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!

Thanksgiving 2012

I am sad to report that I do not have any and I mean ANY photos from Thanksgiving this year. In all fairness I did spend about eight hours in the kitchen on my feet cooking for nine people! We had Turkey, Ham, Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, Gravy, Veggies, Green Bean Casserole, Sweet Potatoes and whatever else you normally have at Thanksgiving. We had apple and pecan pie for dessert, because I'm allergic to Pumpkins. Everyone was kind enough to suffer with me and not have Pumpkin Pie. I always feel a bit guilty whenever Thanksgiving comes around because lets face it... for most, it's just not Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie. Yes, I would try to avoid it by the obvious and not eat it, if it were actually that simple. However, I am extremely allergic and if I touch it I break out in welts and blow up like a balloon animal. I'm not 100% sure but I think if I may even look at pumpkins my eyeballs would explode LOL!

The guest list this year consisted of; Hubby, Child, Myself, 3 other people hubs works with who are temporary here at Keesler without their families and three airman (two of which were actually ladies) straight out of tech school, they are still so cute when they are at that level! LOL! I always love having them over because they are so appreciative and respectful. They all got to see their families briefly after BMT for graduation but that time is so short (two day weekend) that I'm not sure if its easier or harder on them. They were sent straight here to Keesler for school, no breaks in between and no family time. That it R-O-U-G-H! Especially since they were quite young and this was their first time out in the world and away from the comforts of home and family. Having them over was fun and heart warming. We got to know them a little, about who they are and where their from. Give them good home cooked food (because let me tell ya...the chow hall will get old real fast!) and good conversation and laughs. It might not have been their families they spent time with this year but at least we could be the make shift "family" to get them through their first of sadly many holidays away from home. I will surely miss this opportunity when hubby separates from the Air Force in a few months, but these are memories I'll always remember.

Halloween 2012 Post... a little late but hey... better than never.

So this year we decided to geek out for Halloween and show our inner most geekness! I put full responsibility on the child, seeing that she got to pick what theme we were going with this year. This year she picked...STAR WARS! She also requested that she get to be Yoda (without a mask, yet still with green ears and a light saber.) and that Daddy would be Hans Solo and Mommy go as Princess Leia. I'm just thankful that I didn't get Chewy or Jabba the Hutt! And Daddy was incredibly grateful that she didn't go with her second choice; Peter Pan... and guess who was going to be Peter (with tights) LOL! I had the fortunate duty to find make the child a costume since the only ones I found were infant sized. No sweat right?!... WRONG! Fourteen and a half hours later, my fingers looked like I had been working in a sweatshop and my machine was squeaking in agony. However, the costume came out perfect! We ended up buying a Princess Leia and Hans Solo costume because I just didn't have the time or patients to make two more costumes. We  ended up trick-or-treating with a few friends on base and a few stops (yes, I said stopS)at the Generals houses. What?! Don't judge... they give out the best candy! We then finished up the night with dinner at hooters and some long over due chicken wings!

OooOoohhh! I see Hans kissing Leia! The extra kiddos on the lower right side belong to friends of ours. They were dressed as Luke and Leia since they really are brother and sister, their dad wore a Darth Vader shirt that said; "Who's your daddy". Funniest little Halloween parody ever!

The amazing costume and hat since she didn't want to wear a mask and the cutest Yoda ever!

Our Cruise to the Bahahmas and Key West Florida

I am slacking big time in my posts and for that I apologize! As per our usual we have been insanely busy... It' also occurred to me that I didn't post anything about our cruise adventure!...

We did end up going on our cruise to the fabulous Bahamas despite the weather and the impending doom of Hurricane Sandy. Yes, we were out there in the Florida straits when she was growing into the massive "super storm" that wiped out parts of New Jersey. How was it you ask? Rocky to say the least. The first day was very nice, we left the port of Miami right on time and were steadily sailing along that night to be in Nassau's port the next morning.

We arrived in Nassau and it was EXTREMELY windy! We had a little rain but we did have a GREAT time. We went on our shore excursions while there; the underwater submarine and the city tour around Nassau and Paradise Island. The next day we were supposed to go to Coco Cay which is Royal Caribbean's private island for a day of beach fun but sadly we had to skip it since the winds were too high to tether the ship off and because we were trying to out run the Hurricane behind us, this is where the vacation took a detour to crap-tastic-ville.

That day we sailed to Key West and up the Florida straights (which is usually pretty rocky anyway) around 8pm that night we decided to head into the theater after visiting the lounge for our "drink of the day". And this was when I received my first bout of motion sickness or "sea sickness". I've been cruising before, I've been on airplanes galore, I've even been under water but never have I been sick in all my life. We had to leave the show early and I ended up sleeping from about 8pm till the next morning with a brief intermission to the bathroom around 3am. Around 5am it got extremely rocky and we actually woke up out of our sleep to the sound of the ship crashing down on a 15 foot wave. It nearly knocked us out of bed (in a room on the 8th deck) and later that morning we discovered it trashed the dining room and theater on deck 3 with over turned palm trees, plants, tables and lighting.

We docked in Key West around 7am and took our raining but interesting tour aboard the "Trolly of the Doom".  We stopped off at Key West's fort and took our EMF detectors (Ghost Reader Meters) along for the tour. We stopped inside the fort at the "Robert Doll" and low and behold our meter went off as soon as I had a light tingling sensation in the palm of my hand. I told hubbers to pass me the meter since I had a tingly sensation in my hand. It felt sort of like when your foot falls asleep and sorta being brushed gently by a breeze but just in my hand. And like a well behaved tourist I asked Robert's permission before I photographed him and then thanked him as well. Some of the people on our tour thought it was a bit ludicrous to ask permission and thank a doll, however our tour guide warned us if we didn't we'd be asking for the address to write Robert an apology letter to undo his curse. We also found out later after we boarded the ship again that two of the ships passengers didn't make it back on. I wonder now if those were the two skeptics on our tour...? LOL! Anyway here's a few pics from our adventure on the high seas!

Ready to board and sail away to paradise!.. or so we thought... LOL!

Our room, tiny right? It was ok, we didn't spend a lot of time in it.

The lunch buffet in the wind jammer.

The pool deck where we spend most of our time!

The view of downtown Miami from the pool deck.

Inside the centrum where the shops and dining rooms are.

The Casino!

Our first drink of the day... a Bahama Mama!

Hubbers winning big at the casino!

Docked in port at Nassau

Hubby standing next to the ship LOL! So little!

On our underwater sub tour!

Someone's a little worried LOL!

Don't we look cute in green?

Pretty fish and crystal clear waters!

Atlantis from Paradise Bay

Want to buy a conch for $5.00?

Fort Fin Castle

A view of Paradise Bay from Fort Fin Castle

In front of the fountains at Atlantis

Junkanoo the Mardi Gras of the Caribbean!

Our treasures and trinkets from Nassau

Woohoo! Midnight Pool deck party and buffet!

We found these statues in Key West and decided to have a little fun...

Um.. honey? You've got a little something back there ;)

The Jess-a-saurus strikes!

I swear she looks like shes about to say "Get your own burger!"

Pretty statue... I believe it's of Ernest Hemingway.

Docked in Key West.

He got a "Cookie Monster" cone!

Aboard the Trolly of the doomed!

At Key West's Haunted Fort

Hubby prepared to find the ghosts with his EMF reader!

Robert the doll. Creepy right? In the left corner just behind him is where I was standing when my hand started to tingle and the EMF reader was going crazy! The papers on the wall are notes and letters of apology written to Robert and begging for him to remove the curse because tourists have come and either mocked him or not asked his permission to be photographed. I think it might be a good idea to even just thank him for viewing this pic! ;)