Things I Have Learned From Living With the In-Laws

We have been living with the in-laws for about three months now. I have learned several things in that 3 month span about my cats, animals/insects native to AL, and household amenities.

#1 I never, ever, ever, ever, ever want a shower with doors. I'll take the curtain that flaps in the wind any day. I have taken to cleaning the bathroom (and other places) around the house since I get bored easily and my closet OCDness creeps out and I simply "must clean now." It is a nightmare to try and clean shower doors. The glass is always scummy looking, the tracks they roll on are always mildew looking, and you have to work around the doors as you clean the rest of the tub. If you stand in the shower to clean, then you are trapped with the stinky smelling cleaner and a small air supply. Talk about being woozy and coughing! It's also fun to get in and out of the shower without hitting your head on the top of the door track. I don't have as much trouble as Dave and my father-in-law do since they are taller...but I have managed to whack my head on the track at least once.

#2 I never, ever, ever, ever, ever want all hardwood floors. I grew up in a carpeted house. As a result I absloutely hate walking on hardwood or tiled floors with my bare or sock covered feet and picking up all kinds of loose dirt, fur, whatever on the bottoms of my feet. Another thing I didn't realize is how hard they are to clean. I sent two hours sweeping, vacumming, and mopping the hardwood floors in the downstairs. I was completely exhausted by the time I was done. I took a shower and fell asleep on the couch. And guess what? The next day there was all the loose dirt or whatever right back on the floors. I tried.

#3 We're going to need a house with one of the following: a screened in porch, sliding glass doors, or floor to ceiling windows. The cats are LOVING life at the in-laws house. They have a ton of room to run around and chase each other. The cats spend hours staring out the windows trying to "catch" the bugs and birds on the outside. Which is why we need either the sliding glass door with lots of room for them to watch or the floor to ceiling windows. I'm not so sure about the big windows though b/c window treatments for them are outrageously expensive. And Zeke is loving hanging out on the screened in porch. Now that it is cooler we have been leaving the doors open and Zeke can wander out on the back porch whenever he wants. He can be outside without being outside (if that makes any sense.)

#4 No navy blue carpet, ever. I first learned this in college with our big area rug that was blue. It shows everything! No dirt can escape unseen on navy blue carpet. The carpeted stairs are my current nemesis. I can't keep them fur/lint free for very long. Almost as soon as I finish goin step by step with my vacumm cleaner (and cleaning the attachment brush after every step) they are covered in fur again! So, I want carpet...just not navy blue carpet.

#5 There are scorpions in Alabama! I happened to see Zeke and Zeus staring at this bug on the floor and kind of batting it around. I thought, hmmmm this bug looks strangely familiar and I don't think they should be playing with it, but I can't remember why. I called Dave over and he says "uh, babe, that's a scorpion." "Oh my gosh, kill it! Kill it!" was my reply as I scrambled to get the cats away from it. The cats were fine, no stings and no bites. Dave then tells me that the scorpions around here are small and if you were stung it would probably only swell a little like a bee sting and it wouldn't be bad. .oO(Uh, I think I'll go to the ER or DR if I get stung...I'm not taking my chances...but plan A is to simply not get stung.) A day or so later I found Zeus playing with another scorpion and I managed to work up the courage to step on it so that he would stop playing with it. ICK!

~When I asked Dave if there was anything we could do to keep the scorpions from coming inside the house he pretended to think for a minute and replied "yeah, you can sprinkle pixie dust around the house and then they won't come in." Gee, thanks."~

I think that is the end of my list so far. I'm sure I've learned other things, but I can't quite remember what they might be at the moment. So I'm off to travel through another day of Alabama Living, it's never boring for this northern transplant.

I Don't Have to Be in Control

For about a month now I have been attending a Wednesday night Bible study, called "Twisted Sisters, at the fabulous church Mr. & Mrs. Bivins attend (the in-laws). I have had many amazing a-ha moments each Wednesday night. I sometimes get a headache with all the "Presbyterian lingo" that I am not accustomed to hearing as a member of Trinity Friends Church and then no church for a very, very, very long time. However, I always find something that makes me really think about exactly what I think, believe, and know about God. My mind and heart are sponges and I am soaking up the discussions!

We began our Bible study talking about "what is the Gospel" and "who is God" along with discussions about God's grace, which I hadn't really spent much time thinking about before. Tonight's lesson was the one that has made the most impact on me so far. It was entitled "what is wrong with us?" and reflected on the three words for sin in the Bible...which I hadn't heard before (or don't remember hearing) - Avah~twisted out of shape, Chatha~missing the mark, and Pasha~willfully rebel. We discussed what these kinds of sin look like in our lives, well others discussed and I soaked it up like a sponge. There were discussions about doing good works, but for the wrong reasons and how God isn't glorified if we're doing it for selfish reasons, a twisting out of shape. There were discussions about mothers and children and how mothers want to do well by their children, but some days it just isn't happening~a missing of the mark. There were also discussions about how we knowingly do things we know we shouldn't OR thinking we need to be in control instead of God~ willfully rebelling.

I am so guilty of willful rebellion lately. (I'm sure I'm guilty of each of the other types of sin too, but this one struck me the most.) I have been really questioning if we made the right decision to come to Alabama. It has been the toughest transition for us so far. I moved to DC and things happened as soon as I wanted them. I made the decision to not go to work right away there and instead spend time getting used to being a wife. As soon as I wanted a job *poof* I filled out the application and the job was in hand. We (Dave) received orders to Camp Lejeune. I filled out an online teaching application and *poof* before we even moved I had a job. The job was literally waiting on me to get there! We decided to move to Alabama and I began filling out teaching applications. Nothing. No word. One interview, but no job offer since I didn't have an Alabama teaching license yet. Alabama teaching licensure hoops to jump through. So I fill out retail applications. Waiting, more waiting. Finally a part-time job at Bath & Bodyworks again. Small twinkle of hope, but still not enough $ to support the two of us, plus the furbabies. All of these hurdles have been delaying our independence from the in-laws. We really want independence, we long for it (or at least I long for it...I can't really speak for Dave I guess.) Things aren't going the way I wanted them to go, I'm not in control...that's hard for me. I'm the one who always has things under control and I can't do this. Tonight I was reminded I'm not supposed to be the one in control, God is. If I let Him be in control, He will take care of me...he is taking care of me, just not the way I selfishly want him to do it.

Part of the realization that he is taking care of me and that we are where he wants us to be right now came when my smart cousin kindly reminded me to think of the blessings I do have right now. She reminded me of the Israelites wandering in the desert, they questioned but continued on their journey. I was reminded of that again tonight during Bible study. The analogy was presented of trust, trust in God that he will provide. He provided manna for the Israelites in the desert and they could only collect enough for the day b/c if kept overnight it would spoil and turn wormy...they had to trust that God would provide manna for them again the next day. So tonight I'm trusting that God will work it out and that I just need to let Him have control...

Side note: I LOVE the Community Presbyterian Church here. I have loved it from the moment I stepped foot into it over 3 years ago as the northern fiance of their Marine Dave. From that first visit God was at work on me (he was at work on me long before that...I guess I should say I was finally willing to listen). I had an a-ha moment that day as I realized that maybe what I had been taught about God and church wasn't the whole story. Each visit since then has reaffirmed that there is something special going on there. The people of that church really are a church family, for the good, the bad, and the ugly~they openly call themselves sinners (we all are) and don't make any excuses for it...they just get on their knees and repent. When Katie attended that church with us our first Sunday living in Alabama I think she felt it too. The following week she was driving home to Ohio and asked God for a sign about the direction of her life. He gave her a sign all right, a big one in the form of a broken down car and a rescue by a very humble, God worshiping couple.

Also, I love the people that go to this church. They have welcomed me with open arms and open hearts. I love them for it. The ladies threw us a gift card bridal/wedding shower since I couldn't be present for an actual shower. Each visit they are there to offer friendship, support, guidance, and love. I am so blessed to be attending this church, even if it is only on Wednesday nights right now.

Dance Related Memories

Some of you may know this and others may be surprised to hear that I used to take dance lessons as a child. I was reminded of some silly happenings and fun memories when I read my cousin's tale of venturing out to find tap shoes, ballet slippers, a leotard, and pink tights for her daughter. Finding dance apparel isn't always easy as you can tell from her post. Here are some things I remember or learned while taking dance classes once upon a time, in a land far from Alabama.

#1 Never show Nana your tap routine by tapping on her kitchen floor.

The story may not be what you expect. I took dance classes at Susan Powell Dance Studio in Minerva, OH and as far as I am aware they are still teaching youngsters how to dance. One day after my lessons (I was maybe 4-5yrs old at the time) we went to my Nana's house. I was eager to "show off" what I had learned and Nana was always eager to see what her grandchildren were up to. I put on my tap shoes and began tapping away on the kitchen floor. Nana didn't care that I was tapping on her floor. I didn't care either. Not until I slipped b/c my tap shoe was too slick on the kitchen floor and I fell, but on the way down I hit the back of my head on the kitchen chair. I knocked myself out! I scared my Nana half to death because I apparently stopped breathing too. My Nana and my Mom rushed me to the hospital to have me checked out. Turns out I may have had a slight concussion, but they released me and I didn't have any lasting long term damage that we know about.

#2 Keep dancing no matter what happens!

This event occurred a few years into my dance career and I had changed to a studio in Salem, OH where I also took baton lessons and we performed in parades. It was time for our annual recital and we always had a dress rehearsal the day before so that everyone knew what to expect and they could make sure our costumes looked ok. (They always had parts that needed sewn together...even though the costumes were outrageously priced for a snazzy leotard and some sequins.) It was my group's turn on stage to practice. We went out on stage and started tapping. I "shuffle stepped" so hard that my tap shoe flew off! I kept right on tapping until out routine was over...even though I was missing a shoe. My dance teacher was impressed, but it was something I had learned during my time at Susan Powell. "No matter what happens keep dancing!" OK.

#3 Big bows, ruffles, and sequins are a must! Tutus optional. (No panties either :O )

Also part of the costume or performance were the HUGE bows that were a color chosen to match the costume that we wore as the "laces" to our tap shoes. I think a mom or someone went and bought enough ribbon for all the girls and they handed them out right before the dress rehearsal. Then it was Mom's job to tie them in a big bow. (Probably another reason my shoe flew off...it was only being held on by a big bow.) The ones in the picture aren't too bad...but there are some pictures where the bows are bigger than my feet at the time. Ruffles and sequins belonged on every costume. And then the worst part about dancing...for the recital you were absolutely forbidden from wearing anything under your leotard because then you would have panty lines. Ick. If you you exceptionally unlucky you had to wear tights with your costume as well.

#4 Recital costumes range from insanely cute to outrageously ridiculous.

I have had several different costumes throughout the dancing adventure. My favorite costume was a yellow bikini with black polka dots and fushcia sequins. If we ever move our stuff out of storage I will have to see if I have a picture of this costume. It is one costume that made it to my toy pile (read toy mountain) and every time I would unbury either half of it I would have to put it on. Did I mention the bottom half had a HUGE butt ruffle too? Another costume was the purple one you see in the picture with this post. I think we had this costume the year after we had the yellow polka dot bikinis. Then the costume I had during the shoe flying incident was a bunny costume. We had white sleeveless leotards that had some sort of decoration on the front in pink. We had white "sleeves" that went from wrist to upper arm. There was a nice ruffly white tutu complete with sequins on the end of the ruffles. To top off the costume we had nice playboy bunnyesque ears attached to a head band. I'm sure whoever chose the costume found it to be adorable, but looking back at the pictures in recent years we looked a little floozy. I have pics of that costume floating around somewhere in storage as well.

Hmmm...I think those are the highlights of my time in dance lessons. If I remember correctly the bunny costume occurred the last year that I faithfully attended dance lessons. My interest fizzled after that.

My Very Own College Student

I have my very own college student, my husband. I have been talking about how much he needs to go to college for at least three years now. The time finally arrived now that he is out of the USMC to be a college student. Going to college is his only "full time job" as far as I am concerned. He is working at Domino's on Friday and Saturday nights right now and we're hoping a job for me turns up so that college can continue to be his job. My job has been to support him and make sure he gets his assignments done with assistance as needed.

I have been earning my title of supporter the whole way. The first time I had to be supportive was when he had a paper to write for his art appreciation class. He had to research a mask and write a one page paper about it. He started completing the work by himself at the pool house. About a half hour into his research he calls me on my cell phone to ask a question. I end up going up to the pool house to look at what he had found in order to answer the question. Once I'm there he ends up asking me to stay up there while he completes his research. I end up falling asleep on the loveseat that is in the pool house while he did his research and wrote the paper. Then came my job of typing his paper-which he is going to have to learn to do soon! All of that for the completion of one assignment.

His latest task was to complete a poster board to go along with his paper about the mask. I again traveled up to the pool house with him to provide moral support. I took along a bag of misc papers, bills, receipts, etc. that needed sorting. I sorted and filed while he printed off the pictures he wanted to put on his board. Then he began cutting out his pictures. He was doing fine until he came to a picture with rounded edges. He began cutting, reached the rounded edge, hesitated, and then passed me the picture along with the scissors. I cut that picture out and handed the scissors back to him so he could finish cutting the others out. Next it was time to attach the pictures to his piece of foam board. I didn't have a glue stick for him to use, but I did have glue dots from my scrapbooking stuff that he could use. I showed him how to use them on the first corner of the picture and then set them down and walked off. He says "but I still have more corners." I said "I am not doing it for you, I gave you direction and now you need to finish it." So he finished the other three corners and said "it looks like a 5 yr old did it." Yes dear it does, keep working. It took about three hours, but the board is finally complete. He kept asking questions about what he should do or how he should do it...I think it was an attempt to get me to do it, but it didn't work. He did the whole thing by himself...with me in the room for moral support. (One wise Marine mom I relayed the story to told me "he's used to working with a unit, not by himself. You're his new unit!") I think it is going to be a very long college career (and I have no idea how I'll manage to work too) if I have to sit around while he does everything.

Three Years Ago

Dave and I recently celebrated three years of being married! I can't believe how the time has passed. Three years ago today we had just arrived back at the in-laws after going to the beach for our honeymoon. We were packing our bags in preparation to fly back to Dulles where Dave would head out to the barracks and I would catch my connecting flight back to Ohio. It was an interesting first four months to be married, but living 6 hrs apart. It certainly prepared us for the separations we would endure in the future, but I'm certainly glad those days are over. Here is a picture of us on that special day.

So many things to blog about...

I haven't blogged in over a month! It isn't because I haven't had the time or I haven't had things to blog about, I just seemed to be stuck in writer's block mode any time I sat down at the computer. There are so many things to blog about I even started making lists...but now I can't find them so I'll do my best to go from memory.

Sarah Palin~I must admit I've felt rather "blah" about the Presidential election so far this year. I voted in the primaries for Obama, mostly because I didn't want Hilary to be on the ticket. I am VERY glad she isn't. All of that changed tonight when my mother-in-law asked, "are you going to watch Sarah's speech?" Well, I honestly hadn't planned on it or even knew she was going to speak...I'm that out of the political loop :) (Scary that I get to vote, huh?) I watched with a critical eye and was very impressed. I don't agree with her stance on all issues, but one rarely agrees with everything a politician says. I love the fact that she isnt afraid to say things or give her own rebuttle to the media. I love that she has made some great accomplishments in her state government. I love that she "talks funny" (accents are a big thing for me since my northern and southern are all intermixed at this point and I feel like a mess). I love that she looked so put together and polished (I desire to look that put together and feel I rarely accomplish it.) One thing I spent half her speech wondering about was "how did she get into that darn jacket?" I had missed her entrance and the way the camera was angled the front looked like a solid piece and I couldn't find any hidden zipper...I knew it wasn't magic. Finally, at the end I saw that there was a flap at the front with buttons or hooks on the inside of it. (I'm silly I know.) At any rate, I like Sarah Palin and I like that her kids are already showing their quirks and flaws. Nobody is perfect and children aren't perfect either. My favorite "action shot" can be seen here of Sarah's youngest daughter holding her baby brother. My first reaction was "oh no she didn't" and then immediate laughter.

Job~So, it is looking like I may be a very part-time employee of Bath and Bodyworks once again. Currently, part-time employees are only getting sometimes 3 hours a week...but they need help with floorsets and then the holiday season will be here before we know it. I truly enjoyed my time as a BBW employee and look forward to possibly rejoining the company. It isn't ideal simply because the hours are so few, but I'm willing to try it and see where it takes me. I need some time out of the house and feeling productive. I'm still searching for something else that will provide enough stable income that we can leave the in-laws house...but it seems to be slow happenings here in Alabama. (They always said things moved slower in the south, they weren't kidding.)

USMC Life~Is missed at times, which I find crazy since I was counting down the days until it was over. Mostly, I miss all of the guys who used to gather at out house on the weekends and during holidays to eat, drink, and be merry. We all had so much fun together. I was really surprised when Dave didn't re-enlist. I thought for sure that June 1st would roll around and he would decide to stay with the Corps. I still kind of wonder whether we might end up back in the Corps at some point. And even if possibly the reason things haven't worked out quite the way we wanted them to is because we are supposed to go back to the USMC. (I've been praying for a sign of what we are supposed to be doing and some guidance...and I'm just not seeing it, but I'm afraid to ask for a big one because when Katie asked for one her car broke down on the highway.) I love and enjoy the fact that Dave is here with me now and that we get so much time together, which I know would be gone the minute the USMC had him back...but still I wonder...are we where God wants us?

Books~I have done nothing but read, read, read everything I can get my hands on. A lot of it has been military related. It started two years ago when I read The Gift of Valor: A War Story about Cpl Dunham and his journey from being wounded in Iraq to his parent's decision to turn off his life support. I remember sitting in the food court at Pentagon City Mall wiping the tears from my eyes as I read the last pages of this book. That summer I also read Marines in the Garden of Eden about the initial invasion into Iraq. Much of this book was technical terminology that I didn't always understand at the time. However, it gave me great insight into what Marines and other service members experienced almost from their perspective rather than the media's. I also read Blackhawk Down that summer. I enjoyed all of these books, but when Dave received orders to Camp Lejeune we knew deployment was inevitable and I stopped reading military literature mostly as a desperate attempt to keep me sane. This summer I was finally able to embrace military literature, mostly about Marines of course, once again. I read Generation Kill by Evan Wright who was an embedded journalist. His articles turned into the book, which is now an HBO miniseries. I loved his candid retelling of events and descriptions of what things were like. I don't know if it just because I know and love Marines or if he really tells the story that well...but I found myself laughing out loud at some parts, wincing during others, and nearly crying at some points for the things the Marines saw, endured, and the memories they now live with. I felt like it gave some insight into the mind of the warrior Marine and what it really means for a Marine to "do his job" and how they feel when the realities of their job go against things they have been taught their whole lives. One thing that still sticks out after reading this book, that I hope by now has been corrected, but when they first invaded Iraq the plans were kind of on the fly. They had West Coast (Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton) and East Coast (Marines stationed at Camp Lejeune) that were units set to invade Iraq together, but their communications equipment was encrypted so that those Marines could communicate within their own "coasts," but not with each other. It made for some tricky situations that sometimes led to a little friendly fire. At any rate, if you read any one of these books my vote is for Generation Kill simply because it tells the human side of war, not just the basic logistics. Be prepared though and keep in mind this is a book about war and Marines...meaning gruff, tough, guys. I am delighted to have received my latest book in the mail thanks to Amazon.com entitled Keeping Faith: A Father-Son Story About Love and the USMC written by Frank and John Schaeffer. My mother read it and it comes with high recommendations.

Ok, I think that is enough for one post. Hopefully I'll write more soon.

Heartbreak Ridge & Guns

Heartbreak Ridge~I just love this movie. I love how it reflects life as a Marine, an example of life as a Marine's wife, the way Marines take care of their own, and the battle of "old" vs. "new" Corps. Dave and I went and had Chinese food last night, then we stopped by Wal-Mart to get ice cream and instead of renting a movie we decided to watch "Heartbreak Ridge" again. I don't think we have watched it since he has been back. I have been missing Marine life (shh don't tell Dave) and it was fun to watch the movie. I was actually impressed with myself and how much of the gear I recognized in the movie ("official" names and all) and the fact that even though they act like the movie is set in Camp Lejeune, NC (and to be accurate it should be set in NC) it was actually filmed somewhere West Coast.

Trip to the Gun Store~We traveled to the gun store today so that Dave could talk to one of the sales people to see how he had done refinishing a gun. Dave wants a gun of his refinished and wanted to see how the other guy's turned out before he starts doing it. We are looking down the aisles...taking inventory j/k...and Dave says "you should get a matching AK" (AK 47 for you non gun folk). "Ugh, sweetie what am I going to do with an AK?" His reply "shoot stuff." "So you want me to have a matching AK strapped to my back for when the end of the world comes?" His reply "yes, unless you want something with more distance." My response "I don't think I really need anything at the moment darling. " Then later on I was teasing him about getting a "military duffel bag" and asking whether he needed one (he has at least 3 seabags already). He said he didn't so then I asked if he needed another pack (like a backpack). He said that you never could have too many packs and maybe he should buy one. I said "and do what with it?" He said "you can carry it filled with my ammo." "Ugh, are you kidding me? I am NOT your packhorse sweetie and even just one box of ammo is heavy let alone a whole pack full. I refuse to carry your ammo pack and have an AK strapped to my back when the end of the world arrives."

Oh, the lives of Marine's wives...active duty or not...it certainly isn't a boring life.

Southern Gun Show

Over the weekend I visited "the biggest gun show in the southeast" according to my husband. The southeast of what, I have no idea. This was my second trip to a gun show and let me tell you it isn't just guns on display. There are all sorts of things on display at southern gun shows~especially Confederate Memorabilia. I made my first trip to a gun show the second year of our marriage right before we moved to North Carolina. We had come to Alabama for a visit in between moves. We went to the gun show and boy did I learn a lot. I was entertained by the crowd alone and could have cared less about the guns on display and for sale. The coolest thing I saw the first trip was actual Confederate money from the Civil War era that someone had on display. This second trip to the gun show I was not disappointed with what I saw. I told Dave I should have brought a notebook to sit in the corner and record my observations. I was saved by the Army recruiter though as he gave me a plastic "shopping" bag and in it were some nice "join the Army" fliers/brochures that I wrote on instead. *Best thing of the day was the free pen and pencil that came in this bag too.*

I'll just give you a description of the sights I took in at the gun show. (Cameras were not allowed, otherwise I would have had pictures to go along with my blog.) First sighting: "I support Confederate history month" stickers on some of the displays. I have no idea which month is Confederate history month, I was under the impression that most Confederates celebrated their history everyday and it wasn't reserved to just one month of the year. .oO(Why yes I am a "damn Yankee".)

Second Sighting: An aged man, my guess would be 50 or so, who was wearing jeans, black biker style boots, and a brightly colored tie-dye t-shirt with the sleeves cut off which listed "10 Reasons to go to Curry HS" on the back of it. The printing was too small to read the actual reasons, especially on a tie-dyed shirt, but I couldn't help wondering where he found the shirt. I'm hoping it wasn't because he has recently graduated from Curry HS. .oO(Again, yes I am a Yankee.)

Third Sighting: Children barely old enough to walk, some not even that old, at the gun show with dad or grandpa. There was one boy who was fast asleep in his stroller at the gun show. Apparently, this gun thing starts at a young age in Alabama. There are gun cases, nylon type ones, that were embroidered with "my first rifle". .oO(The only people I know who use guns in the north are police men and hunters -- and even some hunters use bows and arrows instead...)

Fourth Sighting: The Alabama State flag...is a big white rectangle with a red "x" across it. Upon seeing it for the first time my statement was "That's it?!" and I started giggling. Compared to Ohio's flag it is pretty simplistic. Dave's comment was "Keep making fun of my people, they're liable to shoot you if you keep it up." .oO(Guess I am a "damn Yankee" ...who better learn how to shut up once in awhile.)

Fifth Sighting: Not "Obama for President" stickers. I saw two different stickers that were of the opinion that Obama should not be President. The most popular one at the show said "Obama-Oshit" and was for sale at every other booth it seemed like. The second one was "No Obama Nation." Well, I guess some southerners just don't like him. I hadn't seen those stickers before so I thought they were interesting. By the way, he is not a Muslim...some people still don't realize that.

Sixth Sighting: Here comes the sheriff and his deputy. I mentioned that there is a lot of Confederate memorabilia on display at the gun shows. Well, there is a lot of old west type memorabilia as well. There were several booths that had a lot of historical gun styles on display and there was one booth that the gentleman operating the booth had dressed up as a sheriff and a deputy. I didn't take too much notice of it until we were walking down one of the aisles and here comes this old west style sheriff and his deputy. The sheriff was at least 6 ft tall, probably taller, so he made a much bigger impression when he was up walking than he did when he was seated at his booth.

Ok, I think that's all I have to share about my gun show experiences this time around. Dave said that when there is a gun show it is the only time you can walk around downtown Birmingham with a rifle and not get stared at. I'm not too sure about that because I sure did a lot of staring, then again I am a Yankee.

Extra Note: This should have been included in an earlier posting about Katie's trip to AL, but I simply forgot. We were in an elevator in a downtown Birmingham parking garage during our visits to various law schools. There were four gentleman, presumably headed to work, in the elevator along with Katie and I. We reach the street level and the door opens, no one moves until Katie and I get off. Katie looks at me and says "You know you're in the South when four men wait for you to get off an elevator." You sure are!

Crazy Cats 2

My crazy cats also are loving my in-laws house. There are several different things that they love about it. Mostly, the low window sills that they can just sit in front of and watch the birds and other animals outside. They love that there is so much room to lay around and chase each other. Also, Zeke and Zeus really enjoy the stairs... they can often be found there stairing down at whoever is in the kitchen area. There is a little closet just under the hanging pots and my mother-in-law had gotten in there for something. Zeke and Zeus had to watch as she opened the door, rummaged, and closed the door. Silly boys.

Crazy Cats

My boys, the furry ones, love to keep me entertained with the funny stuff they do. Dave and I realized that Zeus had learned how to cover himself up-only because we would find him all covered up in a blanket when no one else had been home to cover him. One night we figured out exactly how he was able to do that. Now would be a good time to mention that I hate making my bed. I never make my bed unless someone is coming to visit. It seems like a huge waste of time and energy to make my bed when I am just going to climb back into that night and have the covers a mess again. As a result my blanket ends up left in a pile on my bed. Zeus will then take his head and nudge the covers around until he is able to tunnel under the covers and sleep all covered. Last night I had gone up to lay in bed and read when Zeus came to join me. At first he decided to nap with his head totally covered and then he finally woke up to pop his head out of the blanket. I just had to take a picture.

Vet Trip

It was time to take my "furbabies" to the vet to update all of their shots. I was kind of dreading the bill since Dave and I are essentially jobless at the moment, but since we didn't have the vet actually look at them we only had to pay for the shots. Between the two of them we spent $98 on shots. Last year when we took them to the vet and had them looked at by the vet it was $300. (Yes, they're only cats...I know.) We opted out of the vet checking them and determined we'd take them in if something serious pops up. Today it was just shots...but you would have thought we were doing something more torturous to them.

Zeke and Zeus started acting up before we ever left the house. I tried to tackle them and put their harnesses and leashes on to get them out of the house. They weren't having any part of it. (We put them on leashes because they are too heavy for the cat carriers we bought for them when they were smaller...the bottom sags once you put a 12-14 lb cat into it. BTW, we weighed them: Zeus was 12.4lbs and Zeke was 14.5lbs....fat cats!) I finally tackled them and put harnesses and leashes on them. I took Zeus to the backporch while Dave brought the car closer to the door. I went back inside to get Zeke and when I opened the door, zoom, Zeus was back inside. So much for having them ready by the door. I should have known better anyhow, Zeus hates being outside. I take Zeke to the car and he instantly hides under the seat. I go back to the house to get Zeus. Zeus is clinging to me and growling the minute we walk outside the door. Did I mention he's a yellow tabby and shedding like crazy at the moment? I pry him from me and stick him in the car as well. I get in the front seat and look down...I might as well be wearing a fur coat, but I know I might as well not worry about it because there will be more fur before the trip is over.

We arrive at the vets office, about 10 minutes late do to the "getting out the door" ordeal, and take them inside on their leashes. Zeus immediately starts whining and growling. Zeke is bellowing as well. I talk to them for a minute or two and they calm down slightly. Dave and I are sitting on a bench, each with a cat on a leash on the floor. Zeus is content to wander the floor within the range of his leash. Zeke decides he wants to wander to a chair and promptly hops into it to sit down. He apparently needed his space and thinks he is part human. We're sitting there waiting and the next thing we know Zeke is slobbering all over the place and acting like he's going to puke. Dave hurries up and takes him outside, but all he does is slobber some more. Zeke was just worked up about being there I guess.

Finally, they call us back to the examining room. Zeus starts his growling again and Zeke is just glaring at us. The vet assistant goes and gets the shots ready. Zeus whines a bit as they stick him, but puts up no big fuss as Dave holds him while the vet assistant sticks him. Zeke decides he isn't happy the minute I pick him up to get his shots. He wouldn't let go of my shirt and let me set him on the table. Then when Dave goes to hold him he jumps up the minute the assistant gets near him with the needle. They try this about twice and then the assistant goes to get help. The vet comes in and gives Zeke his shots as Dave and the assistant hold Zeke down.

Whew, we're done with that. We go to the desk to pay for their shots. Zeke is still glaring and Zeus is totally fine. (Zeus is usually the whiny one.) Zeke has spent the majority of his time awake today giving us the evil eye. I talked to my mom, or Grandma Brenda as I call her around the cats, and she said to tell the boys she was sorry. I said, "Sorry for what? That we took them to get shots so they stay healthy and don't get some crazy illness?" Ugh. I was worn out after our vet visit...and covered in yellow fur from head to toe. Yeah, I'm still not ready for kids because I know the vet trip was only half as traumatic as a visit to the doctor can be. (Doctor's waiting areas are usually full of other kids...typically upset ones, frustrated parents, and who knows what else.)

~It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year~

I'm humming that song right now. I know Christmas is still several months away...and I really could care less about that. Two things happen in the month of July that I just absolutely adore! The first being the 4th of July. I love the colors, the food, the fireworks and sparklers. It's waaaayyyy better than Christmas if you ask me. The second thing doesn't happen on any magic date, but suddenly in retail stores everywhere the best items start sprouting up. BACK to SCHOOL Supplies and Clothes and all sorts of fun things! I ventured into Wal-Mart today and magically the back to school aisle was filling up. There were notebooks, pencils, folders, scissors, erasers, glue sticks, crayons, colored pencils, and so many other wonderful gems. The best deal of the day were scissors on sale for 60 cents. Last year I paid 98 cents for the same kind of scissors. The only thing that saddens me at the moment is I have no good excuse to buy supplies just yet due to no teaching job in sight. You should have seen my cart last year! Loaded to the gills with stuff. I managed to use nearly all of it too. I had some leftover notebooks at the end of the year, but notebooks don't expire. Dave has to restrain me whenever we pass the "back to school aisle" because I just can't help myself. I can wander and look for hours. Hopefully I will get a teaching job and find an excuse to buy more supplies. I love them!

Arriving in "Sweet Home Alabama" & Crazy Dreams

To say things have been busy this past month would be a huge understatement. I somehow managed to finish up my second year of teaching without any major issues. I did indeed manage to pack up my classroom and an entire townhouse full of junk in the same two week span. It wasn't without its problems, but the moving thing finally happened. I have a few stories to share about the drama of moving.

Story #1 - Mechanical Problems
As part of the military reimbursement for moving (since they pay to move us) we have to have certified weight receipts of the truck & trailer with an empty weight and a full weight. (Dave's rank allots him 8,ooo lbs that they will reimburse us for moving.) Well, my father-in-law drove down and arrived on a Friday evening with the truck and borrowed trailer, which saved us a ton of money not having to rent one. So the boys get up Saturday morning to go get the trailer weighed and the truck won't start. Moving is at a standstill at this point while they work on the truck all afternoon. They ended up replacing a starter, but not before all the certified weight scales were closed for the weekend. I'm still furiously packing boxes, but they are not moving to the truck because they need to weigh it empty. Finally Monday arrives and they were able to get the truck weighed and the loading process began. ...I was still trying to shove things in boxes, not many things...but enough things. They get all 5,600 lbs of stuff loaded by around 3:30pm. The boys have a half hour to get the truck 3 mi down the road to get it weighed for its full weight slip. I jump in the shower because we were going out to dinner since the kitchen was packed and closed for business. I get out of the shower and have just put on my dinner clothes when I get a phone call. Dave says I need to go pick him up from the scales place, uh why? He replies, "we have a flat tire on the trailer." Ugh! So I pick him up and we head around town to find a replacement tire. Apparently the brand new car hauler that we were using as a trailer (the kind they haul nice racin' cars in) had a screw that went all the way from the inside of the trailer in the wheel well through to the outside where the tire rubs. The screw wasn't a problem when the trailer was empty, but as the trailer was weighed down and the tire expanded it became a huge problem. The boys filed off the end of the screw and put on the new tire and we were back in the moving business. They left for AL the next morning and arrived that evening without further delay.

#2 Wendy's Travels to AL
I did not leave when the truck with out stuff left. I stayed in good ol' J-ville a few more days to get the place cleaned up, the carpets cleaned, and to have it treated for fleas. All of those things were part of our rental agreement as things we needed to do when we left. Upon leaving J-ville, I made a slight detour to Myrtle Beach where my father, his children, and his wife were vacationing. It was a pretty good time to spend two days at the beach with dad, my sisters (all 2.5 of them) and my half brother. The kids are cute at ages 2 & 4, but it reaffirmed the fact that I am NOT ready to be a Mommy. Nope, can't stand the constant noise. Then after two days at the beach Katie and I traveled to AL...

#3 Katie and AL
Katie came to visit me for a week in Alabama. I LOVED having her here. Dave and I keep trying to talk Katie into coming to AL for law school. We've offered to let her stay with us for a small, small rent fee for the duration of law school and beyond. So, as part of that we took her to visit two different law schools in the vicinity. The first stop was Birmingham School of Law, which is rather small and would be good only for practicing law in the state of AL. The second stop was Sanford. We were lucky enough to spend some time talking with an admissions counselor there. She shared a wealth of knowledge with Katie and I about the process of applying to law school, ways to prepare for the LSAT, and some things to think about as far as an application for law school goes. We were both very impressed. Katie said she might like to really go there. (Of course I rooting for it too!) Katie left AL on a Saturday to head back to Athens, OH for school. She needed to move out of her apartment from last school year and into her new one for the upcoming school year by July 1. Katie is about 2 hrs from school when we get a phone call about a problem with her tire area. Dave determines it is Katie's wheel baring and it must be replaced asap during the diagnostic phone call. Katie is a a ways off from the next exit in Owensville, KY when this even occurs. Katie was blessed with the presence of a young couple that stopped to help her out. The gentleman of the couple had his wife get out of the car first so that Katie would feel safer when they stopped to assist her. He also said that they were good church going people when he first talked to Katie. Good church going people they were indeed! They drove Katie all over to assist her. She visited the shop to get it towed and they said they probably wouldn't be able to get it fixed until Monday. They then took Katie to get the part she needed and drove back to drop it off. Then to the hotel to check-in to a room. Then back to Katie's car to get some clothes and her laptop and then back to the hotel. The couple invited Katie to church with them the following day where the gentleman's father was a minister. Katie ended up going to church with them and then ate lunch at a dinner thing they were doing at the church after the service. The couple dropped Katie off at the hotel again and gave her a variety of phone numbers at which they could be reached if she needed anything else. Katie got the call on Sunday that he car was done so they came along later and took her to her car. God is good. I felt so blessed to know that Katie was taken care of even though she was technically stranded. She arrived back in Athens on Sunday evening without further delay.

Ok, on to the crazy dreams story. To say moving was stressful would be another gross understatement. I ended up with a lot of burdens while my husband didn't seem to have nearly as many. I've also been frustrated with our plan to live temporarily with my in-laws (I HATE being dependent). I just wanted to move into a place that was ours again. However, I rationally understand the wisdom of waiting til we both secure jobs and figure out what we can realistically afford. Irrationally, I want what I want. The stress and frustrated feelings left me feeling very angry with my husband. I was rather grumpy to him most of the first few days here in Alabama. We even had a little talk about it one night before going to sleep. That very night when I was so irritated and angry I had a dream. I dreamed that we had packed up our entire house in J-ville and we set to leave the next day when Dave told me that he wanted to re-enlist and would be deploying the next day instead. Talk about crying!!! I cried and cried and cried in my dream. He just up and left me for deployment to Iraq instead of moving to AL. I woke up from that dream and snuggled up to my husband. From that moment on I've been grateful to be here instead of saying yet another good-bye to my husband as he travels into a world of uknowns for several months. (Do you think God may have been trying to remind me of how much I Love my husband?) We're slowly working our way back to the relationship we had prior to deployment. It's been a struggle with some give and take on both ends. He needed to unwind and realize I'm his wife and not a fellow Marine. I needed to realize that even though I did everything while he was gone and am capable, that I need to let him be needed. I also need to get used to actually having him around instead of being alone all the time (ok, with two furbabies all the time) and not just talking to him for a few minutes at a time sporadically.

Another tidbit: I am SUPER excited to spend the 4th of July with my husband. My husband who is no longer an active duty Marine, but who will always be a Marine. .oO(I'll always feel like a Marine's wife as well...) I think the 4th of July is better than Christmas! I love fireworks and sparklers and parades and whatever else the 4th brings. If I had decided to have a big ol' fancy weddin' I would have planned it for the 4th of July and of course had red, white, and blue as my colors. On this 4th of July as I am enjoying life as a civilian, not a military dependent, I will be thinking of all those brave men and women who volunteer to endure hardships, spend the majority of their time away from family-in the US and in other parts of the world (combat or no combat), and be thankful for their willingness to sacrifice, and pray for their safety so their loved ones can welcome them home with open arms. I'll also be thinking about 4th of July's from the past...actually seeing the fireworks in Washington, DC (I hope to make it back at least a few more times), and the 4th spent with Marines preparing to deploy who were setting all kinds of things on fire at my house and making lighted watermelon boats. (See last year's post about the 4th if you'd like to see some pictures.) I hope you all have a happy and safe 4th of July and take a few minutes to think about those who help protect our freedoms and Independence that we celebrate.