn't supposed to be out for while, but was walking with the tractor that was carrying boxes when he saw me, and walked over. It took me a minute to take it all in since I wasn't expecting him, so I had a camera-worthy reaction!
Chris is working 12 hour days this week, which really stinks, but on Friday he will be taking a 10 day leave to finish getting our apartment ready and to spend time together. I am so excited and so grateful for that time that we are going to get to spend together and explore our new home.
I love our apartment, I love doing stuff around the house, and I love having my hubby home. It feels a little like playing house still. 'House' was my favorite game to play when I was little, and surprise! I still enjoy it.
The house is clean, the laundry is done, and dinner is planned. I still have a few more hours until Chris is home, so I think I am going to curl up with a book until I'm back in my babe's arms!

Hello, San Diego!

I made it. After a 9 hour trip driving a uhaul and towing a car, I made it to my new apartment in San Diego. We had a few problems along the way, and my nerves were completely wracked, but I made it, and thats all that matters.
I learned that I can be a strong, independent woman when I want to be. I drove 400 miles in a truck hauling a car. I unhitched and rehitched the trailor all by myself. I undid the chains holding my car down when the guy at uhaul couldn't do it himself. I had dirt on my hands. The whole day I kept thinking, Chris would be so proud of me!
I won't go into details about all the problems we had, but last night I slept on the floor, and 24 hours after arriving, the movers unloaded my furniture. I love my apartment. Like I mentioned before, I only saw it online before Chris signed the lease papers, so it was a huge surprise when I walked in. The complex is extremely nice, and the apartment has a great open floor plan. We don't have very much furniture yet.. not very much at all. Theres a huge entertainment center and tv in the living room, but no couch. I have all brand new appliances etc for my kitchen, but no table for the dining room. However, we did splurge on a new bedroom set (most important furniture for newlyweds, right?). Its gorgeous, exactly what I wanted. The mattress is like sitting on a cloud; I know Chris is going to pass out the second he lays on this thing.
Speaking of Chris, I can't wait for him to be home. In his emails the past few days he has told me how proud he is of me for handling this move by myself, and it makes all the work much easier. I actually think its going to be fun unpacking and everything- this is my first apartment! I want to make it as much of a home as I can before Chris gets here. He works so hard and puts so many hours in every day that I want him to be able to relax when he comes home.
San Diego is going to take some getting used to. Phoenix roads are all set on grids, with central ave in the middle, streets ascending one way, and avenues ascending the other. We have like two hills worth mentioning. San diego winds, and goes up, and goes down, and twists some more. I was born in Riverside, and I always wanted to move back here, so I am extremely grateful and excited that I am here. It still hasn't hit me yet- I'm married, living in San Diego, and in my own apartment. Just one thing missing- my hubby! I can't wait until he gets here and it all becomes real!