Show us your life - Wedding Party and Flowers

This week's edition of Show us your life is all about your wedding party and flowers!

We had our church wedding in December so I kept everything simple. Black, white and red were my new best friends! If it would have been spring I may have been more creative, if there wasn't a time crunch in planning I may have been more creative, if there wasn't a 14 hour difference between us and our wedding party for the months prior to our wedding I may have been more creative. But now looking back I am still in love with the dresses, tuxes and flowers!

We got married in Old Christ Church. I remember walking past this church with Jon while we were dating and telling him I was going to get married in that church or that I was going to marry him in that church something along those lines. I loved getting married in this old historic church!

My matron of honor and bridesmaid all had black dresses with a sweetheart neckline that mirrored my dress with a white ribbon around the waist which is hard to explain but in no way did the ribbon tie! The groomsman all had black tuxes with white vests and ties. Don't my sister-in-law and my brother make the cutest couple??

I had three flower girls and no ring bearer! Sophia, Anna and Ava wore dresses that I believe came from a department store that went with the black, white and red theme. Their Mom did a great job. Her choice played out exactly what I had in mind in my head. Sophia's dress was long but matched her two younger sister's dresses which were shorter with tulle (is that how you spell it) underneath. I can't believe how big these girls have gotten! I babysat Sophia when she was just a baby!! TEAR!

I guess I can include our Sword Arch in our wedding party. We were truly blessed to have some young marine flight studs (short for students) that volunteered to come and provide us with a sword arch. They were so much fun! I hope some of them have now been lucky in love or at least possibly have their "wings of gold" by now! And hopefully they have forgiven us for the missing keg that the caterer forgot to bring!!

For flowers I had red roses and white daises. The flower combination that Jon bought me on many occasions and my favorite! My bridesmaid all had a bouquet of red roses that later went on our wedding party table. The groomsman had single red roses along with our Dad's and the rest of the men folk in our family there. Yes, even our Mom's had red roses. I did red roses and it was affordable some how! Maybe because I saved money because the one rule of the church was that the flower girls couldn't throw flowers down the aisle so Anna instead had fake flowers in her basket!

I loved my bouquet but since it was most likely going to be heading to a dumpster a few short hours after our reception since drying flowers and trying to preserve them for years to come and moving every 2.5 years didn't sound feasible I gave them to the lovely girl pictured below working at the McDonald's drive-thru after our reception. I couldn't think of a better thing to do with my bouquet then to give it away. After all we did get free bottles of water and my McFlurry for free courtesy of the car in front of us so I had to keep the kindness going!

"A new favorite" He exclaimed!

My husband has been home now from his last deployment to Australia for a few days now so I have been cooking!! It's so terribly hard to cook for yourself and only yourself for days on end so I neglect cooking or trying new recipes all together. I found this recipe on a blog hop and wish I knew who to give credit to but I didn't write that down!

Jon ate this leftover the next day for lunch since he had missed dinner due to a night flight. He said all he wanted was whatever I was going to have for lunch which would have most likely been a peanut butter and jelly sandwich but after one bite he waved his hand and said "new favorite." I guess it's even better leftover!!

Hawaiian Chicken

approx. 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 packet Lipton onion soup mix
1 bottle French salad dressing
2 small cans mandarin oranges drained
2 tablespoons Dijon style mustard

Combine all ingredients in crock pot is what the recipe said but I mixed everything but the cranberry sauce and chicken in a bowl. Then I poured some of the mixture on the bottom, places the chicken on top, poured the rest over the chicken and then added the cranberry sauce on top. Cook on low approximately 4 hours until chicken is done. Serve over rice.

11 months old!

Jacob is 11 months old today!! When did this happen and how do I make it stop? He is growing up way too quickly! He has changed so much in just the last month it is unbelievable. I can't believe in a month he will be smashing a cake or a cupcake just the way I smashed cake in his Daddy's face at our wedding!! Time to plan Jacob's big day now!!

What to do on a H-O-T day!

It sure seems like each day it gets hotter and hotter here. It is like someone has left the gas stove on at 425 degrees for days and days now. I believe it is the humidity that makes it so hot here since the temperature has only been in the upper 80's and lower 90's. I sure can't wait for some rain to come in a few days and cool things off!

We were outside a few days ago to clean out my car and bring some items upstairs that I have been meaning to bring up for weeks. We came inside after 5 minuets because poor Jacob had sweat running down his little face. He was even in the shade outside!

This is how Jacob likes to cool off. I can't say I blame him. Jacob has discovered the refrigerator and loves to sit in front of it and cool off after being outside as well as pulling out all of the water bottles.

Show us your life - Wedding Dress

Show us where you live has changed to show us your life over at Kelly's blog.

Our first wedding took place in Okinawa. Our second wedding took place in Pensacola, Florida which we refer to as our church wedding. I get two anniversaries!! I'm totally blessed. I'm still waiting for our third wedding since Jon told me he would marry me three times if that was what it took! But, with two anniversaries I am guaranteed to hopefully celebrate at least one in between deployment cycles.

Our church wedding was crazy. I planned it in less than a month. I was only home for a month before I had to head back to Okinawa again. Planning a wedding in less than a month is not recommended! But, if I had to do it all over again I probably would do it because it turned out exactly the way I wanted it! Except for the skank photographer we ended up having. He was wonderful at the wedding but here it is almost two years later and my Dad just finished picking up the last of our package yesterday! Hence why I don't have a lot of good quality photos and most are cropped from proof pages of our wedding album.

I loved my dress! It came from Renee's Bridal. I love Renee and her store! I've always been happy with any dress I have purchased there for Marine Corps birthday balls so she was the first place I went to try on dresses. My dress was white and had a lot of bead work on the front which was mirrored on the cap sleeves, at the hem line, and along the short train. I really bought the dress for the back which i unfortunately do not have a picture of but it tied all the way down my back. I'm a sucker for a good back on a dress! I loved the cap sleeves until I realized I couldn't move my arms above my head and so those were cut off before our reception started!

Photos!!

He loves talking to his "da-da-da-da"

Reading to himself in his crib. This is what he does while I bring up the groceries!

Standing at his crib undoing his bumper pads

Total Solar Eclipse

This morning I am sitting on the computer adding photo after photo from our shutterfly account to the shopping cart so I can finally get caught up on pictures. I noticed outside getting darker and darker and really didn't give it a second thought. It rains here a lot since it's a subtropical island so I figured it was just a storm passing us by. I totally forgot that this morning starting at about 9:30 until noon or so there was going to be a total solar eclipse happening right outside! The last one happened here 46 years ago on July 21, 1963 and the next one isn't suppose to occur for another 26 years on September 9, 2035!!!

Recipe Blog Hop

I totally should be in bed but stumbled upon this recipe blog hop from one of the blogs that I read. My tastebuds are watering and I can't wait to try some of the recipes I have found!

I absolutely love Baked Potato Soup from O'Charleys but unfortunately I only got one bowl of it while we were home in the states visiting. Here is my recipe to add along to the Blog Hop!

Baked Potato Soup:

Ingredients:

12 slices bacon
2/3 cup margarine
2/3 cup all purpose flour
7 cups of milk
4 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 green onions, chopped
1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium heat until browned. Drain, crumble, set aside.
In a stock pot or dutch oven, melt margarine over medium heat.
Whisk in flour until smooth.
Gradually stir in milk, whisking constantly until thickened.
Stir in potatoes and onions. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes.
Mix in bacon, cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper.
Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this soup!!

Bathrooms

I have never been a fan of cleaning bathrooms. I think I have even blocked out the memories of having to clean the bathroom in our dorm room during my PCC days. I just don't do bathrooms. It works out nicely because Jon cleans our bathroom for me usually on the weekends. I think he likes cleaning the bathroom actually which is a WIN for me =) I'll clean rest of the house if I can avoid the bathroom at all costs. Mostly, I dislike the bathroom because of our glass shower. I just don't like cleaning it because it never seems clean when I am done. I have been doing a lot of reading about cleaning glass showers this time Jon has been gone and I have been forced to clean the bathroom. Two things that I have read about I have tried now. One site suggested to clean the shower and then use a Magic Eraser from Mr. Clean to get the soap marks off. I tried and it seemed to work but I could still see soap/water drop marks when I was done. I've also tried using vinegar but I am afraid that I may have made the mixture to weak since I diluted the vinegar with water because I shuddered at the thought of my house smelling like a salad or a really bad sun burn all day! The vinegar seems to do much better than the Magic Eraser. I'm hoping to try out the Rain-X idea the next time around if I could ever seem to remember to buy some Rain-X!

Favorite Photos!!

He just looks so big sitting on the bathroom step! And he needs his 1st haircut!!

He looks liks such a little man in this picture! It's so hard to get a picture of him not moving now!

Jacob watched me unload the dishwasher one night. He was so happy touching all the clean dishes and was thrilled when I gave him a spoon to hold! He played with it for about 20 minutes!!

Cleaning the pantry...

There is nothing I dislike more about our apartment here in Okinawa than the fact that my pantry cannot be messy because it sits being glass cabinet doors. Usually, while Jon is away I purge the food at least once. I throw away all the items I have bought and decided that they should have stayed at the store because I/we will never eat them. The pantry was a disaster with no organization after 6 months which was the last time it got done. I did find some items I did not know I had but I found a lot to throw out. I wish I would have take a picture before but I have an after picture at least. (Yes, I like SPAM)

Another thing I dislike about Okinawa is having to have 5 trash containers. Well, the 5th one is optional. We have our burnable trash, glass, non-recyclable, and recyclable. I also separate Jacob's diapers because those have to go out once or twice a day because they get smelling pretty ripe if not! YUK! The thought of the smell makes me nauseated. The bad part about cleaning things out is the fact that you have to open and dump packages and rinse containers if need be and sort. I knew I would wake Jacob up from his nap with all the noise I was making but thankfully he is still asleep.

Did I mention that opening and dumping packages isn't as simple as pouring it into the sink? We have no garbage disposal as most off-base housing here. So, instead we have to buy little bags that look like nets and put them in the drain of our sink. Again something that must be changed out daily because the smell can sometimes be worse than Jacob's diaper. But, these little baggies sure do beat having to bang the drain trap over the trash can and then brush it with a toothbrush to get it all clean!

Moving on up...or pulling on up...

Jacob has been pulling up now for about a month. He started to pull up on Jon before he left and hasn't seemed to stop pulling up on things yet! He likes to pull up in the tub, onto our one stair in each bathroom, on the couch, onto his activity table, the glass tv stand, his government issued bookshelf with his toys, the laundry basket, the computer desk and the computer box itself. If he can reach it he will get up to it. The funniest thing is him trying to stay standing up with a drawer while pushing it in and out! He cracks me up!

He accomplishes this by one of three methods. The first is being completely flat on his belly and extending his arms over head to where ever he wants to stand and he pulls himself up with his upper body. The second way is how he does it the most which is up onto his hands and knees and then up. The third is what I call a kickstand because his one arm looks like a kickstand. He puts one hand on whatever he is wanting to stand at, the other arm is locked in a straight position against the ground with him on his knees. This has to be the funniest of them all. Why he must do it this one way when he knows how to do it the other..I'm really not quite sure. But whatever works for him.

Favorite Photos

While we were back in AMERICA for two months we found a terrific photographer. Check her out Eli Faye Photography. We loved her. I picked 114 of my favorite photos today to print out!!! Here are just a few that make me smile!

How to get into the pool...

Step 1: Notice that the sliding door is open and that the water is running into the pool.

Step 2: Check to see if there is enough water yet into the pool.

Step 3: Check to see if anyone is watching you.

Step 4: Act as if you don't notice your Mommy watching you and snapping pictures and climb on in the pool.

Step 5: Have fun because you are already soaking wet in your clothes!

Victoria's Secret Exposed

Sure I know there is a mark up value on clothes, any clothes whether they are from Walmart, Macy's or Victoria's Secret but I didn't realize how big of a mark up it was until I got a customs form attached to my recent purchase from Victoria's Secret.

I finally broke down and ordered some new bathing suits. It has been five years and a baby later and I finally order new ones. I have no idea what I was thinking wearing the bathing suits I did on our honeymoon to St. Lucia!!! (I'm so sorry honey)

Here is a break down of what I paid:

• Bikini top $22.00
• Bikini bottom $21.00
• Bikini top $28.50
• Bikini bottom $14.50
• Total spent $86.00

Here is the customs form with the value of the items I was sent:

• Bikini top $5.46
• Bikini bottom $6.39
• Bikini top $3.63
• Bikini bottom $9.04
• Total value $24.52

That is a huge difference. I would do the percentage of the mark up but I have a nursing degree so I'm much better at calculating IV drip rates than doing percentages!! The huge kicker was that I was charge $14.99 for shipping and it only cost them $4.75 to send it to me per the customs form..Interesting, huh??

Not Me again..

It's "Not Me" time again!

I was not the Mommy that sung the Veggie Tales theme song repeatedly in our living room only to watch my little boy turn his head wherever he was and blankly stare at the blank TV screen..nope not me!

I never once heard Jacob stirring from his nap and quickly went into his nursery and rocked him back to sleep...nope not me!

I did not purposely dress Jacob in such a fashion most of last week to avoid having to put shorts on and off of him all day when I changed him...wasn't me.

When cleaning Jacob's bathroom this week I did not just throw bucket after bucket of water and Mr. Clean on the floor in order to avoid actually using the mop to mop it. I most certainly don't take shortcuts or waste water so that wasn't me.

So my 'not Me's' have a theme this week...JACOB! I sure love our little boy and I can't believe how big he is getting!!!

4th of July

I wish I had something exciting to write about that happened on the Fourth of July! We celebrated with grilled cheese sandwiches. I wasn't much in the mood to do anything since I had been up all night sick and then Jacob woke up super early. We enjoyed a nice quiet day at home. Maybe next year we will make it out to Americafest at the AFB but then we've already been trying to go for three years and we have yet to go!

Favorite Photos!

Okay, I'm really slacking but in all honesty Jacob is keeping me on my toes because he never just sits still anymore plus I'm trying to finish all of my busy projects that I have started since Jon has been gone. I have to hurry and get them done!! Thank goodness I'm almost done with our bedroom!!!

Jacob is loving pool time on the porch now. It's especially hilarious when he decides he wants to try to stand up in the middle of the pool. Gravity usually doesn't work out for him!

He loves boxes!!

He has learned to stand really well since Jon has been gone this time. I have to convince him to sit down now!