simply.complicated

Life.

2011-10-06T20:07:00.000-07:00

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let us down, probably will. You'll have your heart broken and you'll break others' hearts. You'll fight with your best friend or maybe even fall in love with them, and you'll cry because time is flying by. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, forgive freely, and love like you've never been hurt. Life comes with no guarantees, no time outs, no second chances. you just have to live life to the fullest, tell someone what they mean to you and tell someone off, speak out, dance in the pouring rain, hold someone's hand, comfort a friend, fall asleep watching the sun come up, stay up late, be a flirt, and smile until your face hurts. Don't be afraid to take chances or fall in love and most of all, live in the moment because every second you spend angry or upset is a second of happiness you can never get back.
-Unknown

I probably could have come up with something very similar to this on my own, but I read this, and it simply says it all. There comes a time in one's life when you begin to see the big picture. As we get older, the importance of some things just don't matter anymore, & appreciating what you have been given in life becomes easier. Everything happens for a reason, a reason in which we may never know why but know that everything will be alright. Smile at the end of the day knowing you did what you could to the best of your ability. Overcoming adversity will, indeed, make you a stronger and happier person.

I have so much I want to say, so much I feel, and so much that I just don't know. Life is the greatest gift I have been given, and learning and know how to make the best of it, really is a challenge! There are days when I just to do what I have to and be done with it. I think back and wish I would have taken more time, enjoyed those small moments, and strived to be something great. I am currently on my way to make my life 100% worthwhile with no regrets! Though we make mistakes, and I have made my fare-share, I am ready to go into the world headstrong, pushing away those fears, and pulling forth the strength and ambition to be ME.

I may not have a lot of friends. I may not be the most liked person. But I do know I am a good person inside and out. Every person who has taken the time to get to know me, be true, support, and care for me, I want you all to know, from the bottom of my heart, how important you are to me. We may not even talk anymore, but if we did once, believe me when I say that you still are a part of my life and who I am today. If we've lost touch, I hope someday to reconnect. Life is short, feuds are pathetic and should be put to rest. Clean slate. Bitterness and jealousy pushed aside.

As of late, it seems young folks are being called up to the big man. We may never know the reason. Prayers and thoughts to all the grieving family and friends who've lost loved ones. Remind your loved ones you love them. Be nice and smile, even to strangers. Live today to the fullest, because as much as we don't want to believe it could never happen to us, tomorrow isn't a guarentee. Forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love unconditionally. Embrace life and everything you have been blessed with! :)

Keeping my love, Tuan and his unit, in my thoughts and prayers are they are serving our country in the sand land of Afghanistan. Stay safe and come home soon! We love you!

A Few Snaps

2011-09-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

Dinner at BJ's in Huntington Beach, CA! Best pazookie ever (cookie with icecream)!

Nana, Grandpa, and their one and only! :)

B practicing her boogie-boarding. We rented the board for her to use, but little did we know, she was afraid of the ocean! She dipped her toes in just a few times, but the sand was where it was at for this girl! She spent time burying her dad, dumping sand on his head, building animal shapes, and playing with the fam!

My dad and I walked out into the ocean! It was freezing! Once we adjusted, we decided to attempt to "withstand" the waves. They were pretty strong, but it was one of those things...waiting for the next one hoping it was bigger than the last! One day we'll get on the boards and do it!

He's special. Our first family trip in quite a while. I guess it was what we needed, in hopes of making our family one again. It's a work in progress, but this day was a good day at the beach with the family! Next time will be even better!

Here we are introducing my parents to Vietnamese food, aka, Pho (rice noodle soup). This restaraunt was the first restaurant T took me back in 2006! I wasn't impressed the first time, but the Pho this time was off the chain! :) Can't wait to go back and eat it again! My dad seemed to enjoy it as well! Nana on the other hand is still afraid to try new things! I don't blame her, it took me years to try some of the stuff I eat now!

We had a great time in Cali with my family! I was glad we all got to spend time together without all the extra stressors in our lives!

We've been busy with school, work, preschool, and all the other extras! Its nice to have a routine and stay busy! Can't wait for December when this girl graduates finally! But...I still don't know what I want to do! So many options, so little time! Hopefully I'll have the answers some day soon!

Hope everyone who reads this is doing well! Have a good weekend~

Another month...

2011-09-03T16:42:00.000-07:00

Wow! It is been way to long since I have blogged! Another month has come and gone! Boy oh boy did it fly by! :) I guess it has been a rather exciting past 30 days! We went on vacation, started school again, spent time mending an almost broken relationship, and just simply enjoying the last bits of summer and family time.

Perhaps I am much more emotional or sensitive than other people, but honestly... I am nowhere near perfect and I don't ever plan to be! I make mistakes, have my moments, and try the best I can at everything I do. I do what I can for B and to give her all she needs. But sometimes, I wonder..."what about me?" Once you get married, become a mother, student, employee...you wear more than one hat! But somedays I just want to where MY hat. So tonight, celebrating my birthday (which is tomorrow) will be spent wearing my hat. And last I checked, the birthday girl gets to decide! :)

September is here, another school year has began! I can only hope for a quick semester! B starts preschool again this week, I am excited for her to get back into the groove of school, kids, and learning! :) She is my little beauty and can't believe I am another year older and she is another year smarter, making my day EVERY single day! Love her!

pictures and more updates to come...

not today...

2011-08-05T22:59:00.001-07:00

Not in the mood to make an update...i'm working on one...i'll have one up by the time i leave for cali! Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

The Good, The Bad, The...it is what it is

2011-08-03T21:08:00.000-07:00

The Good:
Done with summer classes, and let me brag for just a moment...A's in BOTH, yes, BOTH classes (Biology and Chemistry)!!!! Let me just say that chemistry kicked my booty, and without my mom's help, I never would have passed! Thanks mom!!

We leave for Cali next week! I'm excited for a lil mini vaca before school begins again on the 22! Can't wait to hit the beach, eat some good food, and spend some quality time with the fam!

I applied for some workstudy jobs with the school, since I can't get hired anywere without experience, I'll at least get some through workstudy! I applied for 6+ and already have 3 resonses in a day! Wish me luck..err let my hard work pay off!

B and I have gotten to spend a lot more quality time together! She simply makes my day! At times I threaten to send her away to her dad, but at the end of the day, couldn't imagine my life without her at any moment! Our nightly routine just makes my day! No matter what mood I may be in, curling up with her to read a book and sing her songs, is the best feeling I could ever have! She is so sweet and silly, I just wanna hold onto the moments forever!

The Bad:
I applied for a job at the hospital! Got an interview, thought it went really well...didn't get the job! I can't decide if I should be upset that I didn't get it or excited that I have more oportunities elsewhere. I did shed a small tear and was really upset, simply for the moment I found out I didn't get it, means there was someone much better than I was. And I know I was more than qualified for that position. So when do you know what its okay to be upset or when to let it go? I know I am a hard worker, dependable employee, all of the above...when will I get my chance to prove that? But on a better note, possibly, this is only the 2nd interview I have ever had and NOT got the job. So I guess that's a plus? I've had quite a few jobs and/or offered the position after the interview...but this one got me straight in the gut!

The...it is what it is.
With the good and the bad, it is what it is. I really can't do a whole lot to change things and I am learning to deal with things, they are what they are! It's getting better! I am letting go of a lot and holding onto only what is truely important, I think! :)

Anyways, I hope everyone has enjoyed their summer!

Sometimes all we need is love and support...

2011-07-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share an e-mail I received the other day from my one and only sister, M. I've been struggling the last few days with these crazy emotions I wrote about earlier due to my dramatic life change...she's my "go-to" girl in EVERY and ANY situation I need to vent or chat about. And I hope she knows I am always here for her too! But anyways, she always has the right thing to say and knows exactly how to snap me outta the moment and realize I have been truely blessed with some pretty amazing people and life!

Here it is:

"nobody can go back and start a new begining, but anyone can start today and make a new ending"

-you can make your own out come big sister, what has been done to you is not fair, but you can still gain what you want from life.

"good judgment comes from experiance. Experience come from bad judgment"

-so so so true, if we fall we have to get back up, the difference between successful and non-successful people is they got up the last time they fell down

"whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it"

- i know its hard to deal with what has been handed to you, but take it and make it yours, you can concur the world big sister.

i love you and remember you do not have to be sad, you can take those moments of frustration and sadness and make them moments that make you the better and in the long run happier person.

Kiss from me to you

This girl should be a motivational speaker! Seriously!

On another good note, I got an unexpected phone call from my love back in Germany! Q, aka cousin, called! Her and I worked together and just happen to get along outside of work! We had a little moment in there where we "feel out of touch" but did rekindle(its late and can't think of another word!) our friendship! And I am so glad she did...she has such a great outlook on life, always busy, on the go, and from my eyes, simply happy! :) She too always knows what to say, especially for being so young, as is M. Sometimes I think I should be the one giving them these lovely words of wisdom, however, I have been blessed with theirs! :)

So to the both of you, thanks for everything! And to all those others who've been there, supported for me, prayed for me, anything...thanks to you as well! :)

The pictures above are of M and I eating maccaroons from France and the other of Q and I during my last visit to Germany!

Summer Bliss

2011-07-11T14:28:00.000-07:00

two peas in a pod :)

(nana nita is the best nana. ever.)

my little winners :)

.love.

kiss this bachelorette goodbye!

my. best. friend

(btw...this girl can hold her own in a go-kart race!)

Girl with issues!

2011-07-11T14:12:00.000-07:00

I am pretty sure this girl, me, has issues!! All sorts of issues, the good, the bad, and the ugly...and I am pretty sure we all have them, some of us just don't like to admit it (myself included). I think I recently came to face that fact that I am a BIG talker and a LITTLE walker, meaning I can talk the talk but sometimes I simply don't walk the walk.

That. Must. Change. Now. Period. Simply for the fact that I have to take care of my family and I just want to be the best I can be! Like they Army used to say, "Be all that you can be!" Corny. I know.

I am probably going to need all the help I can possibly get. Because at times it seems ~~impossible~~ to change who I am, I absolutely know it is POSSIBLE! Where do I begin? Well I guess I have already attempted, as in I began school, sorta got a job, and am potentially planning for the future. And just to clarify, I am not changing "who" I am..simply tweaking the "issues" I am not happy with!

I like to talk about doing things for a long time before I ever actually do it, things such as: running a race, making a quilt, redecorating my room, losing weight, quit drinking, staying happy, unpacking the rest of my boxes, joining the military...etc...You get the idea! I talk...a lot. And now it is time that I back that talk up with accomplishments and simply doing what I say.

Walking the walk...I'm making the quilt i've been talking about for months!! When I came back home, my mom told me to go through my old things from HS. Well, like most of us, we accumulate tshirts from sports, prom, activities, and events throughout the years! I have well over 25 that I just don't or won't wear..so why not put them into a tshirt quilt! I've already got them laid out in the way I want them to look...Step one already complete! Go me!

Random sidenote: so today, is day one without ~~FACEBOOK~~! Who does that right? Well, I have noticed it simply consumed my much needed time to spend doing homework. The Newsfeed was just much more interesting than chemistry! So I am taking an FB break! Wish me luck!

4 years ago..

2011-06-29T13:38:00.000-07:00

I gave birth to the most amazing little girl ever! B turned 4 on the 24th of June! I honestly can not believe it has been 4 years! She has grown and changed so much! Her little personality is really starting to shine! Her knowledge, her skills, her presence is just unbelievably amazing! Who knew that in just 4 short years, a tiny little human being can go from 8 lbs. 21" knowing not much more than how to eat, pee, poop, and cry all the way to 35 Lbs and well over 3ft tall with a mouth full of words, self-care, hygeine, how to write, and a wild imaginitation! It just blows my mind!

At 4 years old, B has been to more places than most people have been in the adult life! She's been a travelin little bug! She's been to California multiple times, Texas, Arizona, Germany, Netherlands, numerous layovers in Detroit, South Carolina, Las Vegas, etc. And if you wanna get specific, she was "Made in Korea"! I hope to take her many more places and be sure she knows there is more out there than small town Minnesota!

She began preschool at age 2! She learned to write her name at early age 3! She can count in Enlish, Spanish, German, andVietnamese. She is bilingual in English and Vietnamese! I also hope to have the Vietnamese culture be a part of her life as well! I want her to be as diverse as possible! I want her to experience all that she can! She deserves nothing but the best!

B has affected so many people's lives! Friends and aquantences who've met her just one time, to this day, ask how she is doing! She's got that personality that just sparks! She will do great things! :) She's grown into this little person thanks to all of the amazing people she has in her life! To name a few, her daddy, nana, grandpa, aunt m, mommy, noy, cousins, friends, teachers, etc!

Happy Birthday B! We love you and can't wait to watch you continue to grow and learn and amaze us all! :)

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-20T20:16:00.003-07:00

I hope all of the wonderful fathers out there had a great day! My dad spent the entire day on the couch! I'd like to say it was him relaxing (but we all know that's just not my dad). The poor guy was sick ALL day! So aside from him being sick, I am glad he did get to stay home and sleep! Not many men are as amazing as my dad. And I am not saying that just because he is my dad, but because you don't find men like him very often! He will ALWAYS put everyone else first! He will bend over backwards to help just about anyone, no matter what it is!

B and I made our move back home with him and my mom. He agreed to help me re-do the few rooms her and I have. I'll just letyou know that he didn't rest until they were nearly finished! :) Our rooms look fantastic and it means so much more because he did it himself (with a bit of help from nana and I) and he did it for us. He wanted to be sure we were comfortable and had our own little space! He was pretty enthusiastic about getting B's room done! Of course EVERY little girl wants a PINK room! Grampy and her picked out the color "cotton candy swirl". And if you know my dad, the color, according to him, was "cotton candy SQUIREL!" :)

My dad has been there from day one! He's helped me get through challenges in my life, always stood by me and my choices, and rarely passes judgement! He has done everything in his power to make sure my mom, my sister, and I were always taken care of! His ways of teaching us life's lessons are what has gotten us this far in life. He's taught us right from wrong, the good from the bad, and that compasion and empathy are a must. I will admit that we can all be a pain in the ass to eachother, but he has always forgiven us for our mistakes and those days where we're having a "moment." He's made sure we know that we can always come home and they him and my mom will always be there for us.

I love my dad more than words could ever explain! He truely is great in every way, shape, and form! Little Mr. Funny guy can always make us laugh, simply by laughing so hard himself while trying to tell a funny story! :) He can definitely be a work-a-holic and make us women worrrrry to no end, but at the end of the day, he's ours and we couldn't ask for more! I could go on and on!! We love you man!

Also want to wish T, B's dad, a happy father's day too! Unfortunately he is training this month and she wasn't able to spend the day with him! He's been such a great dad to her and always makes sure she is taken care of! He has done a great job with her and I hope soon him and B can spend some quality time together! I know she definitely misses her daddy!

2011-06-20T20:16:00.001-07:00

Short and Sweet

2011-06-09T23:07:00.000-07:00

Yep, back to reality. The real reality, work, school, mommyhood, and family (I left out exercise, as I haven't squeezed that in for a while)! Started school this week, as well as work this past weekend. What am I thinking, trying to take a Biology AND Chemistry class in a Summer session? Well, I can do it! Believe me, I WILL do it! So far, I really am enjoying them both! I also took Nutrion, but I am debating about dropping it. It's a 2 credit class, but honestly, I have done more work for that class than the other two combined, and they are each 4 credits! Grrr!

On a good, or should I say GREAT, note, sister is here visiting! It's nice having her home, she brought the boyfriend home too. I like him, he fits right into our family humor, and he can definitely hold his own! :) Hope to spend a few more days with sister before she goes back to reality! We went go-karting with all the family today! I'll post pictures soon!

B is doing wonderful! She's growing like a weed! Had to buy her new flippies the other day, her heals were hangin off the back of her old ones! If you have kiddos who where flip flops, OLD NAVY is the place to go! 2 pr for $5! Can't beat that these days!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Back to reality...

2011-06-02T16:48:00.000-07:00

Shortly after Mother's day, I went on a little vacation to my favorite place, Germany! I went there with the intention of having a good time, forgetting my responsibilities for a few days, and spending time with my favorites. Well, I did accomplish what I had intended, and so much more than expected. I believe I came home with a new outlook on life, or at least I hope that's what I did. It was short, bitter, and sweet. I needed that time away to figure out what I really needed in this moment of my life. And I believe I am now ready to move on from the negatives in my life. I found simple joy in the things I once loved, I can't believe how I missed that feeling so much! I always knew I had people who truely cared for me and had my back, but this trip just further proved that I do have an affect on people, in a GOOD way! :) I couldn't have been more thankful to the boys who let me crash at the "orphanage"...and it was definitely a good, relaxing, drama-free time!

Below are a few friends that are still in Germany! Enjoying our glamorous dinner at none other than the famous CHILI's! I secretly miss working there!

At the beggining of my trip, I may have burned a bridge or two...or possibly crossed one I had been hesitant to cross. I can't decide which one it is yet. Well either way, whatever happened in the past, happened. There isn't much more I can do about it, but be sorry and move forward from here, which is exactly what I am going to do! And I believe those 6 days away helped give me the piece of mind and the courage to fully move forward without looking back. I think I am ready, I know I am ready. And for my B, she needs a strong and happy mommy! A mommy who puts B first no matter what!

Below is a picture of B and her class the last day of CJ. They got to make and launch little rockets! :) Too cute when they tried couting backwards from 10!

Getting back to the grind...what little grind I have really had the past few months! I will admit it has been extremely nice not working, sleeping in, doing a lot of nothing, and spending some quality time with my B. But the time has come where I definitely need to and am ready to start a legit routine. SCHOOL STARTS ON MONDAY! I am more than excited! The only downfall to that is that my amazing sister will be here this weekend for 2 weeks! I'll be studying and cramming in time with the fam! Wish me luck! Write more soon!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-14T08:50:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am almost a week late posting, but it's better late than never! :)

Just wanted to dedicate a post to my mom, D! The most amazing woman I know! As any mother-daughter relationship, we have our ups and downs, but at the end of the day, I know she only has my best interest at heart, as I only have hers as well. Ask anyone and they will tell you, my mom is the hardest working, most giving, and reliable woman we know! She'll bend over backwards just to help somone in need! She takes care of her granddaughter, no questions asked! Even if she doesn't really want to do something, she will anyways! She takes responsibility, delegates, and leads to the best of her ability! My mom is the prom coordinator at her school, prom would never turn out as awesome asit does without her! She has vision, she can see things put together, to make a scene, and go with it! This year is going to be great! :) (As she coerced me into being her date this year!)

My mom, as a nana, is the best nana out there! B loves her more than mommy sometimes! They have such a special bond, it makes me tear up just thinking about it! Nana treats B like a princess! B looks up to nana for everything, they do everything together. If she has the choice to go with nana or mommy, nana is first pick everytime! Nanny (her new slang name) plays with B, and she comes up with the neatest ideas for new ways to play! Nanny and B's imagination together is through the sky! They are pretty amazing!

My mom helps me with anything I need help with! It is hard going to her for advice, as we have different ways of thinking, but when I do get her advise, I take it all into consideration! She wouldn't give me advice if she didn't think it would work! She's been there for me since I can remember! I want to thank her for being the best mother and nana anyone could ever ask for! I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for her! :) She's my rock and I love her so much! Thank you, Mom!

And a shout-out to all the wonderful mother's I have known or come to know! You are all amazing, our babies wouldn't be here without us! Give yourself a day to relax, have you time, and remember that you mean the world to your kids! (yes, even the days they say "i hate you", throw their uneaten oreos under the couch, color on the walls..in permanent marker, get intoxicated for the first time, or any of those other things kids do to torute their moms!) They love us and we love them more than words can explain! So those who didn't, go show your mother how much she means to you, without her, you wouldn't be here! I love you, mom!

0130 am...can't sleep

2011-05-03T23:33:00.000-07:00

So I am beyond exhausted. I get roughly 4-6 hours of sleep a night, and would greatly appreciate if I could get more. I honestly can't remember the last time I slept in a bed, I need the tv to put me to sleep. Well, I attempted to sleep in my actual bed tonight. It was a disaster. I tossed and turned for more than an hour. Most people can hit the pillow and the ZzZz's start rolling, NOT for this girl. It seems that my mind is racing ONLY while in bed trying to sleep. Every thought, wonder, memory, worry, etc. crosses through my mind, keeping me awake! Soon, I'll crash! :( And I hate thinking about things, especially things I have no control over, such as the past. Grr...hate the past these days!

On a good note, I have gotten to catch up on a lot of tv shows I've missed out on the last 3 years while living in Germany! Law & Order: SVU, Criminal Minds, Sex & the City, How do I look, etc. pretty much anything that catches my attention, anythingon NatGeo or the Trav channel...they've got me hooked! Oh and I can't forget Phineas & Ferb time with B (That's about the only cartoon I can handle watching!).

So perhaps tomorrow night I'll get some legit ZzZz's in at a decent time! No more of this 2am BS! :p Hope everyone else is sleeping away!

Ignore

2011-04-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

...quite possibly the worst word and feeling many people deal with. Why do people do it and have no remorse for how they've made a loved one feel? Why do we love the ones who ignore us, and ignore the ones who love us? It is beyond me, people's thoughts and actions amaze me sometimes!

"If you ignore me, I will ignore you. If you don't start the converstation, we won't talk. If you don't put in the effort, why should I?"

It's the rubber band effect...google it!

I Hate Love

2011-04-28T13:35:00.000-07:00

“Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses, you build up a whole suit of armor, so that nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life...You give them a piece of you. They didn't ask for it. They did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn't your own anymore. Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like 'maybe we should be just friends' turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart. It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It's a soul-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. I hate love.”

--neil gaiman

Happy Easter!

2011-04-25T18:53:00.000-07:00

B and I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! This was our first holiday home in a few years! It was such a perfect day for family and fun! Above is B in her Easter outfit. Below is the "Crack Easter Egg Hunting Team 2011" We had an egg hung for the lil ones! Even the adults had a hard time finding all the eggs! :) Thanks everyone for coming and making the day so wonderful! We had delicious food and great company! Wish Molly could have been home as well! :)

why so sorry?

2011-04-23T23:25:00.000-07:00

what on earth does it mean when i am constantly appologizing for everything? i dont deliberately do bad/mean things that one would typically appologize for..so why do i say sorry so often? i have noticed that in the past few months, i am saying sorry to someone in my life almost daily! who does that? i find myself saying sorry for sleeping in, for wanting to hang out with friends, for leaving a dirty towel on the floor, for forgetting to text someone back, for being myself, etc. and when i think about it, i really shouldnt say sorry hardly at all. not that i dont feel bad, but because i didnt actually doo anything that needed an appology. perhaps it has alot to do with my distraught marriage, low self esteem, or the recent changes and challenges i have had to deal with. sometimes i would just not to care or worry so much about every little thing! next change-building self-esteem! wish me luck! errr my hard work will lead to luck!

Wedgie(s)

2011-04-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

Me- "Stop touching your butt!"

Bri- "But I have a wedgie."

Me: "Are you sure?"

Bri- "Yea, I have wedgies all the time.." As if it's no big deal :)

My toddler and the things she knows and comes up with! Love her to pieces!

Germany??

2011-04-18T19:50:00.000-07:00

Get ready, cuz this girl just booked her tickets for a vaca in May!! Can't wait to be reunited with my bestie and spend a week having drinks, traveling, and spending time with some lovely people! Sooo excited!

It's NBA Playoff time!!

2011-04-18T19:39:00.000-07:00

Wishing the Lakers some luck during the 2011 NBA Playoffs!! They didn't start out so well, lost first game against New Orleans...but they'll get them next time around! I got the opportunity to go to a Lakers game when I was in Cali in March! Can I say "amazing!" It was soo much fun! Seats kinda sucked, but it was quite intense! And I got to see my star player, Lamar Odom! :) Super good ball player! Miss Khloe is one lucky girL!

Speaking of Khloe, her and Lamar have their own reality show on E! You know for sure I had to watch it! Their relationship may possibly be a bit scripted for the show, but either way, I want what they have! They are too cute together, and Lamar is quite the sweetheart! :) Lovee Khloe too! Her style is unique and her entrepenour-ish ways make her stand out even more! Can't wait for the rest of the season!

renovation...

2011-04-15T20:38:00.001-07:00

As I am making a change to my life, I felt it was needed to change my living space as well! Since I had to move back with the P's for a while, I asked them if we could re-do the upstairs to make it a space for B and I. Well, we started, almost finished with the first room, 2 more to go! And so far, it's looking great! Pictures soon to come!

Everything is slowly falling into place for B and I! I can honestly say that I am getting my happiness back! :) It's a wonderful feeling!

Once I get my computer set up, I'll have more time to write about my normal..err non-normal life! Hope everyone is well!

What to do??

2011-04-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

So a while back, like 2010 sometime, I wrote about what I wanted to be when I grow up (something along those lines). Well, I am still undecided, but am moving in some direction that seems to fit! I had mentioned my interest in cosmetology, I applied at the Aveda Institute and got in. Well, we all know I have a 3 year old, with hair down to the middle of her back, that has to be maintained! The more I did her hair, or attempted, the more pain I got in my hands! So that kind of put an end to Aveda. Maybe I'll take a make-up class instead! :) I also mentioned getting back into the military. I had an amazing converstation with a SGT from the AirForce Reserve. That's my next step, go through the initial process to get into the AF reserve! :) It's much more promising than the Army Reserve which had been my first intention! It's strange how I got a hold of the AF recruiter...I googled "mn national guard recruiter" and found a phone number. Well it turns out that phone number was for the AF Reserve Recruiting instead, someone was looking out for me today! :) And my last dream job was dental hygiene, still is! But I am having difficulty getting into the one class I need before I can take any other prereq's..so I am goin to finish my AAS in Health Administration while trying to take those prereq's so I can apply for the dental program in January! (If my AF job is in the dental field, then I will no longer need to apply for the dental program) So everything is in the works, but on the right track!

B started school this week, she loved it! Another day tomorrow! :) She's excited! The weather is finally getting nice here in MN! We can be outside with out freezing our toes off. I've finally gotten a chance to excercise outside as well! Maybe a nice run tomorrow will be good while B is at school! Everything else is coming along, slowly but surely! My household goods will be here Monday!!!!! And my car should be ready by next week too! ROAD TRIP to St. Louis anyone??

Welcome back, Spring! Glad you could FINALLY grace us with your presence! <3

The hardest job in the world...

2011-03-31T20:29:00.000-07:00

...is being a mother. It gets even harder when one becomes a single mother.

Prior to getting married, I played the single mother part for a short 6 months. For some reason, it wasn't near as hard as it is now. At that time, I was in the military, going to school, and working full time. You would think that would be harder! But it turns out, that this time around, it is much harder and doesn't appear to get any easier in the near future! Why does it seem so hard right now? B and I are still getting into a routine with our new life back in Minnesota. She is acting out due to a major change in her life. Living with 2 grandparents whom absolutely adore her, doesn't make it much easier! They are probably the best Nana and Grandpa any little kiddo could ask for! So when she misbehaves, who is left to be the bad guy? Yup, you guessed it, this mom right here! She has no problem stomping her feet, raising her voice, or throwing her toys when mom says "NO." When you're the boss (single mom), it can be hard to reign in that little monster! Love her more than words could express, but daaaaang, this little girl will fight and fight until the bitter end! Everyday it is just her and I, she depends soley on me to care for her! And believe me, many days it can be quite overwhelming! I guess this is where I find the book, "single parenting for dummies." I need some insight on this, ASAP!

Tomorrow is a better day! Let's hope we can have a productive one, leaving all the hard stuff for another day. They always say, "what doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger," I think I am strong enough for a while a few days! Maybe next week I'll be ready to take on some more! :p

It could always be harder. My favorite favorite girl, JB, whom I met in Germany, is a single mom to 4, yes, 4 amazing kids! She definitely struggles with the same as I do, plus 300 times more! She truely is an amazing single mom, who does absolutely everything for those kids! I can only imagine what it would be like! She is a strong woman, who deserves nothing but the best! :) Miss you! Keep being the best mother to those kids, they adore you!

Starting over is NEVER as easy as it seems...j

2011-03-19T16:03:00.000-07:00

when i was still in germany, i knew i had to start over. i dreaded the very thought of finding a new job, searching for childcare or preschool, and fitting in back where i never wanted to end up, my hometown. i cant really believe how much of a struggle this has been for me. i am getting back on my feet but it is just so much harder and unfair than i could have expected. even though i know its all temporary, its so frustrating.

i am starting school this summer, planning to get a second job, and hopefully take a few trips here n there. i am doing my best to stay positive and at least appear to be happy. but in all honesty, why would i want to appear happy when i actually should n can be truely happy...or content. so today is the day i will make that change. forget those who dont matter, cherish the ones who do, and live for my baby and myself. i was just going to write wish me luck, but i listened to a speaker who said that luck simply comes from hard work. the harder you work, the more luck you will recieve. so thats what i will do,work hard at all i do. im ready to take my life and make it thebest possible life i can

Things could always be worse...

2011-03-02T23:50:00.000-08:00

Guess I will continue to tell myself this daily. As I may sit here in my loneliness and/or saddness, I must always remember that it could be worse. I have so many amazing things and people in my life. It may be difficult right now, but again, could be worse.

Today there was a shooting at Frankfurt Airport, 2 American soldiers/airmen were killed. They worked where I used to live in Germany. My thoughts and prayers go out to their families, friends, and units. It breaks my heart to hear news like this. :(

I watched the 10 o'clock news tonight, and watched a story about a young girl with brain cancer. She lives life everyday to it's fullest and has nothing but a smile on her face daily.

Natural disasters continue to rip through countries causing fatalities, tragedy, and extreme loss.

So as I, or others, complain about our lives, we must always remember that things could always be worse.

I am blessed for everything I have been given in my life, good or bad. They have or will define who I am as a person. Only good things can be wished for! :)

Anything or Everything...

2011-02-27T21:13:00.000-08:00

but normal???

Well, I have been back in Minnesota for two full weeks. I spent the first entire week on the couch, sick as ever. I later found out it was strep; it completely took over my already weak immune system. I am still trying to recover, and it seems to be taking extra long. I still don't have my voice all the way back and sinus headaches are killing me! Ugh! Someone please wish me well! :) I could really use the good health!

Aside from being sick, B and I have slowly been adjusting to life in Minnesota. Let me just say, I want to move back to Europe and stay away from the snow! However, I absolutely enjoy the sun that MN gets daily! I already went in the ditch, and seriously, driving on snowy roads makes me 100 times more nervous than it ever used to! :p Welcome to Minnesota Winter Season! Ugh, not a fan.

I've spent most of my time at home, catching up on tv, applying for school, "talking" about getting a job, and finding B a preschool. This week shall be dedicated to finding a job and getting B into school. Well, maybe i'll find a job...

I have also experienced some frustrations coming back... Everyone has continued on with their life. It's hard to just jump back into everyone's lives, whose I used to be a part of. Almost as if we were forgotten, that's hard. They have all moved on, made new friends, gotten jobs, married, had kids, and other sorts like that. Starting new is never easy! Hopefully I'll have another chance with all those people whom I used to be so close with...all I can do is try, right? Family hasn't let me down yet, they have been so wonderful and I have enjoyed every moment I get to spend with them! Parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandmas...I have some pretty awesome grandmas! :)

And as for now, just going to take it day by day. And continue to move forward...once I get back from Cali! Can't wait to spend a week in the warm weather!

Playful moments :)

2011-02-23T23:23:00.000-08:00

My baby B and her friend M. Playing together one last time before we left Germany! We will miss the Browns!

B and her cousins, Bud and Dude! We took the kids to Space Aliens, played some games, ate some yummy dinner, and went to see the movie "Tangled." If you haven't seen it, you must! So adorable!

IT'S SOOO FLUFFFFFFYYY!!! My B and her unicorn! Being silly at Nana's house!

My newfound loves in Germany and a Marlin's Baseball player! My last Corona night in Germany! I'll miss it and all the amazing people who made those nights so memorable, or not so much! :)

We're back!

2011-02-19T11:33:00.001-08:00

B and I made it safely back to Minnesota! We've been home for a week now! Slowly getting adjusted. It's going to take quite a while! I will be back later with a real update. I am getting and/or recovering from some major illness that is kicking my booty! Went to the dr twice, no real answers, possibly mono?? That would not be cool. But I am goin to keep resting and fighting this off so I can get back on my feet! Be back in a few days...or weeks! :p

It's getting to be that time...

2011-02-08T01:30:00.000-08:00

We are slowly making our way back to the states! :) The movers are here, packing up the few household items we have acquired the past few years! Let me just say, I have toooo much stuff! This was a good opportunity to downsize! So once they leave, my stuff will be on its way to MN! Yay!

My sister left yesterday, such a sad day! She left and I am sick as can be! B has been/still is sick for over a week now! Ear infection in both years, slightly obstructed airways, and a possibility of asthma?! How does that happen? But I believe she is slowly getting better...as I am getting worse! Such a terrible time to be sick! Back to sister's visit, we had an enjoyable time together! Just what I needed before I left Europe! We tried to travel a bit, but with B being sick, it was a bit of a struggle! We did make it France a few times and to a few areas in Germany! As long as she enjoyed it, I feel okay about not going over the top! :)

My last week in Europe, no plans! Just going to work my last day at Chili's, pack all my suitcases, and rest! B and T will have a few days together, since we won't see him until after March! So this momma is finally going to catch up on her sleep and say goodbye to some amazing people I met over here! Definitely going to miss some folks! :p

Not much else to update at the moment. Photos later, had to get a new camera! I have a bad habit of losing phones and dropping cameras :( It's damaging my bank account for sure! Anyways, hope everyone has a great week!

Serenity...

2011-02-01T01:31:00.000-08:00

One of those days to say a little prayer,

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world

as it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right

if I surrender to His Will;

That I may be reasonably happy in this life

and supremely happy with Him

Forever in the next.

Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

Acceptance and moving on has probably been the hardest thing I have ever had to deal with in my recent life changing situation. Who knew the simple act of "dealing" with life could be so dang frustrating! Blah! Slowly, but surely, I will be back to my normal self and content once again. Until then, it's just one day at a time!

SISTER is here!!!!!!!!

2011-01-24T02:13:00.000-08:00

My amazing sister stepped off the plane into Germany last Tuesday! Can't believe she has been here a week already! We haven't done anything too exciting, but have been able to spend some time together! I love this girl, and she knows just what to say! I sometimes forget that I am the older sister, she takes care of me so much more than I have ever taken care of her! She is truely wonderful! :) Lovee her!

We went to France the other day, to the Alsace region. Beautiful. We went to see a potter, explore a tiny village, and taste some french wine! It was a perfect day, even with the chilly air! The best part for me, was sitting in a small french cafe, the waitress knew no english! It was just a neat experience, being able to use bits of french to order our food and listen to the locals chatting away, not knowing waht they were saying!

Our next adventure, shopping in Ktown, a night out at one of the German clubs, and Paris this weekend! We also have a trip to London in the works, as well as Munich/Dachau. I need to show this girl around so she leaves with some great memories! She has been just what I needed right now!

On a different note, still don't know when I am coming back to MN, Hoping for the 2nd week in February, but may be a bit longer! Military is kickin my butt right now! Ah!

How could I forget the most important subjct of all my blogs, Miss B! Busy as ever, entertaining like no other! :) She is absolutely in love with Molly! She has someone to play with now! When Molly arrived, I brought her to B's school to pick herup! The suprise on B's face was priceless! :)

Pictures to come soon!

Asking for too much?

2011-01-16T14:57:00.000-08:00

Is it possible to ask for too much? Or expect too much? And how do we know what is "too much" to be expected? I guess I have always been one to give, give, and give some more, and never really expect much in return. BUT the time seems to have come, where I am definitely tired of giving so much and getting nothing in return. So I have asked for help from others more than I ever have before, hoping to get a bit of help in return. Yet, it just doesn't seem to work in my favor. Since when did people stop helping out others, simply out of the kindness of their heart? Yes, sounds corny, but really?

Are we all so absorbed into our own lives and selfishness that we completely forget about others? Absolutely. I am guilty of that, for sure. But being aware of this, makes a world of a difference. I guess I really don't have a point to make, but just an annoyance currently on my mind.

ON A GOOOD NOTE:
My sister will be here in 2, yes 2, days! Haven't seen here since June! Lovee this girl more than most, can not wait to have her here! :)

Congrats to all those expecting little ones! So exciting! Miss Kayla will be having a little one soon and Tricia recently found out she was having a little one as well, so excited for you both! :)

Saving the fish...

2011-01-10T11:56:00.000-08:00

So little miss B and I were walking down the frozen food section at the commissary today. I was walking a bit ahead of her and I turned, noticing she had stopped walking. I asked her what she was doing, she turns to me with the saddest little look on her face. She looks at me and says "mommy, look at these fish, what are they doing in there?" I didn't really say anything before she said to me, "Mommy, we need to save them! We need to throw them back in the pool!" :)
Photo taken from http://www.austrong.com/Frozen-Food.html.

If this doesn't make you smile...

2011-01-03T06:29:00.000-08:00

then something is definitely wrong. My little photographer at her finest! :)

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T06:25:00.000-08:00

I've been missing in action for the past month or so, my appologies! I hope everyone had an amazing holiday season this year! Christmas and the New Year have come and gone! And when I looked at the calender a bit ago, I realized that I have less than 2 months left in Germany! I will definitely miss it, but am so ready to go back to Minnesota and get on with things! Miss B has been busier and energetic, more then ever lately! She got some awesome new toys for Christmas and got to spend a week with her daddy home. They had some quality bonding time while mom spent time sleeeeeping! It was much needed!

Anyways, let's hope 2011 brings many more memories for all!

No one is better

2010-12-11T14:03:00.000-08:00

than my dad! My dad graced us with his presence in Germany last Friday. This week has come and gone faster than I thought, but him being here was just what I needed! My dad was here at the perfect time to talk me through the most diffucult time in my life. And when I say difficult, I don't mean it as in having a tough life. Just a hard spot that I need to get past, harder then anything I have ever had to deal with. Blah!

On a good note, my dad and I got to explore Germany and Amsterdam this week! :) Minus the BITTER cold, it was a sight to see for sure! :) We visited Anne Franks house, walked the Red Light District, took a trip to Speyer, Trier, and Berlin. If you haven't been, you should! Berlin is an amazing city with amazing shopping, sights, and food! :) Pictures to come soon!

Christmas is coming soon! Another holiday away from home will be tough, but so soon we will be back in Minnesota! Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Oh November...

2010-11-29T10:42:00.000-08:00

You have come and gone so unbelievably fast! I guess it is true when they say, "time flies when you're having a good time." Okay so you aren't over just yet, but in one more day, you will be. It will be December. WHAT? November was a busy month, basically full of working and planning Thanksgiving and planning my dad's trip! He will be here on Friday! Yes in 4 days! Can not wait at all for him to be here! :)

I am sad to say that the weather will be miserable when he is here! It's been snowing for the past few days! It's so pretty and not too cold, but it's like snow in California. NO ONE knows how to deal with it. Being from Minnesota, it is nothing to have snow or slush on the roads and EVERYTHING, yes EVERYTHING, remains open! Well when it snows here, apparently EVERYTHING, yes EVERYTHING, needs to close. So I am out of work tonight because of the snow! They closed the gym, and many other places on base. So now what am I doing? Watching T play a new MJ game in the Wii. (His new purchase, a Wii). Please save me! :)

I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving! I am so thankful for all I have been blessed with in life, the good and the bad! I was glad to spend it with my family and a few friends, but can not wait to spend the next holiday back home in Minnesota! :)

I'll have a better update soon with some new photos! :) Miss and love everyong!

Argh!

2010-11-18T17:48:00.000-08:00

My little Pirate :)

Something along the lines of busy.

2010-11-08T01:23:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love the joy of being busy? A busy mind is a happy mind my dad always says! And he couldn't be more right! Being busy and accomplishing small tasks and errands gives you a feeling of accomplishment! Even if it is simply finishing your grocery shopping in less then an hour or depositing an extra $10 into the savings account or even scrubbing the bathtub we know we all like to avoid. Needless to say, I have been so dang busy and absolutely loving it! :)

Aside from being so busy and becoming exhausted, I believe I finally got my sleeping schedule back to semi-normal! Going to sleep at an almost decent hour and NOT sleeping my day away, Bri couldn't be happier to have a mommy who is wide awake in the morning with her! :) No I don't sleep all day when she is here, but for a while there, I spent a majority of the morning on the couch watching cartoons with her! But as of late, we made a change to that!

Haven't had many new updates, other than the fact that we are leaving in March, going to be stationed in Texas. Yep, Fort Hood Texas, here we come! Can't say I am excited at all, but ready to leave the KMC and see some family! And no, not planning on visiting MN before we head to Texas. I'm a bit bitter on visiting everyone in MN and slightly disappointed. So we're not going to talk about that! :p But speaking of traveling, we have a lot planned for our last few months in Europe! My daddy is coming soon, booked a trip to Amsterdam, and in the process of booking a trip to Berlin and Munich! So excited! My sister is coming in January and we plan to take a trip to London and Italy, and a few smaller ones along the way!:) YA!

My sweet baby B, whom isn't a baby anymore, is getting so dang big! We celebrated Halloween last week, she had an absolute blast! She was a little pirate! I'll postpictures when I get them uploaded! T and I got to spend the night out as well, I was Peter Pan and he was Clark Kent! We definitely had a good time! Next big party out, NEW YEARS! Hoping for a trip to Prague or Paris! Yay!

I suposse this is getting long, We'll see when I get back on here to update this blog! It was a while since the last one, perhaps I'll be back soon to upload some photos! Hope you all have a wonderful week! Happy November everyone!

I heart my daddy...

2010-10-23T00:52:00.001-07:00

December 3rd can not come fast enough! Just booked my daddy's tickets! He's coming to visit us for 10 days!!!! AH can't freaking wait! I am so excited to plan an amazing trip for him! It will be cold as can be, but we're hopefully going to go to Berlin, Munich, Normandy, and Amsterdam! And yes, totally possible! Everything is within close distance which is perfect! :) AH yayayaya! That is all! :)

My toes are cold...

2010-10-22T03:23:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again! Fall made it's appearance early September with the changing of the leaves and piles on the ground! And of course we can't forget the bitter chill in the air! It is quite cold out as of late, we had our first frost a few weeks ago! I'm NOT ready for winter to begin what-so-ever! But fall in Germany is absolutely beautiful! It's like what you would see in a movie and it's so peaceful! I can deal with fall for while before the winter comes! I am anticipating winter this year though, for good reason! I will finally have some visitors! My daddy is coming in the beginning of December and my sister in January! :) I couldn't be more excited! I can't wait to plan some fun trips and travel a bit before we make our departure from Germany!

We recently recieved a phone call. It's one of those calls that will completely change everything! T was brough up on orders to leave Germany much sooner than we had expected! We planned to be here until July 2011, but the Army has other plans for us! So what does this mean? We will be leaving Europe in March 2011! Seems far away, but that's only 4+ months away! NOT LONG AT ALL! We have lots of traveling, planning, and packing to do! As far as my plans for the military and school, getting put on the back burner yet again! Hoping something works out sooon!

What does this mean for everyone else? YOU NEED TO COME VISIT BEFORE WE LEAVE! Tickets are still very reasonable! And I promise it will be worth EVERY penny! :)

Here is a photo if T and I finished our first 5k together! It was the Breast Cancer awareness run! Over 600 people showed up to run! T and I finished in about 33 minutes! not bad for our first race! Can't wait to run another! :)

Hope everyone is enjoying October! Be back later for another update!

I heart Germany!

2010-10-13T00:50:00.000-07:00

I am back, and it's time for an update! :) As I was doing a bit of soul searching, I realized how dang hard it is to be an "alledged" adult. Life as a child or even a teenager were so easy! This whole being an "alledged" adult is killing me. All these things that need taking care of, all these people who depend on me, the need to make money, and many other things are sitting, or shall I say, stacked on my plate these days. So aside from that moment of complaining, there isn't one single thing I would change! Staying busy with things needing to get done keeps me in check. Of course I need to write EVERY thing down so I don't forget! And having people depend on me is most definitely difficult, but it's a lovely feeling knowing you helped someone out or did your best to fulfill their needs. Oh and making money, luckily, I love to work. I got myself back on 5 days at the restaurant, start working at B's school tomorrow, AND started part-time baysitting some kiddos! It all helps our family in the end! :)

So here I am, busy as can possibly be! It's an amazing feeling! Of course I enjoy being lazy once in a while, but would rather have 6 busy days and 1 lazy day!

Couple other updates:

-B is recovering from a pretty nasty cold. I've never wiped her poor nose so much! :( Because of the recal, I can't even give her tylenol!

-I registered for my first 5k on Friday! I can NOT wait to run it! I am so excited to get out there and run! My goal isto run it in less than 40 minutes, secretly hoping for 35! I have been practicing, and with my adrenaline on high speed, it should happen! Wish me luck!

-T has been busy working! We spent the weekend hang out as a family! We went to the Stuttgart Beer Fest on Sunday, such an awesome day!

-Our friends from the states who are stationed here in Bamburg are hopefully coming to visit! It will be soo nice to see familiar faces!

Above: Bri's first day of soccer!

Me chowing down on a Doner Kebab. Europe's version of Chipotle I suppose! :) AMAZING!

One of the beer tents (more like a shed) at the Stuttgart Volksfest.

Corn on the Cob stand :)

Bri clapping to the German band that was playing! The German's get wild! :) I'm not sure what to compare it to, possibly a big county fair, but ten times BETTER! :) The beer fests are beyond fun, and the food and beer are amazing!

Our little family! We found a nice table and enjoyed our beer, sausages, pretzels, and pommes (fries). Quite tastey!

B on one of the kiddo rides. Most of them for her size are typically the same! It cost about 2 Euro to ride, which is about $2.30. Expensive, yes!

Some Germans we met in the beer line! They were friendly and drunk!

View of the Volksfest from the HUGE Ferris Wheel! It was so pretty looking over the city! :)

-That's it for now...my body is tired and needs some rest! Enjoy the photos! :)

Oh and please come visit!

Soul Searching...

2010-09-26T17:17:00.001-07:00

Doing a bit of soul searching. Stay tuned.

Aveda!!

2010-09-16T13:06:00.000-07:00

I just got off the phone with Ms. Kelly from the Aveda Institute! I am that much closer to making a decision about what to do next! The school sounds lovely, and what better way to spend a career, making women look and feel beautiful! :) At the moment, I am most interested in skin and makeup, but I also want to have the ability to cut/color/style hair!

But I can't commit just yet, in November, T finds out where or what we do next as far as moving stateside or staying in Germany! And as of right now, I am hoping to stay in Germany for a few more years. That gives me time to get my schooling and possibly back into the military without having to deal with a huge move in there.

Update:

T comes home tomorrow!!! :) He has been gone for too long, and this momma needs a breaK!

B knocked me in the chin with her head today, probably the most pain my chin has ever felt! Yes, tears were involved! :(

I am waiting for my hockey gear to get here so I can start playing hockey again!

Talked to the recruiter, need one more paper and my re-enlistment process begins (that is if I can chose my job)!

I miss my family and friends back home more than ever, these pase few weeks have been rough! I think I have possibly convinced a few to come visit soon! :) SO let's pray that they can!

That's it for now! hope everyone has a great weekend!

I was right.

2010-09-10T14:18:00.000-07:00

I am crazy. After I wrote my last blog, I read some of my old posts back through June. I am probably the most random person ever. I have all these different posts and different things I want to do or am interested in. What! I make myself laugh a bit. But I believe that CRAZY is the new thing. If you're not constantly on the go and busy with life, what are you freaking doing! :)

That is all.

Could I be?

2010-09-10T13:53:00.000-07:00

Crazy? Possibly. I seem to be feeling this way lately. As in, I have ALL of these ideas and dreams and plans, and accomplishing them ALL is what I want to do. But seriously, I have things from ALL over. So give you a small idea of what I am thinkin...I applied to UMUC (possibly a degree in biology). I applied to the Aveda Institute (cosmetology, hopefully specializing in make-up). I am signing up for the Dental Assistant program through the Red Cross (a 7 month program and a job as a dental hygenist). I just volunteered to be the assistant coach to the kiddo's soccer team as well. And I also applied at B's school to be a substitute teacher. Nope, that isn't all. But I will spare everyone my crazyness. But seriously, what am I thinking? I am not sure at all. However, I am SO excited to every single one of those things I listed. And I am determined to accomplish as much as possible! :) I need to. I have to. Period.

Tomorrow is the Opening Day Ceremony for the Ramstein Sports! So excited, B gets to be in a parade and we get to spend the day watching soccer, playing on the bouncy castles, and if we get done early enough, heading to the Bad Durkhiem Wine Fest! I hear it's lovely, and can NOT wait to go! If that fails, their is the Stadtfest in Landstuhl this weekend as well, so we'll make it one of them for sure! T is still at school, can't wait for him to come back! This momma needs a breaK! We all know B's energy level, and it definitely doesn't slow down from the moment she hops out of bed (no later than 8am) to the moment I put her back in her bed (no earlier than 9pm). So you can understand how I feel, imagine a toddler hyped up on skittles, ALL day long. (and no, I don't actually give her skittles, she just has that much energy!) But I love it, and wouldn't trade if for the world! :) She makes me smile, earlier today she told me, "Mom, I'm so proud of you!" I think I had a tear or two!

Well that's it for now, hope everyone has a great weekend! Love you aLL!

24...

2010-09-08T15:39:00.000-07:00

I turned the big ol' 24 last weekend! I had an amazing weekend with some pretty amazing people! I want to thank all those who helped me celebrate, and wished my hubby could have been there as well!

Anyways, a short little update. I applied for school again. I applied at the University of Maryland and 2 beauty schools, Aveda Institue and Beauty Base London. I am super interested in make-up and want to try it out. We shall see! I am still waiting for my military papers to come so I can see if I can get back into the Army. I kind of need something right now. I am in a funk, a funk of nothingness. blah!

B started school last week, she absolutely loves it! And I love the break I get at home! She is getting bigger and smarter every day! Love her!

And i'm not in the mood to write anything else. Maybe later! night all!

Certain vs. Uncertain

2010-09-02T17:57:00.000-07:00

Certain:
I am absolutely certain that this week has been just amazing. My baby started school again on Tuesday and had an amazing time. She gets so excited everytime we talk about it. Her teachers are lovely and I am certain she will be the smartest little one in the class! She is certainly going to love soccer when it starts next week. Everyday this week has certainly been exciting and full of blessings ALL day long.

I am certain that I got the cutest early birthday suprise from T and B the otherday! Party favors and all! T made dinner and brownies, told B to sing me "Happy Birthday", and even YouTubed a video to learn how to make party hats! :) I couldn't be happier! Thanks babe!

Uncertain:
I am uncertain how to deal with being a perfectionist. I read this book last year about being a pefectionist and never realized how much of a perfectionist I really am. My biggest uncertainty this week has been battling the way I feel leaving the house each day. It takes everything I have to walk out of the house knowing that my make-up or clothing are imperfect. Of course I don't go to the extreme and take hours to make perfection, but I do fret about it constantly when something ISN'T perfect. Anyways, this book gives me tips on how to deal with imperfections. It is one of the hardest things I have had to deal with in a long while. But I am certain that I will overcome this perfectionism with a bit of dedication and concentration on the important things. The new song, "Just the way you are" by Bruno Mars, has secretly built my confidence by a million! :) YouTube it!

Another possible uncertainty: My birthday is on Saturday, the 4th. I am uncertain on whether or not I should be excited that I am going to be 24 years old...or young. As of late, I am dreading the fact that I am getting older. I get tired easily and I definitely don't have the same ideas of "fun" as those whom I am surrounded my on a daily basis. I do suppose being older isn't a bad thing. I have gained a great amount of maturity and responsibility. I am certain of this for sure.

And my last, most important uncertainty is dealing with the military and TDY. T left on Tuesday for TDY. I am so busy and tired that I barely noticed he was gone. :( He is gone for 3 weeks this time. A new challenge for B and I. Dealing with our daily lives with out our main man! I most certainly take all the things he does for granted when he is here. I have a pile of dishes in the kitchen, trash bags piled up, and an empty bed upstairs. I am certain B misses him and that we want him back ASAP!

BTW: It is 2:50 a.m. I miss my husband, can't sleep, and have too much on my mind to write it all down! Oh and I am listening to my boy Bruno! :) I hope everyone has a great Labor day weekend! I am about to spend my Birthday with some amazing ladies, B, and enjoy myself to the fullest this weekend! Miss you all!

Serenity

2010-08-26T06:02:00.000-07:00

Serenity

This word simply popped up in my mind today. Random, but a small emotional breakthrough. So I googled the word, and found the Serenity Prayer. I heard this quite some time ago, but it just made my day. It's so simple and so true right now with things going on in my life.

I hope you can get a little something out of this as well!

Sleep!!

2010-08-23T14:09:00.000-07:00

Where have you been? I have missed you more than you could ever know! I would love for you to come back and visit me at night again! We need to get down with this sleeping business! Below is a shot of me, sleeping through the entire bus tour of Belgium! :( I tried soooo hard to stay awake!

So there you have it! I have been extremely exhausted! I would so much love to sleep for more than an hour at a time! If I added the hours up that I have actually slept the past 2 weeks, it has been no more than 5 hours of actual sleep. Just can't get my mind to relax and let me sleep!

On a better note, B is my love! She is too funny and full of the business! :) The silly things she comes up with, just make my day! Today she brought me a special delivery, she told me she took the train to get it to me! :) She did get 4 more spider bites! Oh shiza! I have searched my house high and low and dusted and vaccumed, and can NOT find these spiders! It's driving me nuts! I would call an exterminater BUT they done exterminate spiders here! FML! Next step, is calling the landlord and letting him know what a POS of a house he is renting. Makes me soo frustrated! Bah!

A few shots from our trip to Belgium! Beautiful city!! :) The chocolate, waffles, and restaurants were amazing! I WILL be going back again, BUT not when there are 500,000 people there again! We went to see the Floral Carpet, a large display of flowers! We also saw some pretty neat churches and government buildings. And of course the peeing boy! :) HE was everywhere! Enjoy!

I also hosted a small SPA party other day, by my new friend, Casey. She is such a sweetheart! She sells amazing products from BeautiControl. I love it, and will be making my purchase this weekend! :) I had a few ladies over, sipped on wine, and enjoyed some yummy food! It was an excellent night and it didn't end until midnight! :) Thanks ladies!

"MOMMMMY!!!"

2010-08-16T01:05:00.000-07:00

B- "I think I have a pimple!"
Me- What? Where?
B- "Look mom! Right there, I think it's just a pimple!"

(B runs away)

I NEEEEEED visitors...

2010-08-15T04:26:00.000-07:00

So I was doing a bit of research, and checked on flight prices from MSP to FRA. They are pretty resonable, around $530 round-trip! So I think if anyone is interested, save a few extra bucks each month for a trip to Germany! Free place to stay and traveling to places so close, we won't need to spend a lot of money one hotels and such! Totally worth every penny for sure! :) ANYONE is welcome to come visit, esp since we probably won't be back in MN for quite some time (over a year or two for sure from now). We can also help find better air-fares if you aren't having any luck. So if anyone is interested, please let me know! :)

T and I went to Belgium yesterday, probably the most beautiful city! (We can visit there too!) It was a long, expensive day but worth it for sure! We tasted some delicious Belgium chocolates and saw some amazing structures and about 500,000 people! :p

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Trip to Edelweiss

2010-08-11T04:48:00.000-07:00

If this doesn't make you laugh, than you're crazy! :) Hillarious hat on Tuan at the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany.

B with the same one! She looks pretty darn cute!

Hohenschwangau Castle in Hohenschwangau, Germany.

Neuschwantstein Castle, near Hohenschwangau,Germany. There were SO many people, it probably will be the reason I will NEVER site-see on a Saturday!

View of the Bavarian Alps on our car ride back to Garmisch. We drove through Austria to get to the Neuschwanstein Castle which is still in Germany. Weird huh! Great adventure though! We saw some of the most beautiful waterfalls and gorgeous European houses and the land out side of the city. Breath-taking for sure!

Possible Christmas card! :) Our last day at Edelweiss Lodge & Resort. Great place for military families! A MUST before your tour is up!

Cute little pink truck in Munich on our walk from the Deutches Museum.

Tiny car inside the Duetches Museum! You can see how tiny it is by comparing it to Bri's size! :) And yes, they really do drive vehivles this size! They are very economical here!

Germany is truly a wonderful place full of so many things, one could never see in the USA. I have grown to enjoy the simplicity of this country and wonderful sites it has to offer!

My latest...

2010-08-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

So if you religiously read my blog, you will know that I am completely random. I can definitely talk the talk, but when it comes to walking the walk, that is a whole different story.

So anyways, on the talking the talk subject, I am seriously considering re-enlisting into the Army again! I have done my research and am getting all of my paperwork in order to start the process. It isn't a for sure thing until I can find out what sort of job I can get and if it will be active duty or just the reserves. At the moment, I will only join if I can get in as a Dental Specialist and go in as a reservist. My ASVAB scores are high enough for almost any job I could think of. But if they can get me other options that are relatively close to that, I can probably deal with it. But I am not going back in as a truck driver or some other job I will hate. Dental has interested me a lot lately, and all know I can not really afford school right now without taking more loans. I am not in the mood or financially fit to do that at the moment. So joining the military again will help out with my education, as well as doing something I have always enjoyed! :) I definitely miss my uniform and drill weekends!

I guess I won't be able to update on that for at least a few months until I get all my waivers and previous military documents! So we shall see if it is even possible! But that's what I have been focusing on the past few days! :)

Tomorrow I'll have more time to post pictures from our trip and a few updates on some other stuff! Have a good week everyone!

I'm back!

2010-08-09T01:44:00.000-07:00

We went on a mini-vacation this past weekend! It was rainy, but great! I'll post a few photos soon and share details! Hope everyone had a great weekend! :)

Weekends!

2010-07-31T13:27:00.000-07:00

We took Miss B to see Shrek 4 today! She was pretty good all the way through! It was cute for sure! Not as good as the first 2 movies, but still cute! :) We had our popcorn and soda and were set for the movie!

So now that I am back at work on the weekend, I forgot forgot forgot how shady some people can be at that place! SO I was one of the last people to have tables in the restaurant. We have someone who cleans the server stations at the end of the night, and anyone who knows how to do their job, knows that they usually need to be done again after the customers have left. Well since I will still working, I put my trash in the trash bin at that station that was already cleaned, assuming it was going to get done again. Well this ASS decided, instead of doing his required job, to dump ALL the trash on ALL of my tables. Who in their right mind things this is okay? I have never been so disrespected by someone so shady like that. How does someone even do that to another person? AND than this person comes out screaming my name from the kitchen, threatening me with more work if I don't get in the office ASAP. FOr real, where do these effing people come from and why is it necessary to speak to someone in such a demeaning manner! WTH!

And on top of that, some stupid person door dings our car today, multiple times, and obviously drives away! We spent a lot of money on our car, and not for other's to treat it like crap! I HATE people here and can not wait to leave! UGH!

Okay so I am done now. Just neeeded to get that off my chest!

Congrats to Jenn and Erin, the ONLY two who commented/followed my blog this week! I appreciate it and all thos who read my blog! :)

Hope everyone is having a better weekend than I am, but don't worry, next week will be great! We are going on out vacation to the alps! Can't waaiiit!!

One more day...

2010-07-30T01:06:00.000-07:00

until I close the blog candy prize. Saturday will be the last day to comment or become a follower to recieve a gift! :)

Thanks to those who do read my blog! Always a nice feeling!

So last night was "date night." It was probably the best time T and I have had out in too long! We went to see "Just Wright" and had dinner at the Sports Bar. We enjoyed each other's company, no arguing, no fighting, just a pleasant time from beginning to end! :) So wonderful!

Hope everyone had a great week and has an even better weekend!

Who Wants It....

2010-07-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

So I am unsure if I actually have any readers or followers, BUT I am going to do a little prize/goodie bag for the first 2 people who become a follower or post a comment to this post! Include your name and e-mail and I will get in contact with you if you are the winner!

Prize will include one of my favorite Yankee/Colonial candles and a few of my favorite European candies! :)

Also, I am getting more and more into baking sweets and cupcakes, and am looking for some new ideas, flavors, decorations, etc! If you have any ideas, please feel free to comment them! If I decide to use someone's idea, I will send them a small gift for their input!

I am just trying to get some readers/followers! I like writing for others, so far, I am writing to myself, which is always needed for sure!

Small update: T is back from TDY, not a military wife's favorite term! He was gone only for a week, but still! Let's just say I am beyond tired! He is my comfort, and when he is not there, I am not comfortable! B is so glad he is back as well, she has been acting so much better since he is home! Oh this girl's imagination just cracks me up! She is so full of the business, I love her soo much!

Oh and I finally got "DEXTER" in the mail today! If you haven't seen it, you should! Great show!

Anyways, please follow or comment to win the prize and give me some ideas!

Just Like...

2010-07-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

"I have big feet, mama, JUST LIKE you!"

"I fart, mama, JUST LIKE daddy!"

"You poop JUST LIKE me, mama?"

"We have big ears JUST LIKE the monkeys!"

"Mama, my belly is big JUST LIKE yours!"

Me- "What color is mama's hair?"
Bri- "White, JUST LIKE grandma's!"

The wonderful JUST LIKE quotes from my beautiful B! She has these quotes on a daily..or maybe hourly...basis! She has eagle eyes and ears and know's when things are JUST LIKE something/someone else! Oh how I love her!

Oh and she just told me she wants to watch a "DDD". :) We'll work on that V in the middle!

Imagination

2010-07-23T07:50:00.000-07:00

Just another Picnik photo I worked on today. :) More to come...

The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up. ~Mark Twain

CupCakes and SweetHearts

2010-07-19T07:05:00.000-07:00

A few of my favorite sweets! :)

My lovely sweets! :)

These two things make my day so much sweeter! :)

4 Small changes to Make Today

2010-07-19T06:53:00.000-07:00

1. Your Mantra: don't worry, be happy

Yearning to find something more, but realizing I am absolutely content with the things I have in life. I will do my best to not want so many things, but to appreciate the things I do have.

2. Take a joy test

I've always wanted to...run a marathon. Any distance will be an incredible accomplishment.
I'd love to...own my own CupCake business...maybe something called "Luscious Indulgence" with tastey frostings, flavours, and creatively designed cupcakes!
I look forward to...our mini vacation to Edelweiss. Can't wait to see the alps and visit the magnificent castles of Bavaria!

3. Make things better right now

Perhaps I am feeling a bit sad or lonely since coming back from my trip to the states, however, I am going to make that change.
I will definitely look forward to my weekly phone chats with my mom, dad, and M on Sunday nights, even if it cuts into my sleep time, those phone conversations mean the world to me!
No more feeling lonely, I will get out of the house, meet some other moms, join play groups, and get B started in some sports activities this fall.
Date night WILL become a routine in our weekley schedule, I miss my husband.

4. Ignore the peanut gallery

I criticize other's, now knowing these criticisms come from my own personal insecurities.
I get criticised, now knowing those criticisms come from other's own personal insecurities.
Living my own life and doing my own thing, will help me ignore negative criticism. My skin needs a bit of toughening, but that will come from my own persistance to become a stronger person. When someone feels the need to critisize my life, they will either get an ear full or a "thanks, but no thanks."

I took this from Women's Day magazine. It got me thinking, I need to learn to Let Go of all those unwanted or negative things in my life.

Oh Say Can You See...

2010-07-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

If you aren't familiar with a movie theater on a military base, you would be suprised that before the movie begins, you stand for The National Anthem. This afternoon, T and I, took B to see "Despicable Me" today on base (a must see for sure). They began by playing the anthem before the movie. Briahna wasn't sure what was going on, she stood on her chair, looked around for a minute, and said "Mommy, I want to put my hand on my heart." She put her hand on her heart, stood there, standing proud next to her daddy at attention. :) My beautiful little girl made me so dang proud today! And I will admint, I got tears and goosebumps!

PicniK Photos...

2010-07-12T02:34:00.000-07:00

Here is another I played around with. This is Tuan and I in Stuttgart, Germany in May at the Wilhelma Zoo and Botanical Gardens. It's supossed to be a fancy focal shot. I thought it looked pretty neat!

I am hoping to work on a few more photos! :) It's fun but a bit time consuming (mostly because I am a perfectionist).

Here is a photo I edited with the Picnik.com website. I love it! It's fun playing around with different colors, decorations, and such with the photos! I made this one the other night for Tuan. It is from our trip in March down the Rhine River in Germany! :) Peace is the new sign in our house! (Thank goodness it's not the middle finger! :p

I hope everyone had a great weekend! I spent the weekend working as usuaL! I have one last full week of work at the CU and than I am done! SO dang excited! I am sure I state that in all of my previous blogs! Today B and I have the day off, so we are planning to get our hair cut and possibly get some new toy ponies! :) And of course make a trip to the Commissary to get some strawberries and milk! B and I have eatin hundreds of strawberris this past week! :) Delicious!

BLAH!

2010-07-08T13:14:00.000-07:00

...is how I feel right now! :( Another one of those days, just praying that tomorrow is a better one!

I hope everyone enjoyed their July 4th weekend and is enjoying their summer so far! I will have an official summer NEXT week! Yes, one week from tomrrow, I am DONE working at the credit union! I will miss my job for sure, but am ready to have my weekends back and won't have to look for babysitters anymore! I am so over that! :p

But that is it for today. Too BLAH to write anything real today. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Cupcakes!

2010-07-05T14:34:00.000-07:00

Here is one of my first ever designed cupcakes, or something like it! :) Still in the learning process! But want to thank my mom for teaching a few tricks of the trade, I have more to post soon!

One of those days...

2010-07-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

where nothing I do is right! UGH! Does anyone else have those days? Probably worse than any other day, the day where you feel like crumbs on the dirty kitchen floor! Of course it will be better tomorrow, but today is just not my day.

I did end up shopping, as I stated in my previous post, I don't have the ability to stop my self! But am uber excited to get my clothes in the mail!! Also went downtown, and got some cute tanks for this dang weather we are having! So hot! :) But loving the sun finally!

I don't really feel like blogging at all, but just venting a bit before I go to bed, so I can sleep in peace! :(

Anyways hope everyone else is having a GREAT day!! :)

Happy 4th!

2010-07-04T11:41:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone has an amazing 4th of July! Great day to be an American for sure! Be sure to take a moment and thank all those past and present soldiers to have defended our freedom and brought us where we are today!

So it seems I have been missing from my blog for the past month almost! So I will just list a few things...

1. We had an amazing trip to MN visiting with family and a few friends! We got back to Germany a day late due to mechanical problems on the airplane.

2. We've been back almost 2 weeks and have been so busy with life!

3. The pool will become our life this summer.

4. I quit my job at SCU and plan to just work at Chili's so I can have more money and time off for some traveling!

5. T is busy with work and has a summer full of training, schools, and the famous road march in Nijmegen, Netherlands.

6. We planned our trip to Eidelweiss, to spend a few days together before T leaves for traning in August!

7. I have a new found love for cupcake decorating, and would love to make it a weekly habit! Pictures will be posted soon! :)

8. B turned 3 years old on the 24th of June! (No party yet, but planning one this month!)

9. I have once again become obsessed with shoes and shopping, which will definitely test my ability to control my "swiping".

10. My husband can cook! Boy oh boy, can he cook! He made us lumpia and pancit (Filipino food) tonight, delicious!

Okay, well that's it for now! I'll try to get some new photos up of our trip to MN and my awesome cupcakes!

Oh yea, if you read my blog, save up some money and come visit us!! We leave here in just a year, going who knows where! We would love some friendly faces to visit!

Hello Oklahoma!

2010-06-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I am in Oklahoma! (I will update more on my trip from Minnesota later!) I traveled on the road with Molly back to her base! I wanted to check out her life-style and see what she does and where she lives. Let me just tell you, I will NEVER live here. Most definitely not in the summer, it is so hot! Even with the wind, you get a HOT breeze, instead of the typical cool breeze! But it's nice visiting my sister! We had an interesting 14 hour drive though! I learned a lot about my quirky little sister! She is growing up and it's hard for me to accept that! I want to be there to protect her and keep her from making mistakes, but I know she is an adult and needs to make those choices on her own! Gosh, I wonder how it will be when B is older too! Wow! :)

Well the main reason for my post, just wanted to jot down so of my new ideas/goals...I have really been thinking about my life lately while I have been home! I really want to find a profession/career or even a dang hobby! Well I have decided that I am going to get into cupcake decorating and possibly floral design/bouquets! I helped my mom do the flowers for my cousins wedding, and I fell in love! I think it would be just a fun hobby to do on the side, or even just to do for my own house! :) I am still researching somethings about it but we shall see!

The cupcake thing has had me hooked for quite a while! I really want to get into decorating, my mom and M are both really creative and crafty, and I think this would help me relate to them more! I have practiced decorating just a bit, with some orange-monsters (supssed to be Elmo) and tried frosting a few cakes, but yes, more practice is a must! I am really interested in makeing cupcake cakes! I googled some photos, and I want to be able to dot hat! Wish me luck! :)

Soon I will be back in Germany and will have my own kitchen to begin my baking adventure! Let's see how it goes! :) My vacation here int he US has been absolutely wonderful! My cousin got married, my other cousin came home from Afgahnistan! B got to spend time with her Grandparents and M! It was lovely! And I still have a week left! Hopefully a few more days to see family and friends, after that, not sure when we will be back in the states! Thinking about staying overseas for a while longer! I am loving it over there, minus the family being so far away!

BAH!! SOOOO EXCITED~!

2010-05-30T14:08:00.001-07:00

So we are leaving for MN tomorrow morning! I don't think anyone has any idea how freaking excited I am!! :) Now, we just need to get through our 10 hour flight, 7 hour layover, and 2 hour flight to MN and we will be set! See you all soon!

2010-05-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

On May 15 we took a trip to the Black Forest! A long bus ride to a dark forest! It was really pretty minus all the rain we had that day! We took a trip to see a few wood-carvers, a bee keeper, schnapps tasting with a traditional Black Forst meal, and cuckoo clock shopping in Triberg.

<--This picture is of wooden faces, carved out by hand. They use these in celebrations such as Fasching (similar to Halloween).

<-- The family! Here we are at a locally owned farm, they served us our meal of smoked ham and swiss cheese. It was actually soo much better than it really sounds! They also had pickles, bread, and soda. Probably the best pickles EVER! :) They sang us their German National Anthem and played some music for us! They definitely made us feel welcome!

<-- Here is a photo of our meal! It was amazing!

This photo is of a German man carving out a tree for us to see. He hand-carves his own cuckoo clocks and sells them at local clock shops, as well customers in other countries. It was pretty neat to see someone so young doing something like this.

<-- My Briahna at the first wood-carver! The logs were formed to have a heart in the middle! :)

We also took a trip to Stuttgart this past weekend! I had the weekend off and let me tell you, it was amazing! I am NOT looking forward to going back to work this week! Anyways, our trip to Stuttgart consisted of the Wilhelma Botanical Garden, Kin's Palace Chinese food, the Porsche Museum, and a visit to the zentrum (city center). It was lovely! I'll post pics of that soon! :) Today, Monday, we spent the day at the pool! The weather has finally been nice and sunny! It has made me in a much better mood!

Well, I can NOT wait to come home the 31st! I am in need of some family time and shopping! Ugh! So excited and angry that I have to go to work this WHOLE week! boo! Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!

Procrastination anyone?

2010-05-12T06:38:00.000-07:00

Yup, I admitted it. I am a true procrastinator! It is actually quite horrible! I am taking my online class right now, beginning algebra or something along those lines, anyways, I have yet to do last week's assignment! It is so difficult trying to teach myself through this online course. I NEVER had so much trouble in math before, I always got A's in highschool and my early years of college. But, for some reason, this class is killing me. And instead of sitting there trying to figure it out, I keep giving up. I really do not want to quit, but online learning is NOT for me. I would much rather have a set schedule and go to my class everyday. At least I know I have an actual teacher who can sit down and help me! Also, this Learning Team bullsh*t at University of Phoenix is ridic! I don't need team work for a dang math class, and than get shitty postings about not participating and such! Yea, I don't have enough time in my day to deal with this! Ugh!

On a good note, Miss B is growing like a dang weed! :) I have been so busy the last few weeks, I litterally missed her growing 2 inches! What! She is getting so big, and she is so smart! She puts this smile on my face and knows how to keep it there! I am planning to enroll her into the Children's Learning Academy again! It is pricey, but worth it! She is so bright for being 2 1/2! Speaking of age, my little girl will be 3 in June! I can not believe this! The time sure flys! It is amazing to watch her personality develope over the years! Ah my love!

Also got my new camera the other day! I am in love! Can't wait to post new pictures of our upcoming trip this weekend! We are going to the Black Forest in Germany! I am so excited to spend the day with my 2 favorte people! Oh I also found my dress for K's wedding! Victoria Secret, how I love thee! It is adorable, and I am about to order it tonight! :) Well, just 20 more days and we will be on our way to Minne! Family and friends, here we come!

What a week!

2010-05-10T05:42:00.000-07:00

SO I can't decide if this was a good week or a bad week! I began my week with some shopping with my bestie! That was lovely, however I spent more money than I should have! BUT I found the cutest little clothes for B! I celebrated Cinco De Mayo on Wednesday with a friend of mine who came back to Germany! That night was quite exciting, BUT I had the hangover from HELL for 3 days following! I had to call in sick the next day, how embarrassing! You know, I did tell the truth as to why I wasn't going to be there, but I felt so dang guilty! :( Friday, I met with a prospective client for childcare! (She called me today to watch her kiddos!!) Saturday I made an appearance at work, I was a bit embarassed, as all of my coworkers saw me on Wednesday, but they proceeded to tell me how fun I was and what not! So that was a good thing? Sunday, I actually picked up a shift at Chili's because I knew it was Mother's day and it would be busy, therefore, I would make money! ($92 to be exact). T and B came to suprise me with a rose :) So sweet of them! I got home and T cooked burgers and we just hung out at home! I was planning to do my school work last night and today, and yea STILL not happening. My math class is kicked my booty! It's difficult for me to teach myself online versus in the classroom with an actual teacher! Frustrated for sure! Today, I went and got some new coloring books, paints, books, and a game for the kiddos tonight! I also stopped by the passport office and recieved our tourist passports! We can now officially travel anywhere! Woot! I am also watching 2 new kiddos tonight, so I am prety excited about that! I think T is as well, he cancelled his plans so he could be home too! :) Sweet guy, I know! Oh and I think he is going to come home on leave with us!!! Yay! So I guess this week was more good than bad I think? Maybe just long! The fact that I have a weeks worth of school work to do tonight, is what will probably push me over the edge! :( I'm sure I will end up turning it in late! Not good I know, but what can ya do! Online schooling isn't for everyone!

Happy Late Mother's day to all those AMAZING women out there! This world would NOT exist without you! No matter how much better you think or thought you could be, your children love you and are proud to have you as their mother no matter what!

Well, that's it for now! Nothing exciting, but my way to sort out my thoughts :)

Toby Keith...

2010-05-02T14:22:00.000-07:00

I took B to her first Toby Keith concert last night here in Ramstein, Germany! He was here en route to Afgahnistan! B enjoyed it for about 2-3 songs and was ready to leave! T of course is not a coutnry fan so he had no objections for leaving early! It was a good concert for sure, it's great that these guys come over here and put on shows for our soldiers! They most definitely need the morale boost! :) The USO is a great organization and they do so much for our soldiers! If you ever get the opportunity, make a donation or volunteer your time! Heck, just stop into a USO office and thank them for what they are doing! Our soldiers appreciate the "home away from home."

Oh technology...how I love you...and...

2010-05-02T14:19:00.000-07:00

HATE you! Can you believe how advanced technology has become, just in the last 15 years? It is unreal. Technology and all of it's amazing quirks and horrific downfalls have been on my mind lately. My current battle with technology is online schooling. BAH! I know it is convenient and easy and blah blah FREAKING blah, BUT it is not for me. It is too easy to log on, write a few sentences for discussion, and write a few papers. But I am currently in an algebra class, NOT easy if you don't have a teacher to watch or go to for questions. Math is more of a "write it down and solve out the problem step by step." I sit at a computer ALL day long, I don't want to come home and spend the rest of my night sitting in front of the damn computer again! It's killing my back and my family time! WTH!

Okay so maybe it's not that bad, but I am frustrated with it and would rather go to a REAL school with REAL teachers who actually have teaching degrees! UGh!

Another technology downfall, debit/credit cards and ATM machines. WTH do we do when the financial instituion we use has system failures or updates. We don't know when that happens, but you go to the store or the ATM and guess what, DECLINED! The other day, the credit unions system was down, the ONLY way to get money was to walk your ass into the bank and withdraw money. I have never seen such angry or rude people in my life. They try to blame me for the issues, as if I have any control over that! But anyways, as I was thinkin throughout the day, people have their entire life savings in some financial institution somewhere, what do we do when the system is down? I mean do we continue to trust the banks and keep our money in there, maybe have a safe at home with our money in it, or split it half and half, that way we at least earn interest? I mean WTH do we do? I was talkin to the branch manager about money in general, and say for SOME reason, EVERYONE needed to get their money out of the bank, did you know it is NOT Possible??! Banks do not hold enough money in their vaults to suffice EVERYONE who has an account there. So then what? Something to think about huh!

We are beginning to depend way to much upon technology. Some day it will get the best of us! It wouldn't hurt to become more simple. I mean honestly, do we REALLY need internet on our phones, WI-FI in the lunch room, grocery shopping online? We are getting lazier and lazier and less and less smart as time goes on! What is it going to be like when our children are old enough to be on their own?

Okay, done rasing some hell! On the upside, there are some GREAT things about technology of course! Especially in the medical and criminal field. With out some of that technology, people wouldn't be able to overcome illness and criminals would get away with so much more! And yes, I will admit it is nice to have internet on the phone, you know for that important e-mail you have been waiting for all week, or whatever it is people NEED it for. I can't complain too much, but just saying!

And that is it for now! I have spent ALL day on the computer and I am now shot! I'll be back tomorrow AFTER my 5 hours of homework!

CU 4 Reality

2010-04-29T13:39:00.000-07:00

CU 4 Reality is put on by Service Credit Union Overseas, targeted towards 7th-8th graders. It is like a mini-confrence/seminar directed towards showing these kids what reality is actually like when you get older and pay your own bills. The kids come in, assigned a job and given a budget! They go around to different booths to get their necessities to live and extras if they can afford it. There are booths for things such as utilities, housing, cars, entertainment, clothing, temptations, and credit/finance advisors. I worked at the temptation booth, basically telling these kids they need things such as spa treatments, monthly hair cuts/styles, high-end handbags, gym memberships, pets, etc. I'm not so great at sales and marketing, and those kiddos sure gave me a run for my money! Their comebacks were too funny! It was easy to sell the guys Coach handbags for their wives/girlfriends, but the second I mention a haircut, it goes something like: "well, I'll just walk around my neighboor hood and find someone with a scissors." :) I was able to sell the guys massages as well, they all were googly-eyed towards that!

But things like the gym membership, not so much! It was sad trying to offer that to the girls, I had this TINY girl look at me and say "I'm fat, I defintely need the gym membership!" She was totally serious! :( Made me sad! I don't remember too often at 13 years old saying I was fat. I was too young to even know the difference! Anyways, long story short, these kids learned a real lesson today, that their parents go through very tough times to make ends meet, and it's most definitely not as easy or free as it seems! My job wasn't all that important, but I was quite satisfied at the end of the day, that I got to help these kids take a bite outta reality and see what they have to look forward too! :)

Well, on another note, I have SO much on my mind right now, I can't even think of anything to write about! My week has been a blur, I was convinced that today was Friday (It's only Thursday). I have been busy NON-stop! It's crazy, I enjoy being busy but feel like I am forgetting so much! I write everyone on a list here and there, and than FORGET where I put my list or FORGET that I wrote it down somewhere! Bah! Hopefully next week, it will settle down just a bit! If not, I will be on VACAY in a month to my favorite place, MN!

I am still on the hunt for a new camera, I found one I want online for $100 less than they have at the store, but I need to budget some things first before I can purchase it! We had to add another expence for daycare, boy oh boy does that add up after a while! Again, considering opening up a daycare! Kiddos are just too fun! Well, I guess I shall make my way to bed, another early morning ahead of me tomorrow! Probably won't be back until Monday, but I may make a small appearance over the weekend! Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! :)

2010-04-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

So here a few updated pictures! Sorry I couldn't get the first two to rotate! :) They are both of B during Easter! She got a bag of goodies from T and I and she got to meet the Easter Bunny at the Egg Hunt at Pulaski Park. (Another event I had to miss due to working weekends!)

So I am struggling trying to get these dang photos to go in the spot I want them, as well as typing from the left vs. center! But oh well! Anyways, about is B with her new sandbox! It was one of the nicest days we had, so we went to Rofu Kinderland and got one! I bought 3 bags of sand and my cart totally fell over in the parking lot! Had to have 3+ people help me lift it back up! Ah embarrassing! :) But she loves it!

The above photos are of our friend Josh at his BBQ on Easter. It was quite chilly, but they had a fire and tastey grilled food! It is common for the Germans to bring a gift to any get together they are invited too, as well as a pasta salad for a BBQ. I am no longer a fan of pasta salad. :( It was a good time though, B had a great time with the other kids and towards the end of the night, all of the adults raced her in the kiddie cars! And yes, she won EVERY time! :)

This last picture is of my city boy at the zoo, yes they have pot belly pigs at this zoo! She was all about petting and poking the animals. She chased those lil pigs around til he caught one! He is slowly coming out of his shell! :)

Well that's my update today! Just a few new photos! I won't bore you with my drama at work, I will save that for another day! I am excited now for 2 days off, and hopefully some nice weather! This weeknd Toby Keith will be on base! Hoping for a second round with my partner in crime, Miss J! Hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead! Be back tomorrow!

Broken Camera...

2010-04-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the absence. I am back now! While I was busy with my life doing EVERY thing imaginable, I decided to break my camera. A while back the string broke, and I just never got another one. Well in my clumsyness, I grabbed it out of the camera holder too fast and slipped right out, falling down not one, but TWO flights of stairs, coming to a dramatic fall on the hard tile basement floor. Needless to say, it not longer functions. So my current debate is whether or not to just get another "point and shoot" or upgrade to a more professional type camera. I have NO idea about photography or anything, but since I have been traveling and NOT paying for proffessional photo's of Bri, it may be a good idea? We shall see!

Well what have we been up to since I last blogged? Not so much, I ended up cancelling our trip to Switzerland, but book another trip to the Black Forest! Excited! :) We have just been busy with life, work, school, B keeping my on my toes! She is such a joy, a stressful but wonderful joy!

As far as my eating healthy and exercising goes, getting a bit better but still not noticing a weight loss or loose pants :(. I have a work out partner, she kicks my ass in ab work, but I kick her ass right back in running! I have been preparing for a short 5k run of some sort! Just a little something to feel accomplished! :)

I have again been debating what I want to be when I grow up! I am still interested in finance of some sort, but recently have been inspired to maybe open up a part-time daycare, just for our remaining time here! That way I can have my own schedule and weekends OFF for some traveling and family time! That would be lovely if you ask me! And kiddos just melt my heart these days, and no I'm not prego! I love the fact that I can give the kidds back at the end of the day! But a thought in process, still debating! Any thoughts?

It's zoo season again! We took a little trip last week to the Nuenkirchen Zoo and the Zweibruchen Outlet Mall. The mall is nice, BUT the prices are in € so it's a lot more expensive than the states! The numeric value is the same, say a shirt is $23 in the states, it would be €23 here. But when you convert the €23 to dollars, you end up spending $30 on that shirt. Yea, it's not cool! We are also poor Americans and can't afford high-fashion, EVEn as the outlet prices ha! It was a nice time though, spending the day with my loveS! :)

Well that's all for now! nothing too exciting, but I enjoy spilling the beans!

Keebler Animals Cookies...Frosted...

2010-04-13T05:42:00.000-07:00

I have forgotten how absolutely lovely these tastey cookies are! I was browsing the grocery store yesterday for a snack for the kiddos, and I came across these. "The kids will love these," I thought. Secretly knowing that I was going to chow them down myself! B and I are currently finishing up the last bit of crumbs as we sit here watching "Alice in Wonderland." I had to rent the cartoon; T and I went to see the new Alice in Wonderland in 3D and for the life of me, couldn't remember how the real story went. Hopefully B will like it!

I've been in a blogging mood lately, I just feel the need to ramble, as I am sure if I were to talk to someone about all of this, they may get annoyed! :) But that is my reason for blogging, to keep some sense of sanity, and of course, keep all those who do read this updated on our journey here through Europe!

I have a favor of those who do read this, shoot me a comment or become a follower! :) If I don't have many readers, I need to improve and could use some ideas!

Current Days:
3 Days until a weekend off
4 days until Switzerland
6 days until my new class starts

47 days until Minnesota!

Hoping to add a few more exciting things in there before we head to MN!

Hope everyone is doing well! Miss and love ya all! Now back to Alice and Wonderland, and later on some Private Practice! I secretly adore Kate Walsh!

My toddler calls me "Ash-hole"

2010-04-12T01:36:00.000-07:00

Observing toddlers..is that a real job? If so, I'm applying yesterday! I am currently on the couch watching B try to put together some blocks. It's just amazing that only two short years ago, she was still in my tummy. She now has this amazing little personality and out-smarts me...daily. The other day I asked her what she was doing, "mommy, I'm chillin'." Chillin'? My child just told me she was chillin'? What's next? You could say she is 2 going on 15, everytime I ask her something lately, I get the "leave me alone mom" saying. Makes me a bit sad! And what else is new, instead of calling me momma, mommy, or mom, she calls me "Ash" when she is talking to me! And not just sometimes, she adds "Ash" to the end of everything she says to me! It's just funny what she comes up with!

An update on my change of eating habits and excercising: going well so far! I have been attempting to eat breakfast, lunch, and an early dinner. It's working! As far as the excercise, I haven't been to the gym enough, but have been doing a little something somethin at home. The weather is finally nice for me to start running outside! :) I'm not sure I lost any weight, but I do feel better and am happier looking in the mirror, perhaps just the committment to make a change is a step in the right direction! This week I have some extra time off, so planning to do some outdoor activities, possibly a hike in the mountains here in Germany. That would be an adventure, I do however need to find someone interested in this new adventure with me. T and I don't really have the same exercising habits and he typically doesn't enjoy running or walking for "fun." But we shall see!

Work is going well, still working at SCU and Chili's. Trying to save some $$, take some trips, and go home to the states! Shopping is calling my name! Speaking of shopping, I may have an impulse problem! I went to the store the other day for shoes for B, I walked out with a $30+ pair of shoes for her and a $70 bag for myself. Yea, not good, since I don't have the money for that! But I fell in love with the bag and she NEEDs shoes! Yes, justifying it isn't the right thing to do when it comes to that!

Anywho, just a random blog! This weekendI am hoping to do some traveling, perhaps Switzerland or the Black Forest?! Either would be qute lovely! I want to get as much out of living in Europe as possible!

My current military complaint: Air Force personell vs. Army personell. For those of you living the military lifestyle, have you noticed a difference between the two? Not work ethic, but personality wise? I don't have very much experience with the military, but going from an Army base to an AF base was like going from college back to highschool. Everyone has their drama and the place they came from, but for some reason AF has too much drama and all came from good homes, and have this mentality that they are better than anyone else. How can you be liek that, when A: you put your pants on just like everyone else B: Ya'll wear the same uniform and C: Ya'll work for the same man, Mr. Obama! How can one of you be better than the other? Seriously, for as many arrogant Army folk I have met, I have met 100 times more arrogant AF folk. It just blows my mind that I have met so many people this way just becuase of their Branch of Service, makes me a little worried as to who is fighting for our country! Don't get me wrong, I have met some pretty awesome people in the Air Force, my sister is in the AF, but it's just crazy that I can even tell a difference in personality type from one Branch of Service to another!

Enough rambling for the day, be home in MN on May 31! WOOOOOOT! I am so excited to see my family! Speaking of family, I am NOT coming home to get into any drama or take sides, and if this is the case, don't expect to see us very often! Take care all, love you!

Just another day for me...But a day to make a change

2010-04-04T07:23:00.000-07:00

So it's Easter today. Yep, another holiday spent away from the family back home. I just can not seem to get in the holiday spirit when we are so far from home. I wanted to do the whole Easter shabang this year, you know, church, easter bunny comes to hide B's basket, egg hunts, and a big Easter dinner. Well, it didn't and is not happening. Instead, I have spent my Easter looking through old pictures and creating photo books on Snapfish (how I love thee). While reminiscing over old photos from years ago, I began to think, about EVERY thing possible. Where has the time gone? If I could go back to 2008, I would be there! We had just moved to California, newly weds, a lovely 7 month old, great friends and family near by, and my jeans FIT!

I have decided that tomorrow (no, not today) I will start my new daily routine. I can't say it is going to be a diet, because I am not going to give up EVERY thing I like to eat. I will just be eating healthier, and in moderation, and the gym WILL be included in my new routine. It's a must. I am currently a size 10ish, but my goal is get down to an loose 8. That was my comfortable area and I miss that! I currently do NOT know how much I weigh, I haven't actually weighed myself since August 2009, for the longest time I would step on the scale hourly and fret over every .01 lb added to the scale. I HAD to give that up, as it was driving me crazy. So accomplishing the goal of becomming a size 8 by June, I also want to be 140-145 lbs. Making an estimate, that maybe is about 15 lbs to lose. I know I can do it, as I have done it before. Just staying motivated and having extra support is all I need!

My cousin is getting married in June and I want to attend her wedding, in a summer dress! I haven't showed my legs to the public since probably 2008. There really is nothing wrong with them, but I just feel that with toner legs and a healthier lifestyle, I will be much more confident to strut my stuff! T has been losing weight as well and getting his basic-training body back, which is another form of motivation. I definitely don't want my man thinner than I am! :(

On another weight issue note, I am a proud military wife, but sure do not want to fall in that category. There is a typical stereotype of military wives. They tend to be overweight and lack a sense of style. I can not fall into that category! I am not saying all military wives are this way, but it is true for some. I find it hard to believe that it's possible for spouses to be overweight. Our husbands have to pass a physical fitness test, and be "fit to fight." If our husband's can do it, why can't we?

So let's see how well I do the next 2 months with my new routine and possible daily life change! Wish me luck!

2010-03-31T05:17:00.000-07:00

Looks like I have been MIA for a while! Sorry to the few who actually check in for updates! :) This month has been VERY chaotic! T's MIL was here for a 2 week visit, the following are pictures from her visit! We took her on a cruise on the Rhine River, one of the largest in Germany. It was very scenic! Every mile or so there was an amazing castle on the right or left up on the hills. The picture to the left is just one of the many we saw on our boat cruise. We also got to visit one of the castles, it was very beautiful. I probably had the wrong expectations when view castles, I expected to be a bit more amazed. They were still nice of couse, just not as "ooohh ahhhh" as they may seem. The weather that day was fairly decent, however, it was so much colder inside the stone-build castle than it was outside the castle.

<-- T and B doing the Peace! This was on our boat cruise. Again, high expectations, this ended up being a small boat, looked like it was going to fall apart, and could barely hold 30 people comfortably! But still nice, the sun was warm enough for us to sit outside!

Another view of the family at the castle we visited. If you peak over the edge, it was a very long drop to the ground! A bit dangerous if you ask me, but the castle was very strong and was able to hold it's own when under attack.

B also had her first class photo this month, this was the morning of before we went to school. I ordered the class photo, the only one where she is smiling! it's pretty cute, I will have to post it up when I get it back! B has been a busey little bee at school. She is learning so much from her teachers, and she loves the interaction she gets with the other kids! She is also potty trained to the point where she wears undies ALL day with no accidents! (Night time is another story!)

What else can I say about Miss B? She keeps me busy as well! I am trying the whole dicipline thing, yea I think it hurts me more than her! She has been so spoiled by me, that it's hard to riegn her in! But I am trying, she cries, and than is over it! But I still feel bad ALL the time! Wish me luck!

Here is a view of one of the many vineyards in Germany. This area is known for white wines. I have also become a fan of wine tasting! I need to find a wine-tasting partner as T does NOT like it! So if anyone wants to come visit, we will be sure to do some wine tasting!

Looks like Easter is coming up this weekend! I sure do miss home around times like these! We don't have any plans really, maybe an egg hunt for B and just hang out at home. There may be some Easter Markets (festival) near by, they have hand-made goods, wines, rides for kiddies, home-cooked foods, etc. Hopefully we find something like that to keep us busy! I am hopin to make a few more trips before we head back to MN in MAY!!!!!!! SO excited to see our family and friends! It will be a nice visit and break from the stress here! :) WEll I may appear back on here again today with the rest of the month, but at the moment, I am spent and B is neeeding my attention! Love you alll!! Miss u1

Beyond Exhausted...

2010-03-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

...is exactly how I feel right now! T's MIL is here and is leaving on Tuesday. It's been a fun visit, but I am soo tired to enjoy it! So I am going to finish uploading all of our pictures from the last week and post a new blog on Wednesday on my day off! :) Stay tuned...

Wasting time...doing absolutely everything to avoid...

2010-03-08T08:23:00.000-08:00

...school work! Yes, I am currently in the middle of writing a paper. It's not going so well as you can see. It's a really easy paper to write, but I am just not in the mood! But i'll finish it soon enough.

Not too much new is going on here these days! T's mom is here for a 2 week visit! It will be nice to have a familiar face around for a bit! :D She isn't used to this cold weather so I don't think we will be traveling too much while she is here. We are planning a trip to an Easter Market in Trier and hopefully a day trip to Paris, mostly just to say we went! :) Oh and I am preparing myself to eat all sorts of Asian dishes while she is here. We did a grocery run today and yes, it was almost all asian food. It will be quite tastey though! :) B seems to enjoy having her here, but she has been acting out a bit extra the past few days, so we will see how it goes! I am hoping I didn't ruin B by spoiling her! :( That wouldn't be good.

I am still trying to find tickets to come home this summer, again, so far no luck! I NEED to get the price under 2000. I refuse to pay more than that for plane tickets! UGH!

So I have a dilemma, as you all know I work at Chili's as a server. And I am keeping this job for the extra cash. Anyways, at the end of the night, we are responsible for cleaning out tables doing out sidework (chores). Well last night I had to work, and I KNOW I did my work. I forgot to have it checked before I left, but I knew I had it done so I didn't worry too much when I got home. So about 3 hours later, 11:30pm, they decided to call me and cuss me out saying I didn't do anything before Ileft. They tried to tell me I was trying to get away with "something". Are you kidding me? Of course I appologized and yes it was my fault I didn't get checked out, but I did my work. I left 2 hours before everyone else, so that is alot of people walking by my tables and using the areas I had already cleaned. But whatever, anyways, long story short, Is that okay for them to call me that late to "just tell me". That surely could have wating until morning. And I even volunteered to come in and finish it myself. After working there over a year and half, that was probably my first time EVER having a mistake like that...and they had the nerve to tell me some stupid shit! Ugh! maybe I am over-reacting, but I wouldn't call someone at night and make them feel like shit for making a simple mistake that takes 2 minutes to fix! UGH! That's that. And T said it's okay for me to quit! So I am now working up the phone call to let them know I won't be back.

Other than that, all is going well! B is still doing well at using the potty! I got her Old Navy box inthe mail today. I ordered her the cutest little outfits for the spring! i'll post pictures soon! I am hoping to get some family pictures taken soon to send out! hope everyone has a great week! miss you all!

Short & Sweet...

2010-03-03T07:23:00.000-08:00

So I just want to say that my baby B is almost definitely potty trained!! :D She has done SO well that past 6 days and I think she is just about ready to go diaper-free (during the day of course). We haven't attempted over night training yet, but soon we will! B caught on rather quickly to the whole staying dry thing! And she let's us know ASAP that she has to go! We are soooo proud! :)

Still on the prawl for some cheap flight tickets home, no luck!

Oh and I was reading an article today, they believe the earth moved about 3 inches from the earthquake that hit Chile, and we lost a milisecond or two out of our day. Pretty crazy huh! I am beginning to wonder, what's next, and the more I wonder, the more I scare myself. I don't want to worry about disasters like that, if it happens, it happens. Worrying about it, isn't going to stop it from happening!

I have also decided I neeeeeeeeeeeeeeed to put myself on a budget. I went shopping yet again today, and spent more money instead of saving for our trip home! BOO! I may possibly need help one of these days!

Well, that's all for now! I need to go be prodcutive! Have a good day all!

"DORA PANTIES ARE COOOOOL"

2010-02-28T13:53:00.000-08:00

Those would be the words of B's new song! We are officially done with day 3 of potty training. B is adjusting to her "dora panties" very well. Of course we had a few accidents, but she is really learning! We are SO proud of her! T has been home with her, so he actually gets most of the credit! He is doing a wonderful job! He even took her to the store to pick out some pony and tinker bell panties! It definitely motivates her to keep dry! We aren't really pressuring her into it, just testing the waters with no diaper while she is at home. All I can say, is that I am so very proud of her! She is of course, still a monster! She is busy busy busy non-stop! We finally got her over her pneumonia spell. And it only lasted a good week or so, and she was back to normal! :D

Some random bits of information and recent updates::::

I have been busy working at the bank and the restaruant. Trying to save up to come home and do some traveling this spring! I am hoping to make a trip to Italy to see some friends and the MIL is coming to visit, so we have to plan some trips when she is here as well! I am a bit excited to see some familiar faces! I also started class again, I enjoy this class much more than the others. I am hoping the rest of the classes get better!

On a poor note, I have NOT been to the gym for 2 weeks! Shame on me yes, there is no way I will be able to run a race if I can't get my booty to the gym! I have been so exhausted lately, and just want to rest at home! But this week, I have some extra days off, hopefully I can make it and start running! Better yet, I hope the weather is nice and I can start running outside and taking Briahna to the park!

And another poor note, I have recently went on a spending binge! I bought 5 pairs of shoes last week, a new purse, make-up, and about 5 outfits for B online! And I have to search for a B-day gift for T! What the heck do I get a 23 yr old guy for his birthday! I am definitely horrible at gift giving for men! Any ideas? Let me know!

The following pictures are of the German Fasching Parade in Ramstein. It is like Halloween for them, they dress up crazy, drink alot, throw candy, and yell "HALLO" to get candy. Note: Only fun if you're intoxicated without children.

The about photo: some creepy clowns in a pretty good marching band.

The picture below: the Fasching mascot I am assuming, it was on all the Fasching signs! Just like our Halloween with the black cat.

And the last picture: Tuan and his friends all dressed up for the big Fasching party that was across the street from our house. It was definitely a good time for them, not for the mom though! :D

Well, I hope everyone has a great weekend and hope Spring approaches us all sooner than later! I miss everyone back home and can't wait to come visit! Don't forget to thank all of those past, present, and future members of the United States Military for their service to our country! God bless all of you!

Mother Nature...We have a love-hate relationship these days

2010-02-28T13:32:00.000-08:00

I have never been one to really complain about the weather, but as of late, it is really not in my favor. The weather here in a Germany is a bit different than that of Minnesota or California. Quite different actually. This is a country filled with clouds and rain more than half the year. This past winter was unusual for the area, we had several snow days and cancellations due to the dangerous weather. Being from MN it was nothing to me, but unusual for the place. It even RAINS in the winter, hense closures for icey roads! Anyways, the reason I am having an unhappy relationship with mother-nature today, is that WIND! So I recently read about the earthquake that devastated yet another country, and the tsunami weather that followed. So the wind we had today, was yes, hurricane status. 22 people were killed between France, Spain, and Portugal. We didn't get that worst winds, but we lost quite a few trees, the golf course was demolished, and cars were damaged due to falling trees. I was thinking to myself, what if these winds we receieved today, had something to do with the earthquake in Chile. Mother Nature has caused some pretty horrific disasters recently. It is quite frightening to think of what's next. Is there anyone to blame in these instances? I am no scientist, but there is no doubt in my mind, that HUMANS are to blame for the recent Global Warming fiascos. Perhaps I am a worry-wart, okay I am, but why is it so hard for us to at ease on the horrible things we are doing to our earth. I may not be the best recycler or going-greener, but I sure try when I can. I have cut back on many things I have done that were definitatly not good for this earth. But it has to be a MAJOR change, from EVERYONE to even make a dent in saving our planet. But anyways, that's all I have for that! Just my recent thoughts!

2010 Winter Olympics...

2010-02-13T13:06:00.000-08:00

So I had NO idea the Winter Olympics had started! Well anyways, I happened to turn the tv on during one of the women's hockey games, I think Sweden vs. whoever ha! I was more interested in the women's game than I have ever been in men's hockey...and I think it mostly has to do with the fact that we expect men to be good if they are playing on tv. I haven't actually watched women's hockey on tv, and am quite interested. It is pretty awesome watching how talented and skilled these young girls are. As I sit here listening to the game, I am missing hockey terribly. I haven't put on a pair of skates in years :(. Most of these girls were born in the 90's. How old does that make me feel? OLD! And many of the girls playing this year, are on their 3rd or 4th year! It makes me sad though at the same time, I could have pushed myself and worked hard enough to have reached a goal like that, to play in the olympics. My sister, however, did work that hard and push herself to the next level. She tried out for the US women's team. She didn't make it the first time, but there is no doubt in my mind that she could have made it if she tried again. The goalie on the Sweden team, actually plays for the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs! That was always a dream, to play college hockey! But I just wasn't dedicated at the time! Well enough of that, I missed out on that dream, but am ready to continue with my new ones! Which happends to be marathons. I am planning to run a few races this spring/summer. I am really hoping to run the Grandma's Marathon in Duluth in June this year! Let's hope I can make it back home to MN to run it! :D Anyways, have a good weekend everyone! Happy Valentine's Day!

It's a sad day in the neighborhood...

2010-02-10T01:16:00.000-08:00

Okay, well not that sad, but I am just having one of those mornings! (It's not even 10am yet.) Ugh, perhaps I am just feeling sad for myself, with no reason at all really. I have come to wonder though, am I very unlikeable? Or do I appear to people as not a good person? Or am I just being too sensitive and over-exagerating the whole thing. Well either way, I am bummed. And I have decided today, that I will NOT be attending my 10 year HS reunion, and I will NEVER again live in Litchfield. That may perhaps be one of the worst places to live. After being away from "home" for so long, I will never live in a small town again. I may chose to live in MN again, but definitely in the city or right outside. I'm just needed time to vent, and this is the only place I can do it at this time of day!

Adding to my sad day, my baby has a mean cough and runny nose! Last night she had a temp of 104! My poor girl, at least she is doing much better this morning! :D She is about to go play with a new friend, and experience with a new sitter. Let's hope it goes well, which I am sure it will!

So I am now working at Service Credit union as some of you know, and we have a lot of birthdays, baby showers, and pot-lucks coming up. They are requesting donations for EVERY event, how do I know how much is enough to donate, as I am struggling for money myself? I would feel quite bad if I didn't donate, but how much is enough or not? Any suggestions would help me out! :D

Well last weekend Tuan and I attended a marriage retreat in Garmisch, Germany. One of the most gorgeous cities next to the Alps. It reminded me a bit of Colorado. Anywho, it was a nice vacation! Briahna joined us, and they offered free child-care! We deffinitely couldn't turn that down! We also visited Munich. The pictures are just of the hotel view of the mountains and some buildings in Munich. It was a nice city, but too cold to really explore! Maybe this summer!

This picture of the sign was mostly for Dachau. Just driving through that area gave me the chills. I really wanted to visit the camp, but I wasn't ready. That whole place gave me the chills, and it was hard to believe what actually happened there, as well as in Munich. It is pretty crazy to know that somethin like that happened so close to where I live and stayed. But I do hope to go back and visit some day!

Well I guess that's all I have for now! We are still trying to make it back home in June, but we'll see how that goes! Anwyays, miss everyone and thanks for letting me vent a bit! Til next time...

It's Raining, It's Pouring, Grandpa John is Snoring...

2010-01-26T03:39:00.000-08:00

Can anyone see what is wrong with this picture? :) Comment if you can find it! HINT: Look at the blurry body!

It sure is raining! Woke up this morning to find my car covered in solid ice, and almost lost my face when I slipped on the sidewalk. I wasn't happy at all! I was already running late to get Briahna to school on time, and of course I couldn't really hurry, as it was extremely icey! I started driving, the main roads seemed fine, but as soon as I enetered the village of Mackenbach, it was a whole different story. I got towards the center of town and had to turn around due to road closure. So I took the long way to school, I was pretty much driving on pure ice, as they don't plow side roads in Germany. I was coming up on a hill, I started slipping and the wheels were spinning! Yikes! I was a bit nervous, but kept going. Briahna's school sits on a hill, so as I was approaching the hill, I see a line of cars all trying to truck it up the hill. Needless to say, after 10 minutes of waiting, I asked someone if they were open (they were) but I wasn't going to slip my way up the hill just to drop her off. I turned around, and drove my ass home. And about 20 mins later, they cancelled school.

The current road conditions are BLACK. Which really means "stay home and don't drive, forget any plans you had today." They closed the gates to the base, so no one is going on or coming off. So here I am, stuck at home! :D Basically on stand-by if work decides to open today.

On a brighter note, I think Tuan's mom is coming to visit us in March! I am excited to have visitors finally! She is super excited to see Briahna! :D And I am super excited to finally travel! I am hoping to visit Paris, England, A-dam, and a few places in Germany while she is here! Yay!

Oh I forgot, Briahna when pee in the potty yesterday! it is the second time she has done it for me at home! She does it at school sometimes too, but she still isn't quite ready! I am definitely not going to force her until she is really ready. I'm not a fan of washing blankets EVERY day!

Briahna is my little artist! I bought her a small art desk after Christmas! she loves it! She loves drawing pictures for Nana and Granpa! She is also a fan of painting and playdough! Soon I'll get her into some more advance artsy stuff, but for now, I'll stick to the crayons! She tends to make a big ol' mess that this mama doesn't like to clean! :D

NO! We don't make her sweep the driveway! That keeps her occupied while we shovel the driveway! And speaking of that, I wonder how I went 21 years in Minnesota without hardly ever shoveling! Shoveling is some haaard work!

A friend of mine invited Briahna and I to join them to a family night on base. This was their version of Winnie the Pooh, and I am going to spare the laughter and not even post a picture of Tiger. It was more of a yellow cat with stripesn and I have a feeling the whomever was inside, was a bit naughting! They were swining their tail and pokin the kids with it...with the tail between the legs, yes very inappropriate for the little ones! Quite hillarious though! Briahna was exstatic though! She played catch with them and danced! She is such a friendly little girL!

SO sorry for the absence...

2010-01-22T09:44:00.000-08:00

Well I believe the last time I wrote was in October! So sorry I haven't had any updates! So here is a quick summary:

November:

This month was spent being much more busy than any other month yet! Briahna started pre-school at a school in Germany. She attends 2 days a week from 9a-3p. She absolutely loves it! She has learned so much in the short time she has been there! I was offered a job at the Service Credit Union on base. Tuan was busy working, driving, and hanging out! We had Thanksgiving over at our house with some of Tuan's foreign friends. We wanted to show them a typical American Thanksgiving. They seemed to definitately enjoy the food, however they don't eatlike Americans.

December:

I was so excited for the holidays, but this year, I had seemed to be extremely home-sick. I missed home more than ever! We made it though, we celebrated Christmas Eve at home with just the 3 of us, and had friends over for dinner on Christmas Day. The kiddos had a good time and Briahna was spoiled as always. Just want to thank everyone who send cards/gifts this year! We always love a little something from home! I started working at the Credit Union at the beginning of the month, and it seems to be going okay. Hm, Tuan and I babysat a few kids, and I was hoping it would cure his desire for another baby...but did that blow up in my face or what! That just made him want MORE! :D Sooner than later I guess! Anyways, It was another busy month with work, school, and such! Tuan and I spent NYE together, didn't do anything special, but had some time without Briahna! She is such a joy, but sure can be busy!! :D Tuan had 2 free weeks of leave, he got to catch up on his quality time with briahna while I was busy training at work!

As I was uploading pictures, I totally forgot about some things we did in december! Briahna had her first school program, her class sand Rudolph! It was too cute! :D We attened Tuan's holiday party for NATO. Needless to say, we were about the only American's there. There were families from the UK, Germany, Czech, and Belgium. It's pretty cool to meet people from other countries.

On with the new year:

January 2010:

Last year was good, let's hope 2010 is better! We started off the year with the same old stuff, work, school, and Briahna! We have a coupld trips planned in the next coming months, a trip to Garmish (An army resort in the Alps) and hopefully a trip to Paris, England, and A-dam! That's all I ask :D.

Recently I have been thinking about how absolutley blessed we are. We have more than most people could ask for. I can't help but think about the terrible things going on in the world today. I am so blessed we are where we are. I pray that everyone stay's safe, healthy, and happy! I hope that those dealing with tragedy, illness, and any other unfortunate events can find happiness and know that in the end, things will be okay. All we can do is live each daY to it's fullest and strive for excellence in all that we do!

And that's about as much as I have to say for now, I will do my best to keep updates coming more frequently! Thanks to those who read and continue to check for updates! :D

Skipped fall...directly into winter

2009-10-24T13:46:00.000-07:00

So this year we went straight from summer into winter with maybe a week of fall. I heard it was about the same for Minnesota too! I am quite suprised as to how much of a baby I am. I grew up in Minnesota for 21 years. You would think I was used to the cold. YEA RIGHT! I hate being cold, and am a weenie when it comes to having cold weather here. Maybe it is different because I spend more time outside here than I did in MN? Not sure, but I hate it. Or maybe I just got used to the warm weather in Cali and AZ. I might just have to move to AZ where it is HOT everyday, all year round! :D

Anyways, I am done with my first week of school! So far so good! Briahna will be starting at the Children's Learning Academy in November, 2 days a week. It is a preschool setting, but of course not as strict as 2 year olds don't always cooperate! :D I am excited for her to get to be with other kids and to have some time to myself for school and what not!

My mom just sent us a new bed cover and tons of throw pillows and osme other room decorating stuff. She does a great job with that stuff! Our room finally feels more like home! :D She is sending a quilt for Briahna soon as well, I will have to post it once it gets here! I think I already talked about that!

Halloween is coming up next week! I am soooo excited! We are going to do the whole trick or treating thing and they have a little function on base with activities for Briahna! She is either going to be a princess or Tinkerbell...not sure yet! I got a girly eskimo costume and tuan is going to be mr. michael jackson of course. Can't wait to see this ha! I'll be sure to post pictures!

Well I don't have much else to say, just a quick update !miss everyone, have a great halloween!

Making A Change...

2009-10-07T07:11:00.000-07:00

5 Generations- G.G.Gladys-->Patricia-->Danita-->Ashly-->Briahna

Since I have been back home to Germany, I have been thinking and rethinking what to do next. (As far as school, work, life, etc.) I am unsure really what the next step is. But as of right now, my next step is heading back to school! I am going to work at getting a Bachelors in Health Care Administration/Health Information Systems from the University of Phoenix. I am excited to go back and finally do something productive! I am going to continue looking for jobs in hospitals and clinics as a secretary type. That's what my AAS degree is in. But it's quite difficult here in Germany to find a job in that area. I am slowly trying to earn more responsibility at Chili's. Things like becoming a certified trainer and hopefully bartender soon. I know it's not a "real" job, but I'll tell you this, not just anyone can be a good server. I have seen many people fail at this job and it can be quite challenging for some! Maybe someday become an manager or something. I have learned in the last few years, I like to be the boss!! And I am pretty good at delegating others in a positive way! So we will see how that goes! Wish me luck!

On another note, Briahna is getting soo big! She is 2 years and 3 months already! She has learned so much in those 2 short years, it just blows my mind! I have been trying to get her into a child care program or German Kindergarten. I want her to interact with other children and be in a somewhat organized environment! She strives to learn newthings EVERY day! She is quite amazing, ask my dad! He was so amazed with her while we were home! The two things on the top of his mind: the shop and Briahna. My mom, Molly, and I wonder how come we don't rate that high! And it's only because, of course, Briahna can do no wrong! If you know my dad, you understand! :D But yea, all is going well with her! I just bought her some new little Old Navy outfits, so cute! And am waiting for the rest to come from my mom! Speaking of my mom, she made a super cute quilt for Briahna's bedroom! As soon as we get it, I'll post up a picture! Briahna loves it!

My mom, dad, and Briahna before we headed back to Germany.

Well, I suposse I shall do some real work on the computer! I thank all those who do read my blog. I was also wondering, to those of you who do read it, I would like some idea's to make my blog more interesting to read. I know talking about my life can 't get boring sometimes! Maybe some topics you'd like to read about? I have been thinking about blogging about a few things, other than just my life but can't come up with any good ideas at the moment! so just comment and let me know! Thanks again and miss all those far away!

Briahna chasing the goat at the Amazin' Farm yard in Eden Valley, MN.

Please keep my cousin Ben and Uncle Terry in your thoughts as they serve our country in Iraq and Afghanistan! Thanks! :D

I'm still alive...

2009-09-17T13:07:00.000-07:00

Well not sure many people actually read my blog but yea! I'm still alive. Have been either to busy or just avoiding writing my life story (Probably the second one). Mostly because it's not all that interesting!

Briahna and I just got back from the wonderful USA! As much as the economy sucks right now, I would much rather be there near my family! It's never fun being away! We had such a great time home with my parents, family, and friends! My sister even snuck home to visit! That definitely made my trip much more memorable! Briahna was now old enough to run around with Bud and Dude too! I had a great time visiting with the cousins and the few other people I got to see! All and all it was wonderful! Well, except for my bank account, but we won't discuss that! Ha!

We didn't do a large amount of traveling while we were home, but definitely enough to keep busy! Of course we went to the zoo, if anyone was wondering! I think I am more amazed thanBriahna though! My mother and I did alot of shopping as well, hence the damaged bank account! My dad took the day off, yes a day off, and took Briahna and I to the state fair! We had some fried stuff and checked out the animal barns! Oh, and John was never free from his phone for more than 30 minutes! :D For my birthday, my friends and I went to the Vikings Vs. Cowboys game! Very fun! And most of the time we just spent time home, hanging out with the fam and such!

But we are back now and getting adjusted! Tuan is in Denmark working, so it's been over a month since we have seen him! And we are missin him! But he should be back next week, so that will be nice! anyways, I don't have much else to say! Ill post pictures soon and write something worthwhile soon!

...i can see good in everything...

2009-07-01T11:19:00.000-07:00

<--us with one of the statues at Legoland..the old man toursist...give him a loose snap back hat and call him John! Love ya dad!)

I just want to start out by saying how happy I have been in the last few weeks! I must say it feels wonderfuL! There are still things that aren't always so great, but the good things definitely overcome the bad! :D

(below--view over Heidelberg from the castle)

So what is new with us? Well Tuan and I are now proud parents of the smartest 2-year-old EVER! Yes I am sure she is the smartest! She turned 2 last Wednesday the 24th! I can't believe it has been 2 years! This little girl has been around the world and back again! Tuan and I took her to Legoland Duetschland in Gunzburg. It was about a 3 hour drive! Long but we all enjoyed it! We stayed in a small German hotel. Cute but way overpriced! Legoland was pretty cool! Every statue was built from legos! They had a few rides and what not, I guess we probably enjoyed itmore than Briahna did!

(below- Briahna and I on this ride that goes in circles...we assumed it was have went slow...YEA RIGHT! That ride made me sick! )

We ate at a Dino Cafe while we were there, and had some wonderful burgers! We became fat boys that day! It was a bit cool that day but it was nice that it wasn't hot!

Today (Wednesday) and the last few days have been soo hot! You know how I need that AC! But since the Germans don't believe in that, Im stuck with fans! I bought one yesterday, set it up, and all night long heard a clicking sound! UGH I returned that asap this morning and got a new one! :D Earlier today we went to Tuan's family day at work! It was like a buffet type of all the different nations foods! Tuan was in heaven with all the food they had! I have been battling a sickness for the past few days so I wasn't all for it, but it was fun to see where and who he works with! We also met General Brady, a 4-star! Tuan talks about him all the time! He is in charge of...something..ha not sure what exactly!

So anyone else watch Grey's Anatomy...addicting! I am just starting the 4th season! Uh.. love it!

Below--Briahna opening her gifts from her birthday! Nothing special, but I did it up Elmo style! Thanks to those who sent her gifts/cards in the mail! We appreciate them! :D

My blogs are always so random, I always think I have so much to write, but than once I sit down and write, I forget or end up rambling on about other things! :D Well, once I remember more, I will definitely write another! Miss and love all of you! Oh yea, comment me if you would like to view my photos at snapfish! I will send you an invite! Be home in August! SEe you all soon! :D

...sometimes love comes around...

2009-06-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

That would be the lyrics to my new favorite song by Keri Hilson, called Knock you down. Lovee it!

Just thought I would update a bit since it has been awhile and alot has happend in the past few weeks so I have more to write about! We will start with today! Tuan, Briahna and I took our first trip in Germany. We drove to Heidelberg, which is about an hour away or so. It was gorgeous! We went to see the castle and the zoo. The view from the top was amazing! We will def. go again, but maybe a day trip without Briahna. She definitely doesn't enjoy all of that like I do! She was very interested in the rocks more than anything! She had a great time at the zoo too! We saw lions, tigers, bears, elephants, antelope giving birth, and chimps with tumors on the bootys! It was def. better than the last zoo we went to! Tuan is hoping to get reassigned there, okay well I am hoping he does. I would def. love to be there, way more than I enjoy being here. For some reason, AF bases are NOT for me!

I saw Hinder in concert in the beginning of June. It was pretty awesome, the crowd was small and it was FREE! I had my fist taste of Bitburger, German beer. Def. not my favorite! I also took briahna to the pool the other day. German pools are like a maze. You pay to get in of course, than go through door after door to get to the actual pool, and ps they don't allow flops...GROSS! But on the upside, they had 3 indoor pools, and 4 outdoor pools, slides, high dives, toddler areas, water game areas, huge lawn for sun baking, and a snack bar! What else could u ask for! Well on the day we went it was raning, so we didn't go outside but still! That day it down poured non=stop from 11a-after midnight. Ah!

Work is going well, i guess! I have been making decent tips, but definitely over worked! I am one of the few with an actual family, so most people that work there don't understand what it's like trying to find babysitters or shift coverage due to military! Who knew people could be so heartless when it comes to situations like that! But I still do my best when I can!

I recently painted my kitchen a light green color, my first project, um.. ever! It looks pretty nice! i was proud! My next project is my front garden type thing, and my back patio...I want to make them presentable and if the patio/lawn were nice, I would be more inclined to take Briahna out there during the day, but at the moment, it is quite nasty!

Briahna is doing wonderfuL! She turns 2 on the 24th! I can't believe how time flys! She is extremely smart for her age and shocks me with something new everyday! She can count to 14 all by her self, and is slowly learning the ABC's and colors. Her favorite pastime lately has been playing with rocks, coloring, and babies! I think she might be a runner when she gets older, that girl can almost outrun me. And most of you know that I am a runner! Oh and she loves Elmo and Abby Caddabby! I got her the cutest little dabby doll for her birthday ha! :D She is definitely spoiled with my love :D! We got her hair cute a few weeks ago, that girl was so scared! She cried and cried when she saw those scissors! But by the end she was better!

Hm. Not to much else on my mind right now! Briahna and I will be home in August! Sooooo excited! Can't wait to see the family and be in America! Yummy fatty food--here I come!

..i seem to have disappeared...

2009-05-26T06:11:00.000-07:00

But I am back at it... Just letting you all know that things are going well! Briahna and I will be home in August for a month! SOOO excited to see everyone! We have been busy doing the usual. I have been working, Tuan has been working, and Briahna as been working us! :D She is getting soo big and smart! She can count to 13 in English and to 10 in Vietnamese! She is slowly learning colors, and speaking in phrases/sentences! She is becoming aware of when her diaper is full and needs a change. I bought her a new potty chair and am excited/dreading the whole potty training thing! We have been taking walks and getting her out of the house lately!

However, the weather is getting hot and humid. So NOT for me at all! We took Briahna to the zoo for Memorial Day. It was a sad little zoo that is for sure, but she definitely enjoyed the animals and being able to run around! The other day we went to eat at the hotel down the street. We ordered the largest burger there, needless to say, it was LARGE! It was 10 inches across and about 4-5 inches thick! It was a monster! Other than that, we haven't been up to much. Tuan bought a new car, yes, again! But he loves it! It is an RSX Type S Acura. A typical asian car haha! Oh ya, just wanted to say a belated Happy Mother's day to all the amazing moms out there! And also hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend! Next is the month of June, so many birthdays, and the best day ever, Father's day! What the heck do I get my dad for that? You all know my dad, it's a touch desicion on what to get uh! Oh and it's wedding season! Speaking of that, Congrats to Kelsie and Alex (engaged!) :D Anyways, that's all for noW!

What is this world coming to??

2009-04-30T07:31:00.000-07:00

The swine flu...are you effing kidding me!! Uh I am not one to worry so much about things, but this is one that has got me going! I am soo bothered that it has been reported in Germany. Since Germany is so small, I feel like it is just lurking outside my house! Perhaps I am being excessively paranoid, but seriously, I am scared! I am also worried more and more everyday about my family and friends in the states. I pray and hope that researchers find a cure or antibody to get this virus under control. Who knows how it will affect the world tomorrow, or next week. It is scary not knowing at all! It actually makes me more angry than anything!

I hope that everyone is taking proper precautions and staying safe during this pandemic!