Dear Puppy

I've wanted one of you for as long as I can remember, but I think that is because I have mostly hung out with the older versions of your kind. I knew I wanted a friend, though. Someone I could walk with when my husband wasn't around. Someone who would sit next to me and watch me be my boring, but content self, and love me anyways. Someone to laugh at and cuddle and simply just...have.

We've been looking for you for awhile now. We were hoping you'd be a little bit older, a lot more trained, and a little less expensive. But those stinkin' cute eyes tugged our heartstrings and caused us to make an "almost" impulse buy.

We drove an hour to find you. I think Keagan feared for his life as I drove, nervous and excited, Sunday evening to get you. Honestly, I didn't know if I was ready for you. But those eyes. Ugh...those puppy eyes. They captured us. We got to pick you up and bring you home and you didn't even pee in the car...until I parked it in front of our apartment complex. It was a heroic effort, puppy. It really was!

You actually had a pretty good night, considering how we tore you away from your comfortable home and set you on a pillow and blanket in our bathroom. You had a little accident, but that's to be expected, I suppose. I, on the other hand, did not have such a good night. I panicked, and worried I made a mistake, and didn't sleep more than 3 hours all night. I alternated between sleeping on the bathroom floor next to you, and right outside of the door where you could see me. That's the only way I could keep you happy.You poor, nervous, girl. I tried to google puppy advice to soothe me to sleep. It actually...kind of...worked.

We started a journal last night, trying to discover your habits and develop a routine with you. I think that was a good puppy-parent move. We have made a few mistakes- like not buying your crate until this morning (but I made it to the pet store and back without you destroying a single thing), stuffing a pillow in it that was was too fluffy (but you can't do without it) and still not naming you...because nothing suits you quite right yet. Oh, and I bought a food and water dish that's too big for your crate. Hmmph. We'll make more mistakes, but puppies forgive with enough petting and loving, right?

We have had some victories, though. I taught you how to climb the stairs that you were so afraid of. We've made it outside a few times without getting anything on the carpet today, and you crawled in your crate when I wasn't even looking. I dramatically thought that I was never going to get you to go in there, and that crate training was never even going to be an option. (Yes, we're crate training, but we're also keeping her active! It's the best of the options we considered for our lifestyle and hers). Now, you're peacefully sleeping in there, and I think you kind of like it. In fact, you won't even exit out the wide open door! I tried to nap beside you, because I'm tired and don't want to grab that toxic can of Mt. Dew in the fridge. I just couldn't do it, though. You've got my mind running a million miles an hour, but I think that's a good thing.

You're kind of a silly little thing. You like to dart around and chase the end of your tail. You can't go more than an hour without plopping yourself right in my lap. You don't really like to play, but maybe we haven't found the right toys for you yet. We're gonna get really good at walking, I hope. You did make it around the block today, just fine!

If you forgive me for my puppy-parent mistakes, I'll forgive you for turning our normally tidy apartment into this...

But we're going to work on it.

You scare me, a lot. I know next to nothing about actually training puppies. I just know about what I've read. We've got a lot to learn, you and I, but I think we're going to get along just fine. I really do. Sometimes, I think that I can't wait until you're older, but I know I'll miss the puppy days. And this blogging thing? Maybe it will be a good thing. You can sleep peacefully, as I relax by letting my thoughts flow through the fingers on my keyboard.

Libo! 96!

There are very rare circumstances that the TBS Marines (or any Marines, for that matter) get extra days off of training. Usually, it's long hours Monday-Friday, and "homework" on the weekends. We've been spoiled so far as we enjoyed Memorial Day off, and this week, the 4th and 5th off. In Marine lingo, Keagan got to enjoy a 96 (4 days/96 hours of liberty/time off). So this week? Yeah...it's been pretty great.

Monday through Wednesday, not much happened. I spent quite a bit of time re-organizing myself after "vacation" with the family. The organization-freak in me has trouble readjusting. We got back in a fairly normal routine though. I kept busy during the days, and had supper ready to enjoy with Keagan when he got home. Shorter hours were much appreciated!

Thursday, I spent hours in the kitchen, and then we had Kiley over to help us eat copious amount of holiday food. We enjoyed BBQ Pork Steaks, Grandma Nelson/Kay's Homemade Potato Salad, Watermelon, Corn on the Cob, Salad, Baked Beans, and Key-Lime Dessert. It's been so long since I've had so many dishes for one meal...we sure did enjoy it. There were leftovers galore, but believe it or not, Keagan and I ate the last bits for lunch today. Yum. Call us lame, but instead of venturing out to find fireworks, we stayed at home and watched a movie.



Friday, Keagan and I ventured to D.C. First, we stopped by the Natural History Museum. Hopefully, by the time we move away we'll have seen all of the Smithsonians! After enjoying supper at the Eastern Market, we went to the Original Marine Barracks on 8th and I for the Evening Parade. (Click on the links for more information). It was such a fun evening. The location is so interesting, and the Marines that performed were beyond incredible. If you're ever in the D.C. area, try to get tickets. It's worth it...even if you aren't affiliated with the military!




Saturday, we had to go see Despicable Me 2, of course! And today...we've just been relaxing. It feels great to have him around the house for so long. Tomorrow, it's back to the grind.

Another Week

Well, another week has come and gone. I keep waiting for a "normal" routine, but I think I've come to the realization that there will never be one. For the most part, I'm okay with that, although the boring, organization-loving girl inside of me is craving at least a couple days of staying at home and accomplishing the normal tasks. It's a tough balance to maintain.

Last week, my family trekked over 20 hours across the country to come see what the wonderful state of Virginia is all about. All six of them crammed in the minivan, threw a topper on top for the luggage, and somehow made it without anyone losing their mind. I'm convinced that whoever created the minivan had a big tolerance for families...I don't know how my family survived. They made it to Virginia late Saturday night- my mom with history books in hand, my brother with his x-box, and the rest with their running clothes. (Yes, they're the type of family that runs...even on vacation). 

The whole family after we spent a day getting soaked in D.C.

Because they were staying in Williamsburg (almost two hours away), Keagan and I did not see them until they joined us for church on Sunday morning. Unfortunately, due to Week 2 of Range Week, Keagan only got to see my family for a few hours on Sunday and a few hours on Friday. I, being the lucky one, got to stay at the resort with the crew and shared a room with the little sister...just like old times!

With the family, we saw a few different sides of the Virginia/D.C. area- historical, touristy, and a mix of both. Look for a more detailed post about the different spots soon...but for now I'll just give you a quick outline. :)

Sunday: Church, lunch, Marine Corps Museum, quick drive-through tour of the bases
Monday: Virginia Beach (complete with a shark sighting!)
Tuesday: D.C.- Metrorail experience, Holocaust Museum, Air & Space Museum, supper, the Capitol
Wednesday: Colonial Williamsburg
Thursday: Jamestown Settlement
Friday: D.C.- lots of rain, American History Museum, Museum of Natural History, cruising from monument to monument, supper and farewell.

The week breezed by...it almost feels like it never happened. It was a good week though, despite the weather being either extremely hot, or rainy. I think everyone left with a little more knowledge of and appreciation for our country and I came home only wishing they could have stayed longer.

~~~

Keagan spent his second week out on the range, learning from the best, and earning ranks for pistol and rifle shooting. Again, they had long hours and early mornings, so they had to stay on base. They even spent one night over-night working on night shooting techniques. 

~~~

Since my family left, we've been enjoying getting to spend evenings together (even if it's only for a couple of hours). I got to have Keagan home all day Saturday, but he had 24-hour duty starting early Sunday morning, so I had to share him with the Marine Corps a little longer. :) While he was on duty, I got to go to a grill-out with members of his platoon and a few other wives. Thankfully, I was allowed to bring him supper on base, so I packed a bag with spaghetti and other goods and enjoyed a quick 20 minute supper.

We're looking forward to a 4-day weekend due to the 4th of July...and this long of a break is pretty much unheard of, so we plan to take advantage of it! We've also been searching craigslist for puppies and cars...even though we're a ways off from actually being able to buy either. It's good to have big dreams, right?? :)

Weekly Happenings...a bit late

Oh my goodness, you guys. I am so sorry. I know that my somewhat-regular weekly updates are all that keep you going in life (sarcasm...)! But honestly, I do feel bad. For those of you that I have promised to keep updated-- I have failed. It's a good thing though- I've been keeping busy and having a good time!

We have now been here for six weeks. Wow. Here's what's happened since I last updated ya'll...

1. Keagan and I went to a Twins vs. Nationals game! When Denard Span got traded to the Nationals...I immediately looked at the schedule to see if the two teams would face off. Lucky for us...they did! On a weekend...so that we could go together. It was a lot of fun, and the Twins won. We got to sit in a section with other Twins fans...which really annoyed the Nationals fans nearby. We've loved being so close to D.C. and think it's so cool how anywhere that we go, we can see one of the landmarks that we used to only see in textbooks and on the news. Our capital is rad.

2. We had an "ant fiasco" of sorts. We've had a few little tiny ants crawling the windowsills since we moved in. So what'd I do? I bought ant traps. What'd the ant traps do? Attract every ant in the neighborhood! We had a gross couple of days...and I'm sorry for anyone who feels sorry about the little guys, but Keagan and I even had an ant-stomping party on the kitchen floor because we figured that was quicker than waiting for the traps to actually work. Finally...they're gone...

3. I started a couple of books that I've seen recommended by friends. Unbroken and Soul Cravings. They are both super-enticing in their own ways...I highly recommend both!

4. Kiley came!

Keagan's sister stayed with us for about 1 1/2 weeks while waiting for a place to live. She lives about an hour away now...so it'll be nice to have family near. I was happy to have someone drag me out of our apartment.. :) We had a good time visiting Great Falls Park, exploring Downtown Fredericksburg (lots of antique stores, neat shops, and fun buildings), checking out some restaurants, shopping in Potomac Mills, and walking the canal walk in Richmond. I also LOVED having someone to sit and watch hours of Anne of Green Gables with me!

We also enjoyed a few adventures...

Adventure #1- Tornado warning in Fredericksburg. While walking from store to store, we started hearing about an intense storm coming through. Being from Iowa, a predicted thunderstorm doesn't really phase us, but we soon realized it's a different story out here. They're simply not used to storms, and often lose power because of them. Stores were closing early due to the threatening weather, the Marines were telling their wives to have emergency plans in place, and we were scolded for walking outside. There was a brief, stormy moment, but it amounted to nothing.

Adventure #2- Car Troubles. Keagan's car began acting up on Sunday. Since he was on base Monday-Friday without being able to come home, it was my job to figure it out. On the way to the repair shop...Kiley was following me and told me I should probably pulled over. I did...but since we were only 1/2 mile from the repair shop, I decided I'd give it a go. I turned the car back on, turned my wheels, and heard a thud. When I went out to investigate...I saw this...

Yeah...not good.We waited for a tow truck and got it to the repair shop...where it is still waiting as we decide it's fate. I was very glad it happened when it did- off the road, when I had someone with me, and during a week where we only needed one car. In hindsight, I probably should have had it towed to start with, but seriously...we're from Iowa. We don't run from storms and we don't call tow trucks. Maybe I need to become a little more "Virginian." :)

~~~

I have also had a few more events with other spouses. It's great to get to know them and have some friends in the Marine Corps. 

Keagan hasn't had quite as much fun- this week he had Range Week #1...which meant really early mornings, hikes to the range, lots of shooting, and hikes back late at night. This also meant I dropped him off at 3:30 AM Monday morning, and haven't seen him since (it's Friday 10:00 PM). Next week looks the same...but I'm very happy that my family will be visiting and keeping me busy. :)

-Hannah

Government Island.

Remember when I said in a previous post that we went to Government Island and I was kicking myself because I left my memory card out of my camera?? Here's why.

And in case that didn't sell you....
there's this:

The squirrels are like your best friends there! I about died. If it wasn't for the two women walking up behind me and no doubt judging me for taking a million pictures of this guy and talking to him...I could have stayed for hours. Or at least until the squirrel told me I was nuts...

How I Documented Our House

You know the whole self-worth roller-coaster we all ride every now and then? Yeah, the one where one minute we're shaming ourselves for the fact that we really like caffeine, haven't worked out in over a week, and need to buy more sundresses. The next, we're proud of ourselves for making awesome homemade pico de gallo, making the living room smell good, and driving down I-95 like a city driver. Yes.

But really, sometimes we need to get off of that roller-coaster and do what actually makes us happy. For me, it was this. I had seen other people document their lives in such artistic, awesome ways. I had seen many photobooks that looked much nicer than anything I thought I could pull together. But, I wanted  to try, and I wanted to do it how I wanted to and not worry if it compared to anyone else's.

I'm normally quite terrible at digitally documenting my life. I may take a lot of pictures (mostly of trees), and may have a lot of pictures from other people, but I just keep them on my Facebook and call it good. I hardly ever print any pictures, and the only reason I have pictures in frames in my house is because I had to print some of our engagement pictures off for bridal showers. So really? This was a big step for me.

I had decided awhile ago, that I really wanted to remember each and every place that we live. I knew we'd be moving around due to the military, so I wanted some way to remember each place. This is what I settled on. I wanted to remember the basic things- like what each house looked like, what our yard looked like, and what I had hanging on the walls, but I also wanted to remember the unique characteristics- like the crazy colored carpet, the cat that lived outside, and the little knick-knacks that I find so charming. So, thanks to a $20 coupon for Shutterfly and a little motivation, I finished my book.

I'm so excited to look back someday and be able to appreciate all of the little places that we lived and called home. It surely isn't perfect, but please enjoy a little taste of Home #1- Iowa. You can view the thumbnails below, or click the link to view it larger.

Click here to view this photo book larger

Click here to create your own Shutterfly photo book.

Weekly Happenings- Zero Week Part 2

June 1st? Seriously? How'd it get to June? It's hot enough to be August, but my internal clock has no idea how we got to this page on the calendar. The months have been flying by so fast. We've been graduated for over a year, married for 9 months, and in Virginia for almost 1 month. It seems unreal.

This past week was ridiculously hot- 90+ degrees with full humidity every day. I guess they weren't kidding about the weather out here. Sorry for the Midwesterners who are just begging for summer, I hope you get it soon!

As I posted on Monday, Keagan had the day off of training, so we spent our Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery. There really are not words for how incredible it was to be there. It was nice to have a free Monday to remember our troops and relax a little. Then Tuesday came, and it was back to the grind.

Keagan had fairly long hours again. Since it's still technically Zero Week, they were doing more in-processing and such. Things picked up a little more with training this week, but next week the "normal" training starts.

Wednesday and Thursday, I spent most of the day on base, attending some L.I.N.K.S. classes for TBS spouses. If you are a military spouse or family member, I highly suggest attending any L.I.N.K.S. session that you can- they gave us so much information! It was nice to spend some more time with other spouses as well. I also spent a lot of time driving around and running errands for Keagan. Besides a few wrong turns at first, I'm getting a lot more used to the area.

Other than that, we got an update on our kittens back home! They are adorable. Also from home, my little sister made it to State Track and set the school record in two events- the 400 and 4 x 4! How exciting- she definitely doesn't take after me.

We bought tickets to the Twins vs. Nationals game next Saturday, so that will get us through the week!

Have a great week...and June!