The Good and the BAD...

Let me just start off saying I have always loved and supported our Armed Forces...

But lately I've had a love/hate relationship with the military!  When I married M, I knew what I was getting into.  I knew the commitments and hardships that came with being a military wife, or should I say thought I knew!

Love-

 Matt had a week of work to do in Cyprus, so I was able to indulge down with him and enjoy some beach time!  Matt's days were relatively short compared to how he works at home (thanks to the Cypriot way), and the island was BEAUTIFUL!!!  We had so much to explore together!  The water was the most beautiful blueish-green, and clear as day!  It was a bit chilly, but the sun was HOT, so you just had to lay out for a bit!  We ate a traditional meze, swam around Aphrodite's rock for good luck,  went through the mountains on a wine tour, and ended up at the highest point on the Island!  It was a truly great experience, and I have the military to thank for it!

A beautiful hillside taverna

The Cliffs @ sunset

Fish meze in Glyfather, Greece

The beach with Sea Turtle nests...M was a swimming turtle!

Aphrodite's rock!

Our hotel in Pissouri

Our favorite traditional meze

Hate-

After months of waiting and stressing over M's next posting, we got word the middle of last week that he will be sent "out of area" (aka deployed) in September for six months! WHAT!!???!!!  This was a huge slap in the face to both of us, but especially M.  He's worked his butt off the past two years just to get a good, no great, recommendation for his dream job (which he did)!  For those months that we were waiting, promises were made over and over again to us that this is where we will be going next!  For them to turn around and tell us different, and worse that they will take my husband away for half of a year...is an outrage!  We had planned so many things for our life in those six months...big things, and now it will all be taken away from us!  Please, don't get me wrong, I know a lot of families that are affected by a member being deployed, a lot of families worse off than M and I!  It's all about how they went about it!  So needless to say, big M will be away for six months while M, m, and I will try to keep the house and life together here!

J

SUNSHINE & Babies

It always amazes me how much better my day is when the sun is shining!!!  I for some reason get so much more done!!!  Not to mention, I actually tend to do a work-out or two...yes that's right TWO!!!

Lately, this lil guys stands in for the sun when possible!!

As soon as I saw my first nephew two things happened!  First, I fell madly in love with him.  It was so hard to say goodbye to him.  Second, with the help of a couple other friends being prego, I caught instant "baby fever"!  Thanks to my level-headed husband, we are still on track for OUR life plan!

M and I enjoyed most of our trip home.  There were some great surprises and some not so great surprises!!!  I guess that's just the way life works out! Love it or hate it!

Our next adventure is a trip to Cyprus in a couple of weeks!  M was once based there, so he's very excited to get back there and show me around!  I say...anywhere with a beach and sunshine, count me in!!! I'll post some pics of the visit!

Until next time...

J

Here I am...

Well, after lots of encouragement from friends...I've finally succumbed to the blog world!

I'm not sure what I'll write about, but my plan is to just go with it!  I'm about to finish my second year in England, and it's gone so fast!!!  I will try and fill you in on my day to day activities, past and current trips, and in general what it's like to live in another country!!

I was born and raised in Oklahoma.  My first time to move out of the state was to Chilton, BUCKS, ENGLAND!!!  Quite a big change, in fact, in a matter of two years my whole world was flipped upside down. I met the man of my dreams, bought a house, got engaged, sold a house, left my job, moved 4,000 miles, moved two dogs 4,000 miles, and became a stay-at-home military wife!

Okay, okay, so lots of people at sometime or another deal with these life changes!!  Somehow, nobody seems to tell you how hard, stressful, or detailed these changes are.  I wasn't warned about the emotions (good and bad) that came along with every tiny detail involved with this move.  Thankfully, I have a wonderful family, the best friends a girl could ask for, and I'm pretty sure the most understanding husband EVER!!!

All in all, we're so happy and lucky to be living the life we are at the moment!  Spring has literally slapped us in the face, along with hay-fever (an allergic reaction to tree pollen and others)!!! The sun comes to visit for more than two hours a day for days on end!!!  I can't stand to be in the house...in fact, I've spent way too much time at this computer!  Off for some vitamin D!!!

Murphy and Molly

The valley near our house!

Spring flowers in back garden...

...and more...

...and my favorite!!!