Saturday, November 29, 2008

anniversary trip---denied

i am blogging about this incident because many years from now, i want to remember what our five year anniversary plan was, so that maybe i can eventually get the trip of my dreams....when the timing is right, of course!

this story begins way back in november 2003, the year we were married. actually january 2004 to be exact because we didn't honeymoon until we finished out the semester. so in january 2004 matt and i enjoyed an amazing honeymoon to british columbia's big white resort. my idea of a honeymoon was more like a tropical island in the caribbean, but being that we were married at the end of november and matt loves the snow, we opted for a more non-traditional honeymoon to a beautiful snow covered mountain resort in canada. knowing that my tropical vacation would eventually happen!

so fast forward to february 2008. i decided that this year was a BIG milestone being our 5 year anniversary and all and wanted to celebrate it with a BIG vacation for a number of reasons: of course, the 5 year milestone, to celebrate matt's graduation from usu and ocs, a much needed break from 'mommyhood' for me, and much needed alone time for the two of us. matt agreed!

so the planning started. i was finally going to get my 10 day tropical vacation to a sandals resort in the caribbean!

BUT there was one problem. i hadn't lost any of my 'baby weight' and there was no way i was going to feel comfortable in a bathing suit on the beach. so i set a goal, got a gym membership and started a new lifestyle which included lots of fitness and healthy eating habits. i knew in the end, i would meet my fitness goal and would be rewarded by frolicking on the beach childless with my wonderful husband in...yes a bathing suit with no cover-up!

the timing couldn't be better...really. we had a number of things to celebrate, we had the money to do it, we had the destination picked out, we had a babysitter (my mom) all lined up, i was on my way to reach my fitness goal, and we knew we would be expanding our family soon.....so this was the time to go before i got pregnant or added another baby to the mix.

so fast forward again to september 2008. our anniversary is quickly approaching and matt and i are all giddy inside just dreaming about our upcoming vacation. i not only reached my fitness goal but completely surpassed it! and we were ready to enjoy this trip!

but once again, there's a problem.....our anniversary trip was DENIED when the navy decided to move us half way across the world with less than a months notice. before matt and i could even register what was happening, our belongings and jeep were being shipped off to guam, we were saying good-bye to family and friends. and before we knew it, we were arriving at the airport in guam.

so now it is november 2008. and our anniversary trip to the caribbean is now merely a dream once again. we are way too far from our babysitter and even further from the caribbean to even think about going there.

so as i remind matt about this amazing trip i planned and how i yearned to be on the white sand beach.......he reminded me that we are now living in paradise. and our short little 10 day anniversary vacation to the caribbean turned into a 3 year vacation to a beautiful island in the pacific.

not the same, i say. but worth a laugh none-the-less. it was a good try, right!!?? but that's what i love about him. he always looks at the positive in things. coming here was out of our hands and although that meant that we didn't get our childless vacation together, it doesn't matter. because in the end, all that matters is that we were able to spend it together, laughing, playing, and frolicking on the white sand beaches in a bathing suit with no cover-up, but still coming home at the end of the night to put our beautiful little girl to bed!!! and i know in the future i will eventually get the trip of my dreams....when the timing is right, of course!!

Pictures of our anniversary to soon follow!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving!

Yesterday, I decided to bake some Thanksgiving cookies with Rian. She had a blast! We made some dough, rolled it out, and made a huge mess with the flour before cutting out the Thanksgiving shapes and putting them in the oven!



Here they are ready to go into the oven!
Rian waited patiently as the cookies baked. She was really excited to decorate them and would keep the sprinkles within her reach at all times :)


I gave Rian a little kiddie knife and she loved spreading the frosting. Here is the final product. Not bad for her first time!
Happy Thanksgiving to you all! This is my favorite holiday of the year and although I'm sad we won't be celebrating it with family, I'm excited to be with our new friends here. Hope you all have a wonderful day! Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Tumon Beach

We ventured out on Saturday and explored some of the island. Mainly in the area of Tumon, the more touristy part of Guam. It was so pretty. I could just sit and stare out into the water forever. The pictures hardly do it justice. There are so many shades of beautiful greens and blues, it's just amazing.
Remember you can click on the collages to make them bigger!

Posted by PicasaThe beach has a long strip of sand that we walked up and down. We collected sea shells, and watched some hermit crabs. I was completely fascinated by all the rocks covered in this green mossy stuff. We had an awesome time besides of the 90 degree plus high humidity weather. What were we thinking not wearing our bathing suits???

Two Lovers Point

After a nice ride in our air conditioned car, we enjoyed the beautiful views from Two Lovers Point. It's a lookout located high on the cliffs above the water. Legend has it that two forbidden lovers jumped off the cliff to proclaim their love for each other many moons ago.

Posted by PicasaWe went too late in the day though. The sun was reflecting off the water, so you can't really see the true beauty of the water...at least in the first collage. It was still an amazing view, just next time we'll go in the am.

Two Lovers Point at Sunset

We came back to Two Lovers Point to watch the sunset. I took some pictures while Rian made some friends.....but I'll post about that another time :)

Posted by PicasaIt was kind of hazy that night and there was a marine layer. It wasn't the best night for a sunset, but it was still pretty. After the sunset, we went out for a nice, yet expensive dinner. You know when the kids meal alone is $9 you're in trouble, but we still had a great time and Rian got a balloon out of it!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

dress up

rian loves to play dress up. she especially loves her clip-on earrings, bracelets, tiaras, and necklaces. we play with them everyday! when she recently received a package from grandma lois, she was so excited to see more dress up clothes, she could hardly contain herself! she especially loved the shoes! she wore those things the entire day, i swear!
i've never seen rian as a girlie girl until now. it's so fun and cute to watch. she even puts her bracelets on her ankles to make anklets. i sure didn't teach her that!
i feel like she looks so teenage-like with her earrings on too; like it's a glance into the future. call me crazy, but when she is wearing them, she looks so grown up and not like my little girl

Monday, November 10, 2008

what in the world


while we were still unpacking one morning a few weeks ago, rian was keeping herself busy by playing in her room.....or so we thought. she walks over to us dressed like this. what in the world is she wearing?? no way we can go in public like that :)
but it was cute, and she was proud of herself!
Posted by Picasa

Friday, November 7, 2008

care packages are the BEST

My mom made my day today :) She sent us two care packages.....one for Rian and one for us! There are a few things that I have not been able to get here at the commissary (grocery store on base), so my Mom came to the rescue and sent us a box full of goodies!!!
Posted by PicasaFirst and foremost, we CANNOT live without cholula. It's the first thing we requested. Seriously like the first day we got here I called and asked for it to be sent. It's this yummy hot sauce and if you know Matt and I at all, you know we love mexican food. So how can I cook mexican food if I don't have any hot sauce to go with it, right?? We are so excited for taco night now!
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Then I got my favorite candy: cherry twizzler bites....and it's a family size bag! I love these so much thanks to my Mom! I actually brought some with me, but have since eaten them all. So these came just in time!
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A variety of Luna Bars. I love these as a quick, on-the-go lunch. And I can only get one flavor here. So having other flavors to choose from is great!
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Uncle Bens Rice. I seriously have not cooked rice in a pot/pan or rice cooker in years. 90 seconds and it's done. How could I ever go back to cooking rice on the stove top? Plus, I love the sante fe flavored one especially.
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Magazines! I haven't changes my address yet for my magazines and have been dying ever since I saw this months' cover of Good Housekeeping on the stands. I LOVE Jon and Kate Plus 8, so as you can imagine, was super excited to finally get it!
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I know this is a long and silly post. But Rian is napping and Matt is working and I am way too excited for these goodies to keep it to myself.
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When Rian wakes up, she will be happy to see that Grandma Lois sent her a box too. It's full of some fun dress up toys, clothes, books, Thanksgiving decor, a height chart, and other fun stuff too.
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Thanks, Mom! You are the best! You seriously made my day; what a perfect way to start my weekend :)

Monday, November 3, 2008

a little girl and her shoes


Posted by PicasaIs this ridiculous or what? 26 pairs of shoes that fit....just in this picture alone. I found another 7 pairs when I unpacked another tote.
Now the question is how do I organize them? ANY IDEAS????
Rian is totally obsessed with shoes and it's all thanks to Grandma Lois :) It's so cute!