Baby Shower, Toothache, & Outlander

One of the things I truly love about Army life is the people you meet along your journey.  Phil and I have met people that will be lifelong friends and we will have connections with them for all times; even if we aren't stationed together again, or we are stationed together after a crazy amount of years.  It is something that truly makes Army life special. 

That being said, this weekend I celebrated our two friends M and B who are expecting their first child in October!!!!!!!  We were all stationed together in CO and were lucky enough to be stationed here in OK together as well!  M and I met at a Family Fun Day Live Shoot and have been besties ever since.  It was such a fun day and I cannot wait to meet Baby G this Fall :)

Also on Saturday I woke up with a toothache, which was odd because I didn't do anything that should provoke its' crankiness.  I slept super poorly Saturday night due to ridiculous tooth pain (I also spent my time in the ridiculous hours of the night/morning Googling random things, making myself terrified and then going down the Pinterest rabbit hole instead).  Sunday passed in a blur of Advil and smoothies and I even left a message with my dentist to hopefully get in on Monday.  They did call me back and I did not get an appointment until Wednesday!  By Wednesday my tooth was feeling much better, but I kept the appointment and went anyway.  It turns out my tooth is absolutely fine and in good shape and I just had a bad reaction in my gum so that's why it was swollen...go figure!  I can now continue my supreme avoidance of the dentist for the next few years :)

Each deployment I end up binging a certain or a couple of shows, and this time it is Outlander.  I had read books 1 & 2 a bit ago and discovered the series on Netflix and am obsessed.  I ordered books 3 & 4 and am halfway through book 3 already.  

This has me thinking about a Scotland vacation once Phil returns and everything settles down a bit.  Phil and I don't normally take too many vacations: we do weekend trips (Waco, Fort Worth, OKC, etc) but the last vacation we took was to Jamaica four years ago when he returned form Deployment #2....we tend to be slight workaholics.   So maybe an adventure in the Highlands is in order ;)

This meme made me laugh so hard as it continues to be a thousand degrees in OK and I brush Penny out 2-3 times a week to keep up with her fluff

Sad, but oh so true!!!

I hope everyone has a great week!!!!  Any factions planned for the future?  Any Scotland advice?

Teacher Appreciation, Flashbacks, & Puppies

This week for Teacher Appreciation, I became my very own superhero:

I really wish I was that epic, and cute!

One of the secretaries at school is in charge of Teacher Appreciation Week and she goes ALL OUT!!  I am always amazed at the creativity, time, work, and effort that she puts into this week; she really is the best of us :)

I love Timehop because sometimes it helps me remember things from the past that I have forgotten or just don't think about on a regular basis.  Phil and I graduated (and he commissioned) 6 years ago!

He's still as cute now as he was then, and I'm still as smitten...insert mega heart eyes and sigh

I had Friday off from school and got to spend the entire day with my puppies and my books and color me contented!  I even started to take a nap on the couch while watching cartoons with the pups!  Note the "started" part, I soon felt paws on my back reminding me that it was play time now:

Hello Penny!

Max was less inclined for play time as it was overcast, he was much more content napping on my feet:

We had already played and walked and so, he felt the cuddle time was just right.

The rest of the weekend was filled with gym time (finally! It's been more sporadic than I'd like!), volunteering with my awesome Battalion Crew,  dog walks, and book reading.  I have finished two books and am marching my way through a third; ah the joy of the written word :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful week! I am gearing up for my LAST FULL WEEK OF SCHOOL!!! School is out next week!  It is finally winding down at a super quick pace!

How was everyone else's week? 

Dogs, Running, & Food Trucks

I had an earth-shattering epiphany this week: maybe if I ran steadily, I wouldn't be in soooo much pain after I decide to run a race.  I was thinking this as EVERY muscle in my body from my ribs down were boycotting life on Monday and Tuesday.  So, in order to remedy some of that, I have ran every night this week!  I have ranged from 1-2 miles and they have been just slow and steady...definitely not breaking any speed records or coming close to my race times, but just an easy pace to get back in the swing of things.    It has actually felt really amazing (except on Monday and Tuesday, that completely sucked, not going to lie) and it makes me happy getting back into running.  I have been more focused on lifting and exploring exercises with weights that I have let running slip on by (that and it was 100+ degrees everyday in the summer).  I still lift after my runs, but it just makes my heart happy to be running steadily once more.

On Saturday, Phil and I, along with some friends, went to Wichita Falls, TX to just poke around.  And to participate in the Food Truck Fest! I have never really eaten from a food truck and I see them on cooking shows all the time, but haven't ever eaten at one.  But you bet I got a street taco from a legit food truck on Saturday!  It was so fun to mix and mingle and people watch! The hardest part was choosing which truck I wanted to eat from!

Once the school year starts, I have a hard time fitting in any reading time.  I read a lot and it is one of the ways I unwind and relax, and I (as well as Phil) can always tell when I haven't been reading enough.  This week I destroyed this book:

It was really good and the first of a series!  I have the next one arriving on Monday...happy day!

Max is also obviously, very excited...

Speaking of Max, we also have had the pleasure of having a guest dog in the house!  His name is Bear and he is amazing...literally! He and Max had their first playdate last week and Max has been a whole new dog having Bear here in the house.  He has been back to his happy self and this dog mama couldn't be happier!

It has been so fun having them both here, definitely contemplating that second dog now! Maybe over Thanksgiving or Christmas Break...

Max is now snoring on the couch as he has played more in the last few days then he has in months!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week! :)

Anyone have any cute fall decoration ideas for outside?  Phil and I are thinking of decorating the outside of our house and any ideas are appreciated!

Linking up with Bianca!

New Pants, 5k's, & Gym Etiquette

There are very few things the make me irritated, but every once in a while I get a little cranky about certain things.  One of these things is Gym Etiquette.  When you lift and grab your plates, load up your machine, and get your reps in, you are supposed to re-rack your weights.  NOT JUST LEAVE THEM THERE FOR ME TO RE-RACK YOUR 215 lbs!  If you can get them on there, you can take them off and put them back.  I realize that after your reps, the muscle group you were working is reasonably tired, however, I do not want to heft all of that off, to put on my own, to lift, and then put them away...no thank you!  I don't understand how you could watch me re-rack your 215lbs and trot your happy butt off to the next machine...next time there will be words friend.

Ok, rant over!

In other news, Phil came home from work on Thursday and said he signed us up for the Devil Dog 5k here at Fort Sill.  Exciting!  Except that I haven't ran in a solid 8 weeks (I ran once, maybe twice, and I am really not sure it counts).  Saturday morning, we were up and at it!  Race started at 8am and we were ready to rock and roll!  At least as much as someone is at 8am on a Saturday running a race they hadn't prepped for....

It was awesome!  I actually ran my fastest 5k time ever!  I credit that to the Stair Stepper, my competitive nature, and the fact that Phil stuck with me during the race (races are always better with a buddy!)

Post run happy!

We also finally got a couch this weekend!

It is a sectional that fits perfectly into our living room space without crowding it too much!  Phil and I finally were tired of waiting for the claim to go through, so we picked it out after the race on Saturday and it was delivered that afternoon!  I forgot how wonderful it is to have a couch to sit on :)

I have also been shopping...I decided to splurge and try Lululemon athletic wear.  It was recommended by a friend and I had never tried it, so it was destiny.  I am now the proud owner of a pair of Lululemon cropped spandex pants and I am in love!

I wore them to the gym on Sunday and loved the way they stayed in place the whole time and really how cute the pattern is! They have all kinds of colors and I am in serious love!  I may have two more pairs in my shopping cart as we speak...

I also made Phil take a selfie with me at the gym...I needed the photo of my pants!  And he is too cute, that is also a huge factor :)

You can check out the leggings on Lululemon's website here.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!  :)

Does anyone have any other favorite athletic clothes that they love and recommend?

Linking up with Bianca!

Football, Ice Cream, & Snoozing

Phil and I have actually decided to take a leap out of our box and get involved with the college football scene here in Oklahoma.  So, we bought a Oklahoma University (the Sooners) hat for Phil and a t-shirt for me.  I know, pretty crazy!

We took that hat and t-shirt to the home-opener on Saturday and it was awesome!  Our college did not have a football team and I have only been to one college football game so I wasn't quite sure what to expect...wow was I not even close!  Apparently there is college football, and then there is COLLEGE FOOTBALL!  The place was packed! There were people tailgating, walking, talking, buying drinks, food and other OU paraphernalia, and it was just epic!  They even closed down the street! Like what?!?!

Of course that meant that I made Phil take some selfies to commemorate the experience, because if there isn't a self, then did it really happen?  Kidding!

 He was awesome!  I can't help that I am a picture addict when we are together!

Our seats were pretty great too!  Right by the end zone!

It was so fun!  The weather was hot, the sweating was intense, and our smiles were big!  And those Sooners won!  Very rarely do Phil and I actually have a chance to cheer for a team that is actually good and wins (we are Bills fans, Sabres fans, etc...life can get a little tough somedays...)

After the game called for some celebratory fajitas and THE BEST ICE CREAM COOKIE SANDWICH IN THE WORLD!  Sorry for the all caps, but this ice cream cookie sandwich blew my mind!  Homemade cookies with homemade ice cream!

 It was also the size of my palm!  I couldn't finish it, but I sure tried; next time I am skipping actual dinner and going right for the prize :)

I took this photo of Max last week in his usual Sunday position:

And on this Monday that feels like a Sunday, he is enjoying the very same position.  Lazy afternoons at home are the best.

I splurged and got new shoes:

 My very first pair of Converse!  They are this awesome gray color that go really well with my jeans, shorts and khakis (for when I want to feel cool at school).  My students thought they were awesome and I totally gained more cred for that, and Phil, the sweetie that he is, told me that in my Converse I am almost cool...I'll take that!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week! :)

Does anyone else have crazy college football stories?

Linking up with Bianca! 

Planes, Oklahoma, & Girl Time

The weekend was finally here! It was time to board that plane and go see Phil!

Goodbye Colorado!

Hello Oklahoma!

It was wonderful and perfect and it just felt so good to see him!  Is it odd that I forgot how cute he is? Or how much he makes my heart just flutter?  It's easy to forget what those sensations feel like when you're apart for a significant amount of time.  And these past two months definitely felt significant to me!

The promotion ceremony was sweet and it was such an honor to be a part of.  I ripped his 1Lt rank off and chucked it behind him (Phil said I threw like a girl...insert dramatic girlie eye roll here...) and I placed the CPT rank on there and heeled him in the chest...just to make sure it stuck ;)

I went with the cream dress and the nude heels; it just seemed appropriate for the occasion.

This picture was my favorite because it shows me squinty and laughing at something he said, and he's  just looking at me in the way that he does (insert heart flutter)

After all of that formal stuff, we hung out with my dad (who managed to pull the Big Rig into OK at the right time!) and had a celebratory brunch at Cracker Barrel and bopped around OK to see what we could see.

It was a beautiful weekend and the weather was perfect on Saturday for climbing Mt. Scott and then catching all we could catch with Pokemon Go (nerd alert!)

Sadly all weekends have to come to an end, and it was tough leaving him, but it helps knowing that I will see him again quite soon.  And I had no time to brood, my friend came to visit after I got home! It was so great to see her and catch up; it had been a few years since we have actually gotten to have some good old fashioned Girl Time and it was needed!  Great way to start off the week!

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all have a  fabulous week! :)

Max was happy to take his place back on the couch from his Doggy Daycare Adventure Weekend!

Linking up with Bianca! 

Vet Visits, Snow Storms, & Friends

I think the only thing worse than going to the doctor, is taking Max to the vet.  It is vaccine season my friends and it is no fun.

Max was traumatized: the poor puppy is of the motto to sniff first before he decides if you're going to be friends or not.  Now anything with fur is an automatic friend and playmate, but with people, he likes to sniff and take stock.  He's always been like this.  Now after he sniffs you, and he feels like you're friends, then he will need you to give him a belly rub; but this was not the case on that dreadful Friday morning.  The vet comes into the exam room, announces that she has to do the heart worm test and needs a blood sample, grabs his leash from me, and hauls him out saying that the vet tech will hold him.  Let's  just say, that didn't go over well with Max.  He barked, pulled away and tried to run; can you blame him?  After that ordeal was over, we needed a spoonful of peanut butter to relax.

We were tuckered out!

On Saturday, we were blessed with an end of April Snow Storm!  Now normally, I would have sighed and been over the whole "snow" thing, but this one was fun because, well, its the end of April, it won't last.  So Max and I had oodles of fun purging things from the house (like the box my computer came in; 99.9% sure I really don't need that anymore) and finally unclogging the drain (sadly I have to take responsibility for that one).

It's hard to believe you could misplace the Rockies, but we did that on Saturday...they needed a break.

This is the face you make when you get to sleep in until 7am three days in a row...I actually think Max was happier about sleeping in that I was!

I am looking forward to next weekend because I get the pleasure of having one of my friends from grade school come visit!  I haven't seen her in a while, as we live on opposite sides of the country, and it will be so great to catch up!  I about bounced out of my slippers when she called me up yesterday and asked if I would like a visitor...umm, YEAH!! GIRLS NIGHT!

For now it's time to grab some cereal, re-visit the plans for school, and get ready for the first week of May!  I hope everyone has a fantastic week! :)

Oh, does anyone use dry shampoo and have recommendations?  This is the latest beauty product that I feel like I need in my life, but I get a little overwhelmed at the store with all of the options!

Linking up with Bianca!

Days Off, Flights, & Memes

I finally got the word when Phil's promotion ceremony is going to be! I am very excited because that means I get to see him very soon! I booked my flights and am ready to get out of Dodge...or Colorado.  Since he has been rocking a sleeping bag in the RV he asked that I bring some bedding...its a good thing that I invested in those SpaceBags (best purchase ever!)

With the school year winding down, I have slowly started to cull out my stuff and take the unnecessary/already used items home.  My students are noticing my decorations are a little lacking compared to what they were last week; but its time to face the facts: we don't need the Grammar Meme Wall anymore, if they don't know it now, its hopeless.  But I must admit, some of them really are funny and make me chuckle everyday.

I am terrified for Grandma's everywhere!


Colorado has decided to remind us that it does have a sense of humor when it comes to weather because it will be high 70s one day and then 50s and rain the next.  So Max and I have been embracing the thrill of fetch, chase the dog, and tug so we can then get to our other favorite pastime: couch cuddles.

Maybe we need a new hobby...

With that being said, I am very excited because we have FRIDAY OFF! Woo and two Hoo's!  Now that day does involve a trip to the vet for some shots, but still very exciting! This weekend will be filled with some necessary purging and packing prep (I can't put it off anymore) and cleaning.  What does that say about me that those thoughts make me kind of excited?  I'm not sure either.  Have a great rest of the week everyone! :)

Does anyone have any fun weekend plans?

Linking up with Kristin!

Piercings, Manicures, & The Hobbit

I'm not sure what it is about battling in Middle Earth, but it sure makes me feel better about having to go to work on Monday.  Nothing at work could possibly be as scary as facing some of those Orcs, I mean, really.  And I have the added pleasure of watching Legolas (the very handsome Orlando Bloom) kick mega Orc butt and look graceful doing it.  If I could pick a character to be, I would really want to be an Elf...the grace, the dignity, and the epic ability to kick butt.  Pretty nice combo.

Saturday I treated myself to a manicure and my girl told me that I needed some sparkle, and she was right! These soft gold sparkly nails really gave me the mood boost I needed to handle the chaos of a school year winding down.

I love the glam!

I also was moral support for a friend getting a couple of piercings; I may have a fear of needles, but I can hold your hand like a champ! She didn't even flinch, so she is my current hero.

Max was one very excited puppy as he got to hang out with all of his puppy friends at daycare.  The workers at daycare tell me he has four girlfriends...somehow I managed to create a puppy player and I'm not exactly sure how that happened...

All of that playing and frolicking really takes a toll on a puppy.

Phil told me he heard rumblings of when his promotion ceremony will be, so with any luck I'll be able to pin him soon!  Speaking of promotions, I think I might have figured out a small gift to get Phil to commemorate it, but does anyone have any ideas?   I am a big fan of options!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!  Max and I are in our usual couch cuddle spots with a little LOTR (hello again Legolas), some sweet tea (just because) and a book.  Have a great week!

Does anyone else have any ideas about promotion gifts that are sentimental but manly?

Linking up with Bianca!

Pedicures, Dress Shopping, & Washer Fluid

My Papi came to visit me!!! This is one of the best surprises in the world!! My dad (aka: Papi) is a truck driver and he has the ability to "pop in" and visit his girl and best grand-puppy (Max and I) on various occasions.  I consider myself super lucky that he called me on Thursday and asked if I wanted a visitor this weekend...is that even a question?!?!

*Max was super excited to have his Papi back*

Now when my Papi comes to visit, I usually ask him to assist me with various tasks: refilling my washer fluid, checking the air in my tires, sweeping up spiders in the Scary Boiler Room, etc.  Well, this weekend, I made him go dress shopping with me and get pedicures.  Dad is really good about getting Father/Daughter pedis...I think he looks forward to them!

Back to dress shopping; Phil has his promotion ceremony coming up next month and I am going to go pin him!  I am so excited!  After all, its been a little while since I've seen him, so this is awesome! But then the question comes up: what do I wear?!?!

I ended up getting two dresses at the Loft (along with some pants, a dress for school, a couple of tanks, and a t-shirt...I do have a problem), one in cream and one in black.

*Excuse the dressing room mirror pics*

Now the next important question: what shoes do I wear?!?

A friend suggested that I try wedges and another suggested kitten heeled pumps...any suggestions?

Max, Papi and I celebrated Easter with a walk in the park!  Max was even able to go off leash!  I was beaming like the proud puppy mama that I am!

Look at that happy dog grin!

I hope everyone had a wonderful and Hoppy Easter and is ready for another week!! :)

Does anyone have any wedge/kitten heel suggestions?

Linking up with Bianca!

Hiking, Phone Calls, & Scooby Doo

Good News: I did not get attacked by the fierce shower monsters or drown in the tub because my fierce shower guard dog was on duty:

Look at him: primed and ready for any action!

After our Snow Day, the weather has been very cooperative and we have enjoyed our after school dog walks and hiking this weekend!

Max has been practicing his puppy smolder to impress his doggy girlfriends at daycare ;)

Phil and I managed an actual phone call (you know, where we can hear each others' voices??) on Saturday and we talked for a record TWO AND A HALF HOURS!! To be honest, I wasn't sure we had it in us!  Phil tends to be on the quieter side, as for myself, well, I can pretty much talk all the time with endless topics-my brain is a fascinating place according to Phil.  I'm pretty proud of that!

Max and I have also been hitting the Scooby Doo quite hard: it was my favorite as a child and its something nice to have on in the background while I read or work (Max is a huge fan obviously).  Isn't it odd that when you are stressed some of those childhood favorites give you that extra sense of calm?

With PSAT and SAT testing coming up, Scooby might be able to assist Max in helping me keep my sanity! But for now, its time to plan and unwind with my little man before the crazy week starts!

Max is already in position! Have a happy week everyone! :)

What are some of your childhood favorite movies or shows that just make you feel good?

Linking up with Bianca!

Cleaning, Rain, & Manicures

As sad as I am to realize that Spring Break is rapidly coming to a close, I am so happy that I got to go home to my small town outside of Buffalo, NY and spend some quality time with my family!

Goodbye Colorado!

Being used to the 70* weather made coming home an intense change!  Hello RAIN! Rain, Rain everyday!  As sad as this sounds, I actually found it quite nice and a bit refreshing (especially since we hadn't had any in months!).

Is that peaceful or what?

My mom and I are super close and so a few things happen when we get together:

1. We shop till we drop (I am the proud owner of a new spring wardrobe :) )
2. We drink entirely too much caffeine (the sweet tea cup was present on all of our adventures...naturally)
3. We binge old movies (this time was the Thin Man series from the 1930s)
4. And we come up with intense projects that we need to get accomplished around the house in the few days that we have: EVERY. SINGLE. TIME

The project that we decided that we needed to accomplish this break was streamlining 30+ years of stuff...I have bagged, swept, hauled and chucked more bags than I ever thought possible.  Can you say total body workout?!?  I didn't count the number of garbage/Goodwill bags I hauled out of my room...26 years of buildup creates quite the accumulation.

Sadly all breaks come to an end and I was a red faced mess as I boarded the plane in Buffalo to my connection in Charlotte.  And to my dismay, I had a two hour layover that ended up being a four hour layover, so what may you ask did I do with all that extra time?

Well, like any self respecting female, I got a manicure

And when I finally got home, I got to pick up my favorite boy from doggy-daycare!

*My cute picture went awry because a bird squawked...priorities of a puppy*

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!  Max and I will be making sure our couch does not run away on this snowy Saturday afternoon (finally some snow!!) 

Have a great weekend friends! :)

Linking up with Bianca! 

Photos of the Week

This week has blessed us with high 70* weather!  Which means that I wore sandals to work EVERY SINGLE DAY!  My toes were so happy!  I love sandals, sunglasses, and sunshine; and this week I managed to have all three.

Max was able to survey the water again on our walk by the creek, we even licked at it!

Then it rippled, hit our nose and we ran away...but we made actual water progress and I feel like that qualifies as a win!

I also displayed my creative talent for my students this week (this is an overview of Camp Green Lake from the novel Holes...just in case you couldn't decipher what was happening in this beauty)  Note: my students were not impressed, but they said my house had potential...thanks guys

My husband got inked! I think its pretty cool and I am also a fan of his plaid boxers....

Max and I started our Sunday with a beautiful morning hike in one of our favorite spots!  Max has finally mastered those stairs that are carved into the rock...I was a very proud mama!

This week is going to be a busy one with state testing and its the week before Spring Break (HALLELUJAH!) so it is going to bring with it a good amount of craziness!  So for now, I am going to bake some cookies (testing motivation for my co-workers) and watch a little Lord of the Rings to get me in the right frame of mind!

Have a great week everyone!

Linking up with Bianca!