So the beautiful thing about this blog post is that I type it knowing my husband will finish work tomorrow morning and will be home with me for the weekend. He finished his first deployment, which was almost 5 months. We were able to see each other halfway through, thank goodness. But I can't say how happy I am that he is home with me. I sleep better, cook real dinners, and love just spending time together doing basic things like grocery shopping and losing our 5-minutes-new Frisbee over the neighbor's yard. I wanted to document our dream vacation to Italy through mostly pictures. When we first starting dating we both agreed that Italy was on the top of our bucket lists. We were so happy to go on this trip and grateful for the opportunity to do so while we are on this side of the world. 

To start, I am just so happy he is home. Have I said that yet? 

I am not looking forward to the number of times we will have to have this hug. But for now, we travel!! Vamos a Italia!!
We first went to Rome and stayed in a wonderful hotel called EuroStars, During our travel, we had one full day in Rome to start and we spent the entire day walking all over the city. We started off at the Colosseum, naturally,

It was a crazy thing to imagine the kind of things that would happen in this arena. It wasn't as large as we were expecting but there was definitely not a shortage of people from all over the world trying to get in to see it. Next up, the Roman Forum...

Swung by the Pantheon. Happened to be in the nieghborhood....

We ventured over to Trevi Fountain which was of course under construction during our visit. I'll spare you pictures of tarp and skip on to the idea that as a short person I had to practice the art of "looking up" in Rome. There was beautiful statues and artwork everywhere!

I mean...is this real life??

And this is the part where my cell phone/camera battery dies. We saw probably over a dozen of the bucket list landmarks all in all. We also were able to visit the Vatican. However, after standing in line an hour long, I was refused at the door because of my tattoos. 

Really. 

So we wandered til we found a place to cover my ink with a tacky tourist t-shirt and scarf for my legs. We were not going to go to Rome and not see the Vatican. I mean, come on now! Anyways, it was a great day and we slept well before catching a train from Tremini station to Florence for the remainder of most of our trip. The train ride was beautiful and none of my pictures do it even close to justice so I won't bother...  it's worth a trip across the world, I promise. A train ride through Tuscany has been on my dream list forever and I was so happy to cross it off. We spent the next two and a half days wandering around looking for gorgeous and delicious things. It was on every corner though!

My favorite Basilica out of the half dozen we went into... Santa Maria Novella. Without a doubt! Probably the most moving artwork I have ever seen in my life. I am surprised none of the other tourists helped me pick my jaw up off of the ground when I spent a good ten minutes just analyzing this painting of the Virgin Mary. It was huge and the detail stunning...

We also went to the Santa Maria Novella pharmacy that looked like this picture but for the entire store. We could smell their homemade brews the minute we stepped in the door, it was on point!

Patrick read up on this sandwich shop that had a crazy line literally the entire time we were there. They literally had a baker from across the street bringing over an armful of fresh loaves of bread every 5 minutes to keep up with the crowd. It was literally the best sandwich I have ever had in my life. Literally. 

We checked out the Museum of Galileo. So much of it was sooo over my head. My brain just isn't designed that way ha!

Our view of Florence from halfway up inside the Boboli Gardens.

We took the Cyprus Alley route back down the gardens. I felt like I was in Alice in Wonderland!

Pit stop at the Ponte Vecchio!

We had a truly amazing time. We ate gelato twice a day and every time it was the best I have ever had. We definitely plan to go back someday. I think my favorite part of this trip was just getting to spend it with my guy and letting our adventurous sides run wild. We both work alot and to be able to explore with no deadlines, eat at the same amazing hometown Italian restaurant for dinner twice (Pizza Man in Florence) and shut our phones off a bit was more than worth it. 

He also surprised me with an early birthday gift- an upgraded wedding ring. He took me completely by surprise on our last night in Tuscany and proved again that I found a good one. I will always love my original engagement ring for the memories it held but it seems like from another lifetime. I will always remember this vacation, especially as we prepare in a few months for him to go out again for far too long. But for now, we live every moment... for the big and little things :) 

I view life as a revolving door where people, ideas, and emotions come and go. For the longest time, I didn't realize that I have- to some extent- control over this entrance into my existence. I obviously cannot predict when tragedy will find me, when someone else decides that they don't need to come to visit anymore, or if it's cloudy outside my windows. However, I've come to the conclusion that I have the ability to lock this door, build a fence outside and keep all the keys in hidden places whenever necessary. Not just to keep the unwanted visitors out, but to protect my home and valuables inside.

I realized this a few years ago and have grown more confident through experience and adventure that my self, and my relationships can be kept inside this imagined room. I found safety in understanding that I am the only one who can rearrange its' contents. The most important thing that I learned to protect through this idea, was our marriage. 

Our first year wasn't perfect, whose is? We would argue over trivial things... such as who had to do the dishes or how we would spend our money. Totally normal things that come with the territory when you are talking about completely adapting your room to fit someone else inside of it. At some point though, we began understanding that we both make active decisions regarding how we treat each other and our new commitment. We had to come to an unspoken agreement together that our choices were bigger than our environment- so that our relationship could truly thrive.

When we started to view our relationship as a safe haven instead of just a portion of our lives, we began treating it as such. We learned to laugh when things went wrong. Professional and personal opportunities that didn't benefit both of us or would obviously affect our relationship in a negative way were left outside ringing that doorbell. We began decorating the walls of this room with encouragement and began dropping mistakes and shortcomings as quickly as they came. We focused on our goals and dreams and figured out ways for them to align. Most importantly, we stopped comparing our room to other people's as so often the neighbors we admired would shut their blinds or eventually stop coming home.We made our own rules, within which we are happy. Some nights, we still went to bed angry. But over time, there was a noticeable shift in our relationship. This occurred when we both learned the art of patience. 

In The Message, Corinthians 13 it says pretty bluntly, "Love never gives up." This idea doesn't have to be complicated. We practice patience... we wait. We wait for great things to come when they don't seem within reach. We wait for the person we love to understand that they don't have to be perfect. We wait for the person we love to become who they were designed to be, no matter how many times that changes. We patiently wait for each other when terrible things happen and we lose our way and sometimes faith. We wait while others come in and out of our door and lives. We wait for familiarity when everything we know changes. We wait to eventually share our love with little ones that will share our name and features. And best of all, we wait while everything is falling into place to make sure we stick around long enough to catch all the pieces. We wait.

Now that I have said that, waiting isn't the actual focus of our relationship. The focus is what we are indeed waiting for. While we wait, we do many things. We talk about things we have done and plan to do and what we want right here and now. We burn dinner and go out for pizza instead because that sounded better in the first place anyways. We laugh about things that are totally inappropriate and shouldn't be repeated. We travel to places we can hardly pronounce and enjoy every minute of it. We take pictures of beautiful sunrises and sunsets and all the stages of daylight in between. We say yes as often as possible. We trust each other no matter the distance in minutes or miles. We practice patience, and therefore- love extravagantly.

I write this because it seems more and more over the years, I have been asked how I "knew" my husband was the one, at such a young age. We were both so young! It's hard to believe that we have been together for over 6 years now. Each and every time I am asked this I always have the same answer... he waited for me. He waited for me to know that I could love him and say so and tell the truth, all at the same time. He waited for me when I questioned whether I deserved this safe haven. Now, we wait for each other. That's the only way this idea works- it has to be two-sided.

If you already know what I am talking about, kudos to you. If you haven't found or realized it yet, you will. Because when it's right, and you have something worth protecting and waiting for, you'll know it. And I promise, waiting will be the most rewarding thing you have ever done or will ever do...hands down.

I just finished traveling for 12 hours. I had breakfast in Greece, lunch in Italy, and dinner back home here in Spain. I am thinking, 'Is now really the time to be blogging about my trip?...' The answer was no, until I tried to sleep, quite unsuccessfully. So now the answer is yes! I think the last 5 days of waking up in the same bed as my husband (such a novel idea!) has now ruined me for a few more days to come, even for the comforts of our eurotop. Now that we are on the same page: I want to share some pictures and brief details about the highlights of my most recent adventure.

I would like to preface this by saying what our goal was for this trip. Most importantly, we wanted to see eachother. We booked our tickets, and for two and a half months I counted the days until this vacation designed to truly relax with my favorite guy. So here goes!

We stayed on the island of Crete, a part of Greece situated in the Mediterranean Sea.

We visited Chania, and more specifically, stayed along the coastline of a small local beach called Kalamaki about ten minutes away.

We checked into the Porto Kalamaki hotel. You can see the Cretan Sea across the street!

We found an array of restaurants that had beach chairs off the deck with the sand literally in your toes during breakfast...

And this is where I would not read further if you are hungry. Don't say I didn't warn you!!

We had many delicious meals and I realize that a lot of my pictures are of the dinners we had together. Part of this was because you are supposed to take pictures of your food. This is Social Media 101 right? But really, for us it was trying new things, traditional Greek entrees, and hours at the dinner table relaxing on the water and just talking, in person.

This is a breakfast parfait, made with local Greek yogurt and Greek honey. The only thing that would have made this more Greek would have been to throw olives in it! It was super delicious. I think I have a new affinity for Greek yogurt.

We immediately went on a stroll along the beach. There were several super tiny islands, enough to fit a boat or two on... Just maybe a house. Charming!

We headed into Chania Town at one point to do some exploring and took advantage of their markets... Some were inside with a lot of local olive products, fresh fish, etc...

And into the main market. There were plenty of nice shops in this area. However, we were in knockoff country. Very real looking Ray Ban's? €5. A "Michael Kors" bag? €15. It was a lot of fun. And I was truly surprised at the amount of people who spoke English well enough to peer pressure me into buying things! Naturally...

Stopped in to get a gyro for lunch. This thing was made of magic I think.

We stumbled across the Church of the Trimartyri, a Greek Orthodox Cathedral open to the public.

There were several carved tables with hundreds of thin candles and water-soaked bins where others had lit and placed candles. I was very curious about this practice and have since discovered that apparently individuals attending the church will often light a candle on the way in as a symbol of burning away fear, or a darkness within life as well as a reminder where light in our lives originates before entering a service. It was definitely interesting!

The interior was breathtaking.

So that was neat! We left and returned to stroll on one of the more quiet streets. We went mid-day on Friday and got to beat the crowds a bit...

So here's where this turns into a foodie blog. Hey, I don't make the rules. Up for dinner was Chicken Schnitzel a la Creme. Apparently this is originally an Austrian dish, but very common in Greece and cooked in local olive oil. It's essentially breaded chicken breast with a lemony/parsley crust. This is where I knew I was about to be in for a real treat...

The house wine at every restaurant we went was delicious. We frequently had Vin de Crete, a local blend that I wish I could send back home by the barrel. In this pic, we have Dokas, a bruschetta type appetizer except with barley rusks and feta cheese to top. I seriously considered eating no other form of food for the rest of my life after trying that...

Also, the olives they served with dinner are purple here. So there's that.

Here's another favorite appetizer called Kalitsounia. It's a sweet cheese pastry consisting of a careful concoction of special herbs and the all of the honor, dignity, and truth in the world you could fit into a handheld delicacy.

I have made my Aunt Denise's Chicken Souvlaki recipe before and couldn't resist the urge to get some while I was there. It's a chicken kabob marinated in deliciousness and grilled quickly. I am so happy to say that this dish was familiar to me and I was already doing this one right. Thanks Auntie!

My last favorite dish of the week was Moussaka. It's like a mashed potato casserole with shredded meat and a layer of eggplant. I have a love/hate relationship with eggplant but this turned out to be pretty amazing.

In all reality, our trip was very low-key.

We ate, we drank, we sunbathed.

We made a few Greek friends.

We knocked off a few days from our deployment countdown.

I had such an amazing week at the beach and just spending time with my guy...we already have our next trip in the works!

<3 <3

So I have jumped into life here with both feet, arms, head, etc and am learning how to adjust to Spain! I love it here, and have made a short list of five things I was not expecting about Spain...

And I mean everyone. 9 times out of 10, it's a positive experience. My sweet coworkers, the waiter at dinner, and strangers passing by on the street will say what they think. It's usually in Spanish, but I can pick up on the general idea of what's being said. It's always accompanied with a greeting, and I've started doing it myself too. The other side of this is that while there are tattoo shops here, I have not seen as many on individuals that aren't American. I am stopped between 2-4 times a day when I go out in town- by someone who will go out of their way to hold my arm while inspecting my artwork. This is followed by a series of questions in Spanish... How long did it take to get this? How many do you have? Did it hurt? etc. When I tell them the piece on my arm took 7 hours to complete, I am met with complete shock and amazement. I was talking with a fellow American the other day about this, and he told me that because he has two full sleeves of ink, he is consistently asked to have his picture taken with the person inquiring. That just made me laugh!

No, you are totally reading that right. We have one car, and our coverage *per person* through our insurance provider is 70 million euros ( about 97 million dollars) for Bodily Injury, and 15 million euros(about 20 million dollars) for property damage. We knew we would have to have a substantially larger amount of coverage, and opted for the automatic coverage required by our insurance company when we transferred the car over here. The funniest thing about this, is that our monthly payment actually went DOWN a few dollars a month from when we lived in Virginia. I don't know if all of this says more about Spain, or Norfolk...but wow. My mind exploded when we discovered exactly how much coverage we have. I definitely was not expecting that!

I am continuously reminded about this, usually while trying to bluff my way through a conversation in Spanish, when they person I am trying to talk to will outright say, "Are you American? I speak English too." And it's awkward. 
Every. Single. Time.

Before I moved to Europe, the only person who ever kissed both my cheeks after a greeting was Pat's Aunt Terri, and I always thought it was a sweet gesture. and was curious to know where it originated from. It's pretty common here, and once you get the swing of it, it's more friendly then the ol' American handshake! So if you're coming to visit soon, here's your tutorial.

It's true. I think I could probably survive the apocalypse at least a few weeks off of the little mom and pop shops within short walking distance of my front door. Between the Italian pizzeria, small grocery store, magazine stand, bar, bakery, coffee shop, pharmacy, fruit shop, and magazine stand... I have what I need with easy access. The great thing about that is that many neighborhoods are the same way- you don't have to go very far.Obviously, I try to go on adventures whenever possible, but there's something really comfortable about the fact that I can take 15 minutes of my afternoon to get some food for dinner, wine for after, and some fresh flowers. I am really looking forward to my favorite guy going on these strolls with me... and hopefully sooner than later. <3

Alright, time for a Spanish recipe! I thought it might be fun to share some of the local meals/goodies that are a part of life here. I have plans for a few more things to share once I actually master them. Today I have the day off and I thought... I should unpack all of our house stuff that arrived yesterday! So of course I am blogging instead.

Around here, there are many breakfast cafe offerings that are the same as in the states. Cafés open in early morning and then reopen after all the businesses take a siesta in the afternoon. We have found a few sweet shops and one of them is right around the corner from our house.

It's my new favorite place! It's called The Panaderia. It's a walk-up bakery counter with a great selection of fresh baked breads, doughnuts, pastries, etc. We go there religiously now... The owner is so very friendly and doesn't judge me at all when I ask for 'dos' of 'those' haha. Still learning names of things!

So today after Ron and I wandered around at the beach for a bit, I headed over there to get a few baguettes. Everyone eats much less and less often here, but when we do eat, it's the real deal! Meals are fairly simple in regards to ingredients, from what I have seen so far. The emphasis is really on the freshness of the individual foods with simple flavorings.

For example, the breakfast I made today! It is called Pan con Tomato y Jamon. The first thing needed is some fresh bread, aka 'pan.':

2 loaves for 1 Euro, which makes it that much more delicious. Next, we add the Jamon. This sandwich is common without it as well, but this is a version I have seen in many a tapas bar so far. I picked up a package at the minimart next to the bakery. It's a cured meat and does not need to be cooked when you eat it. It's like a more delicate version of ham- people buy the meat and slice it at home. It's a careful process and to buy it directly from a butcher is somewhat expensive. So I buy this version for now until I can find a good place to get it away from the supermarket.

I will slice open the loaf and lay out a few pieces before toasting it in the oven for a few minutes. Apparently, our oven operates in Celsius, so I do this at 180 degrees... Which I think is about 350 Fahrenheit.

While it's warming up, it's time to get out the juiciest tomato I can find and cut it into very thick slices. This is the main focus of the dish in my opinion!

And after we pull out the bread, on go the tomatoes, with lots of salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Some people also add oregano among other things.

Like I said, it's pretty simple. It reminds me of a yummier BLT, but for breakfast or really any time of day. We also picked up a french press and some Spanish coffee....

Apparently 'Mezcla' means it's a mix between natural coffee beans and 'torrefacto' beans. We picked randomly since we don't understand labels on anything... and I guess they are beans that turn black because they have been cooked with sugar until the outer skin darkens. It makes for a strong cup, and it certainly does the trick! Hmm!

So there it is. Let me know if you are interested in this kind of post... For now I will be waiting patiently until this afternoon to munch on a few other goodies I got for a euro at the bakery... However, today feels like a YOLO day so no promises!!!

So where do I begin? I have now spent over 24 hours in a new country and I still can't believe I am even here. I'll be honest, my body is still 6 hours behind so adjusting to some new sleeping patterns is my biggest goal right now. Apparently, the standard here is to eat dinner around 8-10 and then hit the hay come midnight... so, switching to that will definitely be a challenge besides the jet lag I am currently attempting to conquer. Either way, I thought I would share some pictures and thoughts about my first day and a half here while it's fresh!

So because of Winter Storm Leon, my flight was delayed 2 days which is why I didn't arrive until yesterday morning. Our flight was simply stopping in Rota for the dozen of us getting off and the rest of the military personnel on board were being transported to Italy, Bahrain, and Djibouti. That's pronounced "Ja-Booty"... Try saying that without a smirk LOL.

Upon arrival, my sponsor met me at the airport and helped me with my luggage and checking in through their customs etc. I was super relieved to get off the flight- I slept about an hour of the 7 that I was on it and it was probably the most turbulent flight I have experienced besides our flight back from our honeymoon in Hawaii. Anyways, my sponsor dropped me and another navy wife off at our hotels on base to settle in for a bit. My room here is perfect! It has everything I need, including electrical outlets that fit my American power cords, a walk in closet to hang up our clothes for the next month and most importantly...a Keurig machine! Pretty stoked. It's the little things I guess!

So after arriving about 2 hours late here yesterday morning, I barely made my appointment with the housing department but I am super glad I was still able to go. Luckily every building I will need to be in for the next few weeks is within eye-shot of my room so that will be very handy as I continue the check-in process. After I found my way over there, I spoke with a counselor and browsed through their house listings off base. The great thing about working with the housing department is that all of the rentals they offer off base are privately owned but have been inspected by Navy personnel and deemed fit/safe/structurally sound with a reasonable amount of rent requested to be able to partner with the department at all. I was able to pick out 11 places to see and hopefully will be doing that next week. It's alot of paperwork but I am really hopeful about living in any of those places I chose to see- they are all beautiful with great amenities and within walking distance of the beachfront. I am hoping to narrow it down to a handful so that when Pat arrives, he can join in for the the next few stages of the process.

So after passing out at 5 am this morning  (normal VA time...naturally) I got myself together this afternoon and went out into Rota to do some exploring. I was supposed to meet with my sponsor but it's fairly hard to reach other people in this neck of the woods so I decided to just go out on my own. I feel like I am becoming this super paranoid person with a checklist in my head of things I have to confirm I have with me before leaving anywhere or doing anything at all. Do I have my cell phone? Room key? Military ID? Spanish base pass? Dollars? Euros? Map? Debit card? Emergency phone numbers? Base schedule? Passport? Clothes?

But nonetheless I was able to successfully wander around the downtown area and ventured towards the boardwalk. 

Now, I'll be honest... I had heard some things about how "friendly" the locals are, specifically those of the male nature. I didn't think much of this idea until after I had been off of the navy base for literally 10 minutes. During this time, I walked into a local tapas deli, Plaza del Triunfo, a few blocks down... basically a place that serves primarily appetizers. After the patient cashier got the message that I "no habla espanol"... I had my meal chosen, paid for and placed at a table for me by a local man who overheard me ordering and who speaks broken English. I insisted otherwise but apparently this does not work. After thanking this stranger for buying my lunch for no apparent reason, I then got the forewarned kiss on the hand and was on my merry way. Awkward! I really need to learn to speak Spanish because pointing to my wedding ring emphatically won't do the trick. In other news, I had something that the cashier told me was called "Chicharrones", basically Spanish bacon served in a sandwich with slices of tomato and a salt shaker on the side. I'm not gonna lie, it was delicious. It was sweeter than I was expecting and I was excited to have my first authentic Spanish meal.

After leaving there, I strolled around and found a few tourist shops, although the majority of businesses I passed during my walking tour were closed. I am not sure if this was because of an afternoon siesta or if it is because of the weekend. I found a shop with cheap swimsuits and got one for a whopping 6 euros, about $8 US dollars. I passed many people along the way to the boardwalk and they were all very friendly. I had to dip into my freshman year Spanish class to try to remember a few key words to get through my adventure but everyone was very understanding and helpful. One thing I didn't realize I would need to do is to figure out my clothing sizes in Spanish sizing charts! Luckily they have a good selection of sizes from what I have seen so far but I will have to start thinking in different numbers.

The boardwalk was beautiful even though it was a bit chilly today and there weren't very many people actually on the beach or in the water. My phone battery randomly died halfway through my adventure so I will need to figure out why. I did manage to get a pic before this happened though...

On my way back to base, I thought I heard the group walking ahead of me speaking in English which did not really happen outside of the base. At one point they stood to the side and then asked me in broken Spanish if I knew where a certain bar was. When I responded to them in English they were shocked! They started laughing and said they hadn't heard such "understandable spanish" since arriving LOL. Apparently it was a group of U.S. Army soldiers here temporarily before beginning their own deployment. I obviously could not help them but it was nice to meet some other Americans randomly.

I couldn't help but admire the brick and stone streets with gorgeous detail and mission-style housing. I could wander for hours! Anyways, I am super excited that Pat is headed this way and can't wait to see him and do a lot more exploring once he arrives. I still feel like I am in a daze and I have a full week of introductory community classes ahead of me so I hope to learn more about the local culture and post alot more pictures. :)

-Ems

Wow...
Where has the time gone?? I feel like it was not too long ago I blogged about getting my new position with the NEX and getting ready for going home again for Monica's wedding. Not Kyle and Monica's. Just Monica's. :P

Honestly, things are becoming VERY interesting. For those of you just peeking out from the under the rock long enough to read this random blog, I will be headed over to Rota within the week!! Getting everything ready for moving overseas has been a full time job. Luckily, I was indeed able to enroll in the transfer program through the NEX and worked my last shift about a month ago to make sure I had plenty of time to do some of the heavy lifting. And by heavy lifting, I mean paperwork. It's incredible the process it has been moving both of us... Pat's been doing his share of working "only" 15 hours days and so I made myself a handy-dandy checklist so we both feel a little more...together. It's pretty intense. Like, 3 pages of notes intense.

I feel like I look around our apartment, which is currently organized into 3 sections: Luggage items, Express Shipping Items, and Household Goods in preparation for the packers/movers coming this afternoon and wonder...Is this Real Life??! 

More than anything, we are excited about all the changes although we know they will be bittersweet as our transfer over there will also begin 3 years full of deployments. One of our goals in starting this adventure in the Navy in the first place, was to experience some new places so this is our chance. We have alot of plans to roam around Europe and with how cheap the flights are within that area (think, France, Italy, Greece...etc.) we will be able to do just that.

I am beyond excited to get over there and start house-hunting. I will be arriving before Pat and hope to get the process started so we aren't staying in the hotel for too long. I get restless in small spaces! We are very hopeful as to the type of place we will be able to get as the Navy will be paying outright with a certain set amount limit as opposed to giving us that money through his pay to figure out our own situation... which has been the routine until now. There are several communities in the Rota area and so we may end up living in places nearby, Chipiona or El Puerto De Santa Maria. After looking at housing through Spanish craigslist websites, we should be able to get a nice townhouse right off the beach, or a nicer house with a yard/possibly pool if we stay further away from the water. That whole area has a lot of charm!

I feel like God has blessed us in many ways and that settling into a nicer place will be similar to the saying "the calm before the storm." What I mean by this is that we have been lucky enough to not have him gone for full deployments yet- which is a rarety with him having already been assigned sea-duty for the last 6 months. I know that everything will be fine, and we've been through thick and thin together... I just prefer the thin (or whichever of the two is better). Doesn't everyone??

Speaking of blessings... We have started something new... The Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover Challenge. We bought a used copy from Amazon for $7 after Christmas and it has already made a huge impact on the way we spend money. We have been working towards a comfortable savings account since before we got married and even though Pat had to convince me to read the book... I will say that so far, it makes SOO much sense. It really is user-friendly and easy to read/understand. I am about halfway finished with it and will keep reading a chapter at a time while we continue to stay busy with the move. Here's the link if you are interested in trying something new... By following his system, we have already saved at least twice what we typically do in the last few weeks alone and are excited with the way we "tell our money where to go, instead of wondering where it went."

One of my favorite parts about his system is the emphasis he puts on giving back some of the blessings you receive. Growing up, we were taught that tithing to the church is important and we still feel that way. We will be looking into possibly attending a local church service/mass once we arrive there, but for now we have been able to sponsor a boy and a girl through this awesome nonprofit based in Southern India called Help the Helpless. We looked into several organizations to decide which one seemed like a good place to start on this goal and we had heard from some of Pat's family members who also participate in this charity. We are both excited to start giving back alittle more and it certainly helps to have letters/pictures from these adorable kiddos on our fridge- a constant reminder of the importance to not only count our blessings, but to share them as well. It's been a great way to start our goals in the hopes of fully committing to the money makeover challenge.

ANYWAYS..
For awhile, or possibly permanently... I will not be at my normal telephone number. I should be available via Facebook or if you have something drastic and immediate to share with me (For example... information regarding a pending zombie apocalypse, knowledge of the official date of the pilot episode of the Boy Meets World reunion series, Girl Meets World... or the exact location of a litter of Golden Labrador puppies waiting to be played with...) you can reach me by creating a Viber account for free. You can use this program to make free phone calls and send free texts/pics that uses Wifi instead of minutes, etc. and I will be able to respond while overseas. Once you sign up, you can add me as a contact and the best way to do this is to sign up through your FB account and I should automatically be in your contact list. 

This will be my last blog in the states. Please excuse me while I try not to watch any more episodes of Lost before flying over a large body of water.

<3

-Ems

Hey everyone! So I just wanted to give an update on what's been going on lately. I have been shying away from Facebook alittle bit so I figured there would be enough new things to share and talk about to fill up a blog entry :)

So, let's see... We have been in Norfolk now for 2 months! It's crazy to think- the weeks have flown by even though the days really haven't! It's so much easier now to get out of the house and feel like I am a productive human being thanks to the fact that we just got a new car!

Yep! It's a Toyota Echo and it rules my world. I'll be honest, I didn't think I would ever give up a seat in our Nissan Murano but you really can't beat a car that gets 40 mpg and has a decent stereo system... I will drive that thing all day with the windows rolled down and my Justin Timberlake Pandora station hooked up... *no shame*... and not think twice about it. It's been super dependable so far although we had to really hunt for it. It's crazy how much people sell cars for in this area- everyone will price their car way over blue book value and won't budge or bargain! We had to look at a half dozen cars and came across some interesting individuals along the way. One guy tried to convince us his car had a perfectly clean title while there were visible signs of flood damage (rust up to and covering the middle console of the car) and another who told us that his car was the best thing we would find, although it was smoking once we test drove it on the highway....

In other words, I am glad Patrick knows enough about cars and what to look for so we could get the one we have and I am not hanging out at home all day. Speaking of which...

I have a new job! I had a really difficult time finding work here, much more than I anticipated. Minimum wage is fairly low and the connections I had established before I got here didn't pan out as I had hoped so that left me kinda wandering around trying to feel useful. About a month and a half ago I applied for a position with the Navy Exchange, a retail network for military and their families that provides a condensed shopping experience at a lower cost. There are NEX's all over the world...including Spain! They have a special program to keep employees so they try to transfer as much as possible. Right now I am working as a cashier at their package store... aka liquor store. 


My plan of action at this point is to do what it takes so I have a better chance of working in Rota (as their unemployment rates are so high) and I am excited to have gotten my foot in the door even though it wasn't quite up the alley of what I have been doing. There will be chances to get back into management once I prove myself alittle bit but with so many of the NEX employees being military spouses, there are always new positions opening up so I am just going to do what it takes to get to where I need to be. For now, I am still doing school and will start my next class in a few days. I am pushing towards getting my AA in Human Services done before we get back to the states in a few years. I have a feeling that while Pat is away it will be a good investment of time so I can have a good shot at getting into the nonprofit field again.

In other news... we have made some good friends in the area and have been keeping busy when Pat's not in school or on the ship. We have tried out a couple restaurants in Virginia Beach and got to spend a weekend in Fredericksburg, Baltimore, and DC with Pat's sister Monica and her fiance Kyle. I am so excited to see these two get married in a few weeks! We went to a Baltimore Orioles game and paid a visit to the White House :)

Besides that, I made friends with a few Navy wives... Kionna, and Taylor who have been so sweet since I got here. We had girl's night a few weeks ago and I wanted to share the brownie recipe I brought to share...My aunt used to make a pan when I had friends over and it is soooo good that Patrick literally told me I was not allowed to bring any of the leftovers home for fear of delicious overload. Here it is, for those of you who need something new to try:


Triple Tier Brownies

1 package fudge brownie mix
1 package (11 1/2 ounces) milk chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
3 cups rice cereal
1 can (16 ounces) cream cheese frosting
1 cup salted peanuts, chopped

Prepare brownie mix according to package directions, using a greased 9 x 13 pan deep enough to hold several layers of awesome. Once the brownies are done, cool. In a large saucepan, combine chocolate chips and peanut butter. Cook over low heat 4-5 minutes until blended, stirring occasionally. Stir in cereal, set aside.

Spread frosting over brownies and sprinkle with peanuts. Spread with peanut butter mixture. Chill for a few hours in the fridge and then cut into small squares. Feel free to press down slightly to help all the tiers merge together as needed. These are super rich and a pan will be enough for a party, I promise! 

Now, pretend these are healthy (they have rice crispies and you can use natural peanut butter) and share with everyone you know. I mean, even your mailman.

They're just... so good. 

But now that I have shared this hazardous dessert with you I have one last update I can think of for now. I am doing a 30-day fitness challenge! Did you like how I timed that? I figured I would feel less guilty talking about my sweet secrets if I mentioned that I should be staying away from them...after I gave the recipe...LOL.

I am about 3 weeks in to the challenge I made for myself and it is going beautifully. I have a super nerdy spreadsheet posted on the fridge like a proud middle schooler, checking off boxes at the end of the evening for the goals I reached each day. My goals are to: 

1) Complete a full workout 5 times a week.
2) Drink only water each day unless we go out with friends on the weekend.
3) Eat (low-carb) healthy meals/snacks with protein shakes after workouts. Eat out only 1x per week.
4) Take multi-vitamins!
5) Stay motivated, spending time each day looking up new recipes, fitness tips, etc.


So far, I have lost lbs and inches, and I feel stronger. Hooyah!

My biggest challenge has been to drink only water but I have expanded this to include home-brewed tea with little or no sugar. I also have been sleeping better and have had more energy now that I have been staying on track with what I want to feel/look like. It has also helped that my job is keeping me on my feet at least 6 hours a day and I work right next to a GNC so it's a good reminder on my way to work. I have been frequenting Planet Fitness and it's been rad.

Speaking of which, if you live near a Planet Fitness then you should stop reading my blog and go sign up for a membership. If you are still reading... then I will tell you why. A) It's only $10 for a basic membership per month that you can cancel, or $20 a month for their VIP which includes access to their tanning beds and the red light therapy bed... which I do use. The red light session advertises the promotion of new skin cells and therefore, improved skin. I don't know whether it's the power of belief or not helping me out with that right now, but either way I am seeing results and I am on board with that. B) They are open 24 hours a day. Boom. C) It's the *judgement free* gym... I don't get the 'I am the only female here" awkward feeling that I get at other gyms, or the feeling that I am the only person who isn't just maintaining... Kind of like how Jim Gaffigan put it:

The first question I am asking myself is... where do I begin? The title of this blog is "My New Life as a Navy Wife" but I have been a Navy wife for a year now and we have been married since March 2010. So this is going to be my attempt at fitting a year's worth of changes, for the good and bad, into one post. HA. Yeaaaaah.

So here's what I really want the beginning to look like. I won't introduce myself because 97.825% percent of you know who I am. If you aren't included in that number- you are really good at finding obscure blogs through Google. Or maybe you used Bing. Either way... I'm impressed.

What I want to do is to recap what's been going on since last Summer when Pat left for basic training. It hasn't all been easy, but it has been worth it. We've made some great friends along the way.

While Pat was in bootcamp, I got to stay with my Aunt Denise and Uncle Pete until I joined him in Florida. They very well might be my favorite couple. It's hard to choose with so many options but they are a great example of the idea that you get out of a marriage, what you put into it. It doesn't hurt that my Uncle Pete knows everything about whatever it happens to be I need some help with... and my aunt has always been a great motivator. They were the perfect support system while he was gone!

I got to travel with Pat's mom and dad to see him graduate in Great Lakes, IL. It was such a great ceremony and getting to share that with his family was an amazing thing. And what am I saying? 
His family? They are my family. They have been since day one. 

While he was gone, and in between writing an insane amount of letters (now tucked away in a box for our great, great, great, supergreat, totally awesome, really smart, extremely attractive great grandchildren someday), I also got to record an album with a few friends and most notably, Nic. With the help of my friends at Grey Door Music Company it was released two days before I flew across the country with two suitcases and my guitar to meet Patrick in Pensacola. Another huge thanks to everyone that came out to our release party, it was my favorite show to date!

Once in Pensacola, Patrick and I got settled into a cozy 1 bedroom apartment that was built for two people but at more than one time had ten inside. The Navy didn't end up paying for our storage unit to come down so we had the basics to get us through until May when we moved again. And by the basics, I mean enough kitchenware to occupy several friends and pump out things like Olachea's Oreo Cheesecake, Warner's Chocolate Delight (yes, I just named it) and Nugent's legendary 7-layer dip. By the way, can I have the recipe for all of the above?? I will pay you in long distance air-five's.

I got a job working for Goodwill Easter Seals doing career services for 20 incarcerated young men ages 15-19. This was a great change-up from the mission services I ran for Goodwill Industries in Walla Walla for 2 years before moving there. I loved my job and I miss my students. That experience was a great way to confirm the idea in my head, heart, soul and bones that with the right encouragement and supportive environment, people at their most basic instinct will try to succeed. Yes, I am a bleeding heart. Guilty!

Patrick did really well in both A School and C School. He has always been a hardworking man and wonderful husband... I am not surprised that he graduated first in his class. I am one lucky lady! We got to see each other most of the time as my position with GES was flexible in my hours, which was a huge blessing, especially considering the fact that he was given sea duty and we will be going Team Daniel as he starts underways and eventually deployments. Time is precious.

We got to go on fun adventures including a few visits to Biloxi, Mississippi. They have a strip of casinos there and it is like a miniature Vegas but with less exotic women and more seating at the blackjack tables. I prefer video blackjack because I love to play, but setting a $5 bill on a felt table and hoping I get it back just doesn't work for me! Our friend Thunem is much braver than I in this regard and this is one of the reasons I am so glad he was our friend... He always pushed me off the fence when I wouldn't make up my mind on things like dinner plans or whether I should do karaoke. And the answer is yes, you always do karaoke. I did my first 5k in Mobile, Alabama and it was a run called Color Me Rad. It was one of the funnest times I have ever had exercising. But just a note, if any of you throw colored powder in my face while I am on a run and it is not benefiting the Ronald McDonald house we may have an issue. 

On second thought, almost all of you are not anywhere near the Norfolk area so if that did happen, I wouldn't be even mad. Actually, I would probably hug you and get color all over you and bring you to our house and feed you for at least a week.

Just sayin'.


Anyways, when it came time for us to finish up in Pensacola, we ended up getting sent to Norfolk, Virginia instead of picking orders like we thought would happen. This was disappointing at first as we were hoping for San Diego, but then we found out we will be stationed in Spain next year. We are both SUPER excited about the idea of getting to travel around Europe and live near a beautiful Spanish beach in Rota! It is *muy bonita*.

We got to go home in June and see almost everyone we wanted to. We were only in town for a week and it was tough to make that work... but our best friends Bethie and Ciara made a trip to visit while we were around and I am soooo happy about that right now. It was nice to see everyone's faces, in person, not on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Skype, etc. Real, human faces. I took this for granted for awhile.

We packed our storage unit into a Penske truck on Friday and it was like the ultimate game of Tetris. On Saturday morning we started the drive from Walla Walla to Norfolk, in other words... 43 hours in a car. And you know what, it was really good! We came prepared with a connecting cord for my iPhone and streamed Pandora Stand-Up Comedy Stations for the better portion of our trip. We didn't make too many stops... but got to catch a fun Cardinals game in St. Louis!

I am still unpacking and trying to get situated in Norfolk. We found a 2 bedroom apartment in a nice complex with my favorite amenity- a washer/dryer set right outside my front door. This may sound like a small detail but for someone who wears clothes most of the time, it's a victory. :)

-Ems