The weekend is here!! I've grown VERY accustomed to having Saturday and Sunday off and I'm loving it. Spending time with Adam is wonderful and being away from that terrible job brings me unending happiness.

Our Hispanic neighbor came over today and tried to sell us really awful looking, bedazzled clothing from a Sears-esque type catalog. She only speaks Spanish and was trying to (timidly) explain her motives. Adam's 2 semesters of UF Spanish have obviously failed him. I think he managed to squeak out something along the lines of "I have no money for your catalog"...while he was under his car installing a new exhaust. I just looked at her in utter confusion. Where's Matt when you need him?! A few moments later she returned with an uprooted pepper plant in the same earthy chunk as the beginnings of a tomato plant. I suppose this was her way to show that there were no hard feelings over the language barrier and/or the lack of desire in the very taste-specific clothing she was offering.

Tonight we're going downtown with Adam's buddies to celebrate one of the guys passing a very important, final flight. I can't imagine what Adam is feeling but I know it can't be fun. It's hard to be excited for you friend moving on to bigger and better things while you've been stagnant for quite some time. Adam's meeting with the Admiral is on Monday. Please pray for his peace of mind and comfort no matter the decision. It's a pretty tough thing to go through.

The kids' vet visit went well. Luca's hernia is nothing to be concerned over and Piper got a cortizone (sp?) shot and some type of pills for her hot-spots. Each of them got heart worm meds and booster shots so my pups are healthy and happy.

Adam is left around 10 to go help a friend move. I offered to go along but Adam said (as nicely as possible) that I wouldn't be much help with the heavy lifting. This guy doesn't have a ton of stuff plus it feels like it's 1000 degrees outside so I'm okay with staying home. Now is a great time to try out my fudge recipe!

I talked to Mom today while she was over at her parents (my Nanny & Papa). It was nice to hear from everyone but it made me miss my family so very much. Sure, they can drive me crazy sometimes but I hate not being close to them.

Friday

Adam's meeting with the Admiral, which was supposed to happen today at 2pm, has been postponed (surprise, surprise) until August 1st. This is dangerously close to the vacation we're tentatively planning. Adam and I both scheduled time off together so we could, hopefully, go on a cruise for our first anniversary (August 17th). It's hard to believe we're coming up on our first year of marriage and our FIFTH year of being together. It makes me grateful every time I think about it. When I ignore all my petty problems I realize I am beyond blessed to have the life I live.

Adam made the mistake of taking me into Barnes and Nobel the other day. My favorite place is their buy 2 get one free table so that's exactly where I went. Adam, as usual, parked himself by the magazines and patiently waited while reading about exotic cars. I limited myself to three books so I have a short stack that I'm starting to tackle. Currently, I'm reading Look Me In The Eye, a memoir about a man who grew up with undiagnosed-Aspurgers syndrome (a mild form of autism). It's funny and shocking and very raw, which I love.

Since it's waaaay too hot outside to be riding bikes or going to the beach Adam and I have been enjoying indoor activities. We finally saw the last Harry Potter and it made me want to read the books again. (I guess my "short stack" isn't so short afterall.) Adam teases me about being a Harry Potter nerd and I joke about going through Post Potter Depression. I told him the only way I can feel whole now is with a blu-ray boxed set so we'll see if he takes the hint.  ;)

Serving people teaches me so much. Today's lesson: hold off on having kids for as LONG as possible. I witnessed a 4 month old baby projectile poo all over herself, her onesie, the car seat, her mother and the restaurant floor. I guess the lesson could also be: buy high quality diapers. Maybe it's because I don't yet have children but I don't get how the mother and her friend could eat after that. Lord knows my appetite would have vanished faster than that mother's dignity. Side note: WHAT IS IT with me and poopy-booths?!

I have a recipe for fudge and I keep intending to try it but I always end up being too lazy or falling asleep. One of these days, I'll give it a whirl! (After proof-reading my blog before posting, I suppose I could have come up with a better transition from poo to fudge. I promise that wasn't intentional!)

Adam has spent all day with the "kids" at the vet's office. We're signing them up for PetCare (an insurance for animals) and they're getting a full work up done. Luca's hernia has flared up again, larger than it's ever been, so we're getting that checked out too. Our "kids" are not the most well behaved creatures; Luca barks at everything unusual and Piper does what she wants, when she wants so Adam has been having a rough day. Adam had his own little poo-scapade (courtesy of Pipes) and has been waiting for hours to be seen by the doc. Next time, an appointment will be necessary. As soon as he gets home, we're getting ready for an early dinner, sans pups.

We're off all weekend and we're going to enjoy every minute of it. I'm missing my family and wishing them happy, wonderful times in Florida. (COME VISIT us, guys! You're always welcome!)

UPDAAAATE!

I feel like so much has happened over my brief blog-hiatus. Let's hope I can remember everything! Also, make sure you check out the pictures at the end of the post.

First things first, still no news from the Navy. I'm really hoping this waiting game fixes itself soon because I want to go on a anniversary vacation next month AND start school AND buy a house AND find a better job...none of which I feel comfortable doing if our future in VA is uncertain. This is truly a test of our patience.

This morning the dogs woke me up at 9. (For those of you that have kids and/or a real job, 9am is early to the rest of us.) Piper decided to serenade us with minutes upon minutes of unjustifiable barking until she passed out and went back to sleep. I wasn't lucky enough to find my way back to the pillow, so here I sit.

Celebrating holidays and birthdays long distance is difficult but it's slowly getting easier. Of course, it would always be better to spend time with my family and long-distance friends. I miss them so much! The "kids" (Luca & Piper Bell) gave Adam a "#1 DAD" ice cream cake for fathers day, half of which is now covered with ice crystals taking up valuable freezer space but still just as delicious as the first bite. I mailed my dad birthday cookies and gave him giant Boy Scout coffee table book for fathers day. It's no AppleTV   ;)  but if that technology is lost on ME, I doubt my dad would be able to work it.

One weekend last month while Adam was off mountain biking with friends, I took myself to Harborfest in downtown Norfolk. It was mostly a kid-centric festival but I had fun. There was live music and about a half dozen tall ships that were open to the public for tours. Local vendors sold all kinds of products and the food smelled amazing. I even watched part of a dog competition where large breed dogs were doing distance jumps into pools. Pretty cool to see. I didn't stay long because it was insanely hot outside but at least I can say I've done it.

Toward the end of June, I toured Nauticus (a Naval Ship Museum) with my friend Claire and her super cute ginger-baby, Rowan. That kid is probably the most adorable baby I have ever laid my eyes on. The museum wasn't anything to write home about but Rowan loved running around the deck of the battleship and I enjoyed much needed girl time. We ate an early dinner, had fro-yo and I came to the conclusion that as much as I say I want children, I am nowhere NEAR ready to take on that task.

I got an unexpected reward in the mail from Olive Garden. Adam and I went there for dinner a while back and had a miserable dining experience. Nothing was positive so afterward, I filled out one of those online surveys explaining my frustration with the staff AND the company. Most of these restaurant tell-us-how-we-did surveys grant customers the CHANCE to win X-amount of dollars after the feedback but I never pay attention to that garbage. Well I should start paying more attention to said garbage 'cause I won $50! Thanks, Olive Garden, for the check but I will not be using that money to come back to your establishment.

Adam and I both lucked out into getting time off for July 4th. He wanted to go mountain biking in WV and I wanted to go back to Jacksonville (or visit Bobby & Allison on our way to Savannah, GA.) We compromised and took a last minute trip to WV but instead of mountain biking, we went white water rafting down the New River Gorge. Rafting was great but the tops of my hands and the tops of my knees got sunburned something terrible. We stayed at a Resort in the middle of some swanky country club which was full of old(er) people and tons of wildlife. I have never seen so many deer. They were just walking around on the edges of the golf course and even in people's front yards. The firework display, although two days early, was entirely worth it. Adam and I were eating dinner on the patio of Bunkers (a sports bar on the golf course) which was a few yards away from where they shot off the fireworks. Talk about front row seats! The next day we decided to go on a coal mine tour. We went in 2008 and loved it so why not try it again? We explored some twisty mountain roads, got tons of great pictures, ate delicious pizza from a place that seemed too "hipster" for the mountains, buried Adam's old tennis shoes, then began our 5 hour trip home. We didn't miss much in town as far as celebrations go. It had been overcast and rainy for days.

I got sick (AGAIN) right before we left for WV but it wasn't going to stop me like it did on Memorial Day. I went to Urgent Care, got some more meds and, although I was stuffed up and cough-y for much of the trip, it was worth it to get away. I went back to the Doc when we returned. I had been waiting over a month for my "New Patient" appt with my new primary care provider...lucky me, I just happened to be sick when I went and killed two birds with one stone. The doctor was phenomenal- she was friendly, caring and she took time to explain things to me. She did a bunch of tests, treated me with a nebulizer (?) and gave me bronchial steroids. I'm still coughing but it's gotten much better and I still have meds left. My body is awful at healing itself which is why this sickness is hanging around...it's also why I'm still bruised from my blood work. I LOATHE having blood drawn!

I love having weekends off. Granted, I lose out on earning a ton of money but I really love spending time with Adam. We rarely get to see each other during the week due to conflicting schedules so date nights and day trips are important. Friday we went to see the movie Horrible Bosses, which was semi-vulgar but pretty hilarious. Yesterday we went to the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk and I was pleasantly surprised at it's size, the flow of the park, and the variety of animals. In addition to gorgeous animals in authentic-looking, spacious habitats, the zoo was filled with beautiful gardens. One of the things I really love about Virginia is that they still have greenery growing during the summer. Florida is so hot that it kills everything. The one thing I hated about the zoo was all the obnoxious children. The were beating on the glass windows, scaring away animals and annoying the general public. It reminded me of Free Willy and made me angry at the parents for not controlling their spawns. It's difficult to stay mad when you're surrounded with such cute lil critters, though. The baby prairie dogs and the red pandas are enough to make your heart melt but my all time favorites are the giraffes and the apes. That night we went mini golfing and even though I hate to brag...haha...I whooped Adam. I'm basically a professional (mini) golfer so please feel free to call me Tiger Jr. :)

Today we're going on a picnic and the VBeach Art Museum then tomorrow it's back to reality. UGH. Good thing I'm blogging now!

Picture time! They're not in order (sorry) but I'll post as many as I can:
 

Virginia Zoo

The Glade Springs Resort in WV. The day we arrived there was a party going on for the country club so we went too.

Bachelor's quarters from mid18th century coal mine towns. The mine relocated all these old buildings to their property to create a museum

New River Gorge Bridge. You don't get an appreciation for HOW tall it is until you're at the observation deck looking down. They sell "catwalk" tours that harness you to the catwalk under the bridge...1000 feet in the air

Since I last updated, Adam got a new VW GTI! He's loving this car.

Battleship Wisconsin outside Nauticus. Not worth the hype but it makes for some pretty awesome pictures.