Silence is not always golden..

It seems that every night, whether we walk him or not, the Charles goes into a whiney mode and literally whines for like forever unless we get up and play with him! So annoying when you are trying to watch tv and just chill.

Last night we let him outside and then neither of us wanted to get up to let him in (usually he jumps on the door till we let him back in).

This is what happens when you ignore him long enough that he becomes silent..

But who can stay mad at a cute dog like this..

he’s saying he’s sorry!! The hubs was a champ though and took out the vacuum and get this turned it on and vacuumed up the mud the Charles tracked in! And yes, that did cause the Charles to go a little nuts :)

Oh and here for your viewing pleasure is the Charles watching a commercial with another dog in it…

Have a great day! Hopefully it works (the video)!

Charles and the Vacuum :0

So I couldn’t go too long without giving you another funny story via the Charles! Usually when I vacuum the house I leave the Charles inside and he run around like a mad dog. I used to lock him outside but he tends to act out if he thinks he is missing all the fun (ie the vacuum) and would dig holes and then track in dirt on my freshly vacuumed carpet…kind of defeats the purpose! So I decided that I would rather just vacuum around him and have fun cracking up as my lunatic dog goes crazy!

Also, I am not the best at getting all the vacuuming done at one time and so I will vacuum the downstairs and then leave it out for the upstairs. I quickly learned that this might not be the best idea because Charlie has to stake his dog/man claim and starts barking and growling at it. It totally freaked me out the first couple times because he doesn’t bark that often and when he does I am totally caught off guard (and usually spill whatever I am holding at the time)!

The hubs came back from our recent cali vacation about a week before I did and when I got back he was like “it was fun, I chased the Charles around with the vacuum”! My first thought was “how sweet, you vacuumed!” why do I even try to fool myself! Not so! you see the hubs literally took out the vacuum and basically chased the Charles all around the house without the vacuum even being on or plugged in! It is hysterical to watch. Charlie has some great height on him and can totally clear the the couch (both from the front and back)! How could I be upset about that…I couldn’t stop laughing!

I love my crazy men! Have a great day :) Oh and I will try to get a video of it before we move so I can hopefully post it and you can all see what i’m talking about!

A pain in my buttocks..

So now that my little fertility secret is out there I can share with you some of the unpleasenties that come along! First I have to say that I DO NOT do good with needles, seriously, I am a self proclaimed fainter and proud of it. So when the nurses first explained that not only would I have to have numerous shots, I would have to give them to myself, I was totally freaked out and ready to run!

I had to go to the dr’s office to be shown how to shoot myself up and then I was left to fend for myself..ayaya! The first night was totally the hardest as I sat on the edge of the couch for like 10 minutes with the needle in one hand and pinching my skin in another trying to get up enough guts to just go for it! Once the first shot was over I was like “oh that wasn’t so bad” and fortunately it just got easier each time (which is good since I was given like 5 million chances to practice)! I have also been getting my blood taken like every other day and the hubs is making fun on me saying i look like a junkie :)

The only thing slightly less freaky than personally inserting the needle into myself is the Hubs having to give me a shot! Yeah he wasn’t too thrilled about it either. You see there is one shot that has to go into the muscle of the buttocks (which I can’t reach) so the Hubs gets the fun job! And he did amazing! It defiantly was a little more uncomfortable than the other shots but not bad…till the next day!

Oh my word, who knew you use your Butt muscles so much! Yeah, yesterday I could barley walk. I didn’t even think about the fact that since it was going into the muscle it might be sore after, and what better place to be sore than on your butt that is involved in basically everything that you do! Oh and did I mention that it must have affected my sense of judgment because I proceeded to run 4 miles with the Hubs later and that about did me in! Luckily, I am starting to feel better today but I just feel like my body is so out of whack!

For all of you who have had to go through this or are still in the process I give you major props and prayers. It is not an easy thing, but not matter what it is worth it because even if we never get a baby out of this, it is bringing the Hubs and I more closer together and I know God will use it for His glory!

Oh and I promise next post will be less whiney! Have a great night :)

The Big-semi announcement..

Okay so first I think it is totally hilarious that everyone jumped to prego right away..but I guess I can’t blame you! I won’t hold you in suspense any long though….

I’m not prego…yet! The announcement is however still something that is going to change our current life situation. What you ask? Well it is two different things. You all weren’t so far off with the pregnancy thing. The hubs and I have been going through infertility treatments for the past month and a half, and boy they never warn you that you sign your life away to the drs office when you start this..not to mention that our doc is about 40 minutes away from our house and I been going there every day for the past week! Anyways, we are really excited to be hopefully starting this new life stage soon. I was really overwhelmed at first but now I am use to it. I am truly learning what it will be to have your body no longer be your own (as in the baby’s once I get prego). Believe me with all the ultrasounds and tests and assigned “relations” my vajayjay hasn’t seen this much action…well ever! Sorry if that was too much info :) We are in a critical time frame right now so who knows we might have another big announcement coming again soon!

We are trying really hard to trust God and his timing. I know that it is ultimately up to Him and we knows what will be best! It is hard not to get my hopes up but I have faith that if this isn’t the right time the when it does happen it will be perfect.

As if this isn’t enough change for us there is another big announcement. We just found out on thursday that the hubs is getting deployed for 4 months starting mid-december. We had talked about possibilities if this happened but then we had decided that it wouldn’t so it had been the last thing on my mind (doesn’t that always happen?)! So here is what we have decided…

We are moving out of our house and putting all our stuff in storage and I am moving to Cali for the 4 months! Bako here I come!! I am really going to miss the hubs (more than I can even say), but I am looking forward to getting to spend some time with the fam and I am really proud of him for being so willing to serve his country. And yes it will be interesting what happens with the pregnancy but again we are praying and trusting God with his timing.

So the Charles and I are making the road trip to cali where I will once again live under my parents roof :) It’s always weird to stay for a long period of time now that I married (without the hubs), but I can’t wait! It will totally make it a lot easier to be away from the hubs.

Why are we moving out of our house you ask? Good question! Well we are going to be moving anyways about 2 months after the hubs gets back from the desert so we thought this would be a good way to be able to save a good chunk of money (our housing allowance) and I wasn’t too thrilled with saying here by myself anyways!

So fair warning..this next few weeks are going to be very crazy! We have to basically get everything pack up and moved and all the logistics worked out in the next few weeks and we are still planning a trip to cali for thanksgiving too! I am also trying to figure out what to do about Christmas since we were suppose to spend it with the hubs family and now he won’t be here..sadness! 

Anyways, that is what has been keeping me so crazy lately! I am sorry that I have been absent and I will provide you a vacation recap soon! Please keep us in your prayers during these next few weeks..there's a lot of change a head for us!

Oh and did I mention that my hormones are out of control lately..poor hubby!

After the long pause…I’m alive!

Okay folks, I am so so sorry that I have been such a terrible blogger! Things have been incredibly out of control and I have neglected all of you…can you please forgive me?? I couldn’t go a moment longer with out taking a rare minute that I have right now to at least let you know I am alive and I still love you all!

A huge recap and updates will becoming in the next few days as well as a big announcement..

For right now here are some pics of the last month..oh and don’t think I have forgot, I did cut my hair. Thank you all for your advise and help..so appreciated!! I will have pics of that soon too..

Sorry this isn’t much info for right now..don’t hate me!

Don’t worry there will be more to come along with a ton more info! Have a wonderful night all you wonderful bloggers :)

I need serious help folks..

So right now I am still on my semi-vacation (hence the lack of blogging)! I miss you all and I look forward to getting back into the swing of things when I get back to NJ! However, I need your help with something while I am in my home town…

You see I am the most indecisive person ever…really…it’s pathetic! Usually when I am visiting my parents I take advantage of the fact that my generous mom pays for me to get my hair done (thanks mom you’re the best!). Lately I have just been getting the same color and just a trim in an effort to let the locks grow. But now I am totally sick of my hair!! The hubs (who usually doesn’t give me a ton of input into what I should do with my hair) thinks it would be cute if I chopped it above the shoulder :0 At first I was like..”Oh, I have been growing it out and if I cut it I will regret it” but after thinking a lot about it Now I think I want to cut it (really in need of a change) but I am still so unsure because I have been growing it out for a while (since the last time I chopped it)!

I don’t know if I should wait it out and let it grow longer or cut it?!

This is where I need your help…what do you think I should do?

Here are some visuals to help…

My current hair style (I’m on the right)

My hair worn a la natural (curly/wavy)

Okay so now here are some of the styles i’m looking at..

(the hairstyle on the left)

I am looking at something like a long bob (lob) that I can wear straight or curly and that rests just above my shoulders.

HELP! Any suggestions, advise, tips, etc. would be extremely appreciated!!

Have a great day!!

PS I’ll be sure to let you all know the final decision!

Breaking News: Fab scarf swap!

Hi all! Well i’m reporting right now directly from Las Vegas..whoo whoo! I am having a fabulous time but I had to step away from all the excitement to feature a very special person and event I recently took part in!

Recently the totally cute and oh so entertaining Katie over at Loves of Life  hosted a fall scarf swap. Now anyone who knows me knows that I am obsessed with scarves and the are basically an extension of any outfit I wear, no matter what the season is (thank goodness for the summer scarves that are so popular now)! I call them my security blanket because I love how they can hide my midsection.

One of the neat aspects of this swap besides getting a totally cute scarf, is the fact that I got to meet a really really awesome gal! If you haven’t checked out Shaina over at Post Smith..well you are totally missing out and you need to go now! She is one of the funniest and sweetest girls and we just clicked right away. One of the requirements for the swap was to describe what styles, colors, and patterns you are currently obsessed with (my words) this season and then Katie used that to match us up. And boy oh boy did she do a good job! When I received Shaina’s likes list I say there and thought…"wait is this the one that I wrote?”!

I had such a blast getting to know Shaina via email and experiencing those moments of “oh my gosh is this my twin separated at birth?!”

I have to admit that when Shaina sent the email that she had mailed my scarf with the promise that I would like it I waited by the door like a kid on Christmas morning! I almost screamed when I saw that brown envelope sitting outside my door and ran inside to rip it open as fast I as could! What awaited me was more than I had ever hoped or imagined..

um yeah I totally fell in love! Thank you thank you Shaina..you are seriously the best!! I had been eyeing this scarf a lot lately so I was ecstatic to now have it in my possession! Oh and she didn’t even know it, but I have a tremendous obsession with candy corn…like I seriously need help!

If you haven’t taken part in a scarf swap I totally recommend it..or any type of swap..so fun! and you get the extreme pleasure and opportunity to meet another totally amazing blogger!

P,S. to show how much Shaina and I think a like…when I went to pick out her scarf I bought the Pumpkin Pie candy corn featured in the pics to send to her but then my curiosity won out and I had to try them (see I have a problem)! Then I went back and bought the smores flavor to send but the hubby begged me to open them too! So finally I went back and got the toffee featured in the pics above too and sent them with her scarf! I was totally cracking up when I received my package and she had sent those with my scarf too!

Have a lovely wednesday and I promise to post more soon (the internet is scarce around here)!

Next stop Vegas baby!!

On no your eyes are not deceiving you…that’s right in 1.5 days I will be on a plane, soaring through the clouds headed to Vegas! Can you tell i’m a little excited :)

The Hubs has a work conference and I get to tag along! Oh wait but there is more good news..

My FIL is also part of the conference so him and my MIL will be there too..so fun! We get to stay in the Rio on the governments $$ and I get to gallivant around Vegas when the Hubs is doing his conferencey things during the day! But wait it gets even better..

My Dad, Mom and sis are also coming to Vegas to get their party on with us! Watch out..when the Thomas (my maiden name) girls are let out together..well let’s just say we are not responsible for anything that happens..beware :)

I haven’t been to Vegas for a really long time and I am so looking forward to it..oh and the Hubs has never been! I am also really excited to have most of our family in one spot for a few days…par-ty!! Oh and i’m totally eating my way through Vegas…it’s how the Thomas’ (and now Reno’s) roll!

And if you couldn’t handle all this excitement…well my best friend is also meeting us there later that week and then I am heading back to Bako with the family and getting to spend another week in my home town! whoo whoo!

So I don’t know how much I will be able to blog in the next few weeks! I will miss you all terribly but just know that I have not forgotten about you! I also know many of my fellow SITS will be partying it up in Vegas the week after I do on the annual SITS-cation (so wish I could have stayed for that)!

Don’t worry I will try and take many pics to share with you all when I get back! Have a wonderful week(s)!

Charles and The Puppy Mill :0

So sometimes I’m amazed at how unsuspecting I can be! Probably by now all you lovely bloggers have caught on to how crazy The Charles can be! I mean all dogs have their moments but sometimes I wonder if he was dropped on his head during birth! Seriously people, there are little crazy quirks that our animals all possess and then there are just plain WEIRD ones that make you wonder what happened to them in the first month of their life before you brought them home?!

We purchased The Charles from a local puppy store by the base. I didn’t really think anything of it. I mean he wasn’t even a month old, the place seemed reputable and they guaranteed that we could get his papers stating he was a purebred. From the beginning he seemed happy and well adjusted and we have loved to watch his personality grow and shine (oh and boy does it)! However, there are just some things that freak him out and I have no idea where this fear comes from.

I never put it together until the other day…and boy was I shocked! I was talking to my boss about her volunteer work with the local SPCA. I was telling her how I would love to get a kitten but the Hubs is deathly afraid of them and refuses to let me (long story..remind me to tell you later). I went on to tell her that we would also love to get another dog for The Charles but right now we can’t afford the extra expense. I inserted the comment that when we get another dog though, we are getting a rescue one and not paying an arm and a leg like we did for The Charles at the store. Her next comment stopped me dead in my tracks…

“Oh no! you didn’t get him there..those are puppy mill dogs!” What! I mean …What?! But that couldn’t be possible..could it? That’s when it hit me..all of his crazy weird reactions might be for a reason. I proceeded to tell her how whenever we put a blanket or sheet over our normally wild dog he will play dead (literally he doesn’t move, even with the offer of a cookie); how he is fine going down normal steps but he was scared to death of going down the basement steps; and how he has really bad separation anxiety and will vomit every morning and not eat when it happens. My boss told me that it is typical puppy mill behavior..oh no! But he was so young when we got him, what could have happened to him during that first month to cause this? Apparently sometimes just having the mommy dog being over bred causes these weird reactions in their puppies (it can make them mentally weird)!

Let me tell you…I was devastated. I mean, not my poor little perfect (forget all his past faults) little Charles! How could he have gone through this terrifying experience?! I rushed home and informed the Hubs of this terrible thing that our pup has endured. He then was like “well, that makes sense he did come from a “farm” in Pennsylvania” .. which is apparently infamous for being full of puppy mills…again what!

Now whenever The Charles does something really strange or bad we just blame it on him being a puppy mill pup!  This is seriously disturbing me though..it makes me so sad to think about all of those poor dogs being over bred and the puppies that suffer from it..not cool!

The Hubs said that we rescued him..yeah too bad we had to pay SO much..but at least he’s safe :)

Down with Puppy Mills…

Try’em out Tuesday (or Wednesday) – Costco edition..

Costco is literally one of the happiest places on earth! For those of you who don’t regularly experience this wonderland..well your missing out! I can honestly say that even amidst all the crowds of fellow costcoers, trying to weave the massive carts through all the crazy bulk buying consumers, when I enter Costco I feel a surge of energy I can’t explain. Maybe it’s the free food you get to indulge in while shopping or the crazy amounts of toilet paper you can buy at one time..whatever it is I can’t stay away!

As a child I loved going to this huge warehouse place full of tons and tons of treasures…with hugely tall shelves (hey I was under 5ft everything was huge)! As I got older and was able to drive I soon became the official costco runner of the family! you want to know the best part of that gig…well i’ll tell you..I could buy all this cool stuff with my parents money (cha ching)!

When I got married I didn’t feel like a complete adult until I got my first costco membership with the hubs (thanks to the generous giving of my Gram)! One of the things I really enjoy about Costco is the fact that although they each one is a little different, when inside it is hard to tell the difference between the Bakersfield, CA costco and the Mt. Laurel, NJ costco. It makes me feel closer to home (except that now i’m pay for the fun treasures..but hey at least I get free food)!

Along with having a lot of good priced bulk deals, costco also carries it’s own line of products called Kirkland. I have used a lot of the Kirkland brand it have been very pleased. Now I would like to introduce to all you lovely bloggers heck of a deal produced by Kirkland…

That’s right ladies, i’m talking makeup here! This Natural beauty mineral color collection comes complete with a loose powder foundation and foundation brush, bronzer and bronzer brush, three loose eye powders, eyeliner, eye shadow base, and two eye shadow brushes. Oh and don’t let me forget the best part .. in the store it retails for about $25.00! Now where else can you get all that makeup for that price?!

So I know what you are all thinking…yeah that’s a good price but how well does it work?

I have the answer to that too! After using numerous loose powder eye shadows and powders such as bare minerals and benefit, I can honestly say that this performs right up there with them (for a fraction of the cost)! It comes in light and medium, I use the light and with a very fair complexion it matches just right. The  loose powder blends really well and it has lasted me for over two months so far. I give this product an A!

Costco once again you prove why I love you! Go check it out ladies and for gosh sake go eat some free samples!

Have a great tuesday/wednesday!

The most magical fair on earth...

One of the biggest things I miss about my hometown is the Kern County Fair. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the greater Bakersfield CA area allow me to enlighten you.

 

Now this is no ordinary fair..it is a magical time that happens the last week of september into the first week of october. As a young girl I have many fond memories of getting to take our annual trip with the neighborhood to this magical place. It is funny how an empty and downright ugly plot of land takes on a surge of life during these magical weeks.

It has everything your little heart desires…warm gooey cinnamon rolls, deep fired foods, pizza, the most amazing caramel corn and of course the most wonderful smell of hay and dirt (normally those smells aren’t appealing but at the fair it is totally different)! Oh and who couldn’t forget the deep fired snickers and twinkies (have to admit I never tried them). There are always fun concerts to attend, rides to ride and exhibits to browse. It may seem like any normal (and not even grand) fair to all you non bakersfieldians but for us its like no other!

As I got older the fair started to take on different roles in my life. In high school I was really involved in the FFA program (Future Farmers of America) and therefore raised two lambs and two pigs to show and sell at this glorious event. And oh how much fun that was! I basically got to live at the fairgrounds during those few weeks, but I never left the fair without the tears of saying goodbye to my beloved animals. I loved every bit of it though! And yes I do know that most people enter the animal area and wrinkles their noses at the umm well stench they seem to produce, but for me it is a smell full of memories (please don’t judge). Oh how I miss those days! Those joyfilled times of animals and cheerleading competitions.

P.S. Remind me to tell you guys about the time the little piggy jumped over the gate and I had to chase him all over the fair..soap suds and all!

Anyways, once I graduated from High School I no longer had the privilege of living in the animal pens of the fair :) However, I still did love going to the fair.

Sidenote..i’m always skeptical of the rides though…I mean seriously how sturdy can these rides be when they are put up and taken down so often?!

In college I got to help out and work in the City Firefighter booth selling all the yummy fair goodies (like fried burritos..yummm) with my dad (by the way he’s a firefighter)!

No matter what I am doing there I always come alive when entering between those golden gates of the fairgrounds! So therefore it has been hard to be away and not get to participate in this annual magical time. It has been probably 3-4 years since I have been able to attend and they say each year gets easier..well their wrong!

And why oh why do all you fellow facebookers have to torment me with all this talk and bragging of your fair trips this year..so not nice!

Maybe one day i’ll get to return to my beloved fair :)

And for you viewing pleasure..

Do any of you lovely bloggers have local fairs that you love?

Rescuing a damsel in distress..

So since I was a horrible wife and neglected to post anything in honor of the hubs birthday (which was on Thursday) I am going to brag about him a little now!

One of the biggest things that I had to get used to when we moved on base was always having my ID with me. You see, I have this problem..well I have many but this one affects my ID! Anyways, for some reason I never put my cards (ID, credit, debit) in the right place. I own a wallet yet it has been sitting doormat in my purse for a really long time now! I have admitted this problem and know that try as I might the wallet thing doesn’t work for me :) So instead I stick them in the middle pocket of my purse (hopefully none of you are pickpocketers and if so I didn’t just reveal that) and it seems to work..well most of the time!

You see the big problem comes in the fact that a lot of times I will also stick my cards in the pocket of what I am wearing that day (ie, jacket, jeans, etc.)! I have been known to be caught without my credit cards while making a purchase for this very reason!  Also because of this known fact about myself I have been very good lately about making sure I have said cards (especially the ID) with me when I leave the house!

Yesterday unfortunately my efforts fell short! Do you ever have those days where you just feel scatterbrained and it’s like you thinking is one (or five) steps behind your actions..well that was me! I had to make it to the doctor before 10 am and as I left my house (running late) I knew that I had my debit card and assumed I had my ID. I had so much else swirling around my mind, I needed to get air in the tire and the air on base was broken, I was running late and I had to make it on time!

As I reached the Dr’s with a few minutes to spare I realized that I had forgot to fill out my insurance form but luckily I had it in the car with me. As I go to search for my Info and ID I freeze! I tear apart my purse (and yes there is a lot of trash in there) but no ID! Oh no! Seriously guys I freaked out, this hasn’t happened to me yet (only in my nightmares) since we have lived on base.

I put in a frantic call to the Hubs asking for his social and what I should do! And let me tell you, the Hubs handled it really well! I know that he gets frustrated with me that I don’t use my wallet like a normal person but he didn’t even have a hint of irritation towards me as I explained to him my dilemma. He calmly explained to me a few options and told me to call him when I needed him..hubs you are my hero!

It all ended up working out fine, I was able to meet him outside of the gate and he vouched my on. When I got home the first thing I did was ran upstairs and what do you know…the ID was in my jacket pocket from yesterday..ayaya!

Hopefully I learned my lesson…well probably not but at least I will be more aware for the next few weeks :)

Have a great day!

Perfect timing..

Lately I haven’t been getting called that much to work (sub) so imagine my excitement when I was called Monday!  Don’t get me wrong I have had plenty to keep me busy but the lack of income is never fun :) I don’t know why, but no matter how early I get up or how much time I give myself to get ready, I am always running late. On monday the call came later than usual, I had already assumed it was going to be another fun-filled day of cleaning and computer work, when they called. So therefore, I was really running late! Luckily the job was for a sub ed assistant so I knew that I would be okay if I just barley made it before the 15 minute report time.

Imagine my dismay as I fly walk down the stairs running and trying to grab everything I need and make it out the door on time only to find two big piles of dog regurgitation! What the Heck! Thanks Charles, once again you have proved your horrible unique ability to complicate my life! Oh you lovely dog you! I drop everything and go on a search for the lost carpet cleaner neatly placed carpet cleaner and try with all my might not to throw up myself as I clean up his lovely present. Oh and of course he had to throw up in the most publically seen part of the carpet in TWO different spots..sure why wouldn’t he?!

I clean it up and head out trying not to speed as I am frantically trying to make it on time..luckily the teacher was really understanding! But now I still can’t get the spots out and they are right where everyone can see them..stupid cheap carpet! Oh well, it’s just another day with the Charles:)

Have a wonderful hump day!

Try’em Out Tuesday – taming the beast

Okay so I know that I am late on this but at least it is till tuesday (which is better than I have been doing lately)! This special edition of Try’em out Tuesday is for all of you wonderful dog lovers out there :)

If you recall from my posts here and here sometimes I have a hard time controlling the beast currently known as The Charles. According to his latest vet weight he is now a whopping 87 pounds which isn’t a whole lot less than me…oh and he’s a whole lot stronger! During one of my ventures out with the Charles (trying to help him get his exercise on) one of my kind neighbors took pity on me and let me in on a little secret for big dog owners. She claimed that this insiders secret was the key to keeping me sane and my dog alive!

However, being the cheap person that I am I never could actually get myself to spend the money on this special product..I just decided that it would be a good workout for me to try and use all my strength to control the Charles when we went out in public (much to all of my neighbors dismay)!

But guess what! ..that is what grandparents are for :) When I was on my cali vacation this summer my MIL came to visit the hubs and came bearing gifts for her grandpup!

So now we come to the big reveal of this weeks feature product(s), the miracle of all miracles, my one and true sanity keeper..

The Gentle Leader leash and worker backpack (can’t remember real name)!!

We put soup cans on the side of the backpack and it makes the Charles feel like he is working, has a purpose, which is good for dogs. It also gets him tired faster which we love as well! Let me tell you folks, if you struggle to control you big dogs then this is a must have..please don’t wait as long as I did to take advantage of these wonderful product! The gentle leader also comes with a training dvd (which I didn’t see till right now when I was looking at the case.hehe) but i’m sure it would help with the taming of the beast dog as well! I don’t really know why but he is a lot easier to control with this leash than with the pinch collar.

Oh and one other funny little tidbit…we have no idea why but The Charles tends to freeze when he has anything put on his back (like literally doesn’t move a muscle) so it is really funny to watch him freak out when we put it on him. He is getting used to it though and he is also finally learning who to properly mark all of his hydrants on the walk without falling over :)

Have a wonderful night!

Oh and these products get an A+ ..the Charles agrees b/c they have probably saved his life!

Practicing my Sir’s..

One of the things that I first caught onto when I met my hubby was is ingrained ability to insert “yes sir” or “yes ma’am” when talking to any adult. You see, growing up in a military family I guess that is one of the requirements to surviving. Now, me on the other hand grew up in a family that called adults by their gasp first name and only allowed the phrase “yes sir/ma’am” come out of my mouth when held at gun point (not really but you get the point). My family was a very casual family and therefore was never trained in the sir’s or ma’am’s.

At first every time I heard the Hubs address people it caught me off guard, not because of the use of those polite words, but because of the fact that it simply rolled off his tongue without him even thinking about it! Then I met his family (now my family too) and I saw what a big part being polite and respectful was in their family which included using “sir” and ma’am when addressing an adult. I don’t mean to sound at all like my family was rude or impolite, we just weren’t as formal. Anyways, now being married into the military I see even more what a huge part these two titles play in this new life! I am embarrassed to admit that we have been married now 2 1/2 years and I am no closer to using those regal words than I was when I first met the hubs! It’s not that I am trying to be disrespectful or anything, I just think about it after the fact and then am like “shoot I should have said yes sir instead of yeah”!

Which brings me to the reason that I am writing this post…I need accountability people! Maybe by telling all you out there that I am committing to ingraining these words into my brain too will actually force me at gun point make me do it! I am starting to see now that it is not only a way to respect to the person I am talking to but also to show respect to the hubs, since after all I am representing him in all that I do on base.

I also really want our kids to grow up with the same respectful manner that the hubs did and it will only confuse them if he is saying it and I am not (and just for the record we are not pregnant yet)! I really do feel that there are many different ways to raise your kids to be respectful (and a lot of it is guided by the type of lifestyle you family has), but for us I see this as a vital part of the Reno family that needs to not be overlooked!

Wish me luck folks, ask me how I’m doing, do anything you feel you need to in order to nag  make sure I am doing my part in this military family :) thanks ladies!!

What are some of the important things in your family?

Try’em Out Tuesday – Another Wednesday Edition..

Man I have been seriously slacking lately! Every time things seem to be calming down something happens and it is crazy once again :) We are going through some big changes that hopefully I will be able to share soon.

Now onto this edition of try’em out tuesday! This one is special because if come directly from my sister-in-law’s bathroom..literally! As I mentioned in my previous post, we stayed at my SIL’s (sister-in-law) house this last weekend during the marathon. One of the first things she showed me when I got there was that she had just bought the Aquafresh Iso-active toothpaste…I had totally wanted to try this! Score! It has been all over the t.v. lately and I since I have horrible teeth (no lie) I am always up for anything that can help. Especially since the dentist has been taking all my money lately..not cool!

Anyways, I am so excited to share this product with you all!

First I will give you a little description straight from good old Aqua’s mouth (and by that I mean http://www.aquafresh.com/IsoActive.aspx):

“Aquafresh Iso-Active Whitening doesn’t look like an ordinary toothpaste, and it doesn't act like one, either! Given that 40 percent of your tooth surface is hidden between your teeth, getting your mouth healthy and clean can be a challenge. But Iso-Active's revolutionary gel activates the moment you start brushing, transforming into a micro-fine foam. This active foam penetrates hard-to-reach places around your mouth, protecting between your teeth and giving you a whole-mouth clean.

Breakthrough gel transforms into an active foam

Penetrates hard-to-reach places to protect between teeth

Removes 3 times more bacteria* as it whitens

Provides Aquafresh Triple Protection for healthy gums**, strong teeth, and fresh breath”

Let me tell you folks…their right! Now I don’t have a microscope to  see if all the sciency stuff is right (plus I wouldn’t know what to look for) but I do know what a clean mouth feels like and boy did my mouth feel squeaky. It is so cool b/c you just have to put a little toothpaste on the brush and as soon as you put it in your mouth it expands..a lot! I actually had to spit some out b/c I wasn’t used to this new technology and I had used too much :) I also really liked the fact that I could feel it going in-between my teeth, and yes I did let the little kid inside come out for a little bit and play with the foam in my mouth!

I give this product an A+! Rachel you rock..thanks for suggesting it! for all of you out there who love the feeling of a clean mouth stop what you are doing and go buy it! Oh and if you have sensitive teeth they also have a sensodyne version that has the same foaming nifty technology!

Have a wonderful Hump day everyone :)

Warning weekend 1/2 marathon craziness ahead..

Hey all you lovely bloggers! Sorry I have been a little neglective as of late..I was totally planning on doing an awesome “Try’em out Tuesday” and well with this being a short week for me (explanation to follow), things got crazy and time ran out on me! But don’t worry, it WILL be back next week!

This weekend was a blast of craziness as the hubs and I headed out to partake in our first 1/2 and full marathon. That’s right folks, we headed to Ohio (land of the free and the runners) for the Air Force Marathon..whoot whoot!! I know that I have mentioned it on several occasions but have yet to come out and tell all you lovely ladies what has been monopolizing most of my time for the last few weeks. so here it is…I just ran my first 1/2 marathon this last weekend!

Now this is Big because as of June 2009 I was a total anti-runner! Seriously folks, the Hubs would beg and plead for me to join him but I would either make some lame excuse or claim I hate running and even more it hates me (so we would all be better if  we just avoided each other, me and running that is)! The Hubs would continue to beg me claiming that I would so learn to love it and even begin to gasp be addicted! And yes, as much as I hate to admit the hubs was right, I soon fell victim to the running addiction too :)

It was not easy at first; in fact I quit many times. But alas..with the hubs encouragement I persevered and soon could not live without it really started to love it! One of the other things that kept me going through the training was the fact that I had committed to running the AF Marathon in Ohio on September 19th and didn’t want to disappoint!

Oh and what a weekend it was!! I had the tremendous pleasure of getting to run the 1/2 marathon with my sister-in-law :) The hubs and I also got to stay in her new house which is incredibly cute and so much fun! A lot of the Hubs family lives near Dayton Ohio so not only was it an amazing time to get to participate in the marathon but we had a blast getting to hang with the fam!

We arrived in Ohio late thursday night and on friday we got to attend Chapel at the college where we met..so many good memories there! The rest of the day was spent hanging out with family, getting to see my sister-in-law’s class and preparing for the festivities of the next day.

We woke up at the crack of dawn on Saturday and headed out to Wright Patt AFB. I made it just in time to see the Hubs group (there were so many people there i couldn’t see him) take off for the Marathon. The lines for the bathroom were crazy so Rachel and I spent the next 40 minutes waiting in line so that we could empty our bladders before our race started. Once the tank was empty we had just enough time to tear off our warm-ups, hand them to our lovely family members that came to support us and run to the start line! By 8:30am we were off and running :0

I had two main goals for this race:

1. to run the whole thing (no walking for me) and..

2. to keep about a 10 minute mile pace!

I’m not going to lie..some parts of the race were really tough. there were some hardcore hills that really got to me but overall I felt like I was keeping a steady pace (I didn’t have a watch to keep track). AND I ran the WHOLE thing..whoot whoot! The first two miles it was hard b/c there were a lot of people to try and get around so that I could find a spot to fall into a good grove (I really don’t know why people stopped in the middle of the road to walk..so annoying..move to the side people please!). Also it was funny b/c around mile nine the burps started coming out..not from me though..from those around me! I guess it’s about that time that your body just has to let it out :)

It was really neat getting to run through the base, there were some really cool houses to look at which helped keep me distracted. There wasn’t a lot of spectator spots but it was so cool hearing the cheers of the active duty military members cheering us on as well as the volunteers :) It was also neat to get to run with all the active military members participating..some ROTC students even ran with packs and boots..craziness! Knowing that when I finished I would then get to cheer the hubs on to the finish helped keep me going!

The end was the coolest as we got to run through the AF museum planes to the finish line with all our friends and family cheering us on!

You can’t really see me but I am in the pink and grey! I was able to sprint to the finish with all that I had left! It felt so good to finish and my final time was 2 hours and 11 minutes (which is right about the 10 min mile pace)! go me :)

Once I finished and finally snapped out of my daze (I was basically wandering around while people were handing me towels, food and my medal) I found the family and was then able to cheer on the sis!

Go Rachel! she did amazing and I am so proud of her!

A little while later the excitement mounted as the hubs came into my line of view..

he’s in the blue (you can’t really see him here)! Rachel and I followed him and yelled at the top of our lungs all the way to the finish line!

Isn’t he so cute!! He was totally amazing and I can’t even express how proud of him I am!

I am now totally hooked and I am already looking for the next race I can participate in :) What has happened to me?! I even went out and ran 6 miles today! I now can’t wait to do a full marathon (though i think I might do another 1/2 again first).

Sorry for the long post :) I just couldn’t wait to share! hope you had a  wonderful weekend!

Stay tuned for Try’em out Tuesday tomorrow!

Plans change and a pig gives it’s life..

It seems as of late that a lot of times when I get in a groove or start to have a plan for the weekend, month, year, life, etc. the AF quickly reminds me of my need to be flexible! I am a slow learner (hence needing to be constantly reminded) however I am starting to see a pattern developing. I have also surprised myself by not getting my feathers as ruffled as I use to when our plans suddenly changed..maybe there’s hope for me yet. All that to say that this last weekend was one of those plans quickly changing weekends!

First my friday run got all rained out (seriously folks it rained ALL thursday night,  ALL day on friday and into saturday morning..not cool). I had a feeling on thursday (which was my day off of running) that I should run since they were forecasting heavy rain for friday but due to the unfortunate reality of getting the second part of my root canal done on thursday morning I opted to take my chances (I have a serious drooling problem when my mouth isn’t numb, I didn’t want to even see how running with a numb mouth would turn out.."it’s just sweat people..really”)!

Anyways, we had originally been planning on heading up to New York to meet up with the in-laws for a weekend there since they were passing through. However, there was some inspection going on at the base and the hubs wasn’t sure if he would be called in to work during the weekend so we had to cancel the NYC trip (although it was probably good considering the weather and the fact that it was 9/11). Before we had planned the NYC trip the hubs had told me about a squadron picnic bbq thing that was happening this saturday, but once we decided to go to NYC as far as I knew we were no longer planning on attending this said bbq. When we realized we had to cancel, we started making other tentative plans for the weekend but nothing was said about the bbq (which had long since left my spastic brain). We planned on going out to breakfast, finding some fun marathon running clothes (next week folks..ahh) and then meeting up with some friends that night for dinner (all tentative since we weren’t sure if the hubs would have to work).

Friday night rolls around and the hubs tells me that he doesn’t think he is going to have to work after all (yay)! However he then proceeds to bring up the squadron bbq (which I had totally not remembered), another plan switcharoo, and we had to nix the shopping (sadness) but we were still able to go to breakfast and meet friends for dinner (and if you feed me I am happy so it was okay).

Okay, now here’s where the story gets a little tramatic..

Earlier saturday morning, before we get to the bbq, the hubs proceeds to inform me that part of the bbq includes a whole pig roast which the guys were starting about 3-4am so that it would be ready for that afternoon. humm…interesting…but I didn’t give it much thought (I usually don’t eat at these things anyways and I was still focusing on the fact that it was raining and they said the bbq would happen come rain or shine..i don’t do rain)!

One thing I have to point out is that the hubs recently changed squadrons, he is still in the same group but there are many squadrons in one group and they tend to switch the guys around at least once a year. Therefore, I hadn't really met anyone in this squadron and had no idea what to expect.

As we arrive at the bbq the air was still a bit damp but at least it wasn’t raining anymore. I guess there was some mix up on the actual start time so we arrived with hardly anyone else there. But don’t worry the guys that had been up roasting the pig since 3am had also started drinking around that time so they provided the entertainment!

As we are walking up, smelling all the good bbq smells, I approach the grill and there it is…a Whole pig on the grill with it’s empty eye sockets staring right at me! What the heck! Yeah i jumped a little (or a lot) which provided ample material for the guys to start teasing me with. It all started with the wave of a roasting hoof…and they were off! I had never seen a whole pig roasting before and I had to literally stop myself from regurgitating the said breakfast from the morning. Now to some people it might not seem like that big of a deal but let me give a little background information.

Yes, in high school I was miss Ag girl herself. Although we lived in a very suburban area I was in the FFA (Future Farmers of America) which in my 4 years enabled me to raise two lambs and two pigs to show and sell at the local county fair. I loved it! And the pigs by far were my favorite. I had no idea what a personality they could develop. Although I knew that when I sold them they were not going to some nice family to be raised as their own child, I had allowed myself to live with some sort of hope that maybe ..just maybe..their buyer would see their true self and not have the heart to end their life. I don’t know why I even allowed myself to live in that dream world since my own parents were part of the buyers and therefore had my little Jamima’s bacon in our own freezer! umm..yeah..

so as you can imagine when I walked up and saw the almost alive looking pig roasting in all its beer marinated and crispy glory I started to have some major flashbacks to my own little piggy days. This pig was no longer just dinner to me…I could now only see my little Jamima! Yes, it was traumatic and yes I had a hard time looking over there and I tried not to think about the little pig that sacrificed it’s life so that we wouldn’t be left hungry. However, I do love a good pulled pork sandwich and when it came down to it my stomach won out :0

It was very yummy but I couldn’t get the picture of the poor little piggy out of my mind and it literally haunted me the rest of the weekend..maybe I should go vegetarian..it makes you think! I am doing better now but I would prefer next time to have the head and feet already gone before I see a pig providing us dinner!

Am I crazy for being so traumatized?!

Charles and the lake..

The ride to the cabin was a fun experience for the pup! He totally loved sticking his head out of the window while we were going slow! However, as soon as we hit 50 mph he promptly let us know that we was content staying inside the car :)

The Charles loved the Cabin..let’s just say his nose had a little party with all the new smells!

The Reno Rents (my in-laws) have all hardwood floors that are pretty slick in the cabin so it was quite an experience for the pup. I totally wish I could have documented the Charles trying to figure out how to walk on the floor that didn’t give him any traction. He was slipping and sliding everywhere and for a while wouldn’t even move. The boys however, did what they do best and got him riled up so that soon the fear of the floor was a distant memory for the pup.

One of the all time best times this weekend was the meeting of two totally different environments..the Charles who is only really used to dry land and the lake that is well..wet! We had really wanted to take him out on the boat and give him the full experience, but well, the water was cold and we are wimps (I wouldn’t even get near the wet cold stuff)! I have to say though I loved feeling the crisp cool air and looking at the beautiful clear skies..fall was defiantly around the corner. Now back to the Charles..we had to document his first real water experience (what kind of mother would I be if I didn’t)!

So without further ado..here is the Charles in all his water glory..

and here is a little video fun..

(p.s I have been having trouble with the video portion so I hope that you will be able to view it!)

Let’s just say that I still think he is not totally sure about this whole lake thing but I am confident that once he is thrown in experiences it a little more (maybe when it’s warmer) he will soon be a full fledged water-lovin pup!

Have a great Weekend :)