Recent Photography

Hello blogger world!

As some of you know I've gotten into photography the last couple of months. I've always enjoyed life through a lens, but have never had a whole lot of equipment to really get into it. For Christmas, my wonderful husband got me a Digital SLR Nikon D5000! His dad had a ton of lenses from his old 35mm Nikon, so he gave me a bunch of AWESOME Nikkor lenses. I also got hooked up with a Nikon backpack, a monopod, and this VERY HELPFUL Nikon D5000 Users Guide!  So, I got the hook up for sure over Christmas!  The only things I want to add to my collection are a flash and Photoshop! Well, since Christmas I have added Photoshop (just earlier this week)!!!  I bought it from Academic Superstore for a super low price!  If you're wanting a good deal, this is the place to go.  Although, you must be a current student (or know someone who is and will give you all their info as if it were you in school) or a teacher!  I got it for about 80% OFF!!!!!  Now, waiting on adding in that flash I want.  Patience Lane, patience. 

Since Photoshop arrived I've been playing around and learning a lot!  I'm very happy with my progress and am looking forward to two future sessions I have here in Virginia Beach.  One Preggo Session and one Couple's Session with their new pup.  Once those happen (later May), I'll be posting those!  As for now, enjoy a bit of my work over the last months

On The Ship Again

Josh is on the ship right now for another work up. I'm hoping this is the one that gives us lots of info on when he leaves for his deployment. But of course if I'm honest with myself, we probably won't find a thing out at all. Josh isn't working his usual job on the ship this time around. He is working TAD, meaning he's in the Galley, meaning he's working in the cafeteria. Ugggg. Until you make rank, everyone has to work TAD sometime. Hopefully he'll make rank before the long deployment so he won't ever have to do that again. For his sanity and MINE! Since he's not in his shop working on the flight line like normal, he doesn't has access to email. I've only heard from him two days out of the 5 days he's been gone. He emails me through someone elses email, but only the same time this guy checks his email...which isn't often. His emails have been VERY short, just checking to see if I'm safe. The only thing he has said about his working in the cafeteria is that he's working really hard and people are complimenting him. And to all of you that comes as no surprise as Josh is the hardest worker I know. I'm sure when people are assigned TAD they don't have a very good attitude about it and don't give their all the the job. I'm so happy he's making the best of it and working hard...what a good example he is to the others around him! Keep him in your prayers!!

**Update on 3/28: His email finally got set up, so I'm hoping that I'll be hearing from him more often! The last I heard from him was that the boat was extremely rocky this time around, but all in all it's been good. He's been eating A LOT and think he's gained 7 pounds! hehe I guess that's what happens when you work in the food area!**

Blog Change

I'm working on getting this blog redesigned and more up-to-date! I'm wanting to change it into our family blog! No no, this doesn't mean we're preggo....but someday we will be and we might as well go ahead and switch it over! Most of my posts are about me and Josh anyway.

Since I changed my web address and a few other things, all of your comments and my favorite blogs have been deleted. :-( SO....PLEASE leave a comment on this post just so I can get the link to your blog. Then I can rebuild my "favorite blogs" list.

1 YEAR!

We made it a year!! A growing year for both of us, but a blessed year indeed! Feb. 13 we celebrated our 1st anniversary by going out to P.F. Changs, Josh got a massage, and we bought ourselves a new sound system and a few bluerays! ;-) After supper we came home and watched one of them...The Wizard of Oz!!

WOW WOW WOW.....I've been on a Blogger hiatus for the last 5 months! I'll try not to do that again!

No need to try and catch everyone up....I'll just start from here.

All that today's blog is about another blog! haha

CHECK THIS OUT!

Thanks so my big sis, Lauren, for introducing me to this site. She sent it to me suggesting the Potato Soup (which I will be trying tomorrow night!). If you like Crock Pot recipes....CLICK BELOW!!!

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

FAMILY!

First off.....JOSH CAME HOME!!!!!!!!!!!! YIPPIE!!! It's been a few weeks now, but it's so nice to have my baby back!

To welcome him home, his family from Oklahoma drove to Norfolk to spend some time with Josh while he had a few days off. It was the perfect time because Josh didn't have to go into work one time while his family was here! They were here from a Thursday night until Tuesday afternoon. We spent the 4th of July together on the beach enjoying the sun, sand, and fireworks! It was delightful...except for the sunburn and the lame firework show. haha I LOVE fireworks and was so looking forward to seeing them over the ocean, but I guess since the economy they cut down this year. It was kinda slow moving and pretty short. I enjoyed them while they lasted, but was definitely let down from all the hype I had heard about them. No matter what, it was good to have Josh there with me. We also went to Busch Gardens while his family was here and it was a blast! Below are some pics I took with my phone when we saw them posted on the screens...that's why the quality isn't as good.

BEACH FUN!

FIREWORKS!

Left to Right: Random kid, David, Ryan, David Searles...I'm next to David Searles, but got put in a separate pic (I'm on the left of the next pic).

WE HAVE NEW FAMILY MEMBERS!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes that's right......KITTENS! They are adorable and so fun to play with. They of course get hyper and into lots of things now and again, but for the most part they just like to lay around with you and snuggle up against you. Which of course I love! When we got them, they were named Lynx and Leo. I liked the names, but Josh wanted something else. Each cat has taken to one of us, so we claimed that one and named them. I'm still working on mine...ANY SUGGESTIONS?? Josh has named his...Walker. He's trying to convince me to name my Texas Ranger. haha I don't think so. Lynx and Leo go together nicely, but now that it's Walker and Lynx it doesn't sound as cute. So, any suggestions would be nice. He's the small black one.


Continuing on about my family, my next post will be full of my side of the family! I fly to Springfield TOMORROW to ride down with my mom to Dallas for Mary Kay Seminar. The most fun thing all year long to go to...we look forward to the next one as soon as we leave Seminar that year! On our way down to Dallas, we'll stop off in Oklahoma City to see my sister, Lauren, and her husband, Will! Then we'll head to Wichita Falls to see my cousin, Kara and her new baby, Preston, plus my oldest sister, Jenny, and her three kiddos, Bryson, Ashlyn, and Canyon! I'm sooooooooo excited to see everyone! I haven't seen people in Wichita Falls since last Christmas...so I'm very eager to hug their necks. After Seminar, I'll stay in Springfield for two days to get to see everyone there and maybe hit up Silver Dollar City with mom.

Until then....

Josh Update Plus Apartment Pictures!

Well I haven't given much of an update since Josh left and there are no wedding pictures up yet! So, let's get to the juicy details. Well I don't know about juicy...but here are the details!!

JOSH WILL BE HOME ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you couldn't tell by all my exclamation points, I'm just a little excited. hehe We have fortunately been able to e-mail back and forth...even several times in one day sometimes. If we catch each other online at the same time then we get a chance to message back and forth rather than waiting hours or until the next day to hear from each other. Although, I really do wish I could hear his voice. :-(

He hasn't really liked being cramped on a ship the last month, but who would really. He said that ship life is really hard and very stressful. I did write in my last update that he's getting to work on the deck and not scrubbing dishes, but I think some days he wishes he were scrubbing dishes. It's definitely manual labor on the deck moving really heavy chains, doing all the needed jobs to ready the place for planes to land, and some mechanical work. He works from about 6am-6pm with a break now again...which is his e-mail time! It's definitely been a growing experience for him and I both...but probably more so him. Since he's been gone our things from Louisville arrived and I am DONE decorating!! Well, done decorating with all the things we already own that is. Our room still needs furniture in it and there a few wall things I would like to add. Josh's mom will be bringing a few things when they come visit in August that are some Navy memorabilia from his grandpa that I can't wait to display. Basically, I feel more at home now!

I've visited a church the last two weeks that I really enjoy! I met a girl named, Amy, last week and as we got to talking she's from SPRINGFIELD, MO! She is just here for the summer living with her sister and brother-in-law while doing an internship at the church. She'll be graduating from CBC in December and walking in May. Which means, if I move back home during Josh's long time away, she'll be in Springfield and we can continue our friendship! We've been tanning on the beach a few times this week and she and her sister came over last night for a girls night. The Lord is definitely blessing me. Speaking of blessings....I GOT A JOB!! Unfortunately it doesn't start until August. A slight turn of events happened on their end and will end up having help until the end of July when they thought they needed someone else. But like I said, the Lord is blessing us and providing financially for us in lots of other ways! He is so good...ALL the time.


Below are some picture updates of what the apartment looks like so far!!


Look familiar? This is our guest room.

Our room...not much in it....gotta get more stuff later.

Dining room!

Fun Fiesta Ware always brightens things up!

The only addition to the kitchen (besides more serving ware)...a favorite IKEA item that
has followed me through all three apartments thus far!

The piano that hopefully I can relearn to play!

Finally a cozy living room!

Goodbye...

Goodbye to what?

1.) Josh
He left for his one month training deployment yesterday. Am I sad? Of course. But it's only a month and I know he's safe! It's only for training so I know he won't be harmed at all. Ask me again if I'm a mess in 4 months when he leaves for the Persian Gulf for 9 months. AH!
**Update on his time on the ship....He isn't working in the galley scrubbing dishes!! He's actually on the flight deck doing better work! YIPPIE! Also, he informed me that Master Chief is working on helping us get all that back pay from the beginning of boot camp. I don't know why he's wanting to help, but God is good and is providing! Please pray it really does come through this time!**

2.) The "Pet"
I'm not sure what was going through Josh's mind two days before leaving me for a month, but he came home with a domesticated pet rat....cage and all. I couldn't believe it!!!!!!!!!!! I mean, of all things a rat??? Why not a fish or a CAT?! It went back to the pet store today! They only gave me my money back for the rat, not it's giant cage that cost $70. UG! I'll try that one on craigslist. Anyhoo, I'm rid of that and enjoying the apartment...rat free! I told Josh in our last e-mail that I took it back and he didn't say anything about it when he responded! PHEW! I escaped that one!