It's Mardi Gras Season!!!

Saturday was the official start of the Mardi Gras season here on the Gulf Coast, and it was our first parade of the season in Ocean Springs, a small yet adorable beach community here in South Mississippi. We try to go to this parade every year because its a small yet nice and they have really great throws (for those of you that are not familiar with Mardi Gras.... throws are trinkets that they throw right off the "floats"). As usual we had a great time and got some great goodies and a TON of beads and moon pies! Here's a few pics from the day :)

Good Job Ovaries! Here's to Hope!

I don't want to make too much out of this just yet but...

I just got a positive OPK (Ovulation Predictor Kit) this morning and it was on my own!!!! No shots needed this month! I know it doesn't seems like much but, to me its a HUGE deal! It's a sign that my body is actually trying to work on its own for the first time. I have NEVER been able to achieve this on my own, I have always had to rely on shots to make myself ovulate. I did take another round of Letrozole this month and we did increase the dosage to 7.5mg x3 a day buuuuuuutttt... I did the ovulation part all my little own! Good job ovaries! So yeah... I just had to share that... hopefully this month will be our month, despite having only one good egg this month, I keep telling myself it only takes one! Right?! :)

He Did it!!! He Got The Job!!!

So it looks like as of April we will be calling Northern Virginia home (Sorry Becca, some day Oregon... I swear to it! lol) Okay, I'm gonna pause here and get off track just a smidge... because the reference above is to my good friend Rabecca whom I've known since high school, she is a fabulous self published children's book author, she writes all her own stories, does all her own illustrations and oh yeah... she designs, sculpts and SELLS her own characters from her books! To say that I am so very proud of her is an understatement. She is also a wonderful mother of two and blogs like me in her spare time, you can find her blog here and see her website about her books here . Do check her out, like I said she is amazing! Ok, now down to it... (hey, what's a show without a commercial right? lol) On Monday the company in Northern Virginia who has been dialoging back and forth with my hubs called to offer him the job!!!  Earlier that day he had to prove him self in a lab which he refers to as the "hack-a-thon" LOL! And based upon what he did and his report they love it! So the Mc'C's will finally be leaving Mississippi and make the 15 hour drive north to Northern Virginia (DC Metro Area) in April of this year!!! Now begins a lot of work, I have already been looking into houses and schools and I think I have settled on two towns outside of where he will be working, because it is so expensive to live in Reston, I have chosen either Ashburn (Village) or Leesburg. Leesburg is a lot more affordable but Ashburn has the best schools, so we shall see when the time gets closer what houses (yes, I've already picked some but probably wont be available when we need them) are available. Fingers are crossed that the ones (that have pools) on my list are still available. I am just psyched about all the cool things we will have the opportunity to see and do, especially for my muchkin! Hubby of course on the other hand is thrilled that he will be free (sorry Air Force you we're great to us) that he can trade his uniform for a suit and tie and of course the money that he will be making. I'm so insanely proud of him, he's been working hard for a long time and finally he is going to see all that hard work paid off! I will of course keep you all updated as things roll along but for now, let the purging of the house and slow packing begin!

Cocktails and Canvas Night

Back in December last year I discovered that our Air Force base has an arts and crafts center and they offer classes, ceramics and a "cocktails and canvas" night. I was beyond psyched to find this out! I thought.... FINALLY I can put that play pass they gave me (during hubby's deployment) to good use! And I have been taking advantage of it ever since! I've got a few more classes that I have signed up that are free and next month I'll be taking a few more that I'll pay for, I'm even thinking I might take my mom when she comes to visit next month for her birthday!

 Last night I went with one of my girl friends (she also works with my hubby) and had a great time painting our naked ladies LOL! At first I had my doubts as to how I was going to get this painting to turn out right but, in the end I really ended up really LOVING it! The best part for me is; that it gets me out of the house to do my own thing, it is very relaxing (which I am grateful for considering the stress that's been going on lately) and it gets my mind off of the everyday things, it just lets me escape and allows me to be myself. I have forgotten what this all felt like, I have realized (again) how much I enjoyed this and am reminded of why I love this so much when I was in high school! So here are some of our pictures from the night. :)

My favorite parts of her are her shading, her hair and the green background

My girl friend in the middle of making her masterpiece! :)

Our finished paintings!

Girl Scout Mardi Gras Night!!!

Thursday night was our girl scout meeting night and we had a BLAST!!! We learned all about Mardi Gras! We decorated Mardi Gras masks, we read stories about Mardi Gras, put on a Mardi Gras parade and ate some fabulous King Cake that I made earlier in the day. I think the kiddos had a ball, I know I sure did! Here's some pictures from the night :)

Our Yummy Mardi Gras Cake!!! And no, I didn't add the baby since I didn't want them fighting over the baby LOL!

This is one of our little "honorary Girl Scouts" he's the brother of one of the girls in our group lol :)

Dabbling in the Arts and Another Update on the Future

The hubby is currently on his last TDY and I am beyond happy to be able to say that!!! It all still feels so surreal that we're actually going to be moving in less than 70 days! He had phone interview with a company in Reston Virginia (Northern Virginia, 30 minutes from DC) and that went really well, the man who interviewed him was actually one of his favorite authors so he "nerded" (his word, not mine) for a little bit while chatting on the phone with him. He says he would be psyched to work for this company and hopes he gets the job, I'm excited that is near DC (YAY Ikea trips! lol ) and all the cool stuff like the Smithsonian and the air and space museum and etc. The downfall... is that things are VERY expensive there, but as always we will find a way to make it work, IF he gets the job, he still has to pass a skills testing lab of theirs (which I really don't see a problem with, he usually owns that shiz really well) ;)

In the mean time the kiddo and I have kept busy with the usual day to day around here and we have also gotten a little creative and started painting. I painted two pieces this week just for fun and to get back into the practice of painting, you wouldn't believe it but you can actually be rusty from not using your skills for a while. I even took munchkin to her very own painting class today on base at the arts and crafts center (that play pass is still being put to good use!). She got to participate in "Kids and Canvas" workshop and she painted a "Mommy & Me" Snowman! They really turned out GREAT! She did most of the work I just put some of the little details on that she wanted help with. I really love it and can't wait to hang it up in her room, despite it having to be packaged up in about 40 days LOL! Here's some of the pictures I took of my work and hers in class today.

My recent Acrylic on Canvas; Daisies at Midnight

Acrylic on Canvas; A Country Starry Sunset... a little twist on Van Gogh's Starry Night.

She definitely get's that pose from me... I often make that same face when I'm painting LOL!

Finally SOMETHING I can say she gets from me... her artistic ability! I knew there was a piece of me somewhere in that child LOL! Other wise she is VERY MUCH like her dad... which of course is just as amazing.

Book Review: Tressed to Kill By: Lila Dare

St. Elizabeth, Georgia offers charm, Southern hospitality and most recently, murder. Now, hairdresser Grace Terhune is ready to crack this case before things get snarled beyond repair...

Everyone at Violetta's salon including Grace Terhune and her mother, Violetta has their scissors at the ready for the influx of St. Elizabeth's high society ladies. Of all the snobs getting their hair done for the town meeting, the worst is Constance DuBois, a woman heartless enough to ruin people's livelihoods on a whim. And after a tinting accident leaves her hair with orange stripes, Constance vows she'll close down Violetta's... 

Hours after the threat, Grace and Violetta find Constance dead, and some including the police believe the mother daughter duo did her in. Grace sets out to clear their names, but with an accusing special agent, her lecherous ex on the police force, and the distraught daughter of the deceased all working against them, Grace is up to her perfectly shaped eyebrows in trouble... 

Not bad for a first in the series, it reads a bit like "Steel Magnolias" meets a "Who done it" mystery. I liked the characters and I liked the plot even though I think they should have stopped using last names after the first chapter lol! All in all it wasn't bad for 5 sassy southern beauticians and a crazy small town murder mystery. I am interested in seeing how the second book in the series is and am also excited to see who Grace my pick as her own southern gentleman caller... will it be quirky but sweet Atlanta journalist Marty Shears or talk dark and handsome lone ranger type Special Agent "Marsh" Dillion? Guess we will just have to wait and find out...

When to back off... oops!

So lately time (for me) feels like it has been trickling by, on a grand scale yes... it has gone by fast but the day to day has become mundane. I'm in a hurry to do a whole lot of nothing, and I can't stand it! Yesterday we went out to Wal-Mart to get out of the house for a bit and I ended up coming home with a 28sq ft. rubber maid container with wheels... for two reasons. One hubby thought it might be a good idea to buy these rubber maid containers instead of moving boxes, because they stack nicely in a moving van and we can reuse them for all sorts of things (downfall: they are more pricy that your average cardboard moving box) and the second reason because I begged to buy it. I don't know if it was the whole "New Years Spirit" but I got this wild hair to start cleaning and purging the house of the crap we don't need anymore, and I definitely don't want to be hauling it to where ever we go in March/April. So, two hours of storage closet cleaning, two trips of to goodwill to drop off the junk, one GIANT rubber maid container filled with stuff we won't be using in the next few months and here I am... still not satisfied. So what do I do? I check indeed.com for jobs for the hubby, I see now the pushy-ness of my ways of course, but like all things I do that are stupid... it's only in retrospect that I see I am being an idiot. I was honestly just trying to help, 20 e-mails in his inbox later he was not really a happy camper. I think my anxiety is starting to get the better of me and I'm having a hard time trying to channel it in the right direction. I can't really focus on me right now, I'd start another college class if I could but since they are around 8-9 weeks long I don't want to get in the middle of something and have my final paper due and BAM... no internet because we moved! That would suck! Christmas is over and the New Year has started and I am really ready to get a flaming move on (literally) can you blame me? So how in the heck do I teach myself to back off, to tell myself to let go and everything will work out just fine? I have no idea... and boy do I feel bad about that... plus I think I'm getting a cold, annnnnnnd my sleep schedule is all messed up... I sleep for a few hours at a time at night and then I have to take a nap or two during the day, it sucks! Wow... New Year's resolution for 2013? Try to be more optimistic... broken, obviously LOL! Thanks for letting me rant ;)

Green Belt, Turning 7 and Some Big News!

So I thought I'd blog a little bit since Christmas is literally right around the corner and I'm sure I'm going to be taking a little break until after the new year... we just have too much going on right now. Last week my baby girl turned 7 years old! Wow! I can't believe she is growing up so fast... we had her birthday party on base at the bowling center and we all had a great time! She also received her level one green belt in Tae Kwon Do! Woohoo! My little miss kick butt is really putting that title to good use!  Hubby also got a job offer (without even having put out his resume yet!) he was contacted from a potential employer via his linked in profile and was told that they were very interested in having him work for them, he also mentioned that with his skills and knowledge he would make a valuable addition to their company! The job is in Omaha Nebraska! LOL! I the first thing I asked the hubby was... do you know how cold it gets there? For those of you that don't know... he HATES the cold! Me? I either way I can take it or leave it, I can tell you this... I'd rather put up with -40 degrees than sweat my ass off like I have been down here in the summer humidity for 4 years! You can just take only so much clothing off! Anyway, I am excited and just ecstatic that hes getting offers without even trying to put himself out there already. Unlike with PCS'ing its hard not knowing where we will be going in less than 90 days and it's VERY hard not to put the cart before the horse so to speak and stop my addiction of watching house hunters and looking on century 21 and remax LOL! So to take my mind off of things, I have thrust myself into cleaning and purging the house of things we don't want anymore and baking! Yes, baking... it's been intense! When I'm stressed I bake LOL! So for now that's where I am and making the most of it. I hope you all have an amazing Christmas/Holiday and all the best for a Happy New Year! Until next time... here's a few pics of things going on lately. :)

Just look at that face! That is the face of one happy kid!

Our little monster high princess on her birthday! (We had a monster high party theme...of course!) 

Doesn't my hubby make a most excellent princess? LOL!

Book Review: Arsenic and Old Cake by: Jacklyn Brady

With business going stale at Zydeco Cakes, Rita Lucero has plenty to worry about. but when her friend, blind trumpet player Old Dog Leg Magee, asks for a favor, she can't say no. His brother, Monroe, disappeared forty years ago, and now someone has shown up claiming to be him. Old Dog Leg needs Rita to be his eyes-and see if the man really is his brother. 

Old Dog Leg sets Rita up with sexy Cajun bartender Gabriel Broussard to pose as newlyweds checking into the same bed and breakfast Monroe is staying in, only for them to discover that Monroe's true identity isn't the only mystery they'll have to solve. When another guest at the bed and breakfast turns up dead, it seems the mysterious man might also be a murderer... 


Oh Rita, Rita, Rita!!! She is back again with her scrumptious cake baking and mystery solving skills! This time she takes the role of Mrs. Broussard... to help Old Dog Leg solve a forty year old mystery! This time her shenanigans take place at "The Love Nest" a local Bed and Breakfast where she takes on the role of playing blushing bride to one sexy Cajun bartender Gabriel Broussard. While trying to unearth the old mystery that surrounds the Love Nest she also gets to know of some of its more eccentric long time residents. This time shes got to solve the mystery, find a killer, attempt to be a blushing bride, annnnnnd keep Zydeco afloat in the beginning stages of an economical hardship. Have no fear, Rita like always, keeps all together with witty thinking and her usual persistent gumshoe tactics. This book is a little slow in the beginning but it really picks up after the first few chapters and it will really have you reeling in the end to find out what or who is actually the mastermind behind whats going on at the Love Nest! I really enjoyed the mystery the usual cast and the new cast of characters of the "Love Nest" introduced in this book. I can't wait to see what trouble... mystery Rita will stumble into next. Hopefully we will get to read more about which sexy hunk she chooses as well... will it be sweet, sexy, smooth Cajun bartender Gabriel or Mr. Tall, Dark, Handsome and Strong Detective Stone? Only time and another great mystery will tell... :)

E-Book Review: Alpine For You By: Maddy Hunter

 
Accompanying her grandmother on a seniors tour of Switzerland, Emily Andrew had envisioned a vacation straight out of a travel brochure: spectacular scenery, great food, and a classy European hotel, all worlds away from her rural Iowa hometown. But her dream trip quickly snowballs into mayhem when smooth-talking tour escort Andy Simon is found dead. To be sure, Andy was as randy as a mountain goat on Viagra, hitting on every miss -- Swiss or otherwise -- within striking distance. His constant advances were driving Emily cuckoo -- but had someone orchestrated his untimely death? 

For savvy, resourceful Emily, leading the tour in Andy's place is only natural. But she can't remain neutral when a fellow traveler takes a fatal plunge -- she's convinced a murderer lurks among them. With precision timing, sexy Etienne Miceli steps in to investigate, and Emily warms to the suave detective. Still, with the group roster suddenly sprouting more holes than the local cheese, Emily wonders: is there a safe haven anywhere in the shadow of the Alps?

This was my first book I read on my new Google Nexus 7 Tablet! It was an O.K. Mystery... It had some witty humor and a good plot but I really wasn't all that impressed. Mostly because it talked about a bunch of grumpy old people who probably shouldn't ever have left the comforts of their homes in small town Iowa. Like most books that I don't like, I will be willing to give this series a second shot and read the next one, hopefully I will be pleasantly surprised.

One Chapter at a Time...

We have around 100 days left till hubby separates... omg! It's a amazing that his end date is approaching that fast. It still seems like yesterday that we were saying he had two years left. We are ready for it! We were ready yesterday lol! I guess it's starting to feel more real little by little, and especially since he's been getting job offers, he's not actively looking at the moment, and might not have to since they are practically banging down the door with offers. On Monday he came home for lunch and told me that he was approached by a HR rep from a company. The rep emailed him and said how much he liked his qualifications and knowledge of his field and thought he would make a great asset to their company. Not to toot his horn for him but... 9 certifications (he'll have 2 more by the end of this year), a BS degree, 8 credits away from having a masters and running the show on a 2.5 million dollar project is pretty amazing! The man is beyond smart... and I am ridiculously proud of him.

So now its only a matter of time... I of course am getting anxious... it's almost like when you get the PCS itch (military moving time for all you civilians) but different because this will probably be permanent! There are days where I would like to go back to Florida, mostly just because of my parents and then there are days where I say "chuck it" and lets do what we want! Where would I go? If it were solely up to me and I could pick an amazing job for him in a place that I want to live, I would chose somewhere in the Pacific North West. Somewhere like Washington state or Oregon, its beautiful up there and there are great opportunities for a family like us there, schools are great and life just seems lovely there. What about the snow and harsh winters you ask? Meh I say... I adjust just like we did everywhere else we've lived. If I can handle being thrown wherever the Air Force sent us then I think I can handle living just about anywhere.

In the mean time I have been doing a little research just to see where the jobs are at for his field and here is the list of possibilities; Washington (state), Oregon, Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, Texas, California, New Jersey, New York, Nebraska, Colorado, and Arizona. Nebraska recently making the list since he that is the state he got the job offer from on Monday. They also have huge companies there that deal with Information Security. Bottom line, I don't care much where we are just so long as his job travel time is less than 50% of the time. We did too much of that in the Air Force and I hated it... any length of time he has to be away is annoying. I love my husband and it might sound crazy but I enjoy having him around me ALL the time. Obviously I can function on my own and be independent seeing how I am a military wife but if I were given the choice... Id rather us be a normal family. I'd like to own my own house, put down some roots, not having to worry about the kiddo changing schools every 2-3 years. Become familiarized with city long enough for it to actually feel like "home" not just a place we live for this time frame. To stop gauging time in increments of moves. Oohhh wouldn't it be nice? And whether  that is in freezing cold yet stunningly beautiful Washington/Oregon or wide open planes Nebraska... I am ready for it! It's time for our family to start a new chapter!

The Girl Scouts Trip to Bellingrath Gardens.

Last Saturday we took the girl scouts from our troop over to Theodore Alabama to see the lights at Bellingrath Gardens. We went last year as a family, plus my mom and had such a great time, that I wanted to share the same fun with the kiddos this year. The girls really loved seeing all the lights and walking through the gardens singing along with the Christmas songs that were playing and drinking hot chocolate. I have seen tons of light displays but Bellingrath is by far my favorite. Here's some of the pics from our event :)

It really wasn't Thhhhat cold but the kiddo decided to dress as if it were going to snow any moment LOL!

YAY! A picture I'm actually in... I know... so few of these! LOL!

On our way though our Southern Winter Wonderland

The swans on the lake were my favorites.

Under the Christmas sea...

The kiddo's favorite... Nemos!

Only three of our girl scouts came to Bellingrath but we still had fun!

Chinese New Year!