…We are getting there

Summer is FINALLY drawing to a close… I have been a working woman again now for two full weeks and aside from the office having no a/c almost this entire month, I am really enjoying myself!

This is about what it feels like in the office everyday!

I have started to get the hang of the computer system and am starting to be able to really fly through applications when someone calls in. Honestly I am thrilled to just get up with an actual purpose for my day now… No more trying to find something to do around the house (although I will always do that) now I get up early have breakfast, coffee, and a shower and hit the road before I would have even been awake last month!

This week also marked the beginning of the end… as my countdowns begin to dwindle. The first of which was Jamie coming to town to take her first medical school board. She came in on Wednesday and got up bright and early on Thursday to go take the test (almost next door to my office, convenient for directions!) and left Friday morning. I love having her here… it is fun to have some familiarity in town!

She will be back next week (in 6 days) to take her second test… and then we are hitting the road for our FIRST ANNUAL FAMILY VACATION! (a mere 8 days away!!!)

Jamie, Jamie D. and I (sadly Jess-tin can’t attend… we may have to take a picture and pretend he’s there for Jamie D’s sake hahaha)  are hitting Myrtle Beach for a full week… AND THEN the moment we have all been waiting for….

JUSTIN’S HOMECOMING! We are so close to the end of this patrol! (exactly 2 weeks from today, Justin will be at home where he belongs!)

As my countdowns end, I realize that it is a true mark of “growing up” when we countdown to the end of SUMMER… but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do! Can’t wait for the beach and especially for Justin to get back… we’re almost to the finish line!

Stay tuned!

…Loud and Proud

It’s amazing the difference a year makes… I can’t believe that in the past year I have gone from a single “girl” to a married “woman”…from living in Alabama where I grew up and lived my whole life to now living and working in South Carolina… from never imagining I’d even date let alone marry someone in the military to being the wife of a man in the Coast Guard. In the past year I have made friends, lost friends, seen joy and sorrow… rejoiced and had heart break…

But today is the anniversary of a day of GREAT Rejoicing… Exactly one year ago today Justin asked me to be his wife… and although he can’t be here with me to celebrate(he’s still on patrol till the 29th)—I thought I would share some thoughts about how I feel about him and how we have grown over the past year with ya’ll (cause heck—I know that the people who care about us most are the only ones reading this mess hahaha!)

Budrow-

Thank you for asking me to be your wife one year ago today... You changed my life for the better and I do not thank you enough for being the wonderful man that you are! I am so thankful and blessed to have you in my life everyday for the rest of mine! God truly has blessed us more than we are worthy of and I am thankful to see Him in you on  a daily basis! I am proud to be legally bound to you ;) and would choose you again and again... From the first time I ever said YES to a year ago... All the days in between and after--- I will shout it from the rooftops and always and forevers you will be the one I choose to spend my days with! Ask me any ole time, promise I'll say yes again ;)

Love you more now than I did then!!--so much more than you know!

"and I thought I loved you then..." ;)

You are my one and only!

Lou

…First Day

Today was my FIRST DAY back to work in over 6 months!!! Felt great to have a reason to get up in the morning and—to quote the great Marshall Eriksen “have a reason to put on pants in the morning”—go to work!!!

Ok so I may not look this fly but… you know-a girl can dream hahaha

I had a good day, got up and made some blue berry muffins and coffee, and my lunch to take with me ;) then got ready with the outfit I had picked out the night before!

It was good, didn't really get to do much there were problems with the computer training system, so I have to wait till Tuesday (After my THREE DAY WEEKEND WHOO WHOO!!!) to actually start the 3 day program. So instead I read a bunch of random literature on company benefits such as…maternity/paternity leave (not that this is pertinent information… don’t go getting your hopes up out there… it was just out there and an available two page read…k? K!-glad we got that straight!), sick leave, fitness discounts (which are only available in IN where the HQ is located...so helpful hahaha!) and the employee referral program (which is how I got the job via Jamie D. he’s gonna get a hefty bonus after I am with the company for a certain amount of time… like a finders fee hahaha!), etc. etc. Tried to familiarize myself with their antiquated email system (it sure ain’t no Gmail— but once I figure it out I will be able to wiz through it in no time!). Organized the desk... you know busy work and a Type A’s dream hahaha!

Hopefully by Tuesday the IT people will have it working and I will be able to start doing actual learning instead of looking busy and twiddling my thumbs, but hey at least I am drawing a paycheck to twiddle now— that’s WAY more than I was doing sittin my hind parts on the couch!

Hope ya’ll have a good weekend!!!

…Guess that’s a license to shop?

I have officially been offered the position I interviewed for at Springleaf Financial Services!!!!

My title will be Financial Representative and I will be starting next Friday, July 1…(I know you think that’s weird… but it’s so that I will be in for all the new bonuses for the first of the month.) But who’s gonna complain—work a day and then have a 3 day weekend—SWEET!

So I guess I need to beef up my wardrobe a little bit!!!!(off the clearance rack of course hahaha) I am pumped!

Stay tuned…I’ll keep you posted!

…The Tony Awards Reviewed

Who watches them? I do every year… are you surprised… I didn’t think so… I know I am an award show junkie, but at least the Tony’s has a back story… I grew up a dancer and SWORE that I would be a Rockette and or dance on Broadway (that is until I learned that 1. I would never be 5’7—a requirement for the Rockettes and 2.HATED tap—a prerequisite for basically all things Broadway (I was more into Ballet)) therefore watching the Tony’s is my way of living out the dream to an extent.

The new shows this season look OUTSTANDING—it would be a DREAM to live in the hub of all of that culture and be able to attend those shows on a regular basis. The winner of Best musical—The Book of Mormon had a small feature and looked HYSTERICAL, I can’t wait till it starts touring (we all know I won’t be making it to NYC to see it!)

 

This year Neil Patrick Harris was the host and did an EXCELLENT job! If you missed it, and or the show on the whole… NPH did a wrap-up rap at the end of the show that was SOOO GOOD! He had writers doing it as the show was going on with things that people said as they accepted their awards and while the performances were happening and such... the whole thing ended with him saying go see a "mother ---- Broadway show!"  he bleeped himself out with a little screech (like you might hear in a rap song on the radio) into the mic and then dropped the mic threw his hands in the air and walked off stage! EPIC!  TOTALLY BAD A$$! Don’t worry I am posting it for you to see…

Move over Busta Rhymes! NPH is TAKING OVER!

 

See ya’ll next time!

…Speaking Terms

As some of you may know, Justin left for patrol on Mother’s Day and will be gone until the end of July.

This is the DALLAS (aka Justin’s “Office” and Home away from Home)

 

This is us on the day that he left… some of you may remember it from the first day of the Year in Pictures.

We mainly communicate via email (if you want to send him an email contact me and I can give you his info) But this weekend they have been in Guantanamo Bay for a few days, and we have been able to talk on the phone EVERY DAY and even on Skype once!

Guantanamo Bay is in Cuba (incase you didn’t know)

(The Picture is from the 1st)

It was so good to be able to actually talk again instead of just email! I can’t wait to have him back home!! We are almost half way there!

…I found a new time Drainer

Have you heard of Pinterest yet? Well if you haven’t you are in the dark! But Let me enlighten you cause it is GREAT!

What is it? Pinterest is like a virtual bulletin board where you can “pin” (or in computer terms bookmark) your “ideas” (in computer terms again…websites) to your bulletin board… it’s really THAT SIMPLE!

Here is a screen shot of some of my pins…

What do you use it for? So lets say you REALLY like Shoes… (cause let’s face it… I have a shoe problem!) and you are always stumbling upon a pair here and a pair there that you would love to be able to find again. You should have a board called “Shoes” and Pin each pair! What? you also just love clothes? or Interior decorating? Or you are planning a wedding or party… you can have a board for EACH thing you are interested in!!!

You don’t really browse the internet that much? Don’t worry… Other people do the work for you! You’d be SHOCKED at how many of the people that you are already following on Twitter or Facebook are members of Pinterest. You can then choose to follow their boards… either all of them or just the ones that have things that you are interested in as well! SO COOL… then their stuff will show on your home page and you can “repin” it and add it to your own boards!

 

So that’s seriously all there is to it… but it can consume your life! There are so many awesome DIY ideas, ways to design your home, fun new outfits, ways to wear your hair… the ideas that are up there are endless!!!

Check it out! I am in LOVE hahaha

I have already made plans to make 3 crafts I found on there AND am planning my photo wall with a tutorial that I found up there as well!

HAPPY PINNING!

Oh and PS: if you are a pinner already and want to follow me feel free! Leslie@betterthanasitcom

Leave your Pinterest name in a comment and I will check your boards out too!!!!